Ash enjoyed the next few days after unloading everything to Mr. Able. The world seemed brighter and for the first time he looked forward to the coming days, rather than just watching them pass him by.

When his family arrived home, Ash tried to act as close to normal as possible. It was difficult, for the first time he felt how unfair their treatment of him was. Nevertheless, he put on his usual face and tried not to let on that anything had changed.

Only a few days after visiting the town royal messenger delivered a letter.

Ash was cleaning the front hall again, dusting the relics and sweeping away the cobwebs, when there was a knock at the front door. Ash was surprised, there hadn't been any visitors to the house in a very long time. Answering the door, he was doubly surprised to see the servant in the garb of the royal house handing him an envelope.

"Thank you." Ash took the letter and the servant went away with a sniff, showing that the house was below standards.

Ash looked at the letter; it wasn't specifically addressed to anyone so he opened it.

In two weeks' time, a ball will be held in honor of the Crown Prince Phineas' twenty-sixth birthday. Invited to the ball are all the eligible persons in the kingdom regardless of birth.

Ash groaned thinking of the chaos this would throw his family into since both his siblings were going to be desperate to attend the ball. Moreover, most of the work preparing for the ball would fall on Ash.

He trudged upstairs, thinking of all the work that this would mean for him. It would be nice to be able to attend the ball though. He remembered a time in his life when there were parties and fancy occasions, but it had been a long time since he had enjoyed those delights.

Ash paused mid-step and looked at the letter again. "All eligible persons", doesn't that include Ash? He was already of age and certainly, no one else was lining up to take his hand. Smiling, Ash thought about entering the ball. His stepfamily would be livid, and that was only half the fun. He had imagined balls before, made them part of his daydreaming life, but this was his one chance to actually try it.

With great glee he threw open the door to the sitting room, not bothering to knock as he had been asked to do.

"What do you think you're doing?" Anna demanded, she slopped tea on herself when the door opened suddenly.

"We just got in important letter." Ash waved the invitation.

"And you just opened it?" Driscoll snatched the letter out of Ash's hands.

Anna and Driscoll both eagerly read the letter, squealing with delight as they read.

Anna passed the letter to her mother who smiled, "Perfect chance for you two dears! The prince is single you know, and he might be searching for a spouse."

"Seriously?" Anna looked exuberant.

"My grandmother told me that the in her day the prince did the same thing to find someone to marry because there was a lack of eligible people among the nobility. Even if you don't capture the prince however, there will be plenty of available rich lords and ladies for you to attach yourselves too, you shall have your pick of them all."

Driscoll and Anna looked very excited and immediately started talking about the preparations that they would need.

"Ash, go into town right away and order me a new suit."

"And I will need a new gown!"

Ash thought about announcing his plans to attend just then, but he decided to wait until the night of the ball. If he told them about it now they would try to stop him, but if he waited until the last moment, then he had a better chance of going.

That evening, after a long day of errands and chores, Ash looked over his clothes, wondering what to wear to the ball. Driscoll's suit that he had borrowed the other day was not really an option. It hadn't fit nearly as well as Ash hoped, and he wanted to look better for the ball. He smiled thinking of Finn. He wondered when they would meet again, since he was a pupil of Mr. Able, it was likely he was living somewhere locally. Maybe they might meet at the ball. Ash hoped they would see each other again anyway. He knew they were practically strangers, but he couldn't help being attracted.

Ash sighed looking at his clothes, nothing was fit a ball at the royal palace. Luckily, he remembered some old things of his fathers, still tucked in a trunk upstairs. His father had been taller, but a little hemming wouldn't be an issue for Ash. Hurrying up to the attic Ash found the truck exactly where he remembered it being.

The trunk had not just clothes, but a few assorted treasures belonging to his father. Ash explored them all with reverence. There was a soap and brush, along with a silver razor, Ash remembered his father joking that the men in their family only kept shaving tools for show, none of them were capable of growing proper facial hair. There was his wedding ring, folded in a handkerchief and put inside a velvet box. Slowly, he had emptied the chest of all its treasures and looking at everything, he began crying. He didn't remember crying after his father died, nor had he ever cried over his mother or anything really, but suddenly, the tears were streaming out of his eyes.

As he cried, he saw carved over the small attic window, the image of the Great Fairy. It had been many years since he'd looked at her. His stepmother had covered up her image in most places in the house, and certainly none of his stepfamily mentioned her. She looked like a benevolent queen staring down at him, even though it was just in the wood frame of an attic window, the carver had given her a crown of flowers that looked alive.

He felt the need to apologize to her; so many years had gone by without anyone thanking her for her benevolence. The luck of the Great Fairy had allowed the family to flourish in this spot for so long, or so his father had told him. At every evening meal, Ash's father would say thanks to her while they broke their bread.

Ash felt that the fairy must feel the same as him; she must not feel at home in this place any longer. Seeing her face reminded him again, of why he couldn't just leave this house, he needed to stay and make it good again.

Feeling refreshed, Ash packed back up the trunk, minus the clothes needed for his suit and put it all safely away. He nodded to the fairy, sending her silent thanks for continuing to watch over the place. Moreover, he promised that one day, hopefully soon, he would set the house to rights.

Back down in the kitchens, Ash began working on the suit. Luckily, his father's shoulders were a similar size so the work would not be as hard. He would have to take in the waist and do some serious hemming, but all in all Ash felt that the suit would be perfect for the ballroom. He wouldn't look grand as his siblings of course, but maybe he would look handsome enough that Finn would ask him to dance.