Down into the kitchen Charlotte went, following after the maid called Niffty who then introduced her to the cook called Katie. Now Katie was as mean and ill tempered as she was ugly. She would always bellow and screech at the other staff members in her terrible voice while also insulting them to no end. However when the master of the house or anyone high in rank was around she was careful to always act humble and sweet. One look at Charlotte and the old cook automatically decided that she despised her.

"Who are you?" Bellowed the repulsive woman.

"I am called Apple Cheek." Charlotte answered. "They said that I could work in the kitchen."

"That idiot Husk expects me to share my wages with the likes of you?" She replied with a scowl.

"No ma'am. I am to be given no wages. All I ask is that I be given a little food and a place to sleep."

"You can eat whatever you find and you'll sleep in the cellar." Katie said. "And you're never to leave the kitchen. Upstairs won't see you nor hear you."

Charlotte performed each task given to her diligently without complaint and she was grateful to be given work however she never smiled or sang or laughed or joked. She only cleaned dishes, pots, and pans and swept and scrubbed the kitchen floors, all while dreaming of returning home. How she wished she might have another chance to tell her father how much she loved him. But eventually she came to the sad realization that such a chance would most likely never arise and accepted that she would spend the rest of her life in this household.

The cook was very cruel to her and always gave her the hardest chores to do. The other staff weren't too friendly toward either, they didn't deliberately act mean to the girl like Katie did but they either just ignored her or looked upon her with disgust. Only the household maid Niffty treated her with decency and respect, she always spoke kindly to the apple cheeked woman in the moss dress and often tried to engage her kitchen conversations. Sometimes she would even be kind enough to share her wages with her. Charlotte was pleased that she had at least one friend.

One day there was great excitement in the kitchen.

"The young master has finally returned from his hunting trip." Niffty announced. "He's killed enough fine bucks to feed everyone in the house and sell what's leftover to the butcher. He wants to celebrate his victorious killings by holding a festival. A week long festival with picnics and balls and so much more."

"What's that to be happy about?" Katie snarled. "That only means I'll be cooking to feed hundreds all night long, everyday this week and no amount of wages will be worth that."

"But it's to be a frolic Katie." Niffty explained. "Everyone is invited to attend even us lowly kitchen staff."

Charlotte was surprised by these news. Her father nor any other master or mistress she knew would even consider allowing their staff to attend parties and other festive gatherings.

"Is everyone in the house hold invited?" She asked the maid.

"Everyone who has a ballgown or a suit." Niffty answered. "This will probably be the grandest event this plantation ever knew, Apple Cheek. Maybe even grander than the parties our old master would host. God rest his soul."

"How much I should like to go." The moss dressed woman said as she recalled how much she used to love to sing and dance at celebrations that were her held in her former home.

"What! You dirty impudent slut!" Said Katie. "You among all the fine gentleman and ladies with your filthy, mossy frock? A fine figure you'd cut!"

"I know I have no right to show my face to such an occasion. It was only wishful thinking."

"Don't even imagine, disgracing everyone at the festival with your unsightly self! The young master would be enraged if he saw you! He would probably have Husk drag you into fields and whip you for embarrassing him."

Charlotte shuddered at the thought. Although she had never felt the pain of whipping she knew the horrors of it. While her father was kind in regards to her and her mother, he was in truth a cruel master. She had heard many awful tales of how he would have paid help and slave alike whipped or lashed, if any of them angered or displeased him. After the war he no longer owned slaves but that didn't stop him from whipping or lashing the paid help and sometimes she would be a witness to it. Her mother would often try to shield her from it and she succeeded most of the time but once in awhile she would get a glimpse of the butler getting struck for merely spilling a glass of wine or that once maid who had become quite deaf in her old age and was unable to hear her father calling her one day but he mistook it to be her choosing to ignore him, so he had her beaten. It made Charlotte very ill and sad to see such acts of cruelty.

Just then she was snapped out of her thoughts by Katie dashing a basin of water into her face.

"Soak up that water!" She demanded. "And after that get started on the pots and pans."

Charlotte silently did as she was told. When the cook finally left to gather up spices for tonight's dinner, Niffty approached her and began to converse.

"Don't listen to her Apple Cheek." She said. "The young master wouldn't dream of letting a hand or belt be raised to a woman."

"I have never met him." Charlotte said as she finished scrubbing the last pot in the sink before moving on to the pans. "I've never even seen him."

"Oh he is a prince Apple Cheek. He's only been with us for a year, moved in after the passing of his father, the former master but we've never known a finer gentleman. He's so go-lucky and charming. A smile is always on his face and he is courteous to all of us here. Even nasty old Katie. Oh I'd give anything to dance with him at the festival."

"He sounds wonderful. Though I am certain that I shall never lay eyes on him nor he shall ever lay eyes on me."

"Does that mean you're not coming to the festival?"

"You heard what Katie said. My attendance would be most unseemly." She said. "Besides I have no gown to wear and my hair is in such disarray. I would only be laughed at. But would you mind telling me all about it when you return?"

"Of course."

The first night of the festival all of the household went to the ball. Everyone that is except for Charlotte. Alone in the cellar, she tried to sleep but the music from the ball teased her ears. She thought of all the wonderful balls held at her father's great house and how she would spend the entire night singing, dancing, and laughing. It brought back all kinds of happy memories, happy memories that quickly became sad ones when she realized that terrible moment her life that those memories lead up to. She began to cry. Cry and weep that she would never again know such joy. Or so she thought.

"Child please, enough of this boo-hooing! Tears will not solve your problems."

Charlotte was startled by the sound of a familiar voice and tuning around, she saw sparkling lights like fireflies all aglow fill the dark room. She blinked her eyes and there stood Rosie.

"Good heavens!" Charlotte said, awestruck of what she just witnessed. "Am I dreaming?"

"No honey, you're wide awake and I'm really here."

"But why are you here?"

"Remember when I told you that only you can control what kind of life you have but sometimes you might need some help with that?"

"Yes."

"Well that's why I'm here. To give you a little help in making your life better. You and my nephew that is. He definitely needs help in making a certain life changing decision."

"I do not understand."

"You will in good time. Now we best be gettin you ready."

"Ready for what?"

"The ball of course. Can't have you showing up there with your hair all messy and your hands dirty. Allow me to just touch you a little bit."

She washed Charlotte's face, hands, and feet first then she pulled out a brush and combed out all the tangles in young woman's long blonde hair which made it shine and look very silky.

"There you're perfect now." Rosie said.

"Um..." Charlotte said looking down at her mossy rags in skepticism. "Are you certain of that?"

"Positive."

"But...But don't you think I should probably change into something different?"

"I should say not. What you have on now is more than suitable for the occasion."

"I do not mean to insult your tastes in clothing." She replied looking up. "But I really don't think this dress is appropriate."

"Look again sweetie."

Charlotte looked down at the moss dress again. It shimmered and glowed, transforming into a beautiful silk gown blue as the heavens and embroidered with stars. Her entire face was filled with wonder and disbelief. This gown was one of the loveliest she had seen in all her life. Even lovelier than the ones sold to the rich and wealthy. Was this exquisite gown and the mossy dress really the same thing?

"Things aren't always what they appear to be." Rosie said. "Take me for example. One look at me you'd probably I'm just some feeble, homeless beggar. Not at all clever and calculating witch-woman."

"You're a witch-woman?" Charlotte asked, looking a little unnerved at the realization.

"I am but don't be frightened child. I'm the good kind. The kind who likes to help good people when they need it the most and I'd like to tell you more but now is not the time." She explained. "Now off you go to the ball but remember that this gown holds magic as long as the morning star shines. When it fades it will look as it did before. Don't forget."

"I won't." Charlotte smiled with appreciation. "Thank you. Thank you so very much."

With those words said Rosie disappeared in the same sparkles that came before and Charlotte hurried upstairs to the ball.