Still within view, Friedrich attempted to smooth his clothes, which were as badly wrinkled as Cinderella’s. He tossed his crown aside, and plucked a basket out of the sack. He took a deep breath, held the basket behind his back and turned to face Cinderella.
“Duchess Cinderella Lacreux, I must confess I have fallen deeply in love with you. If you would marry me, I would be the happiest of men—but there are some things that must be stated. I am in the Army, and while you will always have my love, I cannot guarantee I will always return to you whole, or alive,” Friedrich said, briefly shutting his eye. “Also, I am the prince of a troubled country. If you marry me, I fear you will be called to show love, kindness, and compassion beyond what a normal human could extend. I am confident my country will learn to love you and cherish you as deeply as I do, but I am aware you have already made great sacrifices… and I do not want to force more on you,” Friedrich said, kneeling at Cinderella’s feet.
“I want to marry you not because you have the strength of will to save my desperate country, but because you have stolen my heart for some months now, and I want to spend every second I can in your presence. If you choose to marry me, I will treasure your love and loyalty more than the Crown jewels, and I will do my best to make you happy and to make you smile and laugh for the rest of your life. I am from Erlauf, not Trieux, and most of my worth is based on my military position rather than my royal title. It’s not what you deserve, but I ask that you would consider it, consider me. Cinderella, will you marry me?”
Friedrich’s eye shone with love, and perhaps a little fear. He was a man nearly impossible to read. The display of trust twisted Cinderella’s heart.
Cinderella smiled through the tears in her eyes. “Cristoph Friedrich, before I answer, there are some things that must be stated,” she said, smiling. “Yesterday I officially refused Julien’s suit because I realized I was in love with another man—you—and I didn’t want to marry anyone else. Also, your country ceased to bother me months ago as you have taught me to look past heritage and study a person’s heart. As for your profession, I would be proud to call a soldier—a calling of bravery and courage that I am ashamed to say I previously did not value—my husband. Finally, I will gladly make personal sacrifices if it means I can marry you.”
“So, your answer…?” Friedrich asked.
“Yes!” Cinderella laughed before throwing her arms around him.
Friedrich released the deep breath he’d been holding. “I am so glad,” he said. “I didn’t even have to use my bribe.”
Cinderella laughed.
“Mother and Johann cannot wait to meet you. I think you will get on with mother—I hope you hate Johann. He’s a brat,” Friedrich savagely said, running his fingers through Cinderella’s hair.
“And your Father?”
“You already met him. You must have impressed him considerably. He said if I bungled this, he was going to demote me.”
“When did I meet your Father?” Cinderella frowned, pulling back from the hug.
“During the ball. He was the third man to dance with you. The middle-aged military chap,” Friedrich said.
Cinderella’s eyes widened.
“How rude of me. I almost forgot,” Friedrich said before presenting Cinderella with the basket.
Inside the basket sat a glass slipper, and nestled in the shoe’s toe, a sparkling ring. “I made the basket myself,” Friedrich added, removing the ring from the shoe before sliding it over Cinderella’s finger.
On closer inspection, Cinderella gulped. The ring was a large ruby with the Erlauf insignia etched into the surface. It seemed very likely that it was a Crown Jewel.
When Cinderella looked up, Friedrich wore the same smug, smarmy smile he occasionally wore when he first started visiting her stand.
“You have been planning this for a long time, haven’t you?” she asked.
“You have no idea,” Friedrich said with his roguish grin. “About half of the concerns your market friends had for you were quite valid.”
“Come now, you are more honorable than they said you were.”
“Only just so,” Friedrich said, sliding his hand down Cinderella’s ankle before he slipped the glass slipper on her foot. “But it doesn’t matter. I have found my queen. Although… it does raise an important question.”
“Yes?”
“We have both admitted we love each other.”
“Yes?”
“And we’re engaged.”
“Yes?”
“May I finally kiss you?” Friedrich said in a tone of long suffering.
Cinderella laughed so hard Friedrich finally stood up rather than remain crouching on the ground.
“Are you done?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Then why are you still laughing?”
“No, yes!”
