| A Cinderella Story In Tortall Written by Maid of Mystics |
| Cast of Characters (Disney to Tortall) Cinderella - Lady Cosette of Diayn The Prince - Prince Jason of Conte Lady Tremain(the stepmother) - the Duchess of Tremain Anastasia( one of the stepsisters)- Lady Adelaide of Tremain Drizella(stepsister) - Lady Delany of Tremain The King - King Jonathan the third The Grand Duke - Sir Gareth the Younger The Fairy Godmother - Mage Cynthia of Caynn Once upon a time, in the peaceful kingdom of Tortall, there lived a man and his daughter. They were very happy, but the man, Sir Michele of Diayn., saw fit to find his daughter a mother. And so he married a young widow, by the name of Duchess Anabella of Tremain who had two young daughters, Adelaide and Delany of Tremain. Sir Michele truly thought the Duchess would make Cosette a good mother, but unfortunately he was terribly wrong. They poor knight died of a sudden yet fatal disease leaving his fortune to his new bride. Only then was the Duchess's true nature revealed. She was cruel and vain, only caring for the welfare of her two selfish daughters. She convinced the young Cosette she was living on the Duchess's charity and forced her to be a servant in her own home as her father's fortunes were squandered on her two stepsisters. And so we pick up our story. "Co- SETTE!" her stepmother's voice rang throughout the house and probably into the streets. "Co-SETTE!" Cosette, startled, dropped the book she was reading into the ashes around the kitchen fire. "Oh, pox!" she cried and fished it out. Why did her stepmother have to scream so! Cosette could swear half of Corus knew her name. "COSETTE!" "Coming!" Cosette cried. She wiped her sooty hands on a dishtowel. By the sounds of it her stepmother was in the drawing room, probably teaching her stepsisters on how to catch a prince. There was only one unmarried prince left so this was their last chance. "Finally," Duchess Anabella declared as Cosette entered the drawing room, "Really Cosette, how many times do I have to call you!" "I am sorry Madame, I--" "By the looks of it she was probably reading by the fire again," Delany, her stepsister stated, interrupting Cosette. Cosette looked down at herself. She'd been sootier, most of the soot was on her apron, and easier to see than on her dark dress. "Cosette, really can you not manage to keep yourself clean for five minutes? I may be forced to take your books away." Even though she said it Cosette knew it was impossible. Her stepmother could never take her books away. They were her one possession on earth and there was a whole library full of them. It would be improbable to empty a whole room of books. "I am sorry Madame, I will try harder to keep clean," she told her stepmother, she really did try to keep clean, it was just hard when they only gave her one candle to read by, forcing her to read by the kitchen fire. "Well I would hope so," The Duchess said, haughtily, "Now, I want you to wash the floor of the front hall. Adelaide made quite an impression on the Queen yesterday and we might have her visiting today." "But Madame, I just washed the hall floor three days ago!" Cosette rued her words the second they came out of her mouth, she had learned the hard way not to talk back to her stepmother. "Well then wash it again! I want to see my face in it!" her stepmother ordered. Cosette sighed, "Yes, Madame." "And since you insist on being so impertinent, I want you to rehang the tapestries in the east parlor, they were looking a little dull when Lady Enjorals visited yesterday," "Yes, Madame," Cosette sighed again, why couldn't they ever give her one day, just one day all to herself? "You are dismissed Cosette," Cosette turned to leave, " Oh and change you clothes before they Queen arrives, I don't want her to think we treat our servants shabbily." "Yes, Madame," Cosette curstied and left the drawing room. Cosette left the drawing room, but paused and pressed her ear to the door, hoping to find out what Adelaide had done to get the Queen's attention. "Really Maman, I can't understand why you are to lenient with her!" Adelaide's shrill voice exclaimed. "Yes Maman," agreed Delany, " if I were you I would have given her a sound lashing." "I know, I know," sighed her stepmother, "I've always been too soft, its one of my faults." Cosette softly snorted, "I'd like to see one of them wash the front hall, " Cosette muttered under her breath. She continued her way down the hall, with a sigh, to go find her scrubbing pail. #@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@# 'Bong!!' The doorbell echoed through the townhouse. Cosette nervously straightened her perfectly clean green dress as she walked through the emaculate front hall. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She was about to meet the Queen of Tortall. She took a deep breath and pulled open the massive front door. But instead of seeing the Queen or a groomsman to announce the Queen all she saw was a small page in royal livery. "M-may I help you?" she asked the page, swallowing her disappointment He stared at her with wide hazel eyes. "Um yes, um-This is for the ladies of the house," he shoved a sealed parchment into her hand, "It's an invitation to a ball." Cosette smiled at him, his awkwardness amused her, "Thank you," she told him. The page blushed and bowed then hurried away. Cosette smiled as she closed the door and headed for the sunroom where her stepmother and stepsisters waited the arrival of the Queen, she didn't relish in telling them the doorbell hadn't been Queen Thayet. She knocked on the sunroom door and was answered by her stepmother's voice, melodic not knowing it was only Cosette. Cosette entered the room; alone. Her stepmother swept into a deep curtsy, "You're majesty, I-" "Where's the Queen?" Adelaide asked. "She not here," Cosette told her. "Well then who was at the door?" Her stepmother rose from her curtsey a little humiliated, imagine curtsying for lowly Cosette! and calling her 'your majesty' how embarrassing! "A page. He gave me this," she gave her stepmother the invitation. The Duchess scowled, but as she read the letter she scowl slowly vanished. "Girls. Girls! Listen to this: 'By royal order all eligible ladies of noble birth are invited to attend a ball in three days of time in honor of Prince Jason's return from his travels '!" "Why that means I can go too!" Cosette cried. The other women stared at her, "You!" gasped Delany. "Well why not?" Cosette asked indignantly raising her chin, "It says 'all eligible ladies of noble birth' and I am still the Lady of Diayn." "She's right it does mean she can go," Duchess Anabella said stiffly. "What!?" Adelaide gasped. "But Maman-" Delany protested. The Duchess's eyes narrowed as she looked at Cosette, perhaps for the first time. Cosette had more beauty than both her daughters together, even in the rags she dressed in. Dressed in the right color and dress she could be a force to be reckoned with when competing for the Prince. "If," the duchess continued, "she finishes all her chores," the duchess's eyes swept Cosette's clothing," and if she can find something suitable to wear." Cosette's heart lept with joy, "Oh I'm sure I can! Oh thank you stepmother!" Cosette rushed from the room. Delany and Adelaide stared at their mother, "Maman, are you crazy?" Adelaide asked, "Cosette go to a ball?" "Yes, Maman," persisted Delany, "How could you tell her she could go?" "I didn't tell her she could go," their mother said deviously, "I said 'if'" "Oh if," Delany said. The three chuckled. #@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@# "Co-SETTE!" startled Cosette dropped the dress she had been working on since early that morning. Her eyes stung and her fingers ached and it was only the beginning of the day. The dress had been her mother's and she was remaking it for the ball her stepmother said she could go to. Every time Cosette thought about the ball it sent excite shivers up her back. She was going to a ball! She had lived her whole life to go to a ball and she was determined to fulfill the requirements her stepmother had given her. By the looks of it her mother's once old fashioned dress was going to turn out into a beautiful dress and she was sure she could finish her chores. Cosette smiled dreamily to herself as she picked up her dress to put it in a trunk at the end of her bed. She was going to a ball! Her smile was shattered by another "Co-SETTE!" Knowing her stepmother's temperament Cosette hurried out her room and down the spiraling staircase *(alliteration! go me- sorry my English teacher loves that kind of stuff you know metaphors, smiles etc.)* that led up to her tower bedroom. She hurried into her step-mother's bedroom to find her stepmother and stepsisters there. Her stepsisters were decently attired in there petticoats and other necessary undergarments and the bed had a heap of varying colored dresses on it. "Finally!" Delany said as Cosette walked in, "We've been calling for at least ten minutes." "I'm sorry I was-" "Never mind that now, Cosette," her stepmother interrupted, "We have a lot of work ahead of us. We had to see which of these dresses best befits my daughters and make any alterations we can." Cosette nodded, realizing she wasn't going to have much time to work on her own dress. She helped her stepsisters choose the best dresses and she was loaded with alterations to make on their dresses to make absolutely perfect. Cosette resent them for making her work on their dresses when hers was still undergoing major changes. They could sew why didn't they work on their own dresses. She quickly dismissed the thoughts from her head. She was living under their charity she should be grateful to do what ever she could to repay them. Nevertheless Cosette was a little cross when it took her almost all day to fix their dresses especially Delany's whose dress required the most adjustments. But finally at the end of the day she had finished the dresses and was helping her sisters get into there dresses. Cosette carefully lifted the blue silk dress over Adelaide's light blonde head. Adelaide surveyed herself in the mirror. "I look perfect!" she said always the first one to compliment herself, "I'll certainly catch the Prince's attention in this! Oh but look Maman! the bustle hangs crookedly! Oh Cosette, can you please fix it?" Cosette nodded a tight lipped smile, biting back a question on why she couldn't fix her own bustle. Long pent up anger started to rise in her. She carefully lifted Delany's bright purple, rather gaudy dress over her dress. Delany immediately complained. "Ugh, It's still too tight! Cosette can't you do anything right?!" Cosette's defense barriers on her long awaiting anger broke, "It wouldn't be so tight if you hadn't gained so much weight!" Cosette immediately put her hand over her mouth not believing she had said that. Her stepsisters and mother stared at her, aghast that such a remark would come out of the usually soft spoken Cosette. "What did you say?" Cosette had never heard her stepmother's voice so angry. "I-i..i..i.," Cosette stuttered more surprised then her step family. Adelaide erupted into giggles, "She said that Delany's dress wouldn't be so tight if she hadn't gained so much weight!" "Adelaide, stop," Adelaide immediately stopped giggling at her mother's tone, "Cosette, how dare you insult your stepsister like that, she is your better an deserves your total respect. What do you have to say to her?" "I-I-......." Cosette was speechless still surprised she had actually said it. Her stepmother's eyes narrowed to little slits and small smirk of triumph crossed her face. " Well since you refuse to apologize I have no option but to punish you." Cosette paled and whispered, "No...." "Yes, I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to let to go to ball tomorrow," "NO!" Cosette screamed getting upset, "You can't do that!" tears filled her eyes. Her stepmother smiled her wicked smile, "I'm afraid I can," she said. "NO!" Cosette screamed again. "Give it up Cosette," Delany said deceit dripping from her voice, "You'll never be able to go to a ball, your our servant and servants don't go to balls." "Shut up you fat cow!" Cosette screamed at her just letting her anger go, "Your ugly and you can't do anything that matters in life and it's a joke to see you trying to get the Prince to notice you. You'll never amount to anything, but an old unmarried HAG!" And with that Cosette stormed from the room, sobs shaking her body. #@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@# Cosette sobbed into her pillow. Her stepmother couldn't let her not go to the ball! She didn't have the right! Cosette was just as a noble as her two vain stepsisters are, more so. It wasn't fair! She would go she'd figure out a way. Cosette wished she could feel sorry for what she said to Delany, but she just couldn't, Delany deserved it for the way she had treated her over the years and Cosette needed to let out her anger. Cosette didn't leave her room all day, not able to face her step- mother and sisters, but later that evening she heard footsteps coming up to her tower room. The Duchess of Tremain opened the door without knock and entered Cosette's room followed by Delany. Cosette looked at them from her perch on the window ledge. Duchess Anabella crossed her arms, "Well Cosette do you have anything to say to Delany?" Cosette stared at her not really comprehending what she was say. Her stepmother rephrased the question, "Do you want to apologize to Delany?" Cosette looked at Delany. Delany looked down her nose at her. expectantly. Cosette couldn't apologize. "No," she said " I have nothing to say to her." The Duchess pursed her lips, "Well then, I'm afraid you'll just have to stay in here until you do," and with that she and Delany whirled around and whisked through her door, the duchess locking the door with a key and shutting it on her way out. Cosette through herself to her door and pounded it with her fists, "No!" she cried, "You can't do this!" She sank against the door to sit on the floor. Now she really couldn't go to the ball. There was no way out of her room except for the window, but it was it was a four story drop. Cosette started to sob again, all her hope of going to the ball lost. Mage Cynthia of Caynn heard Cosette's sobs from her garden next to the Tremain town house. Over the few years she had lived next to the 'of Tremains' she had watched their treatment of Cosette with growing disappointment. She had heard about Cosette's tragic downfall from another neighbor and had always regarded and thought of Cosette with great sympathy. Having heard much of the arguments in the Tremain household she could guess that Cosette was upset over not being allowed to go to the ball. Cynthia never really had really liked royal balls, but she couldn't understand young Cosette's yearning to attend one so she decided to help her. That night when the 'of Tremains' had left to go to the ball, she went to work. Slowly floating up to Cosette's window she found the girl sitting at her window, dazedly staring into the stars. Cosette acknowledged her presence with a start. "Don't be frightened, " Cynthia said, "I'm here to help you." "What- who are you?" Cosette stammered. "I'm a mage," Cynthia told her as she ducked into Cosette's window and landed softly on the floor, "and you want to go to the ball at the Palace tonight, do you not?" Cosette nodded, "Yes, but-" "Don't worry about that now, " Mage Cynthia said, "we have a lot to do." #@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@# It was a short time later when Cosette stood admiring herself in a mirror. She had never dreamed that she could look so beautiful. Her dress was a very light blue, that was the same shade of her eyes. The dress glittered silver as she moved. The neck line was flattering, the sleeves were a very sheer material that loosely fitted her arms, belling around her wrists. Her slim waist line belled into a full skirt, her slippers a dainty light blue. Her hair was piled atop her head with curls issuing out of the bun, like a small fountain. Her eyes glittered with unshed tears as she turned to Mage Cynthia. She put her hands out, "I don't know how to ever thank you, Cynthia shook her head, " You don't have to," she said, "I should have done something sooner, knowing what was going on in this house and how you're being treated." Cosette bowed her head, tears ready to overflow. Cynthia caught her chin and lifted it. " No more tears," she said, "We'll show them that they can't be half the lady you are. Now," she said briskly, "You must be going, you've probably missed the presentations, but thats for the best. I can't conceive what your step-mother would do if she saw you. Try to avoid her, even though she might not recognize you." Cosette nodded, "How will-" "We'll go in my carriage," she said, "Lets go!" #@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@# Cosette slipped into the ball through a side entrance that Cynthia had showed her. Seeing all the nobles milling around a sudden fear enveloped her. Reading her mind Cynthia stood next to her and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Remember," Cynthia whispered in her ear, "I'll meet you outside in the carriage yard at twelve, the magic I put on your clothes will wear out by then," she slipped away leaving Cosette on her own. Prince Jasson irritably blew a hair from his face, he hated these balls. He knew why his father threw these things- he was trying to make him find a wife, but out of all these bimbos he doubted he would ever find one. None of them ever made a lasting impression on him. Suddenly he sat up straight in his chair. A girl the most beautiful girl he had ever seen was inching her watching way towards the balcony. She hadn't been formally presented, he would have remembered her if she had. He got up, heedless of the girl who had been chatting at him, and made his way across the ball room towards the girl. Immediately ladies starting to fling them selves at him hoping he would ask for a dance, but he just nodded at them. He had to get at that girl! There he was, standing in front of her, the most handsome man Cosette had ever seen. Her eyes widened "Hello," he said. He couldn't be talking to her. Looked behind her, and finding no one he could be talking too she answered, "Hello," They stood in silence for a moment both staring at each other in awe. Words didn't seem to be necessary until he said, "Would you like to dance?" This couldn't be happening to her. She nodded and slipped into his arms as the orchestra played a waltz. She felt as if she were in a dream, floating around a ball room in a handsome strangers arms. She looked up into his eyes, his lovely sapphire blue eyes. She felt as if she could stare into the blue forever. She barely noticed when he asked her her name. She was momentarily stricken, should she give her real name or should she make up one? "Cosette, " she said simply. "and yours?" For a split second, puzzlement ran across his face, she didn't know he was? He thought ever female in the eastern lands knew who he was, the last unmarried Tortallan prince. "Jasson," he told her, "of Conte" For a moment Cosette blinked at him. Wasn't Conte the royal house? That would mean............ Cosette's knees weaken and she dipped a little, "Are you all right?" Jasson asked, "I just feel a little faint," she squeaked. Concerned, he lead her through the dancers and on to the balcony. "The air will do you good," he told her, "Stay here, I'll get you a drink," Once her was gone Cosette put her fingers to her head. This could not be happening to her- it just could not. A prince, a prince of Tortall, had asked her, her to dance. She was just a maid, a servant masquerading as a court lady, and he, he was a prince to the most powerful country in the realm. He would probably hate her if he found out who she really was, sure she was technically a lady, but she hadn't a penny to her name. She was practically living on charity, or at least thats what her stepmother kept telling her. She wondered if her stepmother or stepsisters had seen her, and what they would do if they had. Cosette shuddered thinking about the beating she would most probably get if they saw her here. Prince Jasson quickly returned with a glass of punch, "Here," he gave it to her, "Drink it, it will revive you," "Thank you," Cosette said giving him a small sip. It was fruity and had a hint of alcohol in it. Cosette put the glass down. "I wouldn't have told you I was a prince if i knew that it would affect you so, "he told her. Cosette shook her head, "No," she said, "I was just surprised" "You're not from around here are you?" he asked. "Yes. No-yes," she said, confused at what to say. "Well, in a way I am and in a way I'm not." Jasson raised his eyebrows, "Very mysterious?" he joked. Cosette relaxed and smiled up at him, "Yes it is," Questions plagued Jasson's mind he wanted to know everything about this girl. "Where are you from?" "Well, I live in Corus," she told him. Suddenly over his shoulder Cosette saw her step-sister Adelaide coming out onto the balcony with another lady. Cosette gasped and moved closer to the prince so they wouldn't see her, "By the Gods," she whispered urgently, you can't let her see me!" #@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@# |