by Aron Lewes
“Very well.” When Mellanor leaned down to kiss Cinda's cheek, everyone gasped—including Cinderella. No affection had ever been exchanged between stepmother and stepdaughter. “I'll talk to you later, dear. I'd like to discuss my plans for your future.”
“Come on,” Terra insisted. When Mellanor and Gaia joined her at the door, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Cinderella could hear Gaia's voice receding down the hallway.
“Honestly, though, Terra... do you think she's that wonderful? The prince's standards must be lower than I thought...”
As the handmaidens fixed her makeup and painted her toenails, Cinda's thoughts drifted to Fenix. Why did he run away from her? She couldn't understand.
“I thought we had a connection...” she whispered to herself, which earned her a puzzled glance from one of the handmaidens. “I thought he liked me.”
Several minutes later, when her toenails were completely dry, she was presented with Sharman's glass slippers, as well as a gauzy veil. The curtain of lace obstructed her vision, and when she accidentally ran into her desk, the handmaidens escorted her to the door.
The Chapel was six hallways away, but she could already hear the music. Haunting sounds of sorrowful strings were carried down the palace's corridors. “Why is the music so sad?” she asked one of the handmaidens—but the woman didn't reply. They rarely did. Many times, she tried to engage the handmaidens in conversation, but none seemed interested in getting to know her.
Cinderella's gown had a long train, and it was carried by two footmen as she made her way forward. As she drew closer to the Chapel, the music swelled, and goose pimples peppered her skin. Cinda's heart raced at the crescendo of violins.
So many people were invited to the royal wedding, the final hallway was teeming with guests. When she passed Fenix and Donnabella, Cinda's heart momentarily stopped. The wicked witch even had the audacity to smile and wave.
Cinderella quickly averted her gaze. Donnabella belonged in a dungeon, but for the moment, Cinda kept the witch's presence to herself. She didn't want to ruin her wedding by calling attention to Donnabella.
As soon as Cinda reached the Chapel, she saw Sharman waiting for her, and he looked more handsome than ever. His brocaded ivory coat was dripping in gold tassels, and his tailored red breeches clung to his thighs. His brown curls were voluminous and carefully arranged, and his smile stretched across the length of his face.
It was a double wedding, so Elliot and Rose were already at the aisle's end. Cinderella was the last to join them. Her glass slippers softly thumped as she made her way down the crimson carpet. She briefly glanced at Gaia, who was sitting between Mellanor and Terra. Her feistier stepsister made no attempt to hide her disgust. Her arms were crossed, her nose was wrinkled, and her lips were petulantly pouting.
When Cinda reached Sharman, the prince took her hands and raised them to his lips. As he waited for the priest to begin his speech, he smiled down at his wife-to-be.
The priest cleared his throat three times before he finally spoke. “To all the good people who have gathered here today, I welcome you.” Not only did he over-pronounce every word, he spoke so slowly, it was as if his tongue was made of lead. “Consider yourself blessed, for you shall bear witness to this holy union of world leaders.”
The priest's slowly spoken speech made Cinda's eyes fuzzy. His voice made her so tired, she had to conceal two yawns before he finished three sentences.
“My god!” Gaia complained to Mellanor, “if he drags out every word, this stupid wedding will last an eternity!”
A few guests decided it was a good time to take a nap, and most didn't regain consciousness until the priest reached the important parts.
“Prince Sharman Avery Edmund Wilton the Third... wilt thou take this woman as your wedded wife? Wilt thou comfort her, uplift her, treasure her and keep her, as long as you both shall live?”
Sharman's answer was given with a proud nod. “I will.”
“And you...” As he addressed Cinderella, the priest pushed his spectacles to the bridge of his nose, “Cinderella Farrietta... wilt thou take this man as your wedded husband? Wilt thou comfort him, uplift him, treasure him and keep him, as long as you both shall live?”
The priest spoke so slowly, she had ages to think of her answer. Even so, she paused. Cinderella's answer was so delayed, the crowd started buzzing, and the priest asked again, “Wilt you?”
When she finally spoke, her voice was weak. “I...”
Before she could finish, Rose's stable boy ran into the Chapel and dropped to his knees.
“I can't let you do this!” Tye cried. “I can't! I can't let you marry someone else! I love you so much, it hurts!”
Sharman's face was transformed by a scowl. “Cinda?” his voice squeaked. “Is there another man in your life?”
As Cinderella shook her head, the stable boy continued, “I know I said I was alright with this, Rose, but I'm not! I need you. I need to be with you! I spend every waking hour thinking of you, and if you marry another man, my heart would be eternally shattered!”
All eyes were on Rose, whose head sank between her shoulders as the entire room awaited her answer. “I... umm...”
“Please!” Tye begged. When two soldiers rushed forward to haul him away, he tried to drive them backward with a punch. They evaded his flying fist and tackled him to the carpet. Several spectators gasped when Tye's head hit the floor. “Please, Rose, please! Tell everyone you love me too! Don't let it end like this!”
“Don't hurt him!” Rose screeched at the guards. “Please don't hurt Tye! He's right, you know. I... I-I do love him!”
There was another collective gasp from the stunned crowd as Rose's words shuddered through the Chapel. Cinderella peeked around Sharman's arm, hoping to catch a glimpse of Elliot's face. The jilted prince was appropriately crestfallen.
“Rose!” Tye shouted. When the guards released him, he opened his arms, and his lover dashed into them.
“I love you, Tye!” Rose declared as she sniffled into his shirt. “I love you, and I don't want to be with anyone else! I don't care what my brother says!”
The lovers embraced until the stained glass window shattered. Bits of colored glass rained down on a dozen shrieking guests.
When the dragon's barbed tail swung into the Chapel, nearly everyone screamed.
“Rank, get up!” Tiny Gloriosa stood on the mage's shoulder and screamed in his ear. “Get up! Get up!”
When Rank didn't respond, stir or budge, she decided to try his other names. Maybe one of his old nicknames would rouse him? “D-Dirty Davey!” Gloriosa's nose wrinkled as she stuttered the name. “Mad Hatter. Trickster. Get up!”
Shouting wasn't effective, so she flew up to Rank's forehead and tried to peel his eyelids open. Finally, she got his attention.
“Mmmmfffggg... what?” the waking mage croaked.
Tiny Gloriosa frantically reported, “Rank, there's a dragon in the palace! Well... more specifically, it's on the palace!”
“Yeah? And what do you want me to do about it?”
Rank rolled on his side, so Gloriosa flew back to Rank's shoulder. “You're good at dealing with dragons, Rank. I've seen what you can do!” When she saw his eyelids closing, she stomped on him. “No! Don't go back to sleep! Don't you dare go back to sleep!”
“I'm tired, though...” Rank mumbled. “Just leave me alone.”
“Why are you so lazy today?” Gloriosa shrilled. “I don't think I've ever seen such laziness in all my life! You even missed the wedding, you know?”
“Is Sweeping Beauty a princess now?” Rank's question was accompanied by a bored yawn. “Fenix will be sad about that.”
“No. The royal wedding was interrupted... by a dragon! Aren't you listening?” As hard as she could, Gloriosa tugged on Rank's shirt. “Come on! Let's go drive it away!”
“Nah. Someone else can drive it away for once.” Rank, who was still sleeping on Terra's floor, pulled a blanket over hi
s head. Gloriosa, who was still on his shoulder, was covered by the fluffy quilt. “I'm going back to bed, love. Goodnight.”
* * *
When the Cedarwood Shrieker swooped into the courtyard and snatched a guardsman in its teeth, Gaia screamed.
“Waaaaaaaaaaaah!” As she watched the dragon consume its human meal, Gaia flapped her arms and squawked. “Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my--”
With one of her crutches, Terra thwacked her sister's leg, putting an end to Gaia's fit of hysterics. “Stop it! You'll draw the dragon's attention!” Terra warned her. “Also, you're making a fool of yourself.”
“I don't care if I'm making a fool of myself!” Gaia shrilled. “That was horrifying!”
The guard's blood dripped down the dragon's scaled neck as she chewed. As soon as the last bit of human flesh was down her throat, she retreated to the Winter Palace's highest tower. Up there, the soldiers' arrows couldn't reach her, and she could continue her hunt in peace. Her sharp, red eyes scanned the courtyard in search of easy prey.
It would have been safer to hide in the palace, but many wedding guests had gathered in the courtyard to watch the dragon's feast. Cinda found her stepsisters in the crowd and dashed toward them.
“Gaia! Terra! You're alright!” Cinderella exclaimed.
“Speak for yourself, stupid! I'm not alright!” Gaia squealed. “When the dragon ate that poor man, it nearly gave me a heart attack! It... aaaaaaah!”
A spray of crackling fire triggered Gaia's scream. The dragon's spew of flame had a further reach than any archer's arrow, and when the blaze rained down, the gaping crowd scattered. Three men were wrapped in fire, and there was no way to save them. Their bodies would twitch and writhe until there was nothing left but ash and bone.
“I'm going into the palace!” Gaia announced as she stomped away, “I'm not staying out here! I've had enough of this!”
Before she reached the palace's entrance, a second stream of fire gushed from the dragon's open jaws. Gaia, who was in the fire's path, was frozen with fear. Before she was roasted, Cinda dashed forward and pushed her stepsister to safety.
“Oh my god!” Gaia gasped. “Did you just... save me?”
“I think so.” Cinda wrapped an arm around Gaia's shoulders and led her into the palace.
“Why? I thought you hated me!”
“No. You hated me,” Cinderella corrected her. “I've never hated anyone.” Except for Donnabella, her mind quietly added.
As Cinda and Gaia disappeared into the palace, a mad idea entered Terra's mind. She tightened her grip on her crutches and charged across the courtyard as quickly as she could. On the way to her destination, she passed Elliot and Sharman, so she paused to listen to their conversation.
“Why do you think the dragon is suddenly so aggressive? It's never attacked the palace before!” Sharman exclaimed. “Every now and then, it'll sit on the tower and take a rest... but it's never eaten anyone!”
“I haven't the slightest idea,” Elliot replied. “But when the dragon is gone... you and I need to have a very lengthy discussion about your sister.”
Terra shook her head and continued forward. She rushed over to Fenix, whose eyes were narrow as he studied the distant dragon.
As she approached, she cried his name, “Fenix!”
“Oh! Terra!” His blue-gray eyes brightened at the sight of her. “It's nice to see you again... but, uh... it's a shame we're reuniting at a time like this.” A sudden, earsplitting screech from the Cedarwood Shrieker pushed his lips into a grimace.
“Fenix, I had a... a mad idea,” Terra told him.
“Uh oh.” Fenix chuckled nervously. “Rank likes mad ideas, but I'm not sure how I feel about them. What's on your mind?”
“Look.” Terra pointed at a pair of armored archers who were ineffectually releasing arrows at the dragon. Even though their feathered projectiles never reached the beast, they didn't stop trying. “They need to get closer.”
“Yeah,” Fenix agreed. “A lot closer.”
“I suppose they could wait for the dragon to fly down again, but... I had another idea.” Terra studied his face as she explained her plan. “I want to climb on your back, fly up to the dragon, and shoot from the sky.”
“That is a mad idea.” Fenix's brow furrowed as he considered it. “I assume you're talking about my bird form... right?”
“Yes,” Terra laughed. “Of course.”
“If anything happened to you, Cinda would kill me,” he noted.
Terra agreed again. “Yes. She probably would.”
“I guess we could try it.” He gave his head a reluctant scratch. “But... when you're not aiming an arrow, you have to hold on really tightly, alright? I wouldn't want you to fall off.”
“I'll hold on as tight as I can.” Terra rushed away, stole a bow and quiver from the useless archers, and returned to Fenix's side. “I'm ready when you are.”
“You know...” Light radiated from his skin as he prepared to shift, “this isn't just a mad idea... it's a bad idea.”
“Oh, probably,” Terra agreed. “But we never know until we try.”
Fenix's bird form elicited predictable gasps from several spectators—and when Terra climbed onto his back, they gasped again. She slung the quiver over her shoulder, abandoned her crutches, and held onto Fenix's swan-like neck.
When Terra was ready, Fenix took flight as smoothly as he could. His wings lightly flapped as he coasted up to the Cedarwood Shrieker. He hoped to preserve the element of surprise, but as he drifted upward, his bright, orange feathers attracted the dragon's attention. The Shrieker certainly seemed interested in Fenix's ascent.
“When we get up there, try to fly as fluidly as you can. I need to steady the bow,” Terra said. Fenix's reply was a soft, affirmative squawk.
“It sounds crazy, but... I'm going to aim for the dragon's eye.” When they were level with the dragon, Terra held her breath and raised her bow. Her hands trembled as she nocked the arrow. She was so nervous, her first arrow sailed over the dragon's head. The Shrieker tried to retaliate with a spray of fire, but Fenix quickly tilted out of range, and the flames missed.
“Let me try again!” Terra cried. “Please... I can do this, Fenix! Try to get a little higher.” Her nervous stomach gurgled as Fenix increased his altitude. When they were over the dragon's head, she quickly loaded her bow and released. This time, her arrow's tip penetrated the dragon's right eye. The beast's pained howl was so haunting, she almost felt a bit guilty.
Terra's pity was short-lived. The dragon countered with a sweep of its clawed hand. It swatted the side of Fenix's head, and he couldn't keep his balance. As Fenix flipped upside down, Terra was flung from his back. Horrified screams poured from her lips as she fell down to earth.
This is it, her mind whispered its final words. This is the last breath I'll draw. I'm going to die. Goodbye, Cinda. Goodbye... Rank.
Before she hit the ground, she was caught in a ball of a warm, golden light. As the light carried her down to safety, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Terra gently landed on the grass, not far from Rank's feet.
“Hello, there!” Rank twirled his wand as he greeted her. “Did you like my little light ball trick? If not for me, you would've gone splat.”
“That's... true.” Terra couldn't deny it. “Thanks for saving me, Rank.”
“Hmm. Do you think I should've saved Fenix too?” Rank asked, pointing at Terra's falling ally. When the immortal shifter hit the ground, there was a sickening snap as his left wing shattered. “Oh well. At least we know he'll recover. He always does.”
Blind in one eye, the dragon was enraged. Its tail repeatedly slammed into the Winter Palace, knocking holes in the tower. With an incensed shriek, it flew down to the courtyard and claimed a small knight as a snack. Before any soldiers could launch a counterattack, it leapt back to the tower—back to safety.
“What do we do about the dragon?” Terra asked Rank. “You've fought them in the
past, so... maybe you have some ideas?”
“Nah. Not really.” Rank hitched a shoulder. “Well... once Fenix recovers, we might be able to send someone else up there. If I could multiply their arrows, maybe we could--”
Before Rank could finish, a smoky voice shouted, “Enough!”
It was Donnabella. The black-haired witch stormed across the courtyard with a frustrated roll of her eyes.
“Multiply arrows? Is that really the best you can do, Rank?” Donnabella snorted at him. “As your magic teacher, I'm terribly disappointed in you.”
Her criticism made him mutter. “W-w-well, I could try to call down a storm or something, but I'm not sure that would--”
Donnabella interrupted again. “Just let me handle it. I'm tired of standing idle while idiots fail.”
Grass rustled around Donnabella's feet as she closed her eyes and concentrated. Gathering winds whipped the hem of her ebony dress. The clouds darkened and swirled, amassing above the dragon's head. When Donnabella thrust her arm at the sky, a funnel formed. It grew and grew, until the dragon was pulled inside it. In less than a minute, the Cedarwood Shrieker was sucked into the sky, never to be seen again.
“And that is how you deal with a dragon,” Donnabella said, pasting on a fake smile. “Do you have any questions, Rank?”
“Arrest her!” As Prince Sharman stormed into the courtyard, he thrust a finger at Donnabella. A wicked smile raised her lips as she studied his wagging finger. “Arrest this woman! I don't care if she got rid of the dragon! I'll not tolerate witches in the Winter Palace!”
When Sharman's knights closed in on her, Donnabella laughed. With a simple wave of her hand, she could have sent them flying across the courtyard, but she decided to play along. “Really, Your Highness? I just saved the day, and now you're going to clap me in irons? Shame on you.”
“You're a witch!” Sharman shrieked. “I would have never guessed my caterer was a witch. Magic is strictly forbidden, you know. It's against the law! After my sister was cursed, my tolerance for witches is lower than ever. A dungeon is where you belong.”
