DakotaKrout

Cinder X Bella ~ Twenty-Four!

“Can't steal what's already yours! My mice, I’ll need your help with this quest. It's not about being the best dressed; it’s about being able to rest.” Bella softly sang her song, repeating it over and over as she clearly visualized what needed to happen.

She knew the mice had a deeply ingrained knowledge of the intricate pathways through the house and had been trained for a full generation at this point on remaining hidden while carrying out tasks of both reconnaissanc...

Cinder X Bella ~ Twenty-Three!

Spring had never sprung so beautifully, at least in Bella's mind. By the time all the snow had melted, and she was free to sit outside and watch the birds, the Beast Singer had—out of sheer boredom—worked with her mice to weave not only a continuation of the floor mat, but also wall coverings and an entire reupholstering of her mattress. The room might’ve smelled like a hayloft, but it was as intricately decorated as anywhere else in the house, if not as expensively.

Even more won...

Cinder X Bella ~ Twenty-Two!

Several days later, Bella was called up to the sitting room, where her stepmother was waiting for her. Without a word, Matringa held out a long black coat. It was fluffy enough that it had to be stuffed with down, and while obviously not new, it looked warm.

Bella was delighted.

“It's wonderful! Thank you!” She took the coat, hugging it to herself while looking closely at the wooden buttons and running her fingers along the soft fabric. For a long moment, Matringa fro...

Cinder X Bella ~ Twenty-One!

The next few months would have been absolute tedium, were it not for Bella being able to practice her skills without interference. With no lessons, no chores, and almost no human interaction whatsoever, her days blended together—marked only by the solitary meals she ate each day. The new cook was adept in the kitchen but inordinately cranky. Bella was certain that was the reason Matringa had been excited to hire him in the first place.

As she was unwelcome in the main house, ...

Cinder X Bella ~ Twenty!

When she woke up, Bella threw the doors to the cellar open, only to find that it was a cold, dreary, overcast, and drizzling morning. After a moment of arguing with herself, she descended the stairs once more, pulling on her warm servant dress—hoping it would be the last time she needed to do so. “Suzy, what do you think my new wardrobe will look like?”

*Sque~eak!*

“Oh, I agree!” Isabella twirled in place, swooping into a formal curtsy. “I'll make sure it matc...

Cinder X Bella ~ Nineteen!

At Bibbidy’s insistence, Bella returned to her old room, sleeping on a mattress dragged in from Cattiva’s. Even though she slept among paints and broken instrument parts, it was the best night of sleep she had managed in what felt like years.

Waking up to the sun shining in her face, Bella forced herself to relax, though her ingrained instincts told her to get up and start cleaning, cooking, or some other menial task. Instead, she began to hum in happiness, soon finding a handful, t...

Cinder X Bella ~ Eighteen!

On her way to her new ‘room’ to get dressed for the evening, Bella was interrupted by Cece. The maid frantically motioned for the young lady to follow her, turning and presenting a midnight blue dress with a grand gesture. Looking between the gown and the beaming maid, Bella realized the clothes were for her. 

“How did you get this? Modern lacings, elegant stitch work… I haven't seen this before. Did you take it from one of my step-sisters' rooms?” A frantic shaking of th...

Cinder X Bella ~ Seventeen!

Thanks to her furry friends, missing dinner with the family was nowhere near the punishment her father had intended to be. Then, after the first night of being stuck in the cellar, she was not just allowed but expected to be out of the underground space working again. 

Thanks to the plethora of help in the house, she had to volunteer for a particularly tedious task—weeding the garden—and used the time away from prying eyes, especially around dinner time w...

Cinder X Bella ~ Sixteen!

The steps to the bottom of the cellar were uneven, forcing Bella to keep her hand on the wall as she descended, or she would trip and fall down the stairs. Only the thought of how much it would please Matringa if she broke her neck kept her moving slowly and cautiously. 

As she stepped into the main portion of the cellar, she sneezed, only for the sudden burst of air to kick up dust. A moment later, she was coughing and had to cover her mouth and nose with her dress simply to keep ...

Cinder X Bella ~ Fifteen!

As days turned to weeks, Bella's excitement over her father’s decree began to wane. Each morning, he had a full schedule of anything from the new arrival of goods, potential partners vying for attention, to reveling and celebrating his success. The promised ‘talk’ never manifested, and though she didn't need to cook any longer, ever so slowly, Matringa stepped in to ensure she was given the hardest or most tedious tasks available.

Though Bella's hands were busy, her mind was free....

Cinder X Bella ~ Fourteen!

“Heigh-Ho, the manor!” Bella couldn't remember the last time her father's voice had sounded so jaunty, excited, practically oozing self-satisfaction. She dropped the mop in the hallway, rushing out the door before anyone else had a chance to get there first. As he stepped down from the wagon he was driving, she slammed into him, hugging him as though he were about to leave immediately.

“Well! It's good to see you, too, daughter. Let me take a look at you.” Alaric g...

Cinder X Bella ~ Thirteen!

Late in the spring, a thunderous clatter in the yard caused Bella to rush outside, coated to her elbows in flour. Her mouth dropped open as a dozen men drove draft horses forward to pull on the support beams of the old barn. Before she could do more than gape at them in surprise, a whip crack signaled the horses surging forward.

The enormous sound, which Bella now understood to be cracking beams, rang out once more, and the entire structure collapsed. “What in the ever-loving system a...

Cinder X Bella ~ Twelve!

As per usual, winter passed ever so slowly, doing its very best to dig its claws in, only to eventually be dragged away by the heat of spring coming into full bloom. Just as winter refused to give in, so too did Bella find herself navigating the complexities of life with far more cunning, strategy, and more than a dash of mischief. 

“The birds should be returning soon.” She kneaded and pounded her fists into bread dough while offhandedly commenting to her loyal mice troops, who...

Cinder X Bella ~ Eleven!

Alaric’s departure the following day was done without pomp and barely a word of farewell. With the death of her mother, Giada the younger had tendered her resignation, so the final non-indentured servant, Luca, went along with him. As the caravan was full of expensive trade goods, it was at another location, under a careful guard. The two men rode away, quickly becoming nothing less than figures in the distance, then they were gone.

As Bella watched them go, her eyes were hard. “I h...

Cinder X Bella ~ Ten!

*Knock.*

The single strike against her door woke Bella from a dead sleep, and she blearily sat up. “What? Why? What time is it?”

“Bella, I need you to come out here right now.” Alaric's voice came through her door, and the young woman swept her covers to the side and launched out of bed. It had been several days since he’d thrown her out of his study, and in the entire time, he hadn't said a word to her. Peering out her window, Bella saw it was still full dark o...

Cinder X Bella ~ Nine!

It was approaching summer by the time Alaric returned, but the intervening months had barely taken the edge off Bella’s fear of Matringa. The young woman had thrown herself into her work, finding new and inventive ways to involve the creatures in and around the house.

Bella quietly took her seat at the foot of the table, as had become her routine, and served herself last. She braced for yet another meal swallowed in silence, only to join her father in confusion when Malvagio subtly cl...

Cinder X Bella ~ Eight!

Winter passed quickly, with no changes, other than Bella's hands becoming harder, calloused, her body shifting slightly as she grew used to the harder lifestyle of being an indoor servant in a noble manor. The weather had been exceptionally harsh, setting her father’s caravans back by months. He’d grown more and more tense as the weeks went by, often vanishing into his study for days at a time.

As spring came, and the snows melted, all of his planning turned into action. He left the...

Cinder X Bella ~ Seven!

The walk home, short though it may be, was extremely informative. “My staff was quite looking forward to meeting you. They've never worked beside a proper lady before.”

Bella ignored her, staring straight ahead, refusing to give this cruel woman the satisfaction of seeing how upset she’d become. Matringa didn't seem to mind, merely humming softly at the attitude and proceeded to speak at her own leisure, “At least, I think they're looking forward to workin...

Cinder X Bella ~ Six!

Bella stepped into the house, straining to carry a suitcase in each hand. She set them down just inside the door, turning to go and retrieve the others when Matringa waved her over.

“Oh me, oh my. Those must be so heavy; what a robust child you are. Still, that can wait for the moment. You may give us a tour of the house, so we are not fumbling around like thieves.” Signora Treesbane, or perhaps now Signora Vigatori, imperiously demanded as Bella stoo...

Cinder X Bella ~ Five!

“A day's rest after travel? I'd say that's fair. But three? I don't know what sort of effort he's had to put in with his previous employer, but around here, that's downright lavish,” Aria muttered, not quite under her breath, as she used a rag to angrily buff the family's silver so it would gleam properly. Though she was speaking to Bella, all of her displeasure was aimed at Luca, as the intrusive presence in their household had dominated their one-way conversations sinc...

Cinder X Bella ~ Four!

The next two and a half months passed without incident, Bella's fourteenth birthday coming and going at the end of summer without being remarked upon—though Cook did make sure to prepare her a special meal. As the master of the house was away, everyone else seemed more at ease, doing their work briskly and quickly so as to be able to find time to relax in the evenings. For Bella, every passing week meant a loosening of the noose she’d felt tightening around her throat.

Aria, now the...

Cinder X Bella ~ Three!

The night was filled with fitful sleep, both from her sudden, shining hope as well as dread filling the pit of her stomach. She knew there would be ramifications for causing her father to be humiliated, but Bella hoped the remainder of the evening had gone well and smoothly after she left. “Perhaps he won't be all that angry.”

She woke up too early to leave her room and hummed a funeral dirge for herself as she dressed and made herself ready for the day. Letting out a satis...