Chapter Text
Author notes:
Hi everyone, this is my first fic so please be kind.
I had a stray thought a few days ago and it won’t leave me alone, so I guess I'll have to see it through now. I present the Ever After: Cinderella au that no one asked for.
If you haven’t seen the film, I HIGHLY recommend it, especially on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
This opening is more or less exactly to script, but I will be deviating after this chapter a little bit to fit the story and the script to the characters a bit better.
I had a bit of trouble placing the character from Wednesday into similar roles from the Ever After film so please bear with any OOC, I will try to limit it as much as I can.
And also, all rights, story and script go to, well; the brothers Grimm and Fox.
Please leave a comment if you can.
I am going to write the first few chapters before posting this one and then posting them every other day if I can.
ENJOY!!!!!!
Chapter 1:
It was a beautiful spring morning at the Sinclair estate. The air was calm and quiet, which was a direct contrast to what was happening on the inside of the large family home.
“Enid! Come here at once young lady” the family maids were exasperated running around after the youngest Sinclair. She was always full of spirit, making it a constant chore to get her to do what she was supposed to be doing.
Louise had managed to get her somewhat ready; she was at least wearing the dress her father had bought her a few weeks ago, specifically for this occasion. But she had yet to do her hair or anything else to ready the young miss.
“But Louise!” screamed Enid from another room, “I don’t want to dress up like a ‘proper lady’! How am I supposed to climb trees in a fancy dress!” She picked and pulled at the dress that she currently found very uncomfortable.
“You're not supposed to be climbing trees at all young miss! Especially today of all days! You know your father is coming back with his new Baroness today. You must get ready”
Enid paid no attention to Louise at all after that, she definitely didn’t want to think about her dear mother being replaced by someone she had never even met.
Fortune was on her side in the form of the distraction of her best friend appearing at the window she was currently staring out of, as she was hiding behind a curtain from the maids.
Enid opened the window and leaned out. “Yoko! I told you. NOT TODAY!” Even though Enid was playing the part of the reluctant, she was secretly happy her friend was here.
Yoko glared at her friend for a moment before shouting back up at her, “YOU LOOK LIKE A PROPER GIRL”
Enid was exasperated at this. “YOKO! That is completely uncalled for! I’ll have you know I am doing this for my father, and I was violently forced into it. But ‘proper lady’ or not; I can still whip you!”
Count Murray Sinclair breathed a sigh of relief when his estate came into view. He was so happy to be home so he could finally set eyes on his gorgeous firecracker of a daughter. Being away from her so often was a constant drain on his spirit. He knew introducing Enid to his new family wouldn’t be easy for either of them, but it was time that he brought Enid someone who could help raise her in the way his status and therefore hers, required. And he was a widow, even though he had Enid, he did get lonely.
He greeted all of his staff with a big smile, happy to see all of his dear friends. Murray and Enid never saw the staff as staff, they were more like one big family.
He did notice immediately however that his daughter was not present. “Pray tell, where is my hopefully very ladylike looking daughter?”
The staff all glanced at each other nervously, they knew she had run off playing with Yoko and therefore the state that she would no doubt arrive in momentarily.
Before anyone could answer their master, Enid came barrelling around the corner, half covered in mud; head to toe. She ran and jumped straight into her father's waiting arms. “Papa!” Enid was so happy to see her father, there was no one on the whole planet she loved as much as him.
“Enid! Oh, my child I am so happy to see you, but what’s all this” He gestured with his free hand that wasn’t holding Enid up. “I was hoping to present a young lady to the Baroness, but I guess you’ll have to do. I imagine Yoko is around here somewhere then?”
“Yes papa, I slaughtered her” They both turned to see Yoko slowly trudging to their side from around the corner, absolutely drenched in mud, not a single bit of her was untouched by it. And she had the most amusingly defeated look marring her face.
“Hahaha yes my dear you certainly did” The father and daughter laughed together with their staff at Yoko’s sorry appearance. For a second, the baroness and her children forgotten.
They soon made themselves known however when the baroness opened the door to the carriage to take a look at her new home.
Murray Sinclair quickly remembered himself and gently placed Enid back on the ground and made his way over to the Baroness and took her had to help her down from the carriage.
“Enid, may I present the Baroness Esther de Gur” As Enid’s father was speaking, the Baronesses two children gingerly made their way out of the carriage as well, and came to a stop on either side of their mother.
“And these are her two children, Tyler and Divina” The young children both bowed and curtsied respectively to Enid. “How do you do” they said in unison.
Enid stepped forward and addressed the three newcomers and curtsied as best as she could. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all” Enid beamed at them. Despite any reluctance Enid might have to meeting her new family, she was genuinely happy to meet them. She really hoped they could fill the hole of a bigger family that had been missing from her and her father’s life.
The Baroness took a long look at Enid, you couldn’t tell because of her well-worn mask of indifference but she was positively horrified at the appearance of her new stepdaughter. Good heavens was she going to be a lot of work.
Her expression quickly morphed into a pleased smile when she saw Murray turn towards her. “Oh, Enid it’s lovely to finally meet you, your fathers speaks of nothing else”. A fact that she rather disliked about her new husband. She wanted to be the sole attention of his affections, but she knew going into this marriage that she would have fierce competition for it because of his beloved daughter.
After some more polite pleasantries, the entire household made their way inside. The Baroness and her children were shown around by Murray while the maids cleaned up Enid.
Later that night, after supper; Murray went to see his daughter to bring her a new book to add to their reading collection. It always surprised Murray how much his daughter loved books that were far above what a child would normally enjoy reading. She loved all manner of books, especially those on philosophy and ethics. What an open and keen mind she had indeed.
Murray opened the door and went to sit next to Enid by the fire. “My dear I have brought us a new book to read” he handed her the wrapped book for her to open. “Utopia” Enid said questioningly. “It means Paradise” her father explained. “Will you read some?” Enid asked hopefully. “It’s been a long day my love” Murray said tiredly. “And you are a husband now” Enid interjected. “But a father first, now and forever” Murray reassured his daughter.
“Do you like them?” Murray was desperately hoping she would, he wanted this to be a smooth transition for all of them. Enid beamed up at him, “Very much so, did you see how they ate their supper; it was perfect. Like a dance” Enid genuinely enjoyed meeting the new part of their family, they were so refined and polite, something Enid had never really been. She would much rather climb trees and play in the fields with Yoko.
“Good” said Murray, but his voice turned sad. “Because I must leave again, in a fortnight” Enid grew instantly upset. “But you just got back!”
“I know my love, but I must sell as many watches as I can, we have more mouths to feed now after all”
Enid was dejected but she understood. “For how long?”
“Three weeks”
“One” Enid fired back.
“Ok two” Murray tried to haggle with her.
“One” Enid wasn’t budging.
“Two... ok one” He could never say no to Enid’s famous puppy pout, which she was currently firing at him full force.
“Now get to sleep” He tucked Enid in and placed Utopia on the bedside table. He kissed her on the forehead and slipped out.
“Goodnight Papa” Enid sleepily remarked.
“Goodnight my love, rest well”
Two Weeks Later
“My my, I’ve never seen so many gloomy faces around here” Murray was facing the line up of the whole household and his family.
The two weeks had gone much quicker than he would have liked. Thankfully it seemed that the new family unit had got on well and everyone was settling into a nice new routine. But he still hated having to leave his daughter, every time he rode away; he would be in a sad disposition for hours.
Enid stood sadly with her chin against her chest, not wanting to face the reality of her father leaving again.
The Baroness was seemingly not so quietly distraught at her new husband's departure. Dabbing her eyes with her hanker chief though no one had seen any tears.
“I shall be back in a week, hopefully whilst I am gone you will all get to know each other a little better, yes?” The de Gur’s all nodded up at him, but his daughter still refused to look up; so Murray walked over to his daughter and lifted her chin to look at him. “I’m counting on you showing them the ropes” He leaned down then to kneel in front of Enid. “The baroness isn’t used to getting her hands dirty” He smirked at her. That made Enid break her façade and she cracked a small smile.
The Baroness indeed seemed that she had never done a hard day's work in her life. Murray and Enid always helped around the house, Enid particularly enjoyed tending to the garden and the farm. She loved all the animals and was always feeding them. Because of this, Murray and Enid had a darker complexion then the de Gur’s. They seemed like the sunlight barely touched their skin, white as ghosts. And not a single accessory out of place on their immaculate outfits. Such a stark contrast to Enid.
Murray hugged his daughter briefly and then was helped up onto his horse by Maurice, one of his dearest and longest serving members of the household. “Safe trip master”
Murray nodded and tugged his horse into motion to begin his long journey.
Not even a few seconds had passed before the silence was broken by the Baroness loudly clapping her hands together. “Alright children, back to your lessons” to Enid and the rest of the household it appeared that she had snapped out of whatever ‘distraught state’ she was in immediately after Murray’s back was turned. The staff all subtly glanced at each other, it seems the new Baroness might be more than meets the eye.
Just as the De Gur’s were turning to go inside, Enid stopped them with a cry. “Wait! He always waves at the gate, it’s tradition!”
The Baroness gave Enid a sharp look that she was taken aback by. But before Enid could give it anymore thought her father began wincing and swiftly fell off his horse.
“PAPA!” Before any of the household could grab her, Enid took off towards her father.
She ran the short distance to her father and threw herself upon his chest and held his hand. He stared up at her, neither of them really noticing the Baroness joining them with an exasperated “Murray!”
Murray Sinclair stared only into his daughters' eyes, he knew he had only moments before he would leave this world, he brought his hand up to cradle his daughters face. She was sobbing and it broke his heart to know she would now lose another parent. But this time he wouldn’t be there to comfort her. He only prayed that the Baroness and her children would bring her comfort when he could not. With his last bit of strength, he breathed out “I love you; I love you so much”. Enid couldn’t even reply to her father through her sobbing. Murray’s eyes began to close. “PAPA!” Enid’s sobs broke the hearts of the household as they looked on in horror at the heartbreaking sight before them.
“Don’t leave me!” Enid was completely inconsolable; she could barely hear the Baroness beside her. “Murray! You cannot leave me here! You cannot leave me here!” The Baroness desperately shouted next to her, but Enid was dazed, and her sobbing drowned out everything else.
Louise and Paulette, the other two of the oldest serving and most kind maids cried silently as they both tried to wrap their arms around the young girl and pull her away from her father. “Leave me! Leave me!” Enid cried and they stayed their pulling and let the girl hug her father for a little while longer.
It would be ten long years before someone else would come into Enid’s life...