Page 70 of Once Upon a Midnight Clear

“It is.” He nodded.

“I will have to properly thank him for that.” She glanced down at the slippers still on her feet. “And I should return the slippers—”

“No need,” Noella said with a wave of dismissal.

“But—”

“They’re yours, dear.” She held her hand out to the girl bouncing at the foot of the bed. “Come, Ingrid, darling. Let’s let Ella get some rest. We should be docking soon. You, too, Gustav.”

Gustav unfolded his long body from the chair and limped toward the door. “Glad to see you awake, my lady.”

Ingrid bounced off the end of the bed and took hold of Noella’s hand. As they exited, Ingrid said, “Wasn’t that the best adventure?”

Nicholas chuckled. “The moment we were on the ship, she perked up. She couldn’t wait to tell anyone who listened about how we escaped the fortress.”

“And all that time she seemed so terrified,” Ella said.

“She seems happy to be going home. Honestly, I think my mother must have had something to do with her renewed state of mind.”

“How do you mean?” Ella asked.

“I think she helped her forget the worst of it.”

Ah, of course. Magic. Nicholas rose from the bed and walked across to a small table in the corner. He poured a steaming cup of tea and brought it to her. She took it, grateful.

“We’ll return to the castle for a day or so to clean up and rest, then head back to the village to return her to her parents,” he said.

“They must be so worried.”

She thought of Agnes and Lukas and wondered how they were faring with the news of their granddaughter in Malvina’s hands.

But she couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to her then. Once they had returned Ingrid and—hopefully—the Christmas Star was repaired, then what? Was she to return to her own home with her vile stepmother and stepsisters? The thought made her stomach clench in terror.

How could she tell Nicholas she didn’t want to go back? How could she tell him she wanted to stay here with him? And where would she live? What would she do?

She looked at him over the rim of her cup. He had a contemplative look on his handsome face, as though he had the same thoughts as she did. But he didn’t voice them. And neither did she.

“Once we get back to the village,” he said, “maybe you can help me repair the Christmas Star?”

Hope swelled deep inside her. “I would love that. But…how?”

He gave her a knee-melting smile. “We’ll figure that out when we get there. Now, I’ll let you rest and see if my mother can conjure you some proper footwear.”

“I guess she really wasn’t my fairy godmother,” Ella said. A twinge of sadness went through her. If she wasn’t her fairy godmother, though, why gift her with the slippers? And the gown and the ball?

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” he said.

“Why is that?”

He looked thoughtful for a long moment before he finally replied. “She saw something in you. Something magical and joyful and endearing. Shewantedyou to have those slippers. She picked you, Ella. If that doesn’t make her your fairy godmother, I don’t know what does.”

With that, he left her alone to contemplate his words.

Ella looked at the glass slippers, wondering if he was right. Wondering if Alice was right about the legend of the shoes. Indeed, she did feel a certain power while wearing them. As though for the first time in her life, she was in control.

She noticed a hairline fracture on the toe of the right slipper. She must have damaged it when she tripped and fell. She slipped it off, then held it closer for inspection. Yes, there was definitely a faint crack in the glass. A pang of sadness went through her.

She clutched the shoe to her chest, gripping it tight. How could she possibly return to her previous life when so much had changed for her? She dreaded the thought of going back to her life of drudgery serving those wretched women. Truthfully, they didn’t deserve her nor did she deserve a life of servitude to the three spoiled, unkind women who lived in her house.

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