Rivalry: a Cinderella story

By Sonya Writes

When the prince comes to return Cinderella's glass slipper, her twin sister Marcella is the one who answers the door. Desperate for love due to a strained relationship with their mother, Marcella is happy to play along and pretend to be 'Ella' for the prince.
This novella is approximately 80 pages long.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sonya Writes
• Release date: May 11, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310089060

Book preview

Rivalry

a Cinderella story

By Sonya Writes

All rights reserved.

Copyright ©2014 Sonya Writes

Published by Sonya Writes at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Book description:

Rivalry is a tale which turns everything you thought you knew about Cinderella has been turned on its head. Instead of step-sisters, Cinderella has an identical twin named Marcella. Instead of an evil step-mother, Cinderella has her biological mother who adores her but tragically can’t seem to connect at all with Marcella, who has never quite felt loved at home. So when they go to the ball, Marcella is looking for someone to love her while Cinderella merely hopes for a pleasant evening out. As it happens, the prince decides he would like to marry Cinderella, but when he comes to return the glass slipper after the ball, it is Marcella who answers the door. The prince mistakes her for Cinderella, and she plays along…

~

once upon a time…

Edmund opened the door to his home and stepped inside. Behind his back he held a bouquet of roses for his beloved wife Azura. The house was quiet.

Azura! he called.

Azura’s handmaiden Anceline came running out to meet him. Oh Edmund! Sir Edmund! The baby is coming!

Edmund dropped the roses in the doorway and ran to follow her. She led him down the hall to the sitting room where Azura was on her knees taking deep breaths while the midwife knelt behind her, watching and waiting. Azura glanced up at Edmund and gave him a quick smile before looking away again to focus on her breathing.

She’s almost to crown, Anceline whispered to Edmund.

Quiet, please! Azura demanded. She let out a long moan as she pushed. The midwife kept her hands ready, but she looked away long enough to give Anceline and Edmund a commanding look.

Edmund took the hint. He gave a quick nod and left the room. Anceline left the room also and went to the kitchen to prepare a meal for afterward, but mostly she was anxious and needed something to keep her mind and hands busy during this exciting time. Edmund paced about the hallway and thought back to Azura’s first pregnancy and labor. She’d wanted absolute quiet then, too. He hoped the similar atmosphere wasn’t an indication of a similar outcome. Their first child died of illness within a few days, and it sent Azura into a deep depression for months. This child had to live or the entire home would fall to despair.

A moment later he heard a child’s cry. He smiled and ran back into the room.

It’s a girl, the midwife said. A beautiful little girl.

The child screamed above the midwife’s voice so that Edmund could barely hear her, but he could see that the infant was a girl and he loved her from the start. The midwife wrapped up the child in a blanket and handed her to him. Then she helped Azura move into a more comfortable position as they awaited the afterbirth. Meanwhile the child continued to scream. Her cry is a good sign, the midwife assured them both. I had to cut the cord immediately as it was wrapped twice around her neck, but with lungs like those I think it’s safe to say she was not damaged.

She has the cry of a warrior! Edmund said. He stared at her thoughtfully. Let’s name her…Marcella.

Azura nodded and gave a weak smile. She closed her eyes and took many short breaths through her nose. Then she let out another loud moan and lifted herself again to her knees. She started yelling about the pain, but the midwife reassured them both. It’s only the afterbirth, she said. It will be over soon.

Marcella continued to scream, so Edmund carried her out of the room. He adjusted the blanket she was wrapped in, the one they’d set aside for this special occasion, and then he stared at her fondly. My beautiful Marcella, he said. You look just like your mother. Raven hair and the prettiest little nose I’ve ever seen. His voice seemed to calm her. She lowered her screams to a softer cry, but she did not quiet completely. He smiled at her. There, there, Marcella. Everything is all right.

Then came joyful yelling from the other room. Another child! the midwife called. It’s another child!

Edmund hurried to the room and saw the second child being born. He smiled and then stepped back out into the hallway. Anceline! he called. Fetch us another blanket! We have twins! Marcella seemed to be upset by the news as her cries rose up to screaming again once he finished his proclamation. Edmund cradled Marcella in his arms and tried to calm her. You are a sister, Marcella! You are a big sister. Though I’m sure you knew of this even before we did. He continued to smile at her even as she cried.

The second child was another daughter. The afterbirth came soon afterward, and Azura sat against the wall to rest, propped up with pillows for comfort. The two children looked exactly alike, so the midwife tied a bit of blue ribbon to the second child’s heel as Azura held her.

Anceline came running with a blanket. She wrapped the baby in it and handed her to Azura. Azura took one look at the child and laughed. Anceline, I believe you grabbed the blanket that I mistakenly knocked into the fireplace this morning. This poor child is now covered in ashes!

Edmund’s face grew red, but Azura calmed him. No, no dear. It is fine. It’s perfect really. Cinderella. My beautiful Cinderella. She looked down at her darling child and bonded instantly. Cinderella was calm and peaceful from the moment she was born. Azura thought the child’s eyes spoke directly to her heart and she stared into them for what seemed like a long time. Azura started to nurse Cinderella, but Marcella continued to cry.

Nurse the older one first, the midwife instructed. She is distressed from the birth, and she needs it more. The younger looks like she will be content to wait. Azura nodded and followed the midwife’s instruction. It took several minutes before Marcella would latch, and even when she did, the infant did not look happy and would barely look at her mother’s face. Azura nursed Marcella to her fill and then passed her back to Edmund so she could nurse Cinderella. Marcella began to scream again and continued to until Edmund had rocked her to sleep.

Azura looked down at Cinderella’s face once more and smiled. The child was so perfect, so peaceful. She latched on with ease and looked at her mother as if there was no one else more important in the world. Azura’s heart melted, but as Cinderella nursed, Azura felt a spot of guilt for not feeling this same way toward Marcella. She brushed the feeling aside and told herself that all would be well in time. For now she focused her attention on Cinderella and allowed herself to be taken over by maternal love.

As Azura got the hang of nursing, Anceline and the midwife worked together to clean everything up from the birth, and the midwife stopped several times to check on Azura and the twins to be sure they were in good health. Fortunately they were.

You have two healthy babies, she said. And you’ve done a fine job of birthing them.

Thank you. Azura was relieved. Losing another child would be heartbreaking. She was glad to hear