My dress was back to being rags, the coach was again a pumpkin, and my attendants were the animals they once were. It was all back to normal except for that damn glass slipper that gleamed up at me from my foot. I glowered down at it.
“Sorry, I lost the other one.” I waved at the slipper.
“I know.” She smiled wider. “It was another part of the enchantment; one I didn't tell you about because I knew it would upset you.”
“What did you do?” I growled.
“It was just a little frosting.” She waved her hand grandly. “They are restless now, sweetheart. All they will be able to think about is you. They shall know no peace until they stand in your presence and they will suffer until they wed you.”
“Right, I remember now.” A small seed of satisfaction was growing in my belly. It was nice to have a bit of revenge. “But I don't want to marry them, so I suppose they'll suffer forever.”
“Are you sure, darling?” My mother narrowed her eyes at me. “I sense an air of contentment rolling off your body. Although they seduced you brazenly, they did so well.”
“So what? It was just sex. I want love.”
“Child”–she rolled her eyes–“sometimes the order of things get mixed up, but for good reason. It would hardly do to marry a man and then discover that he just fumbles about in bed, never satisfying anyone but himself.”
I blinked at her.
“You know that they can give you pleasure,” she went on. “That's a good thing, my girl. And they even shared you–another good thing, especially where I'm from. Men can be so grasping, so possessive. That too, can be lovely. But, for our purposes, we want them to be able to share.”
“Why do we want that?”
“Because then, you will definitely rule the kingdom.” She rolled her eyes. “Please keep up, Madelyn. Three princes means that there are three possible heirs. Death comes at the most unlikely times, and should one of them die, the next in line would rule. By marrying all three, we insure that you will be queen, no matter what.”
“Devious.”
What was this feeling? Did I actually want to be queen? If I ruled, I could change all the licentiousness of court. I could change whatever I wanted. I could make my stepmother and stepsisters miserable. I could ...
“I don't want to marry men just for revenge,” I said firmly.
“Be honest with yourself, Maddie,” my mother chided. “You're angry now, but I saw your eyes light up when Ashton spoke to you. I saw the way you bantered with Weston and teased Braxton. You like these men.”
“Yeah, all right, maybe–wait! Yousaw? You were watching?” I nearly shouted.
“Well, I left before the more intimate moments.” She fluffed her hair. “But I'm sure they were lovely too.”
“Lovely ...” The memory of their hands and mouths on me returned, and I blushed. “It was... nice.”
Mother chortled.
I glowered.
“Let go of your pride for one moment, and consider what life would be like with those men as your husbands,” she said softly. “Imagine having their love and adoration. Imagine having their sex all for yourself.”
I blushed again.
“Yes, just as I thought.” She nodded. “Now, do you want to hear about the shoe?”
“I'm horrified to say this,” I huffed, “but yes, I do.”
“Good girl,” she said with a grin. “The glass slippers are connected by magic. Not only did they make you irresistible to your princes, but they were also my insurance so that if the men did give in to their lusts and set off my spell, they would not only pine for you, they would find you.”
“Huh?”
“It's a trail, dear girl,” she huffed. “One shoe leads to the other. The slipper fell from your foot on purpose, so that the princes would have a tether. All they have to do is follow the slipper's lead, and they shall find you.”
“Great.” I rolled my eyes. “They'll find Madelyn the scullery maid, not Duchess Lily.”
