Cinderella: Ninja Warrior (27 page)
Read Cinderella: Ninja Warrior Online
Authors: Maureen McGowan
Tags: #Fairy Tales & Folklore, #Juvenile Fiction, #Adaptations, #Interactive Adventures
F
resh from a glorious warm bath, Cinderella gazed in the mirror at the four hairdressers who worked in perfect unison to pile her hair in soft tendrils. They’d adorned her locks with hundreds of tiny diamonds. The gems had to be enchanted, as she couldn’t see any visible clasps, and when she turned her head under the lights, the diamonds shot reflections of pure light all over the room.
resh from a glorious warm bath, Cinderella gazed in the mirror at the four hairdressers who worked in perfect unison to pile her hair in soft tendrils. They’d adorned her locks with hundreds of tiny diamonds. The gems had to be enchanted, as she couldn’t see any visible clasps, and when she turned her head under the lights, the diamonds shot reflections of pure light all over the room.
Her whole life, she’d envied her stepsisters their freedom and their mother’s love and approval so much more than their beauty and fine things. But seeing herself like this, her skin so fresh and flushed, her hair shimmering as if it were gold and bedecked with diamonds, she was filled with joy. She’d never felt quite so beautiful, so special.
The hairdressers guided her back to the ladies-in-waiting and Cinderella gasped as she walked into Jenna’s dressing room, full of beautiful things. The colors and textures were like spring flowers blooming around her.
“My clothes will be too long for you,” Jenna said as she pulled out a periwinkle blue silk gown and held it up to Cinderella. Jenna shook her head and put it back. “But that’s all right. The palace has several seamstresses on call.”
“Oh,” Cinderella said, “I can sew. No need to bother anyone, and I’ll be very careful to ensure my alterations can be reversed.” She couldn’t bear the thought of ruining her gown.
“Don’t be silly.” Jenna pulled out a gown of such pale coral, it barely had a hint of color. “This one might work. Let’s try it on.”
After Jenna and her two dressing maids helped Cinderella into the gown, Jenna clapped her hands in glee.“His Highness will come running when he sees you.”
Cinderella’s skin crawled at the thought of some man she didn’t know racing toward her—especially if it were for no reason other than her clothing—but she planned to stay away from the ballroom and concentrate on locating Ty.
The fine taffeta gown, trimmed at the bust with rows of tiny pearls, matched her skin tone perfectly. And underneath the skirt were multiple layers of luxurious tulle. She turned and the skirt caught a beam of light. It was as if the fabric itself had been woven from crystals. Cinderella blinked back tears of happiness.
“Now all we need are slippers.” Jenna pulled a pair of delicate pink slippers from the shelf and held them up to the dress but shook her head and said, “No, these are too dark.” She put them back and selected a silver pair encrusted with tiny crystals, then tipped her head to the side. “Not perfect, but I suppose they’ll have to do.”
“They’re wonderful.” Cinderella reached for the shoes, but Jenna crouched down to hold out a slipper for her to slip into.
Jenna stood and stepped back, pursing her lips.“Those will never do.” She turned to the dressing maids.“Her feet are so tiny, even if we stuffed the toes she won’t be able to walk in any of my slippers, never mind dance.” Jenna shook her head. “No cobbler can make slippers in time.”
“I can go barefoot,” Cinderella said. The layers of tulle and taffeta would cover her feet.
“Oh, no.” Jenna shook her head. “We can’t have you go to the ball without slippers.”
Cinderella’s heart sank. She wasn’t going to the ball after all. Just as she was getting used to the idea, it had been snatched from her grasp yet again . . . by something so small as a pair of shoes.
“The royal wizard?” Cinderella gasped. Her nerves had hit their limit, but before she could even consider why Jenna had summoned him, the wizard appeared, dressed in a robe of silver, his black and gray hair flowing all around him, as if he were surrounded by a wind that no one else felt.
“Well, young lady, we finally meet. You did very well today, and I’ve heard so much about you.”
Cinderella started. Who could have been talking about her to the royal wizard? The other wizards on the arena floor hadn’t seen any more of her than he had. It could only be Ty.
“You show great promise as a wizard,” he said. “By the time you’d completed two events, I’d decided I wanted to offer you a position as one of my pupils, regardless of the outcome.”
Cinderella’s heart swelled, but then fell quickly. She still had to cross the huge hurdle of gaining permission from her stepmother or she’d never be able to attend classes. Now that the lessons were within her grasp, Cinderella realized she’d probably been fooling herself thinking her stepmother would just let her go.
It was possible that the royal wizard would have a solution for releasing her entrapment, but with Jenna and her maids present, Cinderella couldn’t tell the royal wizard about the dark spells cast against her. Even if the wizard could counteract the black magic, she could not be responsible for turning her new friend into stone. Perhaps she’d find a way to have a quick private word with the wizard later.
Cinderella realized that while she’d been lost in her own fear, Jenna and the wizard had been talking, staring at her, and she still had no idea why he’d been summoned.
“I know just the thing.” The royal wizard stepped back and lifted his wand, his silver robe shimmering in the light. “Raise your skirt a few inches, young lady.”
Cinderella’s hands trembled as she did as he’d asked, and the wizard shot a ball of light and sparks at her ankles. She sucked in a sharp breath, expecting pain.
But instead, the sparks tickled as they swirled and danced in circles around her feet. Her heels rose, support arrived under her arches, and her feet felt hugged, as if they’d been wrapped in soft, warm cloth. Still, she couldn’t see anything. She pulled the skirt up farther and the light glinted off her feet as if they’d been coated in something shiny.
The wizard stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest. “There. I’m not much with women’s fashion, but I think those are lovely.”
Jenna and the maids clapped enthusiastically. “Oh, how wonderful!” Jenna remarked, hugging the wizard. “Don’t you think so, Cinderella?” She gestured toward one of the full-length mirrors and Cinderella wondered if she could move.
She lifted one foot and was relieved to find it was neither detached from her leg nor anchored to the floor. She stepped over to the mirror, and, gasping, twisted in the light. “What are they made of?” She turned to the wizard, who was looking pretty pleased with himself.
“Glass,” he said, spreading his arms out with a flourish. “ Ta-da!”
“Glass slippers?” Her mouth fell open. “Won’t they break?”
“Not these.” His expression fell with his arms. “You don’t like them?” He turned to Jenna.“I told you I’m not good with this kind of thing.” He raised his wand again, but Cinderella shook her head.
“No, no. Don’t change them. They’re beautiful. And so light and comfortable. I’ve never seen anything so extraordinary.” She twisted her foot in the mirror, marveling at how her feet looked bare, yet were supported up on a heel and protected. They were so much better than anything she could have imagined, and went perfectly with the pale, shimmering gown.
“Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s get you ladies to the ball.” The wizard pivoted, his robe swirling along with him, and strode from the room.
Even from where she stood in the shadows of a side entrance, the ballroom was more spectacular than Cinderella could have ever imagined. Crystal chandeliers filled with thousands of tall tapers hung from the ceiling and the candles’ light bounced off the dozens of gold-edged mirrors scattered about the room. The mirrors also reflected the many fabulous and wonderful colors of the ladies’ gowns. She’d thought she’d blend into the background with her pale dress, but as hard as she’d tried to stay in the shadows and edges of the room, heads had turned her way as soon as she entered.
Cinderella saw Jenna approach, and slipped back out of the ballroom. She didn’t want to be rude, but she needed the time she had to find Ty.
Moving into one of the many rooms between the palace entrance and the ballroom, Cinderella looked up to the ornately carved vaulted ceiling as the sounds of the orchestra drifted toward her.
She’d looked everywhere. She’d circled the ballroom five times, keeping to the edges and studying every male server she spotted. She’d wandered through every corridor she could find, and had asked countless maids and butlers if they knew a messenger named Ty. The palace staff had to be vast, she concluded—not a single one of them had heard of him.
A server with a tray of empty glasses went into a dark corridor she’d not spotted before, so she headed toward it, but turned as she heard the clack of high-heeled shoes behind her.
Her breath caught in her chest. Her stepmother was crossing the mosaic-tiled floor.
Heart sprinting and rising to her throat, Cinderella knew she should run, but her feet wouldn’t move. If only she could melt into the floor, or disappear into the gilded walls to avoid notice.
She braced herself for a tirade, but instead her stepmother curtsied. “Excuse me, miss, could you direct me to the dining hall? I’m seeking my disobedient daughters and if I find them stuffing their faces with food . . .” Her voice trailed off, realizing she’d shared more than she’d meant to, and she smiled in a manner that looked almost polite.
Cinderella decided not to question her good fortune. Perhaps the festivities had put her stepmother into a good mood. “The dining room is just down this corridor.” She gestured in the direction her stepmother should follow. “But I was just there and didn’t see Agatha or Gwendolyn.”
Her stepmother started and her face lit up. “You’re acquainted with my daughters?”
“Of course.” Cinderella looked at her stepmother quizzically. This had to be some kind of cruel trick, the setup for a crushing blow.
“I’m not surprised.” Her stepmother touched Cinderella’s arm with a gloved hand. “Possessing great beauty like your own, I have no idea how the prince will choose between them.”
“Whom am I meant to choose between?” a male voice asked, and Cinderella’s heart nearly stopped.
The voice had come from behind Cinderella, and her stepmother fell into a deeper curtsy, lowering her head, so Cinderella followed suit. This had to be the prince, but his voice sounded oddly familiar.
A pair of simple but finely made black leather shoes came into view and Cinderella tipped her head from her curtsy to let her eyes drift up black trousers to the deep purple velvet waistcoat of a man with a very fine shape. A fine shape, indeed. It was Ty.
“Stand, ladies, please,” he said.
She snapped up. “You. Wha—” She wanted to question Ty, but couldn’t give him away to her stepmother. She knew by now how much he liked disguises, but certainly he’d be in deep trouble if he was caught impersonating the prince. Especially tonight.
“I’m so glad I finally found you,” Ty said with a soft smile on his face as he looked into her eyes. “Have you been avoiding me, Cinderella?”
She sucked in a sharp breath. Ty. Tiberius? No, it wasn’t possible. Just a coincidence. It couldn’t be.
Diverting her gaze from Ty to Cinderella, her stepmother’s respectful expression transformed into one of surprise, then hatred. But just as quickly, she donned her mask of graciousness and turned back to Ty.
“Your Highness, I am so honored to meet . . .” Her tight voice trailed off midsentence as anger strangled her clipped words.
“This is my stepmother, Your Highness,” Cinderella said. She disliked using the formal greeting for Ty, but if he’d fooled her stepmother into believing he was the prince, she might as well keep up with the charade.
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