Cinderella 2.0 - A Traditional Fairy Tale from a different vantage point
This is a take on the Classic Cinderella Fairy Tale. There are no exorbitant frills or complex imagery; however, the vantage point skews different than many other versions. Please read, comment, and enjoy. If it makes you tear up, then I've been doing my job right.
Once upon a Time there was a young girl with golden hair. She was the jewel of her parents' eyes and was loved by the entire town. Her name was Faith, and she lived life to the fullest. She wanted nothing more than to give her parents the most that she could.
When her mother grew ill and died, her Father was left with an emptiness. As she grew older, she and her Father grew more and more distant until he, too, died. The light of life winked out, and she was left hollow inside.
She became more closed off, day-by-day, until one day a man came into her life. He was such a gentle man and cared for her with all of his heart. She soon found the love that had faded so long ago, new and bright. She had eyes only for him and he for her. Then she was with child and her heart grew even more full. With the birth of her second child, she knew that she could never go back to who she was. She named the eldest daughter Leticia and the younger Beatrix.
The years flew by as if they were days, happy and content with her little family. She loved her husband and her daughters with everything that she had, crying happy tears and sad tears, smiling through all of life's miracles and hurdles. Their little family lived happily ever after... until that fateful night when her husband fell off his horse and died. Her soul blackened.
Meanwhile, somewhere far away lived a small family with a precocious-yet-beautiful young girl name Cynthia. She was ever the excitable daughter, whether it was when her mother would bake Apple Pies or when her father would bring home bacon from the slaughter house. Such wondrous things, that she had trouble containing herself.
When her mother died, she mourned for some time and clung to her father. She still was very excitable and loved the games they would play and going on adventures. She learned about nature and the world of business and even of the Monarchy. She quite enjoyed politics, so her father began to go into town to educate her as she grew older. She loved learning about it and read all the books she was able to find.
Then, one day, her father met a woman. She was a wonderful woman that Cyndi quickly grew to love. Her daughters were both so very beautiful and very well mannered. She emulated the pair as if she could become them. She learned to curtsy properly and speak eloquently. They had quarrels, like all children do, but Faith and her father would quickly intervene.
Faith was always surprised at how the heart would mend. She was shocked by the fact that she could even feel love for another man after the loss of her previous husband. Now she felt warm with emotion every day that she was in town. She waited and watched for Will on every visit. She had grown so fond of him over these months and their families became very close. He was a widower with a daughter named Cynthia, who just adored Leticia and Beatrix. They were good daughters and allowed the younger girl to play with them,whether with dolls or outside while running through the farmland.
It was therefore no surprise to anyone when they were wed. It was a happy occasion and there was a bustle of excitement. Leticia and Beatrix, of course, stood up with her while little Cynthia was the flower-bearer. They all seemed so grown-up. Everything was a dream come true, even to someone who had such pain in her soul. With Will at her side and her three daughters surrounding her, she knew that she could be happy again.
They lived eight very happy years together.
Eight blissful years passed by for Cynthia in a haze. She loved her father, her new mother, and her new sisters. She had never had sisters before, so it was a wonderful thing. Mother and Father would go on trips to town and bring back goodies, they would have picnics, and all the good things that life could offer.
One day, like any other, they were going to go to town for some things. Mother, though was feeling sick and stayed home, so her father was going to go by himself. He had all the food stuffs and quilts for sale as well as the Pickled Apples that went over so well. He set out with the horse and cart towards town. It was at that moment that Cynthia remembered that she needed some new sewing needles, so she chased after him.
She reached the cart some way into the forest that edged their farmland. She called to him and called to him to stop. When he finally realized that she was chasing behind, he jerked the reins hard. The horse, spooked, jumped and pulled him off the cart's wide seat. She could not get there fast enough to save him. She lay there in the road, covering his broken body, until her sisters came to find her. By that time, the sobs were weak and distant. The sisters' screams, however, were vibrant and loud.
She had never known the pain that they already knew, but now she was starting to understand what they had been through. She pitied them in a moment, but could not comfort them through her own anguish. She was dead inside already. Beatrix ran back to get her Mother, who ran as fast as her legs could take her.
Faith ran as fast as her legs could take her, but it was far past the time that anyone could help. Her eyes grew distant and saw the horrors of her own past quickly bury her. She shoved Cyndi off of Will's body and caressed the man's face. She wailed and moaned. She would never feel this pain again. She vowed to never allow anyone into her heart again.
She brought the girls back to the house, numb inside as she did so. Then she returned and hitched the horse to the part of the cart that remained. Her anger flashed when she saw the wadded note from Cynthia, a small list of things from the Grocer that she wanted. She knew in that instant that Cyndi was to blame for this.
Over the next two years, she would make Cyndi regret what she had done. The girl would never get to go to town, would never get to have fun. That's what bad little girls deserve. She would show Cyndi.
For two years, Cyndi was at the beck-and-call of her Mother and Sisters. She could now only think of them as Step-Mother and Step-Sisters, for they were so removed from the love that they had shared. She overheard her Step-Mother, on many occasions, telling guests "I came upon his body, with Cyndi's note in it. Had she not chased him down, he would still be alive." Most of those friends were alright, but there were a few that looked at her as if she had done him harm intentionally. She would never have hurt her father on purpose.
She was relegated to the duties of a servant as punishment or retribution or just plain vindictiveness. All the while Leticia and Beatrix grew more insolent and greedy. They knew they were beautiful and started to use it for their advantage. Getting things, even things they didn't want or need, became a game to them. They became very good at it. They would even play each other against their own mother to see who could get what they wanted. Cyndi's Step-Mother, though, was even better at it.
So it was that two years became like a life sentence as she cooked and cleaned and swept and mopped and washed. The girls had started to nickname her Cinderella after one stint cleaning out the Fireplace, where she fell inside and kicked up all the ashes. She came out of it all white and gray. They laughed for days and days, and the nickname quickly became permanent. Even guests began to refer to her as Cinderella.
She grew numb and cold as time slowly crawled onward.
Meanwhile, in the castle at the edge of the region, an ailing King begs his son to find a wife. The monarchy needed an heir, and his son needed to find a Princess to marry. There were 16 eligible Princesses from surrounding countries, all being paraded through the kingdom night-and-day.The Prince was not in love with any of them and thought most were pompous or conceited.
Prince John told his father, the King, over-and-over that would marry for love and that the Princesses were not what he wanted. Finally, while the King was on his death-bed, he consented and told his father that if he did not find true love by the next Full Moon, that he would marry one of the Princesses. His father died peacefully that night, the weight of worry lifted from his shoulders. The Prince wept at his side and grieved for an entire week and could not lift himself from his stupor.
His most trusted advisor, worried over his pain, allowed him that week to hold his pain before pulling him to his feet. His friend warned him that he had but a single week remaining before he had to follow through with his promise. The Prince, however, was far too overcome still to listen and allowed the days to pass by without meeting anyone.
Following through with his promise, he had his men send out invitations to every corner of the land. The invitation read "Royal Ball, all urged to attend His Royal Highness's Selection of a Bride." It was a beautiful invitation that would be hand-delivered by hundreds of couriers to each-and-every household.
Although it was meant as an invitation to watch as he selected one of the 16 eligible Princesses, all of the eligible women in the Kingdom would understand it as their chance to become the Bride.
Faith and her daughters, receiving the invitation with 3 days to go before the Royal Ball, were thrilled at the prospect of becoming the next Queen. Faith, however, had no intention of making any overtures towards the Prince. She was ever dead inside these years and held to her vow of never falling in love again. She held very tightly to that vow.
She was setting the scene for her daughters to have a chance to rise to power within the Kingdom, and what better way than to marry the soon-to-be-coronated Prince. She would give them their Happily Ever After, even if she had to whisper in the ears of anyone she could convince.
So it was that they primped and powdered and cleaned and styled until they were as magnificently beautiful as anyone could be. Faith was so proud of her daughters. They would soon become what they were meant to become. She thought about her two dead husbands and mourned for her own life, but she would not let their deaths stand in the way of giving her daughters a better life.
Cinderella, on the other hand, had no hope of going to the Ball, for she was without even a dress and Faith was still deeply angry with her for the murder of her husband.
Cynthia, as she had expected, would not be going to the ball. She wanted so badly to go, if for no other reason than to distinguish herself with her knowledge of the Kingdom. She cried herself to sleep the first night that she was told she would not be allowed to attend the Ball. The remainder of the time she was just too busy with sewing dresses and other articles of clothing.
When it was time to dress the girls and send them off, she had just enough energy left to fall asleep. She dreamt of dancing and talking and other such things. When she awoke later that night, to the sound of tinkling bells in the garden, she was confused. She walked to the garden and found an old woman trying to dig up her tomatoes. She was angry at first, but then she realized this woman must be very hungry.
Instead of forcing the old woman to leave, she invited her into the silent house and poured her a deep bowl of the remaining stew. It was still warm and would fill her empty belly. She watched with a smile as the woman ate her fill and pushed the bowl away.
As they sat together, the old woman asked her about her life. The conversation quickly turned to the Ball and why she was not attending. When she told of her lack of dress and transportation and then finally of her Step-Mother's anger towards her, a small grin came over the old woman's face. As she grinned, a magical glow transformed the old woman into a beautiful young woman.
The young woman told Cynthia that she was her Fairy Godmother and had been watching over her. She knew of her plight and was here to help. As the Fairy Godmother waved her wand above Cynthia's head, the ragged clothing that she wore transformed into a magnificent ball gown. It sparkled like diamonds.
She turned the largest pumpkin in the garden into a lovely carriage of pristeen white. Finding 6 field mice jumping on the carriage, she changed them into steeds of purest white. The whickered and shoved against each other. A frog became a footman, with a high forehead and dangling moustaches, while a turtle turned into the driver.
It was the most beautiful sight that Cynthia had ever seen.
The Fairy Godmother was pleased with her work, but had one last warning and gift to bestow. Her magic would only last until the last stroke of the Grand Clock that hung from the highest Bell Tower of the Castle. When the night turned to morning, her old magic would disappear and with it all of the things she had done the night before.
The girl before her had been transformed. She could see an inner strength come out as well. She warned her thrice about the curfew of the clock and made certain that Cynthia understood. When she was confident, she gave her the last gift.
The slippers that she slid onto the young girl's feet were enchanted, and would resist all other feet but the one to whom they were bestowed. They were purest crystal, as clear as glass and as delicate. They were the binding magic.
The Fairy Godmother wished Cynthia good fortune and smiled as she watched the Carriage carry the young girl towards the Castle.
Cynthia drew all the attention as she entered the Ball Room. The Prince took a step closer. The audience drew back in awe. Her Step-Mother watched her closely. She was the same person, but felt like so much more.
She was marked by the Prince and his eyes met hers.
The first dance went to the beautiful young woman. Prince John invited her on the dance floor to envious eyes. They danced and twirled across the floor. When other women pushed to have a dance, he politely refused. He knew his heart had found its match.
After many songs played, they adjourned to the gardens. He led her between people and then between apple trees and then to a stone bench among the roses. He took her hand and felt such silent emotion between them. He could not focus. When he was able to speak, he asked her name but she just laid a finger across his lips and did not answer.
His heart raced.
Cynthia had to hide her name. She was not a Princess and could not be with the Prince. She could not move, though. She could not make her legs move away from him. This felt right and she wanted it to last forever.
They didn't speak at all, but just gazed into each others' eyes.
Faith saw them in the gardens. She was seething with anger. She knew exactly who this young woman was and was not about to let her win this game. Cinderella did not deserve this. She had killed her own father, the second and last man she would ever love. She vowed to get vengeance on the girl, even if she had to do something drastic.
It wasn't needed, though, as the bells from the Bell Tower began to ring out the last hour of the day and Cinderella ran.
Cynthia had only three bells left before the last one. She could not let the Prince know that she had no wealth nor title of nobility. She knew the politics of Royal Marriages and she knew that she did not fit in with the Royal life. She ran out of the castle as the last bell was ringing, feeling the slippers tingle on her feet.
Ahead, the Carriage was glowing. She hurried down the steps and fell. She got up and ran, not realizing that one of her glass slippers had fallen off of her feet. As the Carriage rolled away, she could see the Prince on the steps.
She then noticed her missing glass slipper, held carefully in the Prince's hand.
Prince John looked at the beautiful glass slipper and wondered who the mysterious woman could have been. They had never spoken, but he knew that she held a depth of soul within her eyes. He knew that he would not be able to go on without finding out who the woman was. She would be his Bride.
He spoke to his adviser and the next day he would send him out to every house in the land to find the young lady whose foot would fit into the slipper.
The carriage broke apart. The animals changed. The dress drifted away, revealing the ragged dress that it had been before the transformation. She rushed into the house and took refuge in her room, not wanting the Step-Mother or Step-Sisters to know that the woman that danced with the Prince was her.
She prayed for solace and cried herself to sleep.
Faith arrived back at the house and felt content. After Cinderella had fled from the Castle, her daughters had each been able to worm their way into dancing with the Prince. They were graceful and skilled. She had no concern over Cinderella's actions and let her be.
She would deal with marrying Cinderella off to some farm-boy or other after her own daughters were given what they deserved.
Over the next weeks, couriers carried the documents to every house. The documents told all women that they would be visited by the prince's men to find the mysterious woman that owned the glass slipper. Every woman tried to claim the glass slipper as their own.
The Prince's men scoured the land. They made every woman put the slipper on her foot... young and old, haggard and lithe, large and small. The slipper's enchantment would not allow the foot to enter. For women with larger feet, it would shrink. For women with smaller feet it would close up entirely. Not a single foot would fit the beautiful glass slipper.
Inns and taverns, small cottages and large mansions, but not a single foot fit... they had but one house remaining.
Cynthia heard the news and was hopeful. The Prince wanted her to be his Bride. She could finally be free of her Step-Mother's abuse. She heard the trumpets and prepared to go down from her upstairs room. It was then that her Step-Mother entered with her Glass Slipper.
Her Step-Mother had anger in her eyes. She dropped the shoe to the floor and locked the door as she left. The sounds of soldiers made her break. She was trapped and had no escape.
She dropped to the floor and wept, thinking of her father.
Prince John knew this was the last house, so this must be where the mysterious woman lived. He revealed himself as they went into the modest farmhouse, with a mother and two daughters. The pair seemed familiar and he remembered dancing with them after the young woman with the glass slippers had escaped. Out of fairness, he allowed them to try and slide their feet inside the slipper. Neither fit.
When he asked if they were the only women that lived in this home, the mother answered that they were.
Leticia coughed, knowing she couldn't let this hatred go on any longer.
"Mother, Cinderella - I mean Cynthia - is upstairs. It is time you forgive her. She deserves happiness as well."
Beatrix ran upstairs before her mother could stop her, pulling open the door and finding the slumped form of Cinderella crying against the floor.
"Come, my Sister, it is your turn to try on the Glass Slipper. I am so sorry we have done this to you."
Cynthia did not know what to do, but she hugged her Sister and went downstairs. Her other Sister hugged her also and they wept together, knowing they had missed so much time together.
She turned to her Step-Mother, who wore anger on her face.
"I forgive you, Mother."
Faith broke. She could not hold the emotions any longer. Tears flowed like a river as she clung to her third daughter with all her strength.
"I am so sorry. I was so angry. I don't want to lose you as a daughter either. Is there still time for us?"
Cynthia just nodded and smiled.
Cynthia held her breath and felt the glass slipper pull onto her foot, the magic enchantment still on it. The Prince knelt down and presented a simple ring to her and asked for her hand in marriage.
_The wedding was a marvelous one and Cynthia and John were presented as King and Queen. _
Her Mother, Faith, became a trusted adviser to them.
Leticia and Beatrix both married wealthy Dukes and would never have to need of anything.
.
And they all lived happily ever after.
I hope everyone can find their own type of Happily-Ever-After.
Thanks to all who have read, enjoyed, resteemed and/or upvoted.
Have a wondrous and magical day!
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STOPCool back story. I really like your writing style!
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A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?
- Albert Einstein
Water. Well, maybe not to be happy, but to live. I love Einstein, such an exquisite mind. Thank you for commenting.
Well that was a happy ending I wasn't expecting!
I wanted to do the classic Fairy Tale and I've never been happy that the Step-Mother was always portrayed as just an evil woman. I wanted to pull the cardboard characters into the 3rd Dimension while staying true to most of the traditional "good-feeling" version of the Fairy Tale. I always thought it would be nice if the Step-Family finally accepted her and she could bring them to the Happy Ending as well.
Thanks so much for reading @juliakponsford.
Wow, I teared up quite a few times reading this. I love the insight into the behavior of the "evil" step-mother and step-sisters that really adds a sympathetic element. Well-done!!
Thanks moro, I just really wanted to give them their credit. I didn't want it to be "people are evil and people are good", but I still wanted to give them that confrontation. I loved writing the reconciliation and it made me tear up as well.
Good work here! I didn't expect a happy ending all around.
That's part that I wanted to focus on from the onset, how I could give every main character that Happily Ever After and yet pull it off so that it made some sort of sense... if it were a longer version, I would have put in some small kernels that showed some lightening up of the hostility by the Step-Sisters, but I was really pushing to stay within the old Fairy Tale style.
The only reason I even put the direct quotes there at the end was because I felt it would give more impact to the changes-of-heart. It made it more personal coming from the characters. Outside of that I think I did pretty well at confining it w/in the Grimms-ish Fairy Tale framework.
The story from a different pespective, a backstory for both the sides and finally a happy ending! Perfect. I like this version even better than the original Cinderella one! :)
Thanks so much for such high praise. I truly appreciate it.