Cursed Beauty (A Fairy Retelling #1) (7 page)

Merelyn stood there, smiling at her. “Good morning, Adelaide. Ready to learn proper cutting techniques?”

Adelaide sighed, disappointed it was not Prince Julian on her doorstep, after all. She was, however, very grateful to see her new friend. “You have impeccable timing. I’ve just started making breakfast. I’m going to be in trouble, though, if anyone wants something more to eat than boiled eggs.”

When Celeste and Thalia finally awoke, breakfast was ready, thanks to Merelyn’s help. Adelaide took her breakfast in the kitchen, and continued talking with her friend.

“So did you honor the prince’s request and meet him at the ball last night?” Merelyn finally asked.

Adelaide nodded. “I did.”

“How was it?” her friend asked.

Adelaide desperately wanted to tell Merelyn all about the ball, the glass slippers and the fairy godmother. She had never had a girlfriend to share her secrets with before, and she longed to talk about the strange night with her friend. She wasn’t sure, though, what Merelyn’s reaction might be to the story of the fairy godmother, and the use of magic. She still wasn’t sure what she thought of the whole thing herself. She trusted Merelyn, though, who had already proved herself to be a good friend.

“If I show you something, will you promise to keep an open mind?” she asked. Merelyn nodded. Adelaide walked to her room. When she returned, the glass slippers were in her hands.

Merelyn stared at the shoes while Adelaide finally told her the entire story of the fairy godmother, the glass slippers and the ball.

“Are they really magic?” Merelyn asked in a voice just above a whisper.

“Yes, quite.”

Merelyn’s fingers hovered above the glass slippers. “May I?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Wondrous,” Merelyn said, her fingers lingering on the glass shoes.

“The fairy godmother said I should go to the ball again tonight. Then, I can apologize to Prince Julian, and she thinks, fall in love. The problem though, is how to talk to him. When I put the shoes on, he didn’t recognize me at all.”

“Does it really change you so much?”

Adelaide stood, and slipped her feet inside smooth glass shoes. The change was instant. Her hair loosened into soft curls about her shoulders. Callouses from two days of household labor disappeared and left hands that were soft and white. She knew her birthmark had disappeared as well.

“Amazing,” Merelyn whispered. She couldn’t stop gazing at Adelaide’s face. “May I?” she asked, her hand hovering just above Adelaide’s cheek. Adelaide nodded. Gently, Merelyn touched Adelaide’s face where her birthmark had been.

“Now you see why I can’t exactly show up looking like this, and then tell Prince Julian who I am. He will think I’m mad.” Adelaide removed the slippers, and felt her body return to normal. “What a shame I can’t stay like this forever.” 

“What do you mean? I don’t think it’s a shame at all. The change is stunning, but it’s not real. You told me yourself that Prince Julian called you beautiful, and spent the night tending you at your bedside. That was for you, not some glamorized copy of you.”

Adelaide stared hard at the glass slippers, sitting in her hands. Merelyn was right. The shoes were amazing, but they were a lie. And what would she do once the night of the third ball ended? She couldn’t very well keep wearing the glass slippers all the time. Though she might like the change, it wasn’t really her, and it certainly wasn’t something she could continue indefinitely.

Adelaide had an idea. “Would you like to wear them tonight and go to the ball in my stead?” she asked her friend.

Merelyn’s eyes widened. “What you said is right,” Adelaide continued, “I want to speak to the prince as myself, not someone he won’t recognize. But, I can’t exactly enter the ball myself. Even my finest gown would have me sticking out like a sore thumb. Celeste made it clear that she doesn’t want me there. However, if I had a friend who could blend in perfectly, and could use my invitation to the ball to get a message to the prince, and would let him know that I was waiting right outside the castle, that might solve everything.”

Adelaide’s eyes gleamed with excitement, and not just a little bit of mischief. Merelyn did not seem convinced. “Do you really think that would work?” she asked.

“Well, probably not,” Adelaide conceded. “But at least we can give it a try. The worst that can happen is that you spend a fabulous evening dancing with handsome men, wearing an extravagant gown and eating delicious food.”

“Do you think the slippers’ magic will work for me, too?” Merelyn asked.

Adelaide held the shoes out to her friend. “There’s only one way to find out.”

Merelyn smiled hesitantly, stepped out of her work boots, paused briefly for a moment, and then placed her feet into the glass slippers.  Just as with Adelaide, the change began with a pulsating light, and ended with a bright flash as Merelyn’s appearance completely changed.

Long, blond hair cascaded down Merelyn’s back in glossy waves.  Her work dress was gone and in its place was a long, red ball gown dotted with sparkling bits of glass.  She looked amazing, but still very much like herself.  Unlike Adelaide’s face, hers had no marks or scars to disappear.  Adelaide thought wistfully how nice it would be to know that it was possible to be beautiful without the help of the magical, glass slippers.

Merelyn gasped.  “This is incredible.  I’ve never been dressed like this before.”  She turned her head to take in the full view of the dress.  “Do you think the Elder Prince will notice me?”

“How could he not? You’re stunning. He’ll be asking you to dance the moment he sees you.”

Merelyn’s face beamed. “I hope so. I’ve always dreamed of meeting Prince Leon. I can’t believe this is really happening. Adelaide, are you sure this is what you want to do?”

“Yes,” Adelaide answered assuredly.  “I think this plan is best.”

Footsteps clicked through the hallway, towards the kitchen.  “Quick, it won’t do to have you looking like that if someone comes in,” Adelaide warned.

Merelyn slipped off the shoes, and was instantly restored to her normal self.  She handed the glass slippers to Adelaide just as Celeste, opened the kitchen door.  Celeste stopped still, one hand holding the door open, the other raised and pointing a long, trembling finger at the glass slippers in Adelaide’s hand.

Bursting into the kitchen she towered over the two girls. “I thought I recognized those eyes, but I couldn’t let myself believe that it was truly you. Stupid, thoughtless girl! Do you know what happens to young girls who get mixed up in magic?”

Adelaide, too startled to speak, shook her head.

“Heartbreak! Ruin! That’s what happens for you, and for everyone you love. Stupid, careless imbecile!” Celeste snatched the shoes out of Adelaide’s hands.

“Those were a gift!” Adelaide protested.

Celeste raised a hand, and slapped Adelaide across her birthmarked face. “You have no idea what these are,” Celeste said. She turned and stormed out of the kitchen.

“I’m so sorry,” Merelyn whispered, her hands shaking. “If you hadn’t shown them to me, this wouldn’t have happened. It’s all my fault.”

“Nonsense,” Adelaide said, holding her hand to her cheek. “She likely would have found them anyway. I think Celeste is more interested in keeping me away from the ball than keeping me safe from magic.”

Adelaide hoped her friend wouldn’t notice how her voice trembled when she said that. She didn’t want to admit how shaken she was by Celeste’s outburst. “Besides,” Adelaide said, “it doesn’t matter what she says. You’re going to that ball tonight. With the glass slippers.”

“How?” Merelyn asked. “She’s probably hiding them away right now.”

“I’m not quite sure how, yet, but I’m not willing to give up quite that easily.”

Adelaide spent the rest of the day searching for a way to steal into her stepmother’s bedroom. She was certain that was where Celeste had hidden away the glass slippers. It was the only room in the house that was locked. Celeste did not keep herself hidden, though, and Adelaide found her constantly hovering near, barking orders for something to be cleaned or washed every few minutes.

As evening drew nearer, Adelaide worried that she might not be able to find a way into Celeste’s room after all. She considered the possibility that Celeste would wear the glass slippers herself, or give them to Thalia. After all, Thalia was supposed to be on the hunt for a suitable suitor to wed. What better way could she find for catching a man, than wearing magical slippers that would make her irresistibly beautiful?

Just before sundown, Thalia called Adelaide into her room to help her dress. “This will be perfect for tonight,” Thalia remarked. “Help me with the buttons in the back, Adelaide, and hand me my shawl. There’s a chill in the air. I want my fire warmed and ready for when I return home.”

Adelaide rolled her eyes. The air had just begun to bear the crispness of the coming autumn. A thick comforter would be plenty to keep Thalia warm. A fire would be overkill, but taking the time to start one would be preferable to an argument.

Adelaide returned a few minutes later with some wood, and regarded the fireplace with new eyes. It was large. Adelaide had swept it out earlier that day, and was able to stand up completely inside it. She wondered if the width of the fireplace continued all the way to the top. As she placed the firewood in the hearth, she looked up. She could see the darkening sky, and though it seemed that there might be some narrowing as the chimney grew, she was certain she could fit through it.

Adelaide smiled. Celeste’s room held an identical fireplace as well.

CHAPTER 7

The idea of breaking her neck was not appealing. Adelaide needed to find some way to get on top of the roof and climb down twenty feet of chimney without becoming stuck or falling and breaking a bone.

Once again, Celeste made no mention of Adelaide accompanying them to the ball. Adelaide watched both of them carefully as they prepared to leave. It did not seem that Celeste planned to take the glass slippers with her. Neither she nor Thalia were wearing them, and her bedroom door remained locked.

The carriage pulled away from the manor, and Adelaide continued her search for a piece of rope long enough to help her climb down the chimney. Finding nothing helpful inside the house, she continued her search outside. She passed the morning’s laundry still hanging from a clothesline in the yard, and stopped. It was at least 30 feet long. Adelaide did some quick calculations. The rope would probably be short. She’d have to drop the last few feet onto the hard, stone hearth.

Is this really worth it? Are you really doing all of this just to apologize?
She had to admit, this whole plan was ludicrous, just to give an apology.
Why is this so important to me?

The conversation she had with Prince Julian the previous night ran through her head. She analyzed each sentence, and recalled how he spoke about her. She could not get over the fact that he stayed with her the night her father died. That alone kept drawing her in, causing her to question why he would care so much.

Because he did care. About her. She didn’t understand why, or how, but he cared for her, and that meant something.
Do I feel the same?
The familiar tingles that danced up her spine when he spoke to her yesterday made their way up her back again as she thought of him.
If I’m willing to risk my life, I suppose that’s a good indication that I do.

A floodgate of confusing feelings opened. She’d kept her heart guarded for so long, allowing few to get close, so that no one could hurt her. When she opened her heart to the idea of caring for Prince Julian, feelings of fear, panic and uncertainty mixed with excitement, wonder and elation.

Adelaide untied the rope from the clothesline, coiled it into loops, and threw it over her shoulder ready to try the impossible.

Gaining access to the roof proved easier than finding the rope. The dormer window in Thalia’s bedroom would allow her to get onto the roof fairly easily, as long as she didn’t tumble off and fall to her death. The pitch of the roof wasn’t too steep, but Adelaide doubted that she would be able to catch herself if she faltered.

Holding the top of the window frame for balance, Adelaide took one step out onto the wooden shingled roof. Her foot slipped, and Adelaide clutched the window, holding herself still. Shoes would be too slippery. Bare feet might prove to be better. She quickly removed both shoes, kicked them inside Thalia’s room, and hoped she wouldn’t get too many splinters before the night was over.

Slowly, she tried the process again and took one cautious step onto the roof, holding tightly to the top of the dormer. Her toes grabbed the wood shingles. She climbed as high as she could while holding onto the dormer. There would be nothing but tiled roof to hold on to as she made a final scurry up to the top of roof. Adelaide took a deep breath in, and scrambled for the top.

It was easier than she expected. Her toes and fingers found purchase, and she was able to climb up in only a few seconds. When she reached the top, Adelaide sat for a moment and calculated her next steps. Whatever she decided to do, there was no going back the way she came. The pitch of the roof would make a climb back down nearly impossible. She knew with all certainty that she’d fall. She’d simply have to go down the chimney, or sit there until someone rescued her.