Chapter 2 - The Girl Who the Birds Follow

Birds...

Now she hated birds. Daphne wanted to strangle any bird she could catch. Too bad she didn't have the instincts and skill of a cat, so she just couldn't do it. But she tried, no one could tell that she hadn't tried to strangle some birds. Several people could confirm this. And some will say that she has done such a thing, which will only a add to her fame. From now on, she would be Daphne, the evil, bad sister... and birds's strangler.

And birds were beautiful, were fragile. Who would be the hateful girl who got the reputation of strangling them? A horrible person, for sure. No one would say anything against it.

But who could blame her for this thought? She was full of wounds, holes, even small pieces torn from her skin. All this done minutes ago, by those damn birds. Sent and obedient to Cinderella. The same one who ran toward the carriage when she reached the mansion.

And the sight of a beautiful child (something that was noticeable even in the distance they were) surrounded by birds should be the warning that something wouldn't go well from now on. But beauty blinded people, and didn't make them see what was right in their face. The mansion, the servants, the property, all lovely. A girl who was followed by birds, was only one of the beauties that would be part of her life from now on.

"Dad! Dad! Daddy!" She cried as she approached the carriage. Although she screamed, her voice was melodious, pleasant to hear.

When he saw the girl approaching, the Viscount soon got out of the carriage and ran to meet her. He did this while the carriage was moving, guided by a jack. As it was pulled by four horses, the speed of the vehicle was fast, causing him to hurt his foot when he left. Since he didn't explain anything to the women who were with him, such a reaction made a bad impression on them, even unintentionally.

Nothing truer than to claim that no one likes to be completely abandoned by someone. Abandoned without a word of explanation, or consolation. Being that beautiful girl the daughter of the Viscount or not, the other girls with whom he spoke that he would be their new father on the day of the marriage were in that carriage. His new wife, whom he promised to care for and respect on the day of their marriage, was also there. And the three were left without a word.

Of course they would understand how much a father feels for his daughter. They were human, and the girls had a father once. The Baron's son was rather a sick man, but he was a good man, and above all a good father. He didn't despise them for being girls, much less regretted having them. As much as some relatives had a dislike particularly for Cordelia because of what happened during her birth, he had a special affection for her, for being the youngest. Even if she wasn't so much younger than Daphne.

So the problem was not the girl, the father, the yearning, the encounter. But what all of this made them feel.

Moreover, as Ursula even began to teach her own daughters everything she thought necessary for their lives, the attitude of their new patriarch made the three of them apprehensive. What would be their place in that family.

They had no unsupported hopes. He married his new wife to give a mother to his daughter, left by his last wife, who died days after childbirth. They knew that this man loved his daughter enough to decide to marry not to have an heir, but to give a mother to her. His daughter, Cinderella, entered the stage where she was already starting to be a young girl. She was still a child, but also noblewoman, which made everyone pay more attention to her and her actions, and now they could no longer use the excuse that she was a baby for any mischief.

So, she would be old enough to learn to read, and his father believed in education for girls, to the delight of Daphne and Cordelia. Both would benefit from how his father pampered their new sister. And it was because of them that the Viscount married his mother.

Daphne had the same age as Cinderella, and Ursula almost lost her life at the birth of Cordelia. Both girls were polite and well-presented despite the misadventures they experienced. This mother protected her daughters like an eagle from her own kin. In his view, they would be perfect to be part of his family. The new protective mother who did everything for her daughters. The educated sisters with similar ages to his daughter. It was exactly what she needed.

A few minutes later, the carriage arrived in that heart touching scene. The girl, crying with joy in the arms of her father, who also almost cried. The birds, which flew around and also lodged in the trees nearby, were pounding as if celebrating something. If they paid more attention, they would see some grunts coming from the grass, which was also moving. And at that distance, they could see the girl better.

Cinderella was indescribable. Silky blond hair, blue eyes, slender body, even for a child. All her features, even reddened by crying, were attractive. Her cheeks looked so red they should have a rosy hue even when she didn't cry. And everything was crowned with her clothes, too luxurious for a girl of her age.

Daphne and Cordelia have never seen such a beautiful and sumptuous child, and her figure in the midst of that bird feast was enough to charm her. But the same didn't happen to Ursula.

This woman wasn't a novice. Managed to keep her and her daughters healthy and up to date, also with their reputations intact. Still, she managed to get out of a bad situation, elevated her status to Viscountess and give a new father to her daughters, in an age in which many wouldn't accept to raise the daughters of other men. She was lucky, but also had some skills.

"Girls, get ready!" She said in the carriage. "We're going out now and you're going to be introduced to your new sister. And some of our new servants will be watching. Remember what I taught." When she realized that the girls were with their heads in the sky and beyond, she repeated, this time more harsh. "Do you remember how I told to behave in our new home?" They both nodded, but it was still not enough for Ursula. "What did I tell you?"

"That we should be educated and obedient children." They said it in tune.

"What should you do when you meet your new sister for the first time?"

"Make a bow and introduce us."

"And be very polite! In the same way you taught us the whole way. Lift our skirt a little, have a little smile on your face and always talk in the most pleasant way possible. With a straightened back! Always with a straightened back!"

"Yes, that's what you should do. And then?"

"We must continue to be educated and refined." Daphne replied, as if she were on an oral test and was afraid to give the wrong answer. "We must remember that our new father, our new sister, and the servants will all be watching us."

"Yes, Daphne. But, Cordelia, why should you do that?"

The girl took a while to respond. "Because nobody knows us. And if we're well-educated, everyone will think we're educated. But if we are messy, everyone will think we are messy. If we're bad girls, everyone will think we're bad girls. If we go..."

"Yes, Cordelia, that's why. Always remember this: you should always make a good first impression for everyone. The most important thing you have is your reputation. And if you want to have a good reputation, the impression you leave on people is one of the most important things!"

Ursula was pleased with her daughters, until Daphne asked:

"We are now the daughters of a Viscount, you said that to us the whole way. But what about this girl? It looks like she is our sister Cinderella. She doesn't seem polite, or refined, or obedient, even though she is the legitimate daughter of a nobleman. She's very pretty, but..."

"Let's leave it for later."

Then they all got out of the carriage and presented themselves with full formality to Cinderella. The contrast between her and those two girls could not be greater.

Cinderella was beautiful, she had birds singing around her, a cheerful, childlike aura. Daphne and Cordelia, no matter how well dressed they were, couldn't even be compared to her in terms of beauty. They weren't ugly, and some might consider them pretty, but not when they were close to Cinderella. And the level of education and refinement they presented with only little more than half a decade of life seemed like it would never have been seen in the other girl in her entire life.

And Cinderella was so vivid, so captivating, so...Beautiful! She won the hearts of all the servants since her birth. And when compared to the courteous behavior of the new women in the family, all they presented were false and rigid, creating a different impression than Ursula expected.

That woman didn't say anything at the time, but she had a bad feeling. She did not know what, but there was something wrong with that picture. With that girl.