Prince Phillip finished putting on his new attires and stared at the smirking fairy who not only hadn’t moved an inch but had certainly enjoyed the view.

“There!” he declared. “Was the spectacle to your contentment, fairy?”

Heh," she shrugged, playing hard to get. “It was okay, but I dare say I’ve seen better. On a scale of one to ten, I think I’ll give you... an eight.”

“Just an eight?” he retorted, flustered as if his manhood had been subject to the vilest remarks imaginable. “You must have impossible standards where you live if that’s all you think I deserve!”

“Easy there, Prince,” she giggled. “If a little humor is enough to get under your skin, your enemies will have a field day if they ever decide to come at you.”

“Enemies? What enemies? I don’t have any of those, and neither does my family.”

“Of course not, I must be imagining things,” Cinderella rolled her eyes. “Everything is just perfect in Rich Man’s Land, isn’t it?”

“You are as sarcastic as my Lady Sin, it seems. Is there anything else you wish to say, or can we finally get out of this place?”

“There are a lot of things I’ve yet to tell you, but they can wait. Are you ready to reclaim your freedom?”

“Yes. So... how are we doing this?”

“All you need to do is hold my hand and...”

Prince Philip’s mind and body were hurled across Space and Time as if he were a pellet at the mercy of the greatest slingshot in the Universe. The familiar room faded into nothingness and then he was out, breathing polluted air in an unknown place where everything was dark and moist, and people limped and sighed instead of smiling and praising their good fortunes. The place reeked as well, the stench of meat gone bad, dead animals, and feces all combined in an extremely unpleasant assault to his senses. The Prince stumbled as his feet touched solid ground again, falling backward against a barrel filled with what once had been water but now oozed instead of dripping. A chunk of the foul content landed on his guard uniform and he screamed.

“Gross! Oh, where we are? What is this hell hole you’ve just transported us to?”

“Hell hole?” Cinderella raised a quizzical eyebrow, completely unphased by what had just happened. “I don’t know what you mean. This is all part of your kingdom.”

“Not any part I know,” he replied, fighting the urge to puke on the street and make things worse than they already were. His surroundings were completely alien to him

“Not surprised. When was the last time you left the palace to visit your subjects and find out their needs?”

“Never. Father doesn’t believe in that. He says we all have our place, and that’s the way things are meant to work.”

“Ah, yes... that trite argument used to justify all sorts of inequalities and abuse. Monarchs like your father often forget their primary job is to serve the people and not themselves. I hope you don’t mind me saying so, but your father is an idiot.”

“You’re welcome to speak your mind around me though I would advise you not to do it often. He’s still the King and an offense against his honor is a heinous crime.”

“Not as heinous as the misery you now see before you. Those are the things that should worry you and not what I say about your father or the fact that you’re just an eight out of ten, which is already way better than average, mind you. Besides, what is your father going to do if I keep insulting him? It’s not like any of your prisons can contain me, and I don’t die easily.”

“Understood. If you brought me here to give me a lesson, point taken, but how will this help my quest?”

“You’re out of the castle and in a place where it’s unlikely anyone will look for you, so that’s a start. You’ll have to figure out the rest on your own. Surely you didn’t expect me to do all the hard work for you?”

“I didn’t say that, but I don’t even know where to start!” he dusted off his uniform and stared at the decrepit houses and alleyways that made his stomach churn.

“Take it slow and steady,” she handed him a bag with the other set of clothes and the crystal boot. “Ask around and see these people for what they are. If you follow your heart and not what you were taught to believe all those years in the court, you’ll recognize your Lady even without the palace’s luxuries. That’s really the only advice I can give you, so good luck. I truly hope you’re successful.”

“Sarcastic and cryptic though it’s obvious you’re a keeper of secrets as well,” he scratched his chin. “You know who she is, don’t you? You know the one I’m looking for and where I can find her.”

“And if I do?” Cinderella winked.

“In that case, wouldn’t it be better if you just told me instead of going through this charade?”

“No. How would you learn anything if I did? Not everything is about you, Prince, and hardships build character. You may not like it for now, but you’ll soon realize I’m right. The more you fight for something the more you’ll cherish it when you finally obtain it. The greatest sin a person can incur is not to try at all and give up before things get started. Is that what you want to be and how you wish to be remembered? A quitter on a pedestal that should have known better or someone who never stopped standing up for what was right, a true leader not afraid to chase his dreams and get his hands dirty in the process? Who are you for real, Phillip? This is the best chance for you to find out.”

“So you’re going to leave me here now and that’s it?”

“I already did more than I anticipated, so yes, this is a good time for me to say farewell, though I’m certain we’ll meet again before this story’s done.”

“And how will it end?”

“You tell me. I’m also looking forward to finding out. See you around.”

Cinderella waved her hands, and she was gone, a strange manifestation of a reality that went beyond his wildest dreams. The prince sighed and pressed the boot against his chest, a luminous reminder of what he was willing to risk everything for. No living soul around him had ever seen any of the monarchs for real so he was safe for the time. Standing firm and resolute, he began trekking the hidden side of his territory.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mistress Tatiana was still processing the news she had just heard, each one better than the rest. The falling out between the Prince and the King was noteworthy, especially because of the latter’s energetic response to the troubles at hand. His worries about keeping his only son in check meant reduced margin for outside interference, leaving Lady Sin in an even more precarious position. She could go fuck herself for all she cared, but it would be better to be there when it happened, perhaps even driving the wooden implement up her ass as she cried. However, the real star of the show was something still only a handful of people knew, and she was lucky to be among them.

The King was also now looking for a new wife. Despite Phillip being the future, he wanted a future for himself, and to reclaim a bit of the happiness he had lost over the years. He would not announce it publically nor make a big fuss about it, but preliminary contacts were already on the way, with the first draft of potential candidates existing only in his chambers. As expected, her name wasn’t on it, for their relationship had always been somewhat uncertain, but things could change. Just like some chocolates could lead a Princess down the bitter road of food poisoning, her infusions could make the most suspicious of men start looking at her differently. Eternal love and allegiance were not what she was after, but only to stay in his mind long enough to rope him into marriage. Once achieved that goal, getting rid of her would be almost impossible and the kingdom would lavish at her feet.

“And you’re absolutely certain about this and not trying to deceive me, slave?” she asked.

“Positive, Mistress,” the Count replied. “Everything will remain hush-hush for now, but it’s happening. Find an opening, make your way, and win it all. You should keep in mind that the King is not overly fond of tea though.”

“He will be once he tastes mine. I’m surprised, slave. For once in your life, you’ve actually done something right!”

“Thank you, Mistress. Will there be a reward for providing you with such extraordinary service?”

“Now you’re pushing your luck, don’t you think? The only reward you get is the chance to continue submitting to me and nothing more. Push that envelope that far and I’ll kick you so hard you’ll have to find your balls on the other side of the continent. Are we clear?”

“Yes, Mistress,” he lowered his head meekly. “Your generosity knows no bounds and your wrath remains as terrifying as ever. I accept the former with gratitude and hope the latter never moves past the point of threat.”

“Good. Leave me now. I have better things to do than to put up with your sycophantic groveling. Keep me posted if new developments occur.”

“As you wish, Mistress, and thank you.”

Tatiana watched him leave and returned to her mental scheming, already anticipating what the next couple of days could bring. Glancing out a window, she suddenly felt compelled to take a stroll outside and have the morning air cool her mind even further. In utmost silence, she left her study, walked past her daughters without even looking at them, and ignored Ellen’s sloppy work trying to keep the main doorway clean. It was just her and the real world now and it was obvious who she held in higher account.

The property grounds had seen better days. Ellen’s father indirectly supervised whatever work was put into them and after his passing, things had never been the same. The girl worked hard, but it was never enough. Money was no longer the same commodity it used to be, especially because so much of it was spent on keeping up with appearances. Nonetheless, she continued to pretend everything was fine whenever the situation demanded it, for being caught in a moment of weakness was the worst humiliation she could endure.

The morning was bright and birds chirped everywhere. The smell of wet grass all around was surprisingly relaxing and for a moment she allowed herself to think of nothing else but how quiet things could be. As she approached the edges of the estate, that sensation of tranquility faded back into the same convoluted mess that lived inside her mind. To relax was the same thing as being caught off-guard and dangers to her way of life lurked everywhere. Her position in the court wasn’t as strong as it used to be, and her offspring continued to prove themselves unworthy of her legacy. It was time to get back to her preparations, like finding the best brew for a lonely monarch.

She turned around and headed back to the manor, making a detour through the main garden along the way. It looked particularly vibrant and luscious no doubt because of the rain from the night before. Everything about it was usually the epitome of perfection, but all it took was one closer look to reveal something was off.

On a large mud patch, she saw footprints. Three sets that could easily be four. The first two had a clear feminine gait, with one being so light that the person who once stood there was almost floating. And then there were the animal paws, small at first but then turned gigantic, something reminiscent of a lion, a tiger, or...

... a panther.

“There’s no way, right?” she pondered, her mind following a solitary trail of thought that went back to the Royal Ball and one of the primary gossip themes around the hors d’oeuvres table. Cackling middle-aged women looking for their moment in the spotlight spoke of how the Lady Sin had arrived on a beautiful wild animal that could easily tear apart every single person who dared to give it a shifty look. Having not seen such a proud beast, she remembered dismissing it as a silly fantasy, and yet...

Tatiana lowered her gaze to the ground, noticing the clear shift of one set of prints to the other. There was nothing natural about the transition, but if it hadn’t been produced by any natural means, then what?

The mistress of the house didn’t believe in magic. She had once, but that was in the days when she was a young impressionable mind devouring fairytales before bedtime. Age had brought her the wisdom of not taking anything in those stories for granted. However, for the first time in forever, she found herself thinking of increasingly impossible scenarios in a heartbeat.

Further examination of the mud patch and surrounding area revealed a slight temperature differential. It was warmer on the inside of it than outside, like a source of great power had emanated from it. To conceive it was already outlandish enough, but to have it happen on her own grounds? That was a fucking outrage!

“A strange coincidence, or is there really something more going on here?” she muttered under her breath. As crazy as it seemed to conjure fantastical powers, she had to admit that it was a good way to explain things that seemed unexplainable like Lady Sin’s mysterious appearance and why no one had ever heard of her until that night, or her abrupt escape from the festivities. Was she really on fire at the time, or was that just an illusion created by an altered state of mind? So many questions, too much to even try to comprehend. Could she really be nothing more than a magical construct, perhaps planted in the palace to thwart her designs? In such an extreme case, the only one close enough to the family who would stand to gain something from her abject failure was...

“No!” she growled. “No, that’s just... Ellen, do you know anything about this?”

Her composure beginning to crack, Tatiana returned home, more determined than ever to sort out this mystery once and for all. If her true enemy lived within doors, she would make her pay, but not before squeezing every drop of energy from her. In her world, she always had the last laugh. Always.