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Cinderella...My Personal Tormentor
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She arrived on our doorstep nine years ago. No sign of where she came from, who had given her away, and how. When I mean no sign, I mean no sign. No tracks, nothing from her, either, since she was fast asleep. Nothing but a single note, not signed, and written in a hasty scrawl. I’ll get to that later. This is the story of me, Anastasia Tremaine, daughter of the late Duke Charles Tremaine. This is how my life changed because of one girl: Cinderella.<><><>
I wake up to the sound of a scream. I scamper out of bed, wide awake and frightened. The scream isn’t repeated, and I’m even more scared. What could be happening in the silence?
“Be brave,” I whisper as I walk out of my door.
I bump into someone as I walk down the hall. I shriek and sob at the same time.
“Anastasia, Anastasia! It’s me!,” daddy says in a comforting voice. My sobs subside.
"What are you doing, you should be stay in your room.” he scolds. “Father, what is going on?” I ask, ignoring his request.
He sighs. “I don’t know, but I’m going to go check. I think it was a false alarm, nothing to be frightened about.” he pauses. “Just in case the guards didn’t take care of it, go back to your room, ok? Promise me.” “I promise,” I say. He nods, satisfied, then dashes off, leaving me to my own devices.
Daddy should know better than to trust me to go back to my room. My curiosity is much too great to leave well enough alone. It was one of the things that mother hoped would disappear as soon as I was older, old enough to be presented in court. “Anastasia, being curious is not a trait a lady should have!,” she would exclaim. That, and the fact that I am intelligent and snobbish. So I play along, let her dress my up in the latest fashion and pretend to listen to whatever she has to say about corsets and this and that.
As I grow older, I’m certain to get married to some rich aristocrat named something or other. I day-dream about escaping this life with some handsome stranger that loves me. Being the daughter of a Duke, that is nearly impossible. Definitely improper. Mother will get me married to someone rich, but I’m not certain about the fact that they will love me. She reassures me all I want that he will love me, but I look at my parents’ relationship and can’t help but wonder.
These thoughts run through my head as I tiptoe down the staircase. The door is open, the moonlight casting shadows. Daddy is at the door, talking to someone. I squint. It’s a maid. They’re surrounded by guards, too. She nods, bobs a curtsy, and then scurries away.
There’s something in Daddy’s arms. I gasp when I realize what it is. It’s a person! Or rather, it’s a girl. She’s a girl. Unfortunately, Daddy hears my gasp and looks up. Not at all abashed, I step out of the shadows.
“Oh, Anastasia, what am I to do with you?,” he sighs. “Who is she?,” I ask, curiously.
He looks at her, as if he forgot she was there. “I don’t know. There wasn’t anyone or anything there. She just appeared. The maid was going to collect a delivery, and she saw her and shrieked in surprise.” I peer at her. She’s sleeping, obviously, and she looks about my age. She’s beautiful, with golden curls. I instantly feel jealous, but I shake those feelings out of me.
“Can she stay with us?,” I ask excitedly. “Now, she probably has a family that is very worried about her,” he chides me. My shoulders slump. It would’ve been nice to have someone to play with. Drizella always acts like she is superior to me, even though she’s only a year older than me. I sigh in disappointment.
Seeing my disappointment, daddy adds, “But she’s going to stay until we find her family.” I jump up in excitement. As I’m jumping, I notice something on the ground. It’s a piece of paper. I pick it up.
“Father, look!” I say. He shifts so he can look at the paper. As he reads, the color drains from his face. I look at him anxiously.
“Is everything okay?,” I ask. “It’s fine,” he reassures me. “Just says what her name is” he adds. “What’s her name?” I ask.
“Her name is Cinderella.”
<><><>
The next few days I would catch mommy and daddy arguing. The doors were always closed, but I caught a few words and phrases like ,”absolutely not”, “she can’t”, and “adultery".
I never did find out what was specifically in that letter, for I knew daddy was lying. In the end, we kept Cinderella. I was excited at first...but when I found out about her true nature…..
Well, let’s just say, things did not turn out good for us.
Love the idea and concept!! One thing though, back then it wouldn't be known as 'cheat' it would be known as 'adultery' - just a side note.
Eммelιɴe wrote: "Love the idea and concept!! One thing though, back then it wouldn't be known as 'cheat' it would be known as 'adultery' - just a side note."Ooops! Thanks, Emmeline!
No! It's fine! We all make those types of mistakes! (Especially me)
OH MY GOODNESS EMMELINE IT'S AMAZING I LOVE IT I LOVE I LOVE IT I LOVE IT!!!!!!May I use this as an official cover?
Sure... I mean, the picture isn't mine (so you can't publish it), but I suppose you could use it!
Yeah I mean if it was mine I'd be all like heck yeah! But, it isn't, so I just wanted to let you know.
Thanks! I tried to draw a picture of her, fill in her features, and put in a colored background but my computer wouldn't let me without making it look weird. So I did try! If you want I could send you the drawing so you could've gotten an idea of what I would've done.
Mod
xD. Sorry I haven't been updating. Just a lot of stuff going on and every time I start writing, it feels choppy ad wrong. Suffering some writers block.
Mod
BAD brain, BAD!
Hello! Very nice idea from the different perspective!
This is really short, but hey, this isn't in chapter format, and historically their way of speech mayhap be a little ahead of the times. I assure you, that will be taken care of when I finish the story. Anyway, I'll post something longer tomorrow, since I'm tired (lazy)Chapter 2
The next year, my father died. The funeral was held not long after that. People from all over the country came. None of them really cared.
I should rephrase that. None of them would cry over him, none of them would feel lonely, and most of all, none of them would miss him like I did. They were only there because of his title. Not because they loved him. Most of them didn’t even like him. Mother just stood still and graciously thanked everyone for coming. I hung on to my older sister the whole time.
Cinderella was crying, too. For some reason, I felt a twinge of anger towards her. She didn’t have any right to cry over him, she had only known him for a year, he would never be her father...and now he was never going to be mine ever again.
As soon as everyone left, offering their condolences, Mother told us three to follow. She did not look happy. I glanced at Drizella, who did not listen and went to the gardens instead. Mother notices, but she keeps walking. As she stops, I see her face. I shiver. I have seen that face, but this is tenfold worse. She’s muttering under her breath, but I’m too scared to be shocked of her breach of etiquette.
Mod
MOREMOREMOREMOREMORE
Mod
+finishes+
+glares at Kamiko's profile picture+
I LOVED IT! Are you going to write more? If not, I might literally die. Yup, death is bound to happen. *Nods grimly* XD Like your work Kamiko!
Thank you so much! I'm procrastinating a lot...I know..so lazy, but this is on hold for now. I'm taking a break from goodreads so I can focus on my stories, and when I come back, I promise they'll be a lot of updates.
“Charles was a fool if he thought we could just take someone like you into our household. You are privileged with the same education, clothes, and you have everything my daughters have, when you are nothing but a lowly peasant.”I blink in confusion. This is not true. Cinderella receives clothes that Drizella and I have already worn. Her chambers are no where near as large as ours. She does get the same education, but she is better at it than me, so she deserves it.
I glance at Cinderella. Her porcelain face is wrinkled in confusion, tears at the corners of her eyes.
Mother smiles maliciously. “You were blessed with all this because of the duke. but people must earn their share. From today, you will work with the servants, obey my commands, and shall move out of your chambers. I think the servants quarters will suite you better.”
My eyes widen. “Mother!”
“Silence, Anastasia. You do not understand.” Her voice is deadly, quiet.
Cinderella is sobbing now. “Please! I don’t want to work and wear servant’s garb! Please! I promise I’ll be good. Whatever I did I promise I will not do it again!” She sounds hysterical.
Hysterical. Such a simple word. I recall when my tutor taught me it.
“A lady may be dramatic, but you may never appear hysterical. A dramatic and tearful lady will garner sympathy, but a hysterical one will gather disdain and distaste.”
“What does hysterical mean?” I ask, interested.
“If you do not know, than do not do it.”
I scoured books, trying to find what it meant. Finally I did, and I never thought I would be able to apply it to any situations.
Mother looks at her in disdain. She must think Cinderella is hysterical, too. Even if it gathers disdain, all I feel is sympathy.
I crouch down towards my sister, that is what she is to me.
“Shh, it will be alright. The servants aren’t so bad, it’s not the end of the world. We can play all the time and have fun. You won’t miss anything.”
She glares at me. “ ‘Tis all your fault. You have everything, yet you still want more. Why? Why can’t I be happy too? Why can I not have fancy dresses and learn to be a lady? I’m more a lady than you ever will be.”
I recoil in shock, backing into my mother’s skirts.
“You filthy, disgusting girl,” she says to Cinderella. “You are nothing but a jealous little girl. That will be enough. I will have the servants prepare your new room. Speak out of turn again and I will make sure your life here will be much worse than you can imagine.”
I’m too numb to hear my mother’s threat. It’s not that I’m disbelieving that she would say those things so much as that her words rung true. She is right, she is more a lady than I am. She is perfect, even at such a young age. I shake my head. She’s just in shock. Father is gone. She has to move downstairs. A tear slips down my cheek.
Mother looks at me.
“You are better than that girl. She is evil, you are good. She is just jealous that she isn’t like you. Do not trust her. She will try to take everything away from you, do not let her.”
With that, she leaves me, standing in the grass, watching as a shadow disappears across the stone wall of the house. My emotions swirl within me as I watch...my mother disappear.
The thing is, that little shadow is exactly that. Little.
I don't know if you guys saw, on the chat page, but I'm leaving discussions for quite a while, maybe a month, hopefully sooner. I love you guys, and I'll miss you dearly. There's just a lot of stuff going on and I need to sort it out. Like I said earlier, I'll be updating more regularly when I get back. If I get rid of my laziness, of course.
Well I can't wait until you figure out all that stuff...So that I may read more of your work ;)But truly, I hope whatever it is, will clear up soon, for your sake as well. I will miss your writing dearly. And your NOT lazy.
Sincerely, Ravanna.
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I'M BACK WHICH MEANS MORE AWESOMESAUCENESS8 years later
"Anastasia! Pay attention! What would your mother say if she caught you disregarding your lessons!?" my tutor scolded me.
"She would not be scolding me in front of everyone because ladies do not speak so loudly." I mutter under my breath, much to Ms. Coraline's annoyance.
"Ladies do not mutter under their breath. They may lower their voices at certain times, but not so low that they will be unheard."
I roll my eyes. It's always ladies this, ladies that. Never what I want. Just what court expects of me. Can they not see that I'm trying my best? All they need to do is take one look at Drizella and see how ladylike I am.
I immediately regret my thought process. It's not Drizella's fault that she is clumsy. No matter how hard we both try, it's never enough for mother. How long will it be before I become completely immersed in a "ladies" thought process? Always judging, never showing weakness.
The only times I enjoy my lessons are when I learn things such as riding on a horse, an the art of subterfuge. Alas, even than, I must learn certain ways and only utilize it as a lady would.
Ms. Coraline sighs. "It's today, isn't it?' she inquires knowingly.
I blink. I try so hard to keep my thoughts away from it. Today was the day my father died. I nod, keeping my face blank.
"Alright, I'll tell the stable boy to saddle you a horse."
My eyes light up and I squeal. "Thank you, thank you!" I hug her, picking up my skirts and running off towards the stables.
This may be the one time where running off hasn't benefited me.
I bump into something, rather, someone. Arms steady me, and I look up, praying that the person I bumped into is not mother. Green eyes stare into mine, and I breathe a sigh of relief. It's a boy, someone a year or two older than me.
Only than do I realize what a compromising position I'm in. I scramble a few steps away, calming my breathing.
I curtsy. "I apologize for obtruding (A/N big word, eh?) your walk, please forgive me. Thank you for saving me."
The boy's eyes crinkle. "None of that fancy talk, miss. I can hardly understand what you're saying."
Only than do I notice his attire. It's not of a gentleman's, his clothes are dirty and that of a commoner's. My cheeks burn with embarrassment. I've heard how the townspeople speak, I must seem like a fool to them.
"Right, of course, sorry." I say quickly.
"No need to apologize, miss." he grins.
"Of course-sor-" I shake my head. "So, who are you?" I ask.
"I'm just a stable hand, " he says, sheepishly.
"Really? Well, I was just on my way to the stables. Please, accompany me."
We trek to the stables, talking all the way. The boy's name is Henry. He came here to earn money for his family, something I admire.
We quickly become friends, we have so much in common. Our love for animals, and learning.
As I dismount from the horse, I notice how he has made me smile for the first time today, on daddy's parting day.
Really short chapter...right? Hehehe...you guys have no idea what I have in store for them.
SO ADORABLEEEE!!!!!!!!I ship me some Henastasia! ;)
AWESOME SHIP NAME. Hehehehehehehe.....can't wait for the next chapters....oh wait....I'm writing them....
Mod
+claps hands importantly+
Boy, get me my footstool, ah thank you
+puts feet up+
+crosses arms+
+waits+
Haha. Maybe tomorrow. I have to go somewhere
*looks around crestfallen*Where is the next chapter?
But, alas, that is not the true story. Of course, she just twisted it to her fancy, making me look like the wrongdoer. Here is the true story, the real story. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll get my own prince, figurative or literal. It’s up to me, the step-sister, right?