Cinderella

[Part Two]

[by Firefly]





At the palace, the ball was going off without a hitch. The decorations were perfect, the food was sumptuous, there had yet to be a single catfight and none of the musicians were drunk. All the guests were having a wonderful time. But the King and Queen were not having a good time. Prince Wufei had spent the entire evening so far either slouching on the steps to his parents' thrones or hiding behind various potplants.

He would dance with the various maidens physically forced upon him by his irate parents (on the threat of losing his birthday presents if he didn't), but something about the way he behaved made even the most eager girls avoid returning for a second dance. His parents suspected it was the way in which he ran screaming from the dance floor as soon as the orchestra stopped that did it.

Finally they decided to put a stop to it. They summoned their son and told him to stop being such a baby and to dance nicely.

"But I don't like any of them." Wufei protested sulkily.

"Nonsense. There are plenty of lovely young ladies here. Why, if I were ten years younger I'd..." the King trailed off as he saw the look his wife was shooting him.

"What your father means dear, is pick one. And fifteen years."

"But-" Father and son protested together.

"Or else."

Wufei glanced wildly around the room. Surely there must be at least *one* stupid onna who wasn't quite such a weakling as the others. Or at least not quite so irritating. As his glance fell on each simpering maiden in turn, they all beamed and drew closer, wincing a little as each attempted elbowing her rivals out of the way. All except...

"That one."

"Which one darling?"

"The one in the purple dress."

The Queen looked. And she saw. She did not see a purple dress, as her son did. Instead, she saw a stunning off-the-shoulder violet gown, with gorgeous drapes of satin falling to the ground in graceful lines. She saw how the colour perfectly complemented the wearer's eyes. She saw the silky chestnut hair pulled back to pour in beautiful shiny waves all the way down the person's back. She saw that the owner of the dress wasn't pushing for attention around the throne, and was, in fact, helping themselves to a drink from the punch bowl. The Queen was very observant. She saw something else, too.

"Um, Wufei dear..."

But he had already gone.

****************************

Duo wandered along the buffet table, helping himself liberally to refreshments as he surveyed the party. Somewhat to his surprise, he was having a good time. The food was yummy, the music was okay, even the dress wasn't that uncomfortable. And Duo knew he looked gorgeous. The folds of fabric conspired to hide, to the casual observer, the fact that he was a boy. Something which, Duo reflected as he fended off the odd groping hand while moving through the crowd, was not necessarily such a good thing.

Then suddenly the crowd before him parted, and Duo saw a boy roughly his own age hurrying towards him.

Uh-oh. Busted. Duo had, despite his appearance, so far managed to avoid being asked to dance by the various over-amorous young gentlemen at the ball. He had a sneaking feeling that was about to change.
The boy stopped short in front of Duo and bowed stiffly.

"Would you give me the pleasure of the next dance?"

The boy didn't look pleased at all. In fact, he looked most uncomfortable-as though he would rather dance barefoot on hot coals than with Duo. However, he looked equally determined to achieve his goal. Duo inspected the boy as surreptitiously as was possible under the circumstances. He wasn't bad looking.

Hell, who am I kidding? He's positively yummy! Pity he looks so sulky.

But the girls in the crowd surrounding him didn't seem to find anything wrong with the boy. Indeed, many of them were practically sighing with envy.

That's a little extreme. Yeah, he's gorgeous, and well dressed-

Duo's eyes covertly wondered up and down the boy, coming to rest on the golden star displayed on his chest.

-And he's the royal Prince. That'd do it. Ohshitohshitohshit!!

Duo's mind worked frantically, trying to decide what to do. To refuse the Prince would blow his cover- no girl in her right mind would do that- but would he be able to get through the dance without getting caught? If he could... Duo pictured the looks of crippling jealousy that would appear on his sisters' faces when they found out. It was worth the risk. Now all he had to do was behave with perfect maidenly propriety.

The guests looked on as the beautiful girl appeared to... consider the Prince's offer? Surely not. Didn't she realise what an honour it was? But then-

Duo curtsied as he murmured acquiescence.

-Maybe she had just been shocked by the Prince's unusual attention. Perfectly understandable. And everything was right with the world again.

Prince Wufei nodded to the conductor of the orchestra, who raised his baton and launched the musicians into a waltz.

********************

Duo stifled an unmaidenly grimace as the Prince twirled him expertly around the dance floor. He wasn't sure how girls put up with this all night long- he was starting to get seasick. Maybe if they tried some small talk, that would take his mind off his stomach, and the amount of canapés therein.

Hmm. Is this why girls insist on talking while they dance?

It seemed that Prince Wufei was thinking along similar lines- only without the nausea. Small talk was expected.

"What are your interests?"

He'd just never had much practice.

Duo thought fast. He could babble inanely about embroidery, music and parties- he'd heard his sisters practising often enough. (Oddly, the aim was not to be well-rounded, but rather to sound well-rounded.) Or- and this was tempting- he could be a little more... interesting. After all, he never lied. Duo grinned wickedly.

"Well, I've always had an interest in sewing..."

Whether I liked it or not. Good thing I do.

"I spend a lot of time looking after my dear invalid stepmother..."

Every morning post-party when she's got a hangover.

Wufei barely suppressed a groan. She was as bad as all the others!

"I make a point of being kind to animals..."

A goldfish counts, right? After all, it's still alive.

Duo noticed with glee that the Prince's eyes were beginning to glaze over.

"And of course I've always loved boxing and fencing! How about you?"

The entire room looked on in surprise as Prince Wufei tripped over his own feet.

*************************

Fifteen minutes later Duo's eyes were the ones starting to glaze over. Once Prince Wufei had got up off of the floor, and been convinced that Duo was telling the truth, he had begun talking about their shared interests. Enthusiastically, in detail and at great length. Result; Duo was beginning to feel just a little bored. Then inspiration struck.

"Your Highness." The Prince paused mid-sentence. Typical. Just as he was starting to enjoy himself.

"Yes." he snapped.

"We've been waltzing for the last twenty minutes."

Wufei blinked. He'd been dancing that long? How... odd. He was sure he would have noticed.

"Uh..."

"And frankly, it's kinda boring." Duo grinned as the Prince's jaw dropped. "Why don't we try something a little... different?" Wufei nodded dumbly and watched as his dance partner ran lightly over to the orchestra. None of the maidens his parents had introduced him to had ever spoken to him like this one. Duo whispered in the conductor's ear before rejoining the Prince.

The conductor raised his baton and waited for the attention of the room before he launched the orchestra into a rousing tango.

The crowd parted before Duo and the Prince as they headed down the room, hands clasped firmly before them.

As the dance went on the King and Queen watched in amazement as their son and his partner tangoed up and down the room. As they tangoed right out of the door into the palace gardens the King leaned over and spoke to his wife.

"Are you sure dear?"

"Oh yes, believe me."

"What a pity. They look so good together. And they seem to get on, which is always an added bonus in a marriage."

"What's the problem?"

"Well my love, I think the whole point of this was to ensure the royal succession."

The Queen smiled at her husband.

"But me dear, have you never heard of adoption?"

The King beamed back at his clever wife.

"My sweet, I do believe we are soon to hear the patter of tiny feet!"

They grinned wickedly at each other.

***************************************

Duo took in his surroundings. Somehow, the prince had managed to tango him right into the middle of the palace's rose garden.

"Onna." Prince Wufei had decided that it was time to get down to business. He was bright enough to realise that his parents were going to see him married whether he liked it or not and so, he reasoned, he might as well chose a girl who was halfway likeable.

"Yes your highness?" Duo batted his eyelids in what he hoped was a disgustingly fetching manner.

"You are an attractive female. We share common interests. I suggest we marry."

"NANI?!?!"

**************************************

A few minutes later Wufei was reconsidering his proposal. The girl's reaction had been somewhat odd- she seemed quite unstable. She was currently pacing up and down the walkway, ranting loudly, if somewhat incomprehensibly, about 'meddling fairly godmothers', 'rude, inconvenient princes' and 'bloody stupid narrative conventions'.

"Onna!"

Duo spun round to face him.

"And stop calling me that! My name is Duo!"

"Duo."

"What?"

"You are obviously unstable. This can be dealt with. But before we marry, I must know how long you take in the bathroom each morning." Wufei crossed his fingers behind his back- she had so much hair... but she seemed very unusual for a girl, so maybe...

"Fifty-two minutes. And we're not getting married."

Wufei's eyes lit up at Duo's answer. He had finally found a girl who fulfilled all the requirements he had set to his parents. He had to marry her! Now if only he could convince the stupid onna to accept! Ah! Women liked romance, didn't they...?

Duo watched, astonished, as the Prince swept a rose from a nearby rose bush and presented it to him. The effect was marred slightly when the thorn on the stem pricked Prince Wufei's hand.

"Ow! I mean... my love, say that you will marry me, else I shall surely perish!" Wufei's eyes had an inward look, as though he was reading his lines from an internal script. In other words, he sounded a little... insincere. Duo burst out laughing.

"Oh don't tell me that actually works?! You have got to be the worst actor I have ever seen!"

Wufei drew himself up stiffly.

"You seemed reluctant to accept my proposal. I thought it might be lacking in romance." Ignoring Duo's muttered "It certainly was that.", he continued, "However, you still do not seem inclined to marry me. Why?"

"Uh..." Duo hesitated. He couldn't think of a way to wriggle out of this one. Oh well, the garden wall wasn't that high- if the Prince called for the guards he could be out before they arrived.

"Mumblemumblemumble." he told the Prince.

Wufei crossed his arms and raised one eyebrow in exaggerated patience.

"I didn't quite catch that."

"Eheh. I'm a guy."

........

Duo took the Prince's silence for outrage and babbled on nervously. "You see, it was one of those fairy godmother deals so I really didn't have much choice and I realise I'm a pretty unusual person for a fairy godmother to visit- although considering the fairy godmother, maybe not that strange- that guy was weird! So now you've probably changed your mind about marrying me, which is good- I mean not that it wouldn't have been nice to marry you; you're really sexy and you've got a great ass. Oh god, did I say that out loud? I meant to say that you seem like a really nice guy, and-" Duo's voice died away as he saw the lecherous smile spreading slowly across the Prince's face.

"Even better."

************************************

<DONG>

<DONG>

Duo detached his mouth from Wufei's long enough to ask,

"Wha-?"

"'s the bell in the clock tower. Ignore it."

"'kay!" Duo agreed contentedly.

<DONG>

<DONG>

<DONG>

"What time is it anyway?"

"Don't care. Now stop talking so we can carry on."

"Mmm."

<DONG>

<DONG>

"Hey, Wu."

"Now what?"

"Won't people have missed us? Well, missed you, anyway?"

<DONG>

"They're supposed to- it's the whole purpose of the ball! I find a nice girl-"

"Ahem."

Wufei barely skipped a beat, "A nice person, spend the rest of the evening with her, uh, them, and then marry them."

"Oh. Okay."

<DONG>

<DONG>

"Duo, you said this was a fairy godmother thing, right?"

"Yes. Does that mean you have to stop doing that?"

<DONG>

"Oh, sorry. But, with magic and everything?"

"Yes, except for the coach. That was hired."

"So, doesn't it-"

<DONG>

<plink>

"-Run out at midnight?" Wufei finished, rather weakly. This was due to the fact that he now had in his arms a rather naked Duo.

Duo looked down at himself- he noticed a certain lack of clothing that might make returning to the ball a little problematical. Although he still had shoes on.

"I guess so." He replied. "Lemme see- according to narrative convention, I'm supposed to run away now, leaving one shoe behind." He kicked off one shoe as he spoke. Then, very aware of Wufei's eyes on his naked body, he kicked off the other shoe. He grinned mischievously at his prince. "Screw narrative convention."

Wufei stepped up against Duo and wrapped his arms around him.

"Actually, I'd much rather..."

After a little while, the bushes rustled softly. (1)

*******************************************

~finis~


(1) That is to say, the nice, thornless bushes rustled softly. Sensible people avoid thorny bushes. Even when excited.



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[And they all lived happily ever after...]