While spared of Pricilla's sharp and vicious tongue was a relief, Cinderella could not let Pricilla berate Essie. Cinderella had been the object of too many of those horrendous jabs in the past. But how might she aid preventing Pricilla's verbal abuse. With each passing kilometer the ride became more contemptuous.

After one particularly scathing remark, Essie whipped about, eyes flashing. "Really, Pricilla, you go too far! What exactly is the nature of the problem here? You have been nothing short of monstrous since our arrival. I suggest if you have nothing nice to say then you say nothing at all!"

Cinderella bit the inside of her mouth to keep from gaping.

A violent flush rose up Pricilla's neck. Pricilla's hand flew toward Essie but a swift, strong gust of wind stirred. Cinderella shot a quick glance to Essie. Her eyes were slotted toward Pricilla. Not a single blink registered. Odd.

As sudden as the burst appeared, it disappeared.

But a speck of dirt diving through the air had met its mark. Pricilla let out a hysterical shriek and covered her tearing eye with a gloved hand. Frankly, Cinderella was surprised dirt had levitated and darted as such without proper consent. She tugged a lace handkerchief from a hidden pocket in her skirt and pressed it into Pricilla's hand. It was much nicer than the dingy gray to which Cinderella was accustomed.

"Wh…what happened? Oh, this is all so unfair," Pricilla wailed. Her voice was muffled by the lace hankie, trying to blink the foreign substance from her eye.

"What do you find unfair, Cill?" Essie sighed. The dramatics were almost comical.

"Everything," Pricilla cried. "You have dainty feet. You are engaged to Prince Charming. Even Cinderella's chamber is bloody nicer than ours-"

Cinderella gasped at her profanity.

"-and now my eyes will swell, turn red and watery."

"My chamber?" Cinderella's calm façade snapped in an unprecedented instant. "What can possibly bother you regarding my chamber? 'Tis the Royal Palace, for heaven's sake. Of course, it is nice."

"Oh, quit being so dramatic, Cill. I do not even wish to marry the prince. I certainly have no choice in the matter."

"What!"

"I thought I did…" she said, softly. "But-"

"What do you mean you do not wish to marry the prince?" Pricilla interrupted. She turned to Cinderella. "Would you marry the prince?"

Shocked by the question, Cinderella stuttered an answer. "Of…of course. He…he is the prince, is he not?" Her cheeks flamed. If they only knew.

Pricilla spun back to Essie. "Even Cinderella would marry him."

Cinderella had no idea how to comment to a statement such as that and let it go, swallowing a groan.




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