CINDERELLA. The Stepmother’s Revenge

Bob Kinpets

Fairy tale

CINDERELLA – THE STEPMOTHER’S REVENGE

Dear parents, dear children. After reading your favorite fairy tales, you have probably wondered what the future fate of your beloved characters could have been because the fact that they lived happily ever after might not have been entirely true. Life, as we know, is neither easy nor simple, and sometimes it can play tricks on us. Therefore, to satisfy your curiosity, we have created a series of fairy tales describing the further fates of characters such as Snow White or The Little Mermaid. The first such story is this one, which is a continuation of the world-famous fairy tale of Cinderella.

…The courtier took Cinderella straight to the royal palace. The heir to the throne was overjoyed. Less than three weeks had passed since the King organized a wonderful wedding for the young couple, during which they feasted and danced for three days and three nights… And on that third night, the Stepmother, walking around the room with her hands behind her back, her head full of thoughts, glanced at her daughters getting ready for bed.

“This is no time to be sleeping! Come here at once!” she said angrily:

The girls stood up reluctantly, approached their mother, and, biting their nails, looked at the floor.

“What are you looking at! Look at me!” she growled.

They looked at their mother. She extended her outstretched hand towards them and said in a calm voice:

“Place your right hands here and listen carefully to what I am about to say.”

When they complied, she continued speaking.

“From now on, we will not rest until our enemies from the royal palace are punished for all the harm and evil they have done to us. And for the great shame and humiliation of our family. Now repeat it!” she ordered.

While repeating the oath, they stared straight into their mother’s eyes. The gradually growing anger was clearly visible in their eyes. When they said the last word, the Stepmother hugged them.

“So help us God,” she concluded with the oath.

Less than a year had passed since Cinderella’s wedding to the Prince when a beautiful, dark-haired Princess, born out of this great love, appeared at the royal court. After learning of such a special event, they celebrated again for three days and nights with endless cheers and fireworks. Hearing about Cinderella’s subsequent good fortune, the Stepmother began to implement her evil plan of revenge with renewed energy. What was this plan supposed to involve? She had been taking lessons from an old medicine woman who lived next door for almost a year. Under her watchful eye, she learned to create various life-saving potions and poisons for the ever-present rats and all kinds of annoying vermin that appeared everywhere in those days at every step, which did not arouse any suspicion. That was exactly what she wanted. Pursuing treatment was, of course, just a cover for her evil intentions. The real goal was to create a previously unknown concoction that, when sneakily delivered to the royal court, would end the lives of the Prince and Cinderella. Thus, justice would be served and happiness would be in her and her daughters’ hearts forever.

So, studying hard and secretly from her teacher, she finally created what she dreamed of so much. A poison that the world had never known and would probably never know, because the Stepmother did not even tell her daughters the names of the ingredients she used. Now, all she had to do was move on to the next stage of action. With her daughters, who were privy to the revenge plan, she was looking for an opportunity to be surrounded by the royal family in some way that would not arouse suspicion.

They looked for this opportunity for a year, looked for two, and waited patiently for some miracle to happen because all the previous attempts had proved unsuccessful. Unfortunately, there was no miracle, and the desire for revenge that had consumed them so far was slowly fading into oblivion. Finally, after many discussions with their daughters about what to do with their future lives, they decided to leave the capital of the kingdom once and for all to use the acquired knowledge somewhere else in the world.

Initially, they intended to destroy the poison, but the Stepmother was prevented from doing so by some inner force. She thought it might come in handy someday. So she sewed a special pouch and hid a bottle with the deadly liquid there.

After several months of troublesome wandering around the kingdom, the Stepmother and her daughters finally found a quiet place on its borders, where they took up herbal medicine to earn a living. After a short time, it turned out that the studies received in the kingdom’s capital were not in vain. The news about the effectiveness of the unknown healer’s treatment methods spread like wildfire to the surrounding villages, which brought her clients and, consequently, funds for a decent living. The amount of work meant that the desire to take revenge on the hated Cinderella and the Prince gradually faded away.

Six years had passed since the birth of the beautiful Princess, whose name was Annabella. One summer day, panic broke out in the royal court. It turned out that the girl was suffering from an unknown disease, which was probably caused by an insect bite. This was evidenced by the bruising redness on the Princess’s arm. The high fever that had not gone down for several days and the progressive weakening of the body that Annabella was struggling with put the most outstanding doctors in the kingdom to work around the clock. Unfortunately, their efforts, supported by various strange treatment methods, were ineffective against this mysterious disease.

The only salvation was seen in an old medicine woman living on the outskirts of the kingdom, who, according to rumors, treated people with good results. After consultations with the doctors, a messenger was sent to bring the healer to the palace immediately.

After three days and three nights of tireless travel with short breaks for sleep, the rider finally reached the healer’s hut at the crack of dawn. He jumped off his horse. The dogs guarding the pen began to bark. The Stepmother, suddenly startled from her sleep, jumped to the window. After a while, she was joined by her scared daughters, who came running from the other room. A neatly dressed rider approached the entrance, fending off the barking dogs and holding his horse’s bridle. His attire indicated that he was a wealthy client, and his hurry indicated that he probably needed immediate help.

The Stepmother looked at her scared daughters and exclaimed: “Get out of this room at once, and don’t come back until I tell you!”

The girls left in a flash. When they disappeared into the second room, the woman unlocked the latch and opened the door. A young man stood in the doorway and said in a voice that brooked no objection:

“In the name of our Lordship King, I order you, woman, to prepare for the journey to the kingdom’s capital!”

Surprised by the unexpected order, the Stepmother muttered something under her breath, stood sideways, and gestured for the messenger to enter the room. When he entered, she closed the door and called her daughters, telling them to prepare a meal for the King’s emissary, tired from his travels. Now fed and pleased with the hospitality he had not expected, the man began to talk about Princess Annabella’s health problems.

During this story, the Stepmother glanced at her daughters out of the corner of her eye, and they glanced back at her. They seemed to understand each other without words. When the messenger finished the story, they prepared a space for him to rest, which he eagerly took, and somewhere in the back of their minds, they began to wonder what to do next. The dormant desire for revenge became doubly intense, and the oath they made on Cinderella’s wedding day had just come back to life.

Finally, they hatched a cunning plan that could come true without arousing anyone’s suspicions. Since they could not take revenge on Cinderella and the hated Prince Charming, they would take revenge on their beloved child. The royal couple would suffer as much as they suffered, or even more. At the very thought that their previously unattainable dreams would finally come true, they rubbed their hands and, full of optimism, began putting the plan in place.

When the messenger rested, it turned out that the Stepmother had become so sick that she could not go on such a long journey. The messenger, willing or not, returned to the kingdom alone. After further consultations between the royal couple and local doctors, it was decided that the Princess would be taken to the healer’s cottage as quickly as possible.

A comfortable carriage drawn by six horses, surrounded by a procession of brave knights led by the royal castellan, quickly set off. After two days of tireless travel through wild areas, a powerful storm forced the travelers to hide in an inn they accidentally found in one of the roadside villages. Welcomed like royalty by the owner, they decided to wait out the nasty weather. Fortunately, Annabella’s health had improved enough for this to happen.

The owner of the inn, questioned by the castellan, told the travelers about the healer they were going to see. He praised her for knowing her profession like no one else. She was able to restore health to anyone who came to her.

Meanwhile, two bearded men dressed in rags, sitting at the end of the room with a bottle of grog, tried not to attract too much attention from the royal procession. However, it was visible that, discreetly glancing at them, they absorbed every word that came from the mouths of the newcomers. When the conversation between the castellan and the innkeeper ended, they got up, paid, and quietly left the inn. Despite the still unfavorable weather, they jumped on their horses and moved forward.

The next day, the sky cleared up enough for the travelers to continue their journey. So they immediately left the cozy and hospitable place. However, it soon turned out that further travel would not be easy. The rains washed out the roads so much that they became very dangerous for horses and travelers. The mountainous terrain of this part of the kingdom and the forested slopes were not conducive to rushing. The horses harnessed to the carriage, snorting from the effort, placed their hooves carefully to avoid the larger stones.

Meanwhile, another night was approaching. The travelers had been moving slowly along a narrow road leading through the forest for an hour. At one point, the castellan leading the procession assessed the situation and ordered them to go to a nearby clearing to spend the night there. So they set up camp and lit fires. Rich in game, the forest soon provided food for the tired travelers.

Annabella, who was lying on a comfortable satin sofa, opened her eyes and looked at the concerned nanny sitting opposite.

“Still far away?” – she asked in a pained voice.

The woman sat beside her and covered her with the blanket more tightly.

“I don’t know, Princess, but I guess we’ll get there tomorrow. For now, we’ll spend the night here.”

“I’m scared…” – Annabella’s voice broke. She embraced the nanny.

“There’s nothing to be scared of, little one” – she stroked her hair – “We are under the watchful care of your father’s knights.”

“But I’m still afraid,” – The girl persisted.

The moment of silence that followed these words was interrupted by the opening of the carriage door. The castellan held a large silver bowl filled with special treats in his hand. A gentle smile appeared on Annabella’s face for a moment. She felt hungry.

“Here’s dinner for the Princess,” he said.

The nanny eagerly took the dish and handed it to Annabella.

She looked at the man. – When will we get there? – she asked.

“If the weather is favorable, Princess, we will reach our destination tomorrow, during the day. We will leave at dawn.”

When night came and everyone was already asleep, and the fires had long died out, the silhouettes of several men with drawn swords in hand loomed among the trees. They were led by the two bearded men seen earlier at the inn. They took careful steps to not wake up the knights. Strangely enough, even the horses, known to snort nervously when in danger, were dozing off in earnest.

After a short while, the men ran to the carriage. One of them carefully opened the door and the other climbed inside. He grabbed the Princess, wrapped her in a blanket and jumped outside. The girl, brutally awakened from her sleep, began to struggle. She wanted to scream, but the bandit’s hand covered her mouth. She fainted. The second of the thugs, the taller one, grabbed the confused nanny. She, despite her delicate figure, tried to resist. However, it was to no avail.

Shortly after, both men and their companions jumped on their horses and fled quickly with the valuable loot. After several hours of riding using the shortcuts they knew, they finally reached their place of residence. Dawn was breaking.

The clearing had tree trunks cut down to the ground. Three wooden huts with thatched roofs, with windows divided into small squares, stood in the center. There were also farm buildings serving as stables and space for livestock. The riders accompanying the bearded men dismounted and dispersed around the farmyard.

The bearded men rode on horses to the door of one of the huts, jumped down to the ground and headed towards the entrance with the loot in their hands. They went inside. The room was sticky with dirt, ash and soot from the extinguished clay oven standing in the central part of the hut.

A large lair covered with animal skins was under one of the windows. Opening the door caused the dried ash to swirl in the air. The men approached the lair and threw the Princess and her guardian onto it like sacks of potatoes. Standing over them with satisfied faces, they rubbed their dirty hands together, happy that it was so easy for them. The nanny, stunned by the brutality of the bandits, slowly recovered.

When she finally realized what had happened, she noticed the Princess lying unconscious. She suddenly grabbed her in her arms and, hugging her frail body, stroked the girl’s head and sobbed at the same time. After a while, she looked at the bandits with tearful eyes and said in a quiet voice:

“Do you know what you have done? And to whom? The King will order you to be cut up alive and fed to the dogs.

The men looked at each other and cackled with laughter. The taller one leaned over her. He became serious.

“We know, we know.” – he said through his teeth.

“He has to find us first. For now, I am your King here, and you must obey me. Understood!?”

He took a swing as if he wanted to hit the woman. However, he restrained himself and reached out to touch the Princess. The nanny covered her with her body.

“Don’t you dare!” – she exclaimed.

At that moment, Annabella woke up and opened her eyes. She had absolutely no idea what was happening to her, where she was, or what she was doing in such a completely unfamiliar place. She scanned the room with frightened eyes. When she looked at the bearded man, she began to scream horribly. She slipped out of her nanny’s arms and crawled on all fours to the corner of the cottage. With terror on her face, she crouched down, wrapped her arms around her legs, and hid her head between them. Her body shuddered uncontrollably. She was terrified. She had never felt such fear in her life. The nanny ran to the Princess and crouched down next to her. The bearded man moved towards them, but the other one grabbed his arm, pulled him and shouted:

“Leave them alone! We need them alive!”

The bearded man stopped himself. He yanked his arm out of his companion’s grasp.

“Maybe you’re right,” he said.

“I am right. Let’s get out of here. We need to talk,” the other one said, and they left the room.

When the bandits left, the nanny immediately took the child in her arms and carried her to the bed. Holding the little one to her chest, she cried. After a moment, the door opened abruptly and the two bearded men entered the room again. The taller and more brutal one approached the bed and said to the nanny:

“Get up!”

Holding the girl in her arms and rocking her back and forth, the woman did not react.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said?”

Bending down, he grabbed her arm. The woman let go of the Princess. The bearded man grabbed harder and pulled the terrified woman to her feet.

The girl woke up. When she realized where she was again, she started screaming hysterically while clinging to her nanny’s legs. The woman, undeterred by the fact that the bandit was half his height, started punching him. At this point, the second man joined the fight. He tore the child away from the nanny’s legs and pushed her onto the bed. Annabella lost consciousness. Finally, the bearded man struggling with the nanny lost his patience. He lifted her up and shook her. It worked. He set her down on the ground.

“Now listen!” he said. He waited until she calmed down. Then he said:

“The brat will stay here, and you will return to the capital and tell the prince that he will get his daughter back if he pays us a ransom in gold.”

“I won’t leave her here! She is sick and needs help!” – she neither screamed nor cried.

“She’ll be fine. The sooner they pay, the sooner they will get her back. You understand?!”

“I won’t leave her!” The nanny persisted.

The bearded man swung at her.

“You will go!” he shouted menacingly. She realized that there was no way out. She has to go. These bandits don’t care about the child’s life. So she must do everything to save her. She nodded.

“But promise you won’t hurt her!”. She cried more than she demanded.

“You have my word. We didn’t risk our lives to lose the opportunity to make all this money now!”

He looked at his companion and said:

Get the horses ready and take this woman to the kingdom quickly. She can confirm that the brat is alive, so let him shower us with gold for her release!”

When they heard about the Princess’ kidnapping, the Prince and Cinderella feel into despair and frustration. Only the arrival of the nanny with information from the kidnappers gave them hope of regaining their beloved child. Without delay, the requested ransom was prepared and the Prince organized an expedition that was to be secretly led by the royal couple. The convoy set off on its journey the same day.

Annabella was lying curled up on the bed. Chills shook her body. There was no way to tell whether this was the result of the disease consuming her body or the cold prevailing in the decrepit room.

“Mommy… mommy… mommy,” Her words slowly faded away. She had fallen asleep.

Suddenly, the door opened and one of the bearded men entered. He held a bowl with water and a jug of milk in his hands. He approached the lying Princess.

“Here. Eat.” he said, placing the dishes on the ground next to her bed. The girl did not react. She lay motionless. Touched by a bad feeling, the bandit leaned over her.

“You, little one,” he said, gently touching her shoulder. She didn’t react. He knelt down, put his head to her chest, and listened for a moment. She was breathing. He felt enormous relief. He grabbed the girl by the arm and shook her.

“You! Wake up!”

The girl still didn’t react.

“Can you hear me!? Hey, little one!”

He shook her again. No reaction. He turned her onto her back and looked at her face. Her face was pink. He touched her forehead. It was hot. He jumped to his feet and ran outside.

“Saddle your horses!” – he called to the men milling around. – “There’s something wrong with the little one. She has a high fever. We’re going to the healer!”

Meanwhile, the Stepmother and her daughters were impatiently awaiting the appearance of the royal procession with the little Princess. They were surprised and angry that they had to wait so long for him. The renewed desire for revenge grew stronger with every moment. The potion they had so thoughtfully taken with them was waiting in a jug on the table. One sip given to the girl would solve the problem immediately. If it was applied to the body, it would postpone death, which would not arouse suspicion.

They decided that at the same time, they would treat the Princess with herbs and rub poison into her young body, which would condemn her to a slow but painless death. Revenge would be doubly sweet, because Annabella’s death would also be a tragedy for the royal couple and, above all, for Cinderella. At the same time, the Stepmother and her daughters would be free from suspicion.

There was nothing left for them to do but wait, because, as the old proverb says – patience is a virtue.

Suddenly, the dogs started barking outside the window, and after a short while, the yard was swarming with riders. The bearded man was the first to jump off his horse, and he waited a moment until the carriage with Annabella on the bed rolled into the yard. When it stopped next to him, he took the girl in his arms and headed towards the house. He kicked the door open with a bang, almost throwing it off its hinges.

He went inside. The Stepmother and her daughters were standing near the wall and looking at the intruder with fear in their eyes. This wasn’t what she expected. This was not what the royal procession was supposed to look like.

Meanwhile, scanning the room, the bearded man stopped at the bed covered with clean leather. He went to it and placed Annabella there. Before the Stepmother could catch her breath, he was already standing next to her and grabbing her by the throat, he rasped:

“You have to cure her otherwise, I will disembowel you. Do you understand? She is the daughter of the royal couple.”

The Stepmother, trying to gasp for air, nodded her head.

The bearded man let go of her and looked at his scared daughters, who were huddled together in the corner of the room, afraid to utter a single word.

He looked at the Stepmother again and was about to say something when a soldier with an unsheathed sword rushed into the room. He ran up to the bearded man and whispered something in his ear. You could see from his face that it wasn’t good news. The bearded man looked menacingly at the Stepmother and growled:

“Why are you standing there! Get to work! I’ll be back soon!”

They both left the room in a hurry. The Stepmother immediately calmed down. She ran to the bed and looked at the girl. She was lying on her side. She was breathing. She had a soot-smeared face, dirty hands, and a partially torn pink lace dress, stained with ash. This sight caused something to break in the Stepmother’s heart.

It dawned on her that what she had in front of her was an exact copy of Cinderella. That much hated Cinderella. The person who hadn’t let her sleep peacefully for years.

No, this wasn’t what she expected – not compassion and concern. It was against her nature.

She sat down next to her, took the frail body in her arms and hugged her close to her chest. She rocked back and forth, back and forth. At the same time, stroking Annabella’s head, she began to cry quietly.

Standing a few steps away, the daughters looked at their mother with great disbelief. Even the fear that had appeared on their faces earlier disappeared. For the first time in their lives, they noticed that their mother was capable of something like crying. It was simply unimaginable. The mother cried. They came closer. Suddenly Annabella opened her eyes. Looking at the completely alien face of the woman she was in, she whispered:

“Where am I?

And before she got the answer, she closed her eyes again, falling asleep. The Stepmother furtively wiped away her tears and, with sudden excitement, began to examine the girl’s body. After a while, she found what she was looking for. The probable cause of the disease was a lump on the girl’s shoulder. It was badly swollen and turning black and blue. She looked at her daughters.

“Why are you just standing there? Get me a bowl of hot water and a knife. We have to drain this lump fast!” – she exclaimed.

From that moment on, the Stepmother was in a race against time. She knew that the girl was balancing between life and death, that this was the last moment to save her.

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