Ashboy

Once, there was a very poor minor House, whose Matron had been overthrown and replaced by her sister. The former Matron's young son was demoted to the lower branches of the family, and his position was taken by his two cousins.

They never missed an opportunity to mock and taunt him, and it was at their wish and at the wish of his aunt that the boy was set to the lowest and grubbiest of jobs. For his time spent scrubbing fireplaces and the ash consequently dulling his white hair, they dubbed him Ashboy, a nickname he greatly resented.

One momentous cycle, news was brought to the House that the eldest daughter of the first House, a great priestess, would look through the city for potential consorts or patrons. She had organised a grand gathering in which eligible males would be paraded before her for her to choose from.

The Matron of this minor House, very excited, commanded that her sons be prepared for the gathering, in their finest clothing, in hopes that they would be chosen and could thereby influence the first House to favour theirs.

Ashboy didn't even bother to ask; he knew he would be punished for such presumption. But the urge burned within him to rise thus in position and shed his life as a servant, and so he watched quietly and bided his time.

When the Matron was out, he crept into the most secret and private of rooms, and there Ashboy performed a ritual to summon a devil to his aid. He bargained long and hard with it, careful not to be trapped into losing his soul to the fiend.

When the time of the gathering drew near, the Matron and her sons went there, eager to take their chance. The eldest fumbled his bow of greeting, however, and was fortunate indeed that the daughter of the first House merely dismissed him to see the next male. The younger of the two was so nervous that his chosen magic trick exploded in his face; it drew laughter, but no more than that.

Angry with her sons, the Matron was about to leave, when a remarkably handsome drow male entered the room. His hair was long and gleamed white in even the dimmest of lights, and his trappings were of silver, obsidian and rubies.

The first daughter looked at him, and immediately decided that she wanted him. She beckoned him closer and asked him his name.

The Matron, listening, did not recognise the name, for he had been called Ashboy in her home for so long that the family had forgotten his birth-name.

As darkcycle ended, Ashboy made his excuses with all possible courtesy, and slipped away; his fine gear was already dissolving upon his body as he vanished into the shadows. One silver wrist-cuff, however, freed from its bindings, fell to the floor, unnoticed.

He hurried home to disguise himself once more with the ashes of the fireplace.

Left behind, the wrist-cuff was found by servants of the first House's daughter, and she, being of a dark humour, decreed that only one who could wear the cuff would be her consort.

The Matron decided to take a risk, and sent her sons to the first House once again. When the eldest placed the cuff about his wrist, its enchantments were revealed, and it burned with terrible heat, so that he burned his fingers badly pulling it off. The younger also tried it on, and did his best to hide the agony of the burning, in hopes he would be accepted and could take it off again.

However, he was not accepted by the waiting priestess of the first House, and was forced to pull it off; so badly burned was his wrist that it was obvious his hand would be useless forever afterwards.

Ashboy, meanwhile, had crept back there himself, and in time presented himself. Being cleverer than his cousins, and possessed of an advantage they did not have, upon seeing the enchantment the priestess had placed upon the cuff, he resolved not to try it on.

Instead, he held out his other arm, with the cuff's mate shining upon it, as proof that the cuff would fit his wrists.

The priestess laughed, amused by his cunning, and affirmed that he was indeed the one she sought. She gave his cousins to him that their fates might be decided, whereupon he called the fiend to him once more, and gave his cousins over to it, for they had been the price he'd sworn to pay for the aid he had been given; and thus he had his revenge for the way they had mocked and belittled him.

He left his former House behind, and served the daughter of the First House well, being at her side when she ascended to the position of Matron, and was there to see great power wielded over all of the city. And thus his days passed, in this prestigious position.

A/N: A drowish Cinderella, even gender-changed to suit, could hardly be expected to use the old 'sob and rely on fairy godmother' business. You work for your successes, and do the dirty deeds if that's what it takes.