Dancing on Glass

The Mystery Guest

Cinderella stepped back from the dress she had been fitting to the mannequin and let out a slow breath, her heart sinking.

It was the final week before the ball.

Before her stood three mannequins, each with a grand gown on it, all new and staggeringly beautiful.

They had arrived that morning from the dress makers and were even more glorious than the sketches and ideas had been.

On the right stood Giselle's dress. She had got her wish. She was a Nature Fairy, it was probably cheating and being too liberal on the term Nature but she had been determined and, in the end, no one cared that much, all Lady Constantia had cared about was making sure she was dressed well enough to catch the idea of a husband – if not the prince himself. Giselle didn't care about getting a prince; she cared about how big her wings were.

In the centre was her stepmother's gown. Beautifully cut, it was a sweeping deep purple gown, so deep it was almost black and would have appeared somewhat reserved and normal if it hadn't been for the coiling, glittering silver snake that wound its way through the fold of the dress, its head resting on the bodice, amethyst eyes gazing out.

Cinderella hadn't commented on how apt the choice of a snake was.

But it was Jezabelle's dress that made her sigh.

She was going as the snow.

And her dress was eerily similar to Cinderella's.

It wasn't her mother's dress, but she could plainly see the inspiration. It didn't have the sleeves anymore and there was more embroidery on the skirts, but if they stood side by side, there was no denying they were based on the sound foundations.

"Well," Cinderella muttered to herself, folding her arms, "You're no foe... but you're no friend either."

"Miss?"

Cinderella looked over her shoulder to see Dia sticking her head around the door to the room that had been transformed into a display room for the gowns and all their matching accessories.

"Madam wants you in her rooms," Dia said.

"Really?" Cinderella said, raising an eyebrow. "Whatever for?" She frowned as she followed Dia out, thinking. What could she have possibly done this time to annoy her stepmother?

Knocking once, she entered to find her stepmother sat at her vanity table, unpinning her hair and examining various hair ornaments.

"There you are, come here, we need to decide how I shall wear my hair for the coming week," Lady Constantia said without looking up.

Cinderella resisted the urge to roll her eyes. That was all; well at least she wasn't getting scolded.

Cinderella leant forwards to look at the various items across the table.

"You won't be wearing a wig?" she asked, picking up at the brush, slipping several pins in her mouth.

"I have no time for such toys," Lady Constantia said, waving that off, "Let the girls hide their identities and play Hard to Catch with potential suitors, I have no wish to waste my time playing guessing games with friends."

"I am sure it adds a sense of romance and mystery to the whole event," Cinderella replied around the pins.

Lady Constantia slowly smiled and flicked her dark eyes up to look at Cinderella. "Cinderella, my dear," she said, sweetly, "Romance is unnecessary in this day and age."