Cinderella: There's No Happy Ending

Happily Ever After....

Alice worked on the dresses for the rest of the day, until it was too dark to see even with the help of lamps. Lady Tremaine's dress was done, as well as Anastasia's dress and Drisella's would only take a few hours tomorrow. Making her way toward the stairs to the attic while stretching out her hands, Alice stopped by the pantry and pulled out the cloth she had bought. Just as she had thought, Ella was sitting at the table in the attic staring at every dress she owned. None of them were fit to wear to a ball as they were but if she could just fix them up, then perhaps she would be allowed to go.

Her thoughts were interrupted and she was startled out of her revere by Alice dropping cloths of multiple colors on the table. "Alright Ella, it's your turn. Pick a color, any color, and I will make a dress specifically for you." The woman looked startled and started the fabrics in front of her. A few were satin and the others were silk, both very expensive. Ella knew that Alice was above stealing so she asked her where she had gotten the money for these.

"I bought them the day they announced the ball, from a seller on the edge of town where they hadn't yet received the news and hadn't raised their prices yet." Ella shook her head in wonder as she ran her hands over the materials before casting her gaze to the pink dress on the edge of the table. It used to be her mother's dress and she had wanted to fix it up and wear it. "I know you're fixing my stepmother's dress and my stepsisters as well. How will you have time to make me a dress as well as yourself?" Alice stiffened and avoided the question as she looked over Ella's dresses. Ella repeated her question with more force and Alice groaned before sinking into a chair.

"I'm not going Ella! You have to go so that you can see your guard friend again, fall in love with him, get married, and have your happily ever after! I refuse to allow you to waste away in this house, alone and being treated like a slave! You deserve so much better!" By the time she had finished speaking, tears had begun to run down Alice's face and her chest was heaving as she struggled to breathe. When Ella tried to tell her friend that she deserved the same, Alice stood up and turned her back to the woman. "I've already told you Ella, servant girls like me don't get those things. We're simply not meant for happy endings." Without another word, Alice wiped her face free of tears and picked up the pink dress Ella had been looking at.

"If you won't let me make you a dress, at least let me help you run this one up. I'll keep it basically the same but it'll look at least somewhat appropriate for a royal ball." Ella nodded before running her hand over the purple silk. "I don't want to go without you Alice. Won't you please make yourself a dress and come with me?" Alice sighs as she looks at the material, her mind already conjuring up the finished image of what she would want. Shaking her head quickly, Alice turns away again so Ella tries a different tactic.

"You know, they say that the royal gardens are the finest in the land. There is no equal to them and there are plants there that are only allowed at the palace. Nobody else has them in their garden which means the ball would be the only chance to walk around and see them firsthand. Their night blooming lilies are exquisite, I've heard."

"Night blooming lilies?" Alice turns around and stares at Ella in wonder. While cooking may hold a special place in her heart, gardening flowers held a place right next to it. Alice hadn't been able to witness lilies at night since she was a very young girl. Now her hands itched with the thought of going into the royal gardens and bringing home some new flowers to plant in the garden. She would be the only commoner in the entire kingdom that had them and nobody would know how she got them. Alice smiled and immediately pulled Ella's box of sewing supplies toward her as she sat down with Ella's dress in hand. She would work all night and all day tomorrow to finish Ella's dress and make herself one as well if that's what it took. Alice needed to see those flowers.