The Slipper and the Rose fic: Making History (mild het)
Title: Making History
Author: Dimity Blue
Rating: All
Genre: gen, het (kissing), missing scene, romance,
Characters: Cinderella, Edward, John, the King of Euphrania, the Lord High Chamberlain
Word Count: 1,080 words
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Spoilers for The Slipper and the Rose (1976)
Read under the cut or on AO3.
Making History
by Dimity Blue
Cinderella stared down the aisle and felt her knees tremble. She'd never been so wickedly disobedient before. Even defying her stepmother and going the ball had been nothing to this. After all, her stepmother had never actually said Cinderella couldn't go to the ball, therefore attending the ball wasn't actually disobedience.
This, however, was nothing but disobedience and Cinderella couldn't argue her way out of that. The King had had her exiled so his son would marry a princess of blood royal (as opposed to a pretend princess whose dress and slippers were made of magic). And there the Princess was - up at the altar along with her royal father and the royal groom Cinderella was about to claim.
For Edward was hers. Cinderella's. He didn't belong to some Moravian princess whose lineage was longer than her dress. He belonged to Cinderella just as she belonged to him. Her fairy godmother had said so, and who was Cinderella to disagree?
A trumpet sounded: loud and defiantly triumphant in that solemn cathedral where history had been made and would be made again.
There was an approving nod from her fairy godmother, and Cinderella clasped her bridal bouquet tightly and stepped forward.
Ahead of her, at the end of that terrifyingly long aisle, Cinderella could see Sir John leaning in to whisper to Edward. She could also see the appalled look the Lord High Chamberlain was giving her. Then Edward turned.
Cinderella knew the second he saw her. His gaze softened, the resigned acceptance melted into warmth, and he left his royal bride to be and went to greet Cinderella. She couldn't help but smile, and her arms opened to welcome him. Cinderella could hear the uproar but it was hard to think of anything with Edward holding her, kissing her.
Finally, he lifted his head. "I won't give you up - not again." His mouth set in a stern line; she'd never seen him look so resolved before.
She wrapped her hands around his and held on tightly, hoping fervently that he could keep his word. The King, the Queen, and the Lord High Chamberlain had to be hating her now, but she couldn't regret anything if it kept her by Edward's side.
"Sire." Sir John was at their side. "I'm to escort you both to the vestry."
Edward's mouth tightened again but he nodded and slipped his arm around Cinderella's waist. As they were led away, Cinderella looked for her fairy godmother but that lady was following the royal monarchs and was far out of Cinderella's reach. Cinderella's heart sank. Despite her fairy godmother's magic and Edward's resolve, she was sure she was destined to end the day with a broken heart.
"I shouldn't have come."
The door swung shut, leaving them alone, and Edward's arm tightened around her. "Don't say that - never say that. Just seeing you again is a gift I didn't expect and can't regret."
Cinderella felt her eyes fill with tears, and she buried her face in his shoulder. The royal insignia on his cloak pricked at her face and reminded her of everything that stood in their way. If only Edward had been a servant, she thought, how easy it would have been. No royal obligations - just two servants who loved each other.
"I can refuse the marriage. I doubt the lady will wish to marry me now!"
"Oh, Edward!" Cinderella raised her head as the Lord High Chamberlain's warning sounded in her memory: War and destruction. If Euphrania fell, it would be her fault. "I shouldn't have come. The Lord High Chamberlain told me Euphrania needs this alliance and I...I ignored it because I want you." In truth, she hadn't even given it a thought once her fairy godmother had said it was her wedding day and the prince was marrying the wrong girl.
"It won't come to war! Father won't allow it. We're not without influence and power." Edward's hands clasped hers again; they were strong and warm and reassuring. "I won't allow it! I'll do anything but give you up."
Cinderella stared at him. She felt as though she was seeing clearly for the first time. All Euphrania had to offer was its Prince. Dearest, wonderful Edward who could win the heart of any princess and secure a strong alliance to protect his country. Without him, Euphrania had nothing.
She opened her mouth to speak, to explain why she'd have to leave again and hope the Lord High Chamberlain had enough diplomatic charm to persuade the insulted Princess and her parents to follow through with the marriage and the alliance. If she was honest, she wasn't doing it for Euphrania... She was doing it for Edward, so he'd never have to go to war to keep their country safe. And she was doing it for herself, so she'd never have to see him go to war.
Before she could say a word, the door opened and the King was there.
Cinderella's heart sank, and so did she into a low curtsey.
"Father -"
"Edward, it's all arranged. You can thank your cousin for saving us."
"Saving... Montague? I don't understand." Edward sounded as confused as Cinderella felt.
The King took Cinderella's hand and smiled at her - far more kindly than she could possibly have expected. "Well, you've given us a lot of trouble, haven't you?"
Cinderella felt tears fill her eyes. "Your Majesty -"
"Now, now, no tears. We were all young once. And you, my boy... Well, you can be as thankful as I that the Princess Charlotte has er...rated Montague's charms more highly than yours." The King's eyebrows seemed to find that surprising. "Now, everyone out there is waiting for a wedding, and we can't disappoint them. I think you'll find a few people have changed seats. My dear, I hope you'll accept my Lord High Chamberlain escorting you to the altar? Come along, Edward, don't dawdle! You'll see her again in a minute."
As the Lord High Chamberlain took her arm to escort her to the narthex, Cinderella whispered to him, "I'm so sorry!"
He smiled, a genuine smile this time, with no sadness in his eyes. "Don't be. The alliance will be made. The lady, your relative..?"
"My Godmother." Cinderella left out the fairy part; who knew how the Lord High Chamberlain would react to that?
"Ah. The lady was most persuasive."
The wedding march began and Cinderella stepped forward. This time her knees didn't tremble at all.
The end.
5th February 2022.
Author: Dimity Blue
Rating: All
Genre: gen, het (kissing), missing scene, romance,
Characters: Cinderella, Edward, John, the King of Euphrania, the Lord High Chamberlain
Word Count: 1,080 words
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Spoilers for The Slipper and the Rose (1976)
Read under the cut or on AO3.
Making History
by Dimity Blue
Cinderella stared down the aisle and felt her knees tremble. She'd never been so wickedly disobedient before. Even defying her stepmother and going the ball had been nothing to this. After all, her stepmother had never actually said Cinderella couldn't go to the ball, therefore attending the ball wasn't actually disobedience.
This, however, was nothing but disobedience and Cinderella couldn't argue her way out of that. The King had had her exiled so his son would marry a princess of blood royal (as opposed to a pretend princess whose dress and slippers were made of magic). And there the Princess was - up at the altar along with her royal father and the royal groom Cinderella was about to claim.
For Edward was hers. Cinderella's. He didn't belong to some Moravian princess whose lineage was longer than her dress. He belonged to Cinderella just as she belonged to him. Her fairy godmother had said so, and who was Cinderella to disagree?
A trumpet sounded: loud and defiantly triumphant in that solemn cathedral where history had been made and would be made again.
There was an approving nod from her fairy godmother, and Cinderella clasped her bridal bouquet tightly and stepped forward.
Ahead of her, at the end of that terrifyingly long aisle, Cinderella could see Sir John leaning in to whisper to Edward. She could also see the appalled look the Lord High Chamberlain was giving her. Then Edward turned.
Cinderella knew the second he saw her. His gaze softened, the resigned acceptance melted into warmth, and he left his royal bride to be and went to greet Cinderella. She couldn't help but smile, and her arms opened to welcome him. Cinderella could hear the uproar but it was hard to think of anything with Edward holding her, kissing her.
Finally, he lifted his head. "I won't give you up - not again." His mouth set in a stern line; she'd never seen him look so resolved before.
She wrapped her hands around his and held on tightly, hoping fervently that he could keep his word. The King, the Queen, and the Lord High Chamberlain had to be hating her now, but she couldn't regret anything if it kept her by Edward's side.
"Sire." Sir John was at their side. "I'm to escort you both to the vestry."
Edward's mouth tightened again but he nodded and slipped his arm around Cinderella's waist. As they were led away, Cinderella looked for her fairy godmother but that lady was following the royal monarchs and was far out of Cinderella's reach. Cinderella's heart sank. Despite her fairy godmother's magic and Edward's resolve, she was sure she was destined to end the day with a broken heart.
"I shouldn't have come."
The door swung shut, leaving them alone, and Edward's arm tightened around her. "Don't say that - never say that. Just seeing you again is a gift I didn't expect and can't regret."
Cinderella felt her eyes fill with tears, and she buried her face in his shoulder. The royal insignia on his cloak pricked at her face and reminded her of everything that stood in their way. If only Edward had been a servant, she thought, how easy it would have been. No royal obligations - just two servants who loved each other.
"I can refuse the marriage. I doubt the lady will wish to marry me now!"
"Oh, Edward!" Cinderella raised her head as the Lord High Chamberlain's warning sounded in her memory: War and destruction. If Euphrania fell, it would be her fault. "I shouldn't have come. The Lord High Chamberlain told me Euphrania needs this alliance and I...I ignored it because I want you." In truth, she hadn't even given it a thought once her fairy godmother had said it was her wedding day and the prince was marrying the wrong girl.
"It won't come to war! Father won't allow it. We're not without influence and power." Edward's hands clasped hers again; they were strong and warm and reassuring. "I won't allow it! I'll do anything but give you up."
Cinderella stared at him. She felt as though she was seeing clearly for the first time. All Euphrania had to offer was its Prince. Dearest, wonderful Edward who could win the heart of any princess and secure a strong alliance to protect his country. Without him, Euphrania had nothing.
She opened her mouth to speak, to explain why she'd have to leave again and hope the Lord High Chamberlain had enough diplomatic charm to persuade the insulted Princess and her parents to follow through with the marriage and the alliance. If she was honest, she wasn't doing it for Euphrania... She was doing it for Edward, so he'd never have to go to war to keep their country safe. And she was doing it for herself, so she'd never have to see him go to war.
Before she could say a word, the door opened and the King was there.
Cinderella's heart sank, and so did she into a low curtsey.
"Father -"
"Edward, it's all arranged. You can thank your cousin for saving us."
"Saving... Montague? I don't understand." Edward sounded as confused as Cinderella felt.
The King took Cinderella's hand and smiled at her - far more kindly than she could possibly have expected. "Well, you've given us a lot of trouble, haven't you?"
Cinderella felt tears fill her eyes. "Your Majesty -"
"Now, now, no tears. We were all young once. And you, my boy... Well, you can be as thankful as I that the Princess Charlotte has er...rated Montague's charms more highly than yours." The King's eyebrows seemed to find that surprising. "Now, everyone out there is waiting for a wedding, and we can't disappoint them. I think you'll find a few people have changed seats. My dear, I hope you'll accept my Lord High Chamberlain escorting you to the altar? Come along, Edward, don't dawdle! You'll see her again in a minute."
As the Lord High Chamberlain took her arm to escort her to the narthex, Cinderella whispered to him, "I'm so sorry!"
He smiled, a genuine smile this time, with no sadness in his eyes. "Don't be. The alliance will be made. The lady, your relative..?"
"My Godmother." Cinderella left out the fairy part; who knew how the Lord High Chamberlain would react to that?
"Ah. The lady was most persuasive."
The wedding march began and Cinderella stepped forward. This time her knees didn't tremble at all.
The end.
5th February 2022.