Chapter One
“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”
-Roald Dahl
“But Father!” The Prince exclaimed, “That isn’t fair!”
“Son, I’m serious. If you can’t find a girl before your cousin then he will take the throne.”
Alexander, Duke of Gallows, and cousin to the Prince, sat back solemnly. He really didn’t mind who took the throne. But to be honest with himself, his cousin was truly narcissistic, selfish, and messed around with others romantically too much. He never focused on the good of the people or the kingdom. Alexander was the one who focused on his studies and learning about the people of his kingdom instead of trying to get into the skirts of the ladies.
“Tell him Alex!”
Alexander looked up, “I’m sorry, what?”
“I told you to call him by his proper name when around others of the court.” The King glared at his son. Prince Christopher sighed, finally realizing how inappropriate it was to express his feelings how he had: like a child.
“Christopher, we will arrange a ball before your twenty-first birthday, so you will find a girl there and marry her. Your cousin is free to look for his own girl on his own time, before the ball. Who ever marries first, gets my crown.” And with that, the King stood up abruptly, and left the room.
Alexander frowned when he looked at his troubled cousin. He knew how much he wanted the crown, but he only wanted the crown to please his father, to show him that he wasn’t incompetent. Alexander would try and look for a girl, but he wouldn’t try that hard, for the sake of his cousin.
“You want to help Cinderella?” A voice as sweet as the red roses I was picking for inside asked me.
I spun around, “What? Who are you?” My eyes narrowed in on the woman with the vibrant green eyes, and perfectly pin curled blonde hair, clad in a loose green sundress that made her eyes pop. My own blue eyes searched behind her to see how she had gotten into the rose maze of our back yard without anyone’s notice.
“Anastasia, right?” Her pink lips pulled up into a sweet smile, “I didn’t mean to scare you, but I sensed your kind, eager to help soul. The want to help Cinderella, right?” She tilted her head, her soft dress blowing in the slight breeze, “I heard about your plan that you two discussed for her to get Prince Charming.”
I gaped at her, “How-what? Who…?” No sentences managed to escape my mouth, so I resembled a gaping fish with words trying to burst from my lips. My mind spun trying to figure out who this woman was.
“Oh! Sorry dearie, I’m your fairy godmother! Or well…I’m Cinderella’s, but you get me for the tonight for the ball. I want to help you, more specifically Cinderella.”
I studied here cautiously before I finally nodded eliciting a girlish laugh from her lips, her hands clapping in giddiness, “Excellent! Let’s go back inside, to your room shall we?”
I gasped as I stared at myself in wonder in my tall mirror with a delicate border around the looking glass. My shiny blonde hair was in a tight bun at the crown of my head, held back by a silvery blue crown, small dainty curls dangled about my neck. My shy, tentative fingers reached up to touch the crown, the silver band covered in small blue and white gems made me look royal. Every time I moved, the blue ball gown glimmered luminously, light bouncing off of each individual sparkle sewn onto the dress.
The dress was, in one word: gorgeous. It was designed simply, but attractively. The light blue dress came together in a tight fit until it reached my waist where it flared out, covered in silvery tulle and powder blue, silky fabric until it reached the floor. Two little icy blue petals came out from the sides, bunched together to make the dress look grander. The sleeves where a whitish silver, which puffed out to make my petite frame stand out more, the look came together with a corset like back. My neck was adorned in a blue choker that had a single pendent, shaped in a rose, hanging from the middle, dusted in a silvery powder.
My fairy godmother-or Cinderella’s but mine for tonight, smiled at me, “Look at your shoes.” Her airy voice tinkled at me.
I looked down at my feet, my hands covered in a white elbow length gloves lifted up my skirts to expose glass slippers on my small, dainty feet.
I bit my lip in glee after I gasped in surprise, “They’re beautiful.” I whispered to her.
Two cupid’s bows as lips smiled at me, “Now remember, don’t stay after midnight, and don’t let him see you leave. Most importantly: Do. Not. Kiss. The. Prince.” She reprimanded, her voice going hard in warning, “Do you understand me Anastasia?”
I nodded, making my blonde curls bob with my head, “Yes, fairy godmother.”
“Remember: You have until midnight to…get his attention per say before the spell to lure him here will wear off. If you stay any longer the spell will disappear.” My fairy godmother told me, and replied to show my understanding.
She nodded her approval, “Now run along before your mother gets mad.”
I nodded again, liking the way my hair brush lightly against my skin, smiling gratefully at her. My gloved hands reached down to pick up the silky material of the skirts, rushing carefully to the parlor of the house where my mother and sister awaited me with approving smiles.
My mother was wearing her usual dark colors, her wine red dress making her skin look almost opaque. Her black unruly hair was pinned up-like usual to make a cascade of curls pulled together. My mother’s dark eyes, had worry lines etched around them, her ruby red lips were pulled up slightly at the sight of her youngest daughter.
My crystal blue eyes met the eyes of my older sister of four years, much too old for the prince, but she was going anyways. Her brown eyes, she got from her mother, her unruly red hair from our dad. Her face had a light covering of freckles and her pink dress surprisingly fit her, not making her red hair contrast too much, or her skin to pale.
“Ready to go?” My mother’s deep raspy voice greeted me.
I stood next to my sister as we said in unison, “Yes mother.”
I looked behind me up the stairs to see Cinderella’s wanting face, but she gave me a brief smile as my mother called up, “We’ll be back by midnight.” Cinderella nodded before disappearing up to the attic, her room.
We moved outside, the front door locking behind us, our carriage awaiting us. The plan we had created was simple-one my mother and sister did not know about. They were rotten and did not like Cinderella for some reason- First I must find the prince. Then I must lure him in innocently to dance with me, and maybe even chat for a spell. When he asked for my name, I would not tell him my real name-Anastasia. I must tell him my name was Cinderella. I must entice him, but I must do so in a way so I won’t make it look like the ‘wrong idea.’ When the stroke of midnight comes I must leave immediately before the last stroke hits, otherwise the plan will crumble to make him want me-or Cinderella. And when I left, I must leave a token so he could find me-Cinderella-which would be one of my glass slippers. We were the only two girls in the whole kingdom that wore the same shoe size, a small four.
This plan would not- could not! - Fail, for Cinderella, sweet Cinderella’s sake.
