Reversed Roles

A Twist in the Tale

Ashlynn knew that having to wait on her stepsisters and stepmother would be hard work, but not this hard. She had spent hours of cooking, cleaning, sewing and mending. Any free time she did have, which was once in a blue moon, was spent either in her room or out in the garden with her animal friends.
Ashlynn had finally finished the last of her chores and slowly dragged herself out to her room. Tomorrow will be better was the only thought that kept her going. This was in fact true as her stepmother and stepsisters were going away for a week to visit some distant aunt or something. This meant that Ashlynn would get to stay back to 'keep house'. She slowly climbed into her bed really hoping that everything would go to plan.

"Well, it all depends on where you want to go." Kitty purred slyly at a very confused Alister.
"Where can I go?" questioned Alister.
"I could always send you to Maddie Hatter or would you prefer the March Hare? They're both mad you know." grinned Kitty.
"I don't want to be around mad people!" Alister exclaimed.
"That's too bad because nearly everyone here is. You can see that I'm not exactly all here either." Kitty said as she slowly disappeared and reappeared in another tree. Alister gasped and turned around as she spoke.
"Maddie Hater is that way if you want to know. At this time they'll probably be having tea. Hehehehe." She giggled as she pointed right gradually disappeared leaving only her smile. Alister shook his head and muttered to himself
"After being around this lot I wouldn't be surprised if I went mad myself."

Ashlynn was having the most fun that she had had in ages. With no one to tell her to do any chores she had most of the day off. Of course she still had keep the house clean and dust-free otherwise her stepmother would know that she had been slacking off. It was on the third day that it arrived. Four pink envelopes sealed with the royal stamp. Ashlynn looked at the ball invitations with confusion. This wasn't right. Her stepmother and sisters wouldn't be back for another week and the ball was scheduled for tomorrow night. Wouldn't this change everything.
'I suppose that I can just go to the ball, meet the prince and fall in love anyway. It doesn't really matter does it?" Ashlynn decided to borrow one of her stepsisters dresses. They had so many that they would hardy miss just one. She spent the rest of the afternoon mending the dress and adding some personal touches.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" asked Maddie.
"Oooh, I love riddles!" Alister exclaimed. "Hmm, I don't know. Why is a raven like a writing desk?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"It was your riddle!" Alister angrily argued.
"Was not!"
"It was!"
"I want a clean cup. MOVE DOWN!!" demanded Maddie as she pushed Alister down the table.
"But I wasn't finished!" protested Alister. Just then Bunny Blonk rushed in shaking a watch and repeating 'I'm late, I'm late, I'm really really late.'
"Where are you off to Bunny?" Maddie stopped the rabbit to ask.
"I'm late, I'm late to meet the queen." she answered, pointing at her watch.
"Hmmm, you know that watch looks pretty broken to me. It's a day late." Maddie informed Bunny as she took the watch. She then started to open the watch and peering inside.
"Pass me the butter!" she demanded and the butter was passed down. Maddie took a huge slab of butter and started to spread it over the clogs of the watch.
"No! My watch!" Bunny continued to protest.
"Hmm, I need the jam and the tea!" Maddie demanded once again ignoring Bunny's protests. After piling the watch with jam and tea Maddie triumphantly closed the watch.
"There. It's fixed!" she declared. Bunny just looked at the watch in horror before bounding off once again muttering to herself "I'm late, I'm late for a very important date."
"Wait, I want to go with you!" Alister yelled after the rabbit and started chasing after it.

Ashlynn couldn't understand what went wrong. Was it because she didn't have her fairy godmother to help? All she knew was that she turned up to the ball and found that the prince didn't treat her like anyone special. She was just another maiden at the ball who wanted his attention. Without her beautiful blue dress and glass slippers she didn't stand out. Now she started to panic. If she didn't marry the prince then she would be stuck with her stepmother and stepsisters for the rest of her life and the story would have failed. After hours of trying to get the princes attention she gave up and headed home. Although she knew it wouldn't really mean anything, she decided to leave one of her shoes on the staircase as a desperate measure and returned home.

Alister sat cowering under a bush as he heard Lizzie's card soldiers looking for her. He knew he was in real trouble. While playing croquet with the Queen he had accidentally hit her hedgehog which was against the rules. The queen was meant to win and anyone who tried to stop her face terrible consequences.
"Find that cheater and when you do, OFF WITH HIS HEAD!!" Lizzie screamed and Alister knew that this time he was in too deep. This wasn't part of the story. If he got caught and killed be the queen then the story would be over, they would have failed. He just had to sit tight and pray that that didn't happen.