-The Fairy Godmother-
"You simply must have a soiree at the turn of spring! Everyone simply expects it!"
It had taken the Fairy Godmother nearly an hour of constant flattery to get the Duchess of Westire into the perfect maleable state.
"The turn of spring? That's only a few weeks from now. The invitations won't even be out before the events begun. No, I'll plan one later, maybe an early summer brunch?"
"Oh, that's too bad. My Michael is visiting for the turn of the spring. I thought it would be the perfect place to introduce him to your niece."
The Fairy Godmother looked down and waited for her words to work their magic. It was no secret that the Duchess of Westire wanted her niece to be married into the Harswick family, and for a Fairy Godmother, it only takes a little bit of magic to glamour herself as Helena Harswick.
"I heard that your son is best friends with the Prince. Think of it. Your invitations, hand delivered by the Grand Duke of Westire and the Prince himself. It will be the party of the century."
The Duchess of Westire began fanning herself furiously.
"He is best friends. -With the Prince I mean. Hand delivered invitations? Dare I? How Bold!"
The outrageous grin that spread across the Duchess's face was all that the Fairy Godmother needed to see. She loved it when a plan worked perfectly.
-Cinderella-
"Ella, where are my daughters?" Lady Tremaine asked.
Ella was on her knees polishing the floor. Her dress was tied in a knot at her waist and her hands were covered in soap and grime. She looked up from her work.
"I don't know Lady Tremaine."
Her stepmother stepped onto the wet floor.
"Isn't it one of your daily duties to wait on my daughters every morning?" She asked.
"Yes Lady Tremaine." She said, keeping her eyes downcast. If she kept her voice even and didn't react, her stepmother would be less likely to punish her on a whim.
"Do I need to remind you how much you owe those two girls?" She asked.
Ella felt her jaw clench. Everything. Nothing.
"No. Lady Tremaine." She held her breath as beads of perspiration built on her forehead. She was praying for her stepmother to just let her go upstairs.
"Go then, and make sure I don't have to remind you again."
Ella stood and walked out her aching muscles. She kept went upstairs hoping to find her stepsisters ready, but she wasn't that lucky. Anastasia and Drisella were in various forms of undress and they were fighting.
The room smelled like burned hair. Anastasia was working a hot curler as smoke wafted off of her burnt curls. Drisella was at her side, distracting her, and pulling at her dress.
"There's only one hoop skirt Anna! I need it for the red dress!" Drisella shouted.
"That isn't my problem."
Anastasia had released another curl from the iron, but it was lumpy and disfigured. If Ella did not intervene soon, Anastasia would not have any hair, and Lady Tremaine would blame Ella.
She crossed the room and pulled out a blue dress from the closet. It had a more simple design that did not require a hoop skirt.
"Here Drisella, this dress will work perfect." She said.
Ella held out the dress to her and when Drisella came to inspect it, she frowned.
"I want the red dress. Where is the other hoop skirt Ella?"
"The bottom ring is falling out. I need to mend it. Until then, this dress brings out your hair beautifully."
"I don't want my hair brought out you dolt. I want my figure to show through, and it won't in that pious scrap of fabric you're holding. Not that I would expect you to understand."
Drisella stalked past her towards the wardrobe and found a dress that made her happy.
"Ella, come curl my hair. I can't quite get the shape I want." Anastasia said.
She avoided making eye contact with her as she tried to salvage the hair that had already been damaged beyond repair.
"Hurry up girls!" Lady Tremaine called up from the foyer.
"Ella did you hear? We're having lunch today at Edmont's with the princess!" Anastasia preened while she put on her earrings.
"It's exclusive!" Drisella said behind her, putting on shoes. "They've only invited twenty or so girls."
Ella smiled. They were watching her eagerly. They anticipated her hurt and disapointment, and they fed off of it.
"That's amazing." Ella said, "You both deserve it. You're beautiful."
The words flowed from her lips easily. They were lies that she had practiced saying over and over again. She had practiced leaving the bitterness out of her voice. She smoothed out the angry lines on her face until she didn't recognize her expression anymore.
They were leaving. That was all that mattered. It was Friday, and on Friday, her stepfamily was gone all day.
She finished helping her stepsisters with their final touches, and just like that, they were gone, and Ella was blessedly all alone.
-Lady Tremaine-
"My dear Lady, it's good to see you!" Lyeman opened his door for her and Lady Tremaine walked into his office unbuttoning her overcoat and hanging her umbrella near the door.
Lyman took her coat as any gracious host should and Lady Tremaine sat at her regular spot across from his desk.
"Lyman and Son's Financial Services" That was the sign that every passerby saw on the outside of the building. The store front had a fresh coat of paint. The Lobby had a forged Mirei painting and a hand carved desk bartered from pirates during high risk fanancial counseling. The only people who ever got to see the office were clients who knew that there were no "son's" only Lyman, and that the kind of advice Lyman gave was better to keep to one's self.
"How are your two girls?" Lyeman asked as he poured his own cup of tea. The stress of the illegal activity seemed to show through Lyman's every outlet. His office had a warm fire, but not much else. The wallpaper was warped and bubbly. The floor had long lost it's varnish. His clothes dodn't fare much better and even his body was sickly looking. He was a thin, spry, ferret looking man with a thin mustache and sunken eyes.
"They're perfect." Lady Tremaine did not have any patience for his incompetences.
He sat across from her at the chipped wooden desk that was sprawled with papers of every kind.
"Good, good! How was the masquerade last week darling?" He asked.
Lady Tremaine set her cup of tea on the table and shook her head. "Dismal. Anastasia and Drisella both were so radiant they were glowing, yet they did not catch any of the right attention. They could baely even catch the eye of the Grand Duke, much less the Prince."
Lyeman shook his head with sympathy. "That is a shame, and after all that money was spent on their dresses."
Lady Tremaine narrowed her eyes. "You said we would have the best dresses money could buy." She said accusingly. "They were hardly the best dresses in the room, much less the town."
"My Lady, I told you it was the best seamstress in town. No one within a hundred miles can stand as her equal!"
"It's no matter," Lady Tremaine said, cutting Lyeman off. "The ball is past. I just want to put it behind us. I need to know where we go from here."
"Where we go M'Lady?" He asked.
"How we sit Lyeman! Where is the money?"
Lyeman shuffled his papers nervously, "It's not good Lady Tremaine. The taxes on your property outweigh your earnings from your investments. There is enough to stay afloat, but after the expenses from the ball, things are looking dire."
"How dire?"
"I would say you have another two months before the money runs out with your current spending habits." All the words left him in a rush and his body became suddenly tense, waiting for her to retaliate.
"I have two months then?" She asked coldly.
Lyeman nodded.
"Very well." She said, standing up.
"Don't be too hasty Lady Tremaine! Sit and enjoy some tea. Two months is far away. A lot can happen in two months."
"Like what?" she challenged. "What do you suggest?"
"Well, your daughters are still yet unwed. You could-"
"My daughters will not be married off to just anyone with coin. They are going to be Princesses and grand duchesses. Mark my words."
"You could sell off some land so that-"
"You know that if I sell off anymore land that I won't retain my title. There is a solution, and you will find it for me Lyeman, or else what am I paying you for?"
She stood again and this time he couldn't stop her as she headed for the door.
"I will pour over options Lady Tremaine. I promise you that I will find a solution." He said nervously.
"You will find a solution or you will never be a financial advisor to anyone ever again."
She stormed out of the door dramatically as she grabbed her coat and umbrella. Once the door was closed behind her, Lyeman sagged against the door and breathed heavily. Lady Tremaine was as stubborn as a mule and as dangerous as a viper. She was not an easy customer.
Lady Tremaine opened her umbrella for the short walk to the carriage. She was still fuming with rage as her mind went over the possibilities. If that man didn't have any ideas for her by next week, everything would be up to her.
"Allow me to assist you M'Lady." A man said, opening her carriage door before Joe could get to it.
Lady Tremaine looked up and met his eyes. It was Lawrence Seaver, the textile merchant. He had been another annoyance in her life recently.
"Thank you, Lawrence." She said coldly.
She took his hand and allowed him to help her into the carriage, but he left the door open.
"How is your family faring Lady Tremaine?" He asked.
Most people avoided her out of jealousy and the whole town had long forgotten about poor dear Ella. The only ones that Lawrence could be asking about were her daughters.
"They are perfect in every way. Did you have buisness?"
"Yes, in fact I did. I was hoping you would accept an invitation to visit my home tomorrow so that I could give you a buisness proposal that would benefit both of our houses?"
"I will not be going to your house. Stop wasting my time and just tell me what you want."
He looked around the street as though he expected an audience to be gathering. He was uncomfortable, but he continued reguardless.
"I have noticed your beautiful daughters these last three socials. Their beauty is unparralleled, and I must have one of their hands in marriage. I can offer her the finest life that money can buy, and-"
Lady tremaine laughed good and hard, leaned forward, and hooked the umbrella around the door. She wasn't going to listen to his drivel anymore.
"My answer is no. My daughters are practically already spoken for. You will have to go prey in other corners of the town." She said before yanking the door closed and telling Joe to drive forward.
She wouldn't mary her daughters to anyone without a title. It took her thirty years to get her title and she wouldn't let her daughters fall back out of importance.
-The Prince-
"Who's next?" He asked eagerly. He and Derrick had been delivering invitations for the better part of a morrning. Usually he would detest being used as an errand boy, but today he didn't mind it.
Derrick checked the list and laughed.
"We've got Lady Tremaine and her two daughters."
"Who are they again?"
"They're the twins who always wear matching outfits. They live just down the road." Derrick said.
Charles sighed, he remembered the twins and their mother. They were the ones who oozed compliments. That was one place he probably wouldn't find his mystery woman, but the sooner they went the sooner they moved on to the next place.
"Alright, let's go."
They both reigned their horses down the rode and traveled side by side.
"Don't imagine that you can hide why you're really here." Derrick said after a short while.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You know exactly what I'm talking about. I was surprised at first when you agreed to come with me, but I've got it all figured out. It's the girl, the one from the ball. You're trying to find her.
Charles smiled, "No of course not, I just thought you could use some company!"
"RIght, and that's why every house we stop at you insist on asking about every young lady in the household. "
"It's not a crime to be polite."
"Your politeness is breaking a lot of hearts. They always march out all the eligible young women in the home to have the Prince walk out disapointed."
"You're exagerating." He said pointedly.
"Maybe, but that doesn't mean that I don't see what's going on!"
"and what's going on? Just so that I know we're on the same page." Charles asked, laughing. Derrick had always been easily worked up.
"It's this woman! She's really got in your head. You met her once and now you act like there's no other women in the world!"
Charles raised his eyebrows. His family and his friends thought he had lost his mind, but he didn't care.
"I'm going to find her Derrick." He said simply.
"Maybe you will, maybe you won't, but that doesn't change the fact that you should move on. She left you on the dance floor. Doesn't that mean anything to you? I don't think she wants you to find her!"
"Derrick, this is the last thing that I want to interupt you with and I really am sorry, but do you see that woman up there?" He asked.
Derrick looked up to the woman that had caught the Prince's eye moments ago. He squinted, trying to see the figure better. It was a woman, that much was easy to see, who was standing off the road and waving her arms emphatically at a tree.
"The crazy person talking to the tree?" He asked incredulously.
"No- Well, yes, but it's the woman. It's her."
The Prince didn't know how he knew it was her, but he felt it more than anything. His heart was beating faster and his eyes strained to see her. She had golden hair that fell down to the middle of her back and she was wearing a plain blue dress.
"It's official. You've lost your mind! You couldn't possibly see who that is from here, and that fact that you think it's your mystery woman proves how right I am about your obsession!"
The Prince directed his horse closer to Derrick's and threw one of his horse's reigns over his hand.
"maybe you're right and I have lost my mind, but I am going to find out for sure."
He swung his leg off the saddle and dropped to the ground. Derrick scrambled to pull the horses back and turned to Charles desperately.
"Get on the horse Charles!" He whispered through his teeth. "You can't go around approaching strange women in the forest!"
Charles grinned, "She's not a stranger. I've met her before. Tie my horse to a tree down the road. I'll be to the castle before you're done delivering the invitations."
"Your father and mother will kill me if I leave you here!"
"When has that ever stopped either of us?"
Derrick shook his head, but he finally ushered both horses forward.
Charles hid behind a tree until Derrick had passed the woman on the road. He stayed hidden trying to come up with a good plan, but as the minutes passed he grew worried that she might walk away and that thought propelled him out of hiding.
"Now is as good a time as any." He thought to himself as he returned towards the road and headed walked towards the woman he had been looking for without any idea of what he was going to say to her.