Cinder & the Prince of Midnight

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next day, her stepmother’s guilt had passed and Cinder’s life was full of urgent chores that garnered nothing but complaints. The days passed by as she scrubbed the stairs and beat the carpets while her stepsisters took piano and dance lessons.

Cinder did her best to forget about that night of the hunt, but it was hard with everyone gossiping about it. She had nightmares of being caught. Sometimes, her nightmares included the Dark King’s men dragging her out of her house while shouting accusations of murder.

A couple of days after the hunt, the kingdom was abuzz with the news of the Dark King laughing when he found out about the nobleman who was killed by a hunted girl. He found it so amusing that he declared that he would personally participate in the next hunt.

Suddenly, the hunt that had been a sordid open secret in the land was becoming the height of fashion. The dead man’s family was so incensed with the embarrassment that they put a bounty on the girl’s head.

“You’d better behave and be extra good, Cinder,” said Helene as she clasped her new pearl necklace around her neck. “That bounty is worth more than ten of you. I doubt anyone would believe that a ratty little thing like you could possibly accost a nobleman, but if you try me, I may lose my patience and try to sell you to them for half their bounty.”

For a heart-pounding second, Cinder thought that Helene knew the truth. But if she had sniffed the possibility of money, then Helene would never have turned back to her mirror the way she did. Cinder put her head down and scrubbed the floor, hoping that her stepmother would move on to another topic.

“Perhaps I’ll get lucky,” said Helene, “and you’ll be the one to injure a lord on the next hunt. One can only hope that you’ll earn your keep one of these days.”

Cinder stopped scrubbing and looked up at Helene.

“Next hunt?” Cinder felt haunted by the thought.

“It does happen at every full moon, you know. Mouths must be fed. And young girls need to at least try to earn their keep in this household.”

“Mama,” said Tammy as she flounced into the room. “My ribbons are so old and faded. Must I be embarrassed every day by the poor quality of our silks?”

Helene put her arm around the girl and walked her out into the drawing room.

“No need to get upset, dear. Being the clever woman that I am, I’ve discovered a new income stream for us. Tomorrow, we can go to the market. You can pick out whatever colors you like.”

Cinder knelt and stared at the suds on the floor. A new income stream. The next hunt. Every full moon.

Her whole body began to tremble and she could hardly breathe.