A/N: Hello, readers! This is my first fanfiction and this is one of the first times I've ever written anything lengthy of my own. So please comment and give constructive criticism! I have absolutely loved Ella Enchanted ever since I was a little girl (I've read it countless times) and ever since I've had this story churning in my head. So, enjoy!

Chapter 1: Overflowing Hearts

(Annabelle's POV)

The day you turn 17, you're out.

Today is my birthday, December 10, and I am turning 17 years old. If the orphanage wasn't so crowded maybe I could have stayed: after all, I am the founders' daughter.

20 years ago, young Elaine and Daniel of Pria met, and later married on the first snow of winter. From the very beginning they loved children, and tried desperately to take in any and all who came to their door orphaned. Eventually though, their humble cottage was filled to capacity and running low on food and money. It took them almost 3 years, but with the help of friends and a few donations from the king, Childrens' Hope Orphanage was born. Shortly after, something else was born: a beautiful baby girl with snow white skin and fiery red hair.

That little girl was me, Annabelle of Pria. I grew up in the orphanage with countless brothers and sisters, as well as a few fairy godmothers who volunteered to run Children's Hope and care for its occupants.
I was as happy as any little girl would be. That is, until my mother got pregnant again. Unlike with me, she was constantly tired and sick with this baby. She was confined to her bed for the last 3 months of the pregnancy and things didn't get any better when it came time to deliver. At the age of 8, I wasn't allowed to see much, but all I knew was that my new little brother lived and my mother didn't.

I cared for Peter as best as I could, and loved him with all my heart. As a daughter it hurt to see my father as he was: depressed, lonely, and lacking the spark he once had. At first he tried to be there for his son, but eventually he gave up, leaving me to play the part of parent. On the first snow of winter that year, my father died of a plague. Peter was only 3 years old.

Into my adolescence, the sting of being parentless dulled, leaving me with only a dull ache in my heart. I chose to forget my father as he died, and chose to remember him as he was with my mother: gentle and loving. And though the memories of my mother grew fainter, I always remembered her smile and the way she laughed when my father would tease her or spin her through the air in his arms. Even though my godmothers always loved me, I was never as truly happy as I once was.

I struggled through the mass of girls crowding around the one broken mirror and yanked a brush through the tangled mass of fire that was my hair. Today, I was going to look pretty… or at least as pretty as I could make myself. As the daughter of the founders, Godmother Cruinia—the Head of Placement—made sure that I went to the best job available. Lucky for me, that meant the new nanny for the princess. That's right. I was going to the palace and I was going to care for one of the most important people in the country.

I was definitely qualified for the job. I've take care of hundreds of little kids and kept them entertained with next to nothing. How hard could this be? I thought to myself. Still, I was shaking with nerves, and wanted nothing more than to just go to sleep and wake up years earlier so I wouldn't have to deal with this. I knew little of proper manners and probably looked like an ogre compared to the beautiful women in the palace. "Well, this is as good as it's going to get," I muttered aloud bitterly, tying my hair into a plait down my back.

"You look beautiful," squeaked a small voice behind me.

I grinned, "Well thank you, Missy! You aren't too bad yourself!" The tiny girl squealed as I picked her up, spun her around, and set her down again.

"Do you have to go?" she asked, sounding on the verge of tears.

"It looks like I do. But I'll tell you what," I teased, "as soon as they let me, I'll come right back here and whisk you away with me to the palace so you can be the princess you always were!" She smiled brilliantly.

"Come, come Kitty! We have to let Anna prepare for her departure," Godmother Leiah called. So, with one last kiss to my nose she scampered off. Kitty always was one of my favorites. She had a head of curly blond hair and bright blue eyes like mine. If I had a sister, it would have been her.

I straightened out my simple frock and pinched my cheeks for some color—there was literally none in my pale complexion. Pulling my shawl close around me, I turned to find my brother staring with tears staining his cheeks.

"Oh, Peter!" I cried as I pulled him into my arms. "Look, I'll visit as often as I can and write every day, I promise," I whispered into his ear.

"I love you , Anna," he whimpered, pulling away from me to look into my eyes. He still looked like the little baby boy who was handed to me when my mother died, not the 9 year old boy he really was.

In response I kissed him on the forehead and cheeks, and held him close one last time. Who knew the next time I'd see him? After several minutes of clutching to Peter, I reluctantly let him go and moved towards the door. I waved at the entrance and cried a universal goodbye to all of the children inside watching me leave.

A black carriage waited on the road for me. I carried no luggage, no food, no possessions, just myself. The godmothers each hugged me and kissed me, one by one, whispering their farewells in my ear and wetting my neck with tears. It seemed as though I was dying, and really, I almost was. I knew that once you started working in the palace, you never stopped and you never got to leave. There was no coming back. So, with that bleak image in mind, I climbed into the squeaking carriage and sat on the cold cushions, pulling the door closed behind me. The horses began to stir and I took one last look at the only home I'd ever known. A waterfall of tears came down my face, and with that, I began my journey into my unknown future.

A/N: I will do my best to update frequently but I make no promises! My goal is to update AT LEAST every other day, but things may change depending on how much or how little homework I have. Also, how is the length of this chapter? Would you like it longer or do you like it as it is? Thanks so much! PLEASE COMMENT AND FOLLOW!