Sunshine Challenge 7: Violet
Aug. 16th, 2020 08:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icecheetahFrom Sunshine Challenge 7
Prompt 7: Violet
Violet is a cheerful color that is associated with a variety of things including: originality, self-esteem, insight, poetry, discernment, understanding, creativity, music, perception, inhibition, and health.
Creativity doesn't wait for that perfect moment. It fashions its own perfect moments out of ordinary ones. — Bruce Garrabrandt.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Yeah I need one more post to finish this so I kinda have to go outside the prompts oTL.
"Once upon a time, three Princesses had a Father who could be a fool. One time, he asked who loved him the most. Two of the sisters had said that they loved him more than fine things, gold, jewels, art, but the third said she'd loved him more than salt. For this perceived slight, she was banished.
Furious, the Princess called upon her fairy godmother to give her control over all the salt that crossed the country's borders. None would enter the country, and when she had need of the salt, she could just reach into her box and find it. Though she couldn't take what salt was already there.
Her fairy godmother guided her to a small village of witches where, to help the locals, she became a shepherdess. She'd used another wish to be quick to learn the skills she'd need for the hard work, and even earned her own sheep.
One day a strong yet frightened looking woman named Cinderella moved into the Princess' house, and she was beautiful. At first the Princess felt a mixture of pity and empathy, for Cinderella seemed unsure about everything. But she held a fire within her, fitting to her name, and it didn't take long for her to light up the Princess' day with her fire.
One day the Princess was tending her flock, when Cinderella came running. Her face almost filled with the same unease as with the first day, but her fire burned in her eyes. And she told the Princess that her father was ill, and asked:
How did you curse him?
And the Princess sat her under the tree and told her. The truth."
Cinderella felt a chill like she had never felt since she ran away. Selene's story.
That's what Thandi meant.
"What... about the poor?"
Selene was silent, wide eyed. Confused. "What do you mean?"
Cinderella's palms shook, her hands gripping the grass, nearly tearing it out. "Why make everyone else suffer for your father's mistake?" Rage. Selene was no wolf but far worse. Her voice grew louder. "If he's ill, and no doubt the King has PLENTY salt stored, what about the poor? They won't have so much! Did you lie to me about coming from salt mining village?"
"I... did... ." Selene shrank away, into the field.
Cinderella stepped up. How could this... this woman treat Cinderella, as a stranger, so kindly but be not even think of her own people? Cinderella had made sure her fire would not spread to the homes of the innocent, wouldn't even burn the animals who had lived in there, but Selene's revenge on the King would have had to tear through everyone in the country. "Did you even think about them?"
Selene's silence was twisted in horror. Realisation of what she'd done, the realisation that Cinderella was judging her, fear... who knows. Who cared? This monster tended flocks of sheep while its people suffered for its revenge, and hunter had started to seek it out. "No...yes... we... I... ," it cried. It collapsed and it cried.
Cinderella breathed. Waiting. For it to stand and retort with a thousand imagined slights. Call her ungrateful for all it had done for her. Do one of the many things that Cinderella's step family did when she tried to complain. It may have been a Princess, but it didn't have the power they did.
"You're right."
Cinderella did not expect it to say that.
The Princess stood, its head bowed, its hair covering its face. "I suppose, since I lied, I must have realised somewhere. I just didn't want to say."
No.
Cinderella stepped back. Why would it... people don't just... accept that they've wronged... .
"I suppose apologising to you would mean nothing to them," it said, voice sounding bitter. "I do, however, apologise for the lies."
Cinderella... did not want Selene to see her.
Selene raised her eyes. She looked to one side, then the other. "Cinderella?" Her eyes dashed all over the field, always skipping past Cinderella. "Where... ." The tears on her face had barely started to dry, and new ones followed their paths. "Cinderella!" She yelled, pleaded. "How could you just... !" Her head collapsed forwards. "...leave... ."
Cinderella, not knowing if her power would protect her if she made noise, stood absolutely still.
Selene wiped her eyes. And she rose, those glistening, puffy, determined eyes focused on a point in the distance, the way the messenger had gone. Then she cast her eyes to the house, and the determination fell.
She ran. "Cinderella!"
Still, Cinderella stood. Alone.
Some time later, Cinderella felt a tug on her dress. She looked. It was Thandi.
Thandi looked confused. "Sendrella? Salainn's left. What happened?"
"Left?"
"She said she had to go home. And... " Thandi looked all around, "... that you get the house now. But not the sheep. The sheep go back to Rory."
G... home? Why? Cinderella shook her head. If that princess left, well, there was no way her father's soldiers would come looking for her. Nice of her to leave the house.Shame she had to go into the arms of her awful father. Cinderella shook her head again. No. She could not think about that.
"Ella?"
"Sorry... Thandi... I asked her what she did with her wish." Cinderella kneeled down and looked Thandi right in the eyes. She was blurry.
"Was it bad?"
"It was very, very bad."
Thandi bubbled one of her cheeks, frowning. "Did she... say she was sorry about it?"
"No."
"Do you want a hug?"
Cinderella had a few moments where she just blinked. "Huh?"
"You look sad. When I'm sad, mum always asks that." She stretched her arms out. "Sometimes I think it will help and I say yes but sometimes I don't think it will help so I say no. She usually says other stuff too. Like 'Inyosi', that was my doll's name before I lost her, 'has gone on an adventure' and 'you'll feel better after you sleep' and stuff like that."
Cinderella wiped her eyes. No tears had fallen, but it just felt like the right thing to do. "Do you want a hug?"
A pause. "Not really, no." Another. "I mean- uh!"
Cinderella smiled. "Then I don't either."
Thandi put down her arms slowly, looking puzzled at Cinderella. Just briefly. "Okay." She nodded to herself. "What do you want?"
Cinderella looked aside. "I don't know."
Days passed with Cinderella alone. Free. Everything that had to be done, could be done in its own time. Selene had left her lots of money too. She should have wanted for nothing.
When she didn't sleep, she ached, she went to town to train in swordfighting, she hung out at the Architect family home (which she mostly thought of as Thandi's house), and Mbali's home. Their homes were always warm and welcome, the air in what was Selene's home always smelled cold.
Cinderella crashed to the dirt, her wooden practice sword flying from the impact. Too far for her to reach. Pushing herself to her feet, she ran, only to crash into another wooden sword at her throat.
"You are quite a strong one," her instructor said, letting her go. "Another round?"
"So," Thandi asked late one day, as Cinderella guarded her on the path from Mbali's home, her voice shining with excitement, "If you're learning to sword fight, are you going to be a Knight?"
"Huh?"
"Well don't you think it would be so cool!" Thandi blossomed her arms. "You can hide right before their eyes with your power and then 'FWOOOOSH!', you surround them with fire! That doesn't hurt anyone but they don't know that so they surrender!"
".... wouldn't that make them burn me for being a witch?"
"That's stupid! You can make the fire NOT burn you! And hide in it. So they think it did!"
"... I'll stick to using my sword unless I need to use magic. I'm getting good with it!" Cinderella unsheathed her sword (she never thought about how it was meant as a dowry for Selene's hand), and held it in the light, catching the violet sunset. "And if no one knows about the fire it can be a surprise when I really need it!"
Thandi gaped with stars in her eyes. "That's... CLEVER!"
"mmmhmm."
They got to the village and parted for the night, Cinderella walking towards her house. Opening the door, she found... a sheep standing in there with a letter in its mouth. A cruel look in its eye. The sheep was familiar somehow.
It spat out the letter, which somehow was dry even around the toothmarks, and scoweled her way. "Congratulations. She used her last wish for you/" it said, and vanished in the same way Cinderella's Fairy Godmother did.
It was only after she picked up the letter that Cinderella realised; that was the 'sheep' that lived in the house when Selene was there. What could it ... they have meant by that.
The letter might have the answer... .
Cinderella opened it. Selene's handwriting was exactly as flowing and neat as she expected, and the letter itself was written on parchment, perhaps even vellum, soft, wrapped carefully around something.
"Dear Cinderella,
I've returned to my castle and undid my curse on the land. Salt passes freely through the borders once more. With that, my father is quite well now. He has said he forgave me and learned from me.
I have asked about our people, but receive no answer. Not from my sisters, not from the servants. My father probably knows, however he is consumed by the work that he'd left unattended while he was afflicted by my curse. I am considering leaving the castle to ask the people myself, though it may be more difficult to do so now that I am no longer exiled.
I do hope that you, and the Architect family are well.
I also quite hope this letter protected a gift. My grandmother had commissioned this from an artist in an allied kingdom, and the work itself is quite delicate. Should it be safe, and perhaps it would be a blessing if it were... ."
The letter continued with instructions on how to care for the painting. A lot of fuss, for something so small.
"...finally, to read the tale of the foxes, place the translation paper over the original text."
Cinderella unwrapped the parchment, and opened the box it itself was wrapped around, to reveal the very small painting. It depicted two animals, foxes maybe, looking at each other, and below them was writing in a language Cinderella did not recognise, two columns, under each fox. There was also a final piece of paper. The 'translation paper'. Cinderella placed it over the text as indicated.
Huh.
Wondering if the cold air would harm it, Cinderella set it in a drawer.
Cinderella crashed to the dirt, the wooden sword in her hand clattering away in the dust. Too far to reach again, and her opponent too close.
Looking down with approval, her instructor offered a hand. "You're learning quite fast."
Cinderella tried to tell herself the ache she felt was because of her training. Her instructor had been nothing but encouraging, but time and time again she'd fallen. Was it really true that she was learning fast?
She found a letter.
The ache lifted.
Damn.
Cinderella threw her head back, ready to yell at the forest canopy. "She just... it's like Selene's TRYING to make me miss her," Great. Being ready to yell was OVER DRAMATIC compared to the 'uggggh' that came out. "I can't even reply to her letters. Not that I want to." Well. If there were any wolves that fancied human meat, they probably would know where to find it. "Why would she decided to send me a letter every time she talks to a cook? Or something?" And always it was just further "I don't know how the poor are doing."
Thandi pouted ahead in concentration. "Maybe... she wants you to worry about her?"
"Oh please. If anything, she's boasting."
"hmmm... ." Thandi kept on walking. Then she stopped. "Why do you care?"
"I don't know!"
Their swords were splinters. Cinderella faced her instructor. Too frozen to tremble. To speak. 'I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm... " the words waited for their summons.
Her instructor laughed, like a stream of melting snow. "I guess we should end this lesson!" She tossed aside the splinters of her hold sword. "Don't worry. I have plenty more."
The apologies, broke forth, buried in laughter.
"Dear Cinderella,
I think that I might not be able to leave the castle.
I finally asked my father how our people were, as a result of my actions. He merely said they were alright and I shouldn't bother with such questions.
I think he thinks me a child.
Even after admitting his mistake.
Sincerely,
Selene."
Something about that letter itched in Cinderella's mind.
The leaves changed. The green path that Cinderella and Thandi used to walk in became a still fire, in which the occasional frozen ember floated down. Cinderella caught one in her hand, and and tossed it. No matter how hard she threw, they always floated down gently.
"I like autumn a lot!" Thandi charged ahead, weaving a path. "I can do... THIS!" She vanished into a pile of leaves. Giggling, she then tossed them all up in the air. "You know Ella? I think if you hid in these leaves, it wouldn't matter if we could see your hair! It's the same colour!"
Cinderella laughed too. "I'll try that next hide and seek!"
"Hey! It's no fair if I know what you're planning!"
"But you won't know when I will do it."
Cinderella saw the sheep, Selene's Fairy Godparent, again delivering a letter.
And she stepped through, "Why are you delivering these letters?"
It spat the letter out, giving her the most vile look she'd ever seen on a sheep. "Well, she wished that you would always get her letters, and there's no other way if I don't deliver them." It scoffed. Called Selene a word that even if Cinderella could understand it, she could never pronounce "... managed to tie me to her even after she finished all her wishes."
"That's annoying."
"YEeeah." It looked at her, with a dull expression, its form slowly fading out. "It really is."
Cinderella read the letter. Some of the letters bled through into the parchment, which was rougher than the other letters.
"Dear Cinderella,
I have been confined.
I tried to escape into the city, to ask the people myself because no one is giving me answers. How can I hope to atone if I am stuck her, if I can't even know what my actions have wrought?
Nobles talk about me and my sisters pass it on. They speak of me lacking decorum, as if I have not made sure to act proper in all aspects. They speak as if it's embarrassing that I care for the people I am meant to serve.
My sisters say that The King still loves me, but he must appear to have me under control. Especially after what I'd done.
Have I not already been punished? Does a punishment that prevents the guilty from making amends really serve its purpose?
I'm sorry."
Cinderella clutched the parchment.
The itch in her mind grew, reached out through the words, and connected. It understood.
"I... "Cinderella said to herself, "... I need to find out where her father's castle is."
Cinderella and Thandi walked the tree lined path again. Well, Cinderella walked. Thandi stopped.
"You want to RESCUE Salainn?! Ella! You said she didn't even say sorry!"
"She... was trying to say sorry to everyone she hurt, but other people stopped her. And... she did say sorry. In the last letter."
Thandi looked at Cinderella, eyes glistening. "I...buhhh..." She sniffed. She cried. "I don't want you to go Ella!"
"Hehweh?"
"You're so cool! And nice! And I know that when we play with my other friends you use your hiding powers except when I'm looking for you!"
"I don't!" She really didn't.
"And I haven't even gotten to teach you how to play in the snow yet! Have you ever even made a snowman?"
"Thandi! I'll... I'll be back before Winter!"
"But Ella! You'll be gone first! Who'll walk me to Grandma's? Do you really think that Salainn isn't lying to make you sad for her?"
"I want to believe her."
It should have been a moment of silence, but Thandi continued to sob and snuffle loudly.
Cinderella kneeled down, looked Thandi in the eyes. "I absolutely will come back. And... I'll ask my teacher to look after you instead."
"Gerda?"
"Yes. Gerda."
Thandi's face was a little whirlwind of emotions, that settled on a wet frown. "I'd still rather it be you than Gerda! Mum would allow it, but she's serious!"
"... how do you know her?"
"Don't you-" Thandi stopped herself. And she grinned. "-I won't tell you!" She held out one finger. "If you want to know how I know your teacher, you have to come back! And you will kick yourself for not knowing!"
"... okay... ."
"So I need to help you so you can get back fast!"
"Thandi! You can't come with me!"
"No. But I have an idea!" She laughed. "But first... you have to bake a cake with me!" She turned on her heel and ran, before Cinderella even had a chance to respond.
"Thandi!"
Outside Mbali's house, Thandi played.
Inside, Cinderella told Mbali everything.
And Mbali nodded along with all the words. "Her Kingdom... ." Taking a breath that made a slow wave of her shoulders, she stood. "I know where it is. I can't say I'm surprised that the King could react like that. Even before he cast her out for comparing him to salt, he could be... rash... ." She gave a small huff of a chuckle, "... and it seems our Selene has inherited that. Stopping the flow of salt to her entire country. My my." She shook her head. "Didn't you fear that her father's troops would come here looking for her? What changed?"
"I can't... if the King is really locking her up I can't just... leave her there." No. "I know what that's like." No. "The house feels cold without her, even if I fill it with my fire." Cinderella bowed her head. "They wouldn't have sought her out if her curse didn't make the King ill. If they have no reason to... ."
Cinderella felt a hand on one cheek. "You're guessing, my... friend. They would need to have a reason not to come after us." Mbali kneeled down, and whispered. And then she let go. "Not to say you wouldn't work that out in the time you have, or better. However... ." She winked, "... if I can help you, why wouldn't I?" and she left to grab a map.
While receiving all the directions, Cinderella's thoughts turned again and again to what Mbali had said.
The cake smelled warm. And floral. Thandi had insisted that the batter be filled with candied violets, and so it had swirls of purple all through. No icing. Some extra violets on top.
Bouncing even more than usual, Thandi clapped her hands over it. "Can we eat it now? While it's warm? Can I cut it can I cut it!?!?!"
Cinderella handed over the knife before Mbali could say "No!", and Thandi, grinning, cut out a slice before Mbali could get to her. "Too late!"
"Thandi!" Mbali pushed down on Thandi's shoulder and pulled out the knife. "And Cinderella! You should know better! Thandi's too young to hold a knife like this!"
"... sorry... ."
"Ella did good!" Thandi handed over the wonky slice. "Here! It's for you!" and then she made a delighted squeal. "It worked! Look at the cake!"
The cake.
Even though Thandi had a slice of it in her hand.
Was complete.
"I thought that if you don't have to worry about food you can be faster! So I wished to be able to make food endless! So you can come back faster!"
"Thandi... ." Both the adults groaned.
"You won't have to pack much food! You can just eat this slice of cake all the way!"
Mbali sighed. "That is... very kind of you... but a woman can't live on just cake!"
Cinderella took the slice. "Thank you." And she bit. Eating it was exactly the same as she expected; the floral taste of the violet and the crumbly texture of the cake, in the style she baked. But when she next looked, the slice was the same as it had been before her bite.
Fairy powers were ridiculous.
Again, Mbali sighed. "I suppose then, I should cook you something, Cinderella. And Thandi, you, can enchant it."
"I can't possibly-" Cinderella started.
"You can possibly," Mbali said. "I have travelled far to come here, I know what the body needs when the road is long. On that note... Cinderella, can you ride a horse?"
"No... ."
Thandi bounced again. "Talk to Gerda! She really knows about going places on foot!" And again. "Or! Grandma! Are there any carriages or caravans or travelers or anything going to the right way?"
"I don't know."
"Muuuaaaaa."
"I'll ask." Cinderella stood. "But for now, why don't we just enjoy this magic cake?"
Cinderella stood on the road to the village, Thandi clinging to her hand, everything she needed on her back, and the wind pulling her away.
"Ella... ?"
Cinderella looked down. "hmm ?"
Thandi also looked down, avoiding Cinderella's gaze entirely. "Remember when I offered you a hug but you said you didn't want to hug me if I didn't want it?"
"Yes?"
"I want it now."
One last smile pulled its way onto Cinderella's face, and she kneeled down.
"I'll return. I promise."
Prompt 7: Violet
Violet is a cheerful color that is associated with a variety of things including: originality, self-esteem, insight, poetry, discernment, understanding, creativity, music, perception, inhibition, and health.
Creativity doesn't wait for that perfect moment. It fashions its own perfect moments out of ordinary ones. — Bruce Garrabrandt.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Yeah I need one more post to finish this so I kinda have to go outside the prompts oTL.
"Once upon a time, three Princesses had a Father who could be a fool. One time, he asked who loved him the most. Two of the sisters had said that they loved him more than fine things, gold, jewels, art, but the third said she'd loved him more than salt. For this perceived slight, she was banished.
Furious, the Princess called upon her fairy godmother to give her control over all the salt that crossed the country's borders. None would enter the country, and when she had need of the salt, she could just reach into her box and find it. Though she couldn't take what salt was already there.
Her fairy godmother guided her to a small village of witches where, to help the locals, she became a shepherdess. She'd used another wish to be quick to learn the skills she'd need for the hard work, and even earned her own sheep.
One day a strong yet frightened looking woman named Cinderella moved into the Princess' house, and she was beautiful. At first the Princess felt a mixture of pity and empathy, for Cinderella seemed unsure about everything. But she held a fire within her, fitting to her name, and it didn't take long for her to light up the Princess' day with her fire.
One day the Princess was tending her flock, when Cinderella came running. Her face almost filled with the same unease as with the first day, but her fire burned in her eyes. And she told the Princess that her father was ill, and asked:
How did you curse him?
And the Princess sat her under the tree and told her. The truth."
Cinderella felt a chill like she had never felt since she ran away. Selene's story.
That's what Thandi meant.
"What... about the poor?"
Selene was silent, wide eyed. Confused. "What do you mean?"
Cinderella's palms shook, her hands gripping the grass, nearly tearing it out. "Why make everyone else suffer for your father's mistake?" Rage. Selene was no wolf but far worse. Her voice grew louder. "If he's ill, and no doubt the King has PLENTY salt stored, what about the poor? They won't have so much! Did you lie to me about coming from salt mining village?"
"I... did... ." Selene shrank away, into the field.
Cinderella stepped up. How could this... this woman treat Cinderella, as a stranger, so kindly but be not even think of her own people? Cinderella had made sure her fire would not spread to the homes of the innocent, wouldn't even burn the animals who had lived in there, but Selene's revenge on the King would have had to tear through everyone in the country. "Did you even think about them?"
Selene's silence was twisted in horror. Realisation of what she'd done, the realisation that Cinderella was judging her, fear... who knows. Who cared? This monster tended flocks of sheep while its people suffered for its revenge, and hunter had started to seek it out. "No...yes... we... I... ," it cried. It collapsed and it cried.
Cinderella breathed. Waiting. For it to stand and retort with a thousand imagined slights. Call her ungrateful for all it had done for her. Do one of the many things that Cinderella's step family did when she tried to complain. It may have been a Princess, but it didn't have the power they did.
"You're right."
Cinderella did not expect it to say that.
The Princess stood, its head bowed, its hair covering its face. "I suppose, since I lied, I must have realised somewhere. I just didn't want to say."
No.
Cinderella stepped back. Why would it... people don't just... accept that they've wronged... .
"I suppose apologising to you would mean nothing to them," it said, voice sounding bitter. "I do, however, apologise for the lies."
Cinderella... did not want Selene to see her.
Selene raised her eyes. She looked to one side, then the other. "Cinderella?" Her eyes dashed all over the field, always skipping past Cinderella. "Where... ." The tears on her face had barely started to dry, and new ones followed their paths. "Cinderella!" She yelled, pleaded. "How could you just... !" Her head collapsed forwards. "...leave... ."
Cinderella, not knowing if her power would protect her if she made noise, stood absolutely still.
Selene wiped her eyes. And she rose, those glistening, puffy, determined eyes focused on a point in the distance, the way the messenger had gone. Then she cast her eyes to the house, and the determination fell.
She ran. "Cinderella!"
Still, Cinderella stood. Alone.
Some time later, Cinderella felt a tug on her dress. She looked. It was Thandi.
Thandi looked confused. "Sendrella? Salainn's left. What happened?"
"Left?"
"She said she had to go home. And... " Thandi looked all around, "... that you get the house now. But not the sheep. The sheep go back to Rory."
G... home? Why? Cinderella shook her head. If that princess left, well, there was no way her father's soldiers would come looking for her. Nice of her to leave the house.
"Ella?"
"Sorry... Thandi... I asked her what she did with her wish." Cinderella kneeled down and looked Thandi right in the eyes. She was blurry.
"Was it bad?"
"It was very, very bad."
Thandi bubbled one of her cheeks, frowning. "Did she... say she was sorry about it?"
"No."
"Do you want a hug?"
Cinderella had a few moments where she just blinked. "Huh?"
"You look sad. When I'm sad, mum always asks that." She stretched her arms out. "Sometimes I think it will help and I say yes but sometimes I don't think it will help so I say no. She usually says other stuff too. Like 'Inyosi', that was my doll's name before I lost her, 'has gone on an adventure' and 'you'll feel better after you sleep' and stuff like that."
Cinderella wiped her eyes. No tears had fallen, but it just felt like the right thing to do. "Do you want a hug?"
A pause. "Not really, no." Another. "I mean- uh!"
Cinderella smiled. "Then I don't either."
Thandi put down her arms slowly, looking puzzled at Cinderella. Just briefly. "Okay." She nodded to herself. "What do you want?"
Cinderella looked aside. "I don't know."
Days passed with Cinderella alone. Free. Everything that had to be done, could be done in its own time. Selene had left her lots of money too. She should have wanted for nothing.
When she didn't sleep, she ached, she went to town to train in swordfighting, she hung out at the Architect family home (which she mostly thought of as Thandi's house), and Mbali's home. Their homes were always warm and welcome, the air in what was Selene's home always smelled cold.
Cinderella crashed to the dirt, her wooden practice sword flying from the impact. Too far for her to reach. Pushing herself to her feet, she ran, only to crash into another wooden sword at her throat.
"You are quite a strong one," her instructor said, letting her go. "Another round?"
"So," Thandi asked late one day, as Cinderella guarded her on the path from Mbali's home, her voice shining with excitement, "If you're learning to sword fight, are you going to be a Knight?"
"Huh?"
"Well don't you think it would be so cool!" Thandi blossomed her arms. "You can hide right before their eyes with your power and then 'FWOOOOSH!', you surround them with fire! That doesn't hurt anyone but they don't know that so they surrender!"
".... wouldn't that make them burn me for being a witch?"
"That's stupid! You can make the fire NOT burn you! And hide in it. So they think it did!"
"... I'll stick to using my sword unless I need to use magic. I'm getting good with it!" Cinderella unsheathed her sword (she never thought about how it was meant as a dowry for Selene's hand), and held it in the light, catching the violet sunset. "And if no one knows about the fire it can be a surprise when I really need it!"
Thandi gaped with stars in her eyes. "That's... CLEVER!"
"mmmhmm."
They got to the village and parted for the night, Cinderella walking towards her house. Opening the door, she found... a sheep standing in there with a letter in its mouth. A cruel look in its eye. The sheep was familiar somehow.
It spat out the letter, which somehow was dry even around the toothmarks, and scoweled her way. "Congratulations. She used her last wish for you/" it said, and vanished in the same way Cinderella's Fairy Godmother did.
It was only after she picked up the letter that Cinderella realised; that was the 'sheep' that lived in the house when Selene was there. What could it ... they have meant by that.
The letter might have the answer... .
Cinderella opened it. Selene's handwriting was exactly as flowing and neat as she expected, and the letter itself was written on parchment, perhaps even vellum, soft, wrapped carefully around something.
"Dear Cinderella,
I've returned to my castle and undid my curse on the land. Salt passes freely through the borders once more. With that, my father is quite well now. He has said he forgave me and learned from me.
I have asked about our people, but receive no answer. Not from my sisters, not from the servants. My father probably knows, however he is consumed by the work that he'd left unattended while he was afflicted by my curse. I am considering leaving the castle to ask the people myself, though it may be more difficult to do so now that I am no longer exiled.
I do hope that you, and the Architect family are well.
I also quite hope this letter protected a gift. My grandmother had commissioned this from an artist in an allied kingdom, and the work itself is quite delicate. Should it be safe, and perhaps it would be a blessing if it were... ."
The letter continued with instructions on how to care for the painting. A lot of fuss, for something so small.
"...finally, to read the tale of the foxes, place the translation paper over the original text."
Cinderella unwrapped the parchment, and opened the box it itself was wrapped around, to reveal the very small painting. It depicted two animals, foxes maybe, looking at each other, and below them was writing in a language Cinderella did not recognise, two columns, under each fox. There was also a final piece of paper. The 'translation paper'. Cinderella placed it over the text as indicated.
Huh.
Wondering if the cold air would harm it, Cinderella set it in a drawer.
Cinderella crashed to the dirt, the wooden sword in her hand clattering away in the dust. Too far to reach again, and her opponent too close.
Looking down with approval, her instructor offered a hand. "You're learning quite fast."
Cinderella tried to tell herself the ache she felt was because of her training. Her instructor had been nothing but encouraging, but time and time again she'd fallen. Was it really true that she was learning fast?
She found a letter.
The ache lifted.
Damn.
Cinderella threw her head back, ready to yell at the forest canopy. "She just... it's like Selene's TRYING to make me miss her," Great. Being ready to yell was OVER DRAMATIC compared to the 'uggggh' that came out. "I can't even reply to her letters. Not that I want to." Well. If there were any wolves that fancied human meat, they probably would know where to find it. "Why would she decided to send me a letter every time she talks to a cook? Or something?" And always it was just further "I don't know how the poor are doing."
Thandi pouted ahead in concentration. "Maybe... she wants you to worry about her?"
"Oh please. If anything, she's boasting."
"hmmm... ." Thandi kept on walking. Then she stopped. "Why do you care?"
"I don't know!"
Their swords were splinters. Cinderella faced her instructor. Too frozen to tremble. To speak. 'I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm... " the words waited for their summons.
Her instructor laughed, like a stream of melting snow. "I guess we should end this lesson!" She tossed aside the splinters of her hold sword. "Don't worry. I have plenty more."
The apologies, broke forth, buried in laughter.
"Dear Cinderella,
I think that I might not be able to leave the castle.
I finally asked my father how our people were, as a result of my actions. He merely said they were alright and I shouldn't bother with such questions.
I think he thinks me a child.
Even after admitting his mistake.
Sincerely,
Selene."
Something about that letter itched in Cinderella's mind.
The leaves changed. The green path that Cinderella and Thandi used to walk in became a still fire, in which the occasional frozen ember floated down. Cinderella caught one in her hand, and and tossed it. No matter how hard she threw, they always floated down gently.
"I like autumn a lot!" Thandi charged ahead, weaving a path. "I can do... THIS!" She vanished into a pile of leaves. Giggling, she then tossed them all up in the air. "You know Ella? I think if you hid in these leaves, it wouldn't matter if we could see your hair! It's the same colour!"
Cinderella laughed too. "I'll try that next hide and seek!"
"Hey! It's no fair if I know what you're planning!"
"But you won't know when I will do it."
Cinderella saw the sheep, Selene's Fairy Godparent, again delivering a letter.
And she stepped through, "Why are you delivering these letters?"
It spat the letter out, giving her the most vile look she'd ever seen on a sheep. "Well, she wished that you would always get her letters, and there's no other way if I don't deliver them." It scoffed. Called Selene a word that even if Cinderella could understand it, she could never pronounce "... managed to tie me to her even after she finished all her wishes."
"That's annoying."
"YEeeah." It looked at her, with a dull expression, its form slowly fading out. "It really is."
Cinderella read the letter. Some of the letters bled through into the parchment, which was rougher than the other letters.
"Dear Cinderella,
I have been confined.
I tried to escape into the city, to ask the people myself because no one is giving me answers. How can I hope to atone if I am stuck her, if I can't even know what my actions have wrought?
Nobles talk about me and my sisters pass it on. They speak of me lacking decorum, as if I have not made sure to act proper in all aspects. They speak as if it's embarrassing that I care for the people I am meant to serve.
My sisters say that The King still loves me, but he must appear to have me under control. Especially after what I'd done.
Have I not already been punished? Does a punishment that prevents the guilty from making amends really serve its purpose?
I'm sorry."
Cinderella clutched the parchment.
The itch in her mind grew, reached out through the words, and connected. It understood.
"I... "Cinderella said to herself, "... I need to find out where her father's castle is."
Cinderella and Thandi walked the tree lined path again. Well, Cinderella walked. Thandi stopped.
"You want to RESCUE Salainn?! Ella! You said she didn't even say sorry!"
"She... was trying to say sorry to everyone she hurt, but other people stopped her. And... she did say sorry. In the last letter."
Thandi looked at Cinderella, eyes glistening. "I...buhhh..." She sniffed. She cried. "I don't want you to go Ella!"
"Hehweh?"
"You're so cool! And nice! And I know that when we play with my other friends you use your hiding powers except when I'm looking for you!"
"I don't!" She really didn't.
"And I haven't even gotten to teach you how to play in the snow yet! Have you ever even made a snowman?"
"Thandi! I'll... I'll be back before Winter!"
"But Ella! You'll be gone first! Who'll walk me to Grandma's? Do you really think that Salainn isn't lying to make you sad for her?"
"I want to believe her."
It should have been a moment of silence, but Thandi continued to sob and snuffle loudly.
Cinderella kneeled down, looked Thandi in the eyes. "I absolutely will come back. And... I'll ask my teacher to look after you instead."
"Gerda?"
"Yes. Gerda."
Thandi's face was a little whirlwind of emotions, that settled on a wet frown. "I'd still rather it be you than Gerda! Mum would allow it, but she's serious!"
"... how do you know her?"
"Don't you-" Thandi stopped herself. And she grinned. "-I won't tell you!" She held out one finger. "If you want to know how I know your teacher, you have to come back! And you will kick yourself for not knowing!"
"... okay... ."
"So I need to help you so you can get back fast!"
"Thandi! You can't come with me!"
"No. But I have an idea!" She laughed. "But first... you have to bake a cake with me!" She turned on her heel and ran, before Cinderella even had a chance to respond.
"Thandi!"
Outside Mbali's house, Thandi played.
Inside, Cinderella told Mbali everything.
And Mbali nodded along with all the words. "Her Kingdom... ." Taking a breath that made a slow wave of her shoulders, she stood. "I know where it is. I can't say I'm surprised that the King could react like that. Even before he cast her out for comparing him to salt, he could be... rash... ." She gave a small huff of a chuckle, "... and it seems our Selene has inherited that. Stopping the flow of salt to her entire country. My my." She shook her head. "Didn't you fear that her father's troops would come here looking for her? What changed?"
"I can't... if the King is really locking her up I can't just... leave her there." No. "I know what that's like." No. "The house feels cold without her, even if I fill it with my fire." Cinderella bowed her head. "They wouldn't have sought her out if her curse didn't make the King ill. If they have no reason to... ."
Cinderella felt a hand on one cheek. "You're guessing, my... friend. They would need to have a reason not to come after us." Mbali kneeled down, and whispered. And then she let go. "Not to say you wouldn't work that out in the time you have, or better. However... ." She winked, "... if I can help you, why wouldn't I?" and she left to grab a map.
While receiving all the directions, Cinderella's thoughts turned again and again to what Mbali had said.
The cake smelled warm. And floral. Thandi had insisted that the batter be filled with candied violets, and so it had swirls of purple all through. No icing. Some extra violets on top.
Bouncing even more than usual, Thandi clapped her hands over it. "Can we eat it now? While it's warm? Can I cut it can I cut it!?!?!"
Cinderella handed over the knife before Mbali could say "No!", and Thandi, grinning, cut out a slice before Mbali could get to her. "Too late!"
"Thandi!" Mbali pushed down on Thandi's shoulder and pulled out the knife. "And Cinderella! You should know better! Thandi's too young to hold a knife like this!"
"... sorry... ."
"Ella did good!" Thandi handed over the wonky slice. "Here! It's for you!" and then she made a delighted squeal. "It worked! Look at the cake!"
The cake.
Even though Thandi had a slice of it in her hand.
Was complete.
"I thought that if you don't have to worry about food you can be faster! So I wished to be able to make food endless! So you can come back faster!"
"Thandi... ." Both the adults groaned.
"You won't have to pack much food! You can just eat this slice of cake all the way!"
Mbali sighed. "That is... very kind of you... but a woman can't live on just cake!"
Cinderella took the slice. "Thank you." And she bit. Eating it was exactly the same as she expected; the floral taste of the violet and the crumbly texture of the cake, in the style she baked. But when she next looked, the slice was the same as it had been before her bite.
Fairy powers were ridiculous.
Again, Mbali sighed. "I suppose then, I should cook you something, Cinderella. And Thandi, you, can enchant it."
"I can't possibly-" Cinderella started.
"You can possibly," Mbali said. "I have travelled far to come here, I know what the body needs when the road is long. On that note... Cinderella, can you ride a horse?"
"No... ."
Thandi bounced again. "Talk to Gerda! She really knows about going places on foot!" And again. "Or! Grandma! Are there any carriages or caravans or travelers or anything going to the right way?"
"I don't know."
"Muuuaaaaa."
"I'll ask." Cinderella stood. "But for now, why don't we just enjoy this magic cake?"
Cinderella stood on the road to the village, Thandi clinging to her hand, everything she needed on her back, and the wind pulling her away.
"Ella... ?"
Cinderella looked down. "hmm ?"
Thandi also looked down, avoiding Cinderella's gaze entirely. "Remember when I offered you a hug but you said you didn't want to hug me if I didn't want it?"
"Yes?"
"I want it now."
One last smile pulled its way onto Cinderella's face, and she kneeled down.
"I'll return. I promise."
no subject
Date: 2020-08-17 12:59 am (UTC)(and pick any color you want for the last part, or maybe even Prism/Prismatic?)
no subject
Date: 2020-08-18 12:15 pm (UTC)I think I know what to go for for the final chapter too!
no subject
Date: 2020-08-18 02:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-08-18 09:43 pm (UTC)