One day in a far-away kingdom two sisters chased each other in a forest.
“Anastasia, come here!” the oldest of the two, Drizella, shouted.
The girls’ mother, Lady Tremaine, was sitting in the shade, watching them. “It’s time to go,” she said.
“But mama,” Anastasia whined.
“Don’t pout, I’ll take you again tomorrow, if you both go home and wash up before super.” She said.
Drizella’s face lit up. “Thank-you mama, love you! Anastasia, I’ll race you home!” they took off down the trail.
Lady stood up, brushed off her skirt, and started for home.
Halfway back to her cottage, the temperature dropped.
“Lady Tremaine,” a voice to her left whispered.
“Hello?"
“Lady Tremaine,” it was to her right.
“Hello?” she shouted.
“Lady Tremaine,”
She turned around and there was a girl with pale skin, red lips, and brown hair.
Lady jumped.
“Do not fear. I am the kingdom’s prophet. I will tell your future.” The girl put her hands out in front of her. When Lady took them, the girl started chanting.
“You are greedy and so is she,
His drink is bitter, but not as bitter as thee.
Good one sees and you know she’ll tell,
She finds out the plan that’ll land you in hell,
The Good makes a deal with the devil.
Good turns evil, while dead trades for slaved.”
The girl disappeared and Lady ran all the way home.
* * * * *
The next day, Lady took the girls back to the clearing, and met a man named Jacob and his daughter; it was love at first sight. Every afternoon for two months Lady and Jacob would meet and talk while the girls played.
Apparently, Jacob was the richest man in the kingdom, second only to the king himself. They got married, and for about a year, things were good. The children were happy and Jacob and Lady were deeply in love.
Then, one day Drizella asked her mother if Jacob were to die, who would get his fortune. Lady scolded her daughter for asking the selfish question, but eventually she got curious herself.
So one day, when she was alone, Lady searched for Jacob’s will.
When she found it, she wanted to scream.
Half of his fortune, his estate, and his business would be Cinderella’s.
She devised a plan. When Drizella got home, Lady cast a spell on her, and stole Drizella’s will.
While Lady cooked, Drizella went outside and picked poisoned berries from a bush. She got a pocket full and showed them to her mother. Lady took them and said, “Go wash up.”
She ground the berries, collected their juice, poured two glasses of wine, and mixed the poisoned juice into her husband’s glass. “Mama,” Anastasia had been standing in the corner, watching.
“Anastasia,” she said nervously.
“What was that?”
Lady thought quickly. “Your stepfather’s throat has been sore, so I made some medicine.”
Anastasia believed her.
After super, Jacob was complaining about bitter wine and suddenly got very ill. He threw-up several times and the next morning, Jacob died.
Cinderella was heartbroken and when Lady gave her a blank scroll and explained to her that because she now had such a large fortune, she needed to write a will. Together they wrote her will and Cinderella signed at the bottom. Now if Cinderella died the Tremaines would get it all.
Anastasia waited for her mother by Cinderella’s door. Lady stepped out smiling, not noticing her daughter.
“You killed him.”
Lady gasped, but quickly recovered. “Honey ̶ ̶ ”
“Why would you ̶ ̶ “ Lady accidentally dropped Cinderella’s will. Anastasia picked it up and read over it before Lady could snatch it away.
“You’re going to kill Cinderella?”
Lady glared at her. “Yes.”
“You can’t”
“I can and I will.”
“Don’t,”
Lady suddenly got an Idea. “Fine Anastasia, I won’t kill Cinderella ̶ ̶ “
“Thank-you!”
“Not finished. I will let Cinderella live, if you give me your will.”
“What?”
“You’ll have no control over what you do. Every move you make will be controlled by me. And Cinderella will live as our servant for the rest of her life!”
“But she will live?”
“Yes,” Lady Said.
Anastasia wanted to cry. “You can have it.” She said.
As soon as the spell was cast, Lady gave Drizella and Anastasia their orders. “For the rest of your lives, you’re mean children who hate Cinderella, you’re her masters. Do you understand?’’
They looked at their mother, smiled, and said, “Yes mother.”
