Cold Hearted (Villains 8)

“This is Morningstar Kingdom, my lady,” said Rebecca. “It is one of the major port kingdoms. And that, my lady, is the Lighthouse of the Gods,” said Rebecca, motioning to the Cyclopean tower, which looked as if it indeed had been built by gods and not humans.

Lady Tremaine and her daughters were awestruck by its beauty. They stood there speechless, almost bewitched by the diamond-like lens in the tower. “Who could have built such a lighthouse?” she asked, her eyes wide.

“It was built by the Cyclopean Giants that used to rule this part of the land before the Morningstars, who built their castle to complement the lighthouse’s design,” Rebecca said. “The Lighthouse of the Gods has cast its protective eye over countless ships for more years than almost anyone can recollect.” Rebecca was clearly happy to see her lady so pleased with her new surroundings.

Lady Tremaine felt a thrill to be in such a beautiful land, and one even older than England. Morningstar Castle was exquisitely perched on the highest rocky cliffs overlooking the ocean. She wondered if her new home would have such a breathtaking view.

“I’m sorry, my lady.” Rebecca interrupted her reverie. “We must be going. It looks like Nanny Pinch found us a porter. Shall we all head to the carriage? It’s a long journey still to King Hubert’s lands.” Rebecca led Lady Tremaine and her daughters to the carriage. It was a lovely white carriage trimmed in gold, pulled by two massive white stallions with yellow plumes on their heads. Lady Tremaine was impressed that her betrothed had arranged such a stately ride for her and her daughters. After seeing Morningstar Castle and now riding in such a fine carriage, she had high hopes for what she might find once she finally reached her new home.

Lady Tremaine and her daughters snuggled into one side of the carriage, and Rebecca and Nanny Pinch sat on the other. Their personal luggage was piled on the back, and their crated items were put into a wagon that followed them at its own leisurely pace.

All the ladies chatted happily as they passed through the majestic yet terrifying Cyclopean Mountains. They had never seen mountains so tall and craggy, and imagined the legendary giants traversing them with ease as Sir Richard’s horse-drawn carriage slowly made its way down the winding path. They passed through several kingdoms on their way to their new home, including one with a tall stone tower where a young girl with long golden magical hair was rumored to be held captive. And as if that wasn’t frightening enough, they passed the largest cemetery they had ever seen surrounded by a thicket of dead rosebushes. It gave Lady Tremaine and her daughters chills as they passed it. Even though it was an eerie place, Lady Tremaine saw the beauty in it, with its tall stone mansion, glistening solariums, weeping angels, and wild beasts carved of stone.

“That is the Dead Woods,” said Rebecca. “That is where the queen of the dead has ruled for longer than anyone recalls.” Her words made Lady Tremaine, her daughters, and Nanny Pinch shudder. Lady Tremaine was wondering what kind of place she had brought her daughters to. A place where witches hid young girls in towers, and there were queens who ruled over the dead. But they found themselves in their own corner of the Many Kingdoms at last.

“Look, girls,” Rebecca said, pointing as they passed Queen Belle’s castle. “That’s where the Beast King lives. That means we are almost home.”

“I wonder if we will see him,” said Anastasia with breathless excitement. But the moment they crested the mountain that separated Queen Belle’s kingdom from theirs, all thoughts of Belle were forgotten. They were home at last.

“Oh, Mama! Look at that castle! Is that where we are going to live?” asked Drizella, leaning out the carriage window to get a better look at King Hubert’s castle.

“No, my darling, that is where the royal family lives,” Lady Tremaine said, thinking it was the most beautiful castle she had ever seen. It looked as if it were straight out of a fairy tale, with its tall turrets and golden spires, all pastel blue with gilded trim. She had never seen so many towers. It didn’t look or feel as ancient as Morningstar Castle; it wasn’t awe-inspiring in that way, but it was, in Lady Tremaine’s opinion, much more elegant.

“Mama! The tops of those towers look like blue witch’s caps!” squealed Anastasia, pointing at one of the towers and leaning so far out the carriage window that Nanny Pinch had to yank her back inside.

“I suppose they do,” said Lady Tremaine, hardly noticing the minor commotion. She was remembering Mrs. Bramble’s ominous warnings about witches. She still wondered if she had made the right choice in asking Lady Hackle to arrange to have Mrs. Bramble live with her sister, and decided she would ask Nanny Pinch to look in on her when she got back to England.

Just then the carriage stopped. “My ladies, look, it’s your new home,” said Rebecca.

Lady Tremaine wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but her new home seemed to pale in comparison to what she had imagined. It was a lovely enough stone château, with a single tower and tall windows. She supposed it was a grand house in its own way, though not quite as lovely as her home in London. She let out a deep sigh and decided there was nothing to be done about it. This was her new home, and she’d better decide to find things about it she loved. She stood there looking at it, deciding she must be happy here. She needed to make it her home, a place to live and love, and have her happily ever after.

“Look, Mama, our house has a witch’s cap tower, too!” said Drizella.

Lady Tremaine had expected to see Sir Richard and Cinderella standing on the porch waiting for them, but they were nowhere in sight. In fact, no one was there to greet them at all.

“Has no one come to meet us, then?” said Lady Tremaine, worrying that perhaps they had arrived at the wrong estate.

“Not to worry, my lady. I will alert the staff that we are here. I am sure Sir Richard and Cinderella will come right out once they know we have arrived. Please wait here, I won’t be more than a moment,” Rebecca said, and dashed off to the front door to ring the bell.

An older, round-faced woman with white hair answered the door and let Rebecca in. It seemed like Rebecca was in the house for an eternity, and Lady Tremaine hardly knew what to do. It was unheard of not to

greet your guests when they arrived, let alone your new family. She rapped her fingers on the side of the carriage nervously, waiting until she finally saw Sir Richard emerge from within.

“Lady Tremaine! You are finally here! Thank goodness,” he said, running to the carriage and opening the door for her. “Come! Come inside, all of you. We have been waiting for you.” He held the carriage door for them. “And you must be Anastasia and Drizella,” he said, looking at them both intensely, almost appraisingly. “You have a beauty unlike any other in the Many Kingdoms.” Anastasia and Drizella giggled as they stepped from the carriage. “Ah, and here is the lady of the house. Welcome, my dear lady.” He kissed her hand like the gallant knight he was. Lady Tremaine’s spirits rose at this chivalrous display.

“You know my lady’s maid, Rebecca,” she said. “And this is Nanny Pinch. She is here to see the girls settled before she goes back to England.”

“Welcome, all of you. Now come, Cinderella is waiting to meet you, but we don’t have much time before we are due at the chapel. I told the vicar we would be there well before now, but I suppose your journey was delayed,” he said, ushering the ladies to the front door.

Lady Tremaine’s head spun. “I hadn’t realized we were late,” she said, her heart sinking. “Are we to be wed today? The dress I had planned to wear—the rest of our belongings—everything is still in the second carriage, which hasn’t arrived yet.” She looked down the path as if hoping to see it coming over the crest at that moment.

“Well, my darling, I can’t install an unmarried woman who isn’t a servant into my house,” he said. “We must be married today, there is no way around it. Ah, look! There is Cinderella now.”

Lady Tremaine followed his gaze to the girl who emerged through the front doors. She thought she was the prettiest little thing she had ever seen. She could see Sir Richard hadn’t exaggerated about his daughter’s beauty. What was it about the Many Kingdoms that produced such fine-looking people? First Sir Richard and now his daughter. Even Rebecca was remarkably beautiful with her chestnut hair and large hazel eyes, and Lady Tremaine wondered if everyone in the Many Kingdoms was as striking as the present company.

She gave her own daughters a sideways glance, recognizing the envy mounting within them as soon as they saw Cinderella. She decided to cut the tension by introducing herself to the angelic girl.

“Cinderella, I am your new mama, and these are your sisters, Anastasia and Drizella. I hope we will all be happy here together,” said Lady Tremaine, smiling at the glowing young lady.