1st 5 Pages February Workshop- Kunrath Rev 2

Name: Jenn Kunrath

Genre: YA Fantasy

Title: Covert Cinderella

Pitch:

When Cinderella is recruited from the Grimmalds Academy of Espionage by a special forces team, she is excited. Also green, she is prone to mistakes. In her first mission, Cinderella is sent to a royal ball in the kingdom of Arydia where the prince is expected to be in attendance. Her objective—try and flirt out an explanation for how his kingdom is funding several recent and expensive projects. Nervous, Cinderella bumbles her words a few too many times. When the prince starts to look at her strangely, she worries she’s blown the op and makes a quick escape. However, as Cinderella and her team later find out, the prince was smitten, not suspicious. He sends his heralds out to find the mysterious maiden and invite her back to his castle. The mission team leader, code name Fairy Godmother, is thrilled to have an agent on the inside. Cinderella accepts the prince’s invitations and after a few days of gathering intel, learns that Arydia’s sudden wealth is due to a goose that lays golden eggs. The mission goes “afowl” though, as Cinderella becomes torn between loyalty to her team and the feelings she is developing for the prince.

It was my first undercover mission. I felt the energy buzz in my fingertips as I slipped on that fated suede shoe. Then, I made an attempt to tuck one of my ornery red curls behind my ear. Of course it didn’t stay there. My mother used to say they were as stubborn as me. I straightened and stood at attention for a final inspection. My team leader, code name Fairy Godmother, took his time examining every detail of my disguise. That evening I was dressed like someone who should be noticed. After so much training on how best to blend in, it felt almost uncomfortable to have orders that required me to stand out.

A subtle nod was my signal that it was okay for me to go. The air was warm when I stepped outside. Light traced the edges of the horizon as the sun faded behind it. My foot nearly slipped as I moved from the step that attached to our pod. Painted orange, it blended with the fall leaves of the forest around it. I always thought it looked kind of like a giant pumpkin. 

After several intense days of reviewing the mission, I was happy for the fresh air and the quiet of the forest around me. Inside, the pod could be generously described as cramped and uncomfortable. It made Fairy Godmother’s voice seem even louder when he yelled. The sound bounced from wall to wall in a way that filled the space. 

Still, it was odd to be out on my own. Until that point, I had been kept in close quarters with my team. Together, we plotted, planned, and strategized. Though excited to be going out into the field, I was also very nervous.

As I walked, I reviewed the mission in my mind. According to our intel, Arydia, a kingdom with which we shared our southern border, had been spending exorbitant amounts of money during recent months. Reports suggested that a new wing had been added to the castle. The archway to the city had been remodeled with marble. And the royal family decided to host a lavish ball for all the kingdom’s citizens to attend. There was talk of possible black market involvement and concern that funds were also being funneled into military forces for a possible land grab.

Determined to find out what was going on, the Kingdom of Sprice’s special forces recruited me from the Grimmald Academy of Espionage to serve as a plant at the event. They needed someone young and pretty enough to catch the prince’s eye. I like to think that my excellent conversational skills and overall performance in my classes also factored into why I was the candidate selected for this mission. Once, I tried carefully to have Fairy Godmother confirm if this was the case. He muttered something about dumb luck, so I did not ask again. 

A part of me worried I might not be ready. I was still only a student and had more training to complete before I could graduate the program. What if I was missing some critical skill that would be necessary on this mission?

The way to the castle was not far. When I got close, a group of girls hurried past me, nearly knocking me backwards. Their dresses drifted after them, a flutter of yellow, lilac and pink. They giggled as they hurried toward the stairs. I slipped in next to them. The deep-blue ballgown I had been issued shifted quietly behind me. 

At the top of the stairs, everyone was forced into a line.

“What’s taking so long?” I heard someone complain.

“They are announcing each guest,” another voice quipped. 

I gulped. It was a more conspicuous entrance than I had hoped to make. I shuffled along but studied the shadows to see if there was any way I could slip through the door. Determined to find something, I did not notice when it was suddenly my turn. From somewhere behind me, impatient hands shoved me forward. The attendant caught my arm so that I would not trip and tumble into the room, a fact for which I was grateful.

“What’s your name?” he asked as he helped me straighten.

“Cinder.” I answered a little too automatically. It was my nickname from the academy since I was marvelous at shimmying up chimneys for escape maneuvers. Then, I realized my mistake. I did not want this man to announce me by my nickname. Though no one had called me Pamina in years, I nearly gave him my real name to cover the error. Fortunately, I caught myself. “Well, uh…” I stammered, not sure what else to say. 

“Cinderwella!” the attendant’s voice boomed. He sounded like he had a speech impediment. I grimaced and ducked my head, glad my team was waiting in the pod and wasn’t there to witness my blunder. As I hurried away, I ran into a man who had started to walk toward me. His outstretched hand bumped into my chest in an embarrassing place. I wrapped my arms around my bodice defensively. 

“I am so sorry!” he stammered.

“Don’t worry about it.” I said and looked past him, determined to focus on my mission. The plan was to maneuver through the room until I was found myself with the prince. Once I found him, I was supposed to flirt out an explanation for Arydia’s sudden surge of wealth. When I knew where this new wealth was coming from, I needed to determine the extent of Arydia’s resources and whatever further intentions they had in how these would be used. Then, I was supposed to surreptitiously slip away and report my findings to the team. 

Get in, find the target, get the information, then get out, I repeated in my head. Fairy Godmother had drilled this into me over the last several days. So far, I had only managed the first of these objectives—and not nearly as well as I had hoped. Quickly, I turned to walk into the thick of the room. Before I could get very far, the gentleman who had bumped into me, stepped in front of me again.

“Please, allow me to apologize properly.” He bowed low and deep. I was annoyed—he was in my way. 

“Of course. I accept or whatever it is you need me to say.” I waived my arms so he would move.

When he did not step aside, I pushed past where he waited. It was not the most polite way I could have handled the situation, but I didn’t have the time to pretend to be nice. 

I had barely taken two steps when the man reached out and grabbed my arm. There was strength in his grip, and I was forced to stop. For a moment, I was scared. Was I already found out? Was that why he was so determined to stop me? Not sure what I was up against, I allowed myself to turn slowly.

The man in front of me stood strong and straight. Though he was young, his posture reminded me of the military men who’d trained us in physical skills at the academy. They had a tendency to yell and follow you until you did whatever the drill was as many times as necessary to execute it perfectly. Never one to be easily intimidated, I had always tried to breathe myself brave when they started yelling close to my face.