It was the day of the prince's ball, and Eleanora's stepfamily were running about preparing for it while she continued on with her duties. Her stepmother had promised her that she could come along with them, but of course that came with conditions. The horrid woman had her run ragged, completing several tasks on top of her regular jobs. As such, she had no time to come up with anything suitable to wear to the ball.
Luckily, Anastasia and Drisella had an idea of their own, and of course they kept it from their mother. Eleanora was to wear one of Anastasia's new gowns; a beautiful golden frock that she had purchased without Lady Clarisse's knowledge or consent. Drisella would lend her a string of pearls and some hair adornments. They knew that their stepsister would easily be the most beautiful girl at the ball.
Just before the hired carriage pulled up to take the women to the palace, Anastasia and Drisella finally caught Eleanora alone and informed her of the plan. Feeling utterly grateful towards her dear stepsisters, she took the dress and ran upstairs to quickly clean up and change. As she did so, Lady Clarisse urged her daughters out the door, completely forgetting about Eleanora and her promise. As she and Drisella climbed into the carriage, Anastasia hung back and quietly approached the driver. Handing him a generous amount of money, she whispered, " Would you please do me a favor? Take us to the palace, and then come straight back here to pick up another guest. Oh, and please do not mention this to anyone." The man smiled. " Mademoiselle is most generous. I shall happily do as you say. Now, if you will please enter the carriage, we shall be on our way." Anastasia nodded and climbed in, giving an excuse to her mother for the delay.
Eleanora watched from an upstairs window as her family disappeared down the road. This was what she had been waiting for: a chance to escape from her life, if only for one magical night. But even that was not to be, for as the Tremaines' carriage finally stopped at the front steps of the palace, Lady Clarisse enacted her own secret plan. She had suspected from the beginning that Eleanora and her daughters were up to something, and those suspicions were confirmed when she discreetly peeked out of the carriage to notice Anastasia's exchange with the driver.
The woman had sat through the entire carriage ride seething. Under no circumstances would she have a lowly servant from her own household attend the ball. It would bring shame upon her and her daughters, especially if Eleanora revealed to someone that she was associated with them. Oh, how she despised the girl.
So, as Anastasia and Drisella made their way up the massive steps, Lady Clarisse turned to the driver. " I know of your deal with my daughter." The man's eyes widened. " I do not know what you are talking about, Madame." " Oh, yes, you do." She snarled. " Now, here is what you will do; go back to the chateau as she requested. However, when the wretched girl comes out, you must see to it that she cannot attend the ball." Confused and frightened, the poor man squeaks, " What do you mean? How? Why?" Exasperated, Lady Clarisse cries, " Oh, I don't know! Rip her dress, shove her into the mud, throw her in the carriage and drive it into the forest or something! Just go!" The man quickly did as he was told, and the cruel woman entered the palace with a satisfied smirk.
Meanwhile back at the chateau, Eleanora waited in excitement for the carriage to arrive. When it did, she waved goodbye to her animal friends who had gathered on the banister of the grand staircase to see her off. They cheered as Eleanora closed and locked the door behind her and approached the carriage. But to her surprise, the driver began to scream at her, telling her to go back inside and forget about going anywhere near the palace. He then proceeded to rip the hem of her gown and kick her down into a puddle of mud. As Eleanora lay in the mud paralyzed with fear and shock, the man drove away into the night. The poor girl began to sob uncontrollably. Why did this happen? Why would a perfect stranger abuse her so? As she thought about it, there seemed to be only one possibility; Anastasia or Drisella had been tricking her all this time and had never really loved her. Perhaps they paid off the driver and forced him to do this. It could not have been her stepmother, because her sisters had taken every precaution to make sure she never found out. Unless… unless they weren't all as meticulous as they had thought and Lady Clarisse did suspect something. Yes, that must be it.
Suddenly, a flash of light interrupted Eleanora's thoughts, and a mysterious elderly woman appeared next to her. " Hello, my dear. Oh heavens! Let me help you up." She gently pulled Eleanora to her feet, all the while ignoring the girl's awestruck look. " Who are you?" She exclaimed. The woman smiled. " I am of course your fairy godmother, and I came to help you get to the ball." " The ball?" Eleanora repeated stupidly. " Yes, dear. Now come, let us not waste time. My magic will not last forever." Before Eleanora could say anything further, the elderly woman got to work, providing her with a magnificent carriage; complete with a driver, footman, and a team of four beautiful horses.
Eleanora watched the whole process with the same awestruck look. She had always thought that such magic was impossible and the stuff of legends, and yet here was a fairy godmother proving her wrong. Once finished, the fairy godmother turned to her charge. " Now, my child, please turn around so that I may get a good look at you." The young woman did as instructed, and the fairy godmother nodded. " Yes, very good. I have just the gown for you."
With another wave of her wand, Eleanora was enveloped in a brilliant light. When it faded, her muddy and torn gift was gone, and in its place she was wearing a breathtaking silver gown that shimmered in the moonlight; fit only for a queen. Her golden locks were now piled atop her head in an intricate braided design, with diamond stars neatly woven here and there.
But what truly caught Eleanora's attention were the delicate crystal slippers fitted perfectly to her dainty feet. Surprisingly enough, they were not the least bit cold or uncomfortable, and she could easily move about in them. As she was admiring herself in the reflection of a nearby pond, the fairy godmother began to speak. " You must hurry, dear. This magic will only last until the stroke of midnight. Go, and have a happy time at the ball." Eleanora embraced the woman and thanked her for everything before climbing into the carriage and riding off into the night.
As the carriage sped through the darkened streets of Eleanora's quaint hometown, the unexpected sound of a gunshot echoed nearby, and the horses began to panic, causing the carriage to topple over. The driver and footman pulled Eleanora to safety, and once they made sure she was alright, proceeded to calm down the horses. As Eleanora waited, she swore she heard voices coming closer and closer.
All of a sudden, a group of large, scruffy- looking men emerged from the shadows of the houses around her. They surrounded the carriage, taking Eleanora and her companions hostage. " Hello, girlie!" Eleanora's captor cackled in her ear, breathing his foul breath on her. Eleanora struggled against him. " Do not call me 'girlie'. I do not know who you are or why you are doing this, but I demand that you let us go. Please." " Oh aye! Making demands are we?" The man replied snarkily. " Take it up with the captain then."
Eleanora was not to be intimidated. " Very well. Let me speak to your captain." The horrid man released her just as a new figure emerged. Eleanora froze at the sight before her. Unlike the others, this man was well groomed and dressed in a magnificent hat and overcoat. He had thick, curly, dark brown hair that rested just below his shoulders, and a styled mustache. But his eyes… they were of a dark blue color and seemed to pierce straight through her soul.
As her eyes continued to appraise him, Eleanora noticed something terrifying; in the place of his right hand was a sharp iron hook fastened securely to his arm. Following her gaze, the man grinned evilly. " Ah, you find my hook fascinating, do you? Perhaps you'd like a closer look, hmm?" He glided forward until he was face to face with Eleanora and raised his hook to her cheek. Eleanora flinched, terrified of what he was going to do.
To her relief, the man lowered his arm. " There is no need to fear me, my dear. I merely ask that you hand over a certain item, and my men and I will be on our way." Eleanora raised herself up to meet him at eye level. " If you wish to take from me, at least allow me the courtesy of knowing your name." The man chuckled. " Of course. My apologies, mademoiselle." He politely took off his hat and bowed low to her. " Allow me to introduce myself: I am James Hook, captain of the pirate ship The Jolly Roger."