Cinder X Bella ~ Forty-Three!

- Bella -

“Those are some intense hedges.” Bella deepened her voice as she made up the conversation that must be happening among the people in the procession driving onto the lawn at this very moment. “Yes, indeed, obviously, those are completely natural. Let's walk past them and expect to be able to leave whenever we want. Because, why wouldn't we be able to?”

She shook her head angrily, looking away from the window and dashing away the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. “I asked him to show up with an army, and he brought a parade. This is everything that's wrong with this kingdom.”

Looking around the intensely cluttered attic, Bella felt her heart sink as she took in the thick dust swirling in the air in the light coming through the only window. “Not looking forward to breathing that in, but what am I supposed to do about it? When's the last time anyone was up here? Is this a storehouse? Feels like one.”

There was a jumble of furniture covered in thick sheets and even thicker dust. Chairs were stacked atop each other, and trunks and boxes lay filled with yellowed papers, old books, and half-melted candles she recognized from the few times they entertained important guests. Worse, cobwebs stretched across the entire room, except the areas she’d passed through—those webs had collected on her clothes. Or in her hair. 

“It's not often I wish I had different powers, but being able to sing to insects and have them listen to me would be really nice right about now. Ugh… why couldn't she have started me up here? This is basically a playground for mice.” She turned back to the window, grabbing the lever and shifting it back and forth again, hoping that, this time, it would open farther than a crack. No such luck. “What corner of this place do I want to turn into my room? There's no way I'm going to be able to make headway on this without cleaning supplies.”

Resigned to simply breathing in mold and thick dust for a while, Bella remained at the window, trying to get as much fresh air into the mix as possible. Her eyes widened as voices floated up to her, and she pressed her ear to the small gap to listen in.

“Those are some intense hedges!”

Bella nearly dropped to her knees as an intense groan of annoyance escaped her. 

“If you have time to act like a gardener, you have time to peel those potatoes. Get to it!” Bella had heard enough professional chefs in her life to recognize one who was particularly harried. “We need to make a feast here, then do it again three hours down the road! What was he thinking, that lovesick-” 

A pounding on the door two levels below her caused the entire house to vibrate, followed by an overpowering shout from the herald that had visited earlier. “Open up in the name of the King! Ladies of House Vigatori, you are hereby ordered to attend a feast in honor of Crown Prince Cinder!”

Bella's eyes went wide, and her smile was even wider as she turned and threw herself across the room toward the door. “It's a direct order on behalf of the King; I can't not listen!”

Just as she reached for the handle, something shot out of the keyhole, grasping for her outstretched fingers. She pulled back just in time, as the thin, brown object shivered and grew spikes. Then it swung back, slapping into the door and digging into its thick wood. “Is that… that's a hedge!”

The stick quickly grew across the door, and soon there was a barrier of leaves and thorns between herself and the exit. “This… she can't do this! It's illegal! Not to mention…”

Bella's protests faded as she realized her wicked stepmother likely had no compunctions about sacrificing a door to keep her away from such a heavily armed and armored group of people who might take her seriously, if she were to complain about her situation. Seeing no other option, she slowly returned to the door, keeping one eye on the hedge to make sure it didn’t grow into the room or come any closer to her.

“An order? I'm delighted you’re so excited to meet myself and my daughters.” Matringa’s sickly sweet voice drifted up, and a flash of color down below was enough for Bella to realize her entire stepfamily had walked outside wearing bright dresses and shining jewels. “For, Your Majesty, your desire is our command.”

“Yes, well, my command is also my command.” As the person who must have been the prince answered in an annoyed tone, Bella's eyes went wide.

“Ash?”

“I seem to recall the order being for all the ladies of House Vigatori,” the prince's voice continued with a sophisticated drawl, “I was under the impression, from my second cousin by marriage, Rosa, that there was another under your care, Signora.”

“You must mean Bella.” Matringa’s voice was packed full of sorrow. “Yes… she was with us until very recently. You see, she did attend the festivities yesterday, but on her way home… well, she was on a very careful diet, as certain items caused her throat to close up. Unfortunately, while she was at the ball last night, she must have eaten something that didn't agree with her sensitivities. I didn't notice, and the driver didn't understand what to do. I'm sorry to… *ahem*… she's no longer with us.”

“Wh-!”

*Rustle.*

As soon as Bella started to shout in anger, the twigs and leaves of the hedge which had grown around the door shifted violently, many twists of the roots dropping to the floor and snaking toward her. The rest of the word caught in her throat, and the hedge stopped moving as soon as she went quiet. “It's going to be like that, is it?”

“I… see,” the prince stated in a tone that indicated he didn't quite believe her but was trying to show sympathy for her loss. “If you wouldn't mind, I'm certain some of my stewards would be quite willing to go in and fetch her body so she could be laid to rest-”

“It's been taken care of, Your Majesty.” Matringa swept into a curtsy, “Might I… if you’d be so kind, could my daughter Cattiva play a short song of remembrance for the poor waif who lost her life late last night? It would mean a great deal to us to have you all participate.”

There was no answer, but Bella could only assume the prince had nodded his acceptance, as only a moment later, the first sounds of a lute being strummed drifted on the breeze. Cattiva’s voice softly came along with the music, heard more clearly than even the herald had been.

“Let's raise our glasses, let's delight! Poor Bella went quietly into the night. She'd want us to think of her with dance and song, so with merry hearts try to join along!”

Bella shook her head as Cattiva’s cloying song bounced off of her. For a long moment, she’d been tempted to forget she, herself, existed. But no matter how potent her stepsister’s skills had become over the years of practice, they couldn’t do that. With a sobering realization, Bella amended her thinking. “They can't make me forget I exist… yet. By the system, that's dangerous.”

Almost everyone was standing perfectly still, watching and listening as Cattiva continued to strum and sing. But as she started her second verse, Prince Cinder suddenly flinched and looked down at a small satchel at his side in confusion.

“Leave her in the shadows we cast, tonight let's make our happiness last! Forget her story, just focus on now. Today's about joy, let me explain how-” 

“Stop singing! At! Once! Guards!” Cinder roared in anger as he pulled the glass slipper out of his satchel. “She’s affecting our minds!” 

Bella clasped her hands together over her mouth to stop from shouting in excitement—the shoes were meant to redirect malicious attacks aimed at Bella to the shoe. Perhaps, because the song was meant to make them forget her, the shoe’s power expanded and protected Ash… no, Prince Cinder. 

“That's a baseless claim, Your Majesty!” Matringa gasped out as she stepped in front of her daughter. “She was simply playing a song; is it her fault you all got caught up in her talent? What’s making you act this way? A shoe? Why are you holding a woman’s shoe, especially such a gaudy one?

“Captain Williams, you are to enter this estate and look for anyone hidden away or proof that Isabella Vigatori is indeed dead.” Cinder half-turned away from Bella's stepfamily, though he made sure to keep some of his focus on them. “Guards, detain them until we can ascertain their talents. Herald Dario, return to the Spring Palace immediately and bring an introspector here. Something's not right.” 

“Prince Cinder!” Matringa’s voice remained calm in spite of the tension of the situation quickly ramping up. “This is completely unnecessary. I don't appreciate these accusations, nor will I have you going through my house like some kind of common bandit. There are laws in place you are breaking simply by making such demands!”

For a long moment, there was silence as Cinder contemplated the glaring Signora. As seconds ticked by, Bella's heart sank. She just knew he was going to turn away and leave.

“I suppose I'll just have to explain myself to the people who make those laws,” Cinder finally spat out, taking a step toward the entrance of the building. “You know, the King and Queen? I like to call them Father and Mother.” 

“You… little…” Matringa took a deep breath, then another, finally letting out a slow, dark chuckle. “So this is how it's going to end? After years of effort, after marrying that worm of a merchant and having to fight day in and day out with his daughter, only for her to defy me at every opportunity? After all of that… I’m exposed because a spoiled prince who’s using a shoe of all things to prevent bewitchment ignores me? You want me to be a criminal? Fine!”

The hedges, which had been wide open across the driveway into the estate, twisted and shifted, closing off all exits from the area. Then tendrils of sticks, vines, and thorns shot out of the dense shrubbery, grasping anyone and anything nearby.

“She's a Hedge Witch!” Captain Williams bellowed out as he reacted instantly, drawing his sword and charging at the three members of house Vigatori on the lawn; who simply scoffed at him with sneering expressions, vanishing from view as Malvagio pulled out a paper and flicked it. 

“No! They can’t get away!” Bella breathed in panic, as quietly as she could. “Someone out there, please, stop them!”

*Brawwah!*

The frantic activity on the lawn slowed as all eyes turned to the six enormous black tigers that had just burst through the windows of the manor and let out an earth-shaking roar.

“Bewitched Ascended Beasts! To me! Form up and prepare for battle!” Cinder lifted his sword, glowing with an intense light, then swung it down, pointing the tip of his blade at the charging creatures.

A thick column of fire burst out, catching one of the surprised creatures in an immolation and utterly consuming it. Bella stumbled back from the window as a blast of hot air swirled upward, narrowly avoiding the shattering glass of the window as it rained into the room.

“He can make tigers explode, and I can ask mice to do things for me? No fair!”