Fairy Godmothers, Inc

TWENTY-FIVE



Romantic Destiny


Evening was rapidly approaching and there was still no sign of Bubbles. Jon had sandwiches brought in to feed the gathering crowd he needed for his plan. Unfortunately, the queen arrived a few minutes later. She stood next to Jon outside the ballroom doors, glowering at the crowd of women sitting on the ballroom floor, their borrowed skirts spread around them as they laughed and chatted with each other. “Princes do not find their true love in the middle of some fancy dress picnic, Jonathan. You said this entire display of yours would show me the woman capable of finally making you act properly besotted.”

Jon patted her on the shoulder. “Our villainess hasn’t arrived yet. Trust me, it’ll look much more impressive once we get started.” He resisted the temptation to walk her inside and introduce her to Kate, who had gone to hide behind the stairs the moment Lawton had come in to warn them the queen’s arrival. “Out of curiosity, why aren’t you still upstairs playing dominance games with Rellie’s stepmother?”

The queen huffed. “That ridiculous woman. It completely escapes her that I am the one ruling a country.” She glanced over at her son. “It’s probably for the best that you aren’t madly in love with that blond child. It’s been years since royalty received carte blanche to execute the in-laws.”

Jon made sure his mother had turned away again before he let the amused smile escape. “True, but it seems like a bad idea to let them wander around the palace un-chaperoned.”

“Oh, they’re fine. Your father offered to show them the armory.” His mother’s brow furrowed. “It was rather sweet of him, actually.”

Jon’s response was cut off when one of the palace guards hurried toward them. Jon hoped the man’s determined look was a good sign. “Any news?” Jon asked.

The guard bowed as the queen turned to look at him. “A woman matching the description you gave has been seen in town, Your Highness, along with four men wearing what appear to be private security uniforms. It seems she’s been asking questions about a Fairy Godmother who works for her.”

“Excellent. Have your men collect the entire group and escort them to the palace. Tell them this is not an arrest, but that their presence has caused a disruption among the citizenry and the royal family has some questions they need answered.”

The guard bowed again and left, and Jon turned back to his mother. “The show’s about to start. Do you want to be the one to collect Father and our guests, or should I have a page do it?”

The queen appeared to have other things on her mind. “This ‘true love’ of yours had better not be that Fairy Godmother,” she warned her son, eyeing him suspiciously. “I can’t have one of my daughters-in-law employed by people she’ll outrank. I could never show my face at a ball again.”

Jon just smiled. “I’ll let you know in a few hours.” He turned and headed into the ballroom. “Places, everyone! We’re about to have company!”


A half-hour later, the guards walked a gray-haired woman in a pink Fairy Godmothers uniform and four men who looked like security personnel through the main ballroom doors. The men, who kept glancing over at the palace guards, looked increasingly confused and uncomfortable with every step. The gray-haired woman—Bubbles, undoubtedly—was glaring as if she were a giantess being ordered around by pixies.

Jon ignored her for the moment, slipping the gigantic glass shoe over the foot of a very happily married woman who ran a leather goods shop in town. With one hand braced on Lawton’s shoulder, she lifted her foot to show the gathered crowd that the shoe was much too large for her foot. Both she and Jon shook their head solemnly as the rest of the room made a disappointed sound in almost perfect unison. The woman gave a single, delicate sniffle before heading back down the steps, allowing the next in line to approach the throne and test her foot in the shoe.

It was only then that he looked up at Bubbles, as if he had just noticed her presence. He gestured to Lawton to take his place, then stood and approached her with a carefully surprised expression on his face. “A senior staff member of Fairy Godmothers, Inc.? If I had known I would have sent for you immediately.” His voice was welcoming as he gestured to the crowd behind him. “Clearly, this was where you wanted to be all along.”

Bubbles’ eyes widened as she stared at the women, then narrowed again as she snapped her gaze back to Jon. “You shouldn’t be holding a shoe-fitting,” she accused. “Your contract was fini—” She drew in a low breath, her expression closing down. “I see Kate lied about that as well.” Her voice was full of repressed fury. “Your Highness, my people and I need to leave immediately and resume our search. The company has an internal matter that needs to be taken care of.”

“Clearly,” Maleeva interjected. She’d been relegated to a corner with her daughters after both of them were denied a place in line. As such, all three women found comfort in sarcasm. “If you’d been at all competent in handling Cinderella’s case, the royal family wouldn’t have needed to make up for your deficiencies.”

Ignoring them, Jon made a dramatically confused face. “I fail to see what your internal matter has to do with the scene you were making in town, and I assure you I will require a far more complete explanation before I allow it to continue.” He granted her his most brilliant smile. “Until then, you can oversee the shoe-fitting. I know the practice has fallen somewhat out of use these days, but my family has always been a firm believer in tradition. It’s unthinkable that the royal heir would take a bride without it.”

He looked over at his parents, who were overseeing the proceedings from their respective thrones. They looked remarkably dignified and royal for the moment, and the queen lifted her eyebrows at her son’s cue. “Of course. It is the way I gained the crown, and I would expect nothing less from my future daughter-in-law.” The king, grateful not to have been given a line, merely offered a noble smile.

Bubbles blinked once, lips pressing together for a moment as she rallied. “Normally, the prince is supposed to go out among his subjects for a shoe-fitting,” she said tightly. “If you’d like, my men and I can take you to the home of the girl I’m certain will fit your glass slipper.”

“No need. Bringing them here is far more efficient.” He turned, heading back to Lawton and the next young woman in line to have proven not to fit the shoe. “We kept careful records of every woman who attended the ball that night. One of them will undoubtedly fit the glass slipper that my mysterious beauty left behind, and I’ll find the woman whom I’m destined to spend the rest of my life with.”

When Lawton stood to hand over the shoe, he leaned in close to Jon’s ear. “Careful not to let the drama of the moment run away with you,” he murmured.

“You’re just annoyed you’re not getting all the best lines.”

Lawton’s flashed a grin. “True.”

Then it was back to the plan, and Jon knelt before the next woman to go through the same routine with the glass slipper. This one was an aspiring actress, and sobbed dramatically enough one of the guards was inspired to give her a consoling pat on the shoulder as she went by. The next woman stepped up to take her place, and Rellie moved ahead to the waiting area at the base of the stairs. She was hiding behind a large fan so her identity wouldn’t be given away too early, but now that she was close enough, Rellie gave Jon a quick wave when no one else was watching.

The woman ahead of her hurried through the fitting so fast she barely touched her toes to the inside of the shoe before yanking her foot out and hurrying to the opposite side of the ballroom. Rellie walked up to Jon much more slowly, snapping the fan closed and exposing her identity only when she was standing right in front of him.

The second everyone saw Rellie’s face, Bubbles made a face and started toward her with such obvious intent the guards had to move in to block her way. Jon raised his head to look at Bubbles, lifting an eyebrow. “You wished to say something?” he asked mildly.

Bubbles opened her mouth, then seemed to rethink whatever she was about to say and closed it again. “No, you may continue.” One of her hands lifted slightly, as if reaching for her wand, but before she could get to it the nearest guard clamped her wrist in a firm grip. Outraged, Bubbles tried to yank her hand away. “Unhand me, you cretin,” she demanded.

The guard glanced at Jon, who nodded. “You may release her, Corporal.” As Bubbles pulled her hand away with a triumphant expression, he added, “And now you may confiscate her wand.”

Her glare snapped back around to Jon. The guard wisely took advantage of her distracting anger and lifted the wand out of her belt. “You have no right! If I am here in a professional capacity, I have every right to utilize the registered tools of my trade.”

“Unless,” Jon corrected, “they’re used to intimidate the citizenry.” He turned to Rellie. “Did you feel threatened? I certainly did.”

Rellie shivered dramatically. “She’s creepy.”

“Oh, for—” As if appalled at her near outburst, Bubbles forced down her anger, her jaw tightened as she took a step back. “She’ll fit the shoe, Your Highness. Though I can’t release the details of her particular case due to the internal issue I mentioned earlier, you have the word of Fairy Godmothers, Inc. that she is the young woman who danced with you at the ball.”

Over in the corner, Lucinda stood and flung a trembling finger in Rellie’s direction. “You have no right to fit that shoe, Cinderella! I’m the one who should be marrying the prince!”

Jon raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. “Clearly, there’s some question as to whether or not you’re correct.” He bent forward as Rellie lifted her foot, slipping the shoe on so slowly Lawton had to cough back a chuckle. When the shoe was technically fitted in Rellie’s foot, he pulled his hand away so Rellie could lift her foot higher.

The glass slipper dangled off the end of Rellie’s toes, swinging gently in midair.

Bubbles went pale with horror, and Jon grinned inwardly as Rellie curled her toes downward and dropped the shoe off her foot entirely. He caught it before it hit the ground. Rellie shrugged and looked over at Bubbles. “Sorry,” she said brightly, bounding down the stairs to go stand by the other women.

All Bubbles could do was stare, moving back and forth between the shoe and the completely unrepentant Rellie before settling a glare at Jon again. “That’s not possible,” she said flatly. “I received several reports of the prince dancing with a young blond woman matching her description the night of the ball. I suspect Katharine Harris has something to do with this. If you’ve seen her, I insist you let me know immediately.”

The queen rose to her feet, her face full of majestic fury. “The shoe-fitting is about romantic destiny, not reports,” she said scornfully. “As a Fairy Godmother, you should know that better than anyone!”

Maleeva, shushing both her daughters, stood up. “I agree completely, Your Majesty. This is obviously a sign that Fairy Godmothers, Inc. isn’t to be trusted, and that both my daughters should immediately take their place in line.”

Jon, ignoring Rellie’s family again, shook his head sadly at Bubbles. “It’s not going to be good for business for people to hear that Fairy Godmothers, Inc. is arguing against romantic tradition.” When the horror flashed across Bubbles’ visage again, he smiled. “And I assure you, I know a good number of people who would be happy to tell.”

Jon kept part of his attention on the line of women and saw a cloaked figure move from behind a column to slip into a spot near the front of the line.

Bubbles, who gave no sign of noticing, was busy attempting to marshal together an argument of some kind. “Fairy Godmothers, Inc. has a copyright on glass slippers, and since the girl was the only client of ours at your ball, that means she was the only one who could have been wearing them,” she maintained. “Which means you danced with the girl, or whoever you did dance with couldn’t have left a shoe behind. I insist that you try it on her again.”

The queen raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying herself. “You have no authority to insist that we do anything, peasant.”

Jon listened in fascination, surprised Bubbles hadn’t yet tried to claim there was a binding contract at stake. Perhaps the company lawyers had prepped her—though any noble who hired the company was legally bound to whatever agreement had been reached; the fact that the intended’s family was never even informed as to what was happening left Fairy Godmothers, Inc. on far shakier ground. Their strength, apparently, had been in making certain that things moved along so traditionally the other family never even questioned it.

Rellie wasn’t nearly so interested. “Romantic destiny isn’t supposed to have all this arguing,” she called out, causing a few of the women still waiting in line to giggle. “Get back to the good part.”

Belzie scowled. “Shut up, you little idiot.”

Jon bowed in Rellie’s direction. “Actually, I agree with the young woman’s suggestion.” He turned to his mother, willing to extend her moment in the sunlight. “If I may?”

She lifted her chin haughtily. “Of course.” Beside her, the king nodded.

Jon knelt back down, continuing the pretense of fitting each woman in line with the shoe. The ladies went through the routine beautifully, each adding their own little flourish as they showed it didn’t fit and went down the stairs to join the other women. As the last woman left, Jon shifted so the shoe was briefly hidden by his body. When he moved it into view again a moment later, the brief swirl of magic from Ned’s spell had faded almost entirely.

Then, finally, the woman wearing the cloak stood in front of him.

Back in the corner, Belzie threw her hands up. “Of course, it’s going to be the mysterious woman in the cloak! It always is!” She turned to her mother. “Can we finally go get some dinner now?”

Maleeva slapped her. “Shut up,” she hissed.

Bubbles, still ringed by the palace guards, continued to glower at both Jon and the cloaked woman as if the heat of her anger could somehow physically hurt them.

Jon looked into Kate’s eyes, safely hidden beneath the edge of her hood. He imagined her wings were stiff after being squashed even this long, but she gave him a smile that made his chest warm with pleasure. He kept his voice blandly pleasant as he held up the shoe. “Your foot, ma’am?”

Resting a hand on Lawton’s shoulder for support, Kate lifted her foot into position. Just as slowly as it had with everyone else, Jon slid the shoe onto Kate’s foot.

It fit perfectly.

Finally able to show off his grin, Jon let Kate lower her foot to the floor before clasping her hand in his. “My love,” he whispered, able to see the emotion shimmering in her eyes as he placed a gentle kiss against her knuckles.

The crowd cheered.

Maleeva stood, yanking her daughters upright with her. “What a ludicrous waste of time,” she announced, voice barely heard above everyone else’s enthusiasm. The three swept toward the exit, and after a discreet nod from Lawton the guards stepped aside to let them pass.

The queen watched Kate with a speculative expression. “You do already have him looking slightly dazed, which is a promising sign.” She gave an impatient wave. “Take that hood off and let me have a proper look at you. I need to know what my future grandchildren will look like.”

Kate glanced at Jon, a final flash of worry in her eyes. Jon squeezed her hand, offering support, and she slowly lifted her other hand and pushed the cloak off completely.

Bubbles’ eyes lit in triumph as she jabbed an accusing finger at Kate. “I demand that you arrest her immediately!”