Cinder by J.E. Taylor

Author:J.E. Taylor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fairy tale, Cinderella, romance, hope, abuse
Publisher: JET-Fueled Fiction
Published: 2018-03-13T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Misty was barely winded when we pulled up in front of the castle. I tied her in a free spot at a water trough between two stallions that were draped in their owners’ crests. I ran my hands through my hair to free the knots that had formed and climbed the stairs.

A guard stood watch at the door, and he looked down his nose at me. “You are late.”

I nodded as heat filled my cheeks, and I gave him my best curtsy. “I’m sorry, sir, but I had some difficulty escaping from my home to come this evening.”

His eyebrows rose. “Escaping?”

“Yes. My step-mother forbade me to come tonight.”

His features hardened. “The king’s message was not clear?”

“No. The message was clear. She does not know I am here, sir, and she is likely to cause a scene when she sees me.”

His lips twitched before he set them into a rigid line. “You name?”

“Elle Seeley.”

The guard pulled a small scroll out of his pocket, glanced at it, and nodded. He opened the door, waving to one of the footmen inside. “Charles will escort you to the ballroom, my lady.”

The footman led me through a maze of halls and finally opened the doors to the ballroom. I stood at the top of a grand staircase, scanning the massive crowds of finely dressed maidens. Prince William stood to the side of his father in a receiving line. He smiled politely and kissed every hand that was offered, but I saw the dullness in his eyes, even at this distance.

A murmur ran through the crowd, and the prince looked up. He dropped the hand he was kissing the moment our eyes met. He cocked an eyebrow, and his polite smile morphed into the genuine grin I had seen the day he challenged me to a rock-skipping contest.

The woman in front of him turned towards the stairwell. The movement pulled my gaze from Prince William’s, and I shivered as Lady Githa’s glare met mine. When the prince stepped out of the receiving line, Lady Githa turned and marched towards me at a pace that was twice as fast as William’s. She reached me first and grabbed my upper arm, trying to drag me back up the stairs.

I yanked my arm from her grip and raised an eyebrow. “Do you really want to be caught defying the king’s orders?”

Lady Githa paled.

We both turned as the prince approached. Lily was a few paces behind him, but she wasn’t looking at the prince. She was looking at me with wide wonder-filled eyes and a broad smile, which only served to infuriate Lady Githa more than she already was.

Lady Githa turned the same shade as her red dress.

I stepped down to the first landing and met Prince William halfway. He smiled and took my hand, formally kissing it like he had done to the procession of women in the receiving line. However, his lips lingered on my skin, creating a pleasant web of anticipation inside me. I wondered how his lips would feel on mine instead of the back of my hand.

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