Chương 39: Party

Riding a horse was bad. Really bad! A few hours after we set out, I wasn't even scared anymore. And that was simply because my entire body had become a symphony of pain. Every jolting step sent a fresh shockwave up my spine. My inner thighs felt as though they had been scrubbed with coarse sandpaper, and my lower back was throbbing with a dull, relentless ache. I also was quite certain my bones were being slowly rearranged inside my body.

"I heard a crack! From my bones!" I hastily informed Cinderella.

"I don't think they should make that sound. Something is definitely wrong. We... we should stop and check!"

"Again?" She asked.

"We just stopped half an hour ago. You are fine, Drizella." If I was fine, why was my whole body in utter agony? Oh, why on earth couldn't we just take a nice carriage ride?

"Let's stop, but only for a short time," Cinderella conceded.

"We do need to get there before dark."

"Yes, of course!" I agreed. Cinderella guided Marc-Antoine off the road toward a patch of grass beneath a broad oak tree. The late afternoon sun filtered warmly through the leaves as she swung herself down from the saddle with practiced ease. I managed to climb down on my own. I could do that now without falling and breaking my neck, so that was at least some progress. I stretched, groaning as I felt my bones slowly rearranging themselves back into what I desperately hoped was their correct anatomical position.

"Oh, why must it be so painful?" I whined.

"How come you have it so easy?"

"Well, a long ride isn't entirely easy for me, either," she said gently.

"But as you practice, it gets easier. When you ride, you use core and leg muscles that you don't normally use for walking. Oh, muscles, is it? I apparently possessed none of those.

"Was the rest enough?" Cinderella asked after barely a few minutes. No, it wasn't! But I didn't want to sound like more of a baby than I already had. I needed an excuse.

"Oh, but this is a fitting place for shooting practice!" I remarked, surveying the woods and nodding knowledgeably.

"We are far enough from any town to not disturb the locals, and these thick tree trunks will make excellent targets."

"If you say so," Cinderella agreed, though she sound skeptical. We retrieved Cinderella's pistol from our pack, along with the small cartridge pouch, and walked a short distance into the dense woods.

"There," I said." Watch closely," I hold her pistol between us.

"First, we bring the hammer to half-cock." I pulled the hooked metal striker back with a satisfying click.

"This is the safety position. Now, the paper cartridge..." I walked her through the entire loading process, and Cinderella nodded vigorously. I think… I might have looked rather smart. When I was done, I handed her the pistol.

"There. Why don't you try to shoot?"

"Really?" Cinderella hesitated, eyeing the weapon.

"I have truly never fired one..."

"It's not hard," I explained.

"Lock your elbow, keep your arm straight, and face away from the lock to avoid the sparks. There will be recoil, so grip it like you mean it."

"I... yes," Cinderella said, taking her stance. I watched her aim. Her arm was strong—I could see the lean muscle, certainly stronger than mine—but her aim was weirdly off-center, and for some reason, her hand shook unsteadily.

"Let's do it together," I offered. I stepped behind her, pressing close enough that I could guide her arms with mine. One hand settled gently over hers around the pistol grip while the other steadied her wrist. Oh, we were very close now. This was like a hug.

"That is right," I murmured near her ear.

"Like this. Now squeeze the trigger." She did, and CRACK! The pistol fired, a plume of thick white smoke erupting as the lead ball splintered the bark of our target tree. Cinderella let out a breathless gasp, her eyes wide.

"Wow... that felt bizarre, but also fun."

"Yes, shooting is great fun!" I agreed, handing her another paper cartridge.

"Now you try." Cinderella remembered my explanation perfectly and loaded the pistol with ease on her first attempt. This time, she aimed by herself. She was much steadier now. She squeezed the trigger— CRACK —and hit her target dead on.

"I did it!" she beamed.

"You are a great teacher!"

"I... am?"

"Yes," she said.

"And that reminds me of something. In the Journal, I wrote about a music lesson. We agreed on doing one every cycle, so that after the time loop ends, you will be a good singer."

"I do remember something like that," I admitted.

"And if I'm not mistaken, we skipped the lesson last cycle." Yes, probably because I was busy... dying!

"I'll be happy for a lesson," I said, eager to postpone the torturous horse riding some more.

"What song should I sing?"

"Let's see..." Cinderella thought for a moment.

"How about By the Light of the Moon?"

"Well, here I go," I said, clearing my throat." ♪ By the light of the moon, my friend Pierrot... Lend me your quill, to write a word. My candle is dead, I have no more fire. Open your door for the love of God! ♪""You... are not as horrible as I remembered!" Cinderella remarked, nodding in approval.

"Now, I will sing, and I want you to try and match my pitch," Cinderella instructed, stepping into the role of a teacher.

"Listen to the melody first, and then mirror the notes exactly as I sing them. Pay attention to how the sound resonates in your chest." She sang the lullaby beautifully, her voice soft and effortless in a way mine could never hope to imitate. Still, I tried. Cinderella corrected my breathing, adjusted my timing, and made me repeat difficult lines several times. By the end, she seemed genuinely pleased with my improvement, though I highly doubted I sounded anywhere near decent.

"Now we must continue riding," Cinderella said, watching the lowering sun with genuine concern. I nodded in agreement. As much as I hated riding horses, I could imagine just fine that riding in the dark wouldn't make the experience any more pleasant. But when we returned to where we had left Marc-Antoine, we discovered a distinct lack of Marc-Antoine.

"Oh, we should have tethered him to the tree!" Cinderella groaned.

"We were foolish!" It appears even Cinderella can be dumb sometimes!

"He must have run away when he heard my singing," I sighed. Cinderella laughed.

"It was the shooting, Drizella! Really, you are too hard on yourself." Oh... maybe it was the shooting.

"What will we do?" asked Cinderella.

"It will be dark in just a few hours."

"That really isn't a problem," I said confidently. I took Cinderella by the hand and positioned her at the side of the road. The next carriage that came along saw Cinderella and stopped so suddenly you would suspect the driver had seen a ghost.

"Now do your thing," I whispered to her.

"My thing?"

"Yes, well, just be yourself," I told her, giving her a gentle shove forward. Cinderella sweet-talked the wealthy nobleman traveling alone inside, and in less than a minute, we were seated in the lap of luxury. The carriage's interior was lined with plush red velvet, the seats cushioned so deeply that they absorbed every bump in the road. I sighed in huge relief. I was safe from being murdered by Marc-Antoine's bone-crushing bounces. I loved carriages so much.

From this day forward, I swore I would never again complain about a bumpy carriage ride! This happened to be a fast carriage too, and in a few hours, we were at Boulogne. Naturally, the nobleman insisted on taking us directly to Napoleon's headquarters gate, where our esteemed 'Colonel husbands' were supposedly stationed. We went inside, and it was a lot quieter than my last visit. We didn't spot Gaston around, which was a shame.

I wanted to see Gaston and Cinderella together; it would be so much prettiness in one place! We headed to the Marshal's office. Even though he wasn't there, one of his officers supplied me with the necessary documentation. From there, it was about a thirty-minute walk to the massive army camp.

"It certainly is... big," Cinderella's eyes widened as we passed the heavily guarded gates, taking in the sprawling, endless city of wooden cabins.

"I honestly imagined just a few tents pitched here and there."

"They've been stationed here for years," I explained, "waiting for the order to cross the Channel and invade England. Since that isn't happening, they're all growing lazy. But rumor has it that the Emperor is planning a massive invasion of Russia soon, and all these men will be mobilized to take part."

"Oh, what is the point of all of that?" Cinderella sighed sadly.

"Napoleon tries to conquer the entire world, fancying himself as Julius Caesar, while the simple man is crushed under the heavy burden of taxes." That sounded suspiciously like political talk. Oh no. There was a very low chance of me responding without sounding stupid.

"There is the quartermaster's store!" I quickly pointed.

"We will need to get you in a light infantry uniform." Cinderella smiled to herself.

"I am to dress like a man?" The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Yes!" I said.

"I mean, we both need to look like normal soldiers. If the enemy spies a female combatant, they might immediately suspect us to be time loopers and target us."

"Oh, I don't mind," she said.

"If anything, it looks like fun." We went into the long cabin, and the old soldier at the counter supplied us with neatly folded uniforms. When Cinderella stepped into the small dressing room, I waited in nerve-wracking anticipation. When she came out, I blinked. It was the same double-breasted coatee, light-colored trousers, and high shako hat that I and every other stinky soldier in the camp wore. But on her, it looked worlds apart from the rest of us.

She looked beautiful—strikingly so—and despite the masculine cut of the heavy fabric, weirdly feminine, too.

"Well," Cinderella smiled, doing a slow twirl to show off the attire.

"Do I look like a rugged, tough soldier?"

"Beautiful," I managed to say.

"Well, that was to be expected. But... not so tough, I'm afraid."

"Well, your turn," she gestured toward the dressing room. When I finished changing and stepped out to show her, she burst into a fit of heartfelt laughter.

"Hey!" I protested, crossing my arms as Cinderella struggled to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry! But it looks good on you, truly. You are just the cutest soldier." I narrowed my eyes at her but felt my chest warm at the compliment nonetheless. We walked a bit through the camp until I spotted the plump merchants with the food cart. I quickly negotiated with them, buying the entire cart's contents and ordering them to follow us to my squad's quarters. I also spotted the mandolin player, snatched his instrument, and replaced it with a heavy gold coin.

"You do... seem to know your way around here," Cinderella noted, clearly impressed.

"Is this really only your second time?"

"Oh, it's just the gold," I explained smoothly.

"When I throw it at people, they simply become incredibly nice to me and do whatever I say. Sort of like... well, like how people act around you."

"Why, that certainly isn't really..." Cinderella started, but stopped mid-sentence. She probably realized I was entirely right. We arrived at the 19th Regiment's area, navigating through the wooden cabins until we found the 4th squad's quarters right beside a large, splintered oak tree.

"Maybe... wait here for just a short moment," I told Cinderella. Since it was about the same time I had arrived in the last cycle, I expected to find the men in their usual unpresentable, chaotic state. I wanted them to make a good impression on Cinderella. I pushed the door open. Sure enough, my soldiers were gambling, shouting, and half-naked wrestling on the dirty floorboards. Poor Emile was currently in a headlock, turning a distinct shade of purple.

"LISTEN UP! YOUR CAPTAIN IS HERE!" I shouted. Everything stopped instantly. Within seconds, they untangled themselves from their brawl and snapped to attention in a perfectly straight line. But it wasn't exactly like last time. The soldiers didn't seem stressed; if anything, they looked relatively relaxed, and a few even offered me small, respectful smiles. I guessed that Lieutenant Henry wrote about me in his time loop journal and had briefed the men this morning, so they knew more or less what to expect from me.

Oh, I wonder what he wrote about me! They are all staring, and I have no idea what they are thinking!

"Jean-Baptiste," I said, looking at the soldier closest to me.

"Are you hungry?" He blinked, taken aback by the direct question, but then a grin broke across his face.

"Yes, Captain. Very much so."

"That's good," I said.

"If you heard from Henry about the food cart I bought last time, I'll let you know I have it right outside, so we can all have a nice, edible dinner." Now all the soldiers were smiling broadly, some eyes lighting up in sheer anticipation at the mere mention of real food. Yes, buying their loyalty was truly that simple. I probably shouldn't have even bothered with the gold.

"But first, I want to introduce you to my friend," I said. I stepped to the doorway and gestured for Cinderella to come inside. She stepped into the cramped cabin, momentarily startled by the dozen pairs of eyes suddenly locked onto her. But she quickly regained her composure and offered a warm, radiant smile.

"I'm Cinderella," she said sweetly.

"It's truly lovely to meet you all." If the men were smiling before, they were completely slack-jawed now. To men who had spent months surrounded by nothing but unwashed soldiers, a creature as radiant as Cinderella must have seemed like vision sent directly from heaven itself. Oh, but I specifically told her to use the name 'Sophie'! Gosh, can't she lie at all?

Cinderella began to look a bit embarrassed under their dumbfounded stares, so I quickly clapped my hands, ordering everyone to snap out of it and start building a fire outside for dinner. I also shoved the mandolin into Luc's hands.

"I actually play the fiddle..." he started.

"I'm a time looper," I declared.

"You play the mandolin, too."

"Oh," Luc said simply. He shrugged, strummed the strings, and soon a lively, folksy tune filled the campsite. Once the fire was roaring, the soldiers attacked the food cart enthusiastically, sorting through sausages, bread, cheese, onions, and smoked meats with military efficiency. They roasted thick, spiced sausages on iron skewers over the open flames and melted generous chunks of rich cheese, serving the very first portions to Cinderella and me on battered tin plates.

The smoky, savory aroma was heavenly, and I was starving.

"You were right, Drizella," Cinderella said between bites.

"The army is fun!" Yes, yes it was. After we finished eating, Cinderella began to sing—a beautiful, lilting melody that wove perfectly into Luc's mandolin tune. We all just sat around the fire and listened. It was mesmerizing. After Cinderella finished, I cleared my throat and stood up.

"Listen up, men," I started, standing tall.

"I know the work you do for the Empire is grueling. You risk your lives, endure harsh conditions, and are severely underpaid for your loyalty. I want to grant you a small token of my appreciation to keep your spirits high." I walked down the line, pressing two gleaming gold coins into each man's hand. They stared at the money with wide eyes, offering blissful smiles and earnest,"Thank you, Captains". Finally, I got to my lieutenant, but Henry held up a hand, politely refusing the gold.

"That won't be necessary," he said. He glanced at the cheering soldiers and sighed heavily.

"I'm... not entirely sure that was a wise decision, Captain."

"Oh, I was told this before," I said, crossing my arms.

"Would you be so kind as to explain?"

"Well..." Henry rubbed the back of his neck.

"When soldiers get sudden gold, they will drink it, gamble it, or whore it away, and they are quick about it, too. If they gamble or whore it first, you are in luck. If they get to the drinking part... well, you will be short of able manpower tomorrow morning."

"Whore it, you say?!" I gasped, scandalized.

"Most of these men are married or engaged!" Henry just gave me a long, flat look.

"Outrageous!" I huffed. But then I looked around. The men were back to talking and laughing around the fire. Luc had started a new, upbeat melody, and three soldiers were currently trying to impress Cinderella with wildly exaggerated tales of courage. Only four men had walked away from our merry gathering.

"Maybe..." I said smugly, "you are wrong." Henry looked around too, stroking his mustache.

"Well, we will see." I continued to enjoy the evening, noticing that Cinderella had quickly become friendly with the squad. She laughed freely, clearly enjoying herself. Not much time later, the four soldiers who had vanished returned, rolling two massive wooden barrels into the camp.

"Is that...?" I asked Henry, who was still seated beside me.

"Wine," Henry stated flatly.

"And I suspect it isn't the cheap plonk they usually drink; they bought the good vintage." He sighed.

"I was wrong about the soldiers disappearing when they have gold—you truly make it pleasant here. But there will still be drinking." One of the soldiers filled a large tin cup to the brim with dark red wine and headed straight toward me.

"For you, Captain!"

"Well," I said, accepting the cup, "there isn't much harm in some moderate drinking." After every soldier had secured a cup, Emile climbed onto an overturned bucket and raised his drink high.

"Cheers to Drizella! The absolutely best Captain any soldier in any Regiment could have ever asked for!"

"Cheers! Cheers! Cheers!" the men roared. I looked down, blushing furiously. Thank God it was night. Those silly soldiers. I took a small sip. It was excellent wine. I rarely drank wine, as Mother always warned me about how violently unfeminine the activity was. But pox on Mother. I tilted the tin cup back and emptied the whole thing. Soon, something weird happened. The world began swaying strangely. Not violently. It just… wasn't quite as stable as it used to be. But oddly enough, I felt wonderful.

"You don't drink a lot, do you?" inquired Henry, raising an eyebrow.

"I can, and I will!" I answered sharply. Was he thinking this was a purely masculine endeavor, too? Drinking was wonderfully easy!

"Oh, that wasn't what I meant at all," Henry said quickly, raising both hands defensively. But I was already pouring myself another generous cup. I gulped it down just as quickly. I decided to walk over to Cinderella, which proved to be a surprisingly complex task now that the ground had decided to swivel like a madman beneath my boots.

"Is the party to your enjoyment?" I slurred slightly, leaning heavily against a post.

"Very much so!" she beamed at me.

"Your soldiers are incredibly nice!"

"Yes, they have their s… suits," I agreed, blinking hard to focus. I looked over at Luc, who was still dutifully strumming the mandolin.

"Could you sing, Luc? While playing?" Luc stopped, looking thoroughly embarrassed.

"I don't think I can, Captain."

"Well, try it," I commanded, pointing a slightly unsteady finger at him.

"It is an order!" Luc nodded nervously and tried his best. He launched into a silly, fast-paced song about a monkey and a sailor who tried to sell fish and got into dreadful trouble. But while the start sounded promising, Luc quickly fell out of tune in both his singing and his playing. He stopped, looking deeply annoyed by his own failure.

"Why don't you do the singing, Captain?" This was certainly no way for a subordinate to speak to an officer, but it was a clear challenge, and all the men looked at me expectantly. Cinderella too offered an encouraging smile. Luc restarted his lively melody. I jumped right in, going for the fast, funny story about the fisherman that matched his bouncing rhythm. I couldn't quite remember all the words, but it was just a silly tavern story, so I cheerfully improvised the missing pieces.

The soldiers and Cinderella smiled broadly, clapping their hands to the rhythm. I took that to mean I was doing a good job. When I repeated the ridiculous verse I had just invented, Cinderella and the others eagerly joined in, shouting the silly lyrics back at me. When I finished, they all cheered wildly. I bowed deeply, sweeping my arm in a grand gesture like a master theatrical performer. As I straightened, I saw three new familiar faces approached the fire. It was my friends Victor and James.

And also that woman, Juliette.

"By gosh," Juliette groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"This is even worse than last cycle! There are even soldiers from other squads joining in. If this continues, we could get in serious trouble with the Marshal!"

"You are exaggerating," Victor said in a relaxed tone.

"As an experienced soldier, I'll let you know that boosting troop morale is vital. A bit of wine and music does wonders for their loyalty and fighting spirit." Victor caught my eye and gave me a firm nod of approval. Juliette seemed ready for a counter-argument, but Victor had already wisely escaped toward the wine casks.

"It's a party!" I informed Juliette happily, swaying on my feet.

"Have you ever been to one? A party, I mean? You should try it! It's fun! Have you ever actually had fun, Juliette?"

"You are as drunk as a skunk!" she scoffed, glaring at my cup.

"If the Emperor gets assassinated tomorrow because you were too busy—""He most certainly will not!" I cut her off with a wave of my hand.

"Napoleon is in very safe... hiccup!... hands! I dare say!" James headed straight toward me, looking around with a wide grin.

"Party!" he declared, nodding approvingly.

"Yes!" I confirmed loudly.

"When you go back to England, you must teach the Englishmen how to throw parties! That is a marvelous idea!" James nod seriously, pulled out a beautifully carved pocket flute, and began to play. The tune was upbeat and happy, matching Luc's, but James's playing was masterful. The flute's sound was lively, yet incredibly soothing to the soul. Cinderella must have loved it too, because she immediately began singing again, her voice soaring beautifully over the notes.

Her pure singing instantly caught Juliette's attention.

"I don't believe it!" Juliette gasped, slapping a hand over her mouth.

"It's her! It's Cinderella! By Jove she is actually here!"

"Shhhhh!" I pressed a finger firmly against my lips.

"That is, in fact, a secret!"

"We... we searched for her for so long," Juliette whispered in awe.

"And then the future princess just pops up at your drunken army party, wearing infantry uniform. This is absurd..."

"Wait," I commanded, holding up a hand. I felt that there was something serious and important I needed to say. I forced my spinning brain to focus for just a second.

"Cinderella is my important friend," I said, grabbing Juliette's sleeve for balance.

"You will not do anything that endangers her in any way. Do you understand?" Juliette held my gaze and nodded solemnly.

"We won't. You have my word."

"Good!" I declared.

"Our interests align with yours," Juliette added quietly.

"We, in fact, want to see Cinderella married to the prince and ruling one day. We have much to discuss and plan, and..."" Hiccup!" I loudly interrupted.

"... preferably, when you are a touch more sober," Juliette finished with a sigh.

"I... just want her to be happy," I mumbled. I clumsily walked past Juliette and headed back toward Cinderella. She was sitting on a crate now, apparently tired of singing, and was laughing while Emile and Antoine attempted dancing with catastrophic results. I kept trodding toward her. I wanted to say something to her, though my fuzzy brain wasn't exactly sure what that was yet. The world, however, decided to spin even faster, making the simple act of placing one foot in front of the other a monumental challenge.

But I kept at it; I was never a girl to easily give up. I kept walking, and then, quite suddenly, I was falling. The dirt floor was rushing up to meet my face very fast. That wasn't good! But before I hit the ground, strong arms caught me mid-fall. I blinked up. It was Cinderella! What a happy coincidence—the exact person I was looking for.

"Goodness," Cinderella smiled softly, as she hoisted me back to my feet.

"You certainly drank one too many."

"One might assume..." I slurred.

"... that a time-looper would know better," she finished gently, shaking her head.

"Come along, Drizella. I think it best we get you to bed." With one of my soldiers carrying a lantern to light and show us the way, Cinderella wrapped an arm securely around my waist, supporting my swaying weight as she guided me into the quiet cabin. She gently eased me down onto my cot and sat close beside me on the mattress.

"Do you like it here?" I mumbled, my eyelids growing heavy.

"Very much so," she whispered, gently smoothing the hair back from my forehead.

"It's lovely, and I don't remember ever having this much fun. Thank you, Drizella. For... for everything. You are a wonderful friend." I smiled, feeling a warm, happy blush creep up my cheeks. I loved hearing that from her. I wrapped my arms tightly around her waist, burying my face against her side, and finally closed my eyes. The world stopped its dizzying spinning. My life, I decided, was really quite good right now.