Shut Up, Cinderella

At First Sight

It was the dark blue hour of a winter afternoon after sunset. Snow was lightly falling again, glistening bright in the light of the palace's many candles, the lanterns and lampions hung all over the walls. The entire court was alight. Warm yellow lights illuminated the palace and the garden, leading the way through the wintery landscape as the darkness fell around them.

From the main entrance voices and laughter came, the first guests arriving to the ball with much chatter and many greetings. Soon the entire court would be brimming with colors, flowing ballgowns and shimmery satins, with ribbons and jewels and fur-trimmed coats. For now, however, it was only just coming alive, lying quietly in anticipation of music, dance and joy.

The most important person, however, was still missing.

"Your Highness," Olive's voice sounded through the garden as she crossed the snowy paths. She, too, was dressed up for the ball, but her bodyguard duty had saved her from the hassle of putting on a gown befitting of a noble, the kind that needed three maids to get in and out of. Instead she wore a knight's uniform decorated with gold, her long cape flowing freely behind her in the breeze.

"Your Highness!" she called again, her voice coming closer. "Gem, you egghead, it's almost time!"

Gem crouched down behind the snowman he had built. With a little luck, he thought, she would pass right by him and leave him alone.

Olive's footsteps halted close by.

Gem held his breath. Nobody here but us snowmen, he thought.

An arm reached around the snowman, grabbing him by the collar and yanking him out.

"There you are!" Olive said, looking triumphant but not at all surprised. "What are you doing out here? You should go greet the guests!"

Gem, fully dressed up for the event as he was, pulled a face. "Do I really have to?"

"Baby brother, we talked about this. You're the host. You can't skip your own ball!"

"It wasn't even my idea," he replied, pouting.

"No, but it's your responsibility. You can't pick out a spouse if you're out here playing in the snow, anyway."

"Damn right I can!" Gem crossed his arms. "My one true love could walk through the garden and find me and we'd build a snowman together. I can't marry anybody I can't build a snowman with."

Olive sighed audibly, letting go of his collar. "What are you, a kid?"

"I got priorities!"

"Childish priorities. C'mon, stop sulking, you're not five anymore." Olive turned around, motioning for him to follow. "Just talk to as many people as you can, dance a lot, you'll be fine. It's not like royals should marry for love, anyway."

Gem pulled a face at her back. Immediately she turned around. "Did you say something?"

Sometimes, he thought, he had a serious suspicion his sister was psychic. "Nope," he said, still sulking.

"Good! Otherwise I would've needed to spar with you again and we can't do that now." She continued walking with a bounce in her step. Gem, who knew as well as she did that sparring was just an excuse for her to legally beat him up, couldn't help wondering if she was a sadist. Then again he suspected all older sisters were like this sometimes.

The palace was bright after the falling darkness outside, so bright that Gem squinted his eyes in a most un-princely manner. So many lamps, he thought. Did they always light up this many lamps for a ball?