by Lee Hayton
One thing I will say about being a member of the royal family—even a lowly step-member. They don’t bother to give you the pat-down treatment. Or maybe it’s not the family connection. Perhaps the empty sockets of my plucked-out eyes are enough to frighten them far away. No pat-downs, lots of silver. Even an uneducated rough rider like me can do the math.
Oh, but I am scared.
Not of punishment but of my hopeful thoughts. They tussle roughly with my experience each night as I lay down to stay awake. A plan to corner a man who wronged me and try to free Cinderella from his tyranny. If I succeed, we can run far from here. We can use my stolen silver to abandon this rotten kingdom. We can make a new life on our own.
They are foolish thoughts from a crazy old woman. Nearly thirty and I can feel my time in this world is drawing to a close. My husband’s spirit calls to me. Some nights he feels so close I can almost taste him. I think, if I fail, Gerald may once again wrap me safely in his arms.
Dear reader, my tale to you has been littered with the shattered and battered corpses of everyone I’ve ever loved. In the darkness, my heart beating with excitement and trepidation, I’ll gladly add one more body to the burgeoning pile.
As to whether that’s my own corpse or the Prince’s? At this stage of my life, I don’t really think I care.
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In this brave new world, it's hard to be a hedgehog.
People look down on you because of your weird headdress, your strange customs, the family rituals that date back a thousand years. So when our hedgehog finds a good job with a decent wage, she'll do anything to hang onto it. But with longer hours demanded by a bigoted boss, she's on the edge of losing everything. If she does, her daughter will be condemned to live the same hard life she and her husband have struggled through.
Working 24/7 isn't a reality that any person can practice, but is it possible that a married pair of hedgehogs can turn their biggest impediment into their greatest strength?
Click on Cover or visit http://katherinehayton.com/free-books/ to download your copy today!
About the Author - Lee Hayton
Traveling is a great expander of ideas and the understanding of other cultures, and although I’ve explored this facet of the world many times, in the end I’ve always made the return journey to my home—just a hop, skip, and a jump from from my birthplace.
I love entertaining readers with a good story, whether it’s one designed to make your blood curdle with fear or have you explode into fits of laughter. I’m delighted you’ve found this Grimmer Fairy Tales story and hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to explore my worlds in more detail over in Ye Olde Amazon Shoppe.
Stay in Touch
You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google Plus. Stay on top of every new release by clicking “Follow” on my Bookbub Author Page or visit me at http://leehayton.com to download my starter library for FREE.
Read all the Things!
Red Riding Hood’s Not-So-Bad Big Wolf (Grimmer Fairy Tales)
The Hare’s Not-So-Spiky Hedgehog (Grimmer Fairy Tales)
A Tale of Magic and Sorrow (World War Magic)
Bitter Magic (World War Magic)
Rebels and Runes: featuring Caged Magic (World War Magic)
The Birds and the Bees (the Birdman Companion Series)
Eating Crow (the Birdman)
Cupid’s Bow: featuring Monstrous Love
A Mongrel, A Bard and Witches, Oh my! (Face the Music)
WereEagles Fear to Tread (Face the Music)
Gun
Skeletal
Writing as Katherine Hayton
The Tide
Winter Solstice: featuring All I Want for Christmas (Ngaire Blakes Mystery)
The Second Stage of Grief (Ngaire Blakes Mystery)
The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton (Ngaire Blakes Mystery)
The Breaking Wave
Breathe and Release
Found, Near Water
