Dancing on Glass

You Shall go to The Ball

"You're alive," was the first thing she blurted out watching as her godfather calmly removed his cape, draping it across the bench beside him and resting his arm on the armrest, turning his haunting sapphire eyes towards her.

"So I am, least when I last checked," he said with an easy smile, "Yet you seem to have reason to believe otherwise. Why is that?"

Cinderella stared at him. "But... but you were missing! For years!" she cried.

"Was I?" Beldon asked, raising an eyebrow. "Whatever happened to me?"

"What?" Cinderella stared at him in confusion before a slow, sickening realisation settled in her stomach. She clenched the beach seat she sat on, staring at him with huge eyes as she realised what she had so foolishly believed for years. "My stepmother..." she slowly seethed out, taking her time to control her anger, "My stepmother told me... she told me you were lost in a battle... years ago... they were still searching for you. Still praying you hadn't been... executed behind enemy lines."

"Really?" Beldon said, his tone light as he leant forwards and picked up his tea. "Must say, I'm looking awfully good for a man who's been missing behind enemy lines for so long."

"You... you were never lost on the continent, were you?" she muttered bitterly.

Beldon was quiet for a moment, then set the cup down and leant back. "No," he admitted, "No I was never missing. Years ago I did have an... altercation but I got myself home without need for rescue. Perhaps that is where your stepmother invented the story from. I have, however, been out of the country for years, working as an ambassador for the kingdom, this is my first time home in a long time... but you should know all that."

Cinderella looked at him in confusion,

Beldon let out a slow breath, looking at her. "You haven't been receiving my letters, have you?"

Cinderella looked at him for a moment, then her eyes widened and she pulled out the envelope from her pocket. Beldon's eyes lit up at the sight of it.

"Yes, I sent that the other day."

"I never got the letter," Cinderella cut in. "I found this in my stepmother's bin but the letter was already gone. I found one like it a few weeks ago but I've only ever seen these two."

Beldon fell silent again for a moment, thinking as he looked at the envelope. "Did you ever write a letter to me, saying you would like to cease contact for a time, to collect yourself after your father's death?"

Cinderella looked at him in confusion. "Cease contact?" she copied, "No, never, of course not." A sudden wave of fear hit her. "Do you think I've been avoiding you all this time? I wouldn't. I couldn't, I didn't mean to give you that impression. I just—"

"Shh, shh," Beldon said, getting to his feet and sweeping over, sitting down beside her and taking her hand. "It's alright, love, it's alright. I believe you. I see we have both been fooled. Maybe it wasn't you, but someone did send me a message once – pretending to be you – saying that you needed time to recover yourself and to not expect many – if any – replies from you, though do continue to send letters so you might know how I am."

Cinderella looked up at him and he shook his head, looking away.

"I certainly found it suspicious at the time but I also understood and... I'm ashamed to admit, my position was pulling me away. I was needed overseas."

Cinderella watched as her godfather looked into the shadows, his face darkening, his hands tightening around hers and she squeezed it back. He blinked and the darkness cleared then he looked at her, a sudden confusion settling.