This piece was originally part of the OH MY! Anthology on OmaimaAkbar's profile

Spaceships & Glass Slippers

Clytemnestra had to be the ugliest planet in all the eight solar systems. Radiant red mist surrounded its surface, that was black as coal. Or at least that was what she imagined coal to look like. Humankind had drained Earth of it almost a millennium ago and gone looking for alternate resources elsewhere - starting the colonisation of space.

Rellaya sighed as she looked out of the large cockpit window, watching the dozens of other spaceships approach the planet before them. They were bright spots in the darkness of the void around them, painted colourfully, with hideous grimaces adorning their fronts, meant to repel the monsters that floated in the vast spaces between galaxies and fed off of human flesh.

Her blue ball gown brushed against her legs and her heels were already squishing her toes together uncomfortably. She should have gotten used to it by now, yet the silky skirts still felt foreign to her. The wig she was wearing felt itchy against her scalp, the contacts were making her eyes dry, but she tried to ignore her discomfort while the captain called out to the crew to initiate their landing sequence.

One more job, she thought. One more ball and she'd finally leave behind her horrid stepmother and stepsisters and get a place of her own. After tonight she'd be free.

The pilots' greyish faces were glued to the screens in front of them, their fingers flying over the softly glowing controls as they typed in commands and adjusted engines. The Jack-O descended towards the planet slowly, upsetting and swirling up the fine fog of iron oxide that gathered in Clytemnestra's atmosphere and could be seen from space like a ghostly glow.

It took them a few minutes to reach the surface and land in one of the hangars owned by the royal family. Rellaya tapped her earpiece and the call was picked up immediately. Without waiting for a greeting, she spoke, "Landing complete, going in now." 

"Copy that," came a voice from the other side of the line. A moment of silence passed. "Remember Rell, in and out. Good luck."

The call disconnected with a soft click and Rell lifted the hem of her dress to climb down the stairs. A mass of people greeted her as hundreds of other guests did the same, crowding in the hangar and pushing towards the entrance to the palace. She looked back over her shoulder at the Jack-O, that sat in its parking spot, waiting for her to return with their prize. Its bright orange colour reminded her of some fruit, or vegetable from Earth, that she only knew from pictures in history books.

***

The ballroom was just as pompous, yet airy as she remembered it. The ceiling was a huge glass dome that gave an unobscured view of the three moons that belonged to Clytemnestra. They were glowing like blood red jewels above the guests' heads.

Rell moved across the room, trying to stay away from the larger crowds and hoping she wouldn't run into her stepmother. Yet as she did so, she could feel the prickling of eyes on her neck. She pretended not to notice and continued her stroll when she sensed a movement to her right. She turned and a tall man dressed in a dark blue suit was standing next to her.

"Good evening, Miss," he said with a bow. "I don't believe we've been acquainted yet."

No, not any man but Adryan Wae-R'en himself, the prince and heir to Clytemnestra.

"I would certainly remember if it were so, your Highness," she replied and curtsied, giving him one of her rare smiles and doing her best to remain calm while her heart started to beat a little faster. "Isley Camran."

"Would you humour me with a dance, Miss Camran?" He held out his hand but Rellaya hesitated. She stared at it as Adryan looked back at her expectantly, his lips stretched into a slight smile. Rell avoided his gaze.

"Oh," she said. "I'm sorry, your Highness." She bit the inside of her cheek, chastising herself for her sudden nervousness. For a second, she felt like running, like abandoning everything then and there.

"Why, you must think me very ugly." He was still smiling, his eyes glinting and let his hand fall back at his side. "I suppose I must look just as alien to you as you used to look to me."

That's not it, Rell thought as she looked him over. He wasn't unattractive if one didn't mind the Cerulean looks. His body shape was close enough to that of a human with broad shoulders and toned arms. His skin was pale with that cool blueish undertone that came from the fact, that the Ceruleans' blood was indeed blue - hence their name. His hair was just as light, almost white but it was his eyes that she couldn't get used to. They were like quicksilver.

It wasn't like she was opposed to dancing. She had danced with a few other guests before, after all, she had to blend in with the crowd. But the thought of dancing with this man, had her heart leap strangely. She composed herself and gave him another modest smile.

"But why me, your Highness? Surely there are other ladies worth your attention gathered here tonight?"

"There sure might be," Adryan said. "But see, I noticed you at the last two balls but by the time I'd gathered up my courage to ask you, you were already gone. So my friend challenged me and I do not like losing to him. He's already smug enough as it is." He smiled at her again and Rell found that she wouldn't mind looking at his smile a little longer. "Though, if you insist, I will, of course, leave you be."

She blushed a little and this time, she didn't even need to act flustered. "If that's so, I suppose I can't let you down." She nodded and when he held out a hand once again she placed hers in his. His grip was firm and warm, not cool like she had expected, his light skin a stark contrast against the light brown of her own. Intricate golden tattoos were glittering across his wrist, slithering up his forearm and disappearing beneath his sleeve.

"We'll split the money he owes me," Adryan whispered near her ear as he led her over to where the other guests were dancing. His breath tickled the side of her neck and his words coaxed a chuckle from her lips. They swept in a wide circle across the dancefloor, Rell's skirts swishing through the air like a tail. She felt like the eyes of half the ballroom were fixed on her, or at least those of half the females in the room.

The prince didn't seem to notice as his silver eyes observed her. "Tell me about yourself. Where do you come from?"

"I was born and raised on Neptune. My parents made their money with hydrogen and hydro impulsion and I'm the heir to their business." It was only half a lie, close enough to the truth so she wouldn't trip over her words, he didn't need to know more than that.

"So you're here to find a suitable partner to form a union for life. That seems awfully familiar." Adryan's smile was still there but his gaze seemed more serious than before. The whole purpose of this festivity and the other balls before it, was for him to pick a bride after all.

"You got it all wrong." Rellaya smirked at him. "Actually, the only reason I came here for was to break into your treasure chamber, steal Cin'Lei's glass slipper and sell it for enough money so I could earn myself a nice little palace of my own."

The prince broke into a laugh that had the people in their vicinity turn their heads towards them and to her surprise, she couldn't help but think that she really liked the sound of this laugh.

***

An hour passed, then another and Rell realised she was enjoying herself. Twice she had picked up a drink for herself and the prince from the refreshment table. When the clock chimed, signalling the late hour, she was shocked to learn that she had completely forgotten the time and found Adryan to be, in fact, charming.

She fanned herself with her hand, noticing that her cheeks were, indeed slightly warm from all the dancing. A hand touched her arm and the prince leaned down towards her.

"I'm going to go catch some fresh air, want to join me?"

She nodded and together they squeezed through the crowd of dancing people. They moved swiftly towards the back of the room, up the staircase and to the part of the palace Rell knew wasn't used as frequently. They slipped through a sliding door and found themselves in an empty hallway, that was only lit by two blue glowing lines that ran along each of the walls. A strange quiet surrounded them now that they were away from the music and the crowd and Rell was almost afraid to break it.

"Where are we going?" she asked as she followed Adryan down the corridor. Her heart rate had picked up again and was now thumping against her ribcage.

He turned towards her, a smile on his lips. "I want to show you something." And grabbing her hand in his, he continued to lead her around the corner and into another identical hallway.

They walked for a few more minutes until they finally reached another door. Adryan swiped a palm over the touchpad on the wall next to it and it slid open. Rellaya found herself standing in a spacious room lit by the same lights she'd seen in the hallway before. Yet here, they covered the walls in glowing stripes, casting the space in soft pink and purple.

To her left, a glass staircase led to an upper floor that was shrouded in twilight. A massive window made up most of the wall on her right side, opening to a view of the palace and the city beyond it. Tiny lights twinkled in the red fog that rose up from the black mass that was the landscape of Clytemnestra. In the distance, jagged mountains rose from the ground, looming on the horizon like shadows. Two white couches and a tiny glass table were making up the centre of the room.

And then it hit her - they were in the prince's private quarters. Awed curiosity rose in her as she took in the room once again, noticing the little items scattered around. She wondered if the staircase led to his bedroom and the thought made her face feel even warmer than it had after the dancing.

In and out, she reminded herself. Just get what you came here for and leave.

"Here," said Adryan suddenly and stepped around her, further into the room and towards the staircase. She faintly registered that he'd taken off his suit jacket and was now wearing a white shirt that stretched across his shoulders. The rolled-up sleeves revealed his forearms and the tattoos on them. Golden ink swirled and moved beneath his skin, creating everchanging shapes. She was distracted for a moment and almost forgot that he meant to show her something.

Rellaya shook her head, hoping the action would clear her confused mind and moved up the stairs. A warm glow lit up the previously dark upper floor and the big glass case that awaited her when she reached the landing. Her eyes went wide and she didn't know what to say as she stepped nearer.

"You keep it in your bedroom?"

In the glass case sat, on a cushion of dark blue velvet, Cin'Lei's famous glass slipper.

Adryan leaned his shoulder against the side of the glass, facing her with a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "Actually, my bedroom is over there." He jerked his head to the left. "Want to see it?" His strange silver eyes sparkled and Rell felt a blush creep back up her neck. But she ignored it and drew closer to the glass.

Every child in the eight solar systems knew the story of Cin'Lei and how, nearly 120 years ago, she had been the central figure in bringing down Osriel and freeing the world of his tyranny. And everyone knew the iconic glass shoes she'd been known to wear. The woman had been a heroine and her footwear became an intergalactic treasure after her death. One of them had been broken, which made the remaining slipper's worth dizzying.

"And you brought me here just so you could show off?" She raised an eyebrow at him but her gaze was drawn back to what was sitting behind the glass.

"I brought you here because I was hoping you'd let me kiss you."

She forgot what she'd been about to say. When she turned to face him again, he was beside her, looking at her intently. Rell bit her lip, aware of how his gaze trailed the movement. She felt her wit suddenly scattering and falling away, so much that she didn't know what to respond. Her eyes strayed back to the glass instead. She could feel Adryan studying her face in her reflection. "I wonder..."

She trailed off, unsure if she should finish the sentence but she didn't need to.

"You want to try it on, don't you?" He chuckled softly and shook his head but proceeded to tap the side of the glass. Rellaya noticed there was a tiny keypad etched into the pane. The case slid open.

He picked up the shoe and carefully held it between them. Rell couldn't move, just stare at his hands. She'd imagined this so many times, actually seeing it up close now felt unreal, like she was dreaming.

When he knelt down at her feet, she felt something rise inside of her, a feeling she couldn't grasp nor name. His hand was warm as it took hold of her calf and the other one slipped off her shoe. The glass was cold against her skin when her foot slid into the slipper but surprisingly, it felt oddly comfortable. She smiled to herself, looking down at her foot.

Adryan stood and straightened himself and as he did, he was suddenly towering over her. His quicksilver eyes looked down at her and she thought she might just be able to read the emotions swirling inside his iridescent pupils after all. He drew nearer and her heart beat so wildly she could hear the blood rushing in her ears.

"Did I tell you that you look beautiful, Islay?" He whispered, his breath brushing her cheek. And in that moment, she did feel beautiful.

She closed her eyes. He was so close now and drawing nearer still but she didn't dare move, afraid to close the distance, not ready to break the spell yet. She felt torn as her heart seemed to want to hammer straight through her ribcage, either from fear or excitement, she couldn't tell. She stood very still, waiting, the warmth of his body and the scent of him filling the space between them.

Somewhere in the distance, the clock chimed again, fireworks went off. The twelfth hour. Midnight. And just like that, the spell was broken.

Rell opened her eyes, peering up at the silver ones. But the prince swayed and she grabbed his shoulders before his legs gave in. He groaned softly as he sunk down to his knees.

"Easy now," she whispered. "It seems like you've had a little too much champagne, huh?"

"I-I only had two." His brows knit together in confusion, then he seemed to remember and his eyes widened. "Did you... poison me?" He tried to push her away but she was still holding him upright. He swayed again.

"It's just a little sleep potion," Rell said as she carefully eased him down to the floor. "You'll be fine in the morning, maybe have a little headache."

"What are you doing?" Adryan slurred, trying to stay awake but slowly losing the fight.

"I already told you," she replied as she rose back to her feet. She turned away with a last glance at him and started to walk towards the staircase. "I'm stealing Cin'Lei's slipper and buying myself a palace."