Cinderfella 2: A New Life - Prologue. Prologue

Reviewing events for the past year, I am surprised how things came about. I’m Prince Erik, formally of A’Dore. Now, I still have my title, but I go by Erik of Blethos. A’Dore and Blethos are neighboring kingdoms. While we never went to war with Blethos, things could get a little tense. Especially along our borders. Where did A’Dore end and Blethos start? But we shared the border and traded with each other for many centuries. My brother is the King of A’Dore. Having succeeded our father to the throne when our father died. You will have heard stories about my brother, Christian. Or rather, about his love for Ella, his wife. They became the story of Cinderella and Prince Charming. How a woman, Ella’s Fairy Godmother, named Dara, used magic to get Ella to the ball, meet my brother and win his heart. To say it was a success is an understatement. Those two are so in love and remain so, and the love manifested itself in a happy marriage and a happy kingdom. King Christian is my older brother, I was second in line. I knew it was likely that I would be married off to further the cause of A’Dore. There was one problem. I didn’t want a wife. My preference was a male companion. Yep, I was one of them, a homosexual. The trick was when King Alexander was told he would die, but it was a slow disease and was killing his strength, he had no heirs.

Let me explain. He was married and had two sons. There was an attack on the palace that killed his wife, and he thought he’d lost his sons. The oldest was five and the other was less than a year. But you guessed it, they didn’t die. Rescued from a fire that was so hot, little remained of the bodies they did find. It was assumed that both the boys had been incinerated. Now comes my part in all this. While King Alexander had no heirs, the kingdom was not without members of the extended family. Over a hundred could take the throne. They had to be members of the family to even apply. There were many women and a few men! Yes, men. I could legally marry a man if for no other reason than to solidify our alliance with Blethos. By marrying someone from this family, that person would come to rule. The choice was mine. The problem was I wanted a marriage with someone that loved me. It was going to be more than just for the alliance. And there would be dangers if I chose unwisely. They could plot to kill me. Once in power, who could really stop them? Then they would rule and marry whomever they chose. Now, Ella had a Fairy Godmother, and I asked Ella for help. She spoke with Dara, who sent her husband. Demetrius. He became my Fairy Godfather. Were they fairies? I have no idea. But they could, and did, have access to magic. Demetrius told me to look without using my eyes. That doesn’t make sense, does it? But wait! I meet Seth. He was a very good man that had suffered burns as a child that left him scarred. He was the step-son of Arthur Thorne, a cousin of the king. They shared the same great-grandfather. But Arthur’s grandfather was third in line for the throne, so it didn’t go to him. But he married the woman that was supposed to be, Seth’s mother. Getting complicated, isn’t it? And of course, you can figure out what the truth is. Seth and his brother, Samuel were King Alexander’s sons! Only they didn’t know that. Seth was only five when the attack happened and so badly burned, they were sure he would die. But he didn’t. For two years after he started to recover, he didn’t speak. Nor did he remember his real father, the palace and the attack, nor who he really was. Samuel grew up in the house of Thorne. As he was a baby when he was brought to the House of Thorne, he never knew at all! My brother and I took the long journey to Blethos’ capital, a thousand miles away from the capital of A’Dore. Posing as a servant to listen to conversations from the applicants, I discovered a lot of truths about these people. One, who was even applying, was Seth. Burned on the right side, he was told he was cursed and the scars were proof of that curse. He lived a horrible life, demeaned and humiliated almost daily by Arthur and his two children from his first wife, Darius and Deena. I befriended Seth, or tried to…but he resisted at first. Then while cleaning up, I saw he had birthmarks. I had studied the Blethos archives about the attack the Creides, a barbaric neighbor Blethos had to the north, and saw the recorded birthmark of Prince Phillip. Seth was Prince Phillip! He was a man! He didn’t act like a woman, or swish when he walked, like two from the family line there. But he kissed me! I knew he had to apply. He was the one. With that news, I raced back to Blethos and researched the laws of Blethos. All that needed to be done, was Arthur had to acknowledge Seth as his son. No matter if someone said the birthmarks were fake and not King Alexander’s son, by Arthur saying Seth was his son, Seth could apply and become king. Any head of a House, if he tells others in the presence of witnesses that a man is of his House, that man was a part of the House. There was a ball to be held for me to choose. As the families were introduced upon arriving, Arthur Thorne and his family were introduced. Okay, this was a bit tricky. Arthur knew I had chosen from his House. He had a man that promised, a son of your House will be king. And of course, Arthur assumed this man meant his son, Darius. So, when I asked for introductions to the crowd and court, he did…but didn’t introduce Seth. I waited, then Arthur knew I was waiting for all to be introduced. And he did!! Seth was his son. My choice was done. Seth was to be the new King of Blethos. The man that made the promise to Arthur turned out to be one like Dara and Demetrius. His name was Lukus. But Lukus did what he did more for fun. It was not malicious. He showed Arthur was he could do, and it was Arthur that chose to use what he was shown to eliminate his cousin and kill any heirs! Making the need for the choice and usher his son to the throne. I found that out. In a week, I met Seth, turned eighteen, married Seth, which by the way, upon saying “I do” to Seth and kissing him, his scars were taken away in a dazzling display of lights in front of everyone there which Demetrius said he couldn’t do and it must have been the source of the magic that did it. Seth became king. Arthur was livid! He had done it by introducing Seth as his son. Seth was king! I found out the truth, confronted Arthur with Seth. Of course, he denied it but said if he had, what threat was a scarred little boy that didn’t remember anything and a baby that never knew. The woman that had rescued the boys were scared and sought shelter, which Arthur did, knowing who the boys were, he used the boys to woo her and marry her. She died when Seth was ten, never telling Seth or Samuel the truth. After that confrontation, and my threatening Arthur to tell King Alexander the truth, I was Challenged by Darius. The Challenge was an ancient custom where the son of any Noble house could issue and kill whomever he challenged. Darius knew he was good with a sword. What he didn’t know, was I was trained from the time I could hold a sword, how to fight. His artful moves, Darius impaled himself on my blade. Artistic, but not practical. In a rage, Arthur threatened to kill both me and Seth and by his own clumsiness, killed himself. The throne was secure.

But the trauma Seth lived through didn’t just scar his body, it scarred his spirit and very soul. Samuel, who had left the House of Thorne had disappeared. Once the threat was over, he came back with a wife and son! Seth gave the crown to his brother.

Because of Arthur’s actions, his vineyard and house were taken by the Royal Family. Seth, feeling more at peace there than anywhere, decided that was his place. I gladly went with him. I did love Seth. What was equally, if not more important, was Seth loved me. Our meeting and marrying was quick, but he was an amazing man.

So, like Ella, or as she was called, Cinderella. We jokingly called ourselves Cinderfella. But unlike Ella’s story, where a commoner meets the prince, falls in love, becomes a princess, then queen. Our story was about two princes that meet, fall in love, marry and become kings, (me king consort, due to my nephew’s six years old logic.) Then we both went from sitting on thrones to just working men.