Cinders, Stars, and Glass Slippers: A Retelling of Cinderella (The Classical Kingdoms Collection Book 6)

by Brittany Fichter

  The call of the bugle woke her from the light slumber she had finally slipped into just before dawn. Groaning a little at the stiffness in her limbs, she rolled out of bed, washed her face with the fresh water someone had left in her wooden bowl, and dressed in her second-finest gown. Sleep or no sleep, a respectful send-off was just as important, if not more important than the welcoming of a dignified guest. And Elaina was determined not to ruin this last meeting with King Everard the way she had ruined the first.

  Soon she was on deck standing beside her father, who was dressed once again in all his military finery. Gold and silver pins decorated the stiff, light blue uniform on one side, while thin bronze ropes decorated the other side, commemorating the battles he had won. He would need a bigger chest if they were to add many more.

  Her father gave her an approving nod just as the king arrived.

  “Admiral Starke,” King Everard said, giving him a deep nod as he and his guards reached the deck.

  “Your Majesty,” her father answered with a bow. “I want to thank you again for the service you have done our country. Ashland is honored to count you as our closest ally. We hope such dealings will continue in the future.” He presented the king with a sealed parchment. “Please never hesitate to call upon me should you need any seafaring aid. I am sure my king would be more than pleased to say the same for our land forces as well.”

  “I am honored as well, Admiral Starke.” Then the king turned to Elaina. “I look forward to hearing of your many adventures, Lady Elaina,” he said, a corner of his mouth turning up. “If you ever need assistance, my wife and I would be more than happy to do what we can.”

  Elaina had to remind herself to breathe. “I am honored, Your Majesty. I hope we have the pleasure of meeting again sooner rather than later.”

  All too soon, they were docked, and the king and his entourage were gone. Elaina wanted to mourn their absence, but she had no time to waste. They were in Solwhind, and she had a long list of tasks to complete.

  “Father, I need to go to the fish market.”

  “What for?”

  “I need to show Simeon’s new galley boy where to find ingredients at the market. Simeon says he keeps confusing the spices.”

  “Why can’t Simeon go find his own ingredients?”

  “He’s not feeling well.”

  But her father was already shaking his head. “After King Everard’s report last night, I can’t see the wisdom in letting you run about the city. Not while the rebellion is alive.”

  “Would you let me go if some of the men accompanied me? I only have a few stalls I need to visit, then three or four shops. Nothing that should take very long.” She gestured back at the city behind them, so wide it was impossible to see from one end to the other. “I truly mean to be quick. I haven’t forgotten King Everard’s warning.” And if she didn’t have a few moments off the ship to clear her head, she might lose her mind.

  Her father waved a hand at her. “Very well.” Then he sighed. “I’ve some unpleasant business to attend to while you’re gone.”

  Elaina’s heart fell. “Davies Tanner?”

  He nodded. “The boy just can’t follow orders. Mistakes I can work with. Disobedience will get someone killed.”

  “I know.” Elaina gave her father a half-smile and squeezed his hand.

  “Well, be off with you now. We leave first thing tomorrow.”

  Soon Elaina, Lewis, two of the younger sailors, and the cook’s new assistant, a boy named Joel whose voice hadn’t even changed yet, were making their way to Solwhind’s largest fish market. Elaina closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath of air that smelled of brine, spices, and seafood. Hints of baked brown sugar floated in and out on the breeze as well. She led the men through the marketplace to the stall where the smell of sugar was coming from.

  “Simeon likes his pecans baked with sugar,” Elaina said, turning to Joel. “He loathes plain nuts. Make sure you only purchase from this vendor while we’re in Solwhind. Simeon will know if you do otherwise.”

  “I don’t see why it makes a difference,” Joel muttered. “We passed two stalls much closer than this one.”

  Elaina smiled and simply handed him the pile of little brown bags to carry before turning to pay for them. After thanking the vendor, she opened one bag and popped a single nut into Joel’s mouth. His brown eyes grew wide.

  “See?”

  He nodded vigorously, and Elaina had the feeling she wouldn’t be hearing any more arguments.

  As they started off toward their next stall, which was all the way across the wide marketplace, Elaina grinned to herself. She loved coming to port no matter where they went. There were exotic smells, new sounds, and clever wares to peruse. Colors changed by territory, and the foods themselves were always an adventure. But no matter where she went in the entire world, Ashland’s largest city was by far the most impressive.

  Surrounding this particular marketplace, which served the northwest wharf, countless cottages, inns, and manors lined the streets, snuggled between merchant shops, foreign dignitaries’ dwellings, and public places of meeting, some even four or five levels high. At the center of the marketplace itself stood a glimmering fountain crowned by a statue of a mermaid, carved of marble with scales of mother-of-pearl. It glinted in the sunlight as they walked past it. Children hopped in and out of the fountain, chanting wishes as they did, while adults gathered around it to gossip and compare purchases.

  Still, as much as she should have enjoyed a relaxing stroll, they could not linger today as she was accustomed to doing. Instead, she led her quiet band of men quickly down the line of stalls that edged the enormous marketplace. After a ten-minute walk, they came to their destination. This stall had walls of purple canvas covered by strings of fresh and dried herbs.

  “Elaina!” A woman with weathered brown skin and warm brown eyes greeted her with an embrace. “You’re back early!”

  “My father had business to attend to, and our cook sent me to show his new helper where to find the finest spices in the city.” Elaina turned to the boy. “Joel, this is Madhu. She sells spices from her family’s farm.”

  “Do you have sugar pecans, too?” Joel looked hopeful.

  Madhu’s brown eyes sparkled. “I have something much better, young one.” She turned and moved farther back into the tent to a little wooden table covered in herbs of every color imaginable. “What do you need, Elaina?”

  “Basil, lavender, cinnamon, and black pepper.”

  Joel looked disappointed, but Elaina nudged him forward and had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes bulge as a gentle purple cloud covered the woman’s hands. It turned and rolled around her fingers as they gathered, cut, ground, and mashed the different piles of herbs. Within minutes, Madhu proudly presented them with four bundles wrapped neatly in paper tied with ribbons.

  “What did she do?” Joel looked back at Elaina in awe.

  “No matter how long you are at sea,” Madhu answered for Elaina, “your food will be just as flavorful as these seasonings are today. They will not dull, nor will they lose their potency with time.”

  “But how is that better than sugar pecans?”

  Madhu and Elaina laughed.

  “You might think differently, when you’ve been out at sea for months and all your other spices lose their—” Before Madhu could finish, a shout rang out from the center of the marketplace, near the mermaid fountain.

  “I told you, I’ll have none of that blood money!” a woman screeched. “You can take your filthy spoils and go!”

  “My money’s as good as the next man’s!” a man shouted back.

  “Not as long as you wear that vile mark on your arm! Until this city is free of that snake, I’ll take no business from the likes of you! Or your fellow rebels!”

  More men and women began to gather, and Elaina stepped closer to hear, but a hand grasped her arm and held her firmly in place. She looked back to see Madhu gripping her tightly. Her face was lined with anxiety.r />
  “You need to leave. Now.”

  “But I only have a few more—”

  “No.” Madhu shook her head vigorously. “There have been too many kidnappings, particularly of visitors to our city, like you.” She let go of Elaina and ran back inside her tent and fumbled to shove the little paper packages at Joel. Elaina tried to open her coin purse, but before she could pay her friend, Madhu shook her head again. “My gift. Now, you!” She turned to Lewis, who had drawn his sword and was glaring at the crowd. “Take her back to her father’s ship. Get her out of here as fast as you can.”

  Lewis nodded once before taking the lead. The two other sailors walked behind them so that Elaina and Joel were sandwiched in between. Whether it was Lewis’s impressive size or the dangerous glare he leveled at everyone nearby, a small break in the crowd appeared before their party as they marched quickly back across the market toward the wharf.

  “What are we doing?” Elaina asked as loudly as she dared.

  “We’ll gather the others from the tavern. Then we’ll do as she said and take you to your father’s ship.”

  Elaina nodded. She had believed King Everard about the rebellion, of course. She trusted that there was indeed a group of traitors. But for some reason, when he had spoken of it, the evil had seemed small, young enough to still be hiding in the city’s dark alleys while the general populace continued on with life uninterrupted. The gentle sun of that morning had only made her feel even more confident when they had set out earlier. She had felt sure it was safe. But feelings could be deceiving.

  “How did she do that?”

  “What?” Elaina looked down at Joel.

  “How did she get that glow?”

  “She’s gifted.”

  “Oh.” Joel’s brow creased, then his eyes grew big. “Like you with the—”

  Before he could finish, Lewis whirled around and caught the boy by the ear. “If you’re going to be on our ship, you had better learn to keep your mouth shut. What Lady Elaina does or does not do is none of our business.” He shook the boy by the ear once. “Understand?”

  Joel nodded and whimpered, and they resumed their walk, only at an even faster pace.

  The tension didn’t begin to dissipate until they left the marketplace behind and had nearly reached the sailors’ favorite tavern. Compared to some of the other taverns Elaina had seen, this one was really quite homey. Faded plaid curtains were visible through the windows, and the smell of baking bread was just as strong as that of ale when the door was opened and the little bell rang over it. She breathed a bit easier when they were all inside.

  “Lewis!” The elderly tavern keep called out over the mild din of the large room. “You’ve come to join your friends, I see. They’re over there.” He waved at a familiar group of men in the far corner. A few of the younger sailors were brave enough to have serving maids in their laps, but Elaina knew it would go no further than that. Her father wouldn’t allow such tomfoolery, and if he found out any had taken place, the guilty would suffer harsh consequences. Most of the men simply gathered around a few tables and laughed as they drank. Crews from other ships filled the room as well, each staying close to his own group while eyeing the others.

  “Stay here,” Lewis said. “This will only take a minute.”

  Elaina followed Lewis to the tables near the corner and sat at one of the tables, motioning for Joel to do the same. She’d heard it said that most presentable young ladies didn’t show themselves in taverns. But Elaina was not most young ladies. She’d grown up around sailors, and there were few in the Royal Navy who didn’t recognize the daughter of Admiral Starke. And as such, most kept their distance. Which was why it was such a surprise when she felt a hand lock itself around her waist and yank her from her seat.

  “What—Davies! What do you think you’re doing?”

  But Tanner was far from the cowed young man she had seen the eve before. This time his breath reeked of ale, and he wore a smug smile. Instead of answering her, he pulled her close against his body. Elaina struggled until she felt a knife pressed against her throat.

  The room went silent, but nearly all of her father’s men were out of their seats. Some had even managed to pull their own weapons.

  “No closer!” Tanner called out, his words slurring. “Your admiral had the gall to cut me loose. The least you can do is hear me out!”

  “We owe you no such favors,” Lewis growled, taking a step forward, but Tanner pressed the knife tighter against Elaina’s neck, making her wince.

  “You see,” he said, turning to address the dozens of other sailors in the room, “the flagship has a gift that they like to keep to themselves. It’s why they’re so special.”

  “Please,” Elaina whispered. “Don’t!”

  “Hold your tongue, young man!” Lewis shouted.

  “Well, I have a surprise for all of you!” Swaying slightly, he turned to the other men in the tavern. “You may think Admiral Starke is the mastermind commander of their . . . legendary vessel. But he’s not! This girl can talk to the stars!” Tanner laughed hysterically. “Do you think your beloved Admiral Starke would be so successful without—”

  Elaina took advantage of Davies’s drunken laughter to slip out of his grasp. Smith, one of her father’s oldest men, caught her and held her behind him as Lewis and the others swarmed Davies to gag and bind him.

  “Pay no heed to a dishonorably discharged drunk,” Lewis announced to the dozens of watching sailors. “The crown will have a say in what happens to this one. Spreading stories about the admiral’s daughter.” He shoved Davies hard.

  “Don’t you worry now,” Smith whispered to her as he put an arm around her shoulders. “He was drunk. No one will give him credence.”

  Elaina managed a weak smile up at her father’s old friend, but her thumb moved up to worry her lip as they walked. She hoped he was right. But the sinking feeling in her stomach said otherwise.

  4

  You’re Not

  Though Elaina was aware that she had done nothing wrong, guilt sat heavily in her stomach as she let Smith walk her back to the ship.

  Usually, the sight of the Adroit’s deep blue hull with its yellow encircling stripe brought her a sense of peace and belonging. But for the first time in her life, the Adroit did not feel like home.

  It seemed like hours that she waited in her cabin fiddling with her new glass slippers after Lewis had dragged Tanner down to face her father. Several times she could hear the younger sailors being called upon to run what Elaina guessed to be messages to and from the local naval office, but she continued to wait alone. Even the glass slippers and King Everard’s words failed to distract her properly, only making her anxiety worse. So she glumly listened to the crew repair sails, clean the deck, and bring aboard boxes of supplies.

  Though she couldn’t see them from her lower deck, she could imagine the precise workings going on above. Each man fulfilled his task as though he had been born doing it. The king’s flagship was not only known for its uncanny ability to avoid storms and outmaneuver its enemies, but also for its crew’s ability to work as one. Each man had a purpose, and when a job went undone, all suffered. It was exactly the reason men like Davies Tanner couldn’t be allowed to stay upon the ship.

  “Elaina.”

  Elaina jumped at her father’s voice. As she left her room and followed him to his quarters, Tanner was being dragged out of her father’s office. It took two men to contain him as they pulled him toward the ship’s ramp. Swallowing, she plastered a false smile on her face and marched in.

  As soon as the door was shut, her father fixed his steely gray eyes on her. “He didn’t hurt you?”

  “No, Father.”

  He nodded but still came forward and gently took her chin in his hand, turning her head from one side to the other as he examined her neck where the blade had been pressed. Lewis must have been quite explicit in his recounting of the event.

  He finally let go and folded his hands behind his bac
k, going to stand and stare out the window. “It’s an unfortunate thing, but our next mission will need to be delayed by several days.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I am afraid I have more than one man to replace. Smith, Canters, and Wiley have requested permission to retire.”

  “But I don’t understand,” Elaina said, glad not to be talking about the incident in the tavern but disturbed at the news all the same. “Smith has served a long time, to be sure. But he’s still strong. And Canters and Wiley are barely thirty-and-five! They’ve only been aboard ten years.”

  “Unfortunately, my dear, we are rather spoiled on this ship. I take such pride in handpicking my men that many stay on much longer than they would on any other ship. It’s an honor to serve on the king’s flagship, and I hope my men are being truthful when they say I am a fair admiral.”

  “You are!”

  “Thank you. But I’m afraid being on this ship has unfairly tinted the way you see the world of sailing.” He turned and looked directly at Elaina. “As much as it is an honor to serve King Xander and Ashland this way, there comes a point in a man’s life when he can no longer handle the rigors of life on a warship, when he wants to settle down and marry. To build a family. And living life on the seas makes such a life difficult.”

  “But you did it.”

  “And that turned out well, didn’t it?” Her father’s voice was hard, and Elaina regretted her choice of words.

  “I’m sorry, Father, but . . . I’m still not sure what this has to do with me.”

  “You know I choose my men carefully. No one steps foot on this ship unless I have references for his references. I have done this since you came to live here with me, and until now, it has served me well. But it appears that I’m not always capable of choosing as wisely as I’d thought.”