Castle In The Sky

Prologue

Over the past few years of her life, Cinderella had been locked away in her bedroom, trapped in a ratty, castle-like mansion. She was only to come out of her room when her stepmother called for her to tend to the daily chores. And she could not venture out into the market without being escorted by one of her step sisters, Anastasia or Eugenia.

At the stroke of midnight, tragedy had struck the family of the household; the misses had come down with a serious cold. As expected, Cinderella was at her beck and call, but the hag was destined to die alone. Death's deed had been done; another soul lay in a cradle on the Devil's doorstep.

No funeral for their mother was held, and no body was cremated, as requested in the will. Blood relatives of the woman were to move out of the desolate mansion and into a luxurious beach house in southern Florida. Cinderella was to stay on the land as a serf.

These details had not been made known to the soundly sleeping Cinderella…