Glass Slippers

Chapter Three

Over the coming weeks the shop had seen fewer than two visitors. It was as though a pestilence had swept through, and suddenly no one needed any blacksmithing or glass work. The street outside bustled as usual with activity and shoppers. But no one deigned enter our shop. Having a couple slow days was normal, but it was going on week three and it was affecting the family’s funds.

“You don’t think…” I started to ask for the second time at breakfast before my father cleared his throat in disapproval.

Mama sighed, swirling her porridge around in her bowl. “That scoundrel. I didn’t want to believe it. How could our own prince be so petty as to sabotage his people?”

“How?” Papa boomed. “He is an impudent child! A spoiled brat who has never not gotten his way before. If his mother hadn’t died, perhaps he’d have learned some manners. Instead, he’s never had to grow up. The King is hardly ever seen. I can’t say I’m surprised at all that he’s acting as though he’s already on the throne.”

“The grief changed him forever,” Mama said softly. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you, dear. Who knows what kind of mother I’d become.”

Papa released a breath and let his chest lower, taking in Mama with softer eyes. “You would have raised our girl exactly as wonderfully as you’re doing now.”

“What if we run out of money? Would he really see us ruined?” Mama asked, looking from Papa to me and back to Papa.

“Maybe I should reconsider his offer,” I said, wincing in preparation for Papa’s reaction.

“Give in to his threats? Out of the question! You must resist even more now, lest he think this kind of deplorable behavior is acceptable. If you go to him, where does it end? Who will be the next to give in to his demands?”

“But Papa-”

“I don’t want to hear another word about it! I’ll go out today and speak to some of the other merchants. Perhaps they’ve heard something. There is not another smithy for six miles. Our neighbors will have to use our services sooner or later.” With that, he stomped from the house in one movement, the door slamming behind him.

Mama and I sat in the echo of his words several moments before speaking.

“Mama…”

She nodded and patted my hand. “Listen to your father, dear. It would hurt his pride more to see you go to the prince than to see this shop go under.”

“And what about starving? Will his pride let us starve?” At the mention of starving, Brutus came to rest his head on my knee. “What about Brutus? I won’t let him go hungry.” I put my bowl of uneaten porridge down and smiled as the great dog lapped it up happily.

But Mama didn’t respond. Perhaps even she didn’t know just how far a man’s pride would take him.

I cleared her dish and mine, now that Brutus had sufficiently emptied it. Where had Papa gone? Would he learn anything?

How much longer would this go on? The prince had nothing to lose, but our shop wouldn’t last another month without any customers.

I slammed the dishes down, harder than expected. If customers wouldn’t come to us, I would go to them.

“I’m going to get us some orders,” I announced, leaving the kitchen and heading into the shop for something to write on, Brutus trailing after me.

The shattering of glass jolted me from my sleep. The shop. I stumbled out of bed, Brutus was already at my door, pawing at it restlessly. I opened it, Brutus sprinted out, his barking filled the dark room.

“Mama! Papa!” I called out as they both emerged from their room. The three of us bolted from the kitchen to the shop door and threw it open to find it full of men.

“Who’s there?” my father barked, scrambling to light a lamp.

“Easy men, don’t destroy it all.”

A shudder rippled down my spine. The prince stepped forward, producing his own lantern. He hung it in front of his face and stopped within a few inches from me. His eyes fell to my loosely clinging chemise. “You are a woman indeed,” he said with a smirk. “And it’s high time you were treated as one,” he said, holding out his hand.

“I’m not going with you,” I sneered. “What are you doing to our shop? Why have you broken a window?”

The prince glanced casually over his shoulder at his guards. I couldn’t quite tell how many were there, three? Six? “Oh that? I’ll replace that. I do have a flair for theatrics.”

“Your Highness,” Mama started, coming to my side and wrapping an arm around my waist. “How can we serve you?”

“Serve?” my father barked. “He’s destroying our property!”

“Papa,” I urged.

“Good sir, you have nothing to fear. I merely wanted to express my sincerity at acquiring your daughter’s talents for the palace. Business has been quite slow I imagine.”

I swallowed the rage building in my throat. “I figured you’d had something to do with that.”

The prince laughed, his boyish grin unsettling in the lantern’s glow. “Yes, you could say that. I’d hoped it was quite obvious.”

Papa stepped forward, placing himself between the prince and I. The prince had to take a step back thanks to Papa’s large belly. “If you think you can intimidate our customers into—”

“Intimidate?” The prince laughed again, this time his guards joining in. “No sir, I didn’t need to use such drastic methods. I merely offered them discounts at the smithy in the other town and suggested that supporting this one would be…unpatriotic.”

“Sounds like intimidation to me.” My father’s eyes were hard, his back firm. He crossed his arms over his chest.

The prince shrugged. “See it as you wish. Effective, nonetheless. Now,” he said, offering his hand to me. “Shall we?”

Papa scoffed and pushed between us again. “She’s not your property Your Highness.”

“Oh certainly not, not my property. But she is my subject, as you all are. And your business is supported by my other subjects. You wish to remain in business, do you not? Seems an obvious choice. Either Miss Eleanor comes with me, or your shop will cease to exist and you will all starve. It’s fairly simple.”

“Papa,” I said, placing a hand on his massive shoulder. “It’s okay. We don’t have a choice.”

“Sweetheart,” Mama began, but that was all she could say. She knew I was making the only choice we had.

“I’ll be okay Papa. Maybe this will help the business.”

“Indeed it will!” The prince held out his hand again to me. I eyed it but didn’t take it. “I’ll need to put together a bag of my things.”

The prince’s smile faded. “Nonsense,” he said and jerked his head.

In a flash two guards stepped forward from the shadows and seized me by each arm, practically carrying me to the door.

“Unhand her! See here, Your Highness—” Papa tried.

From behind I heard the prince address my father. “You would do well to watch your tongue, Blacksmith. Unless you wish me to exert my full force. I would not be outside my rights to slay you here and now.”

“No!” I called over my shoulder as the guards began pushing me through the door. I propped my legs on the door frame.

“I said—” Papa began.

The sound of a sword being unsheathed sent a bolt of terror through me. A moan from my father and mama screamed out.

“Papa!” I struggled to see behind me. “What have you done?”

“See, your daughter is smart enough to know when resisting is futile. But worry not, sir, she will be well cared for. And once she’s at the palace, business will once again be permitted to flow through these doors. If she behaves herself, I may even permit her to send some earnings home.”

I craned my neck to see the exchange and caught the prince withdrawing a coin purse. I pushed forcefully against the door frame, releasing myself from one of the guards so I could turn around.

Papa knelt on the floor, head slumped. Mama was beside him, her hand on his abdomen. I smelled blood.”Papa! Mama, is he alright? What have you done?”

“For the broken window,” the prince said as though not hearing me. He withdrew some coins and held them out to my mother.

Mama ignored him and he dropped the coins at her feet. The clattering sparked her awake and she lunged over to me, throwing her arms around my neck. The guards didn’t relinquish their grasp.

She held my face with both hands. “Be smart, darling. Hone your skill. We’ll be alright,” she sniffed, kissing me on my cheeks. She pet my hair, her eyes scanning my face as though trying to memorize it. “I’ll see you again soon, my love. Be brave for me.”

The lump in my throat threatened to choke me. But I couldn’t allow the tears to flow. I had to be strong for Mama, and for Papa even more. “Papa…is he?”

“Eleanor…” Papa’s weak voice called. I sighed in relief though not fully. He was still alive. “Eleanor,” he said again, between gulps of breath. “I’m so sorry. I never should have taught you glass work. This is all my fault.”

“No, Papa,” I said, and tried to free myself from the guards’ grip but it was no use. “Thank you both for teaching me. I will be back. Stay safe. I promise, I’ll be back.”

The prince sighed. “Well this is all very touching, but the rains have started and I’d like to get back before the streets become too muddy.”

I was seized once again by a second guard and they dragged me to the door, my mother’s limp arms still reaching out after me. I caught one last glimpse of my mother giving me a nod, infusing me with strength.

The carriage was waiting just outside, but the rains had sharpened and began beating down as soon as we left the shop. I was soaked through in only a moment. The guards lifted me up and shoved me into the carriage, the prince following.

Water dripped down my face, rain or tears, I couldn’t be sure. With the crack of a whip, the carriage lurched into movement. I peered out the small window at my shop, the distance between me and my family growing until they were no longer in view. And I was alone. With the prince.