hello!!!!! this was requested by @arigonzo05 so i hope this is good!!
this is a cinderellian au, which i know is cliche, but ive always wanted to do one, so here we go!!!
Age 5
Tony didn't really remember much about that day. When his mother came home, and said she was sick. She was dying. His birth father was already gone, and his mother had remarried last year.
He remembered his mother picking him up and setting him on her lap. He remembered her telling him that she wouldn't be around much longer, and that he should always stay true to himself. No matter what anyone says.
His mother died within the year, leaving Tony with his stepfather, and his two evil step-siblings.
Age 10
"Don't forgot to clean the stairs, and polish all the silver while we're gone!" Howard ordered, before slamming the door shut.
Tony let out a breath, and grabbed the mop, and started cleaning the main floor, wishing for someone to come let him out of this place.
***
"Anthony!" Howard opened the door and stomped across the floor.
"Yes, sir?" Tony asked, bowing his head slightly.
"Did you do everything I asked?" Howard asked, his two devil spawn loitering in the background.
"Yes, sir." Tony answered, a little proud.
"Don't take that tone with me, boy!" Howard ordered, and Tony flinched back, bowing his head further.
"Yes, sir." Tony said meekly, and scowled when Howard's back was turned.
Age 17
"Good news! The prince is hosting a ball, for his 18th birthday tomorrow, and you two are going. One of you is bound to impress him. This is it, children, this is how we make it big!" Howard exclaimed, walking into the dining room, and taking a seat at the head. He passed the envelope to Natasha, who passed it to her twin, Clint. The two immediately started talking, and Tony took the opportunity to grab the invitation.
"I need a new dress, father, can I get a new dress?" Natasha whined.
"Of course, dear, whatever you want." Howard said.
"What about me, father? I want a new suit. Something to blow the prince away!" Clint said, waving his arms in the air.
"We'll go this afternoon, how about? You can get anything you need. Anthony will stay here and prepare supper for when we return."
Howard spoiled his children with money he was running out of.
"Can I go?" Tony asked eagerly. This could be his chance, this could be how he got out of here.
"Ha! A peasant like yourself could never even get a suit to wear, let alone a dance with a prince!" Natasha cackled.
"It says any available men and women under the age of thirty. Please, sir, may I go?" Tony begged.
Howard thought for a minute, before lighting up.
"You must get a suit, and we will not let you ride in our carriage, you must provide your own ride. And you have to complete this list of chores, as well as your daily ones." Howard ordered. He pulls out a list of nearly thirty chores.
"But, there's no way I'll complete this in time." Tony said, hope fading.
"That's not my problem, is it." Howard responded. Tony felt tears welling in his eyes, and he exited the dining room as fast as he could.
***
It was three hours from the start of the ball, and Tony didn't have a suit, or anything, but he knew he had to get to the ball.
Silently, Tony climbed the rickety stairs to the attic, where his mother had kept all of his birth father's clothes. He hoped that his step father would have kept it.
He dug through trunks, and boxes until he reaches the back and finds a folded up suit.
"Yes!" Tony cheered, dancing around the attic.
He unfolded the suit, and tried it on.
"It fits it fit it fits!" Tony pumped his fists in the air, and refolded the suit and took it back down to his small closet like room at the end of the hall.
(Tony suspected that it was a closet.)
He stashed the suit under his pillow and listened as the twins and his step father got home from shopping.
"How was shopping?" Tony asked as he made his way downstairs.
"Why do you care?" Clint spat.
"I- never mind." Tony hung his head. "Sir, I finished my chores, may I go to the ball now?"
"If you have a suit, yes you may." Howard said, an evil glint in his eyes. "Now, children, I'll call the tailer, we'll get your clothes in order."
***
Tony tentatively walked down the stairs. He had snuck into Clint's room to steal his brush and some gel for his hair.
"Tony cleans up nice." Natasha purred to Clint as they strut into the entry hall. "Too bad there's a rip in his suit."
"Wha- there's no-" Tony protested, right as Natasha walked up and tore his sleeve off.
"Is that my gel?" Clint demanded, and ran a hand through Tony's over gelled hair, before wiping it on the suit, staining it.
"What the hell!" Tony cried, as Natasha and Clint tore up his suit, leaving him in shambles and tears.
He ran outside, to the sound of the twin's laughter.
He heard the carriage pull up, and instead of joining them, he sat in the cold, shivering.
"Hello, Tony." Tony looked up to see a lady, wrapped in gold fabric that glistened in the moonlight coming toward him.
"Who are you?"
"You're guardian. I'm here to make sure you have the life you deserve." The woman answered.
"Where have you been all my life!" Tony demanded, standing up. "My step father is a monster, and you only arrive when I can't go to a party!"
"I'm very sorry, but I can only come in human form once, and I thought that you needed someone to help you get to the ball." The lady said.
"Fine. Help me get to the damn ball." Tony muttered. "But I have nothing. I can't go in these rags." Tony mournfully held up the torn sleeve and motioned to the rest of his suit.
His guardian waved her hand, gold flashed everywhere, momentarily blinding Tony.
When it cleared, he looked down to see a golden suit, with black lining, and a white undershirt. His dirty work shoes had been replaced with shining black dance shoes.
"Thank you." Tony said, gratitude shining in his eyes.
"We're not done yet. Let's get you a carriage." The woman grabbed Tony's wrist and led him through the house and into the stables, where a horse was standing. The woman waved her hands again, and from the sparks, the horse had gained a saddle.
"I'm riding up on horseback?" Tony demanded.
"I'm sorry, do you want to go back to your rags? I can make that happen." The woman sassed.
"No no, I'm sorry." Tony walked over to the horse, and carefully climbed up on top of the horse.
"You look majestic, dear." Tony's guardian wipes away a few tears. "Go to the ball, but remember, you must be home by twelve. This is powerful magic, and I can't keep it up past that."
"Thank you so much!" Tony waved. The horse started to walk forward, and out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw his guardian disappear in a explosion of golden sparks.
***
Tony tied the horse's reins to a tree, and left him to graze.
He crept up to the palace, and walked in.
He descended the stairs, all eyes on him. Tony blushed and headed to the food set up at the back of the room.
"May I have this dance?" Tony spun around to see a man with blonde hair and sky blue eyes holding out his hand.
Tony smiled and took it.
"Sure. Just a warning, I don't really know how to dance."
"I'll help you. What's your name?" The man asked.
"Tony. Tony Stark."
"Pleasure to meet you, Tony. I'm Crown Prince Steven. You can call me Steve."
PART ONE!!
i would have done in one, but it's already 1500 words, and i'd figured i'd just split it up.
i hope this is good so far and i hope yall like it
please vote share and comment anything you want to see
thanks for reading
XOXO Valkyrie