Sindell: A Cinderella Story

In the Vineyard

The weather changed so quickly. One minute the two friends had been playing under the vines among the grapes, and the next, the skies darkened and the heavens opened up. There was no warning and the amount of rain in the first minute alone was unsurpassed.

"It's a good thing it's raining, otherwise Father would have had to break out the emergency stores," Cailin said of her father's profession as a wine-grower ,and the drought that had plagued the kingdom for the past two years.

"I know. Too bad for me though. My stepmother is way too smart for things that go on when we get together. I remember she said she grew up on a vineyard too."

The two girls gathered their skirts above their ankles in haste and stepped around the amassing mud puddles. The sudden opening of the heavens was surely a blessing and Sindell and her best friend, Cailin, were enjoying the Spring air weather for the fifth day in a row while they observed the growth of the grapes. This sudden storm would guarantee large, sweet grapes for this year's crop. 

They ran towards the house as the rain pelted and the thunder rolled, until Sindell lost her footing and slid in the mud, falling on her rear end. "Cailin!" She shouted as loud as she could. "Cailin!" She yelled again, noting her friend was far enough ahead of her she wasn't sure she would hear her over the thunder.

As if on cue, Cailin slowed and looked around. About to give in and go back to the house, she finally saw her friend, sitting in the mud with smears over the front of her dress and down her face. Cailin laughed a grand laugh, "Oh, Sindell!" She bellowed. "Your stepmother will definitely NOT be happy with your state!" Her boisterous laughter slowed to giggles as she got closer to her friend. "What happened?"

"I became dizzy and lost my footing.  And well, the rest, as they say..." Sindell motioned at the track in the mud where she slid. "It's like I have lived this moment before. I don't know what has happened, but I don't feel myself at all."

"I'll help you." Cailin said, reaching her hand down to her friend. "Let's get you home and maybe the rain will wash some of this mud off while we walk before we get there."

Sindell laughed. "I only wish we hadn't gone so far away from the house this time, Cailin." She said. "We were in such a hurry we left the baskets behind. Stepmother will not be happy."

"Eh." Cailin replied. "It is storming. Even she would not have foreseen this much rain. If she even tries to scold you, I will take it all for you," Cailin said as she helped her friend of of the ground.

Sindell looked at her friend through the rain and the hair plastered to her forehead before they both laughed. "I don't know what is worse. The pain my ankle is feeling or the sour mood my stepmother seems to be always in these days."  She said as they crossed the threshold to the servant's entrance.

Mrs. Bregdan, the housekeeper, rushed to the door and shook her head as she met them. "I don't know what ye were thinkin', Miss." She looked over the two friends dripping in rain and smeared with mud. "Yer stepmother is going to be fit to be tied for certain." She scolded Sindell. "I don't know about yer mother, Miss Cailin. Can't imagine she'd be happy 'bout this either."

The two friends stood and took their lumps while they shivered as Mrs. Bregdan and another of the girls below stairs toweled them off as they tried not to laugh. For it was a good time, even for the strangely odd feeling Sindell had after she had fallen.

"I'll send Sally to fetch ye some dry clothes up the back stairs and I'll see to it myself that this comes clean." Mrs. Bregdan said as she started on the ties and stays in both the girls' gowns. "Unfortunately there is not much we can do about your hair, but at least you won't have to meet your parents looking like slop."

Mrs. Bregdan's words sent them both over the edge into fits of laughter.

"Go on, get it all out, so you can at least pretend to have some dignity and be ladies." She tried not to laugh herself as she worked the wet clothing off the young women.

"Mrs. Bregdan, we do appreciate the things you do for us all the time." Sindell said, side-eyeing her friend.

"Yes, Mrs. Bregdan, you've been so good to me as well."

"Just doing what should be expected, misses." She said, gathering the wet clothing off the floor and draping them over several chair backs. "Now go sit yerselfs down in front of the fire while Sally comes back. She shouldn't be long now. We don't want you dying of cold now, do we?" Mrs. Bregdan smiled. "I'll see what I can do about this." She gathered up the soiled gown and walked off.

Mrs. Bregdan went about her business as the girls waited for Sally and giggled about their day. "I sure hope Stepmother isn't too mad."

"Everything will be fine." Cailin reassured her. "I don't know what could possibly happen--" Cailin barely began her sentence than they heard a loud banging at the front door.

Servants immediately began bustling, and looking at the two young ladies by the fire. Mrs. Bregdan hurried with a bundle of clothing  to dress the two, who were busy being confused by the excitement, with Sally's help.

Mr. Axton, the head butler suddenly appeared, all the agitation in his eyes as he minded Sindell and Cailin. "Miss Sindell, they are looking for you. You may as well go with her, Miss Cailin, I believe it might concern you as too."

Sindell and Cailin looked at each other with wide eyes and back at Mr. Axton. "What are you going on about Axton?" Sindell furrowed her brows at the old man. "What is going on?"

"A letter, or rather, an invitation," he pulled the corners of his vest pocket, a habit he had when he wanted to feel in control, "has arrived from the palace. It seems their Majesties are tired of waiting around for the prince to find himself a bride and are going to hold a Royal Ball to give him a little help."

They looked at each other again, though something felt familiar to Sindell this time. As though she had lived this moment before. They both smiled big at the thought of dressing up and dancing the night away in the royal castle.

Mrs. Bregdan  shooed them out of the kitchen. "Off ye go now. Go see what it is yer stepmother and father have to say about all this, and come back if ye can? Yes? If you don't return, I'll come up after ye have gone to bed. Sally will let me know." Mrs. Bregdan seemed to be just as excited as the girls were. And all they knew was what Axton had told them.