002 [The Girl in the Ashes]

[onperfectlips.livejournal.com]

[Although fairy tales were common enough in Camelot, the tale of Cinderella - the beautiful and kind orphan who was forced into servitude by her wicked stepmother - had yet to reach the shores of Albion. When Guinevere woke up in the ashes of the kitchen fire, she did so without knowing the nature of the role that she'd been forced into.

Not that it mattered. Until she returned to the Plane, she had been under the impression that she truly was Cinderella. She had toiled for many years without ever losing her good heart and, that morning, she did the same without complaint. (Besides, who did a girl like of her status have to complain to? She was entirely alone in the world.)

Gwen - dressed in soot stained rags and scrubbing at a patch of stone floor that joined her on the Plane - looked up from her bucket of soapy water as her memories returned to her in a rush.]

Oh.

... what happened? I'm the Lady Morgana's servant. I don't have a stepmother!

Do I?

[Her father had never considered remarrying after her mother's death. He certainly wouldn't have chosen a wife that would treat his beloved daughter so poorly.]

Comments

[ex_oneiromancer912]

Gwen, are you all right? [Morgana is very relieved to see Gwen, and it shows; whenever she remembered herself back home, part of her worried what was happening in Camelot and if Gwen and Arthur had also been affected.]

[onperfectlips.livejournal.com]

Morgana? [Yes, Morgana. Her mistress. Her friend. She remembered that. How could she ever have forgotten?]

I'm not sure. I think so.

[ex_oneiromancer912]

It's another of this place's tricks. I have been treated as the crown prince of some world I've never heard of. [She is upset about being taken from her home unwillingly. She is less upset about getting a carte blanche to run around fighting villains and rescuing innocents.]

[onperfectlips.livejournal.com]

I am still a servant, but my mistress - my stepmother - is nothing like you.

[She was cold and cruel. And her daughters were even worse. But confessing as much would only worry Morgana. There was nothing that she could do to change things.]

I won't be able to return to Camelot just by thinking of it, will I?

[ex_oneiromancer912]

I have tried myself, but I have found no way to do it. I only hope that Arthur is safe as well. I do not know what sort of foolishness he might get into without us. [Merlin can do a lot, but Morgana feels that she and Gwen are the mighty forces of being sensible in Camelot.]

What is your mistress like? [There is a strength in Morgana's words, and unconsciously, her hand slips to the hilt of her sword.]

[onperfectlips.livejournal.com]

And that Camelot is safe without it's king and queen. [Or perhaps time would remain frozen while they were in the new worlds, as it did when they were on the Plane?]

She's ... cold. Terribly cold. She doesn't like me very much.

[That was something of an understatement and Gwen had never been very good at lying to Morgana. But she tried.]

[ex_oneiromancer912]

Does she say as much? Or does she show it? [Gwen has never been very good at lying to Morgana, and Morgana has never been good at standing by when her best friend is in trouble.]

[lamb_of_gold]

[And lo, a young man in a hooded, pale blue dress, and sporting a rather lovely set of fairy wings approaches in time to hear her say that.]

Your guess is as good as mine. I am a Saint of Athena, and yet....I feel oddly compelled to help you.

[onperfectlips.livejournal.com]

That's very kind of you, but I don't think that you can. I can't return to Camelot until the end of the experiment and my stepmother will never allow me to go to the ball.

[lamb_of_gold]

Nor can I return to Sanctuary.

Why would she disallow such a thing? [Not....that he really sees the point of a ball but hey! It's important to her.]

[onperfectlips.livejournal.com]

[Gwen, for her part, isn't sure why she feels that the ball is such an important event. She can't help but think of it as a chink of light in an otherwise dark room. She has to reach for it.]

She treats me like a servant. [Like a slave.] Servants don't go to balls. They certainly don't meet princes.

[lamb_of_gold]

And yet you still wish to do, despite knowing that.

[onperfectlips.livejournal.com]

It's just a dream. No one really expects dreams to come true.

[Gin's the big bad wolf! And mentally high-jacked~ Sort of. Enjoy.]

[ravenchaser.livejournal.com]

[Gin couldn't help but think this young girl looked appetizing; a strange thought, but his ears quirked up.

Perhaps he should disguise himself as an elderly woman— no, wait, Lady Morgana? No, wait, the girl seemed to be confused as to the nature of the people she was affiliated with... she must not have strong familial ties. She would not be able to find him wrong if he were to claim to be a long lost, unknown relative, then!

Fine, then, he'll dress himself up as a woman! The girl will surely never notice his fangs if he applies enough lipstick to distract her from them— his wolfish ears can be hidden by some sort of bonnet...!

A perfect plot!

... so very soon, Guinevere will be faced with the utterly ridiculous sight of broad-shouldered Gin standing there in a nightgown, heavily made up in make-up, with his hair all bunhed up under a bonnet with two suspicious-looking lumps atop his head.]

Awesome! I certainly will!

[onperfectlips.livejournal.com]

[Gwen had seen many strange sights over the years, both in Camelot and since arriving on the Plane for the first time. But she'd never seen anything quite like Gin before. She got to her feet, ready to approach, but something about his oddness made her pause before getting too close. She was kind hearted, yes, but that was not the same as being foolish.]

... are you all right?

Re: Awesome! I certainly will!

[ravenchaser.livejournal.com]

Of course, I am, dear child. Don't you recognize your own grandmother?

[Gin's attempt at softening his deep voice, distorted moreso by his smoking habit, failed miserably. Instead, he simply sounded an odd combination of hilarious and murderous.]

Come closer, I cannot see you well.

[onperfectlips.livejournal.com]

I think I'm going to stay here. You aren't my grandmother.

[She had never met any of her grandparents and, if they had, they would not have sounded like this highly unusual man.]

[ravenchaser.livejournal.com]

How cruel... your words wound me.

[Fine, then. He'll approach her, at a rapidly increasing pace.]

[onperfectlips.livejournal.com]

That wasn't my intention, sir, I assure you.

[She took an abrupt step backwards as he approached, snatched up her mop at his sudden change of tact.]

Stay back.

[dragonnerd.livejournal.com]

[Hiccup's current role is to 'help' poor ladies in need, he is a mysterious gnome (http://www.edfringe.com/uploads/event/rumpelstiltskin_23281.jpg) after all. So he immediately spots Gwen. He is only a bit taller than the bucked so he easily put his elbows on it as he is watching her.]

Are you a real lady? [He has to ask because... just because.]

[onperfectlips.livejournal.com]

[She blinked at the figure suddenly watching her over the rim of the bucket, but Gwen had no desire to insult him by asking questions about his species. At least he didn't seem dangerous.]

I'm a servant, not a lady.

[dragonnerd.livejournal.com]

Oh... Oh, no no no I just want to ask if you are a real girl, because you know there are people who are running around in a dress but they are not girls, at all. So I thought it's safe to ask, sorry. You know, just to get clear...

[onperfectlips.livejournal.com]

[She laughed at that, smiling as she knelt down to speak to Hiccup on a level that was closer to his own.]

Oh, I am a real girl. My name is Gwen. Hello.

[dragonnerd.livejournal.com]

Hi Gwen, hi! My name is... Well, they call me Hiccup. [Yes, it's safe like that.] What are you doing? Can I help?

[onperfectlips.livejournal.com]

It's nice to meet you, Hiccup.

Just cleaning, that's all. I have a lot of tasks to complete while my stepsisters prepare for the ball.