by Aron Lewes
“Fun fun fun!” tittered Rank, whose mad cackles echoed as his magic felled his foes. “That was almost too much fun.”
But there was one enemy he didn't expect. A colorful bird swooped down from the sky with an earsplitting screech. With its beak, it seized the collar of Rank's coat and lifted him off his feet.
“Fenix!” Rank hissed and flailed. “Fenix, you idiot... I'd almost won! Don't intervene, you rotten little sh--!”
Before he could finish, Fenix tossed him across the field. Very few soldiers were still standing, but as soon as they saw him drop, they tackled him. Rank whimpered as his wand was ripped from his fingers.
“Are you alright in there, love?” Rank croaked the question to Gloriosa, who was still stuck in his pocket.
“I... think so?” her tiny voice squeaked. “That was quite a fall, though.”
“We lost,” Rank reported as the knights dragged him to his feet.
“You lost!” the miniature witch was quick to correct him. “I'm quite happy with the outcome. At long last, Cinderella finally gets to be with her prince.”
As soon as the battle was over, Prince Sharman burst from his carriage and ran to his fiance. He started the journey on horseback, but after the first twenty minutes, he decided he needed to lounge. A seat was more comfortable than a saddle.
“Cinderella!” he cried. “Cinderella, are you in that wagon? Please! I must see you!”
“I'm here,” Cinda quietly replied. As she climbed down from the wagon, the prince was so overwhelmed by the sight of her, he staggered.
“My god... it's been so long since I've seen this face. This beautiful, gorgeous face.” Sharman closed the distance between them and lightly cupped her cheek. “You must have been through quite an ordeal.”
“It's certainly been... strange,” she admitted. “I've seen dragons and witches and all sorts of oddities.”
“And we should probably leave the area,” added Terra, whose head emerged from the wagon's interior. “Donnabella isn't too far away.”
Sharman's handsome face was twisted by confusion, so Cinda explained, “This is my stepsister, Terra. I believe you met her at my stepmother's cottage. I asked her to accompany me to the Winter Palace. After everything that's happened, I'm sure she regrets her decision to go.”
“Not at all,” Terra objected. With her crutches in hand, she carefully descended from the wagon. “It's been quite an adventure, to be honest. I never thought I'd get to see and do so many things. Until recently, my adventures were supplied by books and stories. This level of excitement is rather new to me.”
Cinderella echoed the thought. “And to me as well. Dodging dragons is slightly more dramatic than mopping a floor.” When her attention returned to Sharman, she changed the subject. “Anyway, is it alright if my stepsister accompanies us?”
“Of course, dear.” Sharman's smile didn't quite reach his eyes, so she assumed it was fake. “If her company makes you comfortable, she's more than welcome to stay with you.”
“Thank you, Your Highness. I appreciate that.”
“Thank you... Sharman,” the prince quietly corrected her as he raised her hand to his lips. When her knuckles were pressed against his mouth, he breathed deeply, as if trying to inhale the scent of her skin. As he released her hand, he lowered his voice so the stepsister wouldn't hear. “You really are the loveliest woman in the world. Your beauty astounds me. I'd almost forgotten how lovely you are.”
“Th-thank you.” She stuttered her gratitude. “As Terra was saying, we should probably head to the port. If Donnabella found us, we'd probably be doomed.”
“We'll leave as soon as my knights are ready.” Sharman glanced over his shoulder, checking the status of his soldiers. After the fight with Rank, most of them were stumbling, moaning, and tending to scrapes and bruises. “They took quite a beating.”
“Rank surprised me,” Terra spoke up. “I didn't think anyone could take on an entire army and win.”
“He didn't win,” Sharman gently reminded her. “That man is bound for prison, where he'll likely spend the rest of his days. Anyone who abducts the prince's fiance must be prepared to suffer.”
Cinderella almost asked what he intended to do about Donnabella, but she decided against it. She didn't want Sharman to become the witch's enemy. She just wanted to get away from Donnabella as quickly as she could.
If only Fenix could do the same.
“Sharman?” Cinda whispered his name.
“Yes, my dear?”
In the distance, she could see Fenix with his hands in his pockets. He was shuffling back and forth, trying to look disinterested in Cinda's reunion with the prince. “Before we depart, may I take a moment to speak to someone?”
“Of course,” her fiance replied. “As I said, my men need a moment to gather their wits. I'll, uh...” When his eyes landed on Terra, Sharman's nostrils flared. “I'll escort your sister to the royal carriage. Whenever you're ready, join us.”
Cinderella held her breath as she made her way to Fenix's side. It would be difficult to say goodbye—and even harder because she knew his fate. Her hero was doomed to a life as Donnabella's slave.
“Fenix?”
As soon as he heard her voice, he spun around and smiled. “Hello.”
“I guess...” Cinda's throat constricted. Her body was protesting against the terrible words. “I guess this is goodbye?”
“Yeah.” Fenix's lips fell. “It is. But at least your story has a happy ending.”
“It does. Because of you.” If Sharman wasn't nearby, she might have hugged him. “I'm eternally grateful to you.”
“Was your prince coming to save you?” Fenix asked. “It's a good thing he didn't make it all the way to Donnabella's boot. She would have torn him apart.”
“I believe it.”
“I'm serious,” Fenix insisted. “You saw what Rank could do, right? Imagine that, but ten times worse.”
“I can't imagine it.”
For the next few seconds, they were silent. Fenix's hands were still buried in his pockets. Cinda thought it made him look timid, as did his downcast eyes.
“I wish your story had a happy ending.” Cinda's sympathies were expressed with a sigh. “You're going back to Donnabella soon, and it kills me to think of it.”
“True.” Fenix nodded. “I'll be back in her arms by the day's end... after she's punished me, of course.”
“You deserve better, Fenix.” When her hero's eyes landed on hers, Cinda felt a shudder on her spine. “You do. You really do.”
“I'll be alright.” When he glanced over Cinderella's shoulder, he spotted Sharman in the distance. The prince was watching them. “I, uh... I hope your life with Sharman is full of happiness.”
For a moment, her heart stopped pumping. “Really?”
“Yeah.” Fenix nodded. “I just want you to be happy. After everything you've been through, you deserve happiness.”
“Fenix...” Cinda whimpered his name. Her stomach ached. She couldn't stop thinking she would be happier with someone else.
“W-well, I should probably get back to Donnabella before the curse takes effect again.” When he stepped away from her, Cinda's vision was blurred by tears. She was tempted to pull him back and beg him to stay. She wanted to keep him at her side. She wanted to protect him. “Farewell, Cinderella.”
“Wait...” she whispered weakly. Her voice was so soft, he didn't hear it.
Fenix morphed into a bird and spiraled into the sky. Some of Sharman's soldiers gasped at the sight. Cinda was no longer surprised by Fenix's many forms, but she could understand the soldiers' shock.
As she watched him fly away, back to the woman who made his life miserable, Cinda could feel her lips quivering. She kept her eyes on his retreating orange wings until they were barely a speck on the horizon. “I'll never see him again,” she quietly reminded herself. “Never.”
Cinderella was free from her stepmother. She was free from the witch. In a matter of day
s, she would be Sharman's wife, and they would live happily ever after.
It sounded like a perfect ending.
Even so, Cinderella felt an unmistakable twinge of emptiness in her aching heart.
Thanks for checking out my book! The second part of this tale, Sleeping Beauty Is Just Not That Into You, will be available in March 2018.
If you enjoyed After Cinderella, you might enjoy School for Spirits as well: https://www.amazon.com/School-Spirits-Dead-Girl-Samurai-ebook/dp/B078YNFD4F/
If you have any interest in finding out what actors I was imagining in this book, check out and follow my blog: https://aronlewes.tumblr.com/ (I sometimes give tips on how to get my books for free)
For news on future releases, sign up for my mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/c-PqSH
Keep reading for a glimpse of The Barefoot Barmaid, an adventure romance written under my pen name, Caylen McQueen.
Thanks again!
1
“Raine!” Kitt's eyes were wide as she stormed into the kitchen where her stepmother, in a sagging blouse, was shamelessly sucking on sticky sweets. A copious amount of cleavage surged from the top of Raine's shirt, and when she licked the chocolate from her fingers, her lips made an unnecessarily loud smacking noise. “Raine, have you seen my slippers?”
“Thank goodness you don't call me Mama anymore, girl.” Raine ran a finger under her eye, presumably to smooth a tiny wrinkle. “I'm only ten years older than you, you know. When you used to call me Mama, it was awkward.” The age gap was more like fifteen years, but Raine had a tendency to round down.
“I haven't called you that in ages,” Kitt pointed out. “And I don't think I'd call you that again. Ever.” Her nose wrinkled as she repeated, “Have you seen my slippers?” Kitt checked herself in the looking glass as she waited for her stepmother's reply—which was delayed by more sweets stuffed into the woman's flabby cheeks. She readjusted her gray newsboy cap, loosened the collar of her tie, and tugged on her shirt ever-so-slightly. For a barmaid, she thought she looked rather posh.
When she finished chewing, Raine kicked up her feet on the table, as if flaunting the fact that she was wearing her stepdaughter's missing footwear. “They're right here on my own two feet. As you can see.”
“Well, I need them!” When Kitt tried to grab Raine's foot, her stepmother tucked her feet under the table, out of view. “I have to be at work in less than ten minutes!”
“That's too bad for you, dear. These are mine now. I've commandeered them.”
“That's not funny.”
“I'm not trying to be funny, Kitty!” Raine threw back her head and laughed, as loudly and snidely as possible. “I'm quite serious. I needed some shoes, so I took yours.”
“Well, can I have them back?”
“Can you have them back?” Raine leaned forward, resting her elbows against the table as she lit a long cigar. Her tight black ringlets, recently freed from their curlers, bounced as she shook her head. “Aren't you listening? I took them. They're mine. Mine. Don't be so selfish.”
“Selfish?” Kitt shrieked. “How am I being selfish? They're my slippers!” And they weren't even fancy. They were simple and gray, with a tiny hole over the little toe.
“And since we're discussing the topic of your selfishness, you've been avoiding a particular issue.” Raine took a drag from her cigar before jabbing it in Kitt's direction. “You're nearly twenty, girl. You should think about getting married soon. Or do you intend to be a burden on your poor, dear papa for the rest of your life?”
“Ha!” At first, the only answer Kitt could manage was shocked laughter. After taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she replied, “Of course I don't want to burden my father! But couldn't you also say I'm only twenty, so there's no need to rush?”
“I wasn't much older than you when I married your father, you know.” Raine dragged a hand through her curl-covered head. She looked exhausted, as if she couldn't believe the nerve of the girl. “By the time you are five and twenty, your options will be fewer... and as more time passes, fewer and fewer still. No man wants a wife who's approaching thirty when he could have a young lady of eighteen. It's something to consider.” She tapped her cigar against an old copper ash tray as she spoke. “Listen to me. Five years will pass very quickly, and suddenly you'll be a less than desirable option.”
“W-well...” Kitt hesitated. She was almost afraid to broach the topic. “What if I have no desire to marry? Ever.”
“And there it is!” Raine suddenly clapped her hands together. “There's that selfishness I spoke of! I swear, girl, it's as if you have no consideration for anyone but yourself!”
“You are the one who stole my shoes!”
“Get out of my sight.” Raine tried to wave her stepdaughter away with a flick of her hand. “I don't care to see your face right now... not when my head is throbbing like it is!”
“Hangover again?” As she asked the question, Kitt could practically feel the smug smile spreading across her face. It was hard to have pity for a woman who treated her so reprehensibly. “Well, I guess I'll go to work barefoot then.”
“Ah, now there's an idea! And it's the first good idea you've had all day.” Raine heckled Kitt as she left the house. “Perhaps it will teach you some damned humility!”
Barefoot and fuming, Kitt slammed the door behind her. As she strolled the dirty streets of Lundun, she swore she could feel the filth seeping into her skin with every step she took. The smog in the sky from all the steam engines was bad enough; now the bottoms of her feet were turning black. Tears glowed in Kitt's eyes as she approached the softly-burning street lamp where she was supposed to meet Tobias. He was already waiting for her, which was no surprise. No matter how punctual she tried to be, Tobias was always the one waiting for her.
“There you are!” exclaimed Tobias, as if he had been standing there for ages. When his gaze dropped from her eyes to her feet, Kitt suppressed a groan. “Wait... where are your slippers?”
“Stolen.” When she heard the sharp warning whistle from a nearby steam train, she grabbed Tobias' arm and pulled him in the direction of the station. The whistle was to let them know there was little time to board. Maybe she was later than she realized? “They were stolen by my stepmother, no less.”
“Why?” Tobias' brow furrowed as he sprinted to keep up with her. For someone rather short, his friend could move quickly. “No offense, but your slippers were hardly... quality.”
“Every time someone starts a sentence with no offense, how do they always end up saying something offensive?” Kitt simultaneously rolled her eyes and sighed.
“But I didn't mean anything by it, Kitt! I sw-swear I didn't! It's not like either of us has got fancy things!” As if to prove his point, Tobias tugged on his tattered red necktie, from which there dangled a tarnished silver pocket watch. “So why did your stepmum steal your shoes?”
“I don't know. Why does Raine do anything she does? Probably to make my life miserable.” As they climbed aboard the train, she caught two people glancing dubiously in the direction of her feet. “Now she thinks I should get married soon.”
“R-r-r-really?” His stammer was intensified by shock. When Tobias sat across from her on the train, his face was flushed. He hoped he wouldn't regret what he was going to say next. “Well... you could always marry m-m-me.”
“Oh, Tobias!” Kitt dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand. “You're my best friend! Don't be ridiculous! Wouldn't it be too odd for us to marry? Besides, I'm sure my stepmother plans to marry me off to some rich old man... or... as rich as you can get when you're basically living in the slums.” Kitt flexed her dirty toes, which helped to remind her of her dire situation. Her family really was the poorest of the poor. “At least, I hope he'll be rich. I need to get out of this squalor.”
“Well, if you ever change your m-m-mind, you know I'm always here for you.” Tobias didn't dare to confess he was actually hoping to be her husband one day, not when she was so firmly agai
nst the idea.
Kitt studied Tobias's face across the table. She could think of worse fates than being married to her best friend. He was cute, at least, even if he was a bit younger than her—by a little over a year. His curly blonde mane was fluffy and wild, and a bit longer than her pixie cut. His face was still very boyish, and consumed by countless freckles. Kitt thought he looked too young and cherubic to be anyone's husband, let alone hers.
“Y-you marry me,” Tobias continued. “And we can work at Lucky's forever.”
“Yeah. That sounds like the happily ever after of my dreams!” Kitt briefly picked up a newspaper, ignoring the headline in large, bold letters: NOTORIOUS SKY PIRATE EMPLOYED BY ROYAL FAMILY. She leafed through the pages and, finding nothing to catch her interest, she quickly tossed it aside. “I wish you wouldn't even make jokes like that.”
“But it's not really a joke.” Tobias's shoulders popped into a shrug as he spoke. “Right now, I can't see myself anywhere but Lucky's... not because I love it, but because I don't have a lot of other options.”
“But there's got to be something better than this life...” Kitt responded quietly, peering through the smudged window as the steam train howled to life. “There's got to be.”