The Wronged Princess - Book I (29 page)

Pricilla gasped.

Cinderella winced.

Could
Essie possibly stop there
?
Non
. 
She had to grab Cinderella's foot and lift it in the air
, u
nceremoniously
. 
And w
ithout a single care for Cinderella's lack of acrobatic
flexibility
. 

Essie pressed the toe of the shoe indicating
,
just how much space
lay
between her toe and the end of the shoe
. 
Heat flooded her face when Essie's whole palm flattened it.

"Let her try mine, Cill," Essie said gently, dropping her hold on Cinderella's foot
. 
It clapped to the floor.

Cinderella watched the emotions play across each of
her
sisters faces
,
not daring to intrude
. 
Something else was obviously at
play
here.

Pricilla nodded, sending Essie off to the wardrobe
. 
Cinderella gave Pricilla a small smile
. 
Pricilla's thoughtful and unnerving focus
did not escape Cinderella
. 
’
Twas
a
s
blatant as a comic
searing
across a clear night sky.

*****

"
Buongiorno,
signorinas.
”

Never in the world of all saints would Prince have guessed
he
possessed the petty demeanor of…of jealousy
. 
H
e
clenched a fist at his side
wanted nothing more than to smash
a
noble fist in
to
Alessandro's regal and perfect nose
. 
P
articularly
so,
when he
took
Cinderella's gloved hand
and offered her
into the open conveyance
. 
Even Estella could not seem to hide
a
fierce scowl.

Prince eyed
Estellarina
curiously
. 
Could it be she suffered the same complaint as he
?
How
curious
. 
Pasting on a bland smile he
stepped
forward
. 
"Good morning, Pricilla," he said, taking her arm just as Alessandro had latched onto Cinderella's
. 
Rather than receiving the innocent blush he'd expected, Pricilla handed him an air of something more insightful
. 
More sagacious.

"Sir," she murmured
. 
Oh, her tone was respectful enough but he sensed a guarded perception
. 

The thought unnerved him
,
and he struggled not to throw his arms up in frustration
. 
Had he lost all his ability to charm, he wanted to growl
. 
He was Prince Charming,
for the sake of heaven
.
Surely some
one considered his charms
still
preeminent
?
His gift to enthrall
?
His capacity to captivate throughout this region
?

A flurr
y of twinkling sparks radiated
round, catching him unawares
. 
His quick glance up had his gaze locked into Cinderella's warm eyes
. 
Time and voices faded
. 
If he never found his mysterious princess…

Prince shook his head breaking the odd connection
. 
He had to find her
. 
He shot Emeranda another glance
and found her
attention
fastened on Alessandro and Cinderella
. 
Mayhap the sparks kindling the air were from
her
eyes
?

Non
. 
No
waves of wind
breezed
the air
. 
It was more a wave of heat, he decided
. 
Very unseasonable.

A slow smile tilted his lips
. 
Mayhap, Euthralla was his key.

*****

Cinderella spent the next hour amid gray clouds threatening an outbreak and unusual heat stream, touring another section of the gardens
with her sisters
. 
Their carriage ride ventured northeast
,
not
so
far from their visit
to
the lake the day before
. 
The driver steered the carriage down a
rockier
path
. 
The grass was less manicured
,
and the graveled road
,
sheltered by tress that did not seem to grow according to the normal majestic standards
of
uniform precision.

Other carriages dwellers followed
. 
They stopped
along the way
,
allowing patrons to disembark
,
to wander the many meandering walking trails
. 
Prince and Alessandro had been waylaid by other guests
. 
Frankly, Cinderella relished the reprieve
. 
She spied them on their horses toward the front of the queue.

She and her stepsisters had chosen to walk for a bit
. 
The bright varied foliage of hibiscus, crocus, sage and edelweiss filled the air with a fragrance that could not be described
. 
This particular path hosted the largest pond Cinderella had yet seen
. 
The Virgin Goddess of Hestia molded in fine detail,
held Cinderella’s enthralled attention
. 
A
wed by the drapes of
the goddess’s
w
raps
,
s
he could not tear her eyes away.

"What has you so fascinated by this figure,
Cinde
?” Essie asked
. 
"Not just this one, I suppose, but they
seem to
all capture your attention in a way like I have never seen.
”
She waved her hand to indicate the wide area of the gardens
. 
Two smaller ponds with Demeter, the natural goddess of the Harvest and Hermes, the cunning god of the Trade could be seen within walking distance.

"Well," she said slowly
. 
"I suppose
’tis
not what I see, but what I feel that takes me back to a time when my papá would pull me in his lap and regale
me with
stories of their mythical nature
. 
He would lay my head to his shoulder.
”
She smiled softly remembering
. 
“When he read his chest would vibrate deep with laughter, and enlighten me as to their
wild
antics."

"Who is this
?
And why does she hold a tree in her hand?" Pricilla asked
. 

Cinderella cocked her head to
ward Pricilla
. 
Her
gaze
was
riveted on the
goddess
Hestia, her curiosity genuine, not at all mocking
. 
Cinderella
supposed she might
someday
cease worrying of the
ir
ridicule
. 
She
turned and
considered the statue in question for a moment.

"This figure represents Hestia,” she started
. 
She turned
once more
to Essie and Pricilla
. 
“The eldest daughter of Cronus and Rhea.
”
Cinderella paused at their blank expressions and smiled
. 
"Well, that's neither here nor there
. 
But Hestia personified the "fire hat.
”
It burned in the hearth of every home.”
Cinderella
adopted similar
theatrics
her papa had implored
to capture her own attention as a child when he’d spun his tales
. 
Theatrics that
threatened
send her into fits of giggles
, she bit them back, yet unable to hold back a grin
. 
“The hearth fire was only allowed to be extinguished by ritual."

Small
,
sweet laughs emerged from Essie and Pricilla.

Cinderella turned her gaze
back
onto the stone structure that looked golden even in the gray of the day
. 
"She was worshiped in every temple and loved because of her kind, forgiving soul."

"Forgiving soul?
”
Pricilla whispered softly looking at the figure, her awe apparent.

"
Oui
. 
She never participated in any war or disputes."

Pricilla spun on the path to face Cinderella, taking her by surprise
. 
She grasped her hand
. 
"I hope you will someday find it in your heart to forgive us…me…" she said
. 
Pricilla looked at Essie
. 
"I have been a frightful sister, I vow.
”
She turned once more to Cinderella
. 
"And stepsister
. 
I am profoundly sorry.
”
Pricilla dropped her hand and stepped back.

Shock rendered
Cinderella
speechless, before tears of gratitude
gathered
at this unexpected apology
. 
She shook her head
. 
"You have no need to apologize, Pricilla
. 
This past fortnight has more than made up for our differences
. 
Someday, you may find it is I who
sha
ll be asking for your forgiveness."

"Do
n’
t be ridiculous,
Cinde
. 
You are by far the Hestia between the three of us," Essie scolded
. 

"Oh,
oui
, bashful and always portrayed as sitting
. 
The perfect portrait," Cinderella muttered under her breath with self-disgust
. 
Unaccustomed sarcasm rang through, but she found she was quite unable to conceal it.

“What god do you suppose I might represent,
Cinde
?” The question from Pricilla surprised her, as did the arm slipping through her own.

“Well,” Cinderella hedged, “at the risk of offending your
delicate
sensibilities, Pricilla
. 
Mayhap, you remind me of Zeus
. 
He was the ruler of all mankind
. 
A leader, if you will.”

“Ah,
oui
. 
I believe I may count that as a compliment,” Pricilla smiled softly, her eyes still on Hestia.

“Of the highest kind, I assure you.
”
She meant it too.

"Enough of this somber moodiness,” Essie said brightly, darting to the open carriage
. 
“Let us be on our way
. 
I believe there is an archery event scheduled to begin in less than an hour
. 
I, for one, intend placing my wager on Pricilla
. 
She is a crack shot
. 
The other carriages are moving out."

*****

Prince stood at the perimeter of the west lawn, a casual observer in the afternoon's entertainments
. 
He had yet to locate the three young women he’d grown accustomed to searching out
. 
Their carriage had not yet returned from the garden outing
. 
He and Alessandro had made their way back long before the others
.