Prince Charming [Mischievous Fairy Tales 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More)

by Honor James

  “So that’s the fool’s name,” he muttered quietly and then smiled. Standing up, he waved a hand at himself. “I can understand why someone might feel the need to take extra clothing along. Had I known that he’d be practically throwing wine in my direction, I would have done so. I’m Randulf by the by, and you are…” He trailed off on a clearly hopeful note.

  “Cindy, my lord,” she murmured. “Cinderella actually.” She gave a small curtsey. “I should leave, my lord. I’m sorry you had to catch me in your rooms. If you leave your clothing on the end of the bed, I will come back and get them so they can be cleaned.”

  “Why waste the trip?” he asked, lifting a brow. “You likely work your fingers to the bones and don’t need the extra trip. Besides, you can finish up while I change behind the screen. I won’t be but a moment.” He smiled at her before moving to the screen in the corner of the room. Stepping behind it, he got his boots off and then his pants. After pulling on the clean pair, he stepped back into his boots and came around, tucking in his shirt. “There you are.” He passed her the damp trousers. “And thank you for looking after them for me.”

  “You are welcome, my lord,” she whispered softly and ducked her head once again. “And a word of advice.” She paused and, after grabbing everything in her arms, whispered, “I would be very careful of my stepmothers’ daughters. They will try to trick you into marriage. I would suggest that you not only lock your doors at night but also block the hidden entrance to your room.” She pointed to the panel on one wall. “There is a passage there, known only to the royals and a few of the staff. They, my stepsisters I mean, will use any and all means to ensure a wedding occurs with you, my lord. Block it and take care, my lord.”

  “Thank you very much,” he said, turning his head and finding he was talking to himself. Blinking, he moved to the door and watched as she vanished around a corner. “Oh, Cinderella, you and I are going to meet again, of that I’m sure,” he said with a grin. Turning back to the room, he shut the door and went to check the hidden passage and just where all it went. He didn’t have a lot of time, but he used it wisely and discovered that, while it went to his room, it did not go anywhere near Cedric’s. Grinning, he knew his friend would willingly switch rooms with him, and then what could the princesses say? Chuckling, he raced down to collect his horse and, leaping into the saddle, tugged the horse around and raced off to find the hunt and, more specifically, Cedric.

  * * * *

  Cindy hand washed the prince’s bedding and then hung it from the line in the lower washrooms. By the time she was finished, she was utterly exhausted. Night had well and truly fallen upon the kingdom. Folding the prince’s clothing, she gave it to one of the lads, asking him to leave it in front of the prince’s room.

  After putting the candles out, Cindy went to the small room that was hers. Pulling off her shoes, she lay back on the bed and curled onto her side. Softly, she whispered into the darkness, “I hope you are able to fend off the sisters and move on quickly.” Those words finished, she was soon sound asleep.

  * * * *

  Hearing a loud commotion and shrieking, Randulf got up from his bed and moved to the door. Sticking his head out, he chuckled and moved across the hall to his former room and threw the door open. “Princess, what ever are you doing in Cedric’s bedchamber at this hour?” he asked in an incredibly loud voice he knew would carry throughout the upper halls.

  “Well, she’s claiming she was looking for you, old chap, but the way she’s been groping at me says that’s a lie,” Cedric told him loudly, even as the girl shrieked again.

  “At least that settles that,” Randulf said, shaking his head. “Can’t have a promiscuous woman, not for my wife. That simply won’t do at all,” he announced loudly, having just spotted several other guests as they peeked into the room from the safety of the hall.

  The woman screeched at Randulf and then Cedric. “You can’t run and hide, Prince.” She strode to him and lifted her hand, slapping him harshly. “I don’t know why you changed rooms, but now we do know. My sister would be perfect for you,” she said with a devious smile. “She’s twice the woman that I am, and I do believe that is exactly what you need,” she said with a huff and then strode off, shooting nasty looks at the other guests as she walked past them.

  Chuckling, Randulf shook his head. “One down and one to go,” he murmured before moving to sit on the end of Cedric’s bed. “So, did you get anything out of it before she stormed off?” he asked curiously.

  “She grabbed my cock and was working it rather well before I popped my head out to see which one it was. She screamed, but with her mouth wrapped around my cock, it didn’t come out sounding like much, though she definitely made up for it.” Cedric chuckled, bracing himself back on some pillows. “So that takes out one from the running, but how are you going to get the other to show her true colors? I seriously doubt she’ll fall for the same trick.”

  “I doubt she will either,” Randulf said, drumming his fingers to his knee. The sounds from the hall were lessening as everyone returned to their bedrooms. “I’ll have to find my little maid and see if she has any insight into wicked sister number two.”

  “You met a maid and didn’t tell me?” Cedric asked in horror before dissolving into laughter.

  “Just met her briefly on two separate times,” he said with a grin. “She’s the one who warned me about vermin sneaking in through the secret passages to awaken me. Not quite in those words, of course, but I very definitely caught her meaning. And speaking of being awake, I’m going back to bed. I’ll see you in the morning, Cedric, and thank you again.”

  Chuckling, his friend waved it off as he burrowed down into the bedding again. “Think nothing of it, lad. I’m here to keep you from a shotgun wedding as always.”

  Laughing softly, Randulf shut the door and headed back across the room to climb into his bed. He’d have to find the little maid and thank her. She’d saved his ass, and maybe she’d be willing help save it just once more.

  * * * *

  Cindy watched from the shadows as the hunting party once more went out on their ride. Flattening her back to the castle wall once again, she closed her eyes and counted to herself softly. She hoped that she hadn’t been seen. She knew better than to watch them, but she was honestly fascinated by not only the prince, who had effectively sidestepped one of her stepsister’s attempts at hooking him into marriage, but by his friend as well. Together they seemed like an unstoppable and indomitable force, one that she knew would rule the kingdom well. If only life could be different.

  “You should be out there with them, lass,” the cook said from her side. “You are the true princess of this kingdom, girl. Not those trollops that are trying to seduce their way into the prince’s bed.” She spat onto the ground. “Cindy, you are a princess, and yet your stepmother treats you worse than any slave. It’s a shame, and your father should be beaten for leaving you with the witch.” Her rumbled anger spilled over Cinderella.

  “You shouldn’t say such things aloud, Gerta. You never know who might be listening,” Cindy whispered. “Please, don’t repeat it. She would skin you if you were to tell who I truly was. I do what I do to keep you all safe. If I were to demand my rightful place she would end up beggaring the kingdom and kill you all rather than look at you so please, I beg you, just let it go.”

  “No, my girl, you shouldn’t have to bow and scrape to that bitch. You should be in charge while your father is gone, not her.”

  “Sh. Gerta, please,” Cindy whispered and pulled the woman into the kitchens and then down into the servants’ area with her so that no one could hear the secrets that Gerta was trying to give away. Praise to God, however, that the hunting party had already left and neither the prince nor his man had heard what the woman had all but shouted.

  * * * *

  “I can’t believe you forgot your wineskin,” Randulf muttered to Cedric as they returned to the courtyard. “Though, I am glad for it. Hopefully that fool wil
l be all the way into his cups and have gotten over his spilling phase by the time we get back.” Sliding off his horse, he looked around and spotted his little maid. “I’ll meet you back here,” he said, jogging off, even as Cedric sputtered behind him.

  Being careful not to be seen, Randulf waited until she was leaving a room and then scooped her up in his arms, covering her mouth. “Sh, it’s just me, Cinderella,” he murmured by her ear as she fought frantically. At hearing his voice she calmed, and he set her down on her feet. “I just wanted to say thank you,” he whispered quietly as he turned her around so he could see her face. “Your tidbit about the passage into that room was very beneficial in ensuring I had a pleasant night’s sleep.”

  Cindy nodded, brushing her hands over her skirts, all the while shooting him a miffed expression. “You are very welcome, my lord, but I would appreciate if you didn’t mention it to anyone.” She moved a step back from him, her hand on the castle wall. “If you will excuse me, please, my lord, I have a great deal of tasks that I must accomplish before the sun has left the skies.” He made her nervous. Not that she thought he would hurt her, even with the scare he’d given her, but because of how he made her feel. He made her very nervous because he stirred emotions in her that she truly couldn’t afford to have. Ever. She had known since her father left that she couldn’t care for anyone or anything because if she did the Queen would use that softness against her or even worse, destroy what she felt soft feelings for. “Pray excuse me, my lord,” she whispered, bowing her head once more and hoping, praying, that he would let her go.

  Her mouth, however, didn’t seem to be finished, and she whispered, “I would be very wary of the coming hunt, the one set for tomorrow where the ladies ride with you. She’s planning on ensuring that you and she are trapped alone for a time, her ‘virtue’ stolen.” She snorted at the word virtue. “So please, be overly cautious?”

  Blinking, he touched her cheek gently. “Thank you, little one,” he told her quietly. Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “You have no idea what this means to me. Thank you,” he whispered once more before he looked out of the room and then let her go. Smiling as she raced off, he let out a breath and, after giving her a few minutes more to clear the area, went to rejoin Cedric. He needed to plot how to avoid being trapped by the other sister and ensure she couldn’t make any claims on him.

  Chapter Four

  It was all perfectly planned. She had laid her trap far better than her idiot sister ever could. Then again, she was her mother’s oldest daughter and, therefore, the brightest as well. Smiling, she lifted her foot when the groomsman was close, and got herself settled into her saddle. Ah yes, today she would nab herself a husband.

  “Is it all prepared?” she asked softly, leaning over her mounts neck toward her manservant and lover.

  “Aye.” He nodded as he moved to her side. One of his hands slid up her calf, under her riding skirt, and gave a squeeze. “Are you certain that you want this? We would be so very good together.”

  “And penniless,” she hissed, and kicked out at him. “I am not going to be poor.” She spat the word. “I’m a princess now, and I will damn well have all I am destined to have. I mean it,” she muttered. “Now then, go. Make sure that the dam breaks at just the right moment, so that I find myself to be stranded with the prince.”

  “As you wish, Princess,” he murmured and turned to trot off to carry out her orders.

  When the hunt was called to order, she smiled. Moving her horse up beside the prince, she leaned over to say, “Will you be my partner today? Since we are to pair off with one of the opposite sex, for this hunt I mean,” she added smoothly. “You might as well pair off with me, as I am a rather adept shot, if I do say so myself.”

  Randulf saw the wench’s ploy immediately and, having observed the whispered conversation with her manservant, knew the game was afoot. “Of course, Princess,” he said, knowing that Cedric would have gotten the man’s plans from his careful positioning behind another horse near them at the time of conversation. “Ride on ahead, I just need to ensure my friend is well. He had a bit too much last eve and I don’t want him ruining this for everyone, should he be feeling ill. I will catch up with you before you know it.” He smiled and tugged his horse about to join Cedric at the back of the group.

  “You’re right, Randulf. She’s got her lover breaking the dam at just the right moment to ensure that you two are trapped and she can scream that you’ve sullied her,” Cedric told him while checking one of his stirrups.

  “Blasted conniving females,” he muttered. “All right, the plan is this then, you stay within sight of me at all times, and when we reach the dams I’ll ensure I spot something out of the way. Unfortunately, old friend, you’ll end up trapped with the lady, but I’m sure you can find a way to spend your afternoon until rescue arrives.”

  “Of course, old friend.” Cedric grinned. Patting his horse’s neck for a moment, he then swung into his saddle and they began to ride. “She’s loose with her skirts, so one more under them shouldn’t be any trouble for the lady.” Chuckling, he watched the prince ride up to rejoin the conniving princess and just had to shake his head. “When will women learn,” he muttered, rolling his eyes.

  “Aye,” muttered a young groomsman who’d come up beside Cedric. “Too bad, isn’t it, that only two of the king’s daughters are present? Especially odd since they aren’t even of his blood, and it’s really too bad you can’t find the one that is.” He looked up and added, “For she is one worth dying for. Worth fighting for, even, considering all that has been done to her.” He looked about and then leaned in to whisper, “Ask the young prince just how a lowly maid could possibly know something that only the closest family should know about a castle. I think that you might be surprised.” They both heard the queen’s yell and flinched. “Not all are like these two fakes. Find the one who’s the true blood princess of this land,” he told him before skittering off to serve his queen.

  Kicking his horse lightly into motion, Cedric thought on the groom’s words for a good long time. After considering them for a time, he moved up next to Randulf. “Your pardon, sire, but might I have a word with you?” he asked, looking right at Randulf so his best friend could read the message in his eyes.

  “Aye, Cedric, of course you may,” he said, and then looked to the princess. “Apologies, my dear, but this is a matter I’ve been trying to resolve for quite some time and is of great importance. If you would but excuse me for a few minutes, I shall return as quickly as I can,” he said to her.

  “Fine, but do hurry. We are to be on the front lines of the chase.” Her impatience was clear in her eyes, anger bubbling as she looked at Cedric and then to Randulf. “Please do hurry, sire,” she added with a huff, and turned to watch as the rules were read and the hunting ranks drawn.

  Riding a short distance away, Randulf huffed out, “Bitch. What is it, Cedric, so that I can return to the snippety wench?”

  “Apparently this one, and the other who wiggled into my bed”—Cedric grinned—“are not royal of blood but of marriage if the groom is to be believed.”

  “Say what?” Randulf asked, staring at him.

  “And get this, dear friend, the old king did have a daughter. But she’s not acting in a royal capacity since her father’s disappearance. But rather she got shuffled off,” Cedric said, waving a hand vaguely. “My new friend suggested I think long and hard about how a mere maid would know secrets that the royals would never, ever let out beyond their most trusted of servants and their own blood. Like a hidden passage in the walls, perhaps?”

  Blinking rapidly, Randulf cursed. “Cinderella is the king’s daughter, truly royal of blood.” He cursed again. “Why wouldn’t she say anything to me?” he asked, shaking his head slowly.

  “Mayhap she fears the queen,” Cedric suggested quietly. “And given what I’ve seen, and heard, while roaming the halls of the palace, I’d bloody well fear that bitch’s wrath, too. She wants her daughters
married to a wealthy royal and fast. Apparently, at least from what I’ve overheard, the coffers are nearly empty because they have needs outside their means.”

  “Interesting, and good to know.” Randulf nodded. “Come, let’s finish with this latest farce the princess has cooked up. We will get her off my tail, and then we will send off a note to my father about this mess. Mayhap I can convince Cinderella to speak true to me and reveal herself for who she really is. If not, I may have to get sneaky again to see if I can’t trick her into revealing herself to me.”

  “Good luck, my friend,” Cedric said. “I have a feeling that one has gotten good at hiding from necessity.” Hearing the horns, he gave a chuckle and waved his hand. “Go on so that you can foist yet another yapping bitch off onto me. Good thing that you are a friend,” he added and then clucked to his horse, turning around so that he was in the ranks where he needed to be and waiting for the right moment to once more be trapped with one of the queen’s bitches.

  Rejoining the princess, Randulf once more gave her his apologies even as he gagged internally. Setting off for the hunt, he kept an eye out for the dams and rolled his eyes as the princess led him specifically toward them and away from the others. Knowing Cedric was right on his heels, Randulf timed it perfectly and swerved just in time to avoid being cut off. Grinning at the shriek of anger from the princess, he turned his horse and trotted off to leave the two alone just long enough to raise many brows. Whistling happily, he slipped in among the others of the party and just sat back to wait for someone to notice her missing presence.