The Girl with Glass Slippers

Chapter 4

The next day, it was late in the morning before Jasper had finally remembered that she locked the door to the attic. Jasper lazily went up the steps to unlocked the door with the key and was expecting to see a miserable Lapis. Jasper opened the door... she saw Lapis, not crying on her cot but instead fully dressed and standing by the window looking outside, longingly. Lapis heard the door open, saw her stepmother and she held a neutral on her face.

"Good morning ma'am," Lapis said with a curtsy. She was doing everything within her power not to smile.

"Well, have you learned your lesson?" Jasper said.

It took a moment for Lapis to remember the slap last night.

"Yes, ma'am," Lapis said, not looking up. "I know now I shouldn't have spoken out like that and I deeply apologize for it."

"But do you know why it was wrong?"

"Because... because I'm just a servant girl and nothing more."

"That's right." Jasper said. "Now, get to your chores."

"Yes, ma'am." Lapis said.

Lapis straightened up and was about to walk past Jasper until she was stopped, her stepmother put an arm in front of her. Lapis looked up to see Jasper stare at her intently.

"Ma'am?" Lapis asked cautiously.

"Shut up!" Jasper snapped. A moment later Jasper puts her arm down. "Okay... get going."

Lapis hurried to the kitchen as Jasper watched in thought.

'No mark?' Jasper thought. 'I expected a bruise or something but there's nothing on her face! She's never healed that fast before.'

CREAK

Jasper whipped her head around and looked around the attic but saw nothing moving. She then let out a yawn, still exhausted from last night, and she closed the door behind her.

"Stupid old house." Jasper mumbled.

After a moment, a blanket draped over a large box began to move. "Is she gone?" someone whispered from under the blanket.

A green kitten poked her head out from under Lapis' pillow and ran to the large box.

"She's gone." Peridot whispered.

"Finally," the goose said as she threw the blanket off herself and the Ruby chicks. "Come on Rubies. Your mother will be expecting you."

The chicks complained at first but eventually gave in. The Rubies jumped on Pearl's feathery back and the goose flapped her wings and flew out the window. Peridot quickly slipped the blanket over the glass slipper hiding in the large box of fabrics. Maybe not the best hiding spot but for the moment, it will have to do.

Back at the castle, Prince Jamie was sitting on the side of his bed, staring at the glass slipper in his hands, and thought about the girl who had stolen his heart. He wasn't sad though, it was evident with the smile on his face. He hadn't moved an inch, not even when the sun rose and breakfast was served. Finally, Kevin came to Jamie's room to console him, in his own way.

"You're kidding me, right?" Kevin said, standing next to Jamie. "Staring at her shoe isn't going to make her appear any faster."

"Kevin!" Jamie said. "Any word from the captain yet?" he stood up.

"Yes... but it's not great. Apparently, she gave them the slip and disappeared." Kevin said.

Jamie sighed, "Of course she did." He walked to his balcony. "I'll have to find her some other way."