"The Cinderella Dream" Sample Chapter
Chapter 1
Getting stuck on a long plane ride next to a crying child is a nightmare. That is what Samantha Ossini had always been told. Unfortunately, the people who said this never had to sit next to Bula Gatapos.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it dear? My husband and I always loved coming home. We moved to the island in the summer of ’73.”
Samantha glanced over to the old woman sitting beside her. Her smile was bright, her eyes sparkling. She was certainly enjoying the conversation, even thought it had gone on for hours. She rambled about her husband, her children, even her friend’s children.
“…and had three chickens. Although, they all died later that summer…:
Samantha tried her best to ignore the story completely and focused on the tiny scene outside her window. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the beauty below. The vivid blue water lapped along the beaches. Gorgeous white, stone buildings were nestled along the shoreline. It resembled something out fairy tale. She fought the urge to squeal by placing a hand over her mouth.
“I’m sure you’ll be happy to be home at last.”
Samantha let out a nervous laugh and shook her head. What a crazy woman. Mrs. Gatapos had been hinting about her going “home” the entire time and refused to believe this was her very first trip to the island. Samantha clutched her little cloth purse closer to her body and decided to try one more time.
“Mrs. Gatapos, I’m not from Paradeisos. My parents are. I’m just visiting.”
The old woman simply smiled and reached over to pat Samantha’s hand.
“Of course you are, my dear.”
Samantha sighed and placed a hand on her forehead. This woman would give anyone a headache. Instead of worrying about it, she concentrated on the descent of the plane. As it neared the ground, she could feel her heart begin to race. She was finally in Paradeisos. This time Samantha really did squeal. Several of the other passengers gave her strange looks, but she didn’t care.
Paradeisos had been a dream since Samantha was a little girl. She and her sister heard stories of the island growing up. It seemed like a magical place. They were told their parents had to leave the country because the family never approved of her parents’ marriage. They never went back, not even to visit. Being given an all expenses paid trip to Paradeisos as a graduation present was completely unexpected.
As the plane landed, Samantha once again looked at Mrs. Gatapos. She had an odd expression on her face and her head was tilted to the side. It was as if she were seeing a ghost. Samantha sent her the best smile she could manage in an effort to find out what was wrong.
“Are you alright, Mrs. Gatapos?”
She didn’t seem to hear at first and kept studying Samantha’s face. Samantha self-consciously touched her cheeks wondering if her makeup was smeared or if she had wiped something onto her cheek while eating. The movement caused Mrs. Gatapos to snap out whatever reverie she was in.
“What did you say?”
Samantha bit her lip for a moment. The old woman still seemed to be dazed.
“I was asking if you were alright?
Mrs. Gatapos smiled and waved her hand in dismissal.
“I’m fine. I just have a little trouble getting used to the plane landing. It makes my ears pop, you know?”
Samantha nodded in agreement, but she lowered her eyes to look at Mrs. Gatapos’ hands. She was wringing them in her lap as though she were nervous. Samantha tried to ignore the sudden odd demeanor and focused on the bounce of the plane hitting the runway. Feeling the plane slow down, she watched the seatbelt light. The wait was almost over. She could barely contain her joy when the plane came to a stop and the light turned off.
As the other passengers stood and made their way from the seats, Samantha grabbed her bag out of the overhead compartment. The line exiting the plane was long. They crawled along, stopping for several moments and moving along for several others. As they neared the front of the plane, they could hear a faint clicking noise in the distance. People were talking loudly, though Samantha was unable to make out what they were saying.
She turned around to check on Mrs. Gatapos.
“There is a lot of commotion out there. I wonder what is happening.”
Mrs. Gatapos smiled, but offered no response.
Samantha reached the exit and walked into the open space of the airport. The flash of lights were blinding. She stopped moving, waiting for the white spots in her vision to fade. Placing her hands over her eyes, Samantha stumbled a few steps forward and dropped her large duffle bag on the floor. The crowd behind her pushed at her back, trying to move her out of the way. She felt a strong pair of hands grab her by the shoulders and lead her forward.
Samantha knew it could not be Mrs. Gatapos.
Lowering her hands, she looked back in surprise to see a large man in a suit standing behind her. She leaned over to reach for her bag, but he beat her to it and swung the bag over his shoulder.
“Hey! That’s my bag.”
He said nothing. He just stood there staring at her and holding the bag. His expression turned to one of concentration and he grabbed for his earpiece and listened closely to whatever was being said.
The noise in the room was deafening. The constant flashing lights caused the room to seem to tilt and spin. It didn’t take long for Samantha to realize that the flashes were from cameras. Forgetting her bag, she spun around hoping to get a glimpse of the person everyone was so excited to see.
That was when the feeling of dread hit. Something was seriously wrong. The cameras were all pointed at her.
Samantha was surrounded by a large group of people. Some carried cameras. Others were waving small Paradeisos flags. She looked around trying to figure out what was going on. This had to be a mix-up. Why were they taking her picture?
She took a deep breath and concentrated on what the loud crowd around her was saying. It was difficult to make out any words. When she finally did, she could only stand there in complete shock.
“Princess Samantha?”
“How does it feel to be home in Paradeisos?”
“Princess Samantha, are you excited to get married?”
Samantha gasped and felt the color drain from her face. For a moment, she contemplated passing out.
“Welcome home, Princess Samantha,” a voice from behind her stated.
She turned to see Mrs. Gatapos clapping her hands and smiling.
“We have been waiting for your return.”
Samantha shook her head in disbelief.
“What?”
She was going to drive him crazy. She hadn’t even spoken to him, but he could already tell. Prince Nikos Castellanos watched in horror as Samantha stood in front of the crowd with a confused look on her face. It was obvious her parents did not prepare her for the trip.
“What on Earth is she wearing?”
He sighed and shook his head at Georges, his bodyguard. Samantha was dressed like a nightmare in torn-up jeans and an old ratty t-shirt that stated “nerds are sexy.” Her flip-flops were of the dollar store variety, with the cheap rubber soles cracked off in places. The long blonde hair flowing down her back was half in and half out of what was supposed to be a pony tail. He couldn’t believe this woman was his future bride.
The media was going to have fun with this.
Nikos ran his fingers through his hair to smooth down the curls and contemplated what to do next. This was going to be a disaster unless he figured it out fast.
He watched as Samantha gave the old woman in front of her a scowl and placed a hand on one hip. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and laughed.
“I don’t know what you all are taking about. You have the wrong person. I’m just visiting Paradeisos. I certainly didn’t come to get married.”
The crowd became quiet as they overheard what she had said. Flags stopped waving, and the people looked around in question. The silence was broken by one loud reporter.
“Are you not the daughter of Jonathon and Margaretta Ossini?”
Nikos waited on edge for her answer. Everyone who knew the original royal family had to see her resemblance to them. Samantha nodded her head.
“Yes, I am their daughter, but my father is a construction worker. Believe me, I am no princess.”
She laughed as though the whole event was a comedy. She even reached over and tapped the guard holding her duffle bag on the arm.
“Isn’t this crazy?” she asked him.
He didn’t reply, but glanced at Nikos as if wondering what to do.
Nikos rubbed his forehead. A headache was already beginning to start.
“Your royal highness,’ Georges whispered in his ear, “we need to get her out of there.”
Nodding at him, Nikos straightened his suit jacked and walked toward the still laughing Samantha. For some reason, he felt as though he were walking into a firing squad.
“Excuse me, ladies and gentleman.”
The crowd and Samantha turned to face him.
“We will be very happy to answer all of your questions in the future. Right now the princess and I need to head back to palace and get everything straightened out.”
Nikos reached over to grab Samantha’s arm and lead her from the scene. Before he could do so, she yanked her arm away and swung her purse at him.
“Have you gone crazy? I am not a princess.”
He once again tried to grab her arm. This time she swung a foot around to kick him in the legs. The surprisingly sharp pain took him by surprise.
“Ow! Do you have knives for toes?”
As Nikos breathed through the stinging pain, he could hear the clicking of the cameras going wild. What a great front page picture for tomorrow – the future king getting kicked by his promised princess bride. He wondered what the title would be.
He finally summoned the courage to try one more time. Nikos grabbed Samantha by the shoulders, keeping his legs and lower body as far away from her as possible. He turned her so that he was looking into her eyes.
“I am crown prince, Nikos Castellanos. You are a princess, whether you believe it or not. If you can stop being an annoying brat for a moment, I can explain it to you.”
The look of shock on Samantha’s face was comical. He almost wanted to laugh, but then he saw the shock turn into anger. Perhaps calling her a brat was a bad choice? Before she could slap or kick, he handed her off to Georges and allowed him to lead her away. Nikos motioned for the guard carrying her bag to follow.
“I’m not a brat you stuck up, pompous idiot.”
Her scream echoed through the room. Once again the crowd erupted in chaos. This was going to be a public relations mess.
Getting stuck on a long plane ride next to a crying child is a nightmare. That is what Samantha Ossini had always been told. Unfortunately, the people who said this never had to sit next to Bula Gatapos.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it dear? My husband and I always loved coming home. We moved to the island in the summer of ’73.”
Samantha glanced over to the old woman sitting beside her. Her smile was bright, her eyes sparkling. She was certainly enjoying the conversation, even thought it had gone on for hours. She rambled about her husband, her children, even her friend’s children.
“…and had three chickens. Although, they all died later that summer…:
Samantha tried her best to ignore the story completely and focused on the tiny scene outside her window. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the beauty below. The vivid blue water lapped along the beaches. Gorgeous white, stone buildings were nestled along the shoreline. It resembled something out fairy tale. She fought the urge to squeal by placing a hand over her mouth.
“I’m sure you’ll be happy to be home at last.”
Samantha let out a nervous laugh and shook her head. What a crazy woman. Mrs. Gatapos had been hinting about her going “home” the entire time and refused to believe this was her very first trip to the island. Samantha clutched her little cloth purse closer to her body and decided to try one more time.
“Mrs. Gatapos, I’m not from Paradeisos. My parents are. I’m just visiting.”
The old woman simply smiled and reached over to pat Samantha’s hand.
“Of course you are, my dear.”
Samantha sighed and placed a hand on her forehead. This woman would give anyone a headache. Instead of worrying about it, she concentrated on the descent of the plane. As it neared the ground, she could feel her heart begin to race. She was finally in Paradeisos. This time Samantha really did squeal. Several of the other passengers gave her strange looks, but she didn’t care.
Paradeisos had been a dream since Samantha was a little girl. She and her sister heard stories of the island growing up. It seemed like a magical place. They were told their parents had to leave the country because the family never approved of her parents’ marriage. They never went back, not even to visit. Being given an all expenses paid trip to Paradeisos as a graduation present was completely unexpected.
As the plane landed, Samantha once again looked at Mrs. Gatapos. She had an odd expression on her face and her head was tilted to the side. It was as if she were seeing a ghost. Samantha sent her the best smile she could manage in an effort to find out what was wrong.
“Are you alright, Mrs. Gatapos?”
She didn’t seem to hear at first and kept studying Samantha’s face. Samantha self-consciously touched her cheeks wondering if her makeup was smeared or if she had wiped something onto her cheek while eating. The movement caused Mrs. Gatapos to snap out whatever reverie she was in.
“What did you say?”
Samantha bit her lip for a moment. The old woman still seemed to be dazed.
“I was asking if you were alright?
Mrs. Gatapos smiled and waved her hand in dismissal.
“I’m fine. I just have a little trouble getting used to the plane landing. It makes my ears pop, you know?”
Samantha nodded in agreement, but she lowered her eyes to look at Mrs. Gatapos’ hands. She was wringing them in her lap as though she were nervous. Samantha tried to ignore the sudden odd demeanor and focused on the bounce of the plane hitting the runway. Feeling the plane slow down, she watched the seatbelt light. The wait was almost over. She could barely contain her joy when the plane came to a stop and the light turned off.
As the other passengers stood and made their way from the seats, Samantha grabbed her bag out of the overhead compartment. The line exiting the plane was long. They crawled along, stopping for several moments and moving along for several others. As they neared the front of the plane, they could hear a faint clicking noise in the distance. People were talking loudly, though Samantha was unable to make out what they were saying.
She turned around to check on Mrs. Gatapos.
“There is a lot of commotion out there. I wonder what is happening.”
Mrs. Gatapos smiled, but offered no response.
Samantha reached the exit and walked into the open space of the airport. The flash of lights were blinding. She stopped moving, waiting for the white spots in her vision to fade. Placing her hands over her eyes, Samantha stumbled a few steps forward and dropped her large duffle bag on the floor. The crowd behind her pushed at her back, trying to move her out of the way. She felt a strong pair of hands grab her by the shoulders and lead her forward.
Samantha knew it could not be Mrs. Gatapos.
Lowering her hands, she looked back in surprise to see a large man in a suit standing behind her. She leaned over to reach for her bag, but he beat her to it and swung the bag over his shoulder.
“Hey! That’s my bag.”
He said nothing. He just stood there staring at her and holding the bag. His expression turned to one of concentration and he grabbed for his earpiece and listened closely to whatever was being said.
The noise in the room was deafening. The constant flashing lights caused the room to seem to tilt and spin. It didn’t take long for Samantha to realize that the flashes were from cameras. Forgetting her bag, she spun around hoping to get a glimpse of the person everyone was so excited to see.
That was when the feeling of dread hit. Something was seriously wrong. The cameras were all pointed at her.
Samantha was surrounded by a large group of people. Some carried cameras. Others were waving small Paradeisos flags. She looked around trying to figure out what was going on. This had to be a mix-up. Why were they taking her picture?
She took a deep breath and concentrated on what the loud crowd around her was saying. It was difficult to make out any words. When she finally did, she could only stand there in complete shock.
“Princess Samantha?”
“How does it feel to be home in Paradeisos?”
“Princess Samantha, are you excited to get married?”
Samantha gasped and felt the color drain from her face. For a moment, she contemplated passing out.
“Welcome home, Princess Samantha,” a voice from behind her stated.
She turned to see Mrs. Gatapos clapping her hands and smiling.
“We have been waiting for your return.”
Samantha shook her head in disbelief.
“What?”
She was going to drive him crazy. She hadn’t even spoken to him, but he could already tell. Prince Nikos Castellanos watched in horror as Samantha stood in front of the crowd with a confused look on her face. It was obvious her parents did not prepare her for the trip.
“What on Earth is she wearing?”
He sighed and shook his head at Georges, his bodyguard. Samantha was dressed like a nightmare in torn-up jeans and an old ratty t-shirt that stated “nerds are sexy.” Her flip-flops were of the dollar store variety, with the cheap rubber soles cracked off in places. The long blonde hair flowing down her back was half in and half out of what was supposed to be a pony tail. He couldn’t believe this woman was his future bride.
The media was going to have fun with this.
Nikos ran his fingers through his hair to smooth down the curls and contemplated what to do next. This was going to be a disaster unless he figured it out fast.
He watched as Samantha gave the old woman in front of her a scowl and placed a hand on one hip. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and laughed.
“I don’t know what you all are taking about. You have the wrong person. I’m just visiting Paradeisos. I certainly didn’t come to get married.”
The crowd became quiet as they overheard what she had said. Flags stopped waving, and the people looked around in question. The silence was broken by one loud reporter.
“Are you not the daughter of Jonathon and Margaretta Ossini?”
Nikos waited on edge for her answer. Everyone who knew the original royal family had to see her resemblance to them. Samantha nodded her head.
“Yes, I am their daughter, but my father is a construction worker. Believe me, I am no princess.”
She laughed as though the whole event was a comedy. She even reached over and tapped the guard holding her duffle bag on the arm.
“Isn’t this crazy?” she asked him.
He didn’t reply, but glanced at Nikos as if wondering what to do.
Nikos rubbed his forehead. A headache was already beginning to start.
“Your royal highness,’ Georges whispered in his ear, “we need to get her out of there.”
Nodding at him, Nikos straightened his suit jacked and walked toward the still laughing Samantha. For some reason, he felt as though he were walking into a firing squad.
“Excuse me, ladies and gentleman.”
The crowd and Samantha turned to face him.
“We will be very happy to answer all of your questions in the future. Right now the princess and I need to head back to palace and get everything straightened out.”
Nikos reached over to grab Samantha’s arm and lead her from the scene. Before he could do so, she yanked her arm away and swung her purse at him.
“Have you gone crazy? I am not a princess.”
He once again tried to grab her arm. This time she swung a foot around to kick him in the legs. The surprisingly sharp pain took him by surprise.
“Ow! Do you have knives for toes?”
As Nikos breathed through the stinging pain, he could hear the clicking of the cameras going wild. What a great front page picture for tomorrow – the future king getting kicked by his promised princess bride. He wondered what the title would be.
He finally summoned the courage to try one more time. Nikos grabbed Samantha by the shoulders, keeping his legs and lower body as far away from her as possible. He turned her so that he was looking into her eyes.
“I am crown prince, Nikos Castellanos. You are a princess, whether you believe it or not. If you can stop being an annoying brat for a moment, I can explain it to you.”
The look of shock on Samantha’s face was comical. He almost wanted to laugh, but then he saw the shock turn into anger. Perhaps calling her a brat was a bad choice? Before she could slap or kick, he handed her off to Georges and allowed him to lead her away. Nikos motioned for the guard carrying her bag to follow.
“I’m not a brat you stuck up, pompous idiot.”
Her scream echoed through the room. Once again the crowd erupted in chaos. This was going to be a public relations mess.
