𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓢𝔀𝓪𝓷

Chapter Five

ＥＮＣＨＡＮＴＥＤ ＦＯＲＥＳＴ

🄿🄰🅂🅃

A carriage pulled up to a cottage in the woods, three impeccably dressed women exited the front door and climbed in, a blonde dressed in rags watched as she swept around the entrance crestfallen, the women laughed as the carriage began to move, her eyes drifted to the castle in the distance, fireworks sounding every few seconds as they illuminated the sky with flashes of pink and purple.

A fairy floated behind her noting the despair within her "Do not despair, my dear, you will attend that ball." she told the blonde as she came to a stop in front of her, the girl's eyebrows knitted together "Who are you?" she asked, the fairy began to glow emitting a golden gleam as she transformed into her human form, shaking off her wings which disappeared into the air around her "I'm your fairy godmother, and I'm here to change your life, Cinderella."

The blonde blanked "But my stepmother told me that I couldn't go, she forbade me to leave." the fairy smiled slightly "Your stepmother doesn't have this." she said brandishing her wand, it sparkled gold shimmering wisping around it, "This wand has the power to take you to your ball, to your prince, and to a life..." she didn't get to finish as she exploded into a dust of gold and black.

Cinderella gasped as she dropped the sweeping brush and stumbled back from where her fairy godmother stood just moments ago, her eyes widened as she searched around the courtyard in horror "What...?" her breaths came out strained and fast, "What did you do?" she watched as a scaly skinned man picked up the discarded wand sending a chilling smirk her way "Now, now, I got what I wanted, there's no need to be frightened."

She took another step back "No need, you just killed my fairy godmother, she was trying to help me." Rumplestiltskin's smile widened further "Was she, do you know what this is?" he asked in a singsong voice, the girl grinned glancing at the wand "Pure magic." "Pure evil." he retorted, her smile faltered as he continued "Trust me, I've done you a favour, all magic comes with a price." he lifted his hands with a flourish.

"Go on with your life, and thank your lucky stars you still got something to go back to." she shook her head "My life is wretched." his face changed slightly "Then change it." he lifted the wand higher "You can't handle this." he told her before turning and attempting to make his exit, the blonde chased after him "Wait, please, wait."

She halted in front of him blocking him from leaving "I can handle it, please, I will do anything to get out of here, anything." the man's expression shifted again, "Anything?" she didn't waste a second glancing down at the wand and then back at him, "Do you know how to use that wand, mister?" "Rumplestiltskin." he introduced making an over exaggerated bow, he glanced up at her "And, yes, of course I do."

"Then help me." she implored, he rose again with a slight smirk "Well, if I do, and you can indeed shoulder the consequences, then you'll owe me a favour." he told her as he walked around her, she spun around to him "Name it, what do you want?" he leaned in closer to her practically leering "Something precious." she frowned "But i have nothing." "Oh, but you will, with this wish will come riches more than you know."

She took a step "I care nothing for riches, I'll give you whatever you want, just get me out of here." she told him, he rose his eyebrows with a smirk "Now we're talking." she glanced down again "Well how does it work?" his smirk remained "Fear not, my needs are small and all you have to do is sign on the dotted line." he instructed as he held out his hand, a cloud of purple magic enveloping it before a piece of parchment and a feathered pen materialized "Do we have a deal?"