Prologue
My life has evolved into the most popular romance tale in the kingdom. I swear to many that my life story has become a ridiculous fairy tale and not the life I actually lived. I find that as days goes by, my life becomes more and more unlike the one I've lived and more like the stories I remember my father telling me. Perhaps you've heard of me. My name is Ella Beldon. It truly does not sound familiar? Perhaps the name 'Cinderella' does.
By the age of seven it was declared through out our kingdom that I was to become one the most beautiful girls in all the land. My flaxen hair and crystal blue eyes even caught the royals' eyes. They, in fact, were the cause of my life turning for the worse. Even with the prince and myself at only seven years of age, the king and queen were looking for possible suitors for their son.
My mother died when I was young and my father vowed that he would make me a queen. When he heard that the royal family had me on their minds as a possibility to be the wife for their son, he began to spoil me horribly by buying me heaps of new dresses and accessories. His plan did work... but as I was getting closer to the prince, my father was getting closer to bankruptcy.
By the time I was eleven, I was the envy of the beautiful glen we lived in. My father was far from beautiful. Wrinkles from worry had taken over his face, and even though I tried to convince him that I did not need more beautiful things, he continued to shower me with presents. With each present, a new crease in my father's face, and his savings, appeared.
I believe that it was the middle of spring when he came home and told me the news that would change my life forever. He came to me and crouched down so he could look me in the eyes. He said nothing for a while as he held my face in his hands. Finally, he announced that as a Count he could not be poor and that he had found the person that could save his reputation. Her name was Edmonda.