We returned to the palace with a new legend. The tale of Cinderella spread across the kingdom like wildfire, generating a thrill among the people as we ascended to a balcony, facing my mother's people to hear their cheers and applause from miles away. Against all odds, I had a fiancee at my side, and she was beloved by the masses at first sight, the same way I too had fallen for her.
My mother and father sought to arrange a grand royal wedding to rival any other, complete with celebrations in every corner of the kingdom. Through Mendessa City, we were to be carted in a carriage made entirely of stained glass by the Lagos family, led by the finest horses draped in colourful jewels. A grand feast would follow, in the company of the kingdom's closest friends and allies, serving fruity sangria, rich red wine, roast pork, enchiladas, tamales, chile rellenos, polvorones, tres leches cake, and so much more beyond that. The palace would be filled with more music and light than it had ever seen, festooned with vibrant decorations all around while the greatest mariachi bands played melodies that would be remembered for centuries to come. Estella and I would dance once again the Dance of the Feathered Serpent, and finally seal it with a kiss before the entire kingdom.
But me and Estella knew that such extravagance and attention was not our calling.
And so, we eloped. One early morning, when the sky washed away the cold of night and the Sun rose to witness our union, me and Estella met as planned on the coast of Mendessa, as far north as we could go before touching the long-desired ocean.
Emiliano, with an eyepatch he had delicately embroidered with a dove, officiated the ceremony. As he did so, he could not stop beaming, watching the man that I had become. It was undeniable that I had come far from that curious little boy who was afraid of his own shadow. He seemed reluctant to let that boy go, but a proud tear slipped from his eye when Estella and I began our vows.
"I promise to be by your side,
To cherish and respect,
Whether that is under the shining Sun,
Or beneath the crescent Moon,
Through snow and thunder, rain or shine,
From ocean depths to desert skies,
I will be yours, and you will be mine,
Through your perfections and flaws,
And through that of my own,
Our lives we be an adventure,
Like none have ever known.
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And should the Sun will it, it shall be.
Together for eternity."
Estella, in a homemade dress and a comfortable shawl, preferred to look into my eyes rather than at the beautiful sapphire ring that I placed on her finger. Her hair, wild yet perfect in every way, blew softly against the salty air, showing me the full beauty of her smile. She repeated my action, taking the other ring from Emiliano and slipping it onto my finger with ease, admiring its wave-like markings as she did so. In unison, we looked to our witnesses, Rafael and Ana, who sat comfortably on the sand, smiling back at us. Over the course of a few weeks, they had managed to forgive and forget all that came between them, and together, they drank from a single bottle of wine until it was emptied. Ana swayed happily at the matrimony. Rafael, despite his attempts to hide it, wiped a tear away.
"I now pronounce you man and wife."
Those words we had dreamed of were welcomed, filling us with both with delight. From her foot, Estella released the glass slipper, and we held it between us.
Break the glass, she had once said.
Together, we threw the shoe to a rock on the shore, and watched it smash apart, each coloured segment separating and falling into the sand. The foamy ends of the tide drew in and out, carrying the glass along with it, and soon enough, the glass slipper was lost into the water, to grind away and become sand once more.
As the last glimmer washed away, followed by a trail of cool bubbles, I turned Estella's head towards mine. As her arms wrapped around my neck, I pulled her in.
Ana, Rafael, and Emiliano - all my dearest friends - could not wait to see us venture forth into the adventures I had only ever read about. As much as they said they would miss me, and although that feeling was mutual, they brought me and Estella up onto a modest ship and began to wave their goodbyes. Estella held me tight and waved back at them, watching them drift further and further away from us. Ana chased the ship despite her limp, yelling out to us:
"Don't forget to come back home!"
Rafael coughed away another tear and waved as impassively as he could manage, finishing off with a salute. Emiliano held onto his heart, not daring to blink even once.
As the dawn began to paint a kaleidoscopic view on the horizon, the three of them faded away, leaving only the future ahead of us.
The celebrations my parents had planned were not to go to waste, however. As Estella and I sailed away to explore the world, Ana had yet to be celebrated properly for her heroic deeds. She rode a lone horse through Mendessa City, dressed in golden armour perfectly fitted to her frame. The Sun shone its blessing upon her glowing plates, illuminating the festivities in a warm light to herald in a true era of peace under her watch. On her helmet, the feathered serpents' black and green feathers pointed to the sky, and all the little girls looked up to her, amazed and inspired by the proof of her achievements. Her belt, encrusted with the glittering jewels she once yearned to love, finally felt comfortable, containing two holsters - one for a glorious new rapier, and another for a dagger made of a feathered serpent's tooth. As joyful music blared, she raised her dagger to the sky and continued up to the statue of King Andres II, whose mission she had seen the end of. People threw feathers in the air, all colours of the rainbow, and cheered for their first female Captain of the Guard - Ser Ana the Valiant.
While I and Estella drifted along the centre of the Dragon Sea, taking in the night sky in each others' arms, a familiar jacamar came to us, holding a roll of parchment on its foot. I untied it, knowing its origins, and let it fly away back to my homeland.
On the parchment, a drawing unmistakably by Ana's talented cousin. Ana was depicted on her glorious steed, among King Andres II, my father, and my mother. I was not there, but I did not need to be. I was exactly where I wanted to be, resting on the peaceful waves, as Estella fell soundly asleep on my shoulder. I watched as the bright, full moon brushed away the clouds, reflecting its dancing lights on the water. I held Estella's head and stroked her hair behind her ear.
Until those stars would come to an end and dim forever, I knew that the tale of Cinderella and Prince Charming would repeat throughout history all over the world. But, at that moment, we were just Andres and Estella, and that was good enough for me.
