Chapter 16
“There you are, Cinderella. You have chosen an unlikely spot to sleep in.”
Cinderella groaned and rolled over, crashing off the settee she had collapsed in the night before.
“Ow,” she said. The aches and pains of her body brought the previous night’s events to her mind. Her feet hurt from the dancing and walking without shoes. Her arms hurt from the goats yanking on her the whole way home. As they had popped out on the wrong side of Werra, it had taken over an hour to reach Aveyron. It was all Cinderella could do to put the goats away, free the mice, and collapse in the nearest settee.
“Your servants are desperately looking for you. Some officials have arrived—they are asking for you.”
Cinderella finally recognized Lady Klara’s voice. “Great,” she said into the ground.
“I will inform Jeanne of your location, but, Cinderella?”
“Hm.”
“You looked lovely last night,” Lady Klara said before she was gone with the swish of skirts.
That comment got Cinderella scrambling off the floor. “You saw?” she squeaked. If Lady Klara realized it was her, did anyone else?”
Lady Klara was already gone, though, and Jeanne barged through the door seconds later.
“Mademoiselle,” she said, the closest thing she ever came to chiding Cinderella as she took in Cinderella’s wrinkled, askew clothes. “You must change into something more suitable, now,” she said, hovering around Cinderella in an effort to herd her to her rooms.
“Why?” Cinderella asked, rubbing her eyes.
“Prince Cristoph has called upon Aveyron, and asks to see you!”
Cinderella froze. “I beg your pardon, who is here?”
“Prince Cristoph! You must get changed—Mademoiselle?”
Cinderella sprinted out of the room, manners and elegance forgotten.
“He’s going to arrest me; he’s going to have me thrown in jail; he’s going to do something!” Cinderella said, darting down the chateau hallways.
“Mademoiselle,” various servants called as she charged past them.
Cinderella ignored the calls and made a beeline for the kitchens. “If no one can find me, he’ll go away. He’ll have to go away, and I have to find Friedrich and talk to him—curse my impulsive self!” Cinderella said. She nearly collided with a maid who bore a tray of food, but dodged at the last moment.
She slid into the kitchens, ignoring the uproar her servants were in, dodged a live chicken, and tripped on the cat sunning herself on the stoop outside the entrance to the kitchens.
Cinderella tilted alarmingly and almost fell, but she righted herself at the last moment and hopped several steps. “Darned cat!”
“I have to say, I’ve never seen you fall before, but you’ve gotten precariously close in the past day or so.”
Cinderella stopped pinwheeling her arms and could not help the rush of relief she felt when she saw Friedrich standing not three paces away, his arms folded across his chest.
“Friedrich!” Cinderella cried, throwing herself at him. “I am so glad to see you—but we have to get out of here. The Prince—,” Cinderella cut herself short and stepped back when her eyes finally caught up with her mind, and she realized Friedrich was not wearing his usual uniform.
Friedrich wore an outfit of black, and on his head was the copper crown with the ruby setting Prince Cristoph wore.
“I’m going to sit down,” Cinderella announced before her legs gave out, and she sat down, hard, on the ground.
“I thought you would try to run when my men flashed my full title, so I positioned myself in the location you were most likely to exit from.”
“You’re a prince!?”
“Yes.”
“The oldest prince?”
“Prince Cristoph VI, yes.”
“Then you lied? You’ve been lying to me?” Cinderella said, her chest heaving.
“Not entirely. I go by Friedrich (as Cristoph is a family name), and it can make discussions quite confusing. I don’t use my prince title often, as my main occupation is Colonel of the First Regiment.”
Cinderella pushed herself to her feet, anger giving her newfound strength. “The organizing it must have taken to pull this over me—your whole regiment was in on it, weren’t they? And that explains why you kept sticking up for your greedy Queen Freja!”
“What happened to forgiveness?”
“That was BEFORE I found out you’ve been lying to me this entire time!”
“Cinderella, you need to calm down,” Friedrich said.
“I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE CALM IN MY LIFE!” Cinderella roared.
“I see,” Friedrich said.
“What was this past summer to you?” Cinderella said, stalking back and forth like an angry mountain cat. “A joke? A way to amuse yourself—by watching the penniless duchess scrabble for change?”
“It was a marriage interview.”
“What?”
Friedrich grabbed Cinderella by her shoulders. “Listen to me for a minute.”
Cinderella briefly considered slapping him, but settled for angrily brushing his hands off her shoulders.
“Mother and Father will be leaving the Trieux territory soon. For safety and military reasons, they must return to our fortifications in Erlauf—there have been magical attacks, as you know. I am to remain behind and rule in their stead. Since the war, I knew I would have to marry someone of Trieux blood to stabilize our claim to Trieux. So, I’ve been watching all eligible girls from the noble class, the guild and merchant glass, and the daughters of the remaining Trieux officials. I narrowed down my selection to include you, which was when I decided I wanted to meet you.”
“So, I was the best-bred mare to suit your purposes?” Cinderella said, her eyes narrowed. “You’re not winning any points for charm, Your Highness.”
Friedrich ignored the acid in her voice. “I know the story is less than romantic…but it’s all I have. I am the prince of a country that has finished one war and is on the brink of another against an enemy we have no real means of conquering. I’m sorry I only looked at you because I had to marry someone from Trieux. I wish I had approached you with more wholesome intents, but it is unfair to discount my love for you because of that.”
“Why?”
“What?”
“Why did you want to meet me?”
Friedrich hesitated. “Because of…the position I’m in, I knew I needed to be careful with who I selected as my wife. I wanted someone who could learn to love Erlauf as I love it.”
“And?”
“I heard about your unusual situation—the way you gave up everything to keep your servants. Your actions were selfless, and they were what made me decide I should meet you. The day you saved my life, I knew, if I could convince you, you would love Erlauf just as fiercely as you love your servants,” Friedrich said, fixing his dark eye on Cinderella.
Cinderella could feel her anger starting to subside, but she wouldn’t admit it, so she looked away and turned her back to Friedrich.
“And then I fell deeply in love with you, and I worried you would marry me only to save Aveyron. You never gave any indication you felt more for me than friendship. You still haven’t,” Friedrich said, standing behind Cinderella.
He was so close Cinderella could feel the heat of his body, but he did not touch her.
“Cinderella, who were you thinking of when you refused my touch last night?” Friedrich said, his voice flat.
Cinderella set her shoulders and did not respond.
“Cinderella, please.”
Cinderella turned around. “Who do you think it was, but you, you idiot!” she said, smacking Friedrich to cover her embarrassed blush.
Friedrich caught Cinderella’s hand and pulled her into a hug, encasing his arms around her. As Cinderella leaned into him, she suspected he hadn’t touched her the night before because there was no way she would fail to recognize his warmth.
“Why didn’t you tell me who you were?” Cinderella whispered.
Friedrich snorted. “Cinderella, you are loyal and lovely as the dawn, but you do not hesitate to use yourself as a bargaining chip. You cannot deny it. You would have accepted my offer purely because it would put you in a higher position of power to care for and protect Trieux citizens.”
Cinderella thought for a moment. “That’s about right,” she admitted. “But you said that’s what you were looking for in a wife.”
Friedrich kissed the top of Cinderella’s head. “Yes, before I fell in love with you,” he said, sounding quite sheepish. “After that I grew quite stubborn about wanting to woo you rather than buying your affections.”
“And all the sweet talking of your mother?”
“I want you two to get along. You need to get along,” Friedrich said.
“Why?”
“…You’re going to marry me, right?”
“You haven’t asked.”
“I’ll get to that in a minute. I have it all planned, and it will knock your shoes off—again. So yes, you and mother must get along, and I really wanted you to express concern for Erlauf as a whole and see the need for forgiveness because…”
“Because?”
“Well,” Friedrich looked to the sky when Cinderella leaned back far enough that she could see him. “Because I’m aiming to be the Commander of the Erlauf Army, like my Father.”
“And?”
“And so, as my wife, you will be the ruling queen,” Friedrich said.
Cinderella blinked. “So I will be queen and you’ll be king.”
“No, you will be queen and I will be your consort. I will control the Army, but you will have undisputed control over the country.”
“But how can you…what?”
“The Erlauf Army needs direct supervision thanks to its size and power. I can’t be the Commander and lead the country. If Johann, my brother, showed any inclination to be the Commander, then I could just be King. But he spends most of his time making eyes at foreign dignitaries and refuses to enter the Army,” Friedrich said, sounding disgusted. “Besides, I take after my father with my sweet, quiet, personality. I am so easily frightened and cowed. Mother always told me I was born to be a consort.”
“You are without a doubt your Mother’s son,” Cinderella dryly said as she tried to adjust her mind to the idea. “Queen? And you would only be the consort? Are you sure?”
“Now you see why I wanted to be sure you loved me before I told you? Although you still haven’t said you do…”
“And you still haven’t asked me to marry you.”
“Right, let’s take care of that. This way, please,” Friedrich said, taking Cinderella’s hand and leading her to the front of the Chateau.
Friedrich’s soldiers from his regiment saw them and started hooting and whistling.
“I haven’t convinced her yet! Stop carrying on, or she’ll run the other way,” Friedrich said as they stopped at a covered wagon. He plucked a sack from the driver’s seat and led Cinderella on.
“What’s in the wagon?” Cinderella asked.
“You can just sense money, can’t you? It’s gold.”
“What for?”
“It’s the exact amount Aveyron owed Mother before you paid off the debt. It is my bribe in case you decide to say no. Sit here, on that bench. Yes, face this way, perfect,” Friedrich said, arranging Cinderella on the bench next to the hulking wild rose bush.
“Put both feet on the ground, this shoe off, please, thank you,” Friedrich said, twitching one of Cinderella’s shoes off her feet. “Stay. There,” Friedrich said, pointing to the bench before he retreated some distance.
Still within view, Friedrich attempted to smooth his clothes, which were as badly wrinkled as Cinderella’s. He tossed his crown aside, and plucked a basket out of the sack. He took a deep breath, held the basket behind his back and turned to face Cinderella.
“Duchess Cinderella Lacreux, I must confess I have fallen deeply in love with you. If you would marry me, I would be the happiest of men—but there are some things that must be stated. I am in the Army, and while you will always have my love, I cannot guarantee I will always return to you whole, or alive,” Friedrich said, briefly shutting his eye. “Also, I am the prince of a troubled country. If you marry me, I fear you will be called to show love, kindness, and compassion beyond what a normal human could extend. I am confident my country will learn to love you and cherish you as deeply as I do, but I am aware you have already made great sacrifices… and I do not want to force more on you,” Friedrich said, kneeling at Cinderella’s feet.
“I want to marry you not because you have the strength of will to save my desperate country, but because you have stolen my heart for some months now, and I want to spend every second I can in your presence. If you choose to marry me, I will treasure your love and loyalty more than the Crown jewels, and I will do my best to make you happy and to make you smile and laugh for the rest of your life. I am from Erlauf, not Trieux, and most of my worth is based on my military position rather than my royal title. It’s not what you deserve, but I ask that you would consider it, consider me. Cinderella, will you marry me?”
Friedrich’s eye shone with love, and perhaps a little fear. He was a man nearly impossible to read. The display of trust twisted Cinderella’s heart.
Cinderella smiled through the tears in her eyes. “Cristoph Friedrich, before I answer, there are some things that must be stated,” she said, smiling. “Yesterday I officially refused Julien’s suit because I realized I was in love with another man—you—and I didn’t want to marry anyone else. Also, your country ceased to bother me months ago as you have taught me to look past heritage and study a person’s heart. As for your profession, I would be proud to call a soldier—a calling of bravery and courage that I am ashamed to say I previously did not value—my husband. Finally, I will gladly make personal sacrifices if it means I can marry you.”
“So, your answer…?” Friedrich asked.
“Yes!” Cinderella laughed before throwing her arms around him.
Friedrich released the deep breath he’d been holding. “I am so glad,” he said. “I didn’t even have to use my bribe.”
Cinderella laughed.
“Mother and Johann cannot wait to meet you. I think you will get on with mother—I hope you hate Johann. He’s a brat,” Friedrich savagely said, running his fingers through Cinderella’s hair.
“And your Father?”
“You already met him. You must have impressed him considerably. He said if I bungled this, he was going to demote me.”
“When did I meet your Father?” Cinderella frowned, pulling back from the hug.
“During the ball. He was the third man to dance with you. The middle-aged military chap,” Friedrich said.
Cinderella’s eyes widened.
“How rude of me. I almost forgot,” Friedrich said before presenting Cinderella with the basket.
Inside the basket sat a glass slipper, and nestled in the shoe’s toe, a sparkling ring. “I made the basket myself,” Friedrich added, removing the ring from the shoe before sliding it over Cinderella’s finger.
On closer inspection, Cinderella gulped. The ring was a large ruby with the Erlauf insignia etched into the surface. It seemed very likely that it was a Crown Jewel.
When Cinderella looked up, Friedrich wore the same smug, smarmy smile he occasionally wore when he first started visiting her stand.
“You have been planning this for a long time, haven’t you?” she asked.
“You have no idea,” Friedrich said with his roguish grin. “About half of the concerns your market friends had for you were quite valid.”
“Come now, you are more honorable than they said you were.”
“Only just so,” Friedrich said, sliding his hand down Cinderella’s ankle before he slipped the glass slipper on her foot. “But it doesn’t matter. I have found my queen. Although… it does raise an important question.”
“Yes?”
“We have both admitted we love each other.”
“Yes?”
“And we’re engaged.”
“Yes?”
“May I finally kiss you?” Friedrich said in a tone of long suffering.
Cinderella laughed so hard Friedrich finally stood up rather than remain crouching on the ground.
“Are you done?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Then why are you still laughing?”
“No, yes!”
Friedrich blinked before he grasped what she meant. With a swoop he picked up Cinderella and set her on her feet. He slid one hand up her jawline and the other around her waist, pulling her close before he leaned over and kissed her.
Kissing Friedrich was like getting caught in a summer storm. It was beautiful and perhaps a little terrifying and overwhelming. She didn’t think she could have felt more shocked and alive if the skies opened up and dumped buckets of torrential rains on her. Cinderella felt treasured in Friedrich’s arms, pulled so tight against his chest she could feel the beat of his heart. The hair on the back of her neck prickled—as it did whenever a lightning strike was within a mile from Aveyron—and, oddly enough, she felt peace.
“Definitely worth the wait,” Cinderella pronounced, a little breathlessly, when they were finished.
“Yes,” Friedrich said, sliding an arm across Cinderella’s back. “Steel yourself; the audience will demand to know how it went.”
“How on earth did you get your soldiers to help so much with this whole thing, anyway?”
“Truthfully it was more difficult persuading them to leave you alone. My men know who I am. Naturally they were curious about you. You won them over without any help on my end—which is a good thing. It would not bode well if the Army didn’t accept you.”
“How can they accept me if they do not even know me? I have only met soldiers from your regiment.”
“Word travels fast in the Army, and no one keeps any news to themselves,” Friedrich said as he guided Cinderella out of the gardens and straight into a scene from a tavern.
The soldiers had uncovered the cargo of a second wagon—which was composed entirely of beer and mead.
“Kurt! You’re on duty!” Friedrich shouted over the happy cheers when the soldiers caught sight of Friedrich and Cinderella.
“That’s the thing, sir,” Gustav, who was standing with Kurt and a freshly poured pint. “None of us are. We’re all here off duty—we wanted to see how this would turn out.”
Friedrich blinked. “Kurt! You said General Harbach sent you—,”
“We lied,” Kurt said.
“Cheers,” Tobias, the soldier who shot the dark mage, said as he raised a tankard in the air.
Friedrich groaned. “This is some way to convince you of my administrative capabilities,” he said.
“Friedrich?”
“What?”
Cinderella giggled and leaned in. “I love you,” she said before kissing him soundly.
The soldiers roared even louder, hooting at their commanding officer and his lady love.
“What is this?” Cinderella asked, staring at the beautiful, elaborate dress hanging in her armoire. Cinderella felt a moment of panic. “Jeanne, I didn’t order any dresses to be made!” She might be engaged to a prince of Erlauf, but that did nothing to change her monetary state until they were married. She couldn’t afford such a lavish clothing item.
“It is from Colonel Friedrich, Mademoiselle,” Jeanne said, securing the drapes in Cinderella’s bedroom.
Cinderella frowned and caressed the fabric, grimacing when the tough skin of her fingers scraped the soft fabric. “What for?”
“I would assume it is for your presentation to Queen Freja this evening,” Jeanne said.
“…What?”
“The presentation?”
“No, not that. It’s…nothing,” Cinderella said, looking at the dress.
“He sent a matching jewelry set as well,” Jeanne said, indicating to a velvet box that rested on Cinderella’s bed.
Cinderella looked from the box to the dress. She caught sight of herself in the cracked mirror positioned across the room—one of the few mirrors retained in Aveyron because the fissure reduced its worth to copper pennies.
Cinderella’s reflection stared back at her. She wore Friedrich’s dragon necklace openly, sitting on the drab cloth of her servant clothes.
“Do you think he is ashamed of me?” Cinderella asked.
“It is not my place to say, Mademoiselle.”
“Jeanne, please.”
Jeanne pursed her lips. “I would find it hard to believe so, Mademoiselle. Particularly when one considers how he carries on.”
Cinderella nodded. “Thank you. Perhaps he means to protect me from his mother.”
Jeanne’s silence was heavy with dislike, and Cinderella cocked her head as she studied the dress.
“No,” Cinderella said, closing the door to her armoire.
“No, Mademoiselle?”
“No, I will not wear the dress. Queen Freja had best know who she’s letting into the family. I don’t care if I’m as out of place as a black sheep. I go in this,” Cinderella savagely said, jabbing a finger at her fractured reflection.
“As you wish, Mademoiselle,” Jeanne said. Her words were placid, but Cinderella thought she detected just a hint of pride in them.
Cinderella arrived at the palace, late, in a carriage Friedrich sent to pick her up. The footman nor the driver gave her choice of clothing so much a second glance, but the closer they drew to the Palace, the more aware Cinderella was of the declaration her plain clothes made.
She was about to meet Queen Freja, Friedrich’s mother and the ruler of the country. I don’t want to antagonize her…but I will not be made into a pretty Trieux doll that stands at Friedrich’s side. She was wrong to tax Aveyron, to tax Trieux so much. I will not pretend otherwise, Cinderella thought before she popped out of the carriage.
A butler escorted Cinderella through the palace. Cinderella’s heart pounded in her throat when the butler stopped in front of a set of doors and threw them open.
“Duchess Lacreux,” he announced, stepping aside and bowing.
The room—a parlor—was filled with low-pitched murmurings. The whispers fell silent when Cinderella stepped forward, entering the light of the fire.
Queen Freja stood, her face cold and unmoving as granite. Prince Johann was with her, covering his mouth with his jacket sleeve to hide his grin and muffle his laugh. The consort—Commander Lehn—froze in the middle of standing up.
Only Friedrich reacted as if nothing was wrong. “Cinderella, I’m glad you are finally here. I was almost ready to dispatch a squad to track you down,” he said, strolling up to her side.
“I was detained,” Cinderella said.
“What, was a cow about to calf?” Prince Johann asked.
“Johann,” Queen Freja said, her voice sharp.
Cinderella gave the younger prince her most brilliant smile. “I would be the last person my servants would call upon for such a situation, for I am rather ignorant in that area,” she said, taking Friedrich’s arm. “It seems, though, you have some knowledge of the act?”
“Lady Lacreux, how good it is to see you again,” Commander Lehn said before his son could reply, bowing when Cinderella and Friedrich approached the rest of the family.
Cinderella swallowed as she met Queen Freja’s dark eyes, preparing herself for the verbal war that was likely to commence. This was it. This was her first meeting with the loathed Queen Freja, the woman Cinderella itched to shake and yell at for years. And she was marrying this woman’s son.
“Cinderella, I apologize.”
Cinderella blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“I have wronged you,” Queen Freja said. “I singled out Trieux nobles—in particular I singled out you, to tax in order to make up for the country’s deficit. It was ignoble and unforgiveable as a monarch acquainting herself with her new subjects.”
Cinderella opened and closed her mouth, baffled beyond words.
“I have pushed you and your compatriots to the brink out of sheer spite. It pains me to admit it, but I have done a poor job of ruling Trieux. I ask that you would forgive us, forgive me,” Queen Freja said, bowing her head.
All of Cinderella’s anger, hatred, and stored words to shout were gone. As the ultimate ruler of a country, it would be difficult to tell a seventeen-year-old Trieux girl she behaved wrongly.
When Cinderella’s father accepted the rules and regulations Erlauf threw at them after the war, Cinderella thought he was afraid for their lives. But now, Cinderella understood why he reacted without hate. No matter what he left behind, Cinderella had no doubts of her Father’s heart, because of the words he spoke.
“My Father, a kind and noble man, once told me nobody wins in a war,” Cinderella said, finding her voice. “I think I finally, fully understand what he meant. Both Trieux and Erlauf have committed transgressions. I accept your apology, and I offer my forgiveness, if you will look past the pain my country has caused you, My Queen.”
Queen Freja smiled with her eyes. “I am glad Friedrich chose you,” she said, her voice low and melodic.
Friedrich and Cinderella shared a look. “I knew you would be,” he said, his voice smug as he slid an arm around Cinderella and squeezed her.
The royal family laughed.
“…you mentioned a deficit?” Cinderella asked to cover up some of her embarrassment.
“To finance the war, we took a loan from Arcainia—a large obligation we have scrambled to fulfill. All of your tax money went straight to Arcainia to pay back what we owe,” Friedrich said. “I’m sorry, Pet, but the kingdom you are about to become Princess over is in debt.”
Cinderella offered the royal family a weak smile. “If I know anything,” she said, “It is debt and deficits.”
“Cinderella, Friedrich has hogged you for entirely too long. Please, tell me about yourself. What are your likes and dislikes?” Commander Lehn said, his kind smile putting Cinderella at ease. “Besides food,” he teased.
Cinderella laughed. “Food is certainly something I deeply enjoy. I liked horseback riding, although I cannot boast of much skill in that area. Trade interests me, as do current events,” Cinderella said.
Johann raised an eyebrow. “So you are a budding scholar?” he asked. “Ouch,” he said when Friedrich kicked him in the back of the knee.
“Unfortunately not. I have an abundance of ignorance,” Cinderella sighed.
“What do you mean?” Commander Lehn asked.
“When I was a girl, I was schooled in womanly subjects,” Cinderella groused. “Arts, literature, history, dancing, and the like. I wish I had a better grasp on things like politics, economics, trade, and farming.”
“If you are truly interested in furthering your knowledge, I can arrange for a tutor,” Queen Freja said. “What?” she said when Friedrich and Johann stared at her. “She is to be my successor; the more knowledgeable she is, the better. Lord Diederick already offered to school her in financing and budgeting.”
Friedrich looked down at Cinderella and said, “Don’t we have any female tutors?”
Cinderella rolled her eyes. “Fred.”
“Friedrich told me of a conversation you had with him in which you said Trieux government was more open with information. Would you care to come for tea tomorrow and discuss the concept?” Queen Freja asked.
“I would be honored and delighted, My Queen.”
“Please, call me Freja. In several months, you will be my daughter.”
“Thank you, Freja,” Cinderella said before she caught a glance of Friedrich’s expression. “What?”
Friedrich frowned. “I hoped you two would get along, but I cannot say I wanted you to bond this well.”
Cinderella blinked.“Why not?”
“Do not listen to him, Cinderella; he is only jealous. Now that he has successfully won you over, he must actually return to his duties and stop kicking up his heels and using his men like a circus master. General Harbach looks forward to his full-time return,” Commander Lehn said, chuckling at the thought.
“I knew it. I knew you were skipping out on work. No officer has that much time on their hands,” Cinderella said.
Friedrich shifted his gaze to his parents. “When are you leaving Werra again?”
“Friedrich, don’t be silly. You are going to get married soon; we cannot leave now,” Queen Freja said.
Friedrich looked to his brother. “At least you’re leaving, right?”
“I would love to, but mother has me chained to her,” Johann dryly said.
“Blast,” Friedrich muttered.
“Think of it this way, son. We will help ease your lovely bride into her new role,” Commander Lehn said.
“Speaking of which, I would like to address this debt you mentioned. How much is it?” Cinderella asked.
“Lord Diederick has the current estimate. After dinner, we can pay a social call to his offices,” Queen Freja said.
“Wait a moment, about those female tutors,” Friedrich said, jumping into the conversation.
As Cinderella sat down with Queen Freja and Friedrich, she thought of how nice it would be to have a family again. She would be stupid to think she wouldn’t have disagreements with Queen Freja, Friedrich, or the rest of the royal Erlauf family in the future. But Cinderella was confident they would work through the arguments. After all, nobody wins in a war, but everyone triumphs in the face of love and forgiveness.