Eleanor: A Fairytale

Note: This story was written by my second eldest sister Mithril Tinu. It was written for the same Cinderella assignment I had to write Capercia for. If you have any questions about the book you can leave them in the comments and I will ask her, or if you want to contact her you can try doing so though the Riordan Wiki, or One Wiki to Rule Them All, where she is most active. Thank you, hope you enjoy reading! Samirah ara(Talk)
= Eleanor: A Fairytale =
Once upon a time, back when African people were enslaved by white Americans in the South, two young people met each other and became good friends. But the friendship was between a rich white boy and a poor slave girl, so it wasn't accepted by their families or their country. His name was Henry and hers was Alice, and she worked in the kitchen of his family’s plantation. They would meet in secret out behind the big house under an arbor, and he taught her to read and write and do arithmetic. As they became young adults, they would talk about life and their hopes and dreams for the future. They grew to love each other very much as they got older—but it was illegal for black and white people to marry each other. In other circumstances, this might have proved a difficult barrier to overcome, but everyone living in a fairytale knows that true love conquers all.  When Henry proposed to Alice under the arbor, she agreed to marry him, but under one condition—that he would promise to set her free, along with any children that they might have, because she was afraid of what the future might hold if Henry were to die. He passionately agreed, and the two were married in secret not long after. 
Henry then took Alice and a few other slaves (more to legitimize Alice’s presence than anything) and moved into their own house a few towns over from where they had been raised, and the newlyweds started a new life together. Interracial marriage was still illegal, so Henry had to pretend that Alice was just his cook whenever folks visited—but as soon as the household was alone again, he would embrace her and reassure her that she was more precious to him than all the rest of the world combined. He set her free just as he had promised, along with the rest of his slaves (who continued to live with him as servants, for he was a kind man and despised the cruelties of slavery because of his love for Alice.) After about a year of marriage, Alice gave birth to a daughter, whom they named Eleanor. 
Eleanor was a sweet little girl, with light brown skin and a smile that could light up the darkest heart. She had bright, beautiful eyes, and a heart full of love towards all people and animals, especially those in need. Eleanor’s parents doted on her and raised her to be a young lady of high class, but her mother also taught her how to cook and clean, because she did not want her daughter to grow up without knowing how to work with her hands and keep a proper home. The little family lived happily together for several years, until Alice fell ill with a deadly case of typhoid fever when Eleanor was eight years old. Henry brought in the best doctors around and they all tried their best to save her, but it was of no use. Alice died, and Henry and Eleanor were left behind to mourn her passing together.
The years following Alice’s death continued at their steady pace, and slowly Henry’s broken heart began to mend. He still loved his late wife dearly, but he also loved his daughter, and he began to consider how growing up without a mother might affect young Eleanor. Not long after Henry first thought about remarrying, a beautiful widow moved into the nearby town. She was a lady befitting of Henry’s class, and she had two daughters whom he imagined would become like sisters to his own dear Eleanor (who was ten years old at this time). Henry began to court the widow, who gladly accepted his suit, for he had a sizable fortune and was a handsome gentleman still in the prime of his life. The two married after almost a year of courtship, and the widow and her daughters moved in to live with their new family. However, the girls soon discovered the truth about Eleanor’s heritage, and began to torment her whenever they had the chance. Eleanor’s new stepmother also hated the girl, for she reminded the woman of a part of her husband’s past that she wished could be left behind forever. Eleanor was hurt by the cruel words and neglect that she received from her new family members, but she kept her pain to herself for fear of inflicting more trouble upon her recovering father. So Henry was oblivious to his wife and stepdaughters’ cruelties, and lived quite happily for several years.
Then, when Eleanor was fourteen years old, tragedy struck her household once again. Henry had been away on a business trip a stretch up the Mississippi river, when the family received the news of his death in a terrible steamboat accident. Eleanor was devastated by the news, for she had loved her father more than anything else in the world. The mourning period for the household came and went, but life for Eleanor did not return to how it had been before. Her stepmother’s true feelings for Eleanor no longer needed to be hidden, and she vowed to turn the poor girl back into the slave whom the woman believed she ought to have always been. Eleanor was stripped of her room and belongings and made to sleep alone in the cellar, though any one of the servants would gladly have shared her humble quarters with the girl. 
Eleanor was worked all day long and far into the night by her cruel stepmother and -sisters, and fed only on her family’s leftover scraps of food. Each night Eleanor collapsed onto her mattress exhausted in both body and spirit, but she always prayed for those less fortunate than herself before she slipped into sleep. She also prayed for her stepfamily, in order to keep her heart free from hate and bitterness against them. When she woke in the morning, Eleanor prayed that she would have strength, hope, joy, faith, and perseverance to carry her through the long day. Then she would rise and dress in her worn cotton dress and apron, and hurry to prepare breakfast for her stepfamily. Eleanor’s stepmother made sure that the girl hardly ever rested; she was set to cleaning and cooking all day long, and if there was any time left, she was sent to work in the stables. 
The stables were a ways off from the big house, and hidden from its sight by several large oak trees. Eleanor loved working in the stables, because she enjoyed the company of horses, and the dusky stillness of the barn and bright warmth of the yard offered a sweet respite from her stepfamily’s cruelty and constant commands. The servant in charge of the horses was an old friend of Eleanor’s father named Hezekiah, and he treated the girl like she was his own daughter. He would let Eleanor play with the little animals when her stepfamily wasn’t around, and he gave her tasks that she enjoyed doing. One of these was brushing down the horses, because she loved the soft, comforting warmth of their presence and the rhythmic nature of the work. It was on one of these quiet days when Eleanor was eighteen years old and had done all there was to be done at the house and been banished out to the stables, that she first laid eyes on a person who (little did she then know) was to change her life forever. Eleanor was brushing down a horse in its stall when she heard the sound of hoofbeats out in the yard. Hezekiah was gone on an errand in town and the rest of the servants were at the house, so Eleanor put down her brush and walked to the doorway of the stable, squinting her eyes against the brilliant light of the sun reflecting on the dusty ground of the yard. It was summertime and the day was hot and heavy, the sun pressing like a hot iron on Eleanor’s neck as she stepped outside. She saw a rider on a horse paused a few feet away, looking around the yard and absentmindedly stroking the neck of his horse. He was a handsome young gentleman who looked as if he belonged in some royal court, rather than the dirty stableyard that he currently occupied. When he saw Eleanor, he smiled and dismounted gracefully, bowing slightly when his feet had touched the ground. He introduced himself as William Aydelotte, and explained that he was a visitor to the countryside and unaccustomed to the Southern heat. He said that his residence was still a way down the road and his poor horse was parched, and asked if he could water the animal here. Eleanor agreed and offered to alert her Mistress of his presence, but William politely excused himself, saying that he was staying with a friend, who would be expecting him soon. After watering his horse he mounted it, bid farewell to Eleanor, and turned out into the road, where Eleanor watched him until trees hid him from view.
Two days later, a wave of excitement flooded the countryside as all high-class citizens in the area were invited to a grand party at the home of Mr. John Edwin, to celebrate the arrival of a certain childhood friend from the North. Eleanor’s stepmother and her daughters were invited, and the latter two were absolutely overwhelmed with giddy anticipation of the event, which was to take place a week from that time. They had heard rumors of Mr. Edwin’s mysterious friend, and each was set on stealing his attention (such are the aspirations of some young ladies who have nothing better to do). Eleanor was put to work harder even than usual, letting out dresses and finding ribbons and mending torn bits of lace. As she worked, Eleanor thought about the young man whom she had met in the stableyard. She was sure that he was the friend of Mr. Edwin, and wondered what life might be like in the North, where there was no slavery and black people were their own masters.
The day of the party came swiftly for Eleanor, and the house was filled with the sound of running footsteps, the rustling of petticoats, and a high-pitched noise not unlike the screeching of a steam engine hurtling at full speed around a mountain bend. When her stepfamily was finally off to the party, Eleanor collapsed on the floor in a state of dejection. She wished that she could go to the party to enjoy herself for the night and especially to see William again, but she knew that it was an impossible dream. Then Hezekiah knelt beside Eleanor and comforted her. Much to Eleanor’s surprise, he asked if she wanted to go to the party. She admitted that she did, but she didn’t see how wishing for such fanciful things would help anyone. Hezekiah smiled and told her that he had seen William and Eleanor’s exchange in the stableyard, and he wanted to help her attend the party. He then led Eleanor down into the cellar and over to a large oak chest behind some wine barrels, and produced a key from his pocket. Hezekiah explained that the chest had been Alice’s, and that she had given him its key to use for Eleanor’s sake. He unlocked the trunk, and Eleanor was amazed to see that it was full of beautiful dresses, jewelry, and other treasures of both monetary and sentimental value. Hezekiah smiled as Eleanor lifted a dress and embraced it, and he gently suggested that she hurry and prepare for the party. Eleanor laughed and danced around Hezekiah, then ousted him from the room. With a servant woman’s help, Eleanor dressed herself in a beautiful gown of soft pink silk, with a gold necklace and delicate pearl earrings. She untied her hair from its usual old rag covering, and the woman brushed it and did it up for her. 
When Eleanor stepped out into the hall, her servant friends exclaimed that she looked like a princess—and they wondered at her beauty, for she was hardly recognizable as they slave girl whom she had been for the past four years. Eleanor’s friends escorted her out to the stableyard, where she saw her father’s old carriage that had sat unused ever since his remarriage. Hezekiah had cleaned it until in shone, and Eleanor knew that her stepmother would not recognize or even remember it. A servant boy of around fifteen years sat up top to drive, and another held the door for Eleanor as she stepped in. She tearfully thanked all of her friends for their kindness, and the driver was about to start the horses moving, when Hezekiah clasped Eleanor’s hands and warned her to return before her stepmother and -sisters did. Then he kissed her hand and stepped away, and the carriage drove out of the yard.
No one recognized Eleanor when she stepped out of the carriage and was escorted grandly into the house. She introduced herself as Luciana Tarantino, an Italian lady on her way to visit a cousin in New Orleans, and she was welcomed with wonder by her host and all of the guests. When she was introduced to William Aydelotte, she smiled shyly at his charming words, but he looked at her so keenly that she was terrified of him recognizing her. Whether he did or not, he asked Eleanor to dance with him, and her heart beat wildly as she accepted his hand and followed him onto the dance floor. They danced together often that night, and they sat beside each other at the dining table, so absorbed in their conversation that the world around them seemed like a distant fantasy. Then the clocks struck midnight, and Eleanor saw her stepmother rise to excuse herself and separate her daughters from their young admirers. Feeling panic rise within her, Eleanor turned and bade William a hasty farewell. He grasped her hand and tried to speak to her, but she pulled away from him and turned to leave. As she did, one of her pearl earrings fell onto the floor, rolling to rest against William’s foot as Eleanor disappeared into the crowd. William smiled and picked up the earring, slipping it into his pocket and turning to a window to watch Eleanor’s carriage drive off into the darkness. Eleanor leapt out of the carriage as soon as it pulled into the yard, and the servants hurried to help her inside and drive the carriage to the back of the stables. She changed quickly into her nightdress, and lay down on her mattress in the dark cellar, trying to slow her breathing and still the wild beating of her heart. 
In the morning, Eleanor’s stepfamily slept late, so she went out to the stables to collect her thoughts and return gently to the reality of the life that she dreaded going back to. She was feeding the horses when she heard the familiar sound of hoofbeats in the yard, and turned to find William smiling as he dismounted, locking her eyes in a gaze that she could not tear away from. He approached Eleanor slowly and pulled her earring out of his pocket, then knelt on one knee right there in the yard and held the earring out to her. 
“Luciana—or whatever your name really is—will you run away with me?”
Eleanor stood in shock for a moment, struggling to comprehend what had just happened. Then she laughed and accepted her earring from his hand, and ran into the stable to find Hezekiah. Her friend exclaimed with joy when he heard of William’s offer, and quickly sent off a young boy to gather the rest of the servants. William gave Hezekiah his address, and Eleanor wrote a farewell letter to her stepmother, explaining what had happened and promising to write. Eleanor asked a servant woman to accompany her as a guardian, who joyfully agreed and ran to gather her few belongings.  The servants all bid Eleanor farewell tearfully, and made plans to join her soon—for, as the reader might recall, they were all free men and women, and only stayed in the South for love of Eleanor. Soon a coach sent by Mr. Edwin pulled into the yard, and Eleanor and her guardian cried tears of both sadness and joy as they waved goodbye to their friends. Eleanor’s cruel stepmother and -sisters slept soundly as the coach pulled out into the road.
William took Eleanor back to the North with him, and provided a separate house for her until their marriage a year later. All of Eleanor’s servant friends left Mistress Bain and her nasty daughters and joined the Aydelottes at their beautiful Northern home. They were all happily employed by William, who paid them well and provided education for the young and old alike. Eleanor and William loved each other more every day, started a family, and used their home as a station on the Underground Railroad, helping slaves escape to freedom for many years to come. And they all lived happily ever after. 
The end.
Category:Short Stories
Category:Fiction