A lonely girl. A handsome prince. A monster unleashed.
When Ella's father dies she moves to work as a maid at the faraway castle. There she meets a beguiling prince who is trouble. With his ice-blue eyes and chocolate hair, she finds him irresistibl...
Author's note: I hope you enjoy this new chapter :) I think there are no warnings for this part. I would like to dedicate this chapter to the beautiful Hanjat. Hanjat, you inspire me to keep on writing and publishing, you make me feel like I'm not writing into a void. Thank you.
The prince had an enticing, musky smell. She couldn't help but notice how hard his chest was when she'd crashed into it. Ella did her best to stifle the need for hugging him that simmered in the depths of her being.
"I think you dropped these." He handed her the lavender flowers she'd tossed in the gravel.
She covered her face with her hands. Then opened a gap between her fingers to look at him. "You saw that?"
"I did."
They both laughed at the silliness of the situation. Her plucking lavenders from the royal garden, him returning them to her. He shook his head.
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Then they stood looking at each other, his ice-blue eyes glowing. He picked a strand of her hair silvery and placed it behind her ear.
Her heartbeat was humming in her ears. His rough skin contrasted with her smooth one. What was he thinking? They could be seen. It was pity, it had to be, for she was covered in cinder and dressed in rags. And he was wearing a purple velvet vest threaded with gold and precious pearls. She was a maid. He was a prince.
You're Cinderella now. Tattoo it in your bum if you have to.
Ella took a step back. "I should get going."
The king's cottage door swung open, revealing an almost-naked king. With his nightgown swaying with the wind. "Where is my son?" The king's voice sounded raspy, as if he were drunk.
They looked at each other. The sky was darkening, and the temperature descended. He took both her hands in his.
"Ella, please, help me hide."
She swallowed. "Why do you need my help? You're almost twenty-five."
He ignored her words and pulled her hand. Together they ran into the woods beyond the castle, laughing.
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