DING! DING! DING!
The clock continued to toll midnight as the magic was starting to fade.
The carriage was starting to look like a giant pumpkin, her animal friends were turning back into themselves, and her mask was already gone! Even her gown was starting to become limp and raggy!
Marinette could just see the manor when the bell tolled the final toll and everything disappeared. Everyone tumbled out of the pumpkin in a tangle of feet, fur, paws, and tails.
"Is everyone alright?" Tikki asked.
"I'm ok," Marinette assured, "Guys, I am so sorry. I guess I was having an amazing time and wasn't paying attention."
"Don't be sorry, Marinette. You deserved this night," Tikki said.
Marinette stood up and looked down when she felt off balance. When she saw why. She couldn't believe it! There, still on her other foot, was her other slipper.
She held it in her hands and held it close as she began to walk home. This really would be a night to remember.
The next morning at the castle, the king was eating breakfast and was scheduled to eat with his son. The doors to the dining room opened and Adrien came in with a huge smile on his face.
"Good morning, son," King Gabriel greeted.
"Good morning, Father. Isn't it a beautiful day? The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and everything is so peaceful," the prince sighed, taking a seat with a dreamy smile on his face.
The king, Nathalie, and Nino looked at each other for a moment. They had never seen Adrien like this before.
"Your Royal Highness, are you alright?" Nathalie asked.
"I am better than alright. I'm great! Father, I met a girl last night and now, I'm in love!" Adrien declared.
King Gabriel almost spit out his juice when he heard this.
"What? You did? Well, who is she?" he asked.
"Her name is Ladybug," Adrien sighed.
The king was happy his son found someone to one day marry, but was worried since he never heard of this Ladybug. Was she a princess? Any noble blood? A commoner? Was she even from the kingdom? When he voiced his concerns and suggested Chloe Bourgeois instead, Adrien begged him to let him find Ladybug. He showed him the slipper she left behind and told this king his plan: if Ladybug was still in the kingdom, he wanted to find her. He wanted every girl in the kingdom to try on the slipper, no matter her age or size. Whomever fit this shoe would be the girl he would marry, no questions asked.
King Gabriel thought about it and agreed, on the condition that if they didn't find his mystery girl, Adrien was to marry Chloe.
The search was on.
Cinderette woke up back in her attic bedroom and looked around.
For a moment, the other night felt like a dream. But when she saw Tikki sleeping beside her pillow and found her red slipper, she realized last night was very much real.
Cinderette happily got up and got ready for her day before heading downstairs to prepare breakfast. While she was cooking, she happily hummed and sang and danced with Tikki. Last night really was the best night of her entire life.
To think, she actually danced with the prince!
The way he looked at her made Cinderette's heart skip a beat every time she thought about him.
She went to go set the table for Chloe and her father, then went to get the mail. To her surprise, there was a scroll with the royal seal on it. As much as Cinderette wanted to read it, she knew she shouldn't and would give it to Lord Bourgeois.
Just as she was putting the food on the table, the two came down and sat glumly.
"Good morning, Chloe and Your Lordship," Cinderette happily bid them.
"What's so good about it?" Chloe asked and angrily munched on a muffin.
"May I ask what seems to be the trouble?" Cinderette asked.
"Last night was horrible! Some mystery girl named Ladybug appeared out of no where and stole the prince!" she yelled.
"No!" Cinderette dramatically gasped and covered her mouth as if in shock, only to hide a smile.
"It's true! Some nobody came in and stole Prince Adrien's attention, even making him wear a disguise so she could have him all to himself," Lord Bourgeois said, "Then, she made a spectacle of herself by running through the ballroom with the prince running after her."
Cinderette went back to the kitchen to fetch the coffee and collapsed on the floor in a fit of silent laughter. Tikki joined her as she too had heard everything. After a couple of minutes, she stood back up and brought the coffee to them.
"Cinderette, has the mail arrived yet?" Lord Bourgeois asked.
"Yes, my lord," she answered and went to get it from a nearby table.
'What did you do last night after we left? Did you cry because you couldn't go to the ball?" Chloe bullied.
"Actually, I thought about what you said. You know, about me being selfish. And you were right," Cinderette fibbed, "I was being selfish. You both have done so much for me by letting me stay here and giving me work when no one else could. And how do I repay you? By wanting to go out when there is still work to be done! Shame on me! For that, I am truly sorry and hope you can forgive me."
The two stared at Cinderette for a moment. They did not expect that response from her.
"Um yes, Cinderette. We forgive you. You got your chores done at least as the house was spotless when we came home last night," Lord Bourgeois said.
"Not to mention the cookies you left for us when we got home! But don't think this lets you off the hook! Today, your workload will increase as punishment!" Chloe said.
Cinderette nodded her head in understanding. She wasn't the one who cleaned the house or make cookies, but had an idea Master Fu and Wayzz had something to do with it. Suddenly, Lord Bourgeois spit out his coffee with the royal scroll in his hand.
"My lord?" Cinderette gasped.
"Daddy? What is it? What's wrong?" Chloe asked.
When he could speak, he read the royal scroll out loud:
His Royal Highness, Prince Agreste, wishes to declare his love
for the mysterious Ladybug he had danced with last night
and wishes to find her.
To do so, the royal guards,
led by Captain Nino,
will be going house to house today where every girl will be required
to try on a red slipper.
If the slipper fits, with His Majesty's, King Agreste, blessing,
the girl will marry the prince,
become princess,
and rule by his side as the future king and queen of the kingdom.
When her father was done, Chloe screamed at the top of her lungs again. This was her chance to marry the prince and become a princess!
Cinderette, meanwhile, stood there in shock. The prince was in love with her? And he was going to marry her? She would leave this life behind and get her family bakery back and be with the boy she secretly loved?
Before meeting him, Cinderette thought what people said about him being nice wasn't true; that he would be stuck up, rude, selfish, and self absorbed like Chloe. But after talking with him last night, she realized just how sweet and nice and caring he really was. It also helped the fact he was really handsome.
"Hello! Cinderette! Earth to Cinderette! Snap out of it!" Chloe yelled.
Cinderette snapped out of her daydream.
"Oh. Sorry," she apologized, "Just the thought that the prince...oh dear. I can't let him see me like this. Excuse me. I'm just going to get cleaned up."
The two watched as Cinderette left the dining room while twirling and humming to herself.
