I don't own Cinderella. This story mostly revolves around Ella's sisters. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 1 Marie
Marie glanced at the clock. 5 more minutes. Then this awful piano lesson would end. She wouldn't have to play the dreaded instrument for a week. Marie hated it and she knew that she was no good at it, but her piano teacher would never give up. Her teacher said that she would begin to improve eventually, but so far, Marie had not. After enduring 5 more painful minutes, Marie took her music out and closed the piano. She left and went home.
Her mother was out with her sister Anastasia. So Marie decided to talk to Ella. "Ella," Marie called out. "You done with your chores?" "Almost!", came the reply. So Marie sat in a chair and waited. A few minutes later, Ella came up. "How are you today?", Ella asked, polite as usual. "Good. Thank you.", replied Marie. How was yours?" "Not that bad.", Ella answered. "I saw Lisa today." Lisa was Ella's only friend besides Marie. Marie was about to say something, when her she heard a knock on the door.
Ella got up quickly and opened the door. "Good afternoon Stepmother.", she said. "I hope your day was pleasant." Ella always said these words when her stepmother came home, but Marie knew that she never meant one word of it. Either her mother didn't notice or didn't care. "It was very pleasant, thank you, Cinderella.", Lady Tremaine replied. It was a cruel nickname that Anastasia had given her years ago. "Have you finished all the chores I gave you?" "Yes, stepmother.", Ella answered. "What else do you want me to do?" Her stepmother looked at the clock. "I suppose you could start making dinner.", she said. "Chicken souffle. I trust you know how to make it."
Ella nodded, though Marie could see that she looked exhausted. She had been working all day, and she had barely gotten a moment's rest. Now she was expected to make dinner? Marie couldn't bear the thought of Ella making dinner all by herself. "Mother," she asked, "Would it be alright if I helped Ella in the kitchen? To practice my cooking?" Lady Tremaine thought about this. "Have you practiced piano and french?", she asked. "Oui, madame.", Marie answered. "Then I suppose so." Marie smiled, said thank you, then went to the kitchen.
It was not the first time the Marie had "practiced her cooking", so she knew what to do. She cut up some vegetables while Ella cut the meat. After the mix was ready, Ella put it into the oven. She sat down, exhausted, into one of the chairs. "Why don't you take a rest?", Marie offered. "I can finish." Ella had barely nodded before she was asleep. While the souffle was cooking, Marie proceeded to heat up some soup as an appetizer. A little later, Ella woke up. "Time to take the souffle out.", she said. She took it out while Marie took the soup off the fire. Both of the girls were plateing when Lady Tremaine came in.
"Marie." she asked. "Is dinner almost ready?" "It is.", Marie replied. "We're just plateing it now." "All right then.", her mother said, "Sit down and I'll get Anastasia." Lady Tremaine never called her Anne or Anna as she preferred to be called. Marie knew this was why Anna never had friends over. She hated the name Anastasia and went by Anna. As soon as her mother had gone, Marie hid Ella's dinner so Ella could find and eat it later. Lady Tremaine did not like it when Ella ate when her family was eating. If she saw the food, she would make Ella throw it out and she would have nothing to eat that night. Ella always hid her food or made it later, if her chores permitted. Sometimes, Ella went days without eating. Marie often gave her some of her own food.
Marie had just sat down, when her mother and Anna came down. "What are we having tonight?", Anna asked. "Chicken souffle and potato soup.", Marie answered. "Your sister made dinner tonight.", her mother explained proudly. Marie hated getting all the credit as it had been Ella who did most of the work, but Ella didn't seem to mind. "How is it?", Marie asked. "Very good!", her mother answered. "Yeah.", Anna agreed. Marie was surprised. Anna genuinely liked it! That was high praise, coming from her sister.
Anna hardly talked at all now. Her mother said that it was just a stage that she was going through. Marie was certain she was wrong. Anna had run away once, when she was 14, then came back about a year later. Anna had never told anyone what had happened during that year or why she had run away. She was now 18. After that, she'd been changed. Before, she'd been playful, joyful, kind. Now, she never played with Marie, was hardly ever happy, and had to be reminded to be kind. Marie missed the old Anna, the one who played with her and Ella, the one didn't care what she was called as long as it wasn't late for dinner, the one who had loved them dearly. As Marie ate, she thought about these things.