The Step-Sister

The Very Next Day

     The very next day there came a knock on the door. Ella, with her newfound speed, thanks to the boot, reached the door first. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the Prince on her doorstep.

     "You're a scullery maid?" He exclaimed.

     "Forgive me your Majesty, but you did invite all the eligible young ladies in the land. Come inside and make yourself at home. I'll be back with tea and bread, please excuse the absence of a more elegant dish, we weren't expecting visitors." Ella explained.

     "None of that will be necessary, I came to speak with all of the women in the house. As you probably heard last night, I plan on marrying the owner of this shoe." the Prince said as he pulled out the slipper of glass.

     "Of course your Highness. I'll gather them as quickly as I can." Ella replied with a curtsy then turned to go up the stairs.

     "Wait," the Prince called, "what is your name?"

     Ella turned and with a sad smile said, "My name is Ella, just Ella." The Prince nodded and Ella began the trip to Cinderella's room and to spread the word of the Prince's arrival and request. While Ella was upstairs waking Cinderella and then helping her get ready Harold came into the front hall carrying firewood. The same hall that the Prince was admiring.

     "Your Highness." Harold said with a bow.

     "You're a servant as well?" the Prince asked, probably wondering how many other lower class people had come to the ball.

     Harold set the wood down next to the fireplace and said, "Would you like to hear the story?"

     "I would, actually." the Prince said.

     "Here's how it goes. There was an orphan servant boy that wanted to join the army, so he found some soldiers to teach him how to fight with a sword. The servant boy quickly mastered the sword, and then the old soldier died. The servant boy would practice each night after the chores were done. Eventually, a young scullery maid would watch out her window at the boy every night. The boy grew curious, and confronted the girl as she was folding the laundry. They both became good friends until the boy started noticing that he had feelings for the girl that were much stronger than feelings one would have for a friend.

     "The boy would find himself volunteering for jobs that would make the girl's work easier, and bring him closer to the girl. But there was one thing that the boy could never do anything about. It always pained him when the girl would show signs that her foot was hurting her. So he resolved to do something about it. He talked to healers whenever he could and eventually designed a boot that would make it so the girl, now a young lady, would never have to be in pain again. The young man was almost done with the boot when the letter announcing the Prince's ball arrived. The young man didn't know what to do until some free fabric came his way.

     "The young man scraped together enough money to hire a seamstress to sew the scullery maid a ballgown and the manservant a suit. The young man and the young woman went to the ball, and had a wonderful time. They came home and life resumed as normal."

     The Prince looked stunned, "You would do all that for a scullery maid?"

     "Says the Prince that is willing to travel to every house in the kingdom to find the mysterious lady that danced with him at the ball." Harold replied.

     "Oh," the Prince said, with a blush creeping into his face, "I guess you're right, but if you love her that much, why haven't you married her yet?"

      Harold turned bright red, "Well, that's easy for you to say, you can offer your love anything in the world, and what can I offer Ella? Nothing, I can't even offer her a small cottage to raise a family in. Worst of all, if I am ever fired from this job, nobody would offer me a different one. I wouldn't even be able to join the King's army because of a childhood injury and the fact that I'm an orphan. So even if Ella and I did get married and have children, our children will only know servitude and poverty. If you'll excuse me, your Highness, I have work to do." With that, Harold turned and left the room.

     The Prince chased after him and caught up with Harold with only a few steps. "There might be something I can do about that problem. I am in your debt for saving my life. I will find an estate like this one, and make you the Master of it, right after I knight you for your outstanding courage and for saving my life."

     "No, make Ella a Lady and the Mistress of the estate. That way, even if she doesn't marry me, or if I were to die, she wouldn't have to give up the estate. I wouldn't be able to accept your offer any other way."

     "Of course, after Ella tries out the shoe, I'll send her to the gardens and you can tell her the good news yourself if you'd like. If not I'll send a messenger in three days announcing it to her."