by Liz Dejesus
“Will there be anything else?” Eliza asked.
“No, that’s all for now…I think. Thank you for all of your help,” Bianca replied.
“You’re very welcome.” Eliza curtsied and left.
Bianca and Ming stepped out of their room and found Terrance waiting for them in the hallway. He rested his back against the wall. He jumped and stood at attention when Bianca appeared.
“So, what do you think?” Bianca asked.
His jaw dropped momentarily. He seemed not to know what to do with his hands. At first he put them behind his back, then inside his jacket pockets, and finally, he let them relax by his sides. He shook his head and stammered until finally he said, “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. Her cheeks grew warm. Of all the moments to blush, this was the worst.
At least not being able to breathe is worth a compliment or two.
“Ummm. What am I? Cut glass? You do see me, right?” Ming asked.
“You look lovely, Ming,” Terrance said. “Come now. You must be famished.”
“Starving. I hope Eliza left some room in here for me to actually eat,” she said.
“I’m sure you’ll manage,” he replied.
They stood at the top of the stairwell, and Terrance offered Bianca his elbow. She looped her hand through it and let him help her down the steps. Ming made do with the banister.
One at a time, Bianca thought. Don’t trip. Don’t fall. The last thing I want is for Terrance to see the twenty pounds of underwear I have on.
“So what’s on the agenda for today?” Bianca asked.
“First things first. We have to see Prince Ferdinand. This morning, he caught wind that you were both in the castle, and he has done nothing but ask everyone in sight where Ming is and why hasn’t she come by to see him. So we’re going to have breakfast together.”
“Breakfast sounds perfect. Hey, do you think he’ll recognize us in these dresses?” Bianca asked.
“I don’t know. It took me several heartbeats to get used to the sight of you,” Terrance said.
Once more, Bianca could feel her cheeks grow warm. Being flattered and having compliments thrown in her direction was something she could easily get used to.
They entered the dining room, and sitting at the head of the table was Prince Ferdinand. When the doors opened, he stretched his neck and looked directly at Bianca and Ming, but appeared not to recognize them. Bianca could only guess that the dresses and the way their hair was styled was enough to confuse him.
He pouted and said, “I’m very disappointed in you, my friend. I thought you were going to bring Bianca and Ming. And while you have brought lovely girls to have breakfast with, they’re not whom I wanted to see.”
“Hello, Your Highness,” Ming said.
“Yeah, good morning, Your Highness,” Bianca said.
Ferdinand shot up and squinted. “It can’t be.”
Bianca smirked and decided that she needed a little magic in order to prove to him who she was. She leaned toward one of the candles and touched the wick. A spark flew from her finger and lit the candle. Within moments, all of the candles in the room were ablaze, illuminating the room.
Prince Ferdinand beamed and clapped his hands with delight. “It is you!” He ran toward them, zooming right past Bianca and giving Ming a warm embrace.
“How wonderful! I never thought I’d see you again,” Ferdinand said as he lovingly gazed down at Ming.
Ming gave him a warm smile and parted her lips to speak, but the prince kissed her before she could make a single sound.
“Who’s cut glass now?” Bianca teased.
Ming and Prince Ferdinand finally pulled themselves away from each other. Ming took a deep breath and smoothed her hair, even though it was still as perfect as it ever was. The prince beamed. It was as though he were smiling with his whole body. His joy was infectious. Bianca couldn’t help but grin. It was one of the reasons she liked the prince. He was still as handsome as Bianca remembered. Curly blond hair. Dazzling blue eyes that always twinkled with mischief. A dimple on his chin.
“Coming up for air?” Bianca asked.
Ming stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry.
Prince Ferdinand turned his attention to Terrance and gave him a playful shove. “And you, you scoundrel, trying to keep this a secret from me. You should know better.”
Terrance shook his head, his long brown hair casually brushing against his shoulders. All Bianca wanted to do was twirl his hair around her fingers. Then she remembered that she had business with the queen. She hoped it was nothing too serious. She wanted to be able to spend some time with her friends while she was in Everafter.
“My apologies, Your Highness. Your parents were adamant that we keep their arrival a secret until they were settled in their chambers. I hope you can forgive me.”
“Of course I forgive you, but next time, don’t wait so long.”
Terrance grinned and replied, “I’ll try to remember.”
“Unfortunately, I can only stay for a short while. I have to finish my studies. And Terrance promised to help me.”
Terrance must’ve noticed the disappointed look on Bianca’s face, because he quickly said, “You can join us in the library as soon as you’re finished with your breakfast. It’s only for a day or two. King Harold and Queen Felicia have negotiations with several court officials from different kingdoms and realms. They would like for Prince Ferdinand to know what they are talking about. They’re grooming him for the day he inherits the throne and all its responsibilities.”
Terrance reached for Bianca’s hands, drew them to his lips, and kissed each one lovingly. His eyes locked with hers. For a moment, they were the only two people in the world. The dining room dissolved into nothing. Prince Ferdinand and Ming were just a blur, their voices drowned by the sound of Bianca’s heartbeat. She could’ve stayed like that for the rest of her life.
Prince Ferdinand cleared his throat, and just like that, the moment was lost. Terrance pulled himself away from her, but wouldn’t let go of her hand. The bumps and scars that ran along his fingers and the palm of his hand sent tingles into her own. She reminded herself to ask him how he’d gotten those scars when they had a free moment.
“Whoa. Sounds like a lot of hard work. Are you sure you’re ready for that?” Ming asked.
“Not really. But that is my lot in life. I must perform my princely duties.” He sighed and looked depressed, but that lasted only a moment. “Enough idle chatter. Time for breakfast.”
Bianca noticed that even though he perked up, his mind was elsewhere.
I wonder what it’s like, knowing that you’re going to be responsible for hundreds of thousands of people when your parents are gone. Glad it’s not me.
Six
Bianca used a corner of her buttered toast to break the yolk on her egg. Terrance had a quick breakfast with them and then rushed off with Prince Ferdinand to help with his studies. Ming pouted when the prince walked out of the dining room.
“So unfair!” she cried. “I finally get here, and all we get is one breakfast. What a rip off.”
“Sorry,” Bianca said.
Ming sighed. She planted her elbows on the table and rested her cheeks on the palms of her hands.
“So, what do you wanna do?” Bianca took a bite of her crunchy, buttery toast.
They had the whole table to themselves. Eggs, bacon, bread, apples, pears, grapes, apple cider, wine, and other foods she couldn’t even see because they were hidden by more food. All Terrance and Prince Ferdinand had had that morning was a quick cup of coffee before they had dashed off to the library. The prince’s unaccustomed hurry to work spoke volumes about his nerves.
She knew all about responsibility. She may not have a kingdom to inherit, but the Museum of Magical and Rare Artifacts was her little realm. Each item a tiny unspoken subject. But she knew better; all of the things in the museum were alive with their own source of magic, some more dangerous
than others. She figured she’d experiment with her magic now that they had the room all to themselves.
“You wanna see something cool?” Bianca asked.
“Sure,” Ming replied.
She grabbed a stick of butter and two pieces of toast. She put them together and made a mockup of a butterfly.
“A butterfly made out of butter. Next stop, Wonderland,” Bianca said.
She focused all of her attention on the items before her—the creamy yellow butter and the dark brown bread. As the waves of energy rushed through her body, a course of electricity sizzled through her. Snow White had told her that all she needed to do was believe that something great would happen. So that’s exactly what she did. Used her imagination and believed that something incredible would happen once she opened her eyes. As she concentrated, tiny beads of sweat rolled down her back and tickled down her temples until the next thing she knew, the stick of butter sprouted two little beady black eyes and bright lemon-colored antennas. Before she knew it, the piece of dairy grew six skinny legs and crawled around the table. It opened and closed its strange wings to test them out before taking flight. It trembled a little as it looked over the edge of the table, but bravely threw itself into oblivion and flapped its wings. When her creation actually flew around the dining room, Bianca widened her eyes in surprise.
“What the what?” Ming whispered.
“Pretty cool, huh?”
“How the heck did you do that?”
“Magic.”
“That’s amazing. What else can you do?” Ming asked.
“I dunno. Still figuring it out.”
“Uh oh. Your butterfly is trying to fly out the window.”
Bianca giggled as she watched the buttery butterfly smack itself over and over against the window. It left greasy, yellow marks on the glass.
And it was at that exact moment that Claire entered.
“Good morning,” she said as she gracefully walked into the room.
“Good morning,” Bianca said. She got up and chased after the butterfly to stop it from reaching Claire.
The butterfly circled around her head a few times and then returned to Bianca’s plate.
Claire giggled and said, “That is extraordinary.”
“Sorry about that. We were a little bored.” Bianca blushed.
She looked down at the creation, and it returned back to its original form. It was now just a stick of butter and two pieces of toasted bread.
Claire gave her a warm smile. Now that Bianca saw Terrance’s mother in the light of day, she clearly detected the crow’s feet and the tiny wrinkles in the corners of her mouth. Seeing these imperfections made Bianca feel much more comfortable around her. It made Claire seem normal. Approachable.
Claire took a deep breath and said, “Unfortunately, this is not a social call. I have come on behalf of the queen. She wishes to see you as soon as possible.”
“Ruh, roh,” Ming muttered.
Bianca ignored her best friend’s comment. She was expecting this to happen at some point. Once more, she hoped that it was nothing serious. Like looking for a missing pair of earrings or something simple that wouldn’t get her in trouble.
“Yes, of course.” Bianca nodded. She quickly wiped her lips with a napkin, stood up, and followed Claire.
“Come on,” Bianca hissed at Ming.
Ming grabbed an apple and trailed behind.
“I was thinking about asking Terrance to teach me how to fence,” Bianca said as she tried to keep up with Claire’s brisk steps.
“That’s wonderful. I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to teach you everything he knows. You’ll learn quickly under his tutelage. He has always enjoyed being outdoors, hunting and fishing. He gets all of his energy from his father. William was the only one who could keep up with him as a child.”
Bianca grinned as she listened to Claire talk about Terrance. Love and pride warmed her voice as she spoke about her only son.
“Did the queen say why she wanted to see me?” Bianca asked.
Claire shook her head, causing her long light brown hair to ripple and bounce. “This is one of the rare occasions where the queen is keeping me in the dark about what is happening in the castle. I’m sorry I cannot help you.”
“Is the king there as well?”
Claire shook her head once more. “No, only the queen.”
Bianca remained silent.
This can’t be good.
They stopped in front of a massive oak door that was protected by two royal guards. Bianca took a deep breath and steeled herself for what was to come.
Ming’s dark brown eyes traveled from Bianca to Claire. “So, I guess I’ll wait for you here?”
“Yeah, if you don’t mind,” Bianca replied.
“Not one bit. Hopefully you’re not in trouble.”
“Yeah, I hope so, too.”
“Good luck,” Claire whispered before walking away.
One of the guards opened the door for Bianca and allowed her to enter the throne room.
“Wow,” she whispered as she took in her surroundings. The room was large and cavernous. The ceiling seemed to go on forever.
On the walls hung portraits of kings and queens that had ruled Everafter throughout the years. But it was the portrait on the left that held Bianca’s interest. There was a young man with black hair and dark brown eyes. He was dressed in fine clothing and wore a golden crown. The young woman sitting beside him had long blond hair and hypnotic indigo-blue eyes. She had soft, pillowy lips that fell into an easy, effortless smile. Her dress was in a white renaissance-style, with long sleeves and a low-cut neckline, and her tiny waist was accentuated. The gown was embellished with beads and hints of lace. On her tiny feet, she wore a pair of glass slippers.
The slipper looked exactly like the one in the museum. Whoever had designed the slipper had gone to great lengths to make the shoe looked just right. There was a little heart on top of the slipper and intricate designs carved into the glass, a series of stars and hearts, each one more complicated than the last. It had a short heel, and it fit her tiny foot to perfection.
“Beautiful, wasn’t she?”
Bianca gasped. She put her hand to her chest and let out a nervous giggle. She had completely forgotten where she was and who she was there to see.
“I’m so sorry. I forgot where I was for a moment.”
“Do not apologize. She can command anyone’s attention, even though she has been gone for many years. I often find myself staring at their portrait time and time again.”
“Are you related? I see some resemblance,” Bianca said.
“You have an excellent eye. Yes, she was my great grandmother.”
“Is this Cinderella?”
Queen Felicia nodded. “Follow me. We have much to discuss.”
Bianca wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to listen to anything the queen had to say. She had the sneaking suspicion that she was going to ask her to do something dangerous. Something that would make her break the promise she’d made to her mother. But curiosity got the best of her.
There were two thrones; both were deep red and gold. A coat of arms dominated the back of the seat. It was a shield with a seven-point star, and it was held up by an eagle and a lion. Queen Felicia sat on the smaller of the two thrones, but what Bianca found curious was that the queen’s throne was slightly higher than the one belonging to the king, which lead her to believe that it was Queen Felicia who ruled over the kingdom, not King Harold.
“I trust you slept well last night,” Felicia said.
“I did, thank you, Your Majesty,” Bianca replied.
“I can imagine that you are curious as to why I asked for you to come all this way, to risk venturing again into Everafter.”
“That is correct.”
Finally. Her body tensed in anticipation.
For the first time since Bianca walked into the room, Queen Felicia’s polite smile wavered. This was no light matter.
“I need
your help,” she said.
“With what, Your Majesty?” Bianca asked with a deep frown.
“You are familiar with the tale of the Cinder Girl, are you not?”
“You mean Cinderella, right?”
“Yes, although that was not her given name.”
Bianca nodded once more. She was certain that no mother would name her daughter Cinderella. She remained silent and listened to what the queen had to say.
“Before she was the famous Cinderella, her name was Helena. She was the daughter of a wealthy merchant and a school teacher. Her mother passed away shortly after she was born, which forced her father to remarry. Sadly, he too passed away several years later, leaving his only daughter in the care of her stepmother and her two older stepsisters. I trust you know what happened next.”
“Her fairy godmother gave her a beautiful gown and a pair of glass slippers so she could go to the ball,” Bianca said. “Where I assume she met the prince, whom she married.”
“You are correct about the fairy godmother. She gave Helena the glass slippers so that she could make her own dreams come true. Helena was a kind and intelligent young lady. She knew that the only way she could garner the attention of the future king of Everafter was to clean herself up and go to the ball. She used the magical glass slippers to create her own happiness.
“I’m happy to say that she succeeded, and with the glass slippers, she was able to make her reign the most prosperous. As she grew older, she became worried over who would inherit her slippers after she passed away. She trusted her children, but worried about who would come after. The one thing she couldn’t predict was the future. So she decided to separate the slippers.”
“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I still don’t understand what you want from me,” Bianca said.
“The glass slipper that remained with my family has been stolen. If this person gets ahold of both slippers, there is no way of knowing what he or she will do with them. I know for a fact that the other slipper is in your world. I need you to find both slippers and bring them to me, and if that is not possible, you must destroy them.”
“Why would someone want the glass slippers?”
“Their magic is potent. Helena’s fairy godmother gave her the slippers so she could use their magic to better her life and the welfare of others. But the magic only works when the wearer has both shoes. On Helena’s deathbed, Queen Titania, the fairy queen, placed our slipper in a guarded palace somewhere deep in the Enchanted Forest. The other slipper was given to Snow White when she left Everafter to go to your world.”
