received her inheritance, wouldn’t be so bad after all. She had never been more wrong.
Once the mourning time was completed, Anna quickly sold off every servant in the home and hired a new cook who was stern and unfriendly. Anna stripped Cyn of all of her nice belongings, moved her to a room in the attic, and made her clean the house and wait on them as a servant. Cyn did the laundry, mending, along with anything else they could think of for her to do.
Cyn no longer wore beautiful gowns specially made for her, only drab working clothing. Often she sported dirt and soot on her skin and clothes due to her hard work.
She was made to put her long locks up and cover them with a kerchief so no one could see the golden color or soft tresses. Anna more than once threatened to cut her hair if she saw any of it in her presence.
Her stepmother cut Cyn from all life outside the walls of their home. When visitors came to call she was locked in her room out of view. At night she was locked away, only allowed out when Cook unlocked the door in the mornings so she may begin her chores. Cyn did as she was told, not once complaining, for that was her way.
She had no one to ask help from, for all she had known were no longer there to assist her. All the servants she loved had been sold and sent to far away places.
While alone in her room at night, Cyn would often open the window and look up at the sky. Watching the stars, she would allow herself to dream of a handsome Prince coming to her rescue, sweeping her off her feet, and taking her somewhere away from her dreary life of servitude. She dreamed of a man who would love and cherish her for the rest of her life. She knew they were childish dreams, but they were all she had that was truly hers.
The oldest stepsister, Dana, enticed a rich Duke into marrying her during her first season. Unknown to Cyn, Anna had split Cyn’s dowry and added it to Dana’s as incentive to her husband. Her other stepsister Misty, her contract of marriage took a bit longer. She was not chosen in her first season like her sister, but managed to get an unwitting Duke caught in a compromising position during her second season. This forced him into marrying her and the rest of Cyn’s dowry added helped for him to be more cooperative.
Cyn was glad to see them go. She was tired of their impulsive ways and thought her life would settle down and be easier. But Anna had other plans.
Shortly after Misty married Anna announced that she too would re-wed, now that her daughters were taken care of. Marques Hadenshire had been courting her for a couple of years knowing she wished for her daughters’ security to come first. It was also profitable for him, for he did not have to add his own wealth to their dowries.
Cyn was ecstatic. She was sure that Anna would allow her to have her house back and leave her be. All she wanted was her childhood home. She cared little for riches. But Cyn’s fate was not to be that kind.
Anna sold Cyn’s childhood home, stating that she no longer wanted any reminders of her horrible time in the country, and then sold Cyn to the Palace as a servant. She told Cyn that since she was not her blood, she had no obligations to her future. Anna also threatened Cyn not to tell a soul who she really was. Anna explained how no one would believe her for soon after her father died she’d spread the rumor that Cynderella had run away in grief over her father. The rumor also included that Cyderella had taken to selling her body to survive and was killed by a drunken drifter.
The girl known as Cynderella Jamison, daughter to the Count of Venshire, had been dead for over five years and her reputation in ruins.
Cyn was devastated. Once more, the life she knew had been destroyed. She had nothing left but the nickname that her father called her and her memories. Anna had even changed her last name when Cyn was sold off. Her dreams were lost and her heart ached with sadness. But Cyn was a Jamison. Not wanting to shame her father’s memory, even if no one knew who she really was, she held her head high, refusing to let her emotions show, saving the tears for when she was alone.
With one final glace at her home, Cyn was transported to the Palace the next day.
Anna wasted no time in wiping her hands free of extra responsibility. Cyn was given a small room with two other servant girls. One was a cook and the other a maid, both near her age. They became friends and helped Cyn learn her way around the Palace.
Her duties were fairly simple. Cyn was to clean the many bedrooms and prepare them for guests. She had free reign of the Palace with the exception of the East Wing where the Royal family lived. She was also to act as a maid to those Ladies who had none traveling with them. Cyn easily settled into the stable life, content with her duties, finding it was much easier than waiting upon her ever demanding stepmother and stepsisters.
Many nights Cyn snuck up to the roof of one of the towers. It was her favorite place to retreat from everyone and everything. A place where she could forget who she was and what her life had become. From there she could see out across the vast kingdom and get a clear view of the sky. Her dreams from childhood past were revived in this place.
Often she’d lie on her back and gaze up at the darkened sky, thinking of finding her love. This man would sweep her from the life of servitude she’d grown into and pamper her with kisses and caresses. The man would be handsome and loving. His body would ignite her blood with every look and touch. She would be the center of his world, protecting her from the evil that roamed the world.
While thoughts of how her man would worship her body, Cyn would reach a hand under her skirts and touch where moisture gathered in her curls. She would imagine that her fingers were his as they caressed between her folds. That it was him slipping his fingers into her heated core letting it soak them with her wetness. She would moan as she brought herself to climax, and only then would her fantasy world fade and reality invaded again.
Late one night Cyn sat on the rooftop and looked up at the cloudless star filled sky. Music from below floated up to her ears. There was a celebration that evening, for the Prince had returned home after being gone for some time. She’d prepared all the guest rooms earlier and with no other duties needed of her, she was free for the rest of the evening.
Suddenly, a bright star shot across the sky before heading right for her. Cyn gasped in surprise and stood quickly. Her mind demanded that she run but her feet were frozen where she stood. She watched fearful as the star slowed and stopped in front of her. With mouth open in shock, Cyn watched the light brighten before materializing into a beautiful young woman. Cyn yelped and stumbled back in fear, her feet finally moving freely.
“Hello Cynderella,” the woman said smilingly.
“How…how do you know my name? Who are you?”
“I’m Lena, your fairy godmother,” she answered in a sweet melodious voice.
“My what?” Cyn asked confused. She thought about pinching herself to make sure she wasn’t in some wild dream. “Ow!” she cried out when the woman reached out and gave her arm a pinch.
“You’re not dreaming, my dear. I’m here to give you your heart’s desire for one night.”
Cyn looked at the woman thinking this woman was clearly mad. She was dressed so strangely, unlike anything Cyn had ever seen before. Her skirt was way too short, going down only mid-thigh. Her top bared the woman’s stomach and there were no sleeves, only thin straps holding her shirt on. Even those of ill repute didn’t wear such scandalous clothing. Then there were the strange piercings in various places on her body. How awkward it must be to have a piercing in the bottom of her lip. Her hair was bright blonde with streaks of pink. Her face was painted with such dark colors.
Thick black lining surrounded her eyes and dark, blood red paint smeared her lips.
“Come on, dearie. We haven’t all night. Time is running out.” A wand suddenly appeared in Lena’s hand and she waved it in the air.
“Oh my…” Cyn gasped when she suddenly found herself standing in a strange room instead of the rooftop. She turned in awe and knew she’d never been in this room before. She wasn’t even sure she was still in the Palace. The furniture was made of dark wood with a royal blue spread and drapes. From the looks of it, the room belonged to a man.
“What are we doing here? Whose room is this? Are we still in the Palace?” Cyn asked, feeling uncomfortable. She knew that she should be very scared of this woman but found that as frightening as she looked, Cyn did not fear her.
“You are so full of questions tonight.” Lena sighed. “Listen up, because I’m only going through this once. Someone up there likes you and has heard your wishes. You have been granted this one night of pleasure. You are not to ask anything of the man you will meet but his name. Under no circumstances are you to tell him more than your name. You will have until sunrise to spend with him and do as you desire. Do you understand?”
Cyn was still shocked with all that had happened but managed to nod her head, her eyes still trying to absorb
