Everybody knows the story of Cinderella dating back to when they were children. A poor maiden who lives with her wretched step mother and step sisters; one day, there's a ball; Cinderella is not invited to go; bibbity bobbity boo the fairy godmother appears; Cinderella has to get back before midnight; she meets the prince; she loses a glass shoe etc, etc. Long story short, quoting every single fairy tale there is, "And they lived happily ever after."
Yeah, well, if you were smarter as a kid you would have been the least bit suspicious about why there is never a happily ever after in life, and yet some random guys (the Grimm Brothers) decided to slap those six little words at the end of every story. I was one of the few who ever asked my parents as a child:
"Why isn't there a happily ever after in real life?"
Every time I would ask they would bid me the same response:
"Well that's just not the way it works in life. You'll find out when you're older."
It took me a while to realize what a true Cinderella story would actually be: nonexistent. Now, though, I think I have a good idea of what Cinderella would be: a nightmare. A nightmare passed on and on for generations at a time warped from time that ended up being some rags to riches story about fairies and happily ever after, and finally, there you are passed out on the floor from numbing boredom.
Well the story I'm about to tell you is how the story really occurred. It is the true version of Cinderella, how she was, and how she came to be. This is the version that they modified so the little kids wouldn't cry in the middle of the night. The only people, back then, who would tell the innocent minded children the true story of Cinderella, were the baby sitters, who didn't really care if the kids wet their pants or start screaming at the top of their lungs because they had a nightmare. The only thing they would say when something like that happened was, "Suck it up and be a man!" So without further interruption, I give you Cinderella.
"Mirror, mirror," Cinderella said, as she dabbed on the last of her makeup, "On the wall, who's the fairest one of all?" She stared into the mirror expectantly, as if waiting for an answer. Cinderella did a small turn in her wedding dress, admiring herself in the act. "Soon I will be queen and everyone including my wretched stepmother and my two wicked step sisters will have to bow before my very shadow," she said followed by a full diabolical laugh.
Cinderella had always known that one day something like this would happen. I mean she was beautiful, and smart. She knew that she would somehow trick someone into marriage, especially if it was someone as dumb as the prince. She just didn't know it would happen like this. She smiled and broke into laughter as she recalled the memory of it all.
~ Flashback ~
One Saturday, as she was cleaning her sister Genevieve's bedroom, she peered out the window to see a carriage coming towards the house. She immediately recognized the carriage as one of the ones from the castle that the king used to deliver messages. "Mother," she called out, "one of the king's carriages is coming to the door. Should I greet them and allow them in?" Not long after, her stepmother called back, "No, no you keep cleaning. I'll open the door and greet the visitors." That day, they received an invitation to the ball that the dashing, handsome (the girls giggled as they also heard the word "single") prince would be hosting, as part of his plan to find a bride.
Cinderella begged to go to the ball, but her stepmother didn't allow her and kept her busy doing chores for the rest of the day. The night of the ball, Cinderella ran out of the house to a weeping willow tree outside in the backyard of their home. She ran up to the edge of the tree, fell to her knees, and cried. She knew she wouldn't go to the ball that night, and her conniving heart shattered into a thousand miniscule greed filled pieces. Then a miracle happened. Out of the very branches of the weeping willow that her mother planted popped out a beautiful dress and matching shoes. Cinderella eagerly grabbed both and went up to her room to go change.
Cinderella came out of her room excitedly, wearing the beautiful blue dress and amazing leather and glass slippers. She had put on a light and just right amount of makeup to show off her natural features. She put on a headband that matched the dress and pearl earrings. The dress complimented her long blonde hair, and she looked like a star that had run away from the sky (on the outside, at least). "Now, for a ride," Cinderella muttered to no one in particular. She almost caused a crash of carriages as she waved a fair hand to hail a carriage. The drivers, eager to transport such a rare piece of cargo, jumped out of their seats to coax her into their carriage. And with that, they started back towards the ball.
When Cinderella arrived at the ball, it was already 9:00 in the evening. Great, just what I need. Only three hours until I have to go and beat my stepmother and step sisters back home, she thought. She entered the ballroom as if she was gliding on ice. Almost all the heads had turned in her direction. The other heads that weren't were at the bar, already as drunk they could ever be or sitted so close to their wives that their strained neck would only tempt their spouse even more than they already have to behead them. One of those turned heads better be the prince's, she thought. A man came up to her in a white uniform and asked her if she wanted to dance. "Yes," she replied. Cinderella had meant for it to only be one dance, but the man clung onto her and wouldn't let her go. He chased away every other suitor who would have liked the honor to dance with her, and ruined her evening and any chance she had to meet the prince. When they would dance, he would ask about her family and her home life. She answered each of his questions with a lie. Man, stalker much, she thought, now where's the damn prince?! I don't see him anywhere! Cinderella stayed the rest of the night with the prince (who she didn't know was the prince and wanted to get away from as fast as she could). Suddenly, just as she was once again trying to worm out of a dance, the clock struck twelve. Midnight, she thought, already? At that moment, she knew she had to leave for home. She released herself from the prince's grip. "Wait where are you going?" the man inquired. Cinderella knew she had to come up with a good excuse pretty damn quick. "I—have to go and talk to the prince," she lied. "But - - -," the prince interrupted. "I have to go!" Cinderella said, annoyed. And with that she left! God, that guy was so annoying! If I ever see him again it will be too soon, she thought, just as she sped out of the ballroom.
Nearly causing all Hell to break loose between two drivers, the youngest and most handsome driver speedily drove her back to her home, arriving only seconds before her family's carriage pulled onto the curb. She quickly undressed, undid her make up, changed in to different clothes, and pretended she was asleep in bed. All she could think about was how much of a waste the night was. I danced with the only man I regret I ever met, she thought, and I didn't get anywhere near enough to meet the prince! My dance partner was pretty hot, though... Those were her last thoughts before she fell asleep.
The next day, after she woke up and made breakfast for her (in Cinderella's opinion "needy") family, giving herself whatever crumbs were left over as she was not allowed to eat from the meal or use any of the plates, their family got a note from the kingdom that recited the following message:
Dearest members of our kingdom,
As you may or may not know, last night the prince held a ball so he could search for a wife, who would end up being the new queen of the land. Last night, the prince danced with a beauty from this kingdom whose name he never got, but immediately fell in love with. None of us recognized her as anyone we may know, but as all hope was almost lost, we found something of hers that will help us find her and will also allow us to reunite the prince with his true love: a Christian houboutin glass slipper.
We shall be going door-to-door to see if the shoe fits any fine young woman. Whoever this shoe fits, shall be married to the prince at once and shall also be pronounced the princess of the land. Please do not let this door-to-door process keep you from doing your regular tasks.
Sincerely,
The King
Cinderella read the message again, with her sisters reading over her shoulder (they were really slow readers). That annoying guy from the ball was the prince, she thought, Wow! Who would have thought it was him? They really should give him lessons in Non-Stalker101 because it's just getting creepy learning about how much he's trying to find me! The night didn't go that badly after all. Cinderella left the room, thinking of every single thing she would do as the princess of the land, and, when the time came, as the queen.
The carriages and the Duke didn't show up until the following week but, they were ready for their arrival either way. "Now girls how are you to act in front of the Duke?" the step mother inquired, and of course she knew both of the sisters knew the answer off the top of their heads. "We are to act polite and well-behaved. We shall not fight in front of the Duke; we shall not horseplay in front of the Duke; and we shall not say anything impolite nor exhibit any sort of misbehavior in front of the Duke," both the sisters replied in unison. "And Cinderella, what are you to do in front of the Duke?" her stepmother asked skeptically, giving Cinderella a smirk in the process. "I shall go around doing the daily chores and cleaning up the house. I shall not speak with the Duke and will not make eye contact with any of the other people who may be here," Cinderella replied. After her step mother turned around, Cinderella rolled her eyes at the stupidity of what her stepmother was doing. So she is keeping the prince from his true love, Cinderella thought sarcastically, Tsk, tsk, tsk, stepmother. Tsk, tsk, tsk.
After what seems like forever, the men from the castle finally filed in. They each wore a white uniform with golden epaulets to match their gold buttons and cufflinks, and topped it off with shiny black shoes with a gold toe cap. The very last man to walk in, whom everyone presumed was the Duke, came in with a very haughty manner carrying the glass slipper. He carefully placed the slipper on the table and waited for the room to quiet down from excitement (which didn't take as long as you would have thought). "Ladies of this household, the prince has fallen madly in love with one young woman from the kingdom. As you know, each maiden who had gone to the ball has tried on this glass slipper. So far, no one has been able to fit themselves into the shoe. So, if all the young ladies could please line up to try on this shoe, we could all get back to doing our usual work instead of having to deal with such… people," the Duke said, looking at everything as if it were made of trash. If he was looking at everything like it was trash, then he hasn't looked in the mirror recently, Cinderella thought, he has a monocle and a handle bar moustache! What is this the 19th century?! Wait I think it is! Never mind, make that the 18th century, then. Immediately each of her step sisters tried on the slipper. To the oldest, most mature, and (somehow) the kinder one of the both, Elizabeth, the shoe fit a bit too tight. To her other sister, Genevieve, who was the elegant, diligent, and the more sociable one of the two, the slipper fit far too small.
"Milady, are you sure there are no other girls here that had gone to the ball?" the Duke asked, with one foot already out the door, "By the way, I don't want to ask; I'm obliged to ask that just before I leave the residence." The stepmother quickly replied, "Nope, nobody else in this house went to that ball. It was just my daughters and me." Her voice was testy, as if she was giving Cinderella a hidden message. We all know you went to the ball; protest, I dare you! Cinderella ignored the message, even though she could read it in her stepmother's voice as clear as glass. "Actually, Duke, I went to the ball and I danced with a man whom also never gave me his name or his position in society. May I try on the slipper? It matches the other one I have; I lost its pair the night of the ball. I guess I was in such a hurry to get home, I didn't notice when it fell off," Cinderella said, trying her hardest to hide the greed in her voice and the eagerness she had to try on the slipper and get the show over with. The Duke rolled his eyes and replied, "Very well then, but prepare for disappointment just like your other sisters."
The Duke sat down again, with a look in his eyes that says, here we go again. Cinderella carefully grabbed the shoe and tried it on. Her last thoughts just before her foot went into the shoe and broke the glass between low-class and high-class royalty were, finally, the kingdom shall not see me as Cinderella, the poor peasant girl from the Tremaine residence, but Cinderella, the princess of the kingdom and the newly wed wife of the Prince; and, with all the money and power of my status, I shall be known as the most powerful ruler this land has ever known.
~ End of Flashback ~
Cinderella sat in front of the mirror once more. She thought of the Prince and her immediate disgust was back. Then she thought again about royalty and relief flooded her face again. She thought of the speech she would be forced to give at her crowning ceremony. She was thinking of just saying how she would "help lower taxes among society" and "try to help the needy" and whatever else any person would say. She just couldn't get off her mind what being princess would be like. She thought of all the riches, and fine jewelry, and the balls, and parties, and the rooms, and the ceremonies, and everything that came along with being the princess.
And the best part is this will all take place at sunset, Cinderella thought, nothing stands in my way of marriage. No one can get in my way of royalty, and no person will ever be able to overthrow me.