Cinderella sat in front of the mirror, brushing her hair. Her gown was plain, but at least it was clean. Her stomach ached with nervousness. She desperately wanted to see Hercules again, but what would he think when he found out she was a scullery maid?
It didn't matter. If he felt the same way about her as she felt about him….then he would love her as she was. And if not, then she had misjudged him. Did knowing that her stranger was Hercules change how she felt about him? Cinderella pondered this question, needing to be honest with herself. Just this morning, she had been thinking of Hercules as a spoiled, snobbish celebrity. If she had found out her stranger was a common laborer, would she still love him? Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. And she loved him as Hercules – a hero who, in spite of his fame, still managed to be humble, polite, and wonderfully endearing. Yes, this was a man she could respect – could love. It was his heart that mattered.
The door groaned behind her; Cinderella turned to see it swinging shut. She rushed to grab the handle, but her stepmother had already locked it. "No, wait! Please no! Please!" Cinderella pulled at the handle, screaming and sobbing. Eventually she gave up and sat with her head pressed against the doorframe. Hercules must be downstairs by now – she had seen his chariot next door not long ago. And he would leave soon, maybe he would find another girl who fit the slipper…maybe he already had. Tears continued to slide down Cinderella's cheeks.
"Okay, okay, enough with the crying already!"
"What?" Cinderella jerked around. In the center of the room stood a tall man. He was the strangest person Cinderella had ever seen. His skin was blue, and his head appeared to be ablaze.
"The crying, it's getting on my nerves, could you quit it? Great, thanks." Cinderella had already stopped crying from surprise.
"Who…who are you?"
"Me? Gee, look, I'm just a guy who can't stand to see a lady in distress, you know? And since your fairy godmother is busy I figured maybe I could lend a hand."
"Oh, would you really?"
"Sure, sure, but I would like to ask for a favor in return."
"What is it?"
"Oh, I dunno yet, but you never know when you'll need a mortal's help. You human folk come in very handy, lemme tell ya. Nothing big or time consuming I promise…it would just be nice to know I have help when I need it. I do you a favor, you do me one sometime. Deal?"
Cinderella regarded his outstretched hand, slightly uneasy. But time was running out. She looked him in the eye "You know my fairy godmother?"
He smiled "That's right."
Cinderella took a deep breath and grasped his hand.
"Deal."