My Fairy Godmother

Seven.

Chapter 7.

Elle.

"Oh, the princess is back!"

Anastasia's tone rang out with fake excitement, I forced a smile on my face while walking towards them. My stepmother was nowhere to be seen and I was grateful for that one fact, she wouldn't have taken so kindly to the story I made up on why I had to leave Jane's place.

Although if she knew I was living with someone who took great care of me she would probably demand I be returned to her as soon as possible. "So you're back here Cinderella?" Drizella asked, more like stated, her eyes held an evil glint that made me shiver in my bones.

I would have to try my best to avoid her from now on, "Well, you know your place in the cinders, my dear sister." Anastasia placed a mocking smile on her face as she says this.

I don't waste any time in making my way to the makeshift room I somewhat missed, besides the soot and cinders that made my skin a grimy mess, the company of the pests was quite nice I must admit.

"I won't even ask why you're back 'cause I don't want to know, I'm just happy to watch you suffer up close now Cinderella." I ignored Anastasia's taunting voice as I tried to unpack my things, a grave mistake on my part as she caught sight of the things Jane had gifted me.

Before I could blink a gown was ripped off my hands. She took it with so much force that for a moment I thought she had yanked my arm off completely, "How did you get such pretty clothes, Elle?" Her gaze drilled into mine.

Thankfully Drizella unknowingly came to my rescue, "I'm sure her buyer wanted to dress her well while playing with her." I looked away, disgusted with what they thought happened between me and Jane and somewhat confounded that they weren't so wrong anyway, but just not in the way they presumed.

"You're right Dri, they probably played with that filthy body of hers in the most malicious way possible. Now she has no chance with any prince charming." They taunted and scoffed, I forced myself to not think about what they said, but what if they were right?

Tears stung at the brim of my ears and I struggled to hold them in, this wasn't the moment to be weak Elle! "Can I go to my room now please, ?" I asked trying to keep myself from breaking apart right in front of them,

"Oh, you mean the Cinder and soot room?" Anastasia asked between bouts of laughter,

"Fine you can go Elle, we'll tell mom you're back. I guess even with your supposed sexual prowess the woman didn't want your filthy self in her house." I ignored this and walked inside despite the wobbly feeling of my feet that seemed like they would give way any moment under the pressure of my body.

*******
Lady Tremaine finally returned and although she was displeased concerning having one extra mouth to feed once again, she felt justified that she had the money from my sale and me back again, to use as she liked for her house duties.

I had waited in my room for a while, hoping my father would at least come to check on me, to see if his daughter was still alive, but sadly he didn't. And now as I scrubbed the tables beside Anastasia who was having coffee with her fiance I felt utterly miserable and unaware of anything around me,

"Elle, come here. I want you to go get me some Persian fabric from the dress shop." I stood up from my position on the floor and walked toward my stepmother, making sure to avoid the eyes of my step sisters and Anastasia's fiancee whose eyes seemed to be following my every movement like I was an ornament to be hung on his family tree.

"Here, take this money. Make sure you get the best Persian fabric for your sisters. I want them to look especially ravishing for the Prince's party." I froze midway, The Prince was throwing a party?

"I don't think that's any of your business Cinderella." Drizella sneered at me, I wasn't even aware that I had spoken out loud and now everyone was glaring at me like I did the worst thing ever,

"The party is for girls like us, girls who are worthy to be called Princesses." Anastasia floated, completely oblivious to her fiance's glare,

"My love, I don't think you need to attend the Prince's party anyway, you have me don't you?" The young man asked Anastasia who quickly plastered a false smile on her face,

"Of course Derian, I have you, and hence need no one else." She replied, I must have not seen the look on her face because I foolishly blurted out,

"Lady Tremaine can I please have Anastasia's gown considering she won't be attending the ball." A hard slap on my cheeks was all the reply I got while Drizella and Anastasia burst into laughter,

"She thinks the prince would ever pick someone like her, mother." Anastasia sneered, "Oh, Princess Cinderella, make way for the great Princess Cinderella." Drizella mocked in a sing-song voice.

Lady Tremaine pulled at my ears roughly, I wailed in pain and tears spilled out of my eyes involuntarily, "You would never be anything more than a common maid who lives in the Cinders' child. There is no prince for you anywhere so better stop dreaming of such nonsense and go buy the Persian fabric I asked for."

She flung me towards the door, and I landed in front of a tall, dark handsome man with golden-colored eyes and a bronze-looking face, his nose was straight and pointed and he had a thin line of pink lips that looked curved in unhappiness.

He was probably the most handsome male I had ever seen. He extended a hand towards me and I wasted no time in accepting it, "Thank you." I muttered shyly, he looked back at my stepmom and step sisters and they almost shrank away in fear.

Who was this man and why did my stepmom and sisters seem so scared of him anyway? "I am the Crown Prince, I bring invitations to you for the ball my father, the King is holding in the next two days."

He announced in a voice that sounded almost robotic, why didn't he just send someone to deliver the invitations instead of walking all the way here himself? Once again, my thoughts were not thoughts and were accidentally said, because the Prince gave me a small smirk,

"The prime ministers have important work to do maid, this is no trouble for me." I wanted to ask him why he called me a maid but decided against it as I was truly dressed in a way a maid would look. Quickly he gave one last look at my step-mother and step sisters before turning to head out.

Before he got to the door, he looked back one more time, throwing a distant look at me before turning to Lady Tremaine, "I'd like if you brought your maid to the Ball, thank you." He voiced out.

It took no seer to realize I was the maid he was talking about. I wanted to tell him off once again for calling me a maid but I thought better of it. He was inviting me to his father's ball. This could be my own fairytale story.

Lady Tremaine gave him a look that bothered between gross and confused but even her knew she couldn't refuse the Crown Prince's orders. "As you wish your majesty." She said with a sickly sweetness to her tone that I noticed as annoyance.

The Prince only gave her a smile and left abruptly.
I was about to head to my room quickly when I felt my step-mother's hand wrapped around my hair harshly.

"I do not know what your plan is you evil witch but I would never allow you to take away this chance from my beautiful daughters." She grinned evilly as she pushed me to the floor.

I barely braced myself as my hands landed in front of me before Anastasia's foot came down heavily on my fingers. I let out a blood-curling yelp of pain at the sound of my fingers crunching under her heavy foot. Surprisingly Drizella was the one to ease her sisters foot off me, and I couldn't be more thankful for that.

"We don't want her spreading lies to the prince at the ball do we?" She gave her sister a chilling look that caused shivers to appear on my skin. I shouldn't have come back here. My father didn't care for me, and neither did my evil step-family. I've been such a fool coming back here.

The only person who cared about me in the slightest was Jane, and even she had someone she loved who wasn't me. The thought caused a foreign ache to spread through me.

This time I didn't give them time to say anything more before I rushed out of their presence. Maybe this ball was the respite I finally deserved. I would finally have a chance to escape this place.