The market was bustling¹. In several stands, grocers called out their wares² , advertising³ the freshest vegetables, the plumpest fruits. A handsome florist⁴ held out a bouquet⁵ of bright daisies to a group of girls, causing them to giggle⁶ and avert⁷ their eyes. At the end of the market, away from the more pleasant smells, the fishmonger put out the day's catch.

 

In the midst of it all was Ella, a basket in one hand, a dreamy look on her face. Ever since her encounter with Kit⁸, she had felt as though she were floating. She knew it was silly. Chances were she'd never see him again. But for that one moment, there in the woods, she had felt as though Kit had seen her for who she was, not as the girl of ashes her stepfamily had turned her into.

 

"If it isn't Miss Ella?" Flora⁹, the household's onetime cook, strode up to her, smiling warmly.

 

"Flora!" Ella pulled her into an embrace. "Are you well? Have you found employment?"

 

"Can anyone roast a chicken better, I ask you?" Flora and Ella laughed together. But then Flora's head cocked and a look of concern crossed her face. "You don't look well, miss, not at all."

 

Ella wiped at her face and tucked an unruly piece of hair behind her ear. She looked down at her threadbare dress and sighed. Flora wasn't wrong.

 

Flora put a hand on Ella's shoulder. "Why do you stay there, when they treat you so?"

 

Ella smiled and shrugged¹⁰. "I made Mother and Father a promise to cherish the place where we were so happy. They loved our house, and now that they are gone, I love it for them. So it's my home."

 

Nearby, an old beggar woman lifted her head, listening to Ella with interest. She smiled and then turned at the sound of a loud commotion¹¹ from the middle of the square. (Aha! I would remember this poor soul, gentle reader. For sometimes the people most overlooked are the ones who turn out to be most surprising. . . )

 

Ella, too, looked toward the square and raised an eyebrow¹² at the sight of the royal crier holding a large scroll¹³. He stood on the edge of the town fountain, waiting for the people to gather. Curious, Ella moved closer and waited for his announcement.

 

"Hear ye! Hear ye!" the man cried, silencing the crowd. "Know that our good King Frederick, fourth of that name, has decided¹⁴ to honor the safe return from the wars of his son the prince. On this day, two weeks hence, there shall be held, at the palace, a royal ball."

 

There was silence at the news. After all, what did a royal ball have to do with any of them? They were commoners. They did not dance or attend balls.

 

The crier went on. "At said ball, in accordance with ancient custom, the prince shall choose a bride." And then, with great pomp and circumstance, the crier finished his announcement. "Furthermore, at the behest of the prince, it is hereby declared that every maiden¹⁵ in the kingdom, be she noble or commoner, is invited to attend."

 

As all around her people began to chat excitedly with one another, Ella was silent. But her heart pounded loudly in her ears. A ball? At the palace? And she could attend? That meant she would have a chance to see Kit again! After all, he was an apprentice¹⁶ at the palace! A huge smile spread across her face.

 

When she arrived home, Ella shared the news. Instantly, her stepsisters began to chatter¹⁷ excitedly. It was clear they had lofty goals— namely, the prince's hand in marriage.

 

"I shall trick him into loving me," Drisella said, twirling around the drawing room. "See if I don't!"

 

"This is the most hugeous news!" Anastasia exclaimed.

 

Lady Tremaine stood in the middle of the room, watching her daughters with a critical eye. "Calm yourselves," she finally said. "Listen to me." It took several moments, but finally Anastasia and Drisella focused. Satisfied she had their attention, Lady Tremaine went on. "One of you must win the heart of the prince. Do that, and we can unwind the debt in which we were ensnared when we came to this backwater." She turned and narrowed her eyes at Ella, who was standing¹⁸ quietly in the corner, lost in her own thoughts. "Having delivered your news, why are you still here? You must return to town right away and tell that seamstress to run us up three fine ball gowns."

 

"Three?" Ella repeated, surprised. She hadn't expected her stepmother to provide her with a dress. Collecting herself, Ella said, "That is… very thoughtful of you."

 

Lady Tremaine raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

 

"To think of me," Ella replied.

 

"Think of you?" Lady Tremaine repeated, sounding confused.

 

On the other side of the room, Drisella let out a cruel laugh. "Mummy!" she cried. "She believes the other dress is for her!" The two sisters and their mother exchanged bemused expressions. "Poor, slow little Cinders¹⁹. How embarrassing!"

 

Lady Tremaine shook her head. "You are too ambitious for your own good."

 

"But I only want to see my friend," Ella protested. She should have known. Why would her stepmother choose now to show kindness?

 

Lady Tremaine went on. "Let me be very clear. One gown for Drisella, one for Anastasia, and one for me. à la mode Parisienne."

 

"She doesn't know what that means," Anastasia said glibly²⁰.

 

To their surprise, Ella lifted her head high and pulled her shoulders back, every inch the composed lady. "Mais bien s?r je connais la mode Parisienne et je vais faire mon meilleure à le démissioner," she replied in fluent French.

 

Ella stifled²¹ a smile as she watched her stepmother and stepsisters gape²² at her. They had clearly not expected her to be able to speak French, much less so well. Recovering, Lady Tremaine clapped her hands. "Right. That's settled, then. Now go! Every bit of baggage in the kingdom will be tilting²³ at the prince. You must get there first, before the seamstress is drowning in work." Without another word, she turned her back, dismissing Ella.

 

Ella left the drawing room. She knew she shouldn't have shown off like that, but it had felt nice to catch her stepfamily off guard. And the joke was on them, anyway, because she had never expected a dress; she knew what she could wear. Plus, she had no desire to become a princess. All she wanted was to see Kit and, with luck, have an evening during which she could be just a girl enjoying the company of a nice boy.

 

Inside a large palace room, the prince's regiment²⁴ trained. The sound of clanging metal echoed through the large space. In the center of it all, Kit parried back and forth²⁵ with the Captain of the Guard. While his movements were clean and precise, he was distracted. Noticing his pupil's lack of concentration, the Captain struck with his sword, rapping the prince sharply on his arm.

 

"Wake up, Your Highness," he said. "You're in a daze²⁶."

 

Kit looked guiltily at the Captain. "I'm sorry," he said.

 

"You've been off since the hunt," the Captain said, bringing down his sword and just missing Kit.

 

"It's the girl," the prince replied, "I've never met anyone like her."

 

"There are plenty of girls," the Captain replied.

 

Kit shook his head, and said, "But her spirit, her goodness . . ."

 

"I don't suppose she has a sister," the Captain said. He had to admit that from the way Kit spoke²⁷ of this girl, she seemed the picture of perfection.

 

"I don't know," Kit said, shrugging. "I don't know anything about her."

 

"Well, perhaps your mystery girl will come to the ball. That is why you threw the doors open, is it not?"

 

Kit looked at him and feigned²⁸ indignation. "Captain," he said as though wounded. "It was for the benefit of the people."

 

"Of course," the Captain said, hiding a smile. "How shallow of me. And if she comes? Then you will tell her that you are the prince? And the prince may choose whatever bride he wants?"

 

The prince let out a bitter laugh. "You know my father and the Grand Duke will only have me marry a princess."

 

"If this girl from the forest is as charming as you say, they may change their minds," the Captain suggested.

 

Kit shook his head. "Father might understand," he conceded. "But the Grand Duke? Never."

 

As the sounds of swordplay swelled²⁹ around them, the two men grew silent. The Captain had given his whole life to the kingdom. His duty was, and always had been, to King Frederick, his son, and the land they fought to protect. The only person he had ever come to care about besides his family was Kit. And while the Captain respected the king greatly, he wanted to see his friend happy.

 

市场上熙熙攘攘。几个小摊前，商贩叫卖着他们的商品——最新鲜的蔬菜，最丰硕的水果。一位英俊的卖花人举着一束雏菊，引得一群女孩咯咯地笑，将目光投向别处。市场的尽头，离这边的芳香远远的，鱼贩子倒出了一天的收获。

 

瑞拉就在这个热闹的市场上，她一只手提着篮子，脸上一副恍恍惚惚的神情。自从遇到基特，她就感觉自己魂不守舍。她知道这样很荒谬。很可能自己再也见不到他了。但是在树林里邂逅的那一刻，瑞拉觉得基特仿佛看清了她究竟是谁，而不是继母和姐姐们把她变成的那个满面尘灰的女孩。

 

“这不是瑞拉小姐吗？” 家里以前的厨师弗洛拉大步向她走过来，脸上挂着亲切的微笑。

 

“弗洛拉！”瑞拉一下抱住她，“你好吗？你找到工作了吗？”

 

“有谁能比我做的烤鸡更好吃呢，我问你？”两人一起大笑起来。但是接着弗洛拉抬起头，脸上流露出关切的神情：“小姐，您气色很不好，一点都不好。”

 

瑞拉抹了抹脸，把一撮蓬乱的头发抿到耳后。她低头看着自己破旧的衣服，叹了一口气。弗洛拉说的一点儿都不错。

 

弗洛拉把一只手放在瑞拉的肩上：“她们这样对你，你为什么还住在那儿呢？”

 

瑞拉笑着耸耸肩：“我向父亲和母亲保证过，要珍惜这个我们幸福生活过的地方。他们喜欢这个家，所以既然现在他们不在了，我就要替他们爱护这个家，这是我的家。”

 

离她们不远处，一位乞丐婆婆抬起头，饶有兴趣地听着瑞拉说话。她笑着，然后转过头看着人声嘈杂的广场中间。(啊哈！我记得这个可怜的人，亲爱的读者。因为有时候最不起眼的人往往是最让人吃惊的……)

 

瑞拉也抬眼朝广场望去，看到王宫来的传令官手里拿着巨大的卷轴，瑞拉扬了扬眉毛。传令官站在城镇喷泉的边上，等着人们聚集起来。瑞拉也好奇地走过去，等着他宣布消息。

 

“安静！安静！”传令官喊道，让人群安静下来。“我们仁慈的弗雷德里克国王陛下，叫这个名字的第四代国王，决定隆重庆祝他的儿子王子殿下凯旋。两周后的今天，将在王宫举行盛大的宫廷舞会。”

 

众人听了消息一片沉默。毕竟，宫廷舞会跟他们有什么关系呢？他们只是平民百姓。他们不跳舞，也不参加舞会。

 

传令官继续说道：“按照古老的传统，在这次舞会上，王子殿下将挑选他的新娘。”然后他威风凛凛地结束了公告。“此外，按照王子殿下的命令，王国里任何一位适婚少女，无论是贵族还是平民，都可参加舞会。”

 

瑞拉身边的人激动地议论起来，但是她没有说话。她甚至听到了自己的心剧烈跳动的声音。舞会？在王宫？她也可以参加？这就是说她有机会再见到基特！毕竟，他在王宫里做学徒！她高兴得咧嘴笑了。

 

回家以后，瑞拉告诉了继母和姐姐们这个消息。姐姐们马上就兴奋地叽叽喳喳起来。显然，她们都怀着崇高的目标——那就是成为王子的新娘。

 

“我要哄得他爱上我，”崔西里亚说着在起居室里转起圈来，“我肯定能！”

 

“这是最重大的消息！”安泰西亚叫道。

 

特曼妮夫人站在房间中央，用挑剔的眼光看着女儿们。“镇静，”最终她说道，“听我说。”好一会儿，安泰西亚和崔西里亚才注意听母亲的话。看到女儿们专心听着，特曼妮夫人才满意地继续说道：“你们其中一个必须赢得王子的心。那样的话，我们才能甩掉身上的债务，离开这个像一潭死水的地方。”她转过身，眯起眼睛看着静静地站在角落里想着自己心事的瑞拉。“消息送到了，你怎么还在这儿？赶紧去镇上告诉女裁缝赶制三件精美的舞会礼服。”

 

“三件？”瑞拉吃惊地问道。她没想到继母会给她也做一件礼服。瑞拉极力平静下来说：“您真是……太体贴了。”

 

特曼妮夫人扬起眉毛：“你什么意思？”

 

“您还能想着我，”瑞拉回答。

 

“想着你？”特曼妮夫人不解地问。

 

房间的另一边，崔西里亚冷笑道：“妈妈！她以为剩下的那一件礼服是给她的！”母女三人疑惑地互相看着。“可怜又愚蠢的灰丫头，这可太难堪了！”

 

特曼妮夫人摇摇头说：“野心这么大对你可没什么好处。”

 

“我只是想见个朋友，”瑞拉抗议说。她本该清楚继母的为人的，她怎么会在这一刻大发慈悲呢？

 

特曼妮夫人接着说道：“我直说吧。一件礼服给崔西里亚，一件给安泰西亚，还有一件是我的。”她又用法语说了一句：“纯粹的巴黎时装。”

 

“她听不懂这是什么意思，”安泰西亚脱口而出。

 

让她们大吃一惊的是，瑞拉抬起头，挺直肩膀，怎么看都是一位泰然自若的淑女。她用流利的法语回答：“我当然知道什么是巴黎时装，我会准备好的。”

 

看到继母和姐姐们目瞪口呆，瑞拉差点儿笑出来。显然她们没想到她会说法语，而且说得那么好。继母缓过神，拍着手说：“好。就这么办。赶紧去！整个王国的丫头都想要得到王子的心。你必须抢在前头，在女裁缝被活儿压垮之前赶到。”说完她转过身，让瑞拉离开。

 

瑞拉离开了起居室。她知道自己刚才不该炫耀，但能让她们措手不及确实让她感到痛快。可笑的是她们自己，反正她也没指望要新衣服；她知道自己能穿什么。而且，她也没想要成为王妃。她想做的只是见到基特，还有如果幸运的话，可以在他的陪伴中度过一个美好的夜晚。

 

在王宫的一间大房子里，王子的侍卫们正在操练。偌大的地方到处回响着兵器碰撞的叮当声。士兵们中间，基特前后躲闪着侍卫长的攻击。他的动作干净利落，但有点心不在焉。看到王子没有集中注意力，侍卫长挥起剑，快速地敲击了一下他的胳膊。

 

“醒醒吧，殿下，”他说，“您在发呆。”

 

基特惭愧地看着侍卫长说道：“对不起。”

 

“从打猎回来你就无精打采的，”侍卫长说着，收回了刺向王子的剑。

 

“是那位姑娘，”王子回答，“我从来没见过她那样的姑娘。”

 

“姑娘多着呢，”侍卫长回答。

 

基特摇摇头说道：“可她的朝气，她的善良……”

 

“我想她没有姐妹吧，”侍卫长说。他不得不承认，从基特谈起她的口气判断，她简直是一个完美的女孩。

 

“不知道，”基特耸耸肩说，“她的事情我一无所知。”

 

“好吧，或许你那个神秘姑娘也会来参加舞会。这就是你敞开宫门的原因，对吗？”

 

基特看着侍卫长，装作生气的样子。“侍卫长，”他看似委屈地说，“我本来就是为了百姓的利益。”

 

“当然，”侍卫长偷偷笑着说，“我太浅薄了。如果她来了呢？那你要告诉她你是王子吗？王子可以随自己的心意选择新娘吗？”

 

王子苦笑道：“你知道父亲和公爵只想让我娶一位公主。”

 

“如果树林里的那位姑娘真像你说的那么迷人，他们也许会改变主意。”侍卫长提醒说。

 

基特摇摇头。“父亲可能会理解，”他退让道，“但是公爵呢？绝不可能。”

 

旁边操练的声音越来越大，王子和侍卫长不再说话。侍卫长把一生都奉献给了这个王国。他的职责就是保卫弗雷德里克国王、王子，还有他们誓死捍卫的土地。除了家人以外，他唯一关心的人就是基特。尽管他非常尊敬国王，但他更想看到自己的朋友幸福。

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