Page 5 of Ashes and Glass (Cursed Kingdoms)

Cinders

I knelt on the cold stone floor of the kitchen, scrubbing furiously at a particularly stubborn stain on the flagstones. Lady Belladonna had declared it looked like the shadow of a flame and therefore must be eliminated immediately. The irony wasn't lost on me as I worked my raw fingers against the unyielding surface, knowing that real flames danced beneath my skin, waiting for the moment I could release them.

Three days had passed since my encounter with Niobe in the Evergreen. Three days of harboring secrets that burned far hotter than any hearth fire. Three days of practicing small, controlled bursts of flame in the privacy of the servants' quarters when no one was watching. Though I could now conjure fire at will, maintaining it required concentration I couldn't always spare while attending to my endless chores.

The back door creaked open, allowing a gust of autumn air to sweep through the kitchen. I didn't bother looking up, assuming it was just another delivery of vegetables from the garden or perhaps the butcher's boy with meat for tonight's dinner.

"You missed a spot," came a voice I rarely heard in the kitchen.

My head snapped up to find Narcissa standing in the doorway, her amber eyes studying me with an expression I couldn't quite decipher. Unlike her usual elaborate gowns, she wore a simple day dress of burnt sienna that complemented her chestnut hair, which fell in loose waves around her shoulders instead of being pinned in her mother's preferred style.

"My apologies, Miss Narcissa," I muttered, immediately returning to my scrubbing. "I'll be more thorough."

She stepped closer, her silk slippers making barely a sound on the rough stone floor. "That's not why I came."

I paused, confused by her uncharacteristic appearance in my domain. Narcissa typically avoided the kitchen and servants' areas entirely, preferring to summon me with a bell when she required attention.

"Then how may I serve you?" I asked cautiously.

She glanced toward the doorway, then back at me, lowering her voice. "I'm not here to be served. I'm here because... because I thought you should have this."

From within the folds of her dress, she withdrew an envelope of thick cream parchment sealed with royal blue wax. My heart stuttered as I recognized the emblem pressed into the seal—the crest of Rivendale's royal family. With trembling fingers, I accepted the offering, careful not to smudge the immaculate paper with my work-worn hands.

"What is this?" I whispered, though I suspected the answer already.

"An invitation to Prince Marius's grand ball," Narcissa replied, her voice barely audible. "Three nights from now. He's seeking a bride, and every eligible maiden in the kingdom is invited—regardless of station."

I stared at her, searching for the mockery, the cruel joke that must lie behind this unexpected act. "Why would you give this to me?"

A flush crept across her cheeks. "Mother received our family's invitation this morning. She... she specifically instructed the messenger to state that you were excluded from the invitation. I heard her tell him to inform the palace that you're merely a servant with no place at court."

The revelation stung, though it wasn't surprising. Lady Belladonna had spent years ensuring I remained invisible, my royal heritage buried beneath soot and servitude. What did surprise me was Narcissa's apparent defiance of her mother's wishes.

"This still doesn't explain why you're giving it to me," I pressed.

Narcissa's gaze dropped to the floor. "Perhaps I'm tired of the games my mother plays." A moment of vulnerability crossed her features before the familiar mask of aristocratic indifference slipped back into place. "Or perhaps I simply wish to see the look on her face when her unfashionable, ash-covered stepdaughter attempts to mingle with nobility."

Before I could respond, she turned on her heel and strode toward the door. "I was never here," she called over her shoulder. "And you never received that invitation. Do we understand each other?"

I nodded, still clutching the envelope like a talisman. When Narcissa disappeared from view, I broke the seal with reverent care, unfolding the parchment to reveal elegant script announcing Prince Marius's intention to find a bride at the forthcoming ball. All eligible maidens were indeed invited to attend, with the royal decree overriding any restrictions of class or station for this singular occasion.

A bride for Prince Marius . The thought stirred something unexpected within me—a longing that had nothing to do with escape from my circumstances and everything to do with the rumors I'd heard of the prince's kindness and fairness. Stories spoke of his wisdom beyond his years, his respect for all people regardless of their birth. What would it be like to meet such a man, to be seen as more than a servant girl covered in cinders?

But these were foolish dreams. Even with an invitation, I had neither gown nor carriage, and Lady Belladonna would never permit my attendance. I carefully folded the invitation and tucked it beneath my thin mattress in the servants' quarters, determined to at least preserve this small acknowledgment of my rightful place in society.

That night, as the household slept, Flame materialized beside my cot, his fiery form casting the small room in a warm glow.

"You're troubled," the phoenix observed, settling on the crude wooden stool beside my bed.

I explained about the invitation, showing him the elegant parchment with its royal seal. "It's a kind gesture from Narcissa, but ultimately pointless. I have no means to attend."

Flame's eyes gleamed with an inner light. "Perhaps that is not entirely true. The Evergreen has been whispering of this ball for days now. Niobe believes your attendance is crucial."

"Crucial? For what purpose?"

"That remains unclear, even to her. But the threads of destiny are drawing tight, Cinders. Your path and that of Prince Marius may be more intertwined than you realize."

Hope flickered within me like a tentative flame. "Even if I wished to go, I have nothing suitable to wear, no way to travel there, and Lady Belladonna would recognize me instantly."

Flame's feathers rippled with amber light. "These concerns can be addressed. Meet me at the edge of the Evergreen tomorrow at dusk. Niobe and I will provide what you need."

For the first time in years, I allowed myself to imagine an evening of freedom—of dancing and laughter, of being seen as the person I truly was rather than the servant I'd been forced to become. The image was so tantalizing it almost hurt to contemplate.

"I'll be there," I promised, my heart squeezing in my chest.

Securing time away from the house proved surprisingly simple. Lady Belladonna and my stepsisters spent the entire following day in a frenzy of preparation for the ball, ordering new gowns, summoning hairdressers, and debating which jewels would most impress the prince. In the chaos, my absence to "gather special herbs for Lady Belladonna's bath" went unquestioned.

The forest welcomed me with a familiar embrace as I slipped between the ancient trees, following the path that had become second nature in recent weeks. The dying light of day filtered through the canopy in golden shafts, and the usual forest sounds—rustling leaves, chattering squirrels, distant birdcalls—seemed somehow more animated, as if the very woods shared my secret excitement.

I found Niobe and Flame waiting in a small clearing I hadn't visited before. The fairy's ethereal form seemed more substantial than usual, her green hair swaying with a life of its own as she gestured toward a natural archway formed by two intertwining trees.

"The forest has been preparing for this night," she greeted me, her melodious voice carrying on the evening breeze. "Come, Cinders. It's time to reclaim a piece of your heritage."

I followed her through the archway into a hidden grotto unlike any I'd seen in the Evergreen before. Moonflowers bloomed prematurely along the edges of a perfectly circular clearing, their luminescent petals unfurling in the dimming light. At the center stood a dress form fashioned from living vines, upon which hung the most magnificent gown I had ever beheld.

The fabric shimmered like liquid fire—vibrant crimson at its heart, fading to burnished gold at the edges, with subtle patterns that shifted and danced in the fading daylight. The bodice was adorned with tiny crystals that caught the light like captured stars, while the full skirt moved gently in the breeze as if alive.

"It's beautiful," I breathed, afraid to touch it lest it dissolve beneath my fingers.

"The dress is woven from ember silk, spun by fire sprites that dwell in the deepest heart of the Evergreen," Niobe explained. "It responds to your magic, Cinders. When you dance, it will shimmer with your inner flame—subtly enough that none will suspect magic, yet magnificently enough to capture all eyes."

Woodland creatures I hadn't noticed before emerged from the underbrush—rabbits with knowing eyes, foxes with unusually dexterous paws, birds that carried ribbons and combs in their beaks. They gathered around me, chittering excitedly.

"They wish to help you prepare," Niobe translated, amusement dancing in her emerald eyes. "The Evergreen offers its assistance in all things this night."

As the creatures helped me don the magnificent gown, Flame perched on a nearby branch, instructing me in the spell that would conceal my identity.

"It is not a true glamour," the phoenix cautioned. "Those who know you well might still recognize you if they look closely. But it will blur the edges of memory, making connections difficult to form. When people look at you, they'll see what they expect to see—a noblewoman they don't quite recall meeting before."

I practiced the incantation carefully, feeling the subtle magic settle around me like a veil. It wasn't powerful enough to completely disguise me but combined with my transformation from ash-covered servant to elegantly attired lady, it would likely suffice.

As twilight deepened into true evening, Niobe approached with a small wooden box cradled in her palms. "There is one final element necessary for your attendance at the ball," she said, her voice taking on a reverent quality. "These belonged to your mother, Queen Aurelia. She entrusted them to me before her death, knowing that one day you would need them."

She opened the box to reveal a pair of slippers unlike any I had ever seen. They appeared to be fashioned from pure crystal or perhaps glass, catching and fracturing light into rainbow prisms. Yet when Niobe lifted one from its velvet nest, it moved with the flexibility of the finest leather.

"Glass slippers," I whispered, recognition dawning from childhood stories my mother had told me of our family's heirlooms.

"Not mere glass," Niobe corrected. "These are forged from tears of the Evergreen itself, collected over a millennium and crystallized with your mother's most powerful protective magic. They will shield you from certain harms and guide your steps with grace. But I must warn you—such ancient artifacts carry their own will and purpose. They may behave unpredictably, especially when their magic resonates with your own."

I accepted the slippers with trembling hands, feeling a familiar warmth emanate from them—the same comforting sensation I remembered from my mother's embrace. As I slipped them onto my feet, they adjusted perfectly to my size, cool against my skin yet somehow radiating a gentle heat.

"There is one more piece of advice I must give," Niobe said solemnly. "The spell that conceals your identity will weaken as midnight approaches and fade completely when the clock strikes twelve. You must leave the ball before then if you wish to maintain your secret."

A sudden rustle at the edge of the clearing drew our attention. To my astonishment, Narcissa stepped into the moonlight, her eyes wide with wonder and apprehension. She wore a simple cloak over her day dress, clearly having followed me from the manor.

"I knew you were hiding something," she said, her voice lacking its usual haughty tone. "But this... this is beyond anything I imagined."

Flame fluttered protectively to my shoulder, his feathers flaring with defensive heat. I raised a hand to calm him, studying my stepsister's face for signs of the betrayal to come. Instead, I found something entirely unexpected—admiration mingled with what appeared to be genuine regret.

"You won't tell your mother?" I asked cautiously.

Narcissa stepped closer, her gaze traveling over my transformed appearance. "No. I've spent years watching her diminish you, pretending I didn't know exactly who you really are—the daughter of Queen Aurelia and King Edmund, rightful heir to Elaria." She swallowed hard. "I've participated in that cruelty because it was easier than opposing her."

Her honesty startled me. "Why help me now?"

"Because I've always been in awe of you," she admitted, the words seeming to surprise her as much as me. "Not of your circumstances, obviously. But of your resilience. Your ability to remain humble and the kindness you show to all—even Mother. She took everything from you, yet she never broke your spirit."

From the shadows beyond Narcissa, another figure emerged—smaller, hesitant. Ursula lingered at the clearing's edge, her wide blue eyes taking in the scene with evident conflict.

"Ursula followed me," Narcissa explained, noticing my alarm. "She won't betray us either... will you, sister?"

Ursula shook her head without speaking, though she remained half-hidden behind a tree, clearly uncomfortable with this defiance of their mother yet unwilling to stop it.

Narcissa turned back to me. "The royal carriage will pass by the lane beyond the north garden in half an hour. I can help you slip out unseen and reach it in time." She offered a tentative smile. "Consider it a small repayment for years of cruelty."

I studied her face, searching for deception and finding none. This was a side of Narcissa I'd never seen—a glimpse of the person she might have been without Lady Belladonna's poisonous influence. It made me wonder how much of her cruelty had been genuine and how much had been performance for her mother's benefit.

"Thank you," I said simply.

As we prepared to leave the clearing, Flame whispered a final warning in my ear. "Remember, the magic of the slippers is ancient and unpredictable. Be cautious and return before midnight."

I nodded, gathering the shimmering skirts of my gown. The weight of the glass slippers was surprisingly light upon my feet, and with each step, I felt more of my true self emerging from years of enforced servitude. Tonight, I would not be Cinders, the ash-covered servant. Tonight, I would be Princess Cynthia Everwood, daughter of Queen Aurelia and King Edmund, claiming—if only for a few precious hours—the life that should have been mine all along.

With Narcissa guiding me through the twilit forest and Ursula following silently behind, I began my journey to the ball, unaware that this night would change the course of not only my destiny, but that of the entire kingdom.