If the Shoe Fits (AU,M/L,ADULT) [COMPLETE] 11/03/04

[LPorter]

Title: If the Shoe Fits
Author: LPorter
Category: AU M/L
Rating: ADULT (for some violence)

Disclaimer: I am merely a poor college student, I don't own any of the Roswell characters, and I do not own the concept of Cinderalla.

Summary: A story about a little girl who loved her father, and the consquences of his love for her back. BASED ON DEEJONAISE'S WONDERFUL CHALLENGE (go to http://pub13.ezboard.com/fouterhaven457 ... D=25.topic to see the challenge) This will be based on her challenge with a few ideas from the movie Ever After, and of course out of the imagination of me.


Thanks to Ella1022 for her lovely banner!!


Chapter 1

Once upon a time; isn’t that how these types of stories begin? The classic story of boy meets girl and then they live happily ever after. Now how many times in real life does this happen? It never does; well at least not like that. This isn’t one of those fluffy stories that you read in books because if it were it wouldn’t be true. This is my story. It all started many years ago when I was just a little girl who adored her father.

Elizabeth Anne Parker ran through the grass as the wind whipped her nicely done hair into a mess. Dirt began to cover her bare feet and pale pink dress. Her heart raced as she ran into the forest. Twigs snapped as she brushed past the small branches. The branches began to delicately cut her arm as she ran, but she didn’t notice. The cuts began to slowly sting as dirt embedded its way into the raw flesh.

Reaching the clearing she looked down at the river. Her eyes darted around wildly around the forest. Listening carefully she started to turn her body towards a specific tree. Her eyes narrowed and she saw a foot sticking out of the tree. A small playful smile crossed her lips as she silently walked to the tree. She stepped behind the boy and gave him a shove screaming, “Boo!” The boy let out a yelp and clutched his heart. Liz began laughing wildly. “I am sorry Alex, but you are terrible at hide and go seek!” Liz continued to laugh while pointing at Alex.

“Hey it’s not my fault you know these woods like the back of your hand, it’s not fair!” Alex exclaimed in his defense. Liz continued to laugh at her friend.

The two had been friends since they were born. Their mothers had grown up together as well. Liz’s mother had died trying to give birth to her, so Alex’s mother had taken the responsibility of becoming Liz's surrogate mother. Liz’s father had been in mourning since. He tried to be the best father he could, but he had to go on business trips frequently. She had servants that were like her nannies, but mostly Liz would spend time playing with Alex. Her father was to return today which is why she was so dressed up, but when Alex came looking to play and started making fun of her dress Liz ran as fast as she could to chase after him.

“Elizabeth!” Liz could hear one of the servants calling to her. She looked down at her dress which was now dirty and gulped. She was in trouble. She waved goodbye to Alex and ran as fast as she could back to the house. As she neared the house she could see a carriage coming up the path to the house. Liz ran towards the carriage in excitement, forgetting all about her dirty dress.

The carriage slowed to a stop and out stepped her father. “Daddy,” Liz screamed and launched herself at her father. Her father enveloped her into a tight hug, but pulled back and looked at her dress and the small cuts on her arms. He began chuckling.

“Someone was supposed to be all dressed up like a lady today. I am guessing Alex paid a visit,” Her father said with a laugh. Liz sheepishly nodded and looked down at the ground. Her father took his hand and tilted her head so her eyes met his. “I missed you darling.” He told her filled with emotion. Liz pulled her father into another hug. She had really missed him; this last business trip had lasted a month.

“I brought you a surprise Elizabeth. When I was away I got married. You have a mother and two step sisters now.” Her father said softly hoping his daughter would not hate him.

Her father was replacing her. Maybe he did not want her anymore so he got himself a new family. Had she been a bad daughter? Liz looked down at her dirty clothes and thought maybe if she was more of a lady then her father would lover her more. Liz looked at her father with tears begging to be spilled down her face She glanced at the carriage and she knew that her new family must be sitting in there.

Seeing the emotions running through his daughter’s face he tried to explain. “Sweetheart, I still love and miss your mother, but it’s been 10 long years since she became an angel. I tried my best being both your father and mother, but I think you need a mother to teach you to be a proper lady.” Her father said gesturing to Liz’s dress.

Liz tried to understand what her father was saying, but she felt as though her father was trying to replace her. Liz could see that this meant a lot to her father, so she pushed back her feelings and tried to smile. Maybe having a stepmother and sisters would be great. Maybe they could keep her company while her father was away and her new sisters could play dress up with her. She had tried to play dress up with Alex once, but after he put on the dress he fell trying to walk in the shoes. He vowed to never play dress up again after that.

Her father smiled a little seeing her try to smile. That was his daughter; always trying to be optimistic. “Would you like to meet your new mother and sisters?” Her father asked softly. Liz forced out a nod and glanced towards the carriage. Her father walked to the carriage and reached a hand inside.

A feminine hand emerged into the sunlight. Liz could see the huge ring glistening in the sun. Slowly a tall, beautiful woman emerged and looked around at her surroundings. Her father spoke to break the awkward silence. “My love, this is my home. This little dirty girl is my daughter Elizabeth Anne Parker. I assure you that she is normally a lot cleaner.” He said as the woman glared at Liz. Anyone could see her immediate disproval of the girl. She turned towards her new husband and gave him a fake smile.

“Elizabeth, darling, this is your new step mother, Lady Harding. Well I suppose I should say Lady Parker now.” He said giving his new bride a smile. Liz looked at her new mother up and down. She looked at her new mother’s hair, but couldn’t find a single hair out of place. Her dress was so neat that there wasn’t a single wrinkle in it. Her icy glare and strict posture did not give Liz a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. Liz never disliked anyone before, but she could already tell that she was not going to like her step mother.

Liz could hear a soft rustling and she looked towards the carriage again. Two small girls, about her age, emerged from the carriage. Both girls had beautiful blonde hair just like their mother. She noticed the one with curly hair was acting very snobby with her own sister. The two girls bickered quietly about something Liz couldn’t hear. Their mother glared at the two girls and they quickly shut their mouths and faced forward towards Liz and her father.

“Elizabeth meet your new step sisters, Tessa and Maria Har-Parker,” her father said almost slipping up again. He had not gotten used to the idea of having a wife and two new daughters yet. It all had been rather sudden he had to admit, but despite how much he wanted to say he was in love with his new wife he knew that he was only doing this for his daughter. He was afraid that without a proper female influence Elizabeth would never grow up into a lady. He wanted his daughter to be happily married, but if she continued to act this way she would be shunned from society and die an old maid.

Liz turned to her new sisters and politely curtsied for them. They both returned the gesture, but Liz noticed that Tessa did it with gritted teeth. Liz looked up at her father and she could see that he was nervous with all the tension. He announced that he’d give his bride and two stepdaughters a tour of the estate. As he passed by Liz he bent down and whispered for her to get cleaned up for dinner. Liz smiled at her father and nodded her head. She watched as they walked into the estate and closed the door. She stared at her home and thought to herself, “things are never going to be the same.”[/img]

[LPorter]

I want to thank you all for leaving me such great feedback. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter because instead of studying like I should I decided to update instead .

THANK YOU:

Deejonaise- Thanks for the challenge and being such a fantastic beta.

max and liz believer- Josephin, thank you so much for being such a loyal fan and such a fantastic writer

kiwigirl- I am glad you liked the last chapter, thanks for the feedback!

Antarian Pixie- I agree when I saw the challenge from Dee I couldn't help take it. It is just such a different Cinderalla story. I hope you like my version.

JBehrsGurl- Elena *hug* nah your the best!

Zan Da Man- I am glad to see you are hooked, maybe I can hook you again with this chapter!

roswellluver- Thanks for the feedback!

nickimlow- I can't tell you if both step sisters are evil, but I do give you some hints.

sugarplum17- Lynn! Thanks for the feedback

NewYorker18- Thanks for the feedback girl! *hug*

SweetLilDreamer- Thanks coffeecake!!


Chapter 2

After changing into a clean dress, Liz made her way down to the dining room. There she could see her father quietly telling her new mother where to find everything and her two stepsisters whispering. Liz made her way to her father and tugged on his pants leg. Her father looked down and saw his beautiful daughter in a gorgeous blue dress. He stopped mid sentence with his new bride and picked up his daughter and gave her a hug.

“You look beautiful darling. I knew somewhere under all that dirt there was a pretty little girl.” Her father exclaimed with a twinkle in his eyes. He poked her stomach for emphasis, eliciting a gurgle of laughter from Liz. She had been very ticklish since she was a baby.

Watching the two interact very closely, Mrs. Parker narrowed her eyes. This little girl was really getting on her nerves. It didn’t matter what her husband and her were doing, Elizabeth always came first. Before she and her daughters had come to the estate, she had the full attention of her husband. She made sure he waited on her every need. Now she could see that his priorities had changed from her to Elizabeth. As long as that little brat was in the picture she would never have any control over her husband. Twisting her ring on her finger, she thought of ways of how she’d fix this ‘problem’.

Maria whispered to her sister, “Look at our new sister. She’s so pretty. She seems really sweet too.” Tess whipped her head towards Maria and gave her an icy glare. Maria closed her mouth. Maria knew that look and it meant to either be quiet or be prepared for war. What did Tess have against their new sister? Wouldn’t it be fun to have another playmate?

Mr. Parker ushered his family into the dinning room. As they ate their meals the tension was so thick that no one dared to say a word. Liz watched as her stepsisters and stepmother ate so eloquently. Liz looked down at her own table manners and she realized she must look like a complete slob to them. Liz tired her best to look good to her new family, but she just couldn’t seem to get anything right.

Liz tried to play with her sisters after dinner, but all she received was dirty looks from her stepmother and Tessa. Did she do something wrong? Why did she feel like she wasn’t ever going to be good enough for them. Liz wanted her birth mother then more than she ever did before. She just wanted a normal family that didn’t look like she was a pain in their side. Her father still looked at her with a smile, but his new bride would distract him everytime he would try talking to Liz.

Liz walked out of the estate and walked towards the river. This was her place of solitude. Whenever she missed her father when he was on business trips or when she would miss having a mother she’d go out to the river. It was the only place where she could collect her thoughts without the hustle and bustle of the estate.
Sitting down on a small rock, Liz picked up a small stone and skipped it across the river. Liz picked up a twig off the ground and started slowly breaking it into pieces. Her eyes started to glisten with moist tears as she thought about her new family. They hated her. Maria seemed to like her, but whenever Maria would start to say something to Liz her mother or sister would shut her up with a nasty look.

*********

His feet pounded on the soft earth as he ran for his life. He wasn’t being chased by a murderer, but he was literally running for his life. He brushed past the trees and rocks, trying not to trip and fall. He had been running for a while now and the exhaustion was starting to creep up on him. He stopped running for a moment, holding his hand up to a tree for support. Snapping noises just ahead made him nervous. He peered his head to try and see who it was.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw a girl sitting on a rock looking as if she was going to cry. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Long gone was his thoughts of why he was running, but instead his thoughts were of er chocolate colored hair that pooled around her soft face. Her eyes, while they were red and watery from crying, were deep brown and warm. She looked like an angel. He could tell she had a gentle, caring soul. He had no idea why, but he felt like he could trust her with anything. He noticed that she seemed lonely and suddenly he felt as though it was his duty to make sure she never looked that way again. He was startled when she looked up and saw him.

She could feel eyes on her, even through her crying. She looked up and saw a boy her age staring at her. She had never seen him before. His brown hair was tousled and his clothes were a little dirty. Based on his heavy breathing she guessed he had been running. She then looked at him in the eye and saw the most gorgeous amber eyes she had ever seen. His eyes were so inviting, almost as if they begged for her to stare deep into them and see his soul. She stood up and started to walk towards him, but stopped when she got to the river’s edge.

He watched as she slowly walked towards him. He stepped away
from the tree and walked over to his side of the river. The pair stood there for a moment not saying anything, but just looking into each other’s eyes. Liz tried to read the confliction emotions in his eyes, but they seemed too complicated to decipher. He was about to open his mouth to say something when he heard a rustling of horses nearing him. He let out a sigh and turned towards the men that were almost at his side.

“Prince Maxwell, you have to stop running away from the castle. Your father is furious! You can’t run off every time you can’t stand the pressure! Get on the horse so we can get back to the castle so you can get to bed at a reasonable hour for a change.” The royal guard yelled. He was really getting sick and tired of this boy running away. People would kill to have his privileges and power, but this boy wanted to throw it all away.

Max ducked his head at the scolding. He knew his father would be more angry than that, which was not making Max want to go back to castle anytime soon. He turned back to the beautiful girl. Her mouth was open in shock. Her eyes darted back and forth between the guards and Max. He wished he could take that look off her face and make her look at him like she did before.

Prince Maxwell was this boy? Liz’s mind was going a mile a minute. She had been staring at a prince! Liz couldn’t help but gape. It was then that she noticed the royal clothes under the dirt. She immediately bowed head and gave a curtsy, but knew she was doing this too late. He must think she is some ignorant peasant girl who forgot her status.

Max watched as Liz lowered her head, not daring to look at him in the eye again. He saw as she curtsied him and he wanted to throw up when he saw that. The last thing he wanted was this beautiful girl to ever act like he was royalty. Sure he was royalty, but he never wanted to be. His eyes pleaded for her to stop, but she missed his beseeching look.

Max was about to ask the girl her name, but a guard got impatient and scooped him up and threw him on the front of his horse and began galloping away towards the castle. Max looked back to the girl and he saw her sad look. He gave her a slight wave goodbye, but all he wanted to do was jump off the horse and run to her.

Liz’s heart broke as she watched him leave. She knew he was royalty and probably wanted nothing to do with her, but she felt so pretty and special when he was looking at her. She wanted to feel that again. She could see he was sad, but he was probably just sad that he was going to get scolded when he got home to the castle. Liz thought about running and telling her father about her meeting with the prince, but she decided against it. This meeting was too special to her. It would be her little secret.

[LPorter]

Chapter 3

A week passed with little notice by anyone. The estate was a flurry of activity between moving all of Mrs. Parker’s things into the home and redecorating all the rooms. Mrs. Parker insisted that they needed a new, fresher look. Everything had to look perfect. Liz did her best to be helpful, but everytime she would offer an opinion she was told to be silent.

Liz tried desperately to spend as much time with her father as possible. Her father and she were like two peas in a pod; they loved all the same things. He would spend hours reading to her. He promised her that one day he’d build a library just for her. He began working on the empty room earlier that week, but so far he only had half of it done. Her stepmother seemed to get annoyed anytime the subject of the library got brought up. She didn’t understand why Liz should have a library, but she couldn’t have a room for her many clothes.

She just couldn’t seem to do anything right. Liz would try her best to impress her new family, but they would glare at her. She noticed Maria would give her a half smile whenever her mother and sister were not there. She wasn’t sure what she was doing wrong, but Liz vowed to be the best daughter and sister she could be.

Mrs. Parker studied her husband and stepdaughter with narrowed eyes. He was reading to her again. He wouldn’t take her shopping, but he would read to his brat. She was his wife! He should be giving her the proper attention. The girl was in the way; something has to be done about her. Strolling into the kitchen her eye darted around the objects in the room.

Knife; no too messy and too hard to cover up. Cooking pan; no a head wound would be hard to explain. A fall down the stairs; that might be feasible but too tricky to manuever.

Kicking one of the floor cabinets in frustration, the door to the cabinent opened. Mrs. Parker looked down in frustration and was about to close the door when she saw something that had potential; rat poison. Picking up the container her eyes sparkled with an evil smirk. Glancing around to see if anyone was watching her she walked over to a counter with the poison in hand.

Luckily the cook was out getting food and she could use that to her advantage. She pulled two glasses out of the cabinent and filled them with lemonade that had been made earlier that day. She grabbed the container of poison and poured it into one of the glasses. Grabbing the glasses she made her way to the library.

She gently rapped on the open door, causing two pairs of eyes to look up from the book they were reading. Mrs. Parker flashed a huge smile and told them “I figured you two would be thirsty, so I brought you some lemonade.” They both thanked her kindly. Liz smiled at her step mother; maybe she didn’t hate her after all.

Mrs. Parker felt almost guilty for a second when she saw her stepdaughter smile, but when she saw her husband take the glasses from her and set it down on the table and then ignore her completely she no longer felt guilty. Seeing that they weren’t going to drink she insisted they drink so they wouldn’t get dehydrated. Mr. Parker and Liz nodded their heads at her suggestion and grabbed their drinks.

Mrs. Parker’s eyes widened when she saw her husband grab the wrong drink. She was going to stop him, but it was too late, he had chugged it all down. He set down his drink and smiled at his wife. He turned back to his daughter and began reading to her again. Mrs. Parker watched in horror as her husband stuttered while reading and collapsed to the ground clutching his stomach.

Liz collapsed down next to her father and pulled his head into her lap. Tears poured down her face as she watched her father’s face twist in pain. What was wrong with him? Her father turned towards her and he spoke. “Elizabeth, darling, I’m going to go meet mommy. Don’t be scared of me leaving; I’ll always be watching over you. I love you,” He barely managed to get out the last word as a small scream of agony ripped through his body as his body finally let go of this world.

Mrs. Parker was fuming with anger. She was mad at her now late husband for grabbing the wrong drink, but she was also enraged that he spoke his last words to the brat instead of saying goodbye to her. Tears slowly trickled down her face as her fury became overwhelming and the fear set in. What was she going to do? She was stuck here with this brat and this hell hole as home.

Liz’s body was wrapped around her father as she sobbed. Through her tears she kept begging her father to come back to her. He couldn’t be dead; he wouldn’t leave her. She started pounding on his chest through her grief, willing him to wake up. Moments later her sisters came in along with the rest of the servents. Maria and one of the servents, Martin, tried to pry Liz from her father’s body, but she thrashed out of their arms and ran back to her father.

8 years later…

Her eyes fluttered open. Slowly sitting up, she lazily stretched her body. She stood up and looked out the window. It was another beautiful day. Walking outside, she watched the birds perched up on the tree. They were singing a pretty song and she hoped it was to her. She bent down and picked up a small dandelion. Smelling it lightly she then tucked it behind her ear and walked back towards the house.

“Elizabeth!” A shriek came from the house. Liz ran twice as fast to the kitchen. Inside the kitchen Martha and Martin were rushing around. Liz gave the two a questioning glance and they pointed upwards. Her family must be awake and screaming for their breakfest. Liz let out a sigh and rushed around the kitchen trying to get everything. Liz grabbed a few plates and walked as fast as she could towards the dinning room.

Mrs. Parker, Tess, and Maria were already sitting in the dinning room. Mrs. Parker and Tess seemed very annoyed as usual. “You’re late. You know how I don’t like to wait for my meals. Maybe if you weren’t so lazy then you’d be here on time. Do it again and you know what I’ll do to fix the situation,” Mrs. Parker sneered. Liz nodded and apolgized.

Liz placed the plates down and backed up out of their way. Liz unconsciencely brushed her hand across her back. Fixing the situation meant a lashing. Liz still had scars from the last one. Liz knew that her stepmother was the reason her father was dead, but she was too young at the time to know how she did it. She knew that if she got out of line then Mrs. Parker would have no trouble doing that to her.

***********************************************************************

Flying through the trees on his horse, he tried to find that damn path. He had been searching for the route for the past 8 years, but he could never seem to find it. He was desperate to find his beauty. Her face still haunted his dreams. His father had been so mad that night and had punished him accordingly, but it was well worth it. Even if he never saw her face again then at least he’d have her in his dreams.

His father was set out on him marrying some princess, but he had met them all and he had no desire for them. None of them compared to the outer or inner beauty of the girl he had met so long ago. He had tried to get to know them, but he couldn’t help pushing them away. He didn’t feel right with them, but even at the tender age of 10 he had felt more complete in that brief moment than he had in all of his life.

What bothered him was that this girl knew who he was, but he didn’t know her. Why hadn’t she come to see him. Max slapped his head with that stupid thought. You are royalty. He had seen the way she bowed at him. She looked scared and embarrassed. Of couse she wouldn’t come running up the castle walls begging for him to come out. He had to be the one to find her, but for the life of him he couldn’t remember that path he had taken.

A masked ball was being planned for him to meet his wife. His father had compromised with him by promising if Max found a woman to marry then made the announcement the night of the ball his father would allow his marriage to the princess of Max's choice. Max had eagerly agreed thinking now he could go find his beauty, but now he was scared he wouldn’t find her before the ball.

Where was she?

[LPorter]

Chapter 4


Liz hummed to herself as she scrubbed the floor. She hated doing the chores, but in a way she loved them. When she was doing the chores her step mother and step sisters would leave her alone most of the time. Times like these she could get away from their insults and orders. It was the only time of the day she had to herself.

She was so focused on her work, she nearly missed the sound of a hand striking the door. Liz looked at her brush and let out a sigh. Of course she would have to answer the door, why would her step mother stoop herself to answering the door after all, she wouldn’t want to break a nail. She placed the scrub brush back into the soapy waters and wiped her hands on her tattered outfit. The rapping on the door continued, so Liz walked a little more quickly.

Liz opened the door to see a man with fancy clothes on and what looked like the royal emblem on his shirt. Liz curtsied as she had been taught, and the man politely bowed in return. “Ahem. His royal higness is pleased to announce a masked party thrown in his son’s honor to be held on Saturday at the royal palace. All the ladies of the house are welcome to come.” The man placed the invitation in Liz’s hands and bowed once more before leaving on his horse and gallopping away.

Liz’s thoughts lingered on what the man had said. Son’s behalf. The boy she met 8 years ago! Oh my! All the ladies of the house were invited; she was invited; she could see Max! A huge grin spread across her face. She was finally going to see him again. Not a day went by without him in her thoughts. She had been waiting for an opportunity like this for years!

What would she wear? The dress! Her mother’s dress! Liz had hidden the dress when her new family moved in. If her step mother had known about it, she probably would have thrown it out like the rest of her mother’s things. The dress was all Liz had left of her mother.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Liz felt a shove from her side and the invitation ripped from her hands. Blonde curls bounced up and down and a squeal echoed off the stone walls as Tess read the invitation. Liz held her ears as the petite girl shrieked for her mother to come.

Tess looked over at Liz as she waited for her mother to come down stairs and when Liz looked at her Tess gave her an icy glare. How dare she hold the royal invitation? Who did Liz think she was? She was nothing but a pest. All she was good for was cleaning the floor and other chores around the house, and even then Tess scoffed, she wasn’t that good at it. She didn’t understand why her mother kept the orphan around, it’s not like she was blood or anything.

Mrs. Parker slowly descended the stairs after hearing her daughter yell for her. Maria reluctantly peered down from the top of the stairs. She could see her mother finishes her last step off the stairs when Tess ran to her.

She always resented how her mother favored Tess over her. Tess was the golden child. More importantly Maria felt badly for her step sister. She was such a sweet girl, but as far as her mother and sister felt Liz could die tomorrow and their biggest concern would be having to pay for someone to do all the work Liz does.

Maria had always hoped that she would be able to play with Liz. The day she first saw Liz, she looked so carefree and fun and Maria wanted nothing more than to be like that. After Liz’s father died, Maria noticed that the fire and spark in Liz’s eyes had died and was replaced with fear and loneliness. She did not blame Liz for being fearful because she had seen the brutal lashings her mother had inflicted on Liz when she wasn’t up to par with her duties.

She watched her mother and sister get wide grins and squeal together holding a paper in their hands, no doubt another party invitation. That’s all they cared about; what party was next and what handsome suitor was after Tess. They didn’t even to seem to care that Liz was standing next to them with a thoughtful look on her face.

Her mother looked wildly around the room in excitement and looked at Maria and announced to her, “We have been invited to a masked ball thrown in Prince Maxwell’s honor!” Maria tried to plaster a smile on her face, but in reality she wanted to gag. She hated these stupid parties. She tried to gauge Liz’s emotions about the party; she seemed to have an array of them and couldn’t seem to settle on any particular one.

Mrs. Parker and Tess started gabbing about what mask they were going to wear to the ball. Maria noticed how the two never bothered to ask what she or Liz would wear. Maria had enough listening to the two debate what color would look best on Tess so she decided to speak up for a change.

“Liz, what color do you think you’ll choose?” Maria hollered down to Liz. Suddenly the room got really quiet. Liz turned her head to Maria and was shocked that she actually asked her something. She opened her mouth to reply when she heard her step mother laugh. She looked towards her and wondered what was so funny.

“Maria, darling, you must be joking. The invitation was addressed to the ladies of the household. Liz is no lady; she is merely a servant of this home. Think before you speak, actually don’t bother, no one will want to hear you speak there anyways.” Mrs. Parker sneered. Both Maria and Liz wanted to cry at her comment, but neither wanted to give her the satisfaction.

Maria stomped off to her room and Mrs. Parker went back to her conversation with Tess. Liz stood there dumbfounded. Her one chance to see him again and it now was gone in the blink of an eye. What was she to do?

[LPorter]

AznGurl87- It would be great for Maria and Liz to be friends, but with Tess and her mother in the way it will prove hard for Maria where to place her loyalty. You want to know whats going on will Alex? Ye ask and ye shall receive. Thanks!

Crashdown2006- I really hate the mother and Tess as much as you do, and I'm the one creating them that way!! lol. As I said to AznGurl87, Liz will need someone like Maria to support her, but its hard when loyalty and power come into play. Thanks!

NewYorker18- Keri, thanks for the feedback and the bump!! They are pretty evil, but as we know from the original Cinderella, that is who they are....I just choose to kick it up a notch. Thanks!

Max4Liz4ever- I am glad you found the last part worth the wait, I just hope this chapter is just as good as the last. You are very right, Liz should watch her step, you never know what Mrs. Parker may do. Maria does need a bit of a backbone, but in those days women were supposed to be spineless, plus you add in the sister and mother and you can't blame her for being quiet. She knows not to mess with them. Thanks for the fb.

roswellluver- They are jerks! Amen! Thanks for the fb, I appreciate it!

max and liz believer- Yeah Maria is a good support for Liz, because before this Liz never had anyone ask about her. I actually was inspired by the movie Ever After to make one of the sisters good. I did always wonder in the originial why both were bad. Well I can't say anything about the dress, but there won't be any animals talking in the version. Thanks for your fb!!

Itzstacie- Well put, she is a bitch! Maria is probably the only person that recognizes that Liz is the same status that they are (why is that in the movies she is a lower class, isn't she the same as them??) As for Maria helping her to the ball, you'll just have to wait and see. Thanks!

MelodyCrsh47- Thank you so much for your feedback. Yes poor Liz, she really does have a rough life, one that makes you appreciate your own a lot more. I'm glad you like my version, but really the credit for that goes to Deejonaise since it was her brilliant challenge. I hope you enjoy chapter 5!

Deejonaise- I wouldn't worry too much about Maria right now, after all as evil as Mrs. Parker is, she is far to vain to want to damage her own kin; however, this doesn't protect Maria that much from Mrs. Parker's rath should Maria cross the line too much. Thank you again for all your help!

Hoopunipuni- Well it wouldn't be a cinderella story if she didn't at the very least make it to the ball, I can't say anything more, but if you haven't read the challenge I'll say this---What happens after the ball is something I've never seen or read before in any version. Thanks for your feedback!!



Chapter 5

Liz sat by the river’s edge and watched the water slowly trickle away. Her hands went to her face and covered it right before the tears finally fell down her cheeks. Sobs wracked her body as she pulled her legs in tight. She had been kept in this horrible life style for so long, but the one thing that got her through it was the memory of that boy; the prince. Never had she seen such emotions in someone’s eyes when they looked at her, not at least since she last time she saw her father. The prince had actually seemed to care that she had been crying that day. No! Don’t be silly. A prince would never care about a peasant girl.

She thought for the first time in these years that she had hope of seeing her prince again, but when her golden opportunity showed up it was snatched away from her as quickly as it had come. No doubt after this ball the prince would announce his future wife and shortly after he’d be married, and she would lose him forever. You never had him, so you can’t lose him! Liz shook her head at her wishful thinking. Hope might be what has gotten her through the hard times, but hope was a dangerous things. If she began relying on her hopes and they failed her that would be worse than any hardship she'd endured thus far.

The tears trickled down her smooth face as she watched a duck floating in the water then make his way out to go and eat a piece of bread on the river bank that she had dropped a few days ago. Liz may not have been in school for the last 8 years, but the metaphor of that didn’t pass her by. She wanted to be the duck and escape the rapids of her life and get on solid ground to get what she really wanted; Prince Maxwell. Liz realized that she was more like a duck floating on that river, but with no legs or wings to help her escape.

“Liz? Darling, what’s wrong?” Alex asked softly. He knew how she loved to come out here when her ‘family’ went to sleep. He had heard her crying and he slowly approached her and sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her.

“8 years ago, I met a boy who sparked something inside me that I’ll never be able to explain. It turned out it was Prince Maxwell who had run off from the palace again. You should have seen the way he looked at me. It was almost like he cared about me. Today a messenger came and announced our invitation to the ball. It was my golden opportunity to go! I could finally see him again, but my step mother won’t have it. She told Maria that I’m merely a servant in their home and I can’t go.” Liz barely managed to get the last words out as her body shook and tears streaming.

“Oh Lizzie, I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you tell me about him before?” Alex pulled her in closer and began rubbing her back to calm her down. God, he really hated her step mother. He didn’t hit girls, but he really wanted to hurt that woman for ever hurting Liz.

“I didn’t think anyone would believe me, and it was such a special moment for me that I didn’t know how to explain it. I didn’t want you to think of me as some stupid lovesick girl.” Liz admitted. She wiped the fresh tears off her cheek.

“Never. I would never think that. So Mrs. Parker won’t let you go. So what? You can still go.” Alex exclaimed. Liz’s head shot up at his statement and hope flickered across her face for a moment before confusion replaced it.

“Look, just wait for your step mother and sister to leave the house then go get changed and get your beautiful self to the ball! It’s a masked ball I heard so they wouldn’t know you were there. You just have to be sure to get home before they do that’s all!” Alex explained. A range of emotions went through Liz. A huge smile spread across her face and Liz launched herself at Alex, knocking the two over with Liz on top of Alex.

“You know Liz if this thing with the prince doesn’t work out I could keep you warm at night.” Alex said suggestively while wiggling his eyebrows. Liz laughed and playfully hit him. Alex broke out into a smile and was so glad that he brought a smile back to Liz’s face, even if it only lasted until morning.

[LPorter]

I wanted to do individual thank you's, but I'm insanely busy right now so I can't, but don't think I don't appreciate your fb. Thank you everyone for your fb and support!!!! I have started another fic, it won't affect the updates of this, but if you would like to check it out its called Dream Revelations. I hope you enjoy this next chapter and check out my other story!!



Chapter 6

The castle was a flurry of activity trying to get the palace ready for the ball. Servants were running around trying to get their tasks done, but there was so much to do! Max rested his head on the rail of the stairs and watched the people taking orders. He couldn’t believe the fuss that was being made over this ball. He had never seen so many flowers come into the palace before. He was scared. The ball was the next day and at the end of that day he would be engaged to some stranger. This was it. No longer could he run
away to avoid his responsibility as nobility; after tomorrow he would have to be the man he was born to be.

“Stop acting like it’s the end of the world little brother, it’s just a ball!” Isabel said startling Max. “It’s not like it’s your first ball, you’ve gone through these before.”

“Izzy, this isn’t a regular ball. After tomorrow I’ll be engaged to some woman I’ve never met! How can I not be glum about that?” Max snapped. How could she not understand his situation?

“I know, I know. Look, I was betrothed to Prince Jesse and look at how we worked out! We had not met until I walked down the isle, and now we have a child on the way and I’ve never been happier!” Isabel said while rubbing her swollen belly.

“I know and I’m happy for you sis, but look at our cousin Zachary, he was married to that woman! She treated him poorly and they are miserable together! I don’t want to spend the rest of my days with a woman someone I don’t love, especially one I hate! How am I supposed to be the king father wants me to be without someone I love to guide me along the way, and how am I to continue the family line with someone I don’t even like?” Max choked out. His emotions were getting the best of him, so he tried to take a deep breath and relax.

Isabel started to open her mouth to try to tell him that he was being ridiculous, but she knew he was right. This was going to be tough on him, but she knew he would be alright in the end, she had a feeling. “Don’t fret little brother, everything will work out in the end. Just don’t let father pick for you. Tomorrow night meet these girls and try and pick the best one you can. I’ll say a prayer for you tonight.” She kissed him on the cheek and made her way to her old room to lie down.

Max thought about what he sister said and hoped that if there was a God out there that he was listening to his sister’s prayers tonight. He looked back down at the servants moving about and whispered, “Where are you?”

*****************************************************

Liz pricked her finger again and clutched it as a drop of blood started to trickle out of the wound. She quickly moved her hand away from the fabric. If her sister saw a drop of blood on her dress, she would surely have a lashing. She had been trying to alter Tess’ dress for the ball, but the material was making it hard for her to see and she had pricked her finger a few times already. Liz looked back at the dress. It was beautiful. The prince would surely love it.

A tear threatened to form in her eyes, but she shook her head and refused to cry. She couldn’t risk someone seeing her and giving them the satisfaction that after all the abuse, both physical and verbal, over the years that it was her step mother’s refusal to let her go to the ball that made her finally crack.

Her step mother had made it very clear that there was no room for negotiation on her going to the ball, and had given her more than enough chores to keep her busy until Sunday. She thought a lot about what Alex had said about going to the ball, but with all the work she was getting how could she get her work done and go to the ball? If they came back and things were not done then she would be lashed or they might sell her. Liz thought about her father for a moment and realized that she had more to fear then that.

She was happy Maria was supporting her the other day, but since her step mother’s comment Maria had been avoiding her. Liz figured she was afraid to get in trouble with her mother again. Liz couldn’t blame Maria for being fearful, after all Maria had seen what had happened to her and no one in the right mind would voluntarily put them in situations to get that kind of punishment.

She sucked on her finger and then looked at it. It had stopped bleeding. She looked back at the dress and let out a loud sigh and went back to altering the dress. As she worked a person watched her, but stayed hidden behind the half opened door. Liz didn’t even notice.

Maria crept away from her step sister, trying not to make a noise. She wanted to apologize to Liz for her mother’s harsh words; she wanted to apologize for everything her mother had done. She wanted to sit down and get to know her step sister for the first time, but it was only what she wanted and not what she could do. She felt bad, she really did, but she couldn’t get caught socializing with Liz. She knew the consequences of that.

Little Maria had been playing with an ant in the kitchen when she saw her mother come in. She was going to show her mommy what she had found, but she watched her mother pick up a big scary knife, then put it down. She watched as she got frustrated and kicked the cabinet door. She watched as she picked up the rat poison and put it in a glass of lemonade. She watched. Maria was too young to understand what was going to happen, but later when her new daddy fell down and his soul went to heaven she knew that her mommy had hurt daddy.

She watched Liz lose the sparkle in her eye because of her father’s death. She knew she was partially to blame. Maybe if she had showed mommy her ant then she wouldn’t have been so angry. She wanted to tell Liz the truth, but she didn’t know how to tell her step sister that she had watched her mommy get the poison to kill Liz’s dad.

Maria never was able to tell Liz what she had seen, and she never intervened when her mother would whip Liz’s back to the point that Liz was an inch from death. She didn’t stop her mother when she saw the blood gush from Liz’s wounds, so much blood that she didn’t think a girl that small could hold that much. Tess never seemed to care about watching these lashings, but it gave Maria nightmares and she had never been more scared in her life.

From that day on Maria decided for her own safety that she would never open her mouth to her mother. She felt terrible to watch her mother be cruel, but she figured it was better to watch then join Liz in the lashings. What good would that do?

Maria made her way back to her room and prayed that one day she could escape the house. She had to get away from the threat of her mother. She wanted to feel love from someone, not have to fear the one person who is supposed to love you no matter what. Maria had never felt love from her mother or Tess, and she was beginning to wonder if she ever would.

[LPorter]

I unfortunately don't have time to do personal thank you's, but thanks everyone for the wonderful feedback. Here is chapter 7, hope you all enjoy it!!


Chapter 7

Liz was busy trying to wash all the sheets and clothes her stepmother had given her when she heard her name being screamed from upstairs. Letting go of the cloth, Liz dried off her hands and ran in the direction of her lunatic sister. She opened up the door to see her stepmother looking disapprovingly at her and her stepsister flustered and red in the face.

“Elizabeth! I told you not only to alter this dress on the sides, but also to cut the top of the dress more so that Tessa will show more of her assets! Can’t you do anything?” Mrs. Parker scolded. “We leave for the ball in a couple hours, and now we have this mess. Quickly make the alteration and do it right this time! Don’t forget you have to do Tessa’s and Maria’s hair before we leave.”

Liz bowed her head and took the dress from Tess. She did not dare to make eye contact with her stepmother in fear that it might enrage her more. She couldn’t believe her stepmother wanted the dress to show more cleavage! Her breasts were already practically falling out. What was she planning on doing, flashing the prince? Liz exited the room and made her way down stairs to get the sowing supplies.

After an hour of working her fingers to the bone, Liz looked at the dress in satisfaction. She was finally done with it. She brought it upstairs, only to have it rudely snatched from her hands by Tess. She worked on Tess’ hair and put it into an elegant bun with little beautiful tendrils falling on the side of her face. Tess seemed satisfied and that was good. All she needed was another lecture from her stepmother.

Liz lightly rapped on the door of Maria’s room. She heard Maria call to her saying she could come in. Liz walked in and saw Maria in the dress she had altered just the day before. It looked even more beautiful on her than she had imagined. “Oh my. You look so beautiful Maria.” Liz gasped.

Maria had never heard Liz say anything to her in the last 8 years except “What can I do for you milady?” and “right away.” Her compliment brought a smile and a slight blush to her cheeks. She did feel pretty in this dress. The alteration that Liz had done had really made it look spectacular on her. “Thank you Elizabeth, and thank you for the alteration it looks splendid.”

Liz blushed at her gratitude. She had never been thanked before. Liz bowed her head and did not say a word. She didn’t know what to say. “Is there anything else you need milady? Maybe I can put your hair up?” She said softly without raising her head.

“No thank you, I believe I am all set. You know you don’t always have to lower your head around me. You may be treated like a servant in this house, but you are still my stepsister.” Maria answered. She hoped that her statement would help Liz understand her true feelings.

Liz smiled brightly at Maria and was about to reply when her stepmother barged into the room and demanded that Liz fix her hair right away. Liz, once again, lowered her head and exited the room. Maria was left standing there with a frown.

Two hours later…

The Parker women, minus Liz, stepped into the coach and were whisked off to the ball. Liz watched their carriage ride off into the distance and a tear formed in her eye. She headed back into her house to finish her many chores. As she entered the kitchen to clean it up, Alex quietly entered the house.

“Alex, what are you doing here? I don’t have time to play now, I need to get my chores done before everyone gets home!” Liz snapped as she grabbed a sponge.

“Did you listen to me at all? Go get dressed and get your beautiful behind to the ball!” Alex exclaimed.

“Alex, I did too listen to you, but I need to get my chores done or else my stepmother will have my head. As much as I would like to get to the ball, I simply can’t.” Liz said frustrated. Didn’t he know how hard this was for her?

“Liz, do you have any faith in me at all? I’m here to do your chores, let me know what they are and I’ll get started while you go get changed. I even managed to get you a horse to ride to the ball. I hope you still remember how to ride.” Alex exclaimed. He watched as it dawned on her how many bases he had covered.

“I do remember, but Alex I can’t go. What if my family sees me there? What if I do pull this off and the prince laughs in my face and marries some other girl? Besides, he can’t marry me, I’m a peasant and he would have my head for impersonating a lady.” Liz explained trying to not get too overemotional.

“Liz, you’ll do great. If you guys had as much of a connection as you say you did without saying a word, imagine being able to speak to him! He will adore you and you’ll have a fantastic time. Go get your mother’s dress. Don’t worry about anything else, I promise everything will work out in the end.” Alex said with determination in his eye. Liz looked reluctant, but she went to go put on her dress.

30 minutes later…

Liz came down the stairs and gently opened the door to the kitchen. Alex was rushing around cleaning whatever needed to be done. He didn’t seem to notice her entrance so she cleared her throat rather loudly. Alex heard a sound and looked towards the door.

He saw Liz standing there in a beautiful bluish white gown. The intricate details on the dress really made it elegant. He looked up to her face and he gasped. Her hair was done up with soft wisps of hair sticking out slightly, giving her a soft but gorgeous look. His jaw was practically on the floor. He knew his best friend was a girl and was fairly attractive, but she looked stunning. He then noticed her shoes, rather boots.

“Wow Liz, you look so beautiful! The prince won’t know what hit him. Although, I don’t think you are going to impress anyone with those boots, dear.” Alex said grimacing. Is that her only pair of shoes?

“Alex, ye of little faith, I am only wearing these shoes for riding. I can’t very well mount the horse with heels.” Liz said sticking out her tongue. She pulled from behind her a pair of pearly blue shoes. She was once told that her mother had worn them at her wedding. They were simple but elegant. They had small beads on them that made them sparkle. She was grateful she had the same shoe size as her birth mother.

Alex smiled seeing the shoes. They were perfect. Only one thing was missing. “Well it looks like you are all set to go to the ball, but you are missing one thing.” He went over to his jacket and pulled out a beautiful mask. He handed it to her and she placed it on her head. He now could see the full outfit and he couldn’t describe as anything else but amazing.

He ushered to the door telling her she better be on her way and that he would take care of everything. Liz threw her hands around his neck and hugged him tightly and whispered her thanks. She gave him a peck on the cheek and ran out to the stable where Alex said he tied up the horse. Alex watched her run and smiled. She was going to have a great night, he was sure of it.

[LPorter]

I had wanted to do a special thanks to everyone, but its really late and I need to get to bed so I can wake up early to go to my classes. I just want to say thank you for all of your feedback, and a special thanks goes out to NewYorker18, Hybrid Angel, and Crashdown2006 for your support. Thank you Dee for your patience with me, as well as you all for bearing with me as I have been really busy with school. I have two papers due next week, so I hope to write chapter 9 soon, but obviously school needs to come first. I love you all, and thanks to everyone who voted for me!!


Chapter 8

Slowly lowering herself off the horse and onto the ground, she tired the beautiful beast to a nearby tree. She carefully took off her muddy boots and placed on her mother’s shoes. She patted down her dress, trying to get out any wrinkles.

Liz turned towards the castle and involuntarily sucked in her breath. It was more beautiful than she had remembered. The last time she had seen these stonewalls was when she was a little girl that was desperate to see where royalty lived.

“Daddy, isn’t it bee-oot-aful?” she asked with her eyes radiating with awe.

“Yes darling it is. It is the biggest and most wonderful prison in the world.” He answered softly. He looked down at his daughter to see her giving him a questioning look, but instead of explaining himself he stroked her hair.

At her young age she couldn’t understand the depth of what her father meant. How could castle be anything like a prison? Her thoughts drifted back to the prince and how he had run away from the castle. Maybe living under the strict rules and having to live up to your expectations of being a great prince and future king is like being a prisoner. She thought about the purpose of this ball and she felt more sympathy for him. Like her, he would probably never be able to marry for love. He would live out his life the way his parents and the country want him to, never being able to decide what he would like to do with it. She shook her thoughts away trying to focus on what she was about to do.

She took a step towards the castle when she heard her horse make noises behind her. She turned towards him and he looked at her and shook his large head. She walked back to the horse and gave him a reassuring stroke. “I know what I’m doing. I’ll be back.” She said as she turned towards the castle and tried to mentally prepare herself for the most important night of her life.

*************************************************************

Max sat up at his thrown along side of his parents. It was the first time he had sat down since the party had started. His father had forced him to dance with almost every woman in the castle. His feet were sore and he was bored of all the girls. None of them stood out in the crowd and it was starting to worry him. He had no idea what any of these girls looked like and none of them talked about anything other than themselves.

What bothered him the most was that his beloved could be there and he would never know because he wouldn’t be able to recognize her beautiful face when it was covered with a mask. He looked down in defeat. He felt a nudge from his father. He looked up to see him giving him a glare that told him he better get back down on the dance floor.

He made his way onto the dance floor and the girls around him were all whispering and giggling. He noticed how they were all silently begging to be chosen for the next dance. Knowing he had to make a choice he sighed and walked towards the nearest girl.

He graciously bowed and asked her to dance with him. She looked towards what was probably her mother and giddily accepted. She looked triumphantly towards the other girls, which displeased Max a lot. He wanted to walk away from this girl and get away from this stupid ball, but he couldn’t be rude to his father’s guests.

As the song was nearing an end, Max confirmed his thoughts about this girl. She seemed a bit self absorbed, but she had more of a spark than the other girls did. She did make him laugh once or twice. He couldn’t tell if she was putting on a facade, but she had given him the best impression out of all the women he had danced with. His eyes wandered around the room while he listened to her talk until he saw the most beautiful creature walk into the room.

He couldn’t see her face, but her dress and aura, if there was such a thing, radiated beauty and demanded attention. He watched as she gracefully, but shyly, walked into the large room. As the last few lines of the music played he watched as she found her eyes to his. She seemed to gasp in surprised, but didn’t shy away like he had expected.

He held her gaze until he realized the dreadful girl he was dancing with had pulled away and curtsied. He bowed as he was brought up to do and quickly walked towards the girl. Who was this entrancing girl?

Tess made her way back to her mother and sister with a huge grin on her face. “Did you see mother? He didn’t want to break away from me after the song, I knew he’d buy my sweet little girl act. He must like me more than the other girls here tonight.”

“That might have been so, Tessa, but look at where your dear prince is headed. He is practically running to that girl that just entered. Looks like he didn’t break away from you because he was too busy looking at that tramp!” Mrs. Parker sneered. How dare the prince look more excited to see another woman!

Tess was enraged. She turned her head towards the prince and indeed he was making his way to some girl and he looked determined. How rude! He might be headed to that girl, but she was not going to give up without a fight.

Liz entered the room and she was bombarded with beautiful colors from
every direction. There were so many decorations that lined the walls and tables. The dresses the girls were wearing were of all the colors of the rainbow. In the distance she could see the King and Queen sitting down watching over the ball. It was all too overwhelming. Her eyes darted from one end of the room to the other.

The fear started to set in as the shock began to fade. If she were caught pretending to be a noble then the guards would surely hang her. She had so much to risk coming there, but she would never be able to live with herself if she didn’t see her beloved one last time. Her eyes darted from one person to another until her eyes set upon a finely dressed man dancing with her sister.

If he hadn’t been wearing royal clothes she still would have recognized him anywhere. His smile was exactly the same. Seeing his smile took her back in time to when she sat weeping by the river when he appeared and his mere presence comforted her soul, and now there he was. Dancing with her sister, her evil sister, and seeming to have a good time.

A mixture of shock and anger caused her to gasp at the sight. She was a little shocked to see what a handsome man her beloved had become. No longer was he a scrawny little boy, but what replaced him was a built man who showed confidence and maturity. Then the anger washed over her as she saw her sniveling and money-grabbing sister with her hands on her beloved! The idea of her sister in his arms was enough for her to go ballistic.

She saw how his gaze was transfixed onto hers. She held this staring contest with him until she saw him realize that the song was over and her sister had curtsied and made her way back to her stepmother. She was delighted and horrified to see him come walking towards her like a man on a mission. What would she say to him? What if he recognized her as that peasant girl and turned her over to the guards? Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

He found his way to his beauty as another song started. He noticed how nervous she looked. Hopefully he could calm her and get her to dance with him. When he was a couple feet away from her he stopped and took a little bow. His eyes looked up to see her curtsy. Before rising he looked at her and asked, “My lady, may I be so honored as to have your hand in this dance?”

Liz couldn’t believe it he was asking her to dance! She tried to maintain her memory of how to act with nobility while trying not to look like an idiot. She searched her memory of how to dance, but the last time she had danced was when she was a little girl and her father was teaching her. “Yes your highness.” Liz answered him softly.

He couldn’t believe his ears; she sounded like an angel. He lightly held out his hand for her to place hers on his. When she did he could feel his heart rate increase by ten fold. He felt as though he was having a heart attack, but he doubted there was a better feeling in the entire world. He led this beautiful creature to the center of the dance floor. He was sure that this would be the best dance of his life.


TBC...soon

[LPorter]

Sorry again for the delay in this chapter. I hope it was worth the wait. Special thanks to:
Crashdown2006
frenchkiss70
Maia--(my tests went alright, thanks for asking)
Gigo--(thanks for the luck)
SmileeUk
max and liz believer--(thanks for the fb and well wishes)
S'Marysche--(thanks for the very kind words)
liz_maria
Itzstacie
NewYorker18--(you know I love ya)
roswellluver
Deejonaise--(you are the best beta ever)

And an extra, extra thanks to Frenchkiss70 and NewYorker18 for nominating this story for Best Author of A Challenge Response Fic and Best Challenge Response Fic (and also for my other story The Water's Edge for Fic That Made You Cry The Hardest). THANK YOU SO MUCH! You have no idea how much that means to me.


Enough babel, here is your update, I hope it was worth the wait.


Chapter 9

Her eyes sparkled from the ballroom lights, but anyone could see that it was not as impressive as the inner glow she was radiating. Despite her nervousness, she seemed to almost float her way to the center of the dance floor. A quiet voice in everyone’s head asked, “Who is this girl?” but no one seemed to care, that is, with the exception of Mrs. Parker and Tess.

Liz was beyond nervous, but her heart was pounding a mile a minute for another reason. The love of her life was staring at her like he never wanted to look away. Under his intense gaze, Liz couldn’t help but feel self-conscious. She knew that he couldn’t see her face, but the self-doubt was eating at her core.

His hand was politely holding hers as he led her body to his as they reached the center, but it felt hardly polite; Liz felt like sparks were running through her body. Did he feel like this too? She finally dared to look up and meet her eyes to his. She noticed that while he looked very serious, his eyes seemed to be smiling. That helped to ease her anxiety, and she soon felt lost in his eyes.

He couldn’t see her face or even her hair, but she was the most enchanting woman he had ever met. Something about her tugged at his heart and made him feel freer in that moment than he had felt in his lifetime. He noticed how graceful she walked, almost like an angel. Yes, an angel. The crowd slowly disappeared from his vision as his focus quickly remained solely on her.

Two pairs of angry eyes watched on as the couple slowly moved to the rhythm of the music. Schemes were plotted as the couple’s feet moved in sync with one another. Plans were made to make sure that whoever this mysterious girl was, she was not going to ever dance with the prince again.

Two other pairs of eyes watched on in delight. If the expression on his face was as good as that before talking to the girl, they had a good feeling they wouldn’t be deciding his mate that night; he would. They watched, as he looked happier than he ever seemed to be. Who was this girl? They couldn’t wait to meet her.

Another pair of eyes were locked together, experiencing a dance neither would forget for as long as they lived. The warmth of his hands radiated through her body, but what heating her body the most was the look he was giving her. She had never been looked at like that by a man before.

His intense gaze was starting to make her feel very insecure, so reluctantly she turned her head away from her beloved and looked out at the crowd. She felt a gentle, but manly, hand touch the bottom of her chin, nudging her to turn back towards his face. She let her chin back towards his face where she was met again by his intense gaze. “Don’t look away from me beautiful; you have nothing to be ashamed about.”

Her cheeks flushed from the compliment. She had certainly never heard herself be called beautiful before, at least not like this. Her beloved thought she was beautiful! He’s only saying that because he can’t see your face. He just assumes you are beautiful. She was almost tempted to lower her head again with her thoughts, but she had a feeling he would just tilt her chin again.

He wanted to talk to her and find out everything about her, but he was so mesmerized by her he couldn’t seem to find his voice. He enjoyed every last second as he watched her move around the room in his arms, but before he knew it the song ended. He hadn’t even noticed the music’s end until his mysterious woman softly coughed to bring him out of his daze. He, for the first time since the music began, noticed all the eyes fixated on him. He felt uncomfortable under the gaze and from her expression; she seemed to be feeling the same thing. “Come with me, let’s go some place more private so that I may know more about you.” He whispered.

Oh no! He was going to ask her about herself. What could she tell him without revealing her identity as a peasant? This was a nightmare! Before she could even respond with a polite answer he dragged her off the dance floor and out to the balcony. What was she going to do?

But wasn’t this what she had been dreaming about for the last 8 years? This was her chance! She could finally get to know her beloved. Walking with him towards the balcony, thousands of stars in the night sky appeared just above the concrete walls. She couldn’t have dreamed of a more beautiful or romantic night to spend with him.

Liz felt her spirits rising in excitement, but her nagging conscience was reminding her that she had to watch what she said. If he found out who she was then she would be dead faster than you could say “guards!” She had no idea what he was going to ask her, but her heart told her not to worry and to follow it, and that is exactly what she planned to do.

He realized he practically dragged the poor girl by the time he reached the end of the balcony. He blushed a little, but he didn’t want to drop his hand. Suddenly feeling very nervous around her he turned towards the stars and let out a blissful sigh. “Aren’t they beautiful?”

“Yes, your highness, they are.” Liz responded softly as she gave the night sky a look over. “I’ve never seen so many stars before.” She turned her head towards the prince and she saw that no longer was he looking at the sparkling dots, but looking directly at her. Liz quickly turned her head back to the sky to avoid the deafening silence that she was feeling.

“Yes, the palace does have its perks. Being so far away from the village, the sky is much clearer here. You know, I would stand in this exact spot as a child and dream about what it was like out there.” Liz turned towards the prince and was surprised at his honesty. He almost looked sad for a moment, like he remembered something that panged his heart.

“Why your highness? You have everything at your disposal here. Look out there.” Liz pointed towards the little lights of the closest village. “Life out there is dangerous and depressing. So many people are starving. People kill one another like it is not a mortal sin! Women are raped and children work as soon as they are able. Why would you dream about a life like that?” Liz boldly responded.

As soon as she spoke those words Liz realized what she had said. Throwing her hand in front of her lips she quickly added, “I’m sorry your highness, I should not have been so rude, please forgive me.” She looked at his face with scared eyes; she was not sure what he was going to do.

Max was more than a little shocked by this woman’s speech. Instead of being angry at what she said, like he normally would have, he pondered what she said. Feeling like a child getting a glimpse of the real world for the first time, he was stunned into silence. She was definitely brave to speak to him like that, but he liked it. It was refreshing to have someone be honest to him; to talk to him like an equal, not like an icon.

A slow half smile graced his lips and he nodded his head. “You were brave to say something like that, but I suppose you are right. What fascinates me is that you talk with such a passion about it, almost like you live that life. What would a lady know about the harshness of the village?” Max asked with a slightly raised eyebrow. He was curious if she was bold enough to argue back.

Liz froze for a moment at his question. Had she revealed too much? How was she going to answer his question without saying too much? Liz thought for a moment and responded saying, “Just because a lady has servants, it does not mean she does not see what is going on around her. Do you presume a lady is ignorant?” Liz was not sure why she was suddenly feeling so bold around the prince. She was definitely going to get herself in trouble.

“Of course not my lady, I apologize if my question offended you. I just believe a woman should be treated like gold and they shouldn’t have to be subjected to the harsh reality of life.” Max replied sincerely. He bit back his smile; he adored her conviction and intellect. He had never had an intelligent conversation with a woman before, other than his mother and sister.

“How rude of me, I whisked you away from the ball without even being polite enough to catch your name.” Max asked. This was it; he’d finally learn the name of this captivating woman before him. She looked almost nervous after he asked the question, and he could not understand why. She started to open her mouth when he heard something behind him. He turned around, but saw nothing.

Damn that was close. A pair of jealous eyes was trying to get closer to hear what the prince and girl were talking about, but she nearly knocked over a plant in the process. Luckily for her she was a skinny girl and managed to hide behind the plant easily enough without the prince seeing her. Damn that girl. She was becoming a menace; she would have to do something.

Realizing that there was no escape in answering his question, she was about to give a false name when she heard the noise as well. Looking back into the dance floor, Liz realized the ball would soon be over and if she did not get a head start, her step family would surely beat her home. Maybe this was for the best, after all her fairy tale was now over. She had gotten what she wanted, to see her beloved once more, and now it was time go home. But if she had gotten what she wanted, why did she feel like she was about to make the biggest mistake of her life?

Prince Max turned towards his mysterious woman to await her answer. He was surprised to see a new expression on her face, one of sadness and grief. “I’m so sorry your highness; I must leave right now for I have forgotten the hour. Thank you for the dance, I shall never forget it.” Liz choked out, trying desperately to be strong. Without looking at his reaction she ran towards the dance floor and out the front door of the palace.

He ran as fast as he could after her, but woman flocked around him as soon as he entered the ball again. He managed to push them off, but by the time he opened the door she was gone. All that was left of his beauty was her delicate shoe. It must have fallen off when she ran and she didn’t bother to pick it up. Picking up the shoe, he looked from it to the stars in the sky and sighed. That was the second time an amazing girl suddenly appeared in his life and was taken just as quick. Looking back to the palace he was cringing at what he was going to tell his father. The only thought going through his head as he entered back into the palace was who was that woman who had stolen his heart?

[LPorter]

Thanks everyone for your well wishes. I'm feeling a lot better now, the anti biotics helped a lot. I'm still coughing, but at least I'm back to school and on with the rest of my life. Sadly missing school has added even more work and stress onto my already stressful schedule. I have so many things to do in the next two weeks its crazy, but I had to update for you guys. I have been to busy to see if anyone nominated me again, but if you did....thanks so much. You guys have been so supportive, and I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate it.

Special thanks to:

roswellluver
Gigo- You're right it is a conundrum, and I'm writing it! LOL. Thanks for the well wishes!
frenchkiss70- Thanks for the wonderful fb, yeah it breaks my heart too.
Kaela- I love the twist too, its why I decided to take the challenge
NewYorker18- Yes you are the crazy one, but thats why I love ya, lol. Thanks for all your well wishes.
talena
Crashdown2006- You'll just have to see, but I'd keep a tissue near by. And thank you for your kind words and well wishes.
Maia- In a perfect world the Fairy Godmother would do that, *sigh*
Hybrid-Angel- Well she won't get a kick in the ass, but we can pretend she does
SmileeUk- Aparently everyone was holding their breath, I hope next time I don't see passed out readers everywhere. LOL.
Dreamertilltheend- I'm so glad that you are enjoying the story!! It is disapointing that Liz didn't tell Max, but if she did...where would the story be? I'm glad you don't get sick, lucky. Thanks for the well wishes!


Chapter 10

All movement had ceased and all eyes were directed toward the door when Prince Maxwell re-entered the ball holding the shoe in his hand. His eyes darted around to see that everyone was looking at him and only the sounds of whispers were heard. He looked past the mass and towards his parents at the back of the room and was met with two pairs of eyes radiating shock and disapproval back at him.

He silently made his way through the crowd towards his parents. King Phillip glared a look at the conductor that almost demanded the music to begin once more. Slowly people looked away from the prince and returned their focuse to dancing. But this did not stop the whispers. Who was the girl? Why was the prince chasing after her? Why was he holding her shoe? What would the King and Queen say about this?

Max knew he was in trouble. He had caused a scene. Sorrow was already flowing through his veins because quite possibly the love of his life had just run away from him, but now that was taking the back burner to fear. His parents must be furious. What was he going to tell them? He was supposed to announce his bride tonight, but he didn’t even get her name.

“What in the lord’s name were you doing? You ran out of the ball like your royal robe was on fire! Who was that girl you were chasing? It doesn’t even matter; I gave you the best tutors to teach you manners and etiquette. How do you repay me? By embarrassing yourself and us! You had better explain yourself fast, boy!” the King snapped. He had tried to remain as quiet as he could, but his blood was boiling and he wanted answers now. His wife jabbed his arm giving him a look that told him to calm down, but he was about to anytime soon.

“I am sorry mother and father for embarrassing you, it was not my intention. I met the most wonderful girl tonight. We talked out of the balcony and for the first time in my life I felt like my whole body came alive. She didn’t talk to me like I was royalty, but like I was an equal. It felt so good. I know I couldn’t see her face, but her beauty radiated from her just the same.” Max wistfully replied. He felt his heart constrict and he looked down at the shoe and he fought the urge to break down.

“I am so happy for you, my son. If you have obviously found the one who you are to make your bride, then why did she run out of here so quick and why are you holding her shoe?” His mother asked softly. She could see her son’s heart breaking and it pained her.

“I don’t know why she ran. She was about to tell me her name when a sound behind us started us both. She then told me she had forgotten the hour and ran out of the palace. I chased after her to stop her, so at least I could get her name but when I got outside she was gone and all that was left was this shoe. It must have fallen off when she ran and she didn’t want to stop to put it back on. I don’t know what I did wrong.” Max sadly finished explaining. He was never going to see her again, and he would soon be married to some stranger.

“Great; just great! My son meets a girl that he, for once, likes and then he proceeds to make a spectacle of himself and now all he is left with a shoe. I was supposed to announce your engagement tonight. Since I doubt you are going to have to pick another girl, I will simply have to choose for you.” King Phillip announced to his son. He looked at his son whose face had of all color and then turned toward his wife who looked annoyed with him.

Maxwell looked at his father in horror of the situation and then looked down at the delicate shoe in his hand and then an idea popped into his mind. “Father, I know this might sound crazy, but I must ask you to make this announcement instead.” He whispered to his father and his father let out a laugh before realizing his son was serious. He looked at his wife and noticed that she was smiling and nodding her head in approval. King Phillip looked back out to his subjects, let out a long sigh and stood up.

*****************************************************

She kicked the rear of the horse and begged him to gallop faster. She whipped her head back for a moment to see the bright castle fading away, along with her dreams of love and a life away from her prison. Her eyes made it back to the path ahead of her. She tried to focus on getting back to her home, but the overwhelming sorrow in her heart consumed her. Tears streaked across her face, but she did not notice.

After riding a while she noticed her home was near, just as the first drops of rain began to fall upon her head. She hopped off the horse and tied him back up. She regretfully held only one of her mother’s shoes in hand. She wanted to take it, but she knew her mother’s shoes were of no significance to her if her head was going to be cut off. The rain drops were getting bigger and it now came down in sheets upon her and her pretty dress. Her hair, which had been hidden away in mask, was now free and wind whipped. Spots of mud were on the bottom of her dress, but she would be mournful about that later. Right now another pain plagued her.

She stepped into the kitchen and noticed that Alex was gone, but he had kept to his word and everything seemed to be done. She leaned against the door after closing it and slowly slid down to the floor and the sobs wracked her small body. She had gained everything and lost everything within a few minutes. How foolish she had been to go to the ball and see him again. She had fallen in love with him, not just the quite boy whose soul had reached out towards hers long ago, but she had fallen in love with everything that was him. The way his eyes looked into hers, the way he spoke, the way he held her like she was the most delicate thing on the planet.

Looking around the cold room she knew she was forever bound to it. She would never be able to know happiness and never smile again. She would work for her step family for as long as she was useful, and then her step mother would probably kill her like she had her father. She would never escape.

***************************************************

The crowd was silenced as they watched their king rise. The conductor instructed his musicians to stop playing. All eyes moved towards the King as he nervously began to speak. “I thank you, my loyal subjects, for making it out to my son’s masked ball. I hope you have all enjoyed yourselves. The purpose of this ball was to find my son a proper bride, and he has done so.”

Whispers broke out through the crowd and girls giggled and tried to smile towards Max one last time. Phillip looked back questioningly towards his son and wife and saw them give him an encouraging nod. “My son has met the girl he has chosen to marry, but she ran off before giving him her name but instead left him with this.” He lifted the shoe and showed it to the crowd.

More whispers circulated the room, growing louder and louder. What was going on? “The girl who wears this shoe, has a remarkably small foot. My son has decided that whomever the shoe fits, shall be his bride.” What had become whispers soon became shouting and the King could hardly hear himself think. He watched as girls became annoyed and were checking their own shoe sizes.

“My son and his guard shall check homes starting tomorrow, until his bride is found. Thank you all for coming.” And with that the King turned away and joined his family. He handed the shoe to his son and patted his shoulder. “I hope you know what you are doing.”

Max looked at the shoe with pain in his eyes. He had to find her, and this was the only way he knew how. He would do anything to get her back. Trying to answer his father, all he could reply was “I hope I do, too.”