Chapter 4

Morning found Charles bouncing out of bed. He was going to find a way to see Cinderella again today. She'd drifted through his dreams all night. He quickly prepared for the day. He didn't have any lessons today, so he had plenty of time to track her down.

When he walked out into the common room he shared with Alex, Charles found his friend already working on a large breakfast. "Charles, you're awake! I just received a letter from Duke Zaral. He and his daughter, Isabel, will be accompanying us on our hunting trip today."

"We're hunting today?"

Alex looked at him as though he had two heads. "You planned this trip weeks ago. You talked about it nonstop. Do you suddenly not want to go? You never miss a chance to go hunting. What is happening to you?"

Charles wasn't sure how to answer. He did enjoy hunting, though, so it wouldn't be a bad way to spend the day, even if it wasn't as good as seeing Cinderella. "I just forgot. Don't worry, we'll go hunting! You said Duke Zaral is coming with us as well?" The duke was a little stuffy, but Charles didn't know him very well. Maybe he improved on acquaintance.

"Yes, and bringing his daughter." Or maybe not. Charles felt a burst of anger. Why did noblemen always throw their daughters at him like that? Well, there was nothing he could do but be courteous and distant, as always.

Count Zaral and Isabel were waiting in a carriage in the courtyard when Charles and Alex finished their breakfast. Charles and Alex mounted their horses and the party rolled out the gates towards the forest. Charles had a spot in mind, a small cave they could use for base. It was close to a clearing where he and Alex had had quite a bit of luck in the past.

The trip took over an hour, and by the time they reached the cave, clouds had covered the sun.

"Oh no, it looks like a storm," Isabel said.

"We may have to wait it out here," Duke Zaral said, motioning to the cave.

They unpacked the picnic lunch and laid it out in the cave as wind began blowing through the trees outside. Charles watched with frustration. He didn't want to be trapped in this cave with Zaral and his daughter all day.

Even though Charles could see the wall of rain in the distance, heading towards them, he convinced Alex to go with him on a quick scouting trip.

"I'll go crazy if we have to stay in that cave all day," Charles said when they were a good distance from the cave.

"Come now, Charles. Isabel is a very nice girl. And very pretty, too."

"I already found a girl I'm interested in."

"Really? Why have you not told me about her?"

"I don't know enough about her yet. Her name is Cinderella. I met her the first time I snuck into town. I ran into her again the second time, and the third."

"What does she look like?"

"A good bit shorter than I am with long, blonde curls and warm, brown eyes."

"Did you by any chance tell her your name was Alex?"

"Yeah, I did at first."

"She came to the castle looking for you the other day. She looked really surprised when I told her who I was, then she looked sad."

"She was really angry when she found out. But now she knows my real name."

"And that you're the prince?"

"Well, no, not that. She knows that you and I are friends, though. And that I look like the prince."

"Is she a commoner?"

"I'm not exactly sure."

"Oh, did you hear that?" Alex stopped his horse and pointed to a small clump of bushes.

"What did you hear?"

"Sounded like a fox, I think."

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" The boys took off towards the sound and watched the flash of red fur jump from the bushes and lead them through the clearing and back into the trees.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cinderella looked up. The clouds that had seemed so happy and fluffy at a distance were now dark and ominous overhead. She sped up. She needed to get to Mother and the girls before the storm hit if she wanted any kind of shelter. Besides, she had their lunch. They would not be happy if they didn't get food.

She sighed with relief when she finally reached the clearing above the stream. Pierre was fishing off a rocky outcropping. Jeanne and Catherine were watching her.

"Oh, it's just Cinderella," Jeanne complained.

"We thought you were Prince Charles," Catherine explained. "He's supposed to be out hunting today."

"Well, I have lunch," Cinderella said, carrying the heavy basket to the carriage and setting it on the back. She took the food out of the basket and began setting it out for the ladies to eat. They came and quickly filled their plates, then sat in the carriage to eat.

Once they were full, Cinderella and Pierre finished off what was left. Cinderella made sure Pierre got his fill before she took hers.

While the girls continued looking for signs of Prince Charles in the forest below, Pierre taught Cinderella how to fish. She was just getting the hang of it when Jeanne came up behind her.

"Watch out, Cinderella," she said, bumping into her. Cinderella tripped on the rocks and leaned back to try and rebalance herself. She fell backwards into Jeanne, who stumbled back a bit. Her hat fell off and a large gust of wind carried it across the clearing towards the trees.

"Go get my hat," Jeanne demanded.

Cinderella jumped to her feet and began chasing the hat. The wind kept carrying it just out of her reach. She heard footsteps behind her and looked back to find Jeanne following. "Just grab it already, Cinderella!" Jeanne demanded. "It's not that hard."

"I'm trying," Cinderella panted, running even faster towards the hat. She caught it just as a large flash of lightning split the sky and a rumble of thunder shook the trees.

Suddenly, fat raindrops began splashing down. Cinderella dove into a small hollow in the bottom of a tree and Jeanne followed her in. The two girls squeezed into the shelter until they were completely shielded from the rain. They sat for a while, watching the rain and lightning.

"Oh, this storm is never going to let up! We're going to die out here," Jeanne burst out.

"We'll be fine. Once the storm is over, we'll go back. I can find our way back to the carriage."

"You should go now! Bring Pierre. He can carry me back! I'm too tired to walk all that way! And besides, it's all your fault. We wouldn't be in this mess if you hadn't knocked my hat off."

"Jeanne, it would be smarter for both of us to stay here."

"Go now, Cinderella, or I'll tell Mother that you were too lazy to help me get back!" Cinderella sighed and left the shelter of the tree, plunging into the downpour.

"Stay here, Jeanne. Don't move!" she called, before beginning the trek back to the carriage. She walked as quickly as she dared, only slipping in the mud a few times on the way.

When Cinderella reached the carriage, she found the duchess and Catherine inside. Pierre was under a nearby tree.

"Where is Jeanne?" the duchess called out of the window.

"She sent me back for help. Pierre and I will go fetch her," Cinderella called. "Pierre, are you okay to travel?"

"Of course, m'lady. Lead the way." He followed her back into the trees. When they reached the tree where Cinderella had left Jeanne, they found it empty.

"I left her right here," Cinderella called over the wind.

"Where could she have gone?"

"I don't know. I think I see some footprints that way. We should try to follow them." Cinderella and Pierre struck out after the fading trail. Soon Cinderella had outpaced Pierre. She yelled Jeanne's name as loudly as she could, but she knew Jeanne would have to be very close by to hear her over the storm.

The rain was letting up and the wind was dying down when Cinderella caught sight of a flash of dark red, like Jeanne's gown, in a swampy area covered in tall grasses.

A whinny pulled her attention to a hill across from the swamp, where two men with horses stood. They seemed to be pointing something towards Jeanne. . . guns! The two men were pointing guns at her sister! "Stop!" she yelled.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Charles and Alex looked at each other, then they heard the voice again. "Stop, that's my sister! Don't shoot!" They looked back at the grassy swamp before them to see a head bobbing through the grass.

"They might need help. Let's go!" Charles led Alex down the hill and over the stream.

They walked carefully through the grass until they could see the two girls on a small island in the swamp. One girl was holding the other, who was sobbing. "They almost shot me. They thought I was an animal. Oh Cinderella, do I really look that bad?"

Cinderella? Charles looked more closely. The other girl did look familiar. "It's okay, Jeanne. I'm sure they didn't really see you, probably just the color of your gown. They didn't shoot you. You're going to be okay."

"This is all your fault, you know! Why didn't you come back for me?"

"I did. You were supposed to wait at the tree."

"Well, you were taking a really long time. And where's Pierre? I need him to carry me back. I can't walk anymore. I'm so tired! And I didn't even get to see the prince!"

"You can lean on me for now. Pierre is still back a ways. I'll help you to him." Cinderella put her arm around Jeanne's waist and helped her up. They began walking away, back through the tall grasses. Charles watched with part interest, part disgust. Cinderella had risked her life for her sister, and this was how she was treated? And yet, she had been so patient, and so beautiful, even under a healthy layer of rainwater and mud.

"So, is that the Cinderella you were telling me about?" Alex asked as they returned to their horses.

"Yes. Isn't she lovely?"

"She is. And she must have the patience of an angel to put up with a sister like that."

"I think she is an angel." Charles sighed. "Well, we should probably call off the hunt and return to the castle. Now that the rain has let up, we have no reason to stay."

"You don't want to keep hunting?"

"Alex, my friend, I think one close call is enough for today."