by Honor James
Jogging out of the room, Cedric smiled at the little maid and held out his hand to her. Taking her hand, he led her back into the room and put her right next to Randulf, his hands on her shoulders.
“Then who is this?” Randulf said as soon as Cinderella, the real Cinderella, was at his side. “I pray, dear Queen, who might this woman be that stands beside me? I know who she is and know who I speak to standing at your side, so please, for my father, explain how this is even possible.”
“That”—the queen pointed a long finger at Cinderella—“is no child of mine. She’s a trollop. She’s lain with every man inside of this kingdom. Ask her for yourself.” She smiled slyly.
Cindy looked up at Randulf and shook her head. She couldn’t say a word to deny the accusations, as she hadn’t done any such deed, but she couldn’t defend herself either.
“Finally you give at least a partial truth,” Randulf said, with a look of disdain to the queen. “She is most definitely not a child of yours. She is the child of the true king of this kingdom and his lady wife, before he was tricked into marrying you. She is the true heir to the throne you’ve contaminated and turned to ruin while you and your daughters have raped the coffers. She is the child of the king who even now is returning home to see just what you’ve done in his absence, and believe me, from the letter I received in his own handwriting, he was very unaware of what you’d done to his daughter. And most displeased.” he whispered the last words on a vicious hiss of air. “As for Cinderella’s purity of body and soul, both are still untouched, as we’ve spoken of such things so we knew where we both stood in our budding relationship. Now, remove the spell you cast on her and your trollop of a daughter and I might be persuaded to let you live out your days in a dungeon.”
“I remove it, and you allow us to leave. With all that is in our trunks,” she added. “My daughters and I will leave this miserable place, never to be seen again, and you can have her shrilling voice back. But only if you allow us to leave now, and with all that is packed in our trunks. After all, I wouldn’t want my daughters to go without their gowns.”
“You will remove the spell and you will be escorted to the dungeons in one piece until your husband returns to deal with you and your vile daughters,” the king said. Swords were quickly drawn from sheath as all his men pointed them toward the queen’s men and the queen herself. “Remove the spell now or I will have your daughter there as the first guest before the chopping block.”
“You will rue the day that you crossed me.” She waved toward Cinderella. “She will never be faithful to just you prince. That chit will never be satisfied with only one cock and you will learn that soon enough. That is my vow to you.”
Cindy gasped, air coming out with a sound and she looked up at Randulf. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Is my father truly on his way?” she asked again with tears trembling on her lashes.
“Aye.” He nodded with a smile to her. “He sent word just this morning before my father arrived,” he murmured. Lifting his head he looked to his father’s men. “Relieve all the guards of their weapons, and see them into cells with the queen and her daughters. Bind the queen’s hands at her back and ensure she is gagged so she cannot speak another word.”
At their nods, Cindy then looked to Randulf’s father. “Thank you, sire.” She bowed before him in a deep curtsey. She might be in near rags, but she was still a princess through and through. “Thank you for coming to my home, sire,” she whispered quietly. “For trusting and allowing your son to out her from her treachery.”
“My son has never spoken a word that was false to anyone, let alone me, my dear,” he said, turning to look at her as his guards removed the queen, her daughter, and the men the queen had called guards. “I knew when he spoke of you, though, that it was more than just words. There was deep emotion there. So I must ask you, Princess Cinderella, do you feel toward my son even a little of what he feels for you?”
She looked up at Randulf and nodded. “You have no idea. I feel as if I’m safe, but it’s more than that. It’s a need, desperation. I crave his company. If only just to see him or talk to him. He’s more than his title or his looks. He’s truly amazing.”
Nodding, the king looked to his son. “You have chosen well, son. We will get the lady cleaned up and properly attired, and when her father arrives we will see about having you two married. If you can wait that long, that is.” He smiled broadly at his child.
Chuckling, Randulf nodded. “I can wait, Father. Besides, I think Cinderella at least deserves to have her father at her side at such a monumental event. That is, of course, if she would do me the honor of becoming my wife,” he murmured, staring down into her wide eyes. “Will you, sweet? Will you become my wife?” he asked gently.
“If you want me, my lord, I would be honored,” Cindy whispered. “I…” She couldn’t think. She couldn’t believe that this amazing man wanted her. With her ragged clothing and appearance, he still wanted her. “As long as you are sure, my lord,” she whispered softly.
“Very sure,” he said, pulling her into his arms. Holding her close he squeezed gently. “But, for now, I think we should get you into one of the rooms, get you a bath and some food, and then maybe you should get some sleep. When your father arrives things will happen very quickly because honestly, I’m not exactly the patient sort.”
“I thought that there had to be four weeks for the banns to be read and all of that,” she asked with a frown. “I don’t understand how could it happen so quickly? Not that I’m opposed to it, because I’m not, but how could it happen as soon as my father returns?”
“Because I have a great amount of pull with the church, my dear,” the king said from behind her. “As does your father. Go and relax now, and we will talk more at the last meal today. I think I shall do the same. It was a very long ride and I could use with a chance to sleep, too.”
“Cedric.” Randulf tipped his head as he took Cinderella’s hand in his to lead her out of the room. Guiding her through the halls, he went up the stairs and toward the room he’d initially been given. Pushing the door open he let her go in first and then shut the door once Cedric was inside. “Are you all right, Cinderella?”
Cindy nodded. “I can’t believe that woman was going to do what she was going to do to me.” Her arms were wrapped around herself as she spoke, muttering as she did so. “She was going to give me to any that wanted to come to me. She was willing to give away my virginity to the guards that took me.”
Moving to her, Randulf wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her hair. “I know, sweetheart,” he whispered softly. “But you’re safe now, and she will never be able to cause you harm again. We will ensure that she is forever kept from causing you or any other harm.”
Cindy nodded and moved so that she could wrap her arms around his middle. “If not for your friend, she would have succeeded,” she whispered. “Without him I would have been God only knows where, and I don’t want to think about what they would have done to me.”
“I’m just glad I was in the right place at the right time,” Cedric said, looking at her with a smile. “I’d have hated to tell my best friend that anything had happened to you,” he admitted.
“I’d have hated to kill her for causing you harm, Cinderella,” Randulf murmured. “Though given what she tried to pull over on me, I’m not so sure that was the right thing. I suppose, though, that I can reconsider at any time, given my pull with my father.” He shrugged and hugged her tighter to him.
Cindy nodded and looked up at him. “Never sink to her level.” She looked to Cedric and said, “Thank you. For saving me. For coming for me when you did and for understanding me even when I couldn’t speak. Thank you so very much.” She reached a hand out to him as she did so.
Taking her hand, Cedric bowed over it and pressed a kiss to her fingers. “I’ve always been extremely poor at charades,” he admitted. “But your desperation and need in the moment was coming through rather clearly so even I could not ignore you, Your
Highness.” He smiled, squeezing her fingers.
Cindy squeezed his hands and tugged him closer. “Thank you,” she whispered softly. “And please, call me Cindy or Cinderella when the three of us are alone, or when we are alone. Truly please do not stand on pomp and circumstance with me. You are Randulf’s closest friend, you saved me. You are truly amazing and unique.”
“That I am.” Cedric smiled at her.
“And he’s extremely modest as well,” Randulf said with a chuckle. Letting his arms slide away from her, he stepped back. “I’m going to arrange for a bath to be brought up and food as well. Then I want you to get some sleep, Cinderella. You didn’t get nearly enough last night.”
She looked to the hidden panel and asked, “Will you please move a chest before that opening? I do not want anyone able to get in here while I sleep.” She then looked to the men and asked, “Will you stay? After I’ve had my bath, can you stay? I will sleep on the chaise and you two can sleep in the bed, please?”
“You will be sleeping in the bed, Princess,” Randulf said with a frown at her. “But yes, we’ll move something in front of that opening. Especially since we don’t know just who knows about the passages since it was supposed to be such a closely kept secret.”
“More than likely all of her Guard know of the passages,” Cindy admitted. “Thank you for being willing to move that for me. I would have tried, but I figure it’s easier to ask the two of you to do it for me?” she asked softly.
“That it is,” Cedric said, moving to a large piece of furniture. “This will work better, though, I think than just a trunk. The trunk would not stop anyone from coming through, though it would provide a bit of warning you could still be harmed.”
Nodding, Randulf moved over and took one side. “On three,” he said before counting, and then they began to pull and push it into position. Panting by the time it was in place, he wiped his brow. “If anyone can get through that I will be incredibly impressed.”
Cindy smiled at the men. “Thank you so much. I feel better already. After you have left I will bar the door and that should keep anyone out of here.” She did, however, frown and cock her head to the side. “Where are you going to sleep, my lord? These are the chambers that the queen gave you, aren’t they?”
“Technically they are now Cedric’s,” he said with a grin at his friend. “I took his room after the warning you gave me, sweet. Unfortunately, poor Cedric was awakened but didn’t get as much from the encounter as he’d hoped.”
“Shush, there is no need to share that,” Cedric said, punching his friend in the shoulder.
“Oh, I can only imagine. The sisters were never, ever very good at hiding what they did. They are very rigorous in ensuring that they sleep with everyone that they possibly could.” Cindy shrugged. “So then, Cedric, where will you sleep then? If I’m taking your room from you, where are you going to sleep?”
“Well, I was planning on seeing if you’d let me snuggle up with you.” He grinned at her. “After all, you are going to be marrying my very best friend in the whole world, and I think there are many things you need to know beforehand. Like did you know that he once mphfff—” His words were cut off when Randolf put him in a headlock.
“I think we should probably put him somewhere very, very far away from you, darling,” Randulf said with an innocent looking smile. “Preferably gagged and bound I think.”
Cindy laughed. “Oh no, I would really like to know what he has to say. He can stay.” She blurted before thinking about it. “So can you, Randulf, if you want that is,” she teased. “I would like to know about the man that I’m going to marry that is.”
“I will gladly stay with you, Princess.” He smiled and ignored Cedric, who was squirming to get free. “But are you sure you wish him to remain? He tends to get very into his tall tales and embellishes rather heinously. So much so that you really should be warned ahead of time that most of his tales are just great works of fiction of a seriously stunted mind.”
That had her smiling, and she shook her head. “Well, I’m sure that no matter what he tells me you will be there ready to make sure that I’m set straight, right?” She looked to both men and asked, “If you don’t think that it’s too forward of me to ask both of you to stay with me?”
Breaking free, Cedric combed his fingers through his hair. “Of course it’s not too forward, Princess,” he said, glowering at his friend. “We both have an interest in you, but it’s you who needs to be sure you are comfortable with us being here with you. You are marrying the princely stud over here, after all,” he pointed out. “While neither Randulf nor my parents had what you might call a conventional marriage, and neither of us really ever thought we would, it has to be up to you, Princess, and what you want for your life and marriage.”
“And if I want you both?” she asked quietly. “I barely know the two of you, but I really do have to go with what I’m feeling, and right now I’m feeling that I would really like to know what it would be to have the type of relationship that my parents had. I know that they were happy, and I would like that happiness as well.”
“Then you shall have us both, Cinderella,” Randulf said with a smile to her. “As I told you, little one, we’ve been friends all our lives and we are very open to sharing. And we just want you to be happy and well looked after,” he murmured, moving to her. Lifting her hands, he kissed her fingers. “I’m going to go and get your bath arranged and find food. Cedric will stay so you two can talk and get to know one another. I won’t be long,” he promised, leaning over to kiss her gently.
“Thank you for thinking of that.” She hadn’t wanted to be alone so she was very happy that Randulf had thought of it as well. “Go, please get me a bath ready shall you?” She couldn’t wait for a nice hot bath. She looked forward so very much to a nice hot bath and getting clean. Fully and totally clean.
Nodding, he left the room with a smile to her. Cedric shot her a look and lifted a brow. “So, should I start telling you all my stories of our misspent youth or should we wait until he’s back so I can embarrass him at the same time?” he asked with a grin.
“I think that you should for sure tell me exactly that,” she told him with a grin. “I really do want to be able to learn more about both of you. Not just Randulf, but you as well. I want to get to know both of you if you wouldn’t mind?”
“Well,” he said moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “I met Randulf when he was just four summers old and I was almost three, three days to go in fact. I’d fallen down and scraped up my knees as little boys are wont to do.” He grinned. “He helped me up and asked if I was all right before taking me to his nurse to get cleaned up. My mother was rather frantic but eventually found me safe and sound eating sweets in the palace kitchen. She was quite flustered, but Randulf’s mother got her calmed down and they ended up sitting and having tea while we romped around the palace gardens generally making a lot of noise and getting into trouble.”
“It sounds like the two of you were instant friends. I like that a great deal. I think that it’s amazing that you are able to have the friendship that you have had throughout your life.” Cindy hesitated, but then she chose to ask her question anyway. “Have the two of you always shared your lovers?”
“In the beginning no, but over the years we started to. Can’t even recall when the first time was or how it came to be. But since then we share often, though we both do have times where we just need to be with a lover on our own.” Cedric looked at her. “You should know he loves you, Cindy, and he won’t stray at all. He always knew that the day he fell in love would be the day he gave up taking as many women as we could to our beds. But I suppose I should ask you something, too, yes? Are you willing to share of yourself with another beyond Randulf?”
“Only you,” Cindy whispered honestly without even thinking about it. “I do not want another, just him, just you,” she murmured honestly. “Just don’t ask me to share the two of you with another woman, or ask me to allow a third
into our bed. I would like for us to be a trio, if you would be acceptable to that?” She hesitated and then admitted, “I love him as well. Why do you think I kept him safe from the stepsisters? I took lashes for him, and he is completely worth it.”
Cedric sucked in a sharp breath and stared wide-eyed at her. “Oh God, tell me that you have told him, Princess?”
Chapter Nine
“No. Thankfully he doesn’t know,” Cindy murmured. “I think it would be best if he doesn’t know. It’s not the first time that she’s lashed me, but it thankfully will be the last.” She had the scars on her back and legs to prove it as well.
“Son of a…” He ground his teeth together and ran a hand over his hair. “He’ll find out, and when he does he’ll be livid. Randulf is the easiest going person you will ever meet in your life. But when he knows someone has been wronged and been wronged because of him.” Cedric shook his head. “It is going to be bad, very bad. And no, I’m not joking in the least about any of it. He will find out, and he will go off the deep end into murderous rage. Especially when he learns that I knew and didn’t come to him to tell him as well.”
Cindy blanched and stepped back from Cedric. “Then maybe I should sleep in my quarters below stairs until I’m healed,” she whispered. She couldn’t handle anyone being angry because of her, for her. “I don’t think that I could handle his anger,” she admitted.
“He’s not going to be angry with you, little one,” he said, moving to hold her shoulders. “But he is going to be furious with your stepmother, and me, and God help her if she isn’t locked up securely. Though I fear for what he’ll do to her if he does get his hands on her, and it will be public and thoroughly humiliating for her, I have a feeling the people around her would rather enjoy it.”
“She doesn’t have a great deal of love in this kingdom. And it’s only from those that she has paid to follow her. I think the only reason the staff remained was because of me.” They did what they could in order to make Cindy’s life a little better.