Author's notes: It's finally here! Sorry to keep you waiting...I had computer issues then stressful family issues, but the story is done! Have fun reading the last few chapters and let me know what you think!

Chapter 11

The next day Serena was in Rae's room helping her get ready talking about the ball excitedly. "Rae, I can't thank you enough for all you did for me yesterday," Serena said as she brushed Rae's hair.

"Don't mention it," Rae said dismissively. "How was it dancing with the prince?"

Serena smiled. "It was amazing. He told me I was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but I'm sure it was just because of the makeup and dress."

"No," Rae said knowingly. "I think he meant it."

"Well it doesn't matter anyway," Serena said setting the brush down. "I'm never going to see him again anyway."

"You don't know that," Rae said turning to face her. "Like I told you before if it's true love, then he'll come back to you."

"How do you know it's true love?" Serena asked curiously. Rae simply smiled knowingly.

The doorbell was suddenly heard. "Cinderella!" Lady Beryl's voice called from downstairs. "Hurry up and get the door!"

"You need to stand up to her someday, Serena," Rae said seriously. "You aren't a slave."

Serena nodded before exiting the room and running downstairs to get the door. She opened the door and found a messenger standing there. "Hello, how may I help you?" she asked.

"I have come to deliver a letter on behalf of the prince," he said as he took a letter out of his pocket.

"The prince?" Serena asked aloud. She heard footsteps coming behind her and then was pushed out of the way by Lady Beryl.

"I am the lady of the house," Lady Beryl said. "What does the prince have to say?"

"The prince is looking for the woman who left her slipper behind at the ball," the messenger explained. "The duke is coming to every house to find the owner of the slipper. The prince has declared that whichever maiden fits the shoe will become his wife."

Lady Beryl snatched the letter from him and slammed the door in his face. She tore open the letter and read exactly what the messenger told her. "Go get your stepsisters!" she ordered Serena. Serena went upstairs and informed Rae and Ann of the news. When they came downstairs, Beryl continued barking orders. "Girls, you must get ready for the prince's arrival immediately. He is coming here today. You must look presentable."

"I don't need to mother," Rae protested. "I'm not the one the prince wants to marry and neither is Ann."

"So what?" Ann said. "If my foot fits in that shoe then I'll get to marry the prince."

"How?" Rae challenged. "Those shoes were custom made for the one who was wearing them."

"And how would you know?" Ann countered.

Rae thought quickly. "I saw how small that girl's feet were. Those shoes couldn't possibly fit anyone else."

"You just don't want me to marry the prince," Ann accused loudly. "You're jealous that I'm more beautiful than you."

Rae gasped. "I am not jealous of you. I just don't think that you deserve to be the princess."

"You don't deserve to be the princess either," Ann said.

"I don't even want to be the princess anyway!" Rae shouted.

"Girls, enough!" Beryl finally shouted cutting short their argument. "There's no time for this bickering and arguing. Rachel, you get ready whether you like it or not. Anna Claire, you just keep your big mouth shut. Cinderella...!" Beryl looked around and noticed that Serena was missing. "Cinderella, where are you? You need to attend to your duties." She stopped talking when she heard faint singing going up the stairs. She followed the voice and saw Serena going towards her room.

*******

Serena left the room when Rae said Ann didn't deserve to be the princess and went to get ready for Derek's arrival. She had a song in her heart and was so excited and nervous that he was coming back for her. She drifted off to her own thoughts and was unaware that her stepmother was following her. She arrived in her room and started cleaning herself off as best she could. "Oh Luna," she said to her cat picking her up. "He's really coming for me. I can't believe it."

"Who's coming for you?" Beryl said at the door startling Serena.

"The prince," Serena said in fright.

Beryl started cackling. "Impossible! You weren't even at the ball. Don't go crowding your mind with a stupid fantasy, wench."

Serena finally had enough and decided it was time to take a stand. "It's not a fantasy and I'm not a wench, Stepmother. The man I love is coming for me and he'll take me away from you forever. You'll have to find a real slave instead of me, your own stepdaughter. You should have loved me all these years instead of treat me like garbage."

Beryl's eyes darkened. "How dare you talk to me like that? No one is coming to get you as long as I'm in charge. I hope you're comfortable here because this is where you will be staying for a long, long time." Beryl slammed the door shut and locked it.

Serena ran to the door and frantically tried to open it. "No, Stepmother," she cried knocking on the door. "Please let me out. I can't stay here."

Beryl laughed and walked away with the key in her hand. "I'll let you out when I'm ready."

Serena heard her footsteps get quieter and started crying. Luna purred beside her. "I guess he'll never come now," Serena sniffled. She quieted down when she heard her stepfamily's voices coming through the vents.

*******

"Where's Cinderella?" Ann asked. "I need her to fix my dress."

"She's in her room where she belongs," Beryl explained. "She's not coming out until I say so. Rachel, hold on to the key."

Rae rolled her eyes as she was handed the key. "Yes, Mother," she gritted out. She was about to sneak away to rescue Serena, but the doorbell rang. Hold on Serena.

"Act your best girls!" Beryl commanded before opening the door. The duke was standing there with a tiny glass slipper sitting on a pillow. "Where is the prince?" she asked him rudely.

The duke rolled his eyes at her. He was having a bad enough day and was not in the mood for more people to be rude to him. "He had important business to take care of so he sent me on his behalf," he answered as he let himself in. He took a seat in the den and summarized the decree that was in his pocket. "As I'm sure you know, the prince is willing to marry the woman who fits this slipper. He has asked that every maiden in every house in the whole district try it on."

"Well, my two daughters are here," Beryl said shoving Ann and Rae forward. "I know one of them has a shoe that looks like that."

"It's mine!" Ann shouted. "I know the prince will be delighted to be reunited with me."

The duke looked at her skeptically. "Well let's try the shoe on." Ann sat on a chair and removed one of her slippers. Her foot looks much too big he thought as he knelt to put the shoe on her foot. The glass slipper hardly covered her toes. "I'm sorry, Madam, but this is not your shoe."

"Of course it is!" Ann said kicking him out the way. "My feet are just so swollen from all the dancing we did together." Ann tried hard to squeeze her foot into the shoe, but to no avail. She finally gave up and pouted.

The duke wiped off the shoe carefully and looked up at Rae. "Madam, is this your shoe then?" he asked desperately.

Rae shook her head no. "I can see that this slipper is much too small for my foot," she explained. "My foot is a half size bigger than my sister's."

The duke looked down in despair. "Then who does it belong to? I've tried this shoe on every woman today and this is the last house in the district. Lady, are you sure there isn't another maiden in this house who may try on this slipper?"

Beryl looked at him angrily. "No, not even a scullery maid."

"Liar!" Rae shouted. "Sir my stepsister lives in this house, but she is locked in the attic. Mother was planning to make her stay there until who knows when so she wouldn't have a chance."

"Take me to her," the Duke commanded. Rae nodded before she began to lead the Duke to the attic. Beryl and Ann followed close behind.

"It's foolish to try the slipper on her foot," Beryl tried to argue as they reached the attic. "She's a mad woman."

The Duke looked at her sternly as they stopped in front of the door. "The prince specifically ordered me to try the slipper on every maiden despite the circumstances. Please open the door."

Rae nodded and unlocked the door finding Serena sitting on her bed sadly with a black cat. "Serena, the Duke wants to try the slipper on you."

The Duke smiled at her politely. She seems normal to me. He knelt before her with the slipper in his hand, but Beryl rushed in before he had a chance to put the slipper on her foot. She kicked it out of his hand causing it to smash on the ground into a million pieces. "How could you?" the Duke said brokenly.

"Mother that was a perfectly stylish shoe and you ruined it!" Ann complained.

"It doesn't matter," Beryl said proudly. "Cinderella wasn't at the ball anyway so the Duke would have been wasting his time."

"No he wouldn't have," Rae protested. "Look." Everyone turned and saw that Serena had a glass slipper in her hands. Rae smiled, Ann gasped, the duke breathed a sigh of relief, and Beryl growled.

"This is the other shoe," Serena said shyly before putting it on. "I kept it under my pillow."

"It was you the whole time?" Ann asked in amazement. "How clever."

The Duke smiled broadly. "Young lady, please ride back to the castle with me. The prince will be delighted to see you." Serena followed the Duke outside to his carriage while Rae and Ann followed closely. Beryl groaned loudly in defeat and sulked in her room.

"Thank you for everything Rae," Serena said hugging her tightly.

Rae smiled. "You deserved it."

"Take care of yourself, Ann," Serena said hugging her.

"Do you think we'll be allowed to see you at the castle?" Ann said shyly.

"We'll have to wait and see," Serena said unsurely. "I'm not even sure the prince will accept me."

"He will," Rae said. "I just know he loves you."

"And all you have to do is be yourself, Cinder… I mean Serena," Ann added. "We all know your gentleness and kindness outshines us all so go get him."

Serena smiled and hugged her stepsisters again. "Thank you. I'll put in a good word for you both." Serena stepped into the carriage and waved to Rae and Ann as it started moving.

Rae and Ann continued waving as the carriage went through the gate. "How do you know he loves her?" Ann asked curiously. "Were you just saying that to make her feel better?"

"It's definitely true love," Rae said wisely. She proceeded to tell her sister about Serena's love story from the beginning.