When Prince Sharman woke, he was cuddling Cinderella's glass slipper. His cheek was squashed against the shoe's shiny surface. As soon as he saw the slipper in his hand, his finger lovingly stroked the sole.
“Ah, Cinderella...” A dreamy sigh sailed through Sharman's lips. “The most beautiful woman in the world. Oh, how I wish you were here.”
Sharman rolled on his back and snuggled the glass slipper. His heart thumped wildly as he pressed the shoe against his chest.
“I wonder where you are,” the prince quietly mused. “Are you thinking about me right now? Do you long to kiss my lips as much as I long to kiss yours? I can't wait until you're my wife. Mine to treasure. Mine to hold.”
Sunlight poured into Sharman's extravagant bedchamber. When the light hit Cinderella's slipper, Sharman swore it was glowing.
“This is an angel's shoe,” he whispered, “and it was once on an angel's foot...”
Sharman's lips puckered as he leaned toward the slipper. He pressed his mouth against the glass, kissing the shoe that once held his lady love's foot.
A knock on the door interrupted the tender moment. Sharman didn't want anyone to know he slept with his fiance's slipper, so he slid it under his pillow, sat up, fluffed his hair, and yelled, “You may enter!”
When the door opened, he was staring into the dull eyes of a bored knight. “Hello, Your Highness,” the knight apathetically greeted him. “I come with news.”
“News? What news?” Sharman asked as he dragged a hand through his voluminous brown hair. The prince loved his hair, and so did most ladies. His cherubic curls were constantly complimented.
“The Duke of Chesterford has just arrived, Your Highness,” the knight reported. “Should I take him to your sister?”
“Yes. Go ahead. But don't let him kiss her yet! I want to be there for that!” Prince Sharman leapt from bed, exposing his fuzzy pink pajamas to the visiting knight.
“Uhh.” The knight pursed his lips. The prince's odd pajamas brought him dangerously close to laughter. “I, uh... should I let him know you're on your way?”
“Sure. Why not?” As Sharman shuffled through the clothes in his wardrobe, he could hear the knight snickering behind him. “And do not laugh at my pajamas, sir! When I moved to the Winter Palace, I forgot to pack my own, and I had to wear my sister's.”
“S-sorry, Your Highness.” The knight bowed as he retreated from the room. “Have a lovely day.”
“Have a lovely day,” Sharman mockingly repeated as he hopped into his breeches. “I won't be having any lovely days until my sister wakes and Cinderella arrives!”
Sharman missed his sister nearly as much as he missed his fiance. A little over a week ago, just after the prince's ball, Princess Rose was cursed by a witch. Since then, Sharman's beloved sister was stuck in a deep slumber, and only a kiss from her soulmate would break the spell.
Of course, Sharman had no idea who his sister's soulmate could possibly be, so he started inviting princes, dukes and earls to the Winter Palace. Next, he would invite barons and baronets. If none of their kisses woke her, he would resort to peasants' lips. Cinderella was a commoner, of course, but he preferred a noble husband for his sister. Princess Rose deserved nothing less than a life of opulence and comfort.
When he was dressed, Sharman headed to the bedroom where his sister was sleeping. The Duke of Chesterford was already there, twiddling his thumbs as he hovered at the princess' bedside.
“Lord Chesterford!” Sharman greeted him with a smile. “It's lovely to see you again! How have you been?”
“Well enough.” Lord Chesterford laid a hand over his heart as he expressed his condolences. “I'm truly sorry about your sister, Your Highness. Witches' curses are a terrible, terrible thing. I once knew a man who was transformed into a beast, and he was stuck in that shape for many, many years.”
“I hate witches,” Sharman hissed.
“Something must be done about them, Your Highness!” the duke exclaimed. “We cannot let them run amok, casting curses on unsuspecting people. It isn't right!”
“And something will be done,” Sharman quietly assured him. “Someone must be punished for placing this curse on my beautiful sister.” His lips slipped into a pout as he studied the serene face of Princess Rose. “Well, go ahead and kiss her. I don't have high hopes, to be honest, but... you never know.”
Frowning at the prince's remark, Lord Chesterford slid closer to the slumbering princess. His head descended slowly, and when his lips brushed hers, he sighed contentedly.
The duke's tiny kiss was ineffective. Rose was as motionless as ever.
“Well... you failed,” noted a sighing Prince Sharman. “That's a shame. Like I said, I didn't have the highest of hopes.”
“Do you want me to try again? Maybe I didn't kiss her long enough, or maybe I--”
“Nope.” Sharman seized the duke's sleeve and pushed him to the door. “One kiss is good enough. Don't try to beg for another!”
As the duke stumbled out of the room, Sharman slammed the door behind him. With a heavy sigh, he returned to his sister's side.
“I wonder what you would think, Rose, if you knew all these strange men were kissing you?” Prince Sharman's pout returned as he swept a lock of hair from Rose's forehead. “I bet you'd hate it, wouldn't you? My poor sister.”
Soon after the duke's departure, there was a rapid knock on the door. With a grunt, Sharman dragged himself across the room and greeted his visitor. It was the same listless knight who chuckled at Sharman's pink pajamas.
“You again. What is it this time?” the prince grumbled.
“I, uh... I'm afraid I have some bad news, Your Highness.”
“Alright.” Sharman rubbed his pounding temples and prepared himself for the worst. “Spit it out, then.”
“W-well...” The knight hesitated, but only for a moment, because the prince was impatiently rolling his eyes. “Cinderella's been abducted, sir.”