Midnight

Three

Chapter three:

Days passed rather quickly and soon enough, a whole week had gone by since the time the royal ball had been announced.
My stepsisters grew even more excited as the days faded into a week, and they never stopped chattering on about what they would look like as they danced with the Prince.

As for myself, I had been keeping out of their way and spending more and more time up in my room mending the dress I would wear. Fortunately my absences went quite unnoticed, as my stepmother insisted on taking her daughters into the marketplace almost everyday, shopping for anything they could wear to the ball. The three of them always came back with armfuls of jewelry, shoes, hairbrushes, and pieces of lace and velvet.
I no longer brought up the topic of me going to the ball with them. I hoped they would slowly realize that I had to go, it was the Prince's order.

One warm day, exactly a week after the ball was announced, my stepmother took her daughters into the marketplace early in the morning. They left a few hours after I woke up and right after they ate their breakfast.

"What are you looking for this time?" I inquired curiously as they prepared to leave. Anastasia and Drusella turned to me in regard.
"The finest pearls to wear, finer then the Queen's!" Anastasia drawled, dramatically opening her parasol.
"And some lace, to make into gloves!" Drusella added happily. I widened my eyes, trying to look excited for them.
"And you will find that all in our own marketplace?" I asked.
"Oh don't be daft, girl, of course not." My stepmother laughed.
"Then...where is it you are going?"
"The Palace marketplace, where else?" The tall lady turned to the mirror by the door and made sure her hair was perfectly in place before opening her parasol as well.

"The Palace? How exciting!" I said, helping Drusella into her heeled shoes.
"What would you know of it, Cinderella?" The girl asked, fluffing her dress. "You've never even been to the Palace!"
She had never been to the Palace either, but I didn't say a word in response. They were all in fine moods and I didn't want to be the reason they become angry.

Outside, a carriage awaited for them, drawn by four black horses. I gasped softly as I opened the door for my stepmother.
My stepsisters squealed and raced each other to the carriage, shoving each other aside in their hurries. I bid them a quiet farewell and told them to take their time in returning.

Soon the carriage was pulling away from the house and was gone from sight.

I heaved an excited breath and closed the door quickly behind me. I couldn't help but smile as I raced upstairs to my mother's dress.
The mending was far from complete, but I had plenty of time to work on it. Today was perfect for going into the town's marketplace, for my stepsisters would not be there to race back home and tell my stepmother everything I had been doing.

I decided I would go looking for a pair of shoes to wear with the beautiful dress, as I still had nothing. After a while of looking around in my room, I came up with six bronze coins that I could use to pay for the shoes. I didn't know if that would be enough, but it was all I had so it would have to make do.
I put the coins into a small leather pouch that I placed into the pocket of my dress. Then I raced back downstairs and out of the house, looking for Elspeth.

My horse was found grazing on some grass by her stable. I didn't bother with putting her saddle on, I never did. My father had taught me to ride bareback, so I always did.
Elspeth whinnied as I swung onto her, and she took off away from the house when I dug my heels into her side. She was very happy to run, so I let her. She took me down the path away from the house, but soon veered off into the woods.

I laughed as she jumped over a fallen tree and kept running.
"Elspeth, the market is the other way!" I eventually slowed my horse to a trot and gently turned her around. She walked leisurely towards the marketplace, stopping to eat plants that grew on the forest floor from time to time.
The weather was beautiful, the sun was shining, there was a small breeze, and the birds chirped happily above us. I decided to walk alongside Elspeth instead of riding her to town. I swung down from her and let her walk around me as we made our way slowly to the market.