Chapter 5: Torn Dresses and Fairy Godmothers
The day of the ball arrived, and the entire kingdom held its breath in anticipation.
Aria pulled on Drisella's corset strings as Anastasia preened in the mirror. "You want me to be the queen?" she asked dreamily. "Who? Me?" Drisella gritted her teeth, shooting Aria an order. "Tighter! Tighter! Tighter!"
As hard as she could, Aria pulled the strings as far as they would go. "That's it!" Drisella cried, trying to suck in a deep breath. "A vision, sister," Anastasia said. "Likewise," Drisella agreed. "We must compete for the prince's hand. Oh, and let it not mean we harbor dark thoughts against each other."
As they spoke of harming each other, Aria looked to Ella who was standing in the doorway. "What will he be like, I wonder?" Ella asked. Anastasia laughed, "What does it matter what he's like? He's rich beyond reason." Aria tilted her head to the side. "Wouldn't you like to know a bit about him before you marry him?" she questioned. "Certainly not, it might change my mind," Drisella answered. "I bet you two have never ever spoken to a man!"
Shyly, Aria ducked her head as Ella shrugged. "I have once, to a gentleman." Anastasia laughed, "Some menial, no doubt. Some apprentice." Ella nodded quickly. "He was an apprentice, yes." "All men are fools," Drisella said. "That's what mama says. The sooner you learn that the better."
The stepsisters began bickering again and Aria winced as they broke a sliver tiara, snapping it in half. She sighed, turning to follow Ella from the room. She walked slowly up the attic steps, lost in her own thoughts.
Not for the first time, Aria felt pity for those two schemers, who could be as every bit as ugly within as they were fair without.
If her stepmother would not have two more dresses mad, it seemed to Ella that there was no reason why she would not try to run them up herself. And besides, she did have a little help.
Aria smiled as their mice friends helped them with the dresses. Ella's was a soft pink, gorgeous in its design. The one she had picked for Aria was a lavender purple, simple, but none the less perfect.
Lady Tremaine smiled brightly at her two daughters as they pranced giddily down the stairs. They were giggling, swaying their hips to make the fabric around them swish around. "My dear girls," she said, emotion light in her voice. "To see you like this… it makes me believe one of you might just snare the Prince. And to think I have two horses in the race! I dare say no one in the kingdom will outshine my daughters!".
Just then, Ella appeared, walking down the stairs in the dress she made. Aria was behind her, her head ducked with a light flush across her face. "Cinderella. Aria," Lady Tremaine said sharply. "It cost you nothing," Ella said quickly. "It was my mother's old dresses, you see. And I took it out myself." "After all I've done," their stepmother said darkly.
Ella blinked, surprised at the hostility she was receiving. All she wanted to do was go and see her new acquaintance. "I don't want to ruin anything," she said. "I don't even want to meet the prince." "Oh, and you won't. Because there's no question of you going." "But all of the maidens of the land are invited," Aria reminded the woman. "By order of the King." "It's the King I'm thinking of! It would be an insult to the royal personage to take you both to the palace in these old rags."
The eldest became defensive, calming only when Aria lightly touched her arm. "Rags! This was my mothers." The other three circled the two sisters. "Oh, sorry to tell you, but your mother's taste was questionable," Lady Tremaine said. "This thing is so old-fashioned it's practically falling to pieces."
With sudden quickness, she ripped off one shoulder of Ella's dress. "Oh, the shoulder's frayed!" Drisella reached forward, ripping off the front lace of Aria's dress. "It's falling to bits," Lady Tremaine tutted as she and her daughters destroyed the dresses of the young women standing in front of them. "It's ridiculous old-fashioned joke!"
Lady Tremaine laughed wickedly as Ella looked at her with tears in her eyes. "How could you?" "How could I otherwise?" the wicked woman asked. "I will not have anyone associate my daughters with you. It would ruin their prospects to be seen arriving with ragged servant girls. Because that is what you are, and that is what you will always be. Now mark my words, you shall not go to the ball!"
Ella ran off as Lady Tremaine laughed wickedly. Aria watched as the terrible trio left the house, driving away on their carriage. Then, steeling herself, she ran after Ella, finding her sister kneeling beside a stone bench, sobbing.
Gently, Aria settled down beside Ella, wrapping an arm around her. "I'm sorry, mother" Ella sobbed, talking to their mother as Aria stroked her back. "I'm sorry. I said I'd have courage, but I don't! Not anymore! I don't believe anymore!" "Oh, Ella," Aria whispered, hugging her tightly.
They slowly backed back to the house, Ella wiping at her tears. They were stopped by an old beggar woman. "Excuse me. Can you help me?" the old woman asked. "Just a little crust of bread, or a cup of milk?"
Being the kind souls that they were, they were quick to agree to help her. "Yes, I think we can find something for you," Aria said gently. Ella moved to pour a bowl of milk as Aria helped the woman sit down. "Why are you sad?" the woman asked. "Oh, it's nothing," Ella said quickly. She didn't want to worry the woman. "Nothing? Nothing?" the woman repeated.
As Ella handed her the bowl, the woman couldn't help but make another remark. "What of the bowl of milk?" the woman questioned. "Nothing. But kindness makes it everything." Aria gave a small smile as the Beggar woman gulped down the milk. Both sisters couldn't help but laugh when the woman let out a loud burp.
The woman smiled at them before straightening up. "Now, I don't mean to hurry you, but you really haven't got long, Ella. Aria." The younger girls startled, confused at how she knew their names. "How do you know us?" Ella asked. "Who are you?" Aria added. "Who am I?" the woman repeated. "I should think you'd have worked that one out." The sisters looked at each other in confusion. The old woman smiled. "I'm your Hairy Dogfather… I mean, Fairy Godmother!"