Twisted Cinderella

Ever After

“Cinderella Pickering?” I made a ‘gag me!’ face at the mention of the Widow’s name. Maxton restarted, “Ella, then. Ella will you marry me?” his eyes were so filled with hope, joy and loving as he stared at me; waiting for my answer.

                “Yes!” I squealed and he jumped up, ran around the room whooping and hollering like a mad man. Finally, he came to rest at my side again and gave me a huge hug and kissed my lips passionately.

                A few days later, I was released from the infirmary with strict instructions to be careful and not do any hard labor. The first thing I wanted to do was to go home and grab my things that were hidden in my room. Maxton escorted me there. When I entered the house, all three of the lazy good-for-nothings stomped up to me. I gave them all a little smile and pushed past them to my room. Making sure I had everything, I marched back up the stairs with my gowns, shoes, jewelry and the few meager possessions that my mother and father had left me. At the top of the stairs, my stepsisters just gaped at me.

                “Where did you get those?” Marie hollered, as she snatched the yellow gown from my grasp.

                “Give it back Marie! It’s all mine!” I said sternly, grabbing for the dress.

                She danced out of reach as Gene grabbed my other dress and shoes. The Widow inspected my jewelry and stored most of it in the deep pockets of her day gown.

                “Maxton! Help me! I’m being robbed!” I shrieked at the top of my lungs.

                No sooner had I yelled, Maxton barged through the door and glared at my step-family. They all just stopped what they were doing and gaped at him then at me with their mouths hanging open. Maxton grabbed my garments from my stepsisters and held out his hand to the Widow. Frustrated, she emptied out everything she had stolen into his waiting hand.

                “Pardon my rudeness your Highness, but why are you associating with this dirty rag muffin?” the Widow inquired, emphasizing my cruel nickname while she stared coldly at me. I blushed in embarrassment with my head hanging low.

                “This rag muffin is my fiancée and we were just stopping by to grab her things and head back to the castle,” Maxton stated, as he took my load of possessions from my arms. I stared at him in awe. My step-mother was, for once in her life, speechless. She finally recovered.

                “Cinderella, can we expect an invitation to the wedding?” the Widow was really trying to butter me up now that she knew my new position in the class ladder of society.

                “No. Don’t even bother checking the mailbox in case the mail man just might mess up.” with that I left the mansion on Benson Hill for the last time.

                The ride back to the castle was quiet, but it wasn’t awkward either. A few times I would catch Maxton staring at me. He would smile, blush, and look out the window again. I grinned and stared out the window of the carriage as the world rambled on by me. Finally, my life was going to take a turn for the better! After a twenty minute ride, the castle finally appeared over the hill…my future home. 

                Maxton and I were escorted to our separate rooms to dress for our wedding that would take place that afternoon. My wedding gown was white as snow with lace and pearls everywhere. It was all over the cuffs, the neckline, and even the train. My tiara looked like it was frosted with ice and the veil looked like a thin layer of snow had fallen on the fabric. I admired myself in the full-length mirror and smiled with true happiness. My dreams were finally coming true! The ladies in waiting led me out to the chapel. I arrived at the start of the aisle where the Duke was waiting. He offered me his arm and we started down the aisle. Prince Maxton was standing at the front with a smile that lit up his entire face. I smiled back.

                We reached the altar and the Duke kissed my hand. The Prince and I exchanged our vows and kissed. Everyone whooped and cheered. I never saw the Widow or my stepsisters again, though they did still try to worm their way into my good fortune every now and again. Marie and Gene even had enough nerve to dress as castle servants and sneak in. They flew under the radar for three days but a suspicious head maid finally cornered and questioned them. After that hair-raising incident, Maxton had them exiled to the neighboring kingdom to be maids in his party-going brother, Adrian’s, castle. Woo, the mess that that one guy can make; they were in for quite a hassle!

                It turned out that when he was sleeping off one of his famous hangovers, he noticed the ‘lovely’ maid, Marie cleaning up the mess from his party. He was taken with her ‘almost instantly’ in his words. Marie didn’t feel the same in the beginning; avoiding his advances for four months. She eventually broke down and told Gene about her feelings for Adrian. Gene, who was never one to keep a secret for long, went and told Adrian a few hours after Marie had confessed. Adrian seemed to enjoy the fact that Gene had betrayed Marie because the next time he saw her; he made sure he was in his best clothes with a bouquet of deep red roses and baby’s breath. After some persistence, Marie agreed to give the idea of “them” a shot. It only took eight short months for Adrian to pop to question and they were engaged. They were married a few weeks later in a lavish ceremony. Marie now seemed to glow with a certain happiness all the time and kindness finally emerged from the depths of her formerly ice-cold heart.

                Gene wasn’t as lucky. Her sour attitude would drive away potential suitors like a barn cat does mice. She tried to be a better person but even the most miniscule thing, like a fleck of dirt on her shoe, would set her off. Only time would tell…

                Back at the castle, Maxton and I had our hands full raising two happy children together. The oldest a boy with hair as gold as the sun and the youngest, a girl with hair as black as a raven‘s wing. They brought more sunshine into our lives than we ever thought possible. Ahhhh, I wish mother and father could see me now, and how happy and content I am. What’s the cliché phrase everybody uses? Oh right, we all lived happily ever after!

The End