"Open the door in the name of your king!"
As Ella was mending fire, a determined tone of voice intruded. It's unusual to have visitor right after the first sunray.
"Ella, Ella, someone is knocking; aren't you going to answer the door?" A rounded mouse tried to reach out his head from the apron Ella's wearing. She unfolded her palm for the little friend to stand firmly, meeting his curiosity.
"Sure I am, Gus. Did he just mention about the king?" said Ella. Replacing Gus into her apron pocket, she crawled out of the fireplace in haste. There's no time to clean up the cinder covering on her.
She opened the gate and there stood a royal messenger with a huge pack stuffing with letters on his bake.
"Good morning sir, how may I help you?"
Looking up at the country girl, the man frowned obscurely and stepped back a bit. "Here is a message from your majesty."
She noticed that once he spoke, his sky-high wig would slightly shake.
"Two weeks hence, there should be held a ball on the palace. At the ball, in accordance with ancient custom, the prince shall select his bride." He paused to take a breath.
"By royal command, every eligible maiden is to attend." He waddled forward and handed a letter to Ella.
"Well, thank you sir." She tried to refrain from laughing while waving him and his wig waddled away the house.
Much to Ella's surprise, as she walked bake inside both of her stepsisters had already dressed up, waiting in the parlor.
"You are not hiding this from us, Ella." Before she could ever response, Anastasia bore down upon her and grabbed the invitation.
"Now I'm going to be the princess!"
"Don't be silly, the prince is mine. Give it here you mean old thing." Drizella jumped up to Anastasia's bake, rob the invitation from her hand.
After Ella gathered herself up, she heard high heels clicking, clicking, clicking from the stairs along with the trembling of Gus's teeth, and it's getting clearer.
Finally, it stopped.
"Enough, girls."
Ella yawned for the farce. She could never understand the points of their quarrels nor every time when that drove their mother downward.
The lady snorted at Ella and turned to her daughters, "I'm glad to have two horses on the race," she gazed at them from top to toe, "still, there are few things we need to work on."
The lady asked them to come to her chamber for she would share the secret to win the prince's heart. Ella's quite satisfied for the outcome since it meant a day without their torments. But there's one thing left.
"Maiden, your breakfast is ready."
They stopped pacing.
"Dump it." The lady narrowed her eyes, "And you are not to prepare any breakfast in the next two weeks."
"Look at you," said Anastasia, "all covered with cinder, do clean yourself before next time you talk, Cinderella!"
The three evils laughed coarsely all the way upstairs. However, even if they were long gone, the laughter still echoed in the parlor.