The Little Cinder Girl
by Oracles Unknown
Once upon a time, in a magical land teeming with good and evil, a beautiful queen birthed an incredibly special daughter.
Strong of heart and fast as wind. A warrior set apart, unwilling to bend.
Adored by her mother the queen but rejected by her father the king, the girl felt as if she lived in two worlds. The beloved princess and the despised servant. Then, one day, an evil force brought the cherished queen to an untimely end, leaving the girl in her cruel father’s hands.
When the time came for this king to marry again, he selected a woman with two magically gifted daughters. For years he experienced bliss and harmony with his new family...while his own child suffered at the hands of others, wearing rags, carrying countless buckets of water, stoking fires, cooking, and cleaning. Alone, unwanted and forgotten by the rest of the world, she slept in soot for warmth. Before long, the villagers referred to her only as Cinder, a terrible insult, but also an unwitting tribute.
Soon after the girl’s seventeenth birthday, the mighty king of a neighboring kingdom wished to find a bride for his son. Like the princess, this prince felt as if he lived in two different worlds. One of honor, and one of dishonor.
Hoping to draw the most worthy girls in the land, the marriage-minded king hosted a festival of old, complete with trading, jousting, and balls.
Cinder begged her father and stepmother to let her attend. Never had she been so excited. Alas, the king turned a deaf ear to her pleas while the heartless stepmother and hateful stepsisters laughed, insisting the royal servant stay home to finish her chores. Then off the family of four went, leaving Cinder brokenhearted. But it wasn’t long before a fairy godmother appeared with a gift, determined to prepare her for the night’s festivities. Then off Cinder went as well, eager to enjoy the night.
Upon first sight, the honorable-dishonorable prince was utterly besotted with her. Ignoring everyone else in the ballroom, he claimed her hand and led her to the dance floor, where he held her in his arms for the rest of the evening, refusing to partner with anyone else. She made him want to be wholly honorable, a friend and never a foe. But could he be what he had never known? And why would she not tell him her name?
While Cinder enjoyed every moment with the prince, wanting only to bask in his affection, she didn’t dare to share her identity with him. Could he truly fall in love with the girl no one else wanted? Then came the stroke of midnight, a clock chiming.
Ding.
Diiing.
Diiiiing.
Knowing she must arrive home before her family, Cinder ran from the prince, never looking back. Though he searched for his witty companion, he could not find her again...until the next celebration.
For the second time, Cinder’s family attended the event without her. Thankfully, a new fairy godmother arrived to give her a magnificent gown and ensure she joined in the gaieties.
The moment Cinder reached the celebration, the prince rejoiced. Once again, he took her by the hand, led her to the dance floor, and held her in his arms all night, refusing to partner with anyone else. To his consternation, she still refused to share her identity, and still abandoned him at midnight. Though he searched far and wide, he could not find her.
The third time would be the last.
When the final celebration kicked off, Cinder didn’t despair. Instead, she waited, her faith rewarded when a third fairy godmother appeared. This one granted her a dress more spectacular than any other, pairing it with magical slippers only she could wear, made of gold so pure, they appeared to be glass.
All the other guests marveled at Cinder’s appearance, for they had never seen a more glorious sight. No one could glance away as she danced with the prince, who only had eyes for her.
When the clock tolled, announcing the arrival of midnight, the prince did not panic. Nor did he panic when Cinder ran from him once again. This time, a trap had been set, the palace stairways covered in pitch. But, the clever beauty surprised him. As soon as one of her beloved slippers got stuck, she left it behind and hurried away.
Enough was enough. The prince announced to one and all that he would wed the girl whose foot fit the slipper. Her and no other.
As word quickly spread through the kingdom, many hopeful females requested a chance to don the magical slipper. When Cinder’s oldest stepsister tried to fit her foot into the shoe, she failed. In an effort to trick the prince, she severed her big toe. But the prince was no fool and swiftly realized what had happened.
Next, Cinder’s younger stepsister tried to fit her foot into the shoe. She, too, failed and hoped to trick the prince by severing her heel. But again, he realized what had happened.
After dismissing the two, he inquired about the king and queen’s remaining daughter. Not wanting Cinder to succeed where her stepsisters had failed, the two lied, claiming Cinder was too sickly to leave her bedroom. Nevertheless, the prince insisted on meeting her.
Cinder gathered her courage to confront him. Even though she feared that the boy she’d fallen in love with would be disappointed by the real her, she presented herself to him at long last. With her head high, she eased upon a stool and slid her dirt-caked foot into the slipper. It was a perfect fit.
The prince rejoiced, and her family mottled with rage, knowing they would soon be forced to face the consequences of their actions.
Face those consequences they did.
The father was betrayed by his greatest love. The stepmother lost everything she’d ever prized. Birds plucked out the stepsisters’ eyes.
Overjoyed to have Cinder in his arms again, the prince soared away with her, their hearts beating in sync, one with the other. They married and lived happily ever after...eventually.
PROLOGUE
A glimpse into the past
Enchantia
The Provence of Fleur
When Good Intentions Have Evil Ends
Hear ye, hear ye! On this day in history, King Philipp Anskelisa of Fleur and Queen Charlotte Charmaine-Anskelisa welcomed their first child into the world. More than anything, the king had longed for a son. Alas. Fate gave him a daughter instead. A sickly one, at that.
Princess Ashleigh Charmaine-Anskelisa entered the world as quiet as a mouse, as still as a statue and as blue as a morning sky. The frantic midwife worked to aid the child’s breathing while shouting for mystical healers, who burst into the chamber minutes later only to discover their magic couldn’t fix the child’s malformed heart. While they could heal injuries given after birth, they could not affect the injuries created before it. The infant continued to struggle, on the verge of death.
Propped on a bed with a mound of pillows behind her and a feathery blanket draped over her lower half, Charlotte reached out to demand, “Give me my baby.” Though she was weak, tired, and sore, she would not relent in this. “Give her to me now.”