Cinders & Ash: A Cinderella Story (Passion-Filled Fairy Tales Book 3) Read Online Free
Author: Rosetta Bloom
took all of it. I can’t stay with them much longer. I can’t let her do this to me again.”
Faye nodded. “She’s never been so mad as to do anything like this before, has she?” Faye asked.
Ella shook her head. “No, never like this,” she said. Usually, a whipping by Lady Kenna meant a few slaps of a paddle or stick across Ella’s bottom. Never before had Lady Kenna been so cruel, but never before had Ella supposedly ruined Marigold and Bathilda’s chance at a marriage. Ella tried taking small even breaths to dull the pain, and let Faye finish wiping down the lashes.
“I don’t know if this is such a good idea, Ella,” Faye said tentatively. “The man wanted healthy girls with no scars or disfigurements.”
“I am healthy,” she said, turning back to Faye. Then, Ella set about putting on Bathilda’s dress, grimacing the entire time. “I can do this. Besides you said men enjoy it if you, umm, if you suck on their dangler. I can do that.”
Faye laughed. “Ella,” she said. “You can barely say it without your nose wrinkling up. How you gonna do it?”
“I’m gonna remember the pain in my back and the money Lady Kenna stole and that’ll get me going.”
Faye frowned. She looked down at the floor, then back up at Ella. “You sure you want to do this?”
“You’re the one who suggested it,” Ella said incredulously.
“I know,” she said, pausing. “It’s just, I didn’t think you’d do it. And I just worry that it will make you too hard, Ella. The thing I like most about you is your optimism. You don’t never let nothing get you down, s’bad as stuff gets for you, you still think you can make it work. Always makes me feel good to know I’ll see ya, ‘cause as bad as living in this squalor is, as bad as not having folks is, I know that I could have it worse and that I’ve got a good friend in you.”
Ella was stunned. She’d never known Faye to be sentimental but here she was, being it. Ella reached out and hugged her, regretting it almost immediately as the pain of her outstretched arms was unbearable. She cried out and Faye had the good sense not to try to hug her back.
“See what I mean, Ella? You can’t do this.”
Ella shook her head. “I can. I have to,” she said without regret. She walked to the door and opened it. “Goodbye Faye. I’ll be back to change.”
Ella ran out before Faye could say anything else. She hurried to the castle gate Faye had told her about. She heard the giant clock tower begin its 11 o’clock chime right as she arrived. There was an older man standing there in a long cloak. He had a gray beard that fell to his belly and he wore a hat. The man was sturdy and stood almost stock-still. If she hadn’t seen his chest move up and down, she might have thought he was dead. As there was no one else around, Ella assumed that must be the man she was supposed to contact. She walked over to him and said, “Hello. I’m Faye’s friend.” She swallowed and looked down at the ground as she said the next part. “I’m looking for a royal nut.”
The man laughed, a gruff robust sound that startled Ella. A laugh wasn’t what she expected, so she stepped back to take a look at where she was. Was this the wrong gate? Had she said it wrong? It was a weird thing to say. The man reached into his cloak and pulled out a small cloth sack. He opened it so Ella could see the shine of gold coins inside. Her eyes widened at the sight. While the currency was common among the wealthy, she rarely saw it. The man drew the satchel shut and handed it to Ella. She was confused, as she clutched the bag in her hand. Was she getting the coins for doing nothing?
Then the man opened the gate and said, “Follow me.”
She obeyed, walking behind the man as he led her toward the castle, to a lower entrance in the rear. They wound through damp stone corridors lit by torches and stopped only when they reached a brown wooden door. “You have your pay,” the man said, his
Faye nodded. “She’s never been so mad as to do anything like this before, has she?” Faye asked.
Ella shook her head. “No, never like this,” she said. Usually, a whipping by Lady Kenna meant a few slaps of a paddle or stick across Ella’s bottom. Never before had Lady Kenna been so cruel, but never before had Ella supposedly ruined Marigold and Bathilda’s chance at a marriage. Ella tried taking small even breaths to dull the pain, and let Faye finish wiping down the lashes.
“I don’t know if this is such a good idea, Ella,” Faye said tentatively. “The man wanted healthy girls with no scars or disfigurements.”
“I am healthy,” she said, turning back to Faye. Then, Ella set about putting on Bathilda’s dress, grimacing the entire time. “I can do this. Besides you said men enjoy it if you, umm, if you suck on their dangler. I can do that.”
Faye laughed. “Ella,” she said. “You can barely say it without your nose wrinkling up. How you gonna do it?”
“I’m gonna remember the pain in my back and the money Lady Kenna stole and that’ll get me going.”
Faye frowned. She looked down at the floor, then back up at Ella. “You sure you want to do this?”
“You’re the one who suggested it,” Ella said incredulously.
“I know,” she said, pausing. “It’s just, I didn’t think you’d do it. And I just worry that it will make you too hard, Ella. The thing I like most about you is your optimism. You don’t never let nothing get you down, s’bad as stuff gets for you, you still think you can make it work. Always makes me feel good to know I’ll see ya, ‘cause as bad as living in this squalor is, as bad as not having folks is, I know that I could have it worse and that I’ve got a good friend in you.”
Ella was stunned. She’d never known Faye to be sentimental but here she was, being it. Ella reached out and hugged her, regretting it almost immediately as the pain of her outstretched arms was unbearable. She cried out and Faye had the good sense not to try to hug her back.
“See what I mean, Ella? You can’t do this.”
Ella shook her head. “I can. I have to,” she said without regret. She walked to the door and opened it. “Goodbye Faye. I’ll be back to change.”
Ella ran out before Faye could say anything else. She hurried to the castle gate Faye had told her about. She heard the giant clock tower begin its 11 o’clock chime right as she arrived. There was an older man standing there in a long cloak. He had a gray beard that fell to his belly and he wore a hat. The man was sturdy and stood almost stock-still. If she hadn’t seen his chest move up and down, she might have thought he was dead. As there was no one else around, Ella assumed that must be the man she was supposed to contact. She walked over to him and said, “Hello. I’m Faye’s friend.” She swallowed and looked down at the ground as she said the next part. “I’m looking for a royal nut.”
The man laughed, a gruff robust sound that startled Ella. A laugh wasn’t what she expected, so she stepped back to take a look at where she was. Was this the wrong gate? Had she said it wrong? It was a weird thing to say. The man reached into his cloak and pulled out a small cloth sack. He opened it so Ella could see the shine of gold coins inside. Her eyes widened at the sight. While the currency was common among the wealthy, she rarely saw it. The man drew the satchel shut and handed it to Ella. She was confused, as she clutched the bag in her hand. Was she getting the coins for doing nothing?
Then the man opened the gate and said, “Follow me.”
She obeyed, walking behind the man as he led her toward the castle, to a lower entrance in the rear. They wound through damp stone corridors lit by torches and stopped only when they reached a brown wooden door. “You have your pay,” the man said, his
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