Happily Ever After: Fractured Fairy Tale Anthology

by Dana Piazzi

  “I didn’t set out to betray you. You left her alone with me instead of taking the time to get to know her and court her like you should have.”

  “I had business to attend to!”

  “Visiting your mistress is not business! You made her feel like she was not good enough for you and left. She is better than the both of us, and you made the mistake of not seeing that.”

  His eyes narrowed shrewdly. “I can see you hold her in high regard. She would really choose to marry a pauper over a prince?”

  “I’m hardly a pauper, unless you plan on making me one, but yes. She told me that she would marry me even if you kick me out of the palace,” I admitted.

  He sighed. “I am not sure what to do with this information.” He sighed.

  “I know we are not as close as we once were, and I know that I shouldn’t be falling for the girl you were going to marry, but it is up to you. Either I run away with her and we live as poor farmers, or you can keep me at the castle and let me offer her the love and security she deserves.”

  Prince Gregory turned his back on me and I saw his shoulders tense. He held himself rigidly for a few minutes, and I remained quiet, unsure what he was thinking. Besides, I had already told him everything he needed to know. I was going to leave with Ella whether he gave his permission or not. All he could let me know was if I was going to live with her on this land or somewhere else.

  Finally, his shoulders dropped and my brother turned around to face me. “You would really choose to be with her over life in the palace?”

  “In a heartbeat. This is the only home I have known, and you are the only family I have left, but she is my new home, and being with her is more important to me than remaining here.”

  A myriad of emotions went across his face. There was still anger, but it faded. A quick look of calculation, and then he smiled at me and clasped my shoulder with good nature. “I couldn’t even begin to understand the devotion that you two have for each other. But I will not stand in the way of true love. You can remain here in the castle, and I wish you and Ella all the happiness in the world.”

  Relief spread over me; I had never believed that I would live happily ever after. I didn’t think anyone would fall in love with me, living in the prince’s shadow. I felt like I had just been given the greatest gift, and got to open it, too.

  “Thank you, Brother,” I said in all sincerity. I held out my hand to shake his in thanks.

  The prince failed to reach out and shake my hand. “I need you to do something for me first, Sebastian.”

  “Anything,” I offered.

  “I need you to go with Harold, to deliver a message,” he said, pointing in the direction of the footman standing outside his bedroom.

  “It won’t take long, will it?” I asked, afraid of leaving Ella too long. She was jumpy enough without thinking I had abandoned her.

  “Not long at all, but you must not look at the message. It is very private. Okay?”

  “You have my word,” I answered.

  “Go then, and get ready.” I took my leave from his room, and heard him call out for the footman. “Harold, I need a word,” he said loudly.

  I dressed in riding clothes and met Harold in the prince’s office. He handed me a note, saying nothing but reminding me not to read it, again. I nodded and left just as professionally. I was eager to get this task done and get back to Ella. I hoped that she would stay in the cabin until I returned. I knew the prince would tell her I would be back, but I wanted to give her the good news myself.

  “Where are we going?” I asked Harold after we traveled for a while.

  “Just keep going south, the prince said,” the footman answered back.

  We kept going south for another hour, and then Harold told me to start heading west. He was acting strange, but I wasn’t sure if he always was this way. I hadn’t dealt with him often. After just a few minutes, I had to question why I had no idea where we were going.

  “Harold, where are we headed?” I asked.

  “I’m sorry, sir,” he replied.

  I looked back at his weird response, just in time to see a club heading toward my head. It was too late for me to react and I went down. I fell off the horse and rolled to the side of the road. My attacker kept going wherever he was going with the message. I only wished I had read it, I thought as I lost consciousness. At least then I would know why I had been left for dead on the side of the road.

  Chapter 11

  Ella

  When I woke up, I was in the bed all alone. The sun in the sky told me it was afternoon, and Sebastian’s spot next to me was cold. I felt my heart clench at first. Had he changed his mind? Had he just been saying those things to keep me at the castle? I didn’t want to believe it, but I could think of no other reason why I had woken up alone.

  I needed to talk to him before I tried to sneak away, but first, I decided to clean up the cabin. I swept up the dried mud and scraped off my slippers. I swept the ashes from the hearth and wiped the bedcover off and then turned it over so no one would see the muddy stains I left there. Once I was done, and had straightened my clothes the best I could, I decided to walk back to the palace. I didn’t want to run into Gregory, but I needed to speak to Sebastian. I had to risk it. If he wasn’t there, then I would just go. If he found me once, he could find me again, assuming he actually wanted to find me.

  A footman with two horses rode up to the house about the same time, and he dismounted. He walked quickly inside and I snuck inside after him. I had to pass the prince’s office to get to the kitchen. From there, I could take the back stairs to the bedrooms. Perhaps Sebastian had just gone inside to get some clothes. As I peered into the room, I saw the same hurried servant who had rushed in before me.

  “Is the problem taken care of?” Gregory asked him.

  “It is, sir,” the man said, bowing.

  I rushed past, while the prince opened his drawer for something, and hurried to the kitchen. Once I had made it past them, I thought about the snippet of conversation I heard. It sounded suspicious, but for all I knew, it could be nothing. Perhaps an animal had escaped, or one of the fields was infested with bugs. I resumed searching high and low for Sebastian, but found no trace of him.

  Finally, I ran into Henry, the servant who had come with Sebastian to Edwina’s, searching for the girl missing a glass slipper. “Henry,” I whispered. He came closer to me.

  “Yes, my lady,” he responded.

  “Call me Ella. I don’t need the formalities.”

  “How can I help you?” he asked.

  “Have you seen Sebastian?” I questioned.

  He nodded and came closer to whisper back. “He was here earlier, but the prince sent him away.”

  “To do what?” I asked.

  “I don’t know, but the man he left with just returned alone.”

  I wondered if that was the man who was speaking to the prince. I was starting to feel confused, like nothing made sense. I wondered if I was just jumping to conclusions. Either way, it didn’t seem like Sebastian was here, and my goal was to get out of here before I ran into Prince Gregory.

  “Where is the servant’s entrance?” I asked Henry.

  “You have to go through the kitchen and go to the pantry. There is a door out that way,” he told me.

  “Thank you! Good bye, Henry!” I said nervously, and ran down the servants stairs. I made it through the kitchen and pantry safely. I opened up the back door to find Gregory sitting outside it.

  “Ella!” he said happily. He walked up to me and kissed my hand. “You’re enchanting as always.”

  That was enough to throw me for a loop. He wasn’t acting like the prince I met. “What are you doing outside?” I asked.

  “I was just walking the grounds, waiting for you to wake up.”

  “Oh,” I sighed. I didn’t know what else to say.

  “It has come to my attention that I haven’t treated you the way you deserved to be treated, Ella. I’m very sorry.”
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br />   “That’s okay,” I muttered.

  “It’s not,” he argued. “I should not have left you so soon after your arrival, but it was urgent business. I also didn’t make you feel like the beautiful woman you are. In my hurry and my ignorance, I put you through ridiculous training without realizing you were already fit to be my wife. I didn’t realize that I was the lucky one.”

  I peered at him suspiciously. “Well, thank you, your highness. I didn’t mind the training, really. I needed a little bit of polish,” I finished, trying to give him my best smile.

  “Would you like to join me for tea?” he asked, holding his arm out for me to take.

  “Have you seen Sebastian?” Since the prince had such a change of heart, I had to ask. Also, I didn’t quite trust him. I wondered what kind of game Gregory might be playing.

  “Yes, Ella. He informed me of the mutual feelings you shared. He left to get a special license. He said he couldn’t wait to marry you.”

  “You’re not mad?”

  “No, not mad. I am a little sad that I missed my opportunity to win your heart, but I would never want to stand in the way of true love,” the prince said. His lips stretched out into a warm smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

  “Thank you, your highness. I would love to share tea with you.”

  “Please, Ella, call me Gregory. We will be related soon, after all.”

  “Yes. Thank you, Gregory,” I said, trying out his name.

  We entered the parlor room and enjoyed tea. Afterward, the prince had to attend to some business, but he told me to be comfortable until Sebastian returned with the license. Later, we met up for dinner and sat together making polite conversation. After dinner, he asked me what I would like to do.

  “We could play chess,” I mentioned, missing the game.

  His gallant façade slipped a little. “Chess?” he asked in distaste.

  “Sebastian taught me to play. I found it fascinating.”

  His warm smile returned. “Sebastian always did love that game. It’s been a while since I played. I lost many games to him, and grew tired of it. How ironic that I have lost to him again,” he said with humor.

  “You don’t have to worry about that with me,” I confessed.

  Prince Gregory continued to act charming as he beat me in one game of chess and then congratulated me when I beat him on the next. We talked for a while and part of me wished he had acted like this from the very beginning. The situation might be very different if he had, but I believed all things happened for a reason. Yes, fate and love. I believed in them both, perhaps naively.

  After chess, I went to sleep, hoping that Sebastian would be there when I woke. It was the only thing helping me hold on to my sanity, in this new flip-flopped world. Once he was back, I would be a married woman, and I could be in his arms every night, just like the previous one. I slept fitfully, nightmares of Sebastian being hurt filling my head. In a few, he had changed his mind, choosing to keep his position with the prince, rather than be with me.

  Chapter 12

  In the morning, Sebastian still hadn’t returned. The maids brought up a bath for me, and I took advantage of it. Who knew how often I would have one after I ran from this place?

  Another maid brought up a tray of breakfast, and then they helped me into a beautiful ivory gown and someone did my hair. I looked out the window to see carriages arriving. It occurred to me that no one had cancelled the engagement ball.

  I looked down at the maid fastening my glass slippers on my feet, wondering how I would escape wearing the delicate shoes or the bulky ball gown. I couldn’t attend the ball. And where was Sebastian? I felt close to hyperventilating and the world started to spin as I struggled breathing against the tight corset.

  “Is the ball still being held?” I asked, hoping that one of the maids might divulge a little bit of gossip.

  “Oh no, m’lady,” one of them answered.

  “Why are there carriages coming in droves, then?” I asked.

  “For the wedding, of course,” another offered up.

  My heart jumped in my chest, a mixture of anxiety and excitement. Of course the hopeful part of me thought that Sebastian had returned and Gregory was going to allow us to get married in the castle. However, the part of me that became cynical living with Edwina and the step sisters told me that it was not the case. Prince Charming had acted like his name and tricked me into believing Sebastian was coming back in order to get me to stay the night. Then he would fool me into marrying the wrong brother. I hoped my cynical side was wrong.

  I went downstairs to the ballroom to see which one was the truth, with my heart pounding a frantic beat. The castle was filled with people; not a familiar face among them.

  I wiggled and squirmed my way through the crowd, heading toward the kitchen and my freedom, when someone grabbed my arm and stopped my progression.

  I turned around to see the icy blue eyes of Gregory. “Where are you going, my dear?” he asked.

  “You tricked me! You told me you weren’t going to stand in the way of true love!” I shouted.

  “Now, Cinderella, there is no such thing as love. You are smarter than that,” he taunted.

  I wanted to yell at him, and deny his ugly words, but the name he called me had just sunk in. “Why did you call me that?” I shakily grated out.

  “I like the name; it is fitting for the peasant girl I am about to make my princess. Your mother and sisters were so excited to be invited to the wedding. I have even told them to visit anytime they want.”

  I looked around this true version of the prince and saw Edwina standing behind him. Kerra and Darcy looked like the kittens who ate the cream. The satisfied smiles had more to do with me marrying against my will, than marrying the prince. I am sure they were still bitter about that.

  “I won’t marry you!” I pulled my arm out of his grasp, but he held tight.

  “You don’t have a choice. You will have no one to turn to, no place to go. I will make sure you find no work in this country, and if you refuse to marry me, you might just find yourself begging to be my mistress.”

  His cruelty knew no bounds. It was funny that Sebastian had defended him and told me that he wasn’t as bad as I thought. Perhaps it was true. He was worse! “What about Sebastian?” I asked. “He won’t allow this to happen!”

  “My dear, he left this morning in a hurry, trying to get away from you. He told me about how he might have led you on, telling you he had feelings. He said he was just trying to seduce you, but it didn’t work. I told him I would forgive him as long as he left the castle for a while. This is so much better, Cinderella. Now you won’t be a cheap tart for my brother, but you will be the princess.”

  I felt my heart freeze inside my chest. It no longer beat rapidly, but barely beat at all. It weighed a ton, and I sank to the ground. The prince grabbed my arms and led me to a chair, so that his bride wouldn’t embarrass him by falling to the floor. Numbly, I sat, while he joyously welcomed everyone to our wedding. Deep down, I had worried that Sebastian didn’t love me. The prince had confirmed my fears.

  I was too numb to run then. I couldn’t even stand. I didn’t know how I was going to escape this joke of a wedding, with my heart and soul shattered to pieces around me.

  Gregory moved among the guests and left me alone. Another chair squeaked as it was moved toward me. Edwina sat down in front of me, and I felt my step-sisters at my sides.

  There was just a brief glimpse of pity in my step-mother’s eyes before she presented me with a cold smile.

  “You’ve heard the saying ‘be careful what you wish for,’ haven’t you?” She hissed. “You wanted out of our house, and now you found yourself with a man who cares even less for you than I do. He wants arm candy, someone to produce children. Lucky you, you struck gold in the gene department, but you lost in love.”

  I didn’t respond, my heart bleeding, and each word she said stabbed me like a knife. Darcy pinched my arm, causing me to flinch, but I didn
’t retaliate. I just sat as they tormented me further. The prince returned to me and pulled me up from the chair.

  “Now, you will smile and walk down the aisle. I am not asking for love—in fact, I don’t want it—but you will give me respect. Otherwise, I might have someone find my brother for me, and remove him from the equation all together.”

  I tried to smile, and hoped it didn’t look like a grimace. Even if Sebastian didn’t want me, I didn’t want him hurt. Prince Gregory took his place by the minister who was there to perform the wedding. With the big moment in front of me, I had to force my feet to move, one in front of the other. Whether I walked down the aisle or not, I would still end up without love. But living with this cruel man seemed impossible.

  My legs jerked as I walked. They kept wanting to bolt, even as I made them keep walking. They ended up shaking so much I couldn’t step and I stopped, everyone’s eyes on me. Gregory nodded encouragingly, while his eyes glared. I moved one more foot forward, tears filling my eyes. I wondered if anyone thought I just had bridal jitters, or if I was overcome with emotion. I guess it was true. I was frightened I was going to regret the rest of my life if I continued. But continue, I did.

  I finally reached my groom, as the double doors leading into the ballroom burst open. “Stop this wedding!” Sebastian yelled, as he fought off several servants to interrupt the ceremony.

  The tears spilled over my lids as I was filled with relief. I shoved my bouquet of flowers at Gregory and ran back down the aisle to the man who held my heart. His arms opened wide and I hurtled myself into his embrace. Our reunion didn’t last long, as a pair of hands grabbed my arms and pulled me away. Another footman was pulling Sebastian in the opposite direction.

  “I love you, Sebastian!” I yelled for everyone to hear.

  He smiled. I was dragged back to the prince. “Just get to the part where we say our vows,” Gregory told the minister.

  “I don’t want to marry this man,” I said, pleading to the minister.