Chapter 6
Chapter 6
The result, of course, was a perfect fit. Not too big, not too small, not too long, and not too short. The Crystal Slipper slid onto my soot-blackened foot as if it had been custom-made for me.
Rod shot an awkward glance at the Prince.
“Your Highness, are you certain this girl is the one you are looking for?”
My two sisters, who had been rolling on the floor clutching their feet, scrambled over and cried out in unison, “There must be a mistake! She didn’t leave the house last night!”
My Stepmother nodded along.
“Yes, she is my maid. I had her locked in the Cellar all last night; she couldn’t have possibly attended the ball. Your Highness, she cannot be the girl you seek.”
The Prince stared intently at my Stepmother for a moment, then his lips curled into a smile.
“Liars must swallow a thousand needles.
“Rod, go and bring out that box of needles.”
What kind of psychopath carries around boxes of needles? As I watched Rod force silver needles the length of a pinky finger into my Stepmother’s mouth, my legs went weak with terror.
Amidst the ghostly wails and howls of the mother and her two daughters, the guards escorted me into the carriage.
As the wheels began to turn, two guards watched me like hawks, leaving me no chance to escape. Soon, the towering Palace appeared before my eyes.
“My dear Henry, have you found your beloved girl?”
The Queen came out to greet us warmly. When she saw my disheveled, soot-covered state, she froze, a flicker of horror crossing her eyes.
“And this is-”
“Someone, take her away and clean her up.”
The Prince acted as if he hadn’t even seen the Queen, giving orders to his attendants. The Queen hovered around him, prattling on about whether the journey had been tiring, but the Prince remained cold. He waved her away and turned to Rod.
“Get her cleaned up and bring her to see me.”