#2 - Acts of the Servant in-Law

Princess Cinderella woke up in from her sleep. Her eyes still weary from the nightmare she just had. It was a nightmare that was an evil's passion to give. She dreamt that she was in the arms of a beautiful woman. She felt like a child in that dream.

Then she dreamt that she was carried to a blackness that she could not comprehend. It wasn't death. No, it wasn't death. Somehow, she would have recognized death had she seen or felt it. But rather, this blackness was that of a cleansed void.

That was her first dream.

*

Blackness will always be there. It is the color of cleaness. It is the base color of all things. Not white as everyone had always imagined it to be. You scrub the world clean, and all you get is what it all is. Blackness. That is the root, the core, of all things.

To build a new world above a black land is the only way one can cover the evil that makes this world.

A carpet of light. A carpet of colors. A carpet of joy.

And on the carpet you place the golden chairs, the marble table, the silver shelf. On the chair you place a cushion, covered in silk. On the table you place porcelain teapots, saucers, and cups. On the shelf you put pictures of many good things.

Then on the cushion you seat a person. In the teapot you place tea-leaves and hot water. Beside the shelf you place little crystal figurines.

That is why you are alive and that is why you are. To make the world beautiful.

And that was her second dream.

*

"Who are you?"

"I am the Godfather of Fairies, and I am your protector."

"Where is Godmother?"

"You and I both know that the Godmother is but a pawn on your board of black of white."

"I do not know what you mean."

"Whilst you were the step-daughter of your wretched family, you were non-existent. You wanted the world to be on your toes. You then proceeded to, in your free time at night, in the minutes before you fell asleep, conceived of a sinister plan to enter the royal courts to gain power, and more power. With the aid of the Fairy Godmother, you have indeed managed to as it were, place yourself on the chess board. However, enlisting her aid meant that you are on the white side of the board."

"How do you know of these things?"

"I am more powerful than your precious Fairy Godmother."

"I've never heard of the Fairy Godfather. I didn't know Godmother was married."

"I am not the Fairy Godfather. I am the Godfather of Fairies. I am the Godfather of ALL fairies, including your Godmother."

"Okay..."

"I can help you be on the black side of the board."

"Where did you come from?"

"The black side of the netherworld."

" I thought the netherworld is always black."

"Silly assumption."

"Why would I want to be on the black side of the board?"

"Because that's where worlds are built."

And that was her third dream

*

She held a baby in her arms. The father's head is caught in the wheel on the deck. The baby is bleeding from his neck down. The ship is rocking wildly.

Blood is everywhere. All the sailors are dead.

She has nowhere to run. She has nowhere to swim.

The baby's white dress is smeared with blood. Her father's head is mashed potato.

The sun is shining brightly upon them.

The baby isn't crying. The baby isn't crying. The baby is only wriggling very very softly. The senses has left the baby. Her eyes are closing into a deathly sleep.

The mother held the baby in her hands. She doesn't know what to do. They are both dead.

The wild half-women half-fish monsters are circling the ship, tearing shred after shred of wood away. Those creatures with the face of angels and the heart of hyenas killed everyone.

Or rather, one is dead, and the other is dying.

All is lost. She is removed from the board again.

No king. No heir.

The baby is dead. So is the father. I am all that lives.

The baby has stopped moving. The sun is still shining. Her blood is cold. It is sticky, and cold.

And that was her fourth dream.

*

You must do what you must, Princess, or you will never realize your ambition.

Do what?

You know...

And that was her fifth dream.

*

Princess Cinderella rode out of her castle into the nearby village with two armed guards, and they rode in the drizzle.

As they approached the old village where the lower-middle class peasants lived, Cinderella slowed, looking intently at the run down houses that she passed by.

"Where are we heading to, Princess?" asked one of her guards.

"I'm looking for a family," answered Cinderella.

"Is it the one where you came from?" asked the other guard of hers.

"No. It's just the one where I was held hostage for years. Yes. That family."

"Yes, Princess."

*

The King paced the living room slowly, while the Prince sat and observed his father as he spoke.

"I find Cinderella rather... disturbing, son. Are you sure you married the right woman?" The King asked.

"Why do you ask that, father?"

"She has been rather... reserved ever since she moved into the palace. I am concerned that she is not as lovely as you have imagined her to be," explained the King.

"And what would you have me do if she indeed is not the best girl in the world? Would you have me kill her and marry another?" asked the Prince sarcastically.

"Silly boy, of course not. I'm just expressing my concerns."

"I admit she is rather silent, and her ways are sometimes beyond my understanding. But she has never... usurped me, or you. If that is what you are trying to imply."

"No, no. Of course not. Have the two of you discussed children?"

"No, we have not. I would think when it happens, it'll happen."

"These things need planning, son."

Just then, a palace servant entered the hall and whispered into the King's ear. The King then said to the Prince, "Aurora is here with Winter. She'll be living with us for a while until her husband returns from his travel to Emerald City."

"Then I must go and welcome my sister. It is good news indeed that she has arrived here safely," replied the Prince as he motioned his father and the servant to the door.

*

Cinderella ordered her two guards to wait at the crossroad while she travelled further downhill to where her stepmother lived.

*

"Do you think it's wise for us to have children? Cinderella?"

"Why are you suddenly asking me this, my love?"

"Just thinking. Can't we talk about things?"

"Of course we can. But I suppose it's not the best time yet. We're both still rather young."

"Alright... But we can still do our thing at night right?"

"Yes of course. But not tonight, really. I have a headache."

*

Cinderella closed the doors behind her as she entered the house where she once lived. She can hear the soft giggles of her stepsisters somewhere behind. She could not make out what they were talking about, for the sounds of the drizzle clouded her hearing. They were in the kitchen, probably. Cinderella sat down on a chair in the little living room, and waited in the grey light.

Then the stepsisters came out and saw Cinderella. The first sister was holding a basin. The second sister was carrying a bucket. The third sister was holding a tray with fried fish. They saw Princess Cinderella. The three of them froze and stared at Cinderella.

"You're supposed to kneel before royalty," commented Cinderella.

"Kneel before you? Princess or not, you're still our step-sister. Our stupid little stepsister," replied the eldest of the sisters.

"Really?"

At the moment the first sister dropped the basin, and with it, her fingers. It was as though someone had cut them off. She could not scream, for it was sudden.

"You're supposed to kneel before royalty," commented Cinderella again.

*

"Aurora, you look beautiful as ever. You have regained your beautiful figure," exclaimed the Prince. "And little Winter. She is a lovely baby isn't she? Can I carry?"

"Ever the boy. Of course you can carry him," answered Aurora. "And I can see you did not bother changing into your royal robes to greet me. Look at the rags that you're dressed in. Have you been working the horses again?"

"As always. And you've always seen me like this. Do you prefer a royal welcome or a family welcome?"

"Family welcome, of course."

The baby coo-ed delightfully as the Prince rocked her.

Brother and sister walked through the giant gardens and conversed about many things. And it was a beautiful moment, for they loved each other very much.

"Father must be waiting for us by now," Aurora said.

"He can wait. And he's got a lot of other things to worry about anyway. Mermaids have been wrecking a lot of our ships lately for no apparent reason. It's as though they've made war on us."

"Really? That's unheard of."

"Indeed so."

"But we really should return anyway, and give me back Winter. She's frowning at your face already."

"As you wish, sister."

But they never made it back to the palace halls. For without their realization. Armed creatures came from everywhere and swiftly took them captive. They were no ordinary soldiers. They were manikins. Manikins who wanted revenge for a lie told to them once upon a time, that a royal baby would be given to them, but was never so. Manikins who swore their allegiance to the Godfather of Fairies just to do what they've always wanted to Princess Aurora.

*

Stepmother entered the her house to find her three daughters kneeling, and shaking, before Princess Cinderella.

"Hello... mother," greeted a spiteful Cinderella.

"Oh... Cinderella. What a pleasant surprise. You've come back. How sweet of you?" Stepmother frantically looked for words to hide her sudden surge of fear.

"You're supposed to kneel before royalty, mother."

Without hesitation, Stepmother went down on her knees and started begging for mercy. "Oh don't punish us or anything of that sort, my daughter. We've always loved you. We've always intended the best for you. My daughters might have been naughty sometimes but we've always loved you. Look at how you've become a Princess. We're so proud of you. So proud..."

As Stepmother rambled on. Cinderella stood up and picked up a small piece of fried fish and chewed it. She then spat it on the face of her stepmother, then took the entire plate of fish and shoved it in the face of her stepmother.

"You did not make me a princess, mother. You made me a servant in-law. I made myself a princess. Do I make myself clear?" explained Cinderella as she held her stepmother by her throat.

"DON'T HURT MOMMA!" shrieked the fingerless eldest daughter, who happened to the closest to Cinderella and the Stepmother. Cinderella responded to that by revealing her sabre with her right hand and slicing off the head of the eldest sister while still gripping Stepmother's neck firmly. The other two sisters screamed as the lifeless head rolled across the room.

"No! Mercy. I beg for mercy!" cried Stepmother.

"Mother. I am not making you eat the food of fleas and scrape the kennels of dogs and clean the pig farms. Nor am I making you walk through the streets naked. Nor am I turning you into the hands of the mermaids who would eat you away limb by limb while keeping you alive. Mother, this IS mercy,"

"No... no... We love you, Cinderella."

Cinderella let go of Stepmother and said to the shadows, "You can leave me alone here now Godfather. This is something I rather do myself. Return to the castle, and do what you will with the King and the Prince. Do not forget baby Winter."

The shadows came alive and the Godfather of Fairies walked out of the house and closed the door behind him.

And Cinderella killed Stepmother, and the two remaining sisters.

*

"Alfred, do you mind going to see where Aurora is, and my son as well. They're taking rather long today I think," asked the King rather politely.

"Alfred?" asked the King again.

"Where are you, Alfred?"

"Alfred has departed. It is I that you speak to now, your majesty," answered a deep whisperous tone.

The King looked at the entrance of the dining room, and saw the Godfather of Fairies standing there alone.

*

And all of Cinderella's dark deeds were fulfilled that day itself.

*

Checkmate. And the black Queen moved across the board amidst the remaining pieces to a white, square, box.

And that was it.

And that was her sixth dream.

*