A/N: I had to write an alternate ending to a fairy tale back in school last year, and this is the ending I wrote. Hope you enjoy!
I woke up at the sound of a carriage pulling up to our house.
My night had been full of unknown love, and dancing. At first I thought it all had been a dream, but I felt the tiny glass slipper underneath my pillow and knew that I had not dreamed of a handsome Prince kissing me—but had experienced it.
"The Prince is Here!" I heard my Stepsisters shouting to each other and I felt butterflies in my stomach begin to attack my heart. I wanted to see my Prince again, and yet I knew that my Stepmother would never allow me to be in the same room as the Prince. "Cinderella…" My Stepmother peaked her head inside the kitchen and glared at me. "Cinderella, the Prince is here…and we shall need tea. Move and get some ready."
My chance had arrived even before I had known.
Several moments later I heard my Stepmother calling for me once again. "Cinderella! Bring out the tea!" I had been waiting for this moment…and I did not know how I could ask the Prince to try on the other glass slipper that I had worn just last night.
Would he recognize me at the sight of me?
Would he want to recognize me?
"Cinderella! The Tea!"
I escaped the kitchen and into the parlor room where I saw the Prince bending over one of my Stepsister's feet and trying to fit my glass slipper on her foot.
"I know it fit perfectly last night…don't you remember, you're highness?"
He did not reply, but merely slipped the shoe off and looked at my Stepmother.
"Are these the only ladies of the house?"
It was almost as if I did not exist.
"Only Cinderella… but she was by the cinders last night…"
The Prince looked at me—and for a moment, I thought he had recognized me. Did he see my beauty that he had claimed he had fallen in love with the night before—past all my rags and ashes?
"Come here, Cinderella…" He whispered in a kind voice and I set the tray down; my hands were shaking and I knew… this was a life changing moment.
I wanted to be his wife so badly.
I wanted a happily ever after.
"May I?" He whispered with a small smile, and pointed to my black shoes. I nodded and watched as he slipped off my shoe. He lifted up my other glass slipper and slipped it onto my foot—and it fit perfectly.
"This cannot be! You cannot marry a commoner!" A man said behind him and glared at me.
"You must pick someone else, your highness…she'll never do to be a Queen."
I wanted to hear my Prince defend me—that I could make a good Queen…but he did not answer. He looked back at the man and nodded.
"Your father would never agree to the marriage. Just take one of her sisters."
I watched as he looked sadly at me and nodded.
"But last night!" I started and stood up. "Last night you told me you loved me; you told me that I would make a wonderful Queen… you told me that you wanted to marry me."
"That was before he knew what you really were, you little commoner!" The man behind the Prince blurted out. I looked at my Prince and felt tears spring to life.
I could recall my Fairy Godmother telling me of the wonderful, happy ending that I would receive—all with this wonderful Prince… and here he was; he was going to pick one of my Stepsisters over me. She had been wrong…
"I'm sorry, Cinderella…" He whispered and looked at me with such regret. It was almost as if we both knew what a horrible life we were going to experience…
And those last hours at the ball would haunt us for the rest of our lives.
I knew at that moment, I would never again see my dearest Prince.
He extended a hand toward my oldest Stepsister and she grabbed it hastily.
"Oh, I am so happy!" My Stepmother said, clasping her hands in delight.
I felt my heart break—this man—this Prince, that I had fallen in love with, had just rejected me because of my common position.
He could not look past my rags and ashes…just as the King would not.
"It is almost a sin that a commoner like you, Cinderella was at a ball…and you should be locked up for lying about your heritage." My Stepmother snarled at me as she picked me up by my arm and threw me into the kitchen.
My life changing moment was over…
And my Prince was going to marry my evil, older Stepsister…
And I had to watch…
As she locked the door behind her, I rushed to the window to see my Prince help my Stepsister into the carriage…and just before he climbed in himself—he turned and looked at me.
I felt my heart rise and fall and crumble into a million pieces.
I knew at that moment that I would always belong to my Stepmother—and that I would never find a man like the Prince…
Because he was the man I was destined to love.
I turned and saw my tiny glass slipper sitting on the table—and I felt a sob rise in my throat. I picked up the tiny, innocent slipper and slid a finger over the cool surface.
I would never again believe in happy endings; fairy godmothers or love.
I threw the slipper against the wall and watched as it broke into a million pieces and felt all my dreams and wishes shatter with it.