Fairy Tales Turned Grim: Cinderella Edition

Chapter Nine: Into the Fire

     Ella stood in her bedroom, watching her family leave from the bay window. It hadn't taken long for her to assist her stepsisters, since Drizella had refused her help after yesterday's incident. The moment their carriage had disappeared from view, Ella hastily crossed the room to the chest that hid the evidence of her secret identity. Opening it and dissolving the glamour, she removed her costume and the carriage, then laid everything out on her bed. She couldn't go to the ball wearing the same clothes two nights in a row, so after pondering for a moment, Ella picked up her wand and set to work creating a new outfit.

     When she had finished, Ella stepped in front of the mirror to examine the results, feeling slightly drained from the amount of magick she had used. As soon as she laid eyes on her reflection, however, any exhaustion was immediately forgotten. In front of her stood a woman in a sleeveless, midnight blue dress that appeared to be made of velvet. The bodice was form-fitting and featured a diamond-shaped sapphire in the center, while the skirt flared out around her waist, so long that it almost hid her shoes from view. Her mask and shoes were the same color as her dress, and her hair was styled into an elegant bun that was encircled by a small braid. 

     With a proud smile, she turned to grab the carriage and her wand, then began to make her way toward the stables. When she arrived, it took only a few moments to make the carriage the proper size, and it was a matter of minutes to get Shadow harnessed to it. Ella made sure to give him a pat on the head and a few murmured words of appreciation before opening the door and climbing in. As soon as she had settled herself into the seat, she felt the carriage begin to be pulled forward, and she leaned back as a wave of emotion she had been suppressing crashed over her.

     Guilt and anxiety formed a whirlpool in her stomach, dragging her heart down like dead weight. Through the force of the emotional blow, Ella distantly realized that time seemed to be passing more quickly ever since she had made her decision. It was like the universe was pushing her toward something, although she could only guess as to what. Her destiny? Her freedom? Her doom? The one thing she could be certain of was that she needed to make peace with the path she had chosen. 

     Suddenly aware of a tingling sensation in her fingertips, Ella glanced down at where her hands gripped the seat and was startled by the sight of electricity arcing between her fingers. Her momentary shock caused her magick to flare up, the currents gaining strength and speed before quickly vanishing. Ella squeezed her eyes shut and clasped her now-shaking hands together, taking deep breaths to calm herself. This loss of control - however small it may have been - reinforced the belief that she could not continue to torture herself this way. Unbeknownst to her, it would also seal her fate.

     Focusing her mind and hardening her heart, Ella drowned out any reservations that might have remained with a fierce resolve. She sought out any part of her that rebelled against her plan and locked it away as deep within her as she possibly could. She couldn't afford to hesitate or lose control; it would mean losing everything she had already worked towards. When her mind finally quieted, she sighed as she opened her eyes and released the tension her body had been holding. Relaxing into the seat, she smoothed out her hair and dress, making sure she would still look presentable when she arrived at the palace. 

     Time continued its trend of passing more quickly than she was comfortable with, and Ella soon found the carriage slowing to a halt. Carefully stashing her wand under the seat, she braced herself for the night to come and opened the door to step out. She once again found herself instantly in awe of the castle's beauty, and barely registered the sound of Shadow pulling the carriage away behind her. She snapped out of it after a moment, and her vision focused on the same man from last night, staring after Shadow in amazement. Ella offered a small smile as she quickly hurried past him, wanting to avoid any conversation about Shadow and the driverless carriage.