I gulped back my nerves before answering. I used to think she would get less intimidating the more I spoke to her. She hadn't. "Yes, Your Majesty. I think we can use this glass slipper to find Prince Edmond's lady." She eyed me a bit skeptically but told me to go on, so I did. "I don't know if you ever saw the lady, ma'am, but she had a small build. Small hands, small waist."
"I'm sure every lady is small to you, Alfred." She gestured at my height and Edmond snorted.
I smiled as politely as I could. It wasn't as if I had chosen to be so tall. "Yes, You're Majesty. But she was even smaller than you. I would wager that slipper she left behind is small, too."
"He's right," Edmond took over. "I doubt even you could fit your foot into this shoe, Mother."
She scoffed at him. "Oh please. I don't know anyone with smaller feet than me."
"Try it," he suggested, holding the little shoe out to her.
The queen sat down and removed her own shoe, before carefully taking his lady's shoe from him. She slipped her foot into the toe, but her heel would not follow it. She tried again, angling her foot more to the side, but still it would not fit. After another attempt, she pulled the shoe off and set it on her lap. "My word," she whispered. "Alfred, tell us the rest of your plan please."
"Well, we go through the town and try this slipper on the foot of every woman who is at home. We do it now, before everyone leaves. There can't be that many women who aren't here. You know the invitations included every person. I know some people must have stayed home, especially since tonight is the third night of dancing, but there can't be that many."
Edmond got his looks from his father. But he got his mannerisms from his mother. I would have laughed at the perfection of their matching grimaces if they hadn't been so serious.
"You already sent them all home, didn't you," I said, not really asking. Edmond nodded mutely.
Silence filled the room as we all tried to come up with a new solution. Finally Edmond stepped forward. "We'll follow your plan, Alfred. But it will be every maiden, and it won't be us. If I do it, it will cause too much curiosity. I don't want anyone trying to fit into the shoe in order to be my bride. We'll send someone no one will think to connect to me."
"And what if someone who is not your lady does fit into her slipper?" The queen asked. "What will you do, then?"
Edmond shrugged. "If she fits, she'll be taken to the court cobbler. I'll meet anyone who fits there. And it'll be easy to pick her out from the smaller selection. I'll talk with them and find her."
"And if she refuses to come? She did run when she found out who you are."
"I can only hope the reason she ran is because she is not nobility and she was afraid I wouldn't want her. But I do. And if she doesn't come, I'll find her another way. But I think she will come."
"Well then," I said, taking the little glass slipper from him, "let's go find a foot-hunter."
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