Happily Never After

Happily Never After
(written for the "If the Shoe Doesn’t Fit Contest" December 2007)

The Duke was dozing in the back of the carriage. He startled awake and nearly dropped the glass slipper as the carriage stopped in front of a stately manor. Taking a deep breath, he made his way to the door.

"Your Grace. What an honor!" the Duchess said when he opened the door.

"Duchess, I am here on the Prince's orders. I require a meeting with every young lady in your house." The duke said she he stepped inside.

"Oh yes! Right this way!" She said with an evil gleam in her eye.

Two girls rushed down the stairs, tripping over each other as they went. The Duke sighed in frustration. He needed a nap but knew disobeying the Prince would result in punishment. He hoped this maddening day would be over soon – that he would find the mysterious women with the Prince had fallen for.

"Oh! That's my slipper!" one girl said, tripping on her dress.

"No! That's my slipper!" the other squealed.

"My daughters!" the older woman yelled. "Sit down!"

The two sat in matching high back chairs but squirmed restlessly in their seats.

"Your Grace, may I present, Jasmina and Nicole de Torryn."

"Yes you may. Let's see if this slipper fits." He said, holding the glass slipper on a velvet pillow.

The Duke eyed the first girl, Jamina. She was lovely in her own way, he supposed. Her nose seemed too big for her face and her smile did anything but light up the room. He hoped the Prince would not fall for such a girl, but kneeled to place the slipper on her foot anyway.

The slipper was too small for her manly sized foot. The duke apologized and she pouted with a face that made the Duke flinch. The girl's sister was much prettier to look at according to the Duke. He hoped that the delicate glass slipper would fit her – at least so he could get some sleep.

The slipper fit perfectly.

"It fits!" he exclaimed.

"It fits!" The mother cried. "That is so wonderful!" Her laugh sounded more maniacal then joyous to the Duke's ears.

There was crash from up stairs, that made them all pause in their excitement.

"What was that?" The Duke asked.

"Just one of the servants, nothing to worry about." The Duchess replied nervously.

"Is there anyone else that I should be required to try the slipper on?" The Duke asked.

"No there is no one!" the two sisters said in unison.

"Good. You will receive notice from the Prince in a few days as to what to do. Thank you for your time. Congratulations, my Lady." With that, the Duke left.

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"I can't believe the slipper fit me!" Nicole squealed.

"Yes. Just rub in my face why don't you." Jasmina mumbled.

"Don't be so negative, Jasmina. This will prove good for you too. Now you can have your pick of any noble in the land!" their mother said.

"A noble is nothing compared to the Prince!" she whined.

"Be grateful you get a noble at all with your incisive whining!"

Jasmina flopped back down into her chair to pout.

"Alright Nicole. Why don't you go let Penelope out of her room, so she can help you get ready?" she said handing her daughter a rusted key.

"Do I have to? Can't we just keep her up there?"

"Then who will do your laundry, my daughter? Now go."

Nicole slowly made her way upstairs. When she reached the door to the tower, she hesitated. She hated the tower – it was full of darkness and dank. She took the rickety stairs to Penelope's room slowly, so she wouldn't trip or tear her dress.

Once at the door, she unlocked it and swung the door open. Penelope was crying on the bed.

"He wouldn't have loved you anyway, you're just a servant." Nicole said. "Come with me. You are to help me get ready to meet my husband." She said with a smile.

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Penelope stared after her step sister with a terrible pain in her heart. She had the thought that as soon as the Prince saw Nicole and not her, that he would search for her instead. With that hope in mind, she made her way downstairs, to do what she was told.

She stood there, day dreaming, while Nicole threw clothes into her arms that needed washing and mending. Would the Prince know that Nicole wasn't the one he danced with or the one he couldn't let go of? She prayed he would.

When Nicole was done handing her clothes, she made her way to the wash room to get started. As she scrubbed the lovely dresses, Penelope dreamed of what life would like in the arms of her Prince. Lost in her dreams, one of the dresses caught on the edge of the wash basin, and tore.

"I guess I'll have to mend that one too." She sighed.

When the dresses were washed and hanging on the line, she went back inside to continue with her other chores. She scrubbed the floors in the hall and polished the banister. She checked on the clothes before washing the large windows.

The day passed by slowly, constantly having to redo chores. Her step mother could find a spot a mile away. Penelope was day dreaming too much and wasn't doing her chores perfectly.

After Penelope served dinner, she went outside to pull the clothes off the line. It took the rest of the evening to mend all the dresses, but finally she was done. She hung them up neatly in Nicole's wardrobe, ate a light dinner alone in the kitchen, and then went upstairs to her room.

Once in her room, she could no longer hold back the tears. It broke her heart to think that her Prince might be marrying another. Not just any other, her horrible step sister.

"How could this happen to me? I've done everything they ever asked me." She cried.

A crash echoed in the room. Penelope turned sharply to see what it was. A women stood on what used to the small table under the window. Her dress was very old fashioned. Her gray hair was pulled into a tight bun and she had glasses hanging around her neck. Penelope thought she looked like a grandmother.

"Who are you?" Penelope asked.

"Oh!" she exclaimed "Sorry about the table. I miscalculated my landing!" she smoothed her dress and took a deep breath. "I am your Fairy Godmother."

"I don't understand."

"I'm here to help you, my darling! It's what I do!" she said.

"Help me? Help me what?"

"You don't want to be here anymore do you?"

"No. I don't"

"Well tell me where you'd like to be, and I'll grant you that wish."

"At the castle. To be with my Prince."

"The castle it is!"

A wand appeared in her hand. She waved it dramatically around and said a few words that Penelope couldn't understand. A glow radiated from the end of the wand and traveled into Penelope.

"There you go! Wish granted!" the Fairy Godmother said excitedly.

"Nothing has changed."

"Oh but it will! Magic takes time you know. Just wait you'll see. Tata now!"

The Fairy Godmother tried to leave through the window but hit the wall in her first attempt. She giggled nervously and finally made it out the window and disappeared in a cloud of bubbles.

"That was so odd." Penelope said.

The next morning, Penelope awoke to hear Nicole screaming. She dressed quickly and ran down the stairs to see what was the matter, afraid it was something she had done wrong.

"Penelope there you are! I have been calling for you for an hour now!" Nicole screamed as Penelope made it to the last step.

"I'm very sorry Nicole. What was it that you needed?"

"You are not forgiven, but now that you finally here, I need you to pack up all my things."

"Yes, Nicole."

"And if you have anything, you are to pack too. You're coming to the castle also. I'll need to have my personal servant with me." A wicked smile crossed her face as she stepped out of the room.

Penelope couldn't believe her luck! The Fairy Godmother's magic had worked just as she said! Now the Prince would really know that Nicole wasn't the woman he had danced with at the ball! She happily ran to do Nicole's bidding.

When Penelope was done packing Nicole's things, she was ordered to pack Jasmina's and her step mother's as well. It was mid-afternoon before Penelope was allowed to pack her own things – which weren't much; just a few different dresses – and a worn out book that reminded her of her parents. She packed everything in a small bag and made her way down stairs.

Not knowing how soon they were to leave, she placed her bag by the door, on the opposite side from the others. With no more orders, she stood against the wall and waited – and waited.

Finally, her step sisters came down the stairs in a flurry of lace and elegance. While Penelope had put on her best dress, her step sisters far outshined her. Still she had hope that her Prince would still choose her over Nicole.

All four of them crowded into the carriage the Prince had sent and made their way to the castle. Penelope hardly could contain her excitement. She couldn't wait to see him again. Everything was finally going good for her.

They reached the castle. The Duke met them on the purple carpet leading up the steps to the castle doors.

"Please follow me, Duchess. The Prince is expecting you." He said.

The sisters giggled and followed after their step mother and the Duke. Penelope fell into step behind them, keeping her eyes to the floor. She wanted so badly to look around the great hall again, but as a servant, she knew to keep her eyes to the floor.

"Your Majesties," The Duke said kneeling before the royal family "May I present, The Duchess Torryn and her daughters, Jasmina and Nicole." He said.

"Thank you, your Grace." The King said. "Who fit into the slipper?" he asked.

"I did your majesty." Nicole said stepping forward.

"Wonderful. As the message said, the royal wedding will be held in a few days. The Duke will show you to your rooms."

"Thank you your majesty."

The Duke lead them from the Great Hall to their rooms. Penelope unpacked their things then another servant came to show her the servants quarters.

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"Father that is not the woman I danced with at the ball!" The Prince said. "The servant that was with them is!"

"My son will not marry a servant and that is that!" The King roared.

"I love her Father!"

"Son listen to me. I’m old. I will be gone soon. I want to see my son marry a noble woman before I die. Please just grant me that wish?"

"Father please don't ask me to do this."

"Son, you're the Prince and future King. You can be with whoever you want to be with. But in the eyes of the kingdom, you're to be married to a noble woman. I'm sorry but that's how it is for us."

The King left before the Prince could say another word. He hated his father for doing this to him. Could he marry a woman he didn't love? Pacing in the Great Hall, he didn't notice a servant girl enter the room.

"Prince?" came a soft melodic voice.

"It's you!" the Prince exclaimed. He ran to her, and held tight to both her hands.

"Yes it's me. The slipper fit Nicole. I don't know how that happened."

"I don't either. My Father isn't allowing me to be with you. He says as a Prince, I must marry a Noble woman." He said painfully.

"I understand." Penelope said. "What will you do?"

"I'm not sure. I'm bound to my duty as future King."

"I understand." She said stepping away from him. "I have things I have to do. Congratulations on your engagement, your highness." She curtsied and left the room before he could stop her.

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Penelope held back her tears as she made her way back to the kitchen. Diving into her work, she sailed through the next few days without breaking down. She didn't even flinch when she helped Nicole into her wedding gown.

She was helping to prepare the feast, while the ceremony was going on. Then she helped to serve all the guests at the banquet. Penelope didn't even look at him – she couldn't. She knew that once she did, she would break down into tears. Instead, she continued to do her work as she always had.

Soon after the banquet another servant came to tell her to gather her things. Penelope assumed that she was being dismissed from the castle. Since Nicole had many ladies in waiting now, there was no longer any use to keep Penelope around. She followed the other servant and ended up in another room. The servant smiled sweetly then left the room.

Penelope couldn't understand what was going on. It looked like she was in the King's bed chamber. The gold molding on the walls and the velvet cushions everywhere made her feel out of place.

A large painting on the wall moved and the Prince stepped into the room.

"Your highness. Did you require anything?" Penelope knelt, keeping her eyes to the floor.

"Penelope, you don't need to bow to me. Do you like your room?" The Prince said.

"My room?"

"Yes. You see, I'm the Prince. I can be whomever I wish."

"I beg your pardon?" Penelope was completely confused. Didn't he just marry her step sister a few hours ago?"

"Listen, I married Nicole yes – but only for the sake of my Kingdom. But it's you I want to be with. This is the only way that we can be together."

Penelope stared at him in shock. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She didn't know what to say. What could she say to something like that?

"Listen, I know this isn't exactly what you wanted. It's not what I wanted either. It's the only thing I can think of. Just…Just sleep here tonight and think about it okay? We'll talk about it tomorrow."

"What if someone finds me here?"

"Don't worry. Only I and my most trusted servant, the one that led you here, know the way in. You'll be perfectly safe."

He left without another word. Penelope sat on the edge of the bed, still in shock. Did he even really know what he was asking of her? She was to share him!

She ran to the window and threw it open wide to the fresh night air.

"Fairy Godmother! Where are you?"

A crash sounded behind her. Fairy Godmother and landed on one of the high back chairs.

"You called dear?" she said brushing herself off.

"How is this granting me what I wanted?"

"Well darling, I can't change the natural order of things you know. Royalty don't marry servants."

"Pardon? How can this be happening? This isn't what I wanted!" Penelope sank onto the window seat and put her head in her hands. Fairy Godmother sat beside her and put her arms around the young girl.

"Penelope, dear, just take what you have and run with it! You'll still get to be with your Prince! Be happy with what you have!"

"It's not the same." She whispered.

"I know it isn't. This is the best that I could do. Now, I have other things I have to do. So long. And good luck!"

This time the Fairy Godmother was able to leave without any mishaps. Penelope dressed in her cotton gown and crawled under the silk sheets. As she drifted off to sleep, she knew in her heart, that she would stay.

A few days later was the coronation of the Prince and Nicole as King and Queen. Of course, Penelope could not attend. Although the Prince no longer made her work, she still could not attend the ceremony. She paced in her room, waiting for her lover to come to her. He finally did at the later hours of the day.

She ran into his arms.

"I missed you." He breathed into her neck.

"I missed you too. I hate this - that I only get to see you in secret."

"I know. I'm sorry. Would you like to go back to work, at least to keep you occupied during the day?"

"I'll think about it." She sighed.

"Let's turn in early tonight. I'm exhausted." He said sitting on the couch.

"Rough day?" Penelope gently messaged his shoulders.

"Yes. Nicole is such a wretched woman."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault, love. It's how it has to be. I'm not happy about any of this either." He sighed.

Suddenly Penelope was pulled away from her Prince by her hair. She screamed slightly as she was thrown to the floor.

Nicole stood there, with a knife in her hand.

"Nicole what are you doing in here? How dare you do this!" The Prince yelled.

"How dare I do this? How dare you!" she yelled back. "You're MY husband! I can't believe you would rather be with a dirty servant girl than me!"

"I don't love you Nicole! I only married you because I had to. Now leave, I command you!"

"You don't command me!" she said. She raised the knife above her head and Penelope screamed.

When Penelope opened her eyes again, the Prince was slumped over on the couch and Nicole was hovering over her.

"Now, Penelope. I'm going to leave you alive so that you can feel the pain of losing the man you love." Nicole said. "However, if you don't leave the castle, by tomorrow morning, I'll kill you myself."

Nicole left the room and Penelope crawled to the Prince's body. She cradled him in her arms and cried.

The servant came into the room and stifled a scream.

"Miss Penelope! Are you alright?"

"No. She killed him because he loved me." She sobbed.

"Come we have to get you out of here."

"I don't wish to go."

"But Miss, you have to! The guard will surely blame you for his death! You must escape now!"

The servant dragged Penelope from the room and out of the castle through the servant's entrance. Once outside, the led Penelope a ways down the street before stopping.

"There isn't much more I can do for you. My brother lives in the next village. He can give you shelter and help you to find work. His name is Joseph."

"Thank you for your kindness." Penelope said in a daze.

"You're welcome. Do you need anything for the journey?"

"No. I'll be fine. Go back before you are caught. I don’t want you to get into trouble on my account."

"Good luck to you, Miss Penelope."

Penelope disappeared into the night. No one ever saw her again.