Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
CYPRIEN
Irushed through my chores the morning of the ball, making sure there would be no reason for Octavius to prevent me from attending. Breakfast was perfect, lunch was outstanding, and the animals had been fed and the fields checked. He had no reason to rescind my invitation.
As evening approached, I cleaned myself up and helped my stepbrothers get dressed in their costumes, a torturous endeavor as every pleat and fold of fabric had to lay just so.
It took nearly an hour to get their masks polished to their liking.
With Sebastian in his wolf costume and Stefan dressed as a dragon, the race was on to make myself presentable.
The carriage was being prepared and was expected to be ready in half an hour.
I ran up the stairs and burst into my room, panting and sweating nervously. Bowie, Chuck, and Lila were there, already chittering annoyingly at me. “I know, I need to get ready. It won’t take long, I promise.”
Each of them pulled an article of clothing over as I began changing. In minutes I was fully disguised, head to toe, as a magician. I adjusted some final touches then raced down the stairs, barely making it in time to join my stepfamily.
As soon as Stefan and Sebastian saw me, they snickered and gestured quietly to each other.
Only moments passed before they began to make fun of my patched up, out of season clothes and howled with laughter at the idea that I even thought I could attend the ball.
In a small voice I murmured, “Stepfather said I could go if I did my chores and had a costume.”
After so many years of their cruelty, I really should have expected what was coming, but damn my nature to see the best in people.
The laughter turned to rage, and they began tearing at my clothes.
In seconds, all of my effort was for naught, my clothes hanging in tatters off my body.
Sebastian pushed me to the ground, and Stefan kicked me a few times for good measure.
Octavius only watched with an amused sneer on his face.
Both of my stepbrothers spat on me, then the three of them loaded up into the carriage and were carried off into the night.
I could only curl up on the cobblestone and give into body-shaking sobs.
I was so caught up in my self-pity that I didn’t notice the mist forming in the air around me.
A noise caught my attention, and I raised my head from where it rested on my arms. When a figure stepped out of the aforementioned mist, scepter in hand, I sat up and rubbed my eyes furiously.
Surely I was hallucinating. The mist spread across the yard, then imploded back upon itself leaving an androgynous individual dressed in a sparkling gown, disapproval evident on their face.
“Get up from there, we do not have time for tears!” the intruder snapped.
I glared at the figure, tears streaking my face. “Who the hell are you? Did my stepbrothers hire you to humiliate me further?”
“Don’t be an idiot,” they responded with an eye roll. “Those simpering man-children could never afford me. Now get up! We have work to do if you’re going to that ball tonight.”
“If I’m going to the ball?” I sputtered. “Wh-what do you mean? I am clearly not in any shape to go to the ball. They saw to that.”
“Of course you aren’t! Not like that.” The being gestured vaguely at me. “I’m here to get you ball-ready.”
“Why? Who are you?”
“Who am I? Who am I? I’m your Fairy Godparent.” They flourished the sentence with a dramatic wave and a bow.
With an incredulous look on my face, I pulled myself to my feet and squared up with them.
“You expect me to believe in fairy tale bullshit and magic? After everything I’ve been through?
” I scoffed. “Fairy Godparent, as if I could believe that even for a moment. The last few years of my life have been pure hell! Why show up now? Where were you when I needed you the most?”
“I expect you to believe in it because of everything you’ve been through.
I expect you to want your happy ending! I don’t expect you to be grateful for my help, but I expect you to want to dig yourself out of this life they’ve trapped you in.
I couldn’t help you before, as badly as I would have liked to.
My magic has rules and boundaries. But I’m here now, and your life is about to change… for the better.”
I sat back on the ground with a heavy flop and raked my hands through my hair. “Okay, say I believe you. What can you do that will help me out of all of this? Forgive me, but I don’t see how going to the ball is going to truly be of any help.”
Fairy Godparent crouched down in front of me in their elegant dress and ridiculous heels, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look them in the eye.
I tried to jerk away, but their grip was too strong.
I could feel the age and power in those eyes, like the weight of eternity.
Neither of us spoke for a moment, and tears ran freely down my dirt stained face as I tried to wrap my head around the fact that this…
person before me truly intended to help me.
Hope finally dawned in my eyes, weak but it was there nonetheless.
The tears slowed, then stopped after an innumerable amount of time passed between us.
Stars were born and died while we stared at each other, and I felt each celestial lifecycle as though it were my own.
“Now that I have your attention,” Fairy Godparent started, releasing my jaw and standing in one fluid motion. “Are you ready to put some faith in me and start your path toward a happy ending?”
Dizziness from what had just passed between us washed over me as I pulled myself back to my feet.
I looked at the ground as time spun around me until I was back in the present.
Doubt warred with hope within me, my soul hoping for freedom while my mind tried to drown it with every bad thing that had happened or could happen.
I pondered what to say, silence stretching between us.
I looked Fairy Godparent in the eye once more and blurted the first thing that came to my mind.
“Do you have a real name or am I to call you ‘Fairy Godparent?’ I feel we shared too much just now to be so formal.”
They twitched slightly before responding. “I once had a name, but that was long ago, before I became who I am now. Someone I helped a number of years ago called me Sage, you can use that if you’d like.”
“Thank you, Sage.” I tried the name out and dipped into a bow. “Where do we start?”
“Well, first we need to get you cleaned up,” Sage stated, gesturing over me with their wand.
There was a swirl of twinkling magic and when it passed, I was naked in the cool night air.
With nothing more than a squeak, I covered my crotch with my hands.
More magic tingled over my nude form, scrubbing me clean from head to toe.
Just when I thought it was finally over, Sage gestured with the wand again and a more targeted attack of magic started.
First there was a tingle, then a soft burn in my ass.
I jumped and yelped, dancing around for a moment as the magic faded.
A glare ran across my face and I patted my ass as though that could take the weird feeling of a magical enema away.
“Just what the fuck was that?” I squealed shrilly. “You just violated me with your magic!”
A slight grin lifted the corners of Sage’s mouth, one they tried to–poorly–disguise as a cough. “When I said we needed to clean you up, I meant all of you. Which reminds me…”
They gestured with their wand again and my mouth began to tingle. I sputtered and spat through the mystical tooth brushing. Sage clapped their hands together and smiled. “Now for the fun part!” they exclaimed with a delighted laugh.
“The fun part?” I was suspicious.
Sage’s smile widened and they waved their wand at an empty space on the lawn in front of me. The air crackled with magic and humanoid figures bled into existence. I gasped and backed away, unsure of what I was looking at. Three undressed mannequins stood before me, almost glowing in the moonlight.
“And now, the costumes!” Sage practically cackled, thrusting their wand toward the mannequins.
Magic exploded against the figures, painting them in colorful fabrics and elaborate masks.
One was a beastly creature with horns and fur, clothes coming apart at the seams. The second was a noble person in a white wig and filigreed masquerade mask.
Then there was the third, something I had only seen in my father’s old books–a gladiator, complete with a magnificent shield, sword, and fine boots.
Once the glow of magic faded, I approached the dressed mannequins, marveling at the detailed costumes on their cold frames.
Everything was so finely made. The masks were real gold and ivory, encrusted with jewels and tied with silk.
I studied every gilded stitch, every inch of silk and leather, every perfectly cut gemstone, in awe at the quality of the materials and their make.
Sage tapped their foot impatiently as I continued my study of the costumes.
“Are you going to stare at them all night or do you intend to choose one? We must get you to the ball, and quickly.”