Tainted Ashes: Cinderella by Laura Greenwood

Author:Laura Greenwood [Greenwood, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-01-15T10:15:22+00:00

Chapter Eleven

I pinned the last strand of my hair into the fancy up-do I'd created for myself and took a deep breath. This was it. There was no more wasting time. I had to go into the ball and find Raynor in an attempt to stop whatever the Duchess had planned. When put like that, it seemed like a rather simple thing to achieve, but I knew that wasn't going to be the case. It would be a gruelling few hours until the ball wound down around midnight.

And it was only going to get harder with each minute longer it took me to find the Prince.

Dart chirped from beside me.

"I know," I assured her. "I need to get going. But how do I look?" I did a twirl, letting the soft grey fabric swish around my lower legs. In hindsight, perhaps I should have put more thought into which dress I picked, as this one wasn't going to be any good if I had to run anywhere.

It was beautiful, though. With my hair pinned back, the dress gave me an elegant silhouette which would be striking once I reached the ballroom.

Dart whistled, which I assumed was a good thing.

"Time to get going, then?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Why don't you go and try to find the Duchess, I'll go find the Prince?"

She cocked her head to the side in an expression I could only describe as disbelieving.

"I know, I'm sorry. I know she's no fun. But if she recognises me before I get the Prince's protection..."

A tiny ring of smoke escaped from Dart's nose. I was reasonably certain it meant she agreed with me. My theory was proven a moment later when she lifted herself into the air and flew off in the direction of the main hall.

I stowed the bag with my previous dress, cloak, and boots, under one of the wooden seats in the cloakroom. I was lucky no one had come in while I was changing and getting myself ready, or I'd have had some awkward questions to answer. I needed to be back here before midnight to collect my things and set off home before the Duchess did. Unless everything went to plan and I ended up helping the Prince. Perhaps then, I wouldn't have to return to the castle. I certainly didn't want to if I didn't have to.

The music grew louder the moment I left the cloakroom. I let the upbeat melodies guide me towards the ballroom. If I was here under different circumstances, I might have been excited. This was the first time I'd ever attended a noble function.

If times had been different, perhaps this would still have been my first, but I'd have been introduced to the society by my Father. A young man, perhaps the Prince, would have asked me to dance. I'd have drunk too much champagne, and made myself dizzy with the dancing.

I paused at the thought. Why would the circumstances have been different enough to have allowed that? I was

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