She had no idea what had gotten into her, especially considering her fear of the dark. But tonight she decided to become a new Cindy. She thought about her enchanting perfume and knew Charles would probably like it. She’d stolen it from her stepmother a few hours earlier, along with a very revealing white dress. Cindy wasn’t the kind of girl to steal things, but her stepmother had taken most of her possessions when Cindy’s father passed away. The dress used to belong to her mother, and she just knew it would look good on her. Besides, her stepmother wasn’t a very nice person in general. Evil, to be exact.
“Yes, I would like that,” she responded, and Charles smiled widely.
He stood up and reached out to take her hand. The forest ranger was only looking at her tonight, and after their secret meeting, Cindy was certain that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. Cindy needed to experience the touch of a real man. She’d been waiting for this kind of opportunity for far too long.
Ever since her father died, her life had never been the same. Her stepmother turned into someone completely different as soon as her father’s will was read aloud. She became demanding, sharp, and started ordering Cindy around, making her clean and cook all day long. Apart from her stepmother, Cindy had two stepsisters who were very cruel too her most of the time. She didn’t like the way they called her names, and slapped her if she disagreed with them about something. Her stepsisters also had much more freedom than Cindy. It wasn’t fair, but she knew that tonight her luck could finally change.
She had to find a man who would want to marry her so she could leave her stepmother and that horrid life behind forever.
“Come on my beauty, let’s get out of here,” Charles said, winking at her. In her head she was ready to give him her virtue. She was reeling with unbidden thoughts of things she’d never experienced before.
She took a few more sips of wine, giggled and then followed Charles outside the tavern. Her stepmother had never allowed her to drink, and right then Cindy felt a bit tipsy. Maybe the alcohol was making her a bit braver. At least it subdued her inhibitions and she wasn’t afraid of going out into the night.
The tavern was located just outside the Fyrred Town, and her house was on the other side, near the river Cloud. The powerful King Caspian II was the owner of the entire land and he ruled the Farrington Kingdom fairly. Apparently, his wife passed away almost twenty years ago and he never married again.
“I wish that I could stop time somehow, I don’t want to leave you later on,” she told him when they were heading towards the forest. She was worried about her stepmother, but she needed to stand up to her once and for all.
Charles sighed loudly, like he understood where she was coming from. When he glanced at her, Cindy saw the lust in his eyes. She didn’t even have to overthink this anymore. The forest ranger liked her, and Cindy was imagining him standing in front of Ida and asking for her hand.
They walked and talked for a bit. Most of the time Charles was asking questions about the stories that she liked reading and times spent with her father when he was alive. He always seemed very interested in her life.
An hour later, they were moving through the forest, laughing and chasing each other, trying to ease off the sexual tension. For a second, Cindy didn’t care that it was so dark or that it would normally freak her out. None of it mattered at that particular moment, because she was finally alone with Charles.
He caught up with her after several minutes of playing around. He grabbed her from behind, while Cindy pretended to be scared. She screamed and they both fell to the ground. It took her several moments to realise that she was lying on top of him; her heart was jackhammering in her chest. She realised she was in a position she’d only dreamed of and didn’t exactly know how to react—she had to wing it.
“You’re so stunning, my Cinderella. I can’t seem to control myself around you any longer. Where the hell have you been all my life?” he asked, staring at her with his intense brown eyes, practically undressing her with his gaze. Cindy’s desire stirred in the pit of her stomach, and before she could think about a coherent response, Charles kissed her.
And oh boy that kiss made her toes curl, sending a stream of heat through her entire body. She didn’t waste time, and instinctively grabbed Charles’s cheeks and pulled him to her harder, then slipped her tongue into his mouth. Heat started ravaging her body as her nipples hardened. She wanted more.
They were twisting and turning on the cold ground, their bodies tangled with each other, and she loved every second of it. Suddenly Charles grabbed her arse, and started moving his hand underneath her dress. She didn’t mind, she was turned on and wanted to stay with him forever.
“Oh yes, my sweet girl, you taste unbelievable,” he whispered in her ear, touching the sensitive parts of her body that no one had ever touched before. Cindy arched her head backwards and gasped when Charles started sucking along the column of her neck, followed by feather soft kisses across her jaw until he reached her full mouth, while moving his long, thick fingers down her thigh once more.
She had never felt so liberated in her entire life, blood pounded in her ears and she instantly thought that he was the one.
“Cindy Rutherford, get off that man and out here right this instant or I’ll drag you out from the bushes myself!”
The voice of her stepmother startled her and she jumped back to her feet like her arse was on fire. Blood rushed to her ears and she quickly glanced back at Charles, mortified. She had no idea how her stepmother had found her. They were in the middle of the forest, away from the road.
“I have to go,” she muttered, thinking that her stepmother must have followed her all the way out there. It was the only logical explanation. She was just waiting for the right moment to embarrass her. Ida’s sharp eyes were filled with fury, but Cindy wasn’t really worried about how she might be punished.
She had interrupted her perfect date, making Cindy look like an idiot. Ida grabbed her elbow and started dragging Cindy across the forest towards the house.
“I can’t believe you slipped out of the house—right under my nose. Your father would be turning in his grave if he knew that you were kissing some strange man. Anyone could have heard you out there, stupid, stupid girl. I’ll lock you up in the attic and you can stay there forever!” her stepmother shouted.
The truth was that Cindy wasn’t all that scared of her stepmother, but all of a sudden she felt sober, alerted that she was out in the darkness. Her thoughts began to race and she couldn’t put together a coherent response, suddenly paralysed by fear.
In the past when her father was still alive, she was always happy and cheerful. She lived in a big home with a stunning garden and a few outbuildings. She didn’t remember her mother much, since she died when Cindy was young. Her father was a very good man, and he looked after her well.
Several years later, when Cindy turned thirteen her father remarried. Ida was a divorcee with two daughters. Apparently she met her father at the market in another kingdom when Ted was trying to sell her an expensive rug.
Ida had been after Ted’s money from the beginning and only married him because he was wealthy. She had prearranged the perfect plan of seduction and after weeks of seeing him, he finally proposed. Cindy knew the truth; once she overheard Teresa and Susan talking about it and laughing about how her father had been so clueless. As Cindy grew older, her father felt guilty leaving her alone when he travelled, and he wanted her to have company—that’s why he married Ida.
One day after a month of absence, a telegram arrived. Ida told Cindy that her father had a heart attack and died on the road. It was one of the worst days of her life and she was truly devastated.
“You are ruining your reputation, Cindy. No one will ever want you once the rumours spread that you’re making out with strangers in the bushes,” Ida was saying when they were just outside the house, but Cindy wasn’t listening to her anymore. She was still humiliated. Eventually, she ran up to her room in the attic. She di
dn’t even have a chance to explain herself to Charles and now she had no idea when she would see him again.
Several minutes later, Ida followed her to her room, which didn’t happen very often.
“I know what I’m doing. Charles thinks I’m beautiful, and you can’t keep telling me what to do. I’m an adult now,” she replied hastily, trying to tidy up her closet to take her mind off what happened in the forest. She had no idea what had gotten into her today, but she’d never talked back to her stepmother before.
Ida looked surprised and Cindy thought that maybe it was about time she stood up for herself. She’d let this woman treat her like garbage for too many years.
“You…don’t be stupid. Men will always want obedient wives and you’re a spoiled brat who doesn’t know how to behave. Your father asked me to take care of you, and I’m doing this for your own good,” Ida said, brushed her forehead and then barged out the door, muttering something about responsibility and attitude.
Cindy laughed, shaking her head. She was afraid that the forest ranger would never speak to her again. She thought about running away or breaking out, but then what? She had no idea where to go and Ida was her guardian until she was officially married.
She decided to worry about it tomorrow. She was tired after the night’s events and utter humiliation. She changed into her nighty, then slipped under the thin covers. The bed was old and not very comfortable, but Cindy wanted to stay positive, thinking of better days to come.
She closed her eyes and started to imagine her first real date with Charles and him making love to her. Cindy wasn’t stupid, and she knew that Charles was the one for her. She was ready to sleep with him, because she knew that it felt right. He would never let her down. Her stepmother was wrong. Cindy wasn’t a slut. She would only gift her virtue to someone she truly loved.
All of her dreams were suddenly interrupted by the sound of horses outside. Cindy threw back the covers and ran to the window to see who was paying her stepmother a visit so late at night. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a royal carriage with snow white horses. Shortly after, the coachman stepped out and greeted her stepmother in front of the house. He was dressed in a white uniform and Cindy instantly remembered that some women at the market were saying that Prince Eric’s father, King Caspian, was planning to organise a ball for his son. Apparently, he was fed up that the prince wasn’t even considering settling down, and he wanted him to find a wife.
The coachman smiled politely towards her stepmother and handed her something that looked like an invitation. That letter could only mean one thing—King Caspian had finally made up his mind and organised a ball. Cindy’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she watched how the coachman handed her mother four envelopes. Yes, she couldn’t have been wrong, she saw four letters, which meant that one was for her.
There was no way that her stepmother would make a decision about Cindy attending the ball or not. And if she tried, Cindy would find a way to sneak out or run. Either way her spirits were soaring. She was going to the ball no matter what, because this was her only chance to meet with the forest ranger—the man she knew she would eventually love.
Chapter Two
“I haven’t been this excited since the butcher from the village told me he would go down on me,” Susan said, giggling like she was just about to have a fit.
Cindy was behind the house, collecting feed for the chickens when she overheard Susan talking yet again about her sexual adventures with various men that she used to meet in town. Both of Cindy’s stepsisters had no idea that she could hear them talking from around the corner. It was a long day and Cindy had hidden in the old part of the house, hoping to rest for a bit while she finished feeding the chickens, but it seemed like Susan and Teresa had a similar idea.
Her stepmother had given her a list of menial chores that she needed to complete by dawn, and threatened to kick her out of the house if she didn’t finish on time. Cindy was used to her stepmother’s bullying tactics, but things had gotten a bit worse since she’d snuck out to the tavern a few days ago.
Cindy shook her head, not quite believing what she was hearing. She knew her stepsisters weren’t afraid of their mother, and she didn’t really care. Cindy wasn’t the kind of person who judged people, especially her stepsisters. They also didn’t seem to care what people thought about them. She knew her stepsisters slept around with random men while her stepmother thought they were perfectly well-mannered ladies who would preserve their virtue until marriage—if she only knew half of what they did, she’d be scandalised.
“I know, attending a royal ball is so exciting. I bet we’ll see many fit guys over there,” Teresa squeaked.
“Pfff, forget about the other guys. Prince Eric is the hottest of them all. I need to find a way to talk to him, and once we get past that, then I can show him my idea of a good time in his bedroom,” Susan said, already planning her usual seduction game.
Cindy rolled her eyes. Did Susan really think the prince would just leave with her during the ball? There would be a hundred-plus ladies standing by for introduction and he would be obligated to make time for everyone.
Ida didn’t tell Cindy that she had gotten an invitation for the ball, and Cindy was worried. She was certain that her stepmother wouldn’t allow her to attend, claiming that she was never invited.
She was planning to talk to her stepmother about it as soon as possible. Her stepsisters were very unpleasant to her today, calling her a whore and a slut. They probably heard what had happened with the forest ranger and they were simply jealous. Cindy didn’t understand why Susan and Teresa treated her so badly. She had never done anything bad to them in any way and she always covered for them when they snuck out.
Deep down, she felt bad that she ran away to see the forest ranger last night, but she knew that she wasn’t going to meet anyone while being locked up in the house forever.
It was the king who organised the ball for his son. Apparently, the young prince was ruining the king’s reputation and the ball was Caspian’s last chance to put him back on the right path. King Caspian wanted him to find a suitable wife and finally settle down.
“I’m going to be there too, you know, so don’t jump the hoop yet. I give much better head than you,” Teresa said confidently and her sister snorted automatically as if to disagree. “Besides, only yesterday I slept with the squire who’s been flirting with me for so long. He was all right, but he had a bit of a trouble getting it up, you know. And Mommy is so uptight these days. She really needs to find herself a new husband. She needs to chill out a bit.”
“Don’t be silly. Mum won’t get married again. Ted was the last one, and he was so naive. Shame that he had to have a daughter. Cindy is such a slut. The other night Mum caught her with the forest ranger in the bushes. Can you believe it?”
Cindy angrily clenched her fists, breathing hard. Of course, her stepsisters knew about her date with Charles. Ida must have told them everything to teach Cindy a lesson.
She filled up a bucket of water and turned around, going back to her chickens. Susan and Teresa could sleep with whomever they wanted, but they needed to stop making her life difficult. One day she had been polishing the floor in the kitchen, and once she was done Teresa and Susan purposely walked inside with their muddy shoes to get a drink. Then her stepmother noticed her standing around and looking miserable, so she started shouting at her while her stepsisters laughed. Cindy remembered many similar incidents. Her stepsisters just adored making her life as difficult as it could be.
“Soon, I’m going to fall in love with a wonderful man who will love me back, and get married. My stepmother won’t crush my hopes and dreams,” Cindy said to herself, and then smiled thinking about Charles, hoping he would wait for her at the ball.
A week had passed since Cindy was dragged away from the bushes by her stepmother and she still hadn’t heard from Charles. She was expecting him to visit her or at least send her a letter to let her know that he was thinking abo
ut her. He was so eager the other night to meet with Ida and talk to her about Cindy, so Cindy was positive that he liked her. She wanted to believe that he would continue to pursue her, but now she was confused about his silence.
On top of everything, her stepmother was piling more and more responsibilities on her with each passing day. She barely had time to sleep. Sometimes Cindy couldn’t even catch her breath, she was so busy cleaning and cooking.
Susan and Teresa had been telling her that Ida wasn’t going to let her go to the ball, but she kept ignoring them. She saw the invitation, but she had yet to hold it in her hands and was afraid that her stepmother had torn it to pieces out of spite.
Cindy hadn’t talked to her stepmother about the ball, but she knew she needed to do it eventually—she couldn’t avoid it forever. Time was running out and she still didn’t have a dress ready. A few days before the ball, late at night when she could barely keep her eyes open, she tried to create something out of some her old dresses. Piece by piece, she tried to sew an elaborate gown from what she had, but the more she stared at the dress the more she thought it was a waste of time. The dress was falling apart and the material was worn out. She hated the bland colour, but the white dress that she had stolen a few days ago was now ruined by Cindy’s constant alterations. She just couldn’t attend the ball looking like a maid or a servant.
On Thursday she was carrying two buckets of water to the kitchen, considering going through her stepsisters’ wardrobe.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a noise from outside. She heard someone arriving, so she went out to the porch, wondering if her stepmother was expecting anyone. Moments later, the horses stopped abruptly, and Cindy saw an old school carriage that had seen better days.
She saw a man who was struggling to squeeze through the door of the carriage. His coachman was staring at the man inside, looking pretty amused, and playing with a whip in his hand. The guest had very short legs, and a huge stomach. Eventually he slammed on the ground, ending up in a pile of mud and cursing loudly. Cindy couldn’t help herself, and laughed a little. The man swore a few more times, finally pulling himself back to his feet.