Cinderella looked up at the prince, her voice soft. “Do you believe me?”
Charles tilted her chin toward him, his expression so tender Ferdinand wrinkled his nose, repulsed. “Yes, I believe you.”
Carefully, Ferdinand crouched backward and stood. He had heard all he needed to.
Lo and behold, itwassorcery!
That explained why his men hadn’t been able to find her. Who would have guessed to chase a pumpkin drawn by four mice?
Ferdinand clenched his fists at his sides, remembering his abject embarrassment when he’d had to report to the king that the maiden had vanished. He hadn’t been able to understand it, either: how would a young lady in a coach manage to elude dozens of trained guards—then disappear without a trace for days?
But now all the pieces of the puzzle had come together.
He had to hand it to the girl; shewascharming. The loveliest young lady at the ball. And no wonder, with a fairy godmother at her side!
Ferdinand grimaced. He would have to proceed very, very carefully. If this Cinderella girl had a magical accomplice, then she was a danger to the kingdom, a threat to all.
Even more so, because Charles clearly was in love with her.
Ferdinand had to tell the king right away. But first, he needed to ensure the king would be on his side. These days, now that Charles had returned, that was increasingly unlikely. Well, Ferdinand would take drastic measures to make the king agree. Even if that required some magic of his own.
A visit to his trusted pharmacist would do just the trick.
At last, Duchess Genevieve retired for her afternoon nap, and Cinderella tiptoed out of the bedchamber and quietly shut the door.
Behind her, Bruno nipped at her ankles and let out a low woof.
“Her Highness is asleep.” She placed a finger on her lips. “Be good now. I’ll be back soon.”
After filling Bruno’s water bowl, Cinderella tore off her wig and undid her apron. She needed to freshen up in her chambers before meeting Charles, but attending to the duchess as well as taking over Amelia’s chores had taken all morning and afternoon. It was already past four.
After bidding goodbye to Bruno, she raced for her quarters. Well, servants weren’t exactly permitted toraceacross the palace, but Cinderella did her best. Her heels clicked at a brisk tempo against the wooden parquet, her steps a steady counterpoint to the unsteady beat of her heart. She hadn’t known her heart could dance, but here it was, beating in a maddening rhythm that thrummed in her chest and buzzed in her ears.
It didn’t slow as she changed in her room, so filled was she with the idea of a fresh start. And as her mind whirled, she realized there was one person she wanted to tell—one whose life could change just as much as hers.
“Fairy Godmother? Lenore?” Cinderella whispered as she looked into the mirror. There was no answer. Perhaps the fairy had borrowed too much magic and could not get to her. Cinderella went on, hoping her godmother could hear her from wherever she was. “All is well now—between the prince and me, but I haven’t forgotten about you. I’m going to tell Charles about the ban on magic. Once he hears more about the situation, I know he’ll confront the Grand Duke and talk to his father about reversing it.”
Cinderella paused, gently touching the mirror with her fingertips to seal her promise. Then she made her way out of the servants’ quarters, ready to meet the prince. She did not know what the afternoon would bring, but she had more hope in her heart than she’d had in a very long time.
She was just rounding the hallway with the portraits when she heard it—a familiar voice calling her name.
Cinderella. Cinderella.
Startled, Cinderella came to a stop. The gallery was empty.... Where was the voice coming from?
“Lenore?” she whispered. “Is that you?”
The painting to her right shimmered. It was one she had noticed before—of Genevieve and Arthur—and the voice seemed to be coming from the volume under the Duke of Orlanne’s arm, with the obscured title,Enchantments....
“Yes,” whispered her fairy godmother. Her voice was tremulous and faint. “My child—”
“Did you hear me earlier? I have such wonderful news. About Charles.” She blushed. “I mean, the prince. He knows it was me at the ball, and he... I think he cares for me. He’ll help you, I know it.”
“Oh, my dear, I know you think you’ve solved it, but... perhaps you need to know more about what happened. Why magic is forbidden.”
Cinderella drew closer. She couldn’t see Lenore, but the outline of a pearly white wand glimmered from the spine of the painted book. Her godmother was there. “I’m listening.”
“Years ago, when the queen was born, all the high fairies of Aurelais blessed her with gifts: beauty, charm, grace, kindness, wit—and lastly, selflessness. As she grew up, she brought joy to everyone who met her, most of all to the king. But there were those who sought to take advantage of her kindness, the Grand Duke’s father being one of them.
