(Cinderella AU. Sandor Clegane x fem!princess!reader. Originally story was written by The Brothers Grimm and was originally titled "Ashputtle". There is a 2nd part in the works!)

You let out a groan as your handmaiden tightened your corset. "Sorry, Your Highness," she apologized quietly so to not alert your mother. Your mother was a stickler for propriety and perfection. That meant daily lessons on royal etiquette, the land you were to rule, the duties of princess, and most importantly to her, how to dress properly to attract a husband that would rule beside you one day. That meant corsets tightened until you could hardly breathe. Although at the moment, you had other things on your mind.

"A ball, Mother?! Really? You know I hate them." Your mother simply gave you an unimpressed look. "I know, dear, but your father and I have decided to invite all the eligible bachelors in the kingdom to attend. Surely you'll find a suitable husband among them." You groaned again. "A princess does not groan in such a manner," was the only reply that came from her before she headed for the door. "The ball will be in two week's time and will last a week or until you find a husband." With that, she left the room.

As soon as she was gone, you flopped down on your bed which prompted a soft protest from your maid. "Really, Your Highness! Now I'll have to fix your hair again!" You sat up with a sigh. It wasn't like you wanted to make her job more difficult, you just hated all the pressure on you all the time. Now you had to help plan a ball you didn't want anything to do with. You could only hope you would either connect with someone quickly or that your mother would finally give you a break.

*two weeks later*

You tried not to fidget as you gazed around the ballroom. You were about to be announced so the festivities could begin and the ballroom was filling up quickly. Everywhere your eyes turned, you could see men dressed in their best, complete with masks or helms. It was a masquerade after all. But one caught your attention. Among the sea of what you assumed were pretty lords and other young men, there were two men that towered above the others. One wore a mask and the other wore a helmet in the shape of a snarling hound.

You thought you would at least try to enjoy yourself and they seemed to be the least boring of the men there. So, you decided that one of them would be your first dance. Once you were announced, you kept your back straight and headed toward them, only to find the one with the helm had disappeared. Since you were already mid-stride, you continued onto the other rather large man, as big as a mountain, standing there. That would be a mistake.

The man was crude and boorish and violent, if his stories were anything to go by. His grip on your hand and waist was tight and uncomfortable. He made you uncomfortable and you were glad when the song ended and you could move on. You hoped to see the other man soon and prayed he was better than this one. Until then, you had to be content with being passed from one young man to another. All the while, you had to fight not to show how bored you were or how ridiculous you felt about the situation. Grin and bear it until you could make an excuse to take a break before food was served.

While the guests decided to eat, you took the opportunity to sneak out of the ballroom for a moment. You slipped outside for some fresh air only to come face-to-face with the man you'd been hoping to dance with all along. He seemed startled to see you there, but bowed just the same. "Is the ball not to your liking, sir?"

"No," he replied in a raspy voice, "I don't like things like this. Too many people. Too many expectations." You smiled a bit. This was different. Normally, the people that didn't live in the palace told you whatever they thought you wanted to hear. They didn't want to offend you or your family. This man spoke his mind it seemed.

"I understand. Believe me. I do hope you'll dance with me though. At least once. You're the only one I haven't danced with yet." He shifted uncomfortably, making you frown slightly. You didn't want him to be ill-at-ease. "Or perhaps, while everyone else is partaking of the generous amounts of food and alcohol, you would care to sit and talk? I could use a bit of interesting company." He stopped fidgeting and looked at you. At least, you assumed he looked at you. It was hard to tell because of the helmet. "Why would you think I'm interesting?" You let out a little laugh. "Instincts, I suppose. Now, do we have a deal? I'm not quite ready to return to the stuffiness of the ball."

For the next three nights, you managed to sneak out of the ball at some point to talk with your mystery man. Either others really didn't notice you were gone or they were far too drunk to care. The other large man had yet to reappear after the first night. After you slipped away, no one bothered you for the rest of the evening. It was like your own little slice of paradise with him.

You soon discovered that your companion wasn't a big talker, but he was one hell of a listener. And after a while, you were able to get some information about him. The only thing you wish you knew was his name. But he never gave it as was customary at the masquerades. Other than the royals, no names or faces were revealed until the end. But you felt a true connection to this man and you want to see his face. You want to know him. You thought you found someone you could love.

So, on the fifth night of the ball, after you snuck away to see him, you asked him if he would remove his helm. He instantly stiffened. "You don't want me to do that." Your brow furrowed. He seemed very adamant about it. You didn't want him to be uncomfortable, but you really wanted to see his face. "I do, but not if you are against it," you told him.

He stepped away from you into the darkness. You couldn't really see much more than the silhouette of his large figure. You heard a shuffling and the slight clanging of metal as the plates of the armor moved together. Before he could step out into the light, however, there was another noise. One you almost missed. "Get down, Princess," your companion growled out. The tone in his voice had you instantly obeying.

A strange man suddenly burst forward, but before he could reach you, your companion pulled him away. In the shadows, you could hear the tell-tale sounds of a fight. Had someone really come to try to assassinate you at your own ball?! The fight continued for what seemed like hours and you were helpless. Frozen. You felt terrible, but your friend seemed to be able to hold his own.

The noise had attracted the attention of several attendees of the ball. Soon, you found yourself surrounded and being pulled back inside. You fought against them, eager to make certain your friend was alright. By the time you were able to escape the clutches of your "saviors", the fight was over. The only things left were the body of the would-be assassin and a hound-shaped helm tossed carelessly to the ground.

You bent down and scooped up the helm, holding it close to your chest. "Where is he?" you asked. "We don't know. He disappeared as soon as he killed this man." A frown made its way to your lips as you stood still gripping the helm. You slowly walked back inside and made your way to the center of the room. With head raised high, you made an announcement.

"Let it be known that the man that owns this helm," you declared, holding it up for everyone to see, "Has saved my life tonight. Not only that, he has won my affections. If he accepts, he will be your future king. If anyone knows where I can find him, I insist that you come forward. I will not rest until I find him again." With that, you turned on your heel to leave the room, ignoring the whispers.

"Are you certain?" your mother asks as she catches up to you, leaving your father to deal with the aftermath of your announcement. You gave her a nod. Holding up the helm, you gazed at it with a smile. "Yes. I have to find him. I-I think I might love him." Leaving your mother, you returned to your chambers to change from your ball gown into something more comfortable for the search. You were going to find him. No matter what. Even if he rejected you in the end, you had to tell him that you were falling in love with him.