Tales of the Fairies: Cinderella

Once upon a time, which is the start of many tales, there lived a very wealthy nobleman. The man lived alone in his great mansion with his daughter, Ella, and their great fortune. Considering he was one of the wealthiest noblemen, he had a lot of power, and made a few enemies. His enemies were also fellow noblemen, though they were not very noble. They hired an assassin to kill the man, so that he may be out of the picture, and out of their hair.

The assassin was the best in her business, a ferocious femme fatale, who never failed a task. She had many skills and knew many fighting styles. She had knowledge on many types of weapons as well. However, with all her knowledge and skill, she was not prepared for what would occur on this specific mission.

The nobleman, who was a rather handsome lad, looked up at her with a knife to his throat. He did not beg for his life, he simply offered her his heart and his wealth. While this may not be the greatest foundation for a romance, this is a fairy tale, after all. She accepted his offer, and for the first time, she failed to complete a mission. Things were going to be different now, for her, for him, and for young Ella.

The assassin had two daughters of her own, they were trained to fight, but never went on missions since they were children. The daughters didn’t like soft little Ella very much. Ella tried to be their friend, but they would be mean to her. They stole her toys just to break them, and they always played tricks. Ella’s father seemed happy with his new wife, so Ella mostly suffered in silence. She did not want to concern him with things she probably should have concerned him with.

Though as happy as her father seemed, this was not a happily ever after moment, for he still had his enemies. These enemies did not give up on having him killed either. Their next attempt was more successful, and Ella’s father was killed. Ella’s new stepmother did not take kindly to this. Over the course of many years she hunted down her husband’s enemies, with each one killed, the more power and wealth she obtained. The step sisters began to train more, and even hunt and kill targets of their own as a deadly duo. This left little time for chores, so Ella was forced to do them all. Her stepmother and stepsisters began to treat her more harshly as the years progressed. What began as love-struck revenge, was now a power grab, and what once was Ella’s childhood home, was now her prison. Her stepmother barely cared to even look at her anymore. This story does not end on a sad note, however. No, this is where Ella’s story truly begins.

Many years passed since Ella’s father was struck down too soon. Ella and her stepsisters were now young women. Ella grew into a pretty young woman, with blonde hair like rays of sunshine and blue eyes as deep as the ocean. It was hard to tell, though, because she was always dirty from all the chores she had to get done. She was dressed either in torn rags or hand me downs from her sisters. They were close in age to her, so their old clothes were small on her. She typically wore some kind of cloth over her head, to both protect her hair and keep it out of her face while she worked. She was slender from only being fed the leftovers that her stepmother and stepsisters didn’t eat each day. Her skin was almost always covered in a thick layer of dirt and soot. With all the cinder and soot, her stepsisters began to call her Cinderella. Ella did not like it, but she remained quiet. Standing up to them made them become more cruel.

The stepsisters were at least more clean than poor Ella. Their names were Charlotte and Tisbe. They wore the fanciest dresses and finest jewelry at all times. That is, When they were not training or on a mission. Charlotte had strawberry blonde hair, while Tisbe had brown. They both had light brown eyes. Charlotte was slim and lean from training, but featured a nose that seemed too big for her face with warts sprouting in strange places. There was now a wart forming on the tip of her nose. Tisbe was a bit bulkier. She had a hefty build and her training almost made her appear masculine. She also naturally had a big unibrow, that she tried to get rid of often. Other than Charlotte’s hair, it seemed the girls didn’t look much like their mother. Some may even argue that they were jealous of Ella, and that’s why they were so mean. Ella didn’t feel that way, though. After years of torment, her sense of self worth was very low.

Adding to Ella’s torment was that whenever she ran errands into town, the people there were also starting to call her Cinderella. It was definitely her stepsister’s fault, as they loved spreading around their insults. Ella did not wish them ill will, however, she knew the mocking served as a distraction for them. The town was becoming run down in recent years. The whole kingdom was in disarray.

Over the years, the king had married a queen from one of the neighboring kingdoms. She only had one son of her own, but it was said that he had been killed. The king had two children of his own, a son and a daughter. Both were young adults now too. The marriage between the king and queen formed a strong alliance between the nations, but there were several new laws being passed that made life a bit harder, such as higher taxes and stricter guards. Many people believed the new Queen had something to do with it, because the King had been very good to his people prior to her involvement. One thing that did not help the political struggles of the land, was the fact that Ella’s stepmother continued to meddle and kill opposing noblemen.

The remaining nobleman that stood in her way was a pig-man. Pig people aren’t overly common in this part of the world, but they were hard to miss. This one has tusks coming from his snout and a monocle on his eye. He wore a fine suit and was feeling safe in his home. His family had been nobles for many generations, being the only noble house of its size to be composed of pig-folk. As he sat near the fireplace, something would catch his eye. He looked around and saw nothing, but an eerie feeling remained. He stood up and walked into the center of the room. He would then think he saw something move in the shadows.

“What was that?” The pig-man asked in a hushed tone to himself. After a few moments passed, he realized he was just imagining things and began to head back to his chair. That’s when two poison daggers came out of the shadows and caught him in the back. He let out a loud piglike squeal and fell to the ground as the poison began to seize his muscles.

Out from the shadows came the stepmother. Her name was Kathrine Van Gale, and she was officially the greatest noble in the kingdom. She is now middle aged, and has only become more efficient with her skills. Her strawberry blonde hair was her most stand out feature, though she also featured bright green eyes. She wore leather pants with a half skirt covering the back, and a leather corset over a white blouse. She wore a hood that was strapped to her corset not wanting a long cloak. She had a sheathed sword hanging from her hip, and a strap going over her shoulder and across her torso that carried smaller knives. There were also a couple of small dagger sized sheathes that were empty on her opposite hip. She wore a smug smirk, and pulled her daggers out of the back of the pig-man, and sheathed them.

As the swine noble laid on the floor, he continued to breathe labored breaths. Lady Van Gale would pull out an unlit torch that was tucked into her belt, and walked over to the fireplace. She stuck the end of the torch into the fire and got it to light. She then turns and looks at the pig-man noble, who stared up at her in fear and pain.

“It’s a shame what happened here” She would say slyly with her smirk turning into a full smile, “house fires can be unavoidable sometimes.” With that, she dropped the torch a few feet away from the noble. As his weakened grunts began to sound panicked, Lady Van Gale left without a trace, just as she arrived.

Ella’s stepmother soon arrived home through her bedroom window, and changed into one of her usual dresses. She then hid her assassin clothes in a trunk that was in her closet. She made her way down the staircase with a devious smirk resting upon her face, as she could feel herself getting richer. As she walked through the living area, she ran her fingers across a shelf. Her fingers then collected a thin and barely noticeable layer of dust. She kept her smirk as if she enjoyed what came next.

“Ella!” the stepmother called out as Ella rushed in, and was out of breath from her current chores. “This place is filthy! I thought you would take better care of your fathers home than this.”

“I’m sorry, M’lady” Ella said meekly, not trying to argue the fact that she had been busy all day. She knew that she may end up with harder chores if she did.

“I need you to dust the house, do the laundry, clean out the fireplace, feed the horses, and prepare dinner.” The stepmother bombarded Ella with an unnatural amount of chores, considering what she already had.

“I already did the laundry.” Ella mentioned, hoping for a speck of recognition.

“There is more.” The step-mother said very sternly, no longer holding her smirk. Ella saw no sense in arguing or trying to defend herself, so she began to turn and walk away. However, before she could make it out of the room, there was a knock at the door.

“Oh, Ella!” Lady Van Gale called out to stop Ella from leaving the room, “answer the door, before you go.” With that, Ella slowly turned back around and walked towards the door to answer it. Upon answering the door, Ella noticed that there was a small royal convoy and a short little man standing in front of her.

“May I speak to the lady of the house?” The man, who seemed to be a messenger, asked. To which Ella found herself completely removed from the doorway as her stepmother pushed her aside.

“Yes? I am the lady of the house, Lady Van Gale!” The stepmother spoke properly but with a contained excitement. She also acted as if she didn’t just shove Ella aside. The stepsisters came running down the stairs and stood behind their mother eagerly trying to hear what was happening. The messenger stared at them a moment with a slight distaste for their eagerness, but with a sigh he continued.

“I am here to present your invitation to the royal ball, being held for the Prince’s birthday. The king decrees that the prince shall be betrothed to a lucky young lady of his choosing that night. Invitations are being given to all noble houses in our kingdom and neighboring kingdoms.” The messenger handed over the invitation to Lady Van Gale. “Hope to see you there.” With that he strode away from the door to make his way back to the convoy.

As Ella’s stepmother and stepsisters began babbling with excitement over this opportunity, Ella began to imagine what it would be like to go to the ball. She hadn’t attended a party like this since she was just a child with her father. She didn’t care for it then, but now she longed for the chance to wear a fancy gown and dance around with the handsome prince. Eating the finest foods, and having the finest drink, and living for just a day as if she was more than just a servant girl for her so-called family. The rambling excitement they had snapped her out of her fantasy, as their words gave off a scarier vision that is one of them marrying the prince.

“Can I go to the ball?” Ella asked humbly and slightly shushed. This caused her stepmother’s smile to fade into a look of disgust, as she looked at Ella.

“The prince would never want someone such as you.” The step-mother’s reply was delivered coldly, as she looked Ella up and down. She then let a devious smirk crawl up her face, “but perhaps you can come if you get your chores done and you get cleaned up before the ball.”

“Cinderella? At the ball?” the stepsisters belted out, nearly in unison, as they began to giggle uncontrollably. “that would ruin the party!”

Ella didn’t let their words bother her. The glimmer of hope that she could go to the ball was enough to keep her spirits high. She then ran off to finish the chores she was tasked with doing. She never got to have any fun, and this could be the night of her life. And she knew just what to wear.

Later that night, up in her room, Ella opened an old chest. Inside the chest were several trinkets from her father and many of her mother’s belongings. She searched through the contents of the chest reliving old memories and remembering stories her father told her about her mother. Buried at the bottom of it all, was her Mother’s favorite gown. After all these years, Ella was old enough to fit into the gown. More importantly she had a reason to wear it. The gown was a beautiful light blue color with frills going down the skirt. She tried it on and pranced around the room, imagining she was at the ball dancing with the prince. Charlotte and Tisbe heard her in her room, and peeked in on her. They were jealous of the beautiful gown and made terrible plans.

The day of the ball, Ella was rushing as fast as she could to get all of her chores done. Never before had she worked so hard and so willingly to get it all done. As she hurried along, she hummed to herself in excitement. She swept the floors, cleaned the laundry, fed the horses, cleaned the curtains, dusted the shelves, made the beds, and cleaned out the fireplace. The more chores she finished, the more it seemed there were to do. As it began to get a bit later, she was cleaning up a bit, and finishing the last of her chores, when she noticed her stepmother out back talking to a hooded man.

The hooded man looked similar to the messenger who brought the invitation to the ball. Ella snuck closer to get a better look, hiding behind a row of bushes. She saw him hand her stepmother a note. Lady Van Gale read it to herself and looked up with a concerned face at the messenger. The messenger mumbled a few things that Ella didn't hear and walked away, disappearing into the night. Ella ducked lower and hid as her stepmother walked back inside, and laid the note down on the table in the dining room. It seemed careless of her, but she seemed to have a lot on her mind after reading it.

Ella waited until she was gone, and sneakily took a peek at the note. Ella’s eyes widened and she let out a soft gasp. The note was from the queen. It was an assassination contract to kill the king. The payment for such a task was that one of the step-sisters would be chosen to marry the prince, no matter how the prince felt about it. Of course, gold was also offered in advance. This news was very frightening. She knew that her stepmother would take the offer as well.

Ella was the only one who knew about this, and she knew she had to warn someone. She rushed upstairs to get ready for the ball, since her best chance to save the king and the prince was to be there. She dashed into her room and practically slid to the old chest. She opened it to discover that her mother’s gown was shredded into pieces. Her heart sank into a deep despair. It felt as if in a split second all her hopes and fears were realized all at once. Not only could she not go to the ball to save the king, but she felt as if she lost a piece of herself as well. Tears overcame her quickly as she held the pieces of the only thing she owned from her mother.

“NO!” she yelled out, almost without meaning to. Her stepsisters stormed into the room and then began laughing at her.

“Oh no! Cinderella can’t go to the ball!” They once again spoke in unison. It was rather unnerving when they did that, but right now, it was the last thing on Ella’s mind. “What could have happened to her dress?” Ella could hear the sarcasm in their voices. Ella sat there in her defeat, trying to hold back what tears she had.

“Girls, it’s time to leave. Are you coming, Ella?” Lady Van Gale’s voice was dark and bone chilling. Ella stood there frozen in the face of the King’s possible assassin.

“I finished all my chores,” Ella choked out from behind her despair and nervousness, “But my gown is ruined.”

“I told you, you had to be ready.” Her stepmother’s cold voice sounded pleased. “If you have no gown, then you are not ready.”

“But….” Ella tried to argue.

“Quiet, Cinderella, the ball is no place for you and your filth,” her stepmother interrupted sharply. Calling her Cinderella was salt to the fresh wound. “Let’s go, girls.”

As the evil trio left her doorway to head for the ball, Ella would run and fall onto her bed in tears, burying her head in her pillow. She felt hopeless, and lost. There’s no way she’d make it to the ball, and definitely no way she’d be able to fight the assassin’s if she did. What could she possibly do? This feeling of helplessness only made the situation worse.

It wasn’t long before Lady Van Gale and her daughters were off to the ball. Ella remained in her room using her pillow to drown the sounds of her crying, along with this crushing reality. The sun was going down and her room was getting darker. However, she did not notice a strange light shining through her window.

The light made the entire room come aglow. Glittery sparkles dance in through the window as well. They swirled around the room, and formed a glowing vortex in the very center of the room. The display was enough to make Ella look up from her pillow and gasp out in terror. She backed away as far as she could against the headboard of the bed and stared with eyes wide. The glittery cyclone spread out into a wide sparkling wall. However it behaved as a curtain and was opened from the middle and pushed to the side by two human looking hands.

Out from the glowing curtains came a very tall and beautiful woman. Her hair was like rays of sun and her eyes were like the deep ocean. Her skin gave off a glow that seemed to light up the room all the more. The glitter that floated around the room suddenly vanished, but the light in the room did not fade.

“Who… who are you?” Ella barely managed to get the words out of her mouth, but she had to know what was happening. “What are you doing here?”

“I am the Fairy God Mother, mother of all the fairy gods. I reign over all that exists in your world.” The woman spoke softly with a voice that almost seemed to echo despite the softness. “The legendary fairies that stories in your world tell about are all my children.”

“What do you want with me?” Ella asked, completely in disbelief of what she was seeing, and wondering if she was having a dream.

“I have foreseen a coming war, one that will cause much destruction to the world. A war of good and evil, with evil seeking control.” The woman began to explain. “Today is the deciding factor for the outcome of the war.”

“The outcome?” Ella didn’t like the thought of war, she also didn’t like how decisive this seemed to be.

“Yes, the outcome.” The Mother of fairy gods smiled gently, it was a soothing smile. “The king’s death will be the spark that begins the war, and the marriage of the prince to either of your step-sisters, will allow the queen to tighten her grip using the influence of your step-mother.”

“Why can’t you stop them then?” Ella would ask, wondering why an all powerful fairy goddess would feel the need to tell her this.

“Though my power is great,” the goddess would reply solemnly, “my power in this world is limited.”

“What do you mean?” Ella was clearly confused by what she meant.

“The other fairies of legend are my extension into this world,” She explained, “they act for me, and shape the world as they can, but I must say regretfully, one of my children has fallen to darkness and the balance of this world is already fading.” Her words grew increasingly mournful. “I will do all that I can do, however, and that is to ask for your help.”

“What?! What can I do?” Ella asked, she was increasingly worried, not wanting to be the world’s last hope against master assassins. “I can’t fight them!”

“You won’t do this alone,” The goddess smiled, “I can give you the strength to overcome, using what power I can spare.” She smiled a smile that looked as if she was pleading, “You will be my champion, and you will use my magic.”

The offer was a lot to unpack, and Ella definitely wondered why she of all people had been chosen. Perhaps it was because only she knew of the plot, perhaps it was Ella’s status as the true inheritor of her father’s estate, or perhaps it was something simple as being pure-hearted in a battle of good and evil. No matter the reason, Ella was perplexed nonetheless.

“Ok,” Ella replied meekly and uncertainly, “I’ll do it. I’ll help you.”

“Splendid!” the Fairy’s voice thundered with joy. “Shall we begin?”

Ella simply nodded her compliance to begin, and with a flash, she and the great goddess were outside.

“Now, Ella, I will bestow upon you the gifts to make you my champion.” The Mother of the fairy gods would say as her voice seemed to boom all the louder. “First, we must prepare you for the ball.”

In the Goddess’s hand, a wand appeared. She waved it around and the magical sparkles flew from the end and swirled around Ella. The most beautiful dress she had ever seen, suddenly materialized on her body in place of what she was already wearing. A silky blue gown formed over her with fancy jewelry and a masquerade mask over her face. The magical fairy dust flew away from Ella and swirled through the garden. It picked up and carried over a pumpkin and little field mice. The pumpkin was transformed into a fancy carriage and the mice into horses. The scarecrow was turned into the carriage driver. Ella stared in both fear and amazement at what power this magical fairy goddess had. Her limited magic in this world still seemed more powerful than what Ella could imagine.

“Now for the final touch.” The Fairy gods mother continued. She held her hand up, and in it was a little dagger looking weapon. The hilt was colored a bright red and orange color, and the handguard seemed to be folded up And covering most of the blade. It hovered from her hand and fluttered over to Ella. Ella grabbed the handle and instantly the guard unfolded and the blade extended to make a sword. A gust of flame rose up from the hilt to the tip of the blade. Her dress burned away and she was then dressed in a flame colored short dress and matching corset with black leather pants underneath with, it was something she felt she could fight in. Suddenly her mind was filled with the knowledge of how to fight as well. Hand to hand combat, sword techniques, and even strategic improvising, was all in her head. It was as if she had years of training. In an odd sense, she remembered having years of training even though she knows she never did.

“How is this possible?” Ella gasped out.

“This sword belongs to my champion and my champion alone. Anyone who wields it gets the knowledge of those before them.” The goddess explained, while smiling. She knew Ella would remember these experiences as if it were her living it.

The sword then collapsed into its dagger form and her blue ball gown reappeared on her. She still remembered the memories the sword gave her, but they felt more distant all of a sudden. She placed the dagger into a sheath that was on her leg, to help conceal the weapon.

“Now you must go, before it is too late. For at midnight, my power will diminish. You will remain my champion, but I will no longer be able to disguise you.” The goddess voiced her warning and haste.

“I won’t fail you.” Ella suddenly felt braver than before and more determined. She had no issue with fighting the three women that made her life miserable, she now just had the courage to do it. She stared on as the goddess vanished behind the curtain of fairy dust once more.

The scarecrow hopped down from the driver’s seat and opened the carriage door for Ella. She looked into his eyes and they seemed dead and lifeless, but his smile was big and genuine. There was something endearing and creepy about it. Trying to ignore it, she climbed in the carriage. Just as quickly as the carriage could go, she was off to the Palace.

It would not take long for Ella to reach the ball. She stepped out of the carriage, and looked around at the arriving guests. Despite the situation, she couldn’t help but smile at the fancy dressed people all happily entering the palace. She was almost mindlessly taking it all in as she was stopped by one of the guards. The guard took her a bit by surprise, as he was a large bear. The big grizzly guard lowered down to rest on his four paws, so he could be more on her level.

“Do you have an invitation?” The hairy guard softly growled out, in a polite tone. The bear didn’t seem to want to give her a hard time, but guards seemed to be checking everyone.

“I… uh…” Ella was a bit frozen and nervous. She didn’t remember actually having an invitation. She patted herself down acting as if she was looking for it to stall while she thought of a plan, when she felt something caught on the skirt of her gown. She plucked it off and looked at it to discover it was an invitation. A few sparkles of fairy dust flew off of it as she held it, to let her know she was not alone here. “I… have it right here”

“Looks like you’re all set to enter,” The bear cheerfully expressed while looking at the invitation. “Enjoy the party.”

“Thank you, Sir” Ella curtsied, and made her way past the bear, heading into the palace. She followed the flow of fancy dressed people down the palace hall to the large entrance of the ballroom. Ella could not help but be excited by the whole thing.

Once in the ballroom, she looked around with wide eyed amazement. There were so many people in extravagant clothing, elegant decorations, and tables filled with food and drinks. She hasn’t been to a party like this, since she was a child. She didn’t care for it then, now it’s everything she dreamed of having. She took several minutes soaking in the atmosphere, trying to enjoy this moment as long as she could before completing her mission. Afterward, keeping an eye out for her stepmother became a priority. Though before she could really search, she heard an announcer get everyone’s attention.

“I hereby formally announce the royal family!” The announcer shouted with pride. The King and Queen walked out side by side both dressed very ornately with the queen shining most of all. The Queen was middle aged with black hair and her deep brown eyes looked nearly black as well. She was beautiful for sure, however, Ella felt a cold shiver run up her back just looking at her. She knew exactly what the Queen planned. The Queen still smiled and acted as if she was happy to be here. The king was a more aged man, with white growing in his hair and beard, but a soft and gentle smile that his subjects loved. The Queen and the king approached the thrones, while behind them, the Prince and Princess walked in as well.

The Princess was very beautiful, almost enchantingly so. Her skin was fair and pale, her hair was black as night, her lips were as red as roses, and her eyes were blue like ice. She was close to Ella’s age, though likely a little bit older. The Princess smiled softly, though there was a strange sadness to it. She wasn’t the actress that the Queen was. Ella nearly envied every aspect of her, but those feelings were overshadowed by a feeling of respect. Ella would next notice the Prince.

The Prince was very handsome. He shared the same black hair as his sister, Though his skin was not as fair. He was nicely tanned, and had a nicely sculpted, clean shaven face. Ella almost didn’t realize she was that focused on him. She knew the prince was known for his looks, but she had never gotten to see him for herself. His eyes were a deep blue that she thought she might drown in. However, he didn’t seem to want to be here. Ella supposed this pressure for marriage was part of the reason. Ella would quickly try to snap out of her trance and find her stepmother. Now that the royal family was here, it was only a matter of time before something happened.

The party continued into the night, and Ella was remaining vigilant. She had found the troublesome trio, and was keeping a close eye on them. She had seen each of her stepsisters dance with the Prince, without any sign of trouble. Ella wasn’t going to attack first, since part of her hoped nothing would happen. As she was lost in her thoughts on the situation, she heard a voice speak to her in an exasperated tone.

“These parties can be awfully dreadful, don’t you think?” The voice was followed by a deep sigh and a sip of drink. Ella looked over to see where it had come from and saw it was the Prince. She suddenly got really nervous and could only respond by nodding. The Prince would look over and smile, “I haven’t had a dance with you yet, have I?”

“No, I’m not much of a dancer.” Ella would mutter out nervously.

“Would you like to dance with me?” The Prince offered his hand and smiled.

“I couldn’t possibly…” Ella began to respond, as she hoped her mask covered up how flustered she was. She didn't want any unwanted attention, nor did she want to embarrass herself in front of the Prince.

“I insist,” The Prince cut in as he quickly looked around the room then back at Ella, “you are the most beautiful lady here, and the only one not tripping over themselves to dance with me.” He would then act a bit awkward himself, “It’s a bit refreshing.”

“Fine, just one dance.” Ella would give in, still nervous about the whole thing.

“Great!” The Prince smiled as he took her hand.

The dance was like something out of a dream. They glided across the floor as if the room was empty. They talked while they danced, and laughed as they found they had many things in common. The two of them were sharing a moment and not focusing on anything or anyone else. Their eyes were locked to each other, as they made their conversations on the dance floor. They only looked away when the Prince would make a humorous comment about one of his stuck up guests.

The rest of the room was getting jealous as their one dance became multiple dances. The King watched his son dance with a smile on his face, this is what he wanted all along. The Queen on the other hand was looking less enthused. The joyous King got up from his throne and moved over to the refreshment tables. He was in such a good mood that he decided to prepare his own drink. He reached the table and poured some punch into his glass. He continued to watch his son happily dancing with this mystery girl. He found comfort in the fact that the purpose of the ball was not wasted.

What the King did not see was that Lady Van Gale, his would-be assassin, was standing several feet behind him. She pulled a small knife from her dress sleeve, and began to approach the King. Even if she didn’t wear a mask, her face would do well in masking her intentions. For, unless you knew better, you would not know her plans.

Ella barely had time to react. Her eyes had just looked around the room and she spotted the King with her stepmother close behind him. Ella would let go of the Prince and twirl over to a passing server. She grabbed the round metal tray he was holding and tossed it like a frisbee towards the assassin stepmother. The tray flew across the room and hit Lady Van Gale right in her arm, causing her to drop the knife. The King turned around to see the woman standing there holding her arm, and the knife that was on the ground. The King took a step away from her as his surprised face turned into a scowl.

“Guards! Seize this assassin!” The King ordered sternly. The guards would approach and try to grab her, but she pulled a dagger from under her dress and began to fight the guards. She spun around and kicked one and stabbed another. The King wasn’t taking chances and began to run away while the guards tried to stop the skilled killer. She had no intention of letting the King escape. She tried to chase the King while she fought off the guards.

Ella had watched on at the scene, as she hoped her intervention would stop the whole thing. It didn’t take long to realize she was wrong. The Prince was both in shock over the assassination attempt and the quick action of his dance partner. He drew his own sword that was on his hip for decorative reasons, but was quickly knocked aside before being able to help. Ella would turn around to see who had knocked out the Prince, when she saw her stepsisters. They were fully clad in their assassin gear and had just stabbed the nearest guards in the back.

Charlotte and Tisbe ran past Ella, not recognizing her in the mask and not seeing her as a threat. They were trying to catch up with the KIng while their mother was distracting many of the guards. A few of the guards took notice of the duo and tried to stop them, however they fought in perfect sync and killed anyone who came at them.

Ella would not just stand back and watch. She reached under her skirt and pulled out the dagger. The dagger expanded into the sword and her gown burned away into her champion gear. Her mask remained on her face, keeping her identity a secret and she ran after her stepsisters. The Prince who had just sat up from being knocked over was left with his mouth hung open at the sight of the transformation.

Ella would leap an unbelievable distance and land in front of the sisters. She held up her sword in a combat stance. Her stepsisters didn’t know who it was that stood before them, and attacked without hesitation. Ella matched each of their moves perfectly. She dodged, parried, and attacked in such a flawless stream of movements that the two sisters had a hard time competing. When their swords clashed a spark of flame would fly from Ella’s blade. It was a bit unnerving to witness and the step-sisters found themselves feeling intimidated. They were quickly finding themselves vastly overwhelmed as Ella’s skills that came from the memories of past heroes were too much for them.

Ella had them where she wanted them. She dodged Charlotte’s blade by ducking underneath while she also swept her leg. Charlotte found herself fallen back on her rear. Tisbe lunged her blade at Ella who clashed blades with her with a small plume of fire. Ella pushed the blade to the side, and with a spin she was behind Tisbe. With a push Tisbe found herself on the ground as well. They both looked up at this warrior they didn’t recognize with fear. Ella would reveal herself to them by lifting her mask for a moment before lowering it again.

“Ella?” The sisters would ask in near unison. They could not believe they were bested by this girl who was once no better than a servant. However, Ella was satisfied simply with them knowing the truth. They were beaten by her, and now she had nothing else to prove. She had no time to waste here further, she knew she had to stop her stepmother.

As Ella turns around to run after the king’s assassin, Charlotte jumps up to stab Ella in the back. Ella is able to react quickly and catches her dagger with her sword. The blades clashed and slid across each other causing Ella’s blade to spark up a large flame. Charlotte was caught in the flames that burned hotter than any of them have felt before. Charlotte lets out a horrific scream as she turns to ash and cinder.

Ella looked on in pure shock and horror, as she seemed afraid of her own ability. Unfortunately, she had no time to dwell on what happened. With her heart a little heavier, she ran off after her stepmother. Tisbe sat there screaming and grabbing at her sister’s ashes when she was subdued by guards and dragged away.

The King had fled up stairs and ran down a hall. The guards that attempted to stop Lady Van Gale were quickly defeated by the seasoned assassin. By the time she reached the hallway that the King chose for his escape, there were no more guards left in sight. She pulled out five throwing knives that she had dipped in poison, and threw them at the King. The King turned to see her throwing them and, in his fear and panic, managed to dodge all the knives except for one. He had been hit in the shoulder by the knife. The pain that the poison caused made him hit the ground. Lady Van Gale began to confidently approach the KIng. She was unaware that her daughter was dead, and she believed no one stood in her way of killing her latest victim. She held her blade in her hand, ready for the finishing blow, when suddenly a line of fire formed between her and the King.

She turned around and saw the flaming warrior standing at the end of the hallway. The warrior began to approach her and she felt a bit uneasy. This was no ordinary king’s guard.

“Who are you?” She would ask intriguingly. She almost seemed to welcome a possible challenge.

“I finished my chores, stepmother, and I found a nice dress to wear.” The warrior answered sharply with a lump in her throat over what had happened with Charlotte.

“Ella?” Her stepmother was stuck in shock, unsure what to do or think. Her confusion was quickly replaced with anger. She despised this girl’s existence from the beginning and wished she could finally be rid of her. If she stood here to oppose her now, this wish could come true.

Ella would also despise her stepmother, not for her existence, but for all the pain and suffering that the evil woman put her through. She knew what she had to do, and even though she didn’t enjoy the thought, there would be no regrets. She held her blade ready to strike whenever her stepmother made her move.

Lady Van Gale gripped the hilt of her sword and began to dash towards Ella, her goal was to end this in a single strike. Ella matched her stance and began to dash towards her stepmother. The memories of their entire lives together filled each of their heads in the short time it took to charge each other. These memories would only fuel the power behind their attacks. When they reached each other, they both swung hard at the other one, then passed by. They turned back around to face each other. Ella’s side began to bleed. She was hit by her enemy’s sword. The stepmother began to also bleed from her side, as she was hit by Ella’s sword as well. Suddenly Lady Van Gale found herself hunched over in a pain that seemed even more agonizing than the cut. It was soon revealed why as fire began to burst from the wound and engulf the woman. Her entire body was ablaze in the matter of moments with the horrible sounds of her screams filling the halls. Through it all, her eyes were on Ella. Ella could only watch. She didn’t enjoy having to kill her stepmother, however she knew it was the only way to stop her. When the screaming finally stopped, Lady Van Gale would be only ash and cinder.

Ella quickly turned to check on the king, but she happened to notice a clock in the hall. There was only a minute left until midnight. With a gasp, she turned and began to run back down the hall, and down the stairs. As guards began to run up the stairs after the king, Ella leaped over the railing to the floor below. She then began sprinting to the door, past all the frightened guests.

The Prince, who spent most of the attack surrounded by guards, saw his dance partner turned hero running outside. He ran after her trying to catch her. He chased her all the way outside and began chasing her down the steps.

“Hey!” He would call out. This would get Ella’s attention, but she merely stumbled for a moment before continuing to run. She accidentally dropped the sword that was in her hand, and it collapsed into its dagger form.

She continued to run until she got into the back of her carriage. The carriage went off in a flash, even though it was starting to unravel. They had just made it outside of the castle lot, when the magic finally completely wore off. Ella found herself in the mud with a pumpkin, a scarecrow, and scattering animals. She found herself back in the rags she was wearing before the magic as well. She got up and sighed heavily, dusting herself off and began to walk home before she got caught. She walks off the road going into the woods.

The Prince stood in disbelief on how the woman of her dreams was suddenly a magical warrior, and somehow really good at making escapes. He had stopped halfway down the stairs when he saw her take off in her carriage. He looked down and spotted the dagger she dropped. He picked it up and watched the guards try to run after the carriage. After they were returned with news that it disappeared, he gripped the dagger and returned to the castle.

A few days had passed and the King was bedridden. He had survived the attack, however, the poison weakened him. The Queen didn’t visit him often, she knew her plan had failed and could not try again anytime soon. The Prince, on the other hand, visited his father often. His sister, the princess, did as well.

The Prince carried the dagger he found with him everywhere. He spent his time trying to figure out how to activate it, while also wondering where that girl had run off to. He would even spend time talking about her when he visited the King. The King would then weakly share his own piece of wisdom. To use the dagger.

It seemed to be magic and it only transformed into a full sword for the mystery girl. No one else even came close to figuring it out. If he could find the girl it works for, he could find the kingdom’s hero and the girl of his dreams. So he decided to put together a search party to search the kingdom.

Ella had spent her time since the ball, reclaiming her father’s home. Many of the champion memories she had gained from her time with the fairy magic had faded, yet she remembered everything that happened that night. She had feared that taking the lives of her stepmother and sisters would eventually haunt her. However, for the first time she felt at peace. It was hard to have regrets when you saved the kingdom and freed yourself from torment. Regardless she didn’t ever want to be forced to take a life again.

After several more days, Ella was completely settled. She went downstairs and opened her curtains, only to see royal carriages outside. A knock on the door followed just moments after. Ella had a nervous feeling about this. Has she been discovered? Are they after her? Is the Queen angry and looking for revenge? The thoughts plagued her mind as she answered the door. She was not met with angry guards, however, She was met with the Prince and a more pleasant looking group of guards.

“May I come in?” The Prince asked politely. Ella was frozen solid for a few moments as she looked into the eyes of the man she had a wonderful time with several days ago.

“Of course!” Ella would finally blurt out, when she snapped out of it. She allowed the royal party to step inside of her home. The Prince would then get straight to the point.

“We are looking for someone. To find them, we are searching every home and trying to test every woman.” The Prince’s words made Ella a little nervous. She wanted to tell the Prince that it was her, but she didn’t know what fate would await her.

“What is this test?” Ella asked, trying to mask her nervousness.

“This!” The Prince pulled out the dagger and held it up, before holding it out to Ella. “We just need to see if you can activate this weapon.” The sight of the dagger made Ella remember that night. She didn’t know if the dagger would work for her, as she thought all the magic had worn off.

“Alright…” Ella would take the dagger with uncertainty. However, there was nothing she could do to control what happened next. She suddenly had fire twirl around her, as her outfit changed to her battle suit and the dagger extended into the sword. The Prince looked on with amazement, then he began to smile brightly.

“It’s you!” He shouted out as he got a little closer to her. “I’ve searched everywhere for you!”

“It is me,” Ella would confirm, “I’m sorry about the mess in your castle.” The Prince would laugh a little bit.

“You saved my father, the mess was nothing.” He looked into her eyes, still wearing his bright smile. “I’d like for you to come back with me to the castle, and I would love for you to be the one I marry!” Ella was surprised at this. The thought of marrying the Prince seemed like a dream come true, even though she had only just met him at the ball.

“Yes! I would love to, but there is much I must tell you.” Ella could not ignore the danger that still lurked over the kingdom. Ella had a bigger issue, most of her magic was gone. She still had her powers, but her memories of past heroes were gone. She would have to learn to actually fight for herself to face whatever danger came next.

“You can tell me anything,” the Prince assured her. “Um… What should I call you?” The Prince had still not learned her name. Ella thought for a moment, it was a little embarrassing that she accepted his proposal before giving her name. She thought long and hard about who she was and who she had become since. She had overcome so much and grown so much as a person in such a short time. The words that were used to antagonize her, no longer had any power over her. She now had power over them. She then held her head up high and smiled.

“You can call me, Cinderella.”