The Prince hadn’t meant to snoop. In fact, he’d never done anything of the sort, outside of sneaking cookies from the palace kitchen as a child. And occasionally, as a man. But here he was in the chateau of complete strangers, wandering down the halls and pondering if he’d ever find his true love. As real as she was the night before, now she seemed like nothing more than a wonderful dream he’d awoken from far too soon.
He berated himself for the hundredth time for not asking for her hand last night. Or at least where she was from. If you’d even thought to ask her name you wouldn’t be aimlessly searching the kingdom now, he thought with a furrowed brow. But he hadn’t done any of those things. Muted by her beauty, charm, and grace, they’d spent the entire ball dancing and talking of everything else that he thought was so important. They spoke of her father, whom she’d loved more than anyone in the world, his mother, who he missed dearly, their likes, their dislikes, their dreams, their hopes, the way they saw the world and what they hoped the world could be. And it all had been so wonderful…at least until they’d heard the untimely chime of midnight from the grand clock.
He remembered the maiden looked startled at first, but she quickly regained her senses and took off in a run. She mumbled apologies back to him as she fled, and he for his part kept up behind her well enough. That is, until he reached the ballroom and was swarmed by other women and men, desperate to make a good impression on their future monarch. By the time he was able to weed through the crowd and reach the steps of the palace, he’d caught a final glance of her blue gown stepping inside her round, pearly carriage before the four regal horses sped her away into the night. His heart sank as he watched her go, and his knees nearly buckled beneath him. But as he resigned to return to the ball, brokenhearted and inconsolable, he caught sight of something that excited within him a glimmer of hope. A single slipper, made of purest glass shimmered on the staircase. He knew it belonged to her, he had seen them as a matching set upon her feet. And, picking it up, he began to form a plan.
He’d sought out his best friend and closest companion since childhood, the grand duke’s son and recruited him for his mission. He would travel the throughout the kingdom the following day, trying the slipper on the foot of every maiden who’d attended the ball. Surely the memory of her face, plus the slipper as confirmation, would be enough to find the love of his life again. And while the grand duke’s son agreed to help him, he stipulated one thing. That he should lead the search, accompanied by several knights for regal company, and that the prince should come in disguise.
“Every girl will claim she’s the one,” the duke’s son explained. “once they see you on their doorsteps. Let me try the slipper on the ladies, keep your face hidden and stay close to the knights. That way you can still see the maidens and we can find the real girl of your dreams.”
The Prince agreed this was probably best. And sure enough, the next morning when the royal entourage rode out, His Majesty rode near the back, with a long cloak of blue concealing the royal crest on his coat and a hood that shadowed his chestnut curls and striking blue eyes.
They’d visited countless homes, tried the slipper on too many girls to count. None of them fit the glass. And the Prince wasn’t surprised when they didn’t. He’d seen all of their faces, and though some had the same color hair, eyes, or the same shape as his love, he knew none of them were her.
And neither were the two maidens in the chateau he was at now. A fact he was indeed grateful for. Both were fair of face, but certainly spoiled, loud, and vile of heart. The first had snatched the slipper from the duke’s son so quickly it nearly fell from her hand and broke. He couldn’t bear to watch the spectacle, so he nodded to the duke’s son and sadly retired, intending to tend to the horses while he waited for another announcement of failure. But this chateau was so large, he’d easily gotten turned around, and so he walked down this hall and that, hoping to find a way out.
Before he could try another hall, a strange noise coming from the corridor right of him caught his attention. Of course it is wrong to go through another’s home, he thought. Of course it is not becoming to snoop. But still….if he wasn’t mistaken, the strange noise sounded like it was made by a person and he felt uneasy.
So he turned and followed the growing noise. Yes, he was sure it was a person, a girl’s voice. Though he could hear no words. Not until he drew closer and found himself near an open arch, leading to room near the back of the chateau. The Prince crept closer and peered silently into the next room, and nearly gasped from shock.
An older, matronly woman stood staunchly behind a young maiden, tying a dirty cloth around the poor girl’s mouth as she struggled. The girl’s wrists were bound behind her and the back of the chair she was sat in with brown rope. Her ankles were tied the same way under her faded blue and torn dress.
“Be still you wretch!” The woman commanded, knotting the cloth behind her golden, frizzy curls. Still, she struggled and tried to speak, though her muffled cries were hardly audible behind the gag. She stared back at the woman with full, brown eyes and pulled at her bonds while the woman snickered and walked to stand in front of her.
“Since you’re so very fond of fairytales, I shall tell you one as my parting gift to you my dear. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful woman, who married for love. She had two beautiful daughters, and lived happily for a time, until her husband died leaving her and her girls destitute and alone. The second time she married, she married for comfort, to a man with a simpering girl child, who’s hair was golden like the sun and eyes brown as amber. He too, perished. So the woman, in an attempt to make a life for herself and her children, kept up his manor by cutting costs. She dismissed the servants and the cook and delegated their duties to his young daughter, in an effort to teach her some humility and decency. Yet somehow, the girl grew lovelier as the days turned to years, and her sunny disposition did not change. How sickening. And then, one day, the Prince of their kingdom decided to give a ball to celebrate his return after a long journey. It was well known that His Majesty would be looking for a bride at this celebration, so the woman jumped at the chance to present her daughters before royalty. But, what the woman didn’t know, was that her dear stepdaughter planned to exact her revenge that night, and spoil any chances the woman and her daughters may have at happiness.”
“Mmmmph!! Mmmpph mmmmph mmmph!” the girl shook her head and pulled at her bonds frantically. But the woman sneered at her.
“Oh yes! She hatched her own plot! She used witchcraft to gain a dress, shoes, a carriage and all and snuck herself into the ball! She danced all night with the prince, and somehow managed to ensnare his heart. She came home with all the intention of leaving again, running right back into his open arms. Into his lovely palace and world of servants, balls, and glory. But little did she know, her stepmother had discovered her dirty little secret.”
The woman turned and grasped an item from the table behind her and held in front of the girls face. The girl and Prince’s eyes grew wide as they looked upon the second glass slipper.
“Mmmhmm, mmhm shmmph,” she cried. The woman laughed and glared at her.
“I don’t know how you managed to get this. Nor how you pulled off this elaborate scheme. But it doesn’t matter now. Now my dear, I’m sure you’re eager to know just how this story ends. Well, the Prince searched the kingdom for his fair maiden, and finally he reached the home where she lived. He tried the slipper on both the girls, but of course the shoe did not fit either. But that was okay. Because their mother had the other slipper. And that alone would be a piece of evidence even the Prince could not ignore. He took the mother and her daughter’s back to her palace, and after getting to know the girls better, soon he forgot all about the witch that had entranced him and took one of the girls as his wife. The other was taken by the grand duke’s son, gaining the second highest position in the kingdom. And the girls and their mother lived the rest of their days in riches and comfort. Happily ever after.”
“And as for the young witch,” she said, pinching the girls cheek much too hard. “The woman left her in her father’s chateau. She bound her to a chair to prevent her from using her spells against them, and time passed slowly. She sat alone, with no voice to cry for help, and she died alone. Perhaps she starved to death. Perhaps the town drunks found her and had their way with her. Or perhaps a fire, left by hot coals in the hearth, started and burned her and her sunny, sugary sweet face up. That is still a mystery.
“Mmmmph!!” she screamed, though even that was muffled to nearly nothing by the gag. Tears streamed down her face as she begged for her freedom. The Prince could feel his blood boiling, but stayed silent and continued to listen, fearful any harm should come to the girl.
The woman listen to her muffled pleas in silence for a moment before taking a handful of the girls hair and bringing her dirty, lovely face close to hers.
“You really love him, don’t you?” she asked.
The girl nodded, still crying. “Plmmmph. Lmmm mmmph gmmmph.”
The woman snickered and pulled tigher at the girl’s hair, making her whimper in pain.
“You see Cinderella, that’s the sweetest part of all. Not only will you die here, tied up and all alone. But even better, you’ll never get a chance to tell the Prince you love him. He’ll die thinking you never loved him, but used him for a night of pleasure and ran away. You’ll never see him again. And soon enough, he’ll release he never could’ve loved a dirty, scullery maid like you anyway.”
The woman tossed the girls head to the side and stalked away with sick, cruel smile plastered on her face. The girl gave way to her sobs and stopped struggling. The Prince had just enough time to duck behind a corner in the hall, but he watched as the woman shut the double doors that led to their kitchen and locked them with her set of iron keys. She sauntered away with no notice he was there.
But the Prince was enraged and angry tears threatened to spill from his own eyes. He’d read about witches that were cruel and unfeeling, but never believed he’d meet one in real life. Soon the anger he felt mingled into worry. The girl he loved was only a few feet away, tied up and locked in a room he knew he’d never be able to break into. Worse still, she believed it was possible he didn’t care for her. He knew he couldn’t love her more if tried and his heart hurt just knowing she was hurting.
At that moment he raced back down the halls the way he came, taking care to stay quiet. But more determined then ever.
“Have faith Ella,” he thought, while concocting a new plan. “I love you, and I swear on my life I’ll rescue you.”
TBC
Cinderella TUG (F/F) and (MM/FFF)
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RaeGray4477
- Forum Contributer
- Posts: 28
- Joined: 4 years ago
Cinderella TUG (F/F) and (MM/FFF)
Last edited by RaeGray4477 4 years ago, edited 2 times in total.
Very neat, actually reminds me of a Cinderella retelling I made lol. I Hope you add to it soon.
only a small recommendation, put a space between your paragraphs makes it a little easier to read.
only a small recommendation, put a space between your paragraphs makes it a little easier to read.
A really good read, very detailed, and well written. I look forward to more 
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RaeGray4477
- Forum Contributer
- Posts: 28
- Joined: 4 years ago
As quickly as he’d gotten lost in the halls of Cinderella’s chateau was a fast as he was able to find his way back the great room, where the duke’s son was trying his best to pry the glass slipper off the foot of the second stepsister. She was berating him the entire time, calling him names that earned a few choice looks from the surrounding knights in their company. Their mother, wicked woman that she was, stood beside her other daughter, who sulked, probably due to her failure to fit the slipper as well. The Prince did all he could to avoid looking as her, for he felt he might rip her pieces if saw her smirk again.
At last, the duke’s son removed the slipper, and quietly stepped away from the cursing girl. He glanced at the Prince with a look of pure exasperation before he returned his gaze to the young maiden.
“Well,” he started and cleared he throat. “It appears the maiden we’re in search of is not located here. Unless there are any other maidens that live in this chateau that may have attended the ball?”
The girl’s mother stepped forward.
“No, my lord. Only my daughters and I live here, since the untimely death of my husband. But, I believe I may have something that would interest you-“
The Prince coughed, hard and loud enough to cut the woman’s sentence short. The duke’s son turned, with a confused look. The Prince made sure to keep his face shadowed, but meet his friends gaze with one of urgency and gestured to a window. The duke’s son understood at once and turned back to the mother.
“Excuse me madam, I shall return presently. Our accomplice, I’m afraid, shows some signs, um…show’s some signs of uhh…the plague!” he said, and guided the Prince out of the room hurriedly. When the knights turn to follow, he held one hand up and signaled for them to remain as he was sure his friend meant to speak to him alone.
Once the two were outside, they walked a ways past their horses and stopped near the barns. The Prince, certain they were far enough away to avoid being heard, tossed his hood off his head and shook his curls out before giving his best friend a questioning look.
“The plague? Truly that was the best excuse you could come up with?”
The duke’s son shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “It worked didn’t it? Everyone fears the mere mention of plague, I knew it would give us an excuse to leave.”
The Prince ignored his friend’s statement and quickly told him all he’d seen in the chateau. Within moments, the lad’s face turned from a smile to a look of sheer rage. When the Prince finished his tale, his friend gripped his sword, sheathed by his side and stared vengefully at the chateau.
“Vile witch!” he spat. “How could anyone treat another human so horribly? And say such awful things?”
“It’s beyond my understanding for sure,” the Prince muttered.
“Well we certainly can’t let her get away with this!” the boy said, marching back toward the chateau. “She’s bound to go as white as a ghost once she sees you’re here and reveal what you know to her. I’ll demand her keys and have the knights place her and her wretched daughters under arrest.”
The Prince reached out and pulled the boy back, gently. “No”
“What?”
“That would be too easy,” the Prince said, calmly. “My father taught me never to do anything out of anger. And that vengeance has no place among royalty.”
He glared up at the chateau and pictured his dear Ella, bound, gagged and utterly miserable. “But I want her to pay. For what she’s done to Ella. Not just today, but for everyday before that she’s suffered in silence. And I think I’ve got a good idea how we can make that happen.”
The duke’s son paused, thinking the suggestion over, and finally nodded in agreement and turned to face the Prince. His Majesty smirked and pulled his hood back over his head before stepping towards the barn doors.
“Do you recall an old prank we played on the royal guards when we were children?” the Prince asked, eyeing the wooden lock on the barn doors mischievously. The memory of the incident made the duke’s son’s eyes light up as he stepped forward to stand next to the Prince.
“I do recall,” he said, smiling again, “that two rather naughty boys thought it might be funny to give the guards a little scare by the barn animals. I also recall that they got into quite a bit of trouble. But of course, they’re both very much men now. And if they were to say, repeat, such a trick there would be no one around to reprimand them.”
The two boys laughed and swiftly set their plan into motion.
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When the boys entered the grand hall of the chateau again, they could hardly contain their laughter at the sight of the chaos around them. Chickens ran in an out of every room, their feet covered in dirt and mud that they tracked along the halls. Two huge dogs knocked over vases, flowers, and small tables all the while barking playfully as they chased each other. Mice littered the floor, sending the sisters screaming in different directions as the knights looked around, confused as to what was going on. Hogs squealed as they raced around and more knights raced behind them in an attempt to calm the scene. Two especially large geese cornered the lady of the manor, and as she attempted to shoo them off they nibbled and pecked at her hands violently.
Poor knights, the Prince thought. He would certainly make it all up to them when they returned to the palace, but for now, he needed the chaos to continue. He needed the woman and her daughters distracted so he could get the keys and save Ella.
Luckily for him, in the midst of trying to tame the geese, the keys had fallen right out of the woman’s pocket and onto the rug below. The Prince swiftly ran forward and swiped them up before running down the hall with the duke’s son pursuing behind him.
“Which way do we go?” he asked as he caught up to the Prince.
“Follow me!” he called and led his friend down the same path of hallways and corridors he’d previously been lost in. Within moments the two stood in front of the grand double doors. The Prince quickly found the correct keys and pushed the doors open.
There Ella sat, in much the same condition he’d left her in. Though now, her sobs had quieted and she sat very still. The duke’s son gasped at the sight of her, and immediately he felt so sorry for the girl, he could’ve killed the stepmother right then and there. The Prince, equally as mortified, slowly approached her, not wanting to startle her. He knelt beside the chair and attempted to see her face, which hung low in defeat. Her eyes were shut, but the tears still fell. He felt as though his heart were breaking.
With one hand he reached up and gently brushed the side of her cheek, wanting to comfort her. She opened her eyes, afraid at first by the touch, but once she saw who the hand belonged to, her eyes grew wide and she tried to move toward him.
“Mmmph!! Mmmph!!”
“Oh Ella!” the Prince wrapped his arms around her and held her close, unwilling to let her go and he felt her tears upon his chest.
“It’s alright, love. You’re safe now, I promise,” he said softly.
“I’ll have you freed in a moment miss,” the duke’s son said, working at the rope binding her hands.
The Prince slowly pulled himself away just enough to slide one hand under the gag and pull it down. He took the cloth from her mouth and she coughed and breathed heavily. Shortly, the duke’s son had her hands freed and the rope fell to the ground. He moved to work on her ankles when the girl finally looked at the Prince and mustered a small smile. His heart leapt at the sight of it.
“Are you alright?” he asked. Ella nodded.
“She didn’t hurt you?” he asked. Ella shook her head, and quickly her smile turned to a look of disbelief.
“How…..what are you…..I don’t understand?” she muttered breathlessly.
There were a million things the Prince wanted to say to his true love. Yet what came out instead was this:
“Once upon a time, there was a young prince. His mother died when he was quite young, and his father, though he loved the lad, was so consumed with the kingdom and his grief that he had very little time left for the boy. The boy did have the company of the grand duke’s son,” he glanced at his friend and gave him a smile, “and for that he was truly grateful. But still, he couldn’t help but feel lonely. So to chase that loneliness away, he tried traveling the world. Years passed this way, and while the world is a wonderful, beautiful big place, the prince still felt as though something were missing. So when he returned home, he threw a beautiful ball, in hopes he might find the answer to that something missing. And he did. For who else would attend that ball then the most beautiful, graceful, and kindest girl he’d ever met. She had a true magic about her, for she made his heart soar and he knew the moment he danced with her all that had been missing from his life. And for the first time, his heart ached no more.”
The Prince held both of Ella’s hands in his. “Ella, I love you more than any dream I’ve ever had of what could be. I want nothing more than to see you smile and to protect you from the wickedness in this kingdom and the next. I’ve searched everywhere for you since last night, and I confess, I probably never would’ve stopped searching if I hadn’t found you now. Will you be mine Ella?”
Ella smiled and brushed her hand against his cheek. It was only then that he released he’d been crying as well, though for how long he had no idea. But the girl hugged him close and sat curled up in his lap on the cold ground while nodding yes. Certainly, he thought, I’ll never let her go.
When they finally did let go and stood together, the duke’s son bowed to both and smiled.
“I’m so sorry sir,” Ella said, stepping towards him. “I was so shaken up I didn’t think to thank you for coming to my aid as well.”
The duke’s son stayed bowed. “My princess, think nothing of it. I am servant to the Prince and now to you, for what I hope will be a wonderfully long reign full of happiness for you both.”
The Prince shook his head. “You’ve never been my servant. You’ve always been my friend. My best friend.”
The duke’s son rose and his smile turned mischievous. “Then as your friend, your Majesty, I have a suggestion for how we tie up the loose ends around here.”
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“You won’t get away with this! You savage-mmmph!” The duke’s son shoved a cloth into the lady of the manor’s mouth and tied a rag around her head roughly to secure it in place.
“Actually, madam, I believe we will. No one’s likely to go against the word of His Majesty or myself,” he said. She screamed muffled curses at the boy as he smirked at both her and her similarly tied daughters. The knights were able to subdue the animals, while the Prince and the duke’s son took pleasure in trussing up the ladies of the chateau. They found spare rope in the kitchen and tied the ladies hands and ankles as well as wrapped their torsos so they’d be sure to be trapped. Stuffing and cloth gags finished the job and the Prince took pleasure in watching them squirm and writhe on the stone ground.
“Now, to be proper about this,” the Prince said, silencing them for a moment. “I should tell you just what you’ve been charged with. Madame, and charges, you three are hereby placed under arrest for the kidnapping and abuse of Princess Ella. I sentence the three of you to remain here in the same deplorable state you kept Ella in for the night.”
“Mmmmph!! Mmmphh! Mmmhm mmmmmph ggmmpph mmmph!!” The ladies grumbled and pleaded into their gags, but the Prince continued.
“I should let the three of you remain here, resigned to the same fate you would have left for Ella,” he said, squeezing her hand assuredly. “But I am not the monster you are. Therefore, I shall send knights here tomorrow to untie the lot of you and bring you to palace dungeons to carry out the remainder of your sentence. In the meantime, enjoy what’s left of your chateau.”
“And take comfort in it,” the duke’s son’s added. “I hear the rats in the dungeons are bigger then the palace cats.”
“MMMMPPH!! MMMPH!!” the sisters screamed and squirmed desperately, mmphing pleas to the men to release them. Cinderella’s stepmother squirmed angrily and shouted furious, muffled curses at the three as they left and the Prince shut the double doors behind them. He locked them using the same iron keys and laughed with the duke’s son.
“You know very well we keep our dungeons clean of rats,” the Prince said. The duke’s son shrugged his shoulders.
“Certainly I can find one of two to scare them with. I’ll have plenty of time, knowing how long they’ll be locked up for,” he said.
The three exited the chateau to a party of knights, waiting with the two remaining horses. Ella glanced back at her home while the duke’s son mounted his horse.
“Should we really leave them like that overnight?” she asked. The Prince nodded and held her hand.
“They would’ve left you Ella. They deserve everything that’s coming to them.”
“I know that,” she agreed. “Still, I can’t help but feel sorry for them.”
The duke’s son laughed and leaned forward on his horse. “That may be the only fault you have Princess Ella. Your kindness is simply unmatched.
Ella laughed and followed the Prince back to his horse.
“You promise we’ll return tomorrow for the animals?” she asked as he helped her mount his steed.
“Of course,” he assured her.”
“Good. I shouldn’t be able to live in peace knowing I left these poor things to starve to death.”
“Never fear Ella, the palace stables are plenty big enough to house them all. Chickens, pigs, cows, dogs and more. And your horse will have a place next to mine. You should ride him whenever you like.”
She smiled at him and kissed his cheek once, earning a warm blush as the party set off for the palace. Ella looked back once more on her childhood home then turned to face the future at the palace, hand over her the prince that rescued her and loved her like no other.
At last, the duke’s son removed the slipper, and quietly stepped away from the cursing girl. He glanced at the Prince with a look of pure exasperation before he returned his gaze to the young maiden.
“Well,” he started and cleared he throat. “It appears the maiden we’re in search of is not located here. Unless there are any other maidens that live in this chateau that may have attended the ball?”
The girl’s mother stepped forward.
“No, my lord. Only my daughters and I live here, since the untimely death of my husband. But, I believe I may have something that would interest you-“
The Prince coughed, hard and loud enough to cut the woman’s sentence short. The duke’s son turned, with a confused look. The Prince made sure to keep his face shadowed, but meet his friends gaze with one of urgency and gestured to a window. The duke’s son understood at once and turned back to the mother.
“Excuse me madam, I shall return presently. Our accomplice, I’m afraid, shows some signs, um…show’s some signs of uhh…the plague!” he said, and guided the Prince out of the room hurriedly. When the knights turn to follow, he held one hand up and signaled for them to remain as he was sure his friend meant to speak to him alone.
Once the two were outside, they walked a ways past their horses and stopped near the barns. The Prince, certain they were far enough away to avoid being heard, tossed his hood off his head and shook his curls out before giving his best friend a questioning look.
“The plague? Truly that was the best excuse you could come up with?”
The duke’s son shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “It worked didn’t it? Everyone fears the mere mention of plague, I knew it would give us an excuse to leave.”
The Prince ignored his friend’s statement and quickly told him all he’d seen in the chateau. Within moments, the lad’s face turned from a smile to a look of sheer rage. When the Prince finished his tale, his friend gripped his sword, sheathed by his side and stared vengefully at the chateau.
“Vile witch!” he spat. “How could anyone treat another human so horribly? And say such awful things?”
“It’s beyond my understanding for sure,” the Prince muttered.
“Well we certainly can’t let her get away with this!” the boy said, marching back toward the chateau. “She’s bound to go as white as a ghost once she sees you’re here and reveal what you know to her. I’ll demand her keys and have the knights place her and her wretched daughters under arrest.”
The Prince reached out and pulled the boy back, gently. “No”
“What?”
“That would be too easy,” the Prince said, calmly. “My father taught me never to do anything out of anger. And that vengeance has no place among royalty.”
He glared up at the chateau and pictured his dear Ella, bound, gagged and utterly miserable. “But I want her to pay. For what she’s done to Ella. Not just today, but for everyday before that she’s suffered in silence. And I think I’ve got a good idea how we can make that happen.”
The duke’s son paused, thinking the suggestion over, and finally nodded in agreement and turned to face the Prince. His Majesty smirked and pulled his hood back over his head before stepping towards the barn doors.
“Do you recall an old prank we played on the royal guards when we were children?” the Prince asked, eyeing the wooden lock on the barn doors mischievously. The memory of the incident made the duke’s son’s eyes light up as he stepped forward to stand next to the Prince.
“I do recall,” he said, smiling again, “that two rather naughty boys thought it might be funny to give the guards a little scare by the barn animals. I also recall that they got into quite a bit of trouble. But of course, they’re both very much men now. And if they were to say, repeat, such a trick there would be no one around to reprimand them.”
The two boys laughed and swiftly set their plan into motion.
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When the boys entered the grand hall of the chateau again, they could hardly contain their laughter at the sight of the chaos around them. Chickens ran in an out of every room, their feet covered in dirt and mud that they tracked along the halls. Two huge dogs knocked over vases, flowers, and small tables all the while barking playfully as they chased each other. Mice littered the floor, sending the sisters screaming in different directions as the knights looked around, confused as to what was going on. Hogs squealed as they raced around and more knights raced behind them in an attempt to calm the scene. Two especially large geese cornered the lady of the manor, and as she attempted to shoo them off they nibbled and pecked at her hands violently.
Poor knights, the Prince thought. He would certainly make it all up to them when they returned to the palace, but for now, he needed the chaos to continue. He needed the woman and her daughters distracted so he could get the keys and save Ella.
Luckily for him, in the midst of trying to tame the geese, the keys had fallen right out of the woman’s pocket and onto the rug below. The Prince swiftly ran forward and swiped them up before running down the hall with the duke’s son pursuing behind him.
“Which way do we go?” he asked as he caught up to the Prince.
“Follow me!” he called and led his friend down the same path of hallways and corridors he’d previously been lost in. Within moments the two stood in front of the grand double doors. The Prince quickly found the correct keys and pushed the doors open.
There Ella sat, in much the same condition he’d left her in. Though now, her sobs had quieted and she sat very still. The duke’s son gasped at the sight of her, and immediately he felt so sorry for the girl, he could’ve killed the stepmother right then and there. The Prince, equally as mortified, slowly approached her, not wanting to startle her. He knelt beside the chair and attempted to see her face, which hung low in defeat. Her eyes were shut, but the tears still fell. He felt as though his heart were breaking.
With one hand he reached up and gently brushed the side of her cheek, wanting to comfort her. She opened her eyes, afraid at first by the touch, but once she saw who the hand belonged to, her eyes grew wide and she tried to move toward him.
“Mmmph!! Mmmph!!”
“Oh Ella!” the Prince wrapped his arms around her and held her close, unwilling to let her go and he felt her tears upon his chest.
“It’s alright, love. You’re safe now, I promise,” he said softly.
“I’ll have you freed in a moment miss,” the duke’s son said, working at the rope binding her hands.
The Prince slowly pulled himself away just enough to slide one hand under the gag and pull it down. He took the cloth from her mouth and she coughed and breathed heavily. Shortly, the duke’s son had her hands freed and the rope fell to the ground. He moved to work on her ankles when the girl finally looked at the Prince and mustered a small smile. His heart leapt at the sight of it.
“Are you alright?” he asked. Ella nodded.
“She didn’t hurt you?” he asked. Ella shook her head, and quickly her smile turned to a look of disbelief.
“How…..what are you…..I don’t understand?” she muttered breathlessly.
There were a million things the Prince wanted to say to his true love. Yet what came out instead was this:
“Once upon a time, there was a young prince. His mother died when he was quite young, and his father, though he loved the lad, was so consumed with the kingdom and his grief that he had very little time left for the boy. The boy did have the company of the grand duke’s son,” he glanced at his friend and gave him a smile, “and for that he was truly grateful. But still, he couldn’t help but feel lonely. So to chase that loneliness away, he tried traveling the world. Years passed this way, and while the world is a wonderful, beautiful big place, the prince still felt as though something were missing. So when he returned home, he threw a beautiful ball, in hopes he might find the answer to that something missing. And he did. For who else would attend that ball then the most beautiful, graceful, and kindest girl he’d ever met. She had a true magic about her, for she made his heart soar and he knew the moment he danced with her all that had been missing from his life. And for the first time, his heart ached no more.”
The Prince held both of Ella’s hands in his. “Ella, I love you more than any dream I’ve ever had of what could be. I want nothing more than to see you smile and to protect you from the wickedness in this kingdom and the next. I’ve searched everywhere for you since last night, and I confess, I probably never would’ve stopped searching if I hadn’t found you now. Will you be mine Ella?”
Ella smiled and brushed her hand against his cheek. It was only then that he released he’d been crying as well, though for how long he had no idea. But the girl hugged him close and sat curled up in his lap on the cold ground while nodding yes. Certainly, he thought, I’ll never let her go.
When they finally did let go and stood together, the duke’s son bowed to both and smiled.
“I’m so sorry sir,” Ella said, stepping towards him. “I was so shaken up I didn’t think to thank you for coming to my aid as well.”
The duke’s son stayed bowed. “My princess, think nothing of it. I am servant to the Prince and now to you, for what I hope will be a wonderfully long reign full of happiness for you both.”
The Prince shook his head. “You’ve never been my servant. You’ve always been my friend. My best friend.”
The duke’s son rose and his smile turned mischievous. “Then as your friend, your Majesty, I have a suggestion for how we tie up the loose ends around here.”
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“You won’t get away with this! You savage-mmmph!” The duke’s son shoved a cloth into the lady of the manor’s mouth and tied a rag around her head roughly to secure it in place.
“Actually, madam, I believe we will. No one’s likely to go against the word of His Majesty or myself,” he said. She screamed muffled curses at the boy as he smirked at both her and her similarly tied daughters. The knights were able to subdue the animals, while the Prince and the duke’s son took pleasure in trussing up the ladies of the chateau. They found spare rope in the kitchen and tied the ladies hands and ankles as well as wrapped their torsos so they’d be sure to be trapped. Stuffing and cloth gags finished the job and the Prince took pleasure in watching them squirm and writhe on the stone ground.
“Now, to be proper about this,” the Prince said, silencing them for a moment. “I should tell you just what you’ve been charged with. Madame, and charges, you three are hereby placed under arrest for the kidnapping and abuse of Princess Ella. I sentence the three of you to remain here in the same deplorable state you kept Ella in for the night.”
“Mmmmph!! Mmmphh! Mmmhm mmmmmph ggmmpph mmmph!!” The ladies grumbled and pleaded into their gags, but the Prince continued.
“I should let the three of you remain here, resigned to the same fate you would have left for Ella,” he said, squeezing her hand assuredly. “But I am not the monster you are. Therefore, I shall send knights here tomorrow to untie the lot of you and bring you to palace dungeons to carry out the remainder of your sentence. In the meantime, enjoy what’s left of your chateau.”
“And take comfort in it,” the duke’s son’s added. “I hear the rats in the dungeons are bigger then the palace cats.”
“MMMMPPH!! MMMPH!!” the sisters screamed and squirmed desperately, mmphing pleas to the men to release them. Cinderella’s stepmother squirmed angrily and shouted furious, muffled curses at the three as they left and the Prince shut the double doors behind them. He locked them using the same iron keys and laughed with the duke’s son.
“You know very well we keep our dungeons clean of rats,” the Prince said. The duke’s son shrugged his shoulders.
“Certainly I can find one of two to scare them with. I’ll have plenty of time, knowing how long they’ll be locked up for,” he said.
The three exited the chateau to a party of knights, waiting with the two remaining horses. Ella glanced back at her home while the duke’s son mounted his horse.
“Should we really leave them like that overnight?” she asked. The Prince nodded and held her hand.
“They would’ve left you Ella. They deserve everything that’s coming to them.”
“I know that,” she agreed. “Still, I can’t help but feel sorry for them.”
The duke’s son laughed and leaned forward on his horse. “That may be the only fault you have Princess Ella. Your kindness is simply unmatched.
Ella laughed and followed the Prince back to his horse.
“You promise we’ll return tomorrow for the animals?” she asked as he helped her mount his steed.
“Of course,” he assured her.”
“Good. I shouldn’t be able to live in peace knowing I left these poor things to starve to death.”
“Never fear Ella, the palace stables are plenty big enough to house them all. Chickens, pigs, cows, dogs and more. And your horse will have a place next to mine. You should ride him whenever you like.”
She smiled at him and kissed his cheek once, earning a warm blush as the party set off for the palace. Ella looked back once more on her childhood home then turned to face the future at the palace, hand over her the prince that rescued her and loved her like no other.
Very nice story indeed. got a small hint of Disney with the elaborate farm animal distraction.
A good story, well written, and with a bit of humour.
Well written story! I always have liked the retellings of well-known stories.
If you wouldn't mind however would you add a gender tag to the tags section of the first post. Thanks!
If you wouldn't mind however would you add a gender tag to the tags section of the first post. Thanks!
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Deleted User 2217
Excellent story! Well done on making the Evil Stepmother quite the villainess! Glad the Prince has a sense of fair play 
Awesome story, thank you for posting
View my latest story, Revelation, here;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=8719
To view it's prequel Devastation, please click below;
https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=7458
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TamatoaShiny123
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This is a wonderful story! I truly hope you tell another tale in this fashion. Might I recommend Rapunzel...
