by Aron Lewes
His request was followed by a groan from Donnabella.
“Very well.” When Gloriosa snapped her fingers, Jostle's chocolates appeared in a puff of smoke. “I hope they're to your liking, young man.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she returned to the urn.
“You're idiots. Both of you!” Donnabella complained. “I've been alive for centuries, but I've never met anyone stupider, I swear.”
Jostle and Pitch didn't seem to be affected by her criticism. They were too thrilled by their breeches and sweets to worry about their teacher's opinion.
“After that embarrassing spectacle, I think I'm going to return to my room and lie down,” Donnabella announced as she rose from her stool. “Fenix, take Cinderella back to the cellar. I wanted her to witness Gloriosa's torture, but these idiots made such simple wishes. It was a waste of everyone's time!”
“Very well, ma'am,” Fenix obediently replied. “It will be done.”
Before leaving the room, Donnabella indulged herself in a light brush with his lips. As soon as she was gone, he freed Cinderella from her chains and escorted her to the cellar.
“This is awful!” Cinda whispered when they reached the stairs. “I hate to see you like this, Fenix! You're basically her slave!”
“I know...” Fenix groaned.
“There must be something you can do to free yourself,” Cinda continued in a whisper. “To free us.”
“I've tried. Believe me, I've tried. I've been under the spell for nearly a year.”
“A year?” Cinda hissed. She kept wondering if Fenix had been forced into Donnabella's bed, but there was no way she could ask such an intimate question. Maybe she didn't want to know the answer? “I'm so sorry, Fenix!”
“Yeah...” When they reached the cellar, he gave her a pitying frown. “I'm sorry too.”
“Step aside, Prince Sharman! I didn't come here to waste my time. I came here to kiss your sister.”
Sharman's brow was creased by a scowl. The bossy Prince Gideon was at least three heads shorter than him, but he had the audacity to make demands? “How old are you, boy?” Sharman snapped at him.
“Fifteen,” the boy replied with a sniff. “And I'm absolutely serious, by the way. If you don't step away from the doorway at once, I'll turn around and get back in my carriage! I came to the Winter Palace as a favor to you, but I'm a very busy man.”
“You're a very busy boy,” Sharman corrected him with a snort. Gideon was fifteen, but he looked even younger. Sharman wouldn't have guessed he was older than twelve.
“You dare to insult me?” Prince Gideon puffed out his chest. He thought it made him look intimidating, but Sharman thought the boy looked foolish. “Test my patience again, Sharman, and you'll see the back of my head as I leave!”
Sharman's jaw hardened as he studied the brat's babyish face. Only a kiss from Rose's soulmate would shatter her curse. Could a boy of fifteen really be her soulmate? It seemed unlikely, but Sharman didn't want to take any chances. He had to be sure.
“V-very well...” Sharman choked down his pride and stepped away from the doorway. “Go ahead and kiss her.”
With a flutter of his cape, Gideon swept into the dim bedchamber of the perpetually slumbering princess. He was small, but he carried himself like a giant. “Ah...” Gideon smiled at Rose. “She's as beautiful as everyone says she is. But... how old is she?”
Sharman's lip curled as he answered, “Nearly twenty.”
“God! She's a bit... old.” Gideon stuck his nose in the air. “Still, she's pretty, so I think I could tolerate it. If my kiss wakes her up, I guess I could marry her.”
When Sharman invited princes to the palace, he offered his sister's hand in marriage—as well as a considerable dowry. The man who broke her curse would become her husband. He didn't think Rose would protest. After all, she would be marrying her soulmate.
“She has lovely lips,” Gideon noted as he leaned over Rose. “They're a bit pale, though.”
With a roll of his eyes, Sharman croaked, “Just get on with it.”
“This will be my first kiss, you know,” Gideon confessed as his lips slowly descended. “I'm... a little nervous.”
“I had my first kiss at eleven,” Sharman boasted. “But... everyone moves at their own pace, I suppose.”
Gideon's head snapped back up. “You better stop being rude to me, Prince Sharman, or I swear to god... I'll walk out this door! If I'm Rose's soulmate, she'll sleep forever, and you'll get no pity from me!”
Sharman bit his tongue and forced a smile. Every prince was a possibility. Until Gideon's lips were tried, he had to mind his behavior.
“Well...” Gideon turned his attention back to Rose's pale pink mouth. “I guess I'll just... do it.”
With a nervous whimper, Gideon leaned down and locked lips with the princess. When Rose didn't wake, Sharman grabbed the boy's collar and dragged him to the door.
“I've been waiting to do this,” Sharman said as he shoved the whimpering prince into the hallway. “You're a horrible little brat. Get out of my palace!”
“You're a horrible little brat!” Gideon fired back at him. “When I get back to my castle—which is much larger than this, by the way—I'm going to tell Papa you were rude! And then he'll attack you! He'll put you in your place!”
“He'll start a war because his stupid son suffered an insult? I highly doubt it. But if he does, I'll be ready for him!” Sharman dragged a hand through his curly brown hair. “Now get out of my sight, you vile little churl!”
When Gideon stomped away, Sharman returned to his sister's bedchamber and slammed the door behind him. Then he sat beside Rose and brought her hand to his lips.
“I'm so sorry you've had to endure this, dearest sister,” Sharman whispered the apology as his thumb caressed Rose's fingers. “You've been kissed by twenty-seven nobles and royals. Only Princes Aarav and Elliot remain. If they don't wake you... I'll have to let commoners kiss you. I'm so sorry.”
Sharman assumed his sister couldn't hear him, but his heart felt lighter when he talked to her. So he continued, “My fiance is a commoner, you know. But she's a very special commoner. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, Rose. I can't wait until you get to meet her. Her hair is silken gold, wrapped in purest sunshine. The color of her eyes puts precious stones to shame.”
Sharman's eyelids were suddenly heavy. With sinking shoulders, he revealed, “But she's been captured, and a vast ransom has been demanded. For the last two days, I've probed the depths of my soul, and now I know what I must do.” When he paused, Sharman gently folded the princess' hands over her stomach. “Paying the ransom would be no better than admitting defeat, and I can't let a wicked witch win. I don't care how powerful Donnabella is. I will rescue the woman I love.”
As he studied his sister's placid face, Sharman felt refreshed. He got up, marched into the hall, and flagged down the first soldier he saw.
“Assemble one hundred of my finest knights!” Sharman demanded. “I'm going to rescue my fiance, and we're heading out today!”
The soldier accepted his task with a bow. “Yes, Your Highness.”
“My men should be armed with the sharpest weapons!” the prince added. “Oh... and they might want to equip themselves with a protective talisman. With Donnabella, we don't really know what we're up against. Magic can be tricky. Amulets to ward off psychic attacks should be carried.”
“Of course, Your Highness.” The soldier bowed again. “I'll pass along the suggestion.”
When he was alone again, Sharman dressed himself in glistening armor bedecked in jewels. He slipped a diamond encrusted blade into the sheath at his hip. Before he left his bedchamber, he checked his hair in the looking glass. Satisfied with his appearance, he hurried to the stables, where he saddled and mounted the finest white stallion.
One hundred knights assembled on the Winter Palace's manicured lawn. In the sunlight, their silver-white armor was blinding, so Sharman squinted as he studied them.
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“I love you, Cinderella,” the prince whispered to himself. “I love you and I'm coming for you. Don't despair.”
With that, Prince Sharman turned his horse in the appropriate direction and set off on his noble mission.
“I don't want to collect it. You collect it!” Pitch warbled at his brother.
“W-well... I don't want to collect it either!” Jostle trilled.
Terra's eyes rolled as she listened to the brothers' banter. They had been sent to the cellar to gather large spiders for one of Donnabella's potions. The cellar certainly had no shortage of arachnids. That morning, Terra plucked three large ones from Cinderella's hair.
“Look at its bum!” Pitch whined. “Have you ever seen a spider with a larger bum than that?”
“That's why I don't want to touch it, mate,” added Jostle. “The damn thing gives me the creeps!”
“Look how long its legs are!”
“I know! It's awful!”
“What if it bites?”
“They all bite, mate! They're evil!”
Finally, an expletive exploded from Terra's lips. The brothers' chatter made her miss the sound of silence. With an exasperated grumble, she got up, grabbed her crutches, and moved to their corner of the cellar. “For heaven's sake, why is this so difficult for you? Just grab it!”
“I caaaaan't!” Jostle whined. “I don't have the willpower!” When his brother nodded, Terra assumed his answer was the same.
Terra shifted her weight to a single crutch and reached for the spider. She gently pinched its “bum” between her thumb and forefinger. As she pulled it away from the wall, it splayed its spindly legs.
“Where should I put it?” Terra asked. When Pitch presented Gloriosa's urn, she shook her head. “I'm not going to put it in there! It might eat her!”
“Oh.” Pitch set the urn aside and grabbed a dusty jar from the closet. As soon as the lid was open, Terra dropped the spider in.
“Will you help us collect the rest o' the spiders, miss?” Jostle begged. “You're really good at it! It's like you've got no fear. None whatsoever!”
“Oh... I suppose I can help,” Terra quickly capsized. “If it'll stop your whining, it's worth it.”
As Terra moved around the room, hunting spiders with the boys, Cinda kept her eyes on Gloriosa's urn. Jostle and Pitch were hardly the brightest boys on earth—if anything, they were a bit dense. Cinda closed her eyes and prayed they would be dumb enough to leave the urn behind.
Five spiders later, her prayer was answered. As they stomped up the stairs, they were consumed by thoughts of creeping legs and sticky webs. Gloriosa wasn't a wisp in their minds.
As soon as the hatch was closed, Cinderella sprang to her feet and raced to the urn. “Terra!” she hissed. “Terra, look! They left it behind!”
“Oh my god!” Terra gasped. “Do you think we could ask Gloriosa to get us out of here?”
“I don't know, but we can certainly try!”
Cinda rubbed the urn so vigorously, her hand looked like a blur. She rubbed and rubbed and rubbed—but nothing happened.
“Why?” she shrieked. “Why isn't it working, Terra?”
“I don't know. Maybe it's only usable by certain people? It makes sense that she wouldn't want you to use it. Hand it to me.”
When Terra sat down, Cinda laid the urn on her stepsister's lap. “Try to rub it more gently,” Cinda suggested. “Maybe I wasn't doing it right?”
As Terra's fingers caressed the rusted urn, tears flooded Cinda's eyes. It was another failed attempt.
“This is awful!” Terra whined. “I was really hoping this would work.”
“I guess Donnabella made it impossible for us to use. I guess she--” The hatch reopened, so Cinda silenced herself. Before their visitor saw the urn, Terra hid it beneath her chair.
“Hello?”
When they realized it was Fenix's voice, both sisters relaxed a bit. Their enslaved abductor was descending the staircase with a pair of steaming bowls. “I have your lunch,” he announced. “I made the soup, so I hope it's not too terrible.”
“I'm sure it'll be fine,” Cinda murmured as she accepted a bowl. “I was just wondering something, actually. Now that you're here, would you mind if I asked a question?”
“Not at all.” He carefully lowered the hot soup to Terra's outstretched hand.
The soup was too hot to eat, so Cinda put it aside. She wasn't as brave as Terra, who had her first bite of steaming stew as soon as it was in her hands. “Why don't you just... leave?” Cinda asked. “Why don't you walk out the door and go far, far away, where Donnabella can't find you? If you weren't around, she couldn't give you commands all the time.”
“As much as I'd like to leave... I can't,” Fenix answered with a sigh. “I can't do anything that would go against Donnabella's wishes. The curse strips away my free will.”
“That's awful.” Cinda pouted on Fenix's behalf. “So you're just... eternally stuck with her?”
“Basically.” Fenix's eyes dropped to the floor. “I'm stuck until she gets tired of me... but I don't see that happening anytime soon. She kept her last boyfriend for eighty-eight years.”
“Eighty-eight years?” Terra shrieked. She was so surprised, she almost spilled the soup in her lap.
“Yeah.” Fenix shrugged. “And I've only been with her for a year, so I assume I have eight-seven years left to go.”
“Did her last boyfriend suffer the same curse?” Cinda asked as she took her first sip of soup. It was still hot, but her tongue wasn't scorched.
“He did. Both curses. The immortality and the servitude,” Fenix replied. “I can't die and I can't age. I'll look twenty when I'm eighty.”
“The immortality curse doesn't seem so bad,” Cinda responded with a sigh. “Still... I really do feel terrible for you. I can't imagine what your life must be like.”
“It's not too awful. I get to spend my days making terrible stews.” When he tried to fake a smile, his lips refused to hold it. “Actually... it is awful. But I think your situation is worse. I wish there was some way I could help you.”
Cinda exchanged glances with her stepsister. They were wondering the same thing, but it was Cinderella who said, “Give him the urn.”
“What?” Terra gasped. “Are you sure?”
“Uh huh. Give it to him. I think he'd help us.”
“If you say so, Cinda.” With a heavy sigh, Terra reached under her chair and recovered the urn. “Still... I think this is a mistake.”
As he eyed the urn, Fenix asked, “You think I should rub it?”
“Yes!” Cinda exclaimed. “Maybe you could ask Gloriosa to end your curse? If you were free, you could save yourself... and us, hopefully.” In the corner of her eye, she could see Terra shaking her head.
“But Donnabella is way more powerful than Gloriosa,” Fenix reminded her. “I don't think it'll work.”
“Still... does it hurt to try?” Cinda marched across the room, grabbed the urn from Terra's lap and pushed it into Fenix's hands. “Please try. We tried to rub the lamp, but nothing happened!”
“Very well. I guess I could try.”
Cinda held her breath as Fenix's fingers curled around the urn. “Please work...” she whimpered as he rubbed it. “Please, please work!”
Gloriosa's arrival was preceded by the usual loud pop. Cinda was afraid Donnabella—or one of her goons—would hear it.
“Cinderella!” Gloriosa exclaimed. “It's so good to see you again, dear. I'm getting so lonely inside that stupid urn!” The one-inch witch scanned the room for unfriendly faces. “I don't see Donnabella.”
“She isn't around,” Cinda said. “Quick... Fenix! Make your wish!”
Inspired by the urgency in Cinda's voice, he blurted, “I want you to break Donnabella's curse on me!” He hoped he wouldn't have to specify which one. Fenix secretly enjoyed his immortality.
“Ooo. I'm afraid I can't do that, young man.”
Everyone grunted at Gloriosa's repl
y.
“Are you sure?” Cinda cried. “M-maybe you could try? Maybe you don't know the extent of your own power?”
“Perhaps. But I do know the extent of Donnabella's power,” Gloriosa said. “There isn't a witch in the world who'd be strong enough to dispel one of her curses. I can, however, temporarily remove it.”
Cinderella's eyes went wide as her hope was renewed. “Really? For how long?”
“For an hour. If you're lucky... maybe two,” Gloriosa answered with a shrug. “At the end of two hours, you'll go back to being Donnabella's thrall.”
Even if he couldn't save himself, Fenix didn't want to fail the girls. “Maybe two hours is all we'll need?” he suggested. “I can get you back to the port... and we can part ways before I lose my free will.”
“But you'll still be under Donnabella's control,” Cinderella pointed out. “I would hate to leave you like that.”
“Don't worry about me. I've been with her for a year already. I can handle her.” Turning to Gloriosa, he reiterated his wish. “Please lift my curse, if only for an hour or two. That's my wish.”
“Good.” Gloriosa accepted his request with a firm nod. “Your wish is granted.”
As soon as the hex was lifted, Gloriosa was sucked into her urn.
“Are you free? Is the curse broken?” Cinda asked. “Is there any way to know for sure?”
“Well... I can think of one way to test it.” Fenix timidly took a step in Cinda's direction. “You might not like it, though.”
Cinderella's eyelashes fluttered as he closed the distance between them. Excitement fluttered in her stomach with each step he took. “What is it? What are you doing?”
Suddenly, Fenix brought his lips to hers. To Cinderella's surprise, she not only let it happen—she kissed him back. When she felt his hand gliding along her cheek, she whimpered into his mouth.
“There,” Fenix whispered as his lips departed. “That's how I know the curse is broken. Ever since I've been under Donnabella's spell, I haven't been able to kiss another girl.”
The only answer she could manage was a vaguely enlightened, “Ah.” Cinda didn't know what was more embarrassing—her blushing cheeks or her stepsister's smirk.