As the carriage pulled away from the castle the newlyweds looked at each other and smiled, in this moment their future seemed so bright, most would genuinely believe they would live happily ever after.
When the new couple returned from their honeymoon even the most naive servant was able to see something was not quite right. In a matter of fourteen days the magic between these two, which everyone had felt so strong during the wedding, had worn off. Their meals were eaten in silence, their was no laughter, no smiles, only silent indignation. Cinderella, who so recently had felt forever indebted to the Prince, now felt she could've done better. The Prince greatly reciprocated this sentiment. Maybe basing your love in a shoe size was not a great idea.
At first the two stayed together out of mere guilt. But after one month together it became much more complicated. Cinderella was pregnant. Conceived during their unfortunate honeymoon, this child would prove to be the frequent target of resentment. This loveless couple quickly became a loveless family.
Their son, Prince Jr., was born on a Tuesday afternoon, the Prince was away, Cinderella believed him to be away on important prince-related business. Cinderella held Prince Jr. for a few moments before handing him off to the nanny, she couldn't bear to look him in the eyes. That night she cried enough to make her once again beg for her fairy godmother. She never came.
The Prince returned three weeks later, he patted his son on the head before retreating to his den. He sat there for hours, in darkness, in silence, slowly destroying his liver one drink at a time. He looked back on his life, he had only one regret, but it was a big one.
That night the Prince stood over his son's crib and whilst tears fell from his cheeks he begged his son for forgiveness. The Prince didn't pack much, a few outfits and some food, he wanted to travel lightly. His horse was waiting for him in the stable. As he left the castle grounds he looked back just once, he looked at everything he was giving up just to get away from her. Two years later he was found in a ditch. It's still unclear how he died, but one thing is for certain; even in the end he only had one regret.
