CinderMarie

Once upon a time, there was a tiny kingdom. It was very high in tradition. In this particular kingdom, in a majestic mansion, there lived a widowed cat and his young daughter, Marie. Even though he was kind and gave his daughter every luxury and comfort, he still felt like she needed a mom’s care. So, he married again to a female cat who was of good family and had two adopted girls just the same age as Marie. Their names were Rita and Georgette. However, after the unexpected death of this good cat, the stepmother's true nature was shown. She was cold, cruel, and very jealous of Marie's charm and beauty. She was definitely determined to focus on her own two daughters. And so, as the years went by, the mansion started to lose its good looks, for the stepsisters have inherited the family fortunes. While Marie, who became a servant in her own home and had to sleep in the attic, was pushed around a lot, she didn’t let it get her down too much and remained kind and sweet, for she hoped that her dreams would come true.

——

“Marie, make us breakfast!” the stepsisters yelled.

“I'll be right there!” Marie called.

“Marie, why haven’t you cleaned the floors yet like I asked you to?!” the stepmother shouted.

”I've been dusting the furniture!” Marie panted.

——

By that evening, Marie was exhausted after a long day of constantly working. She climbed upstairs to her room, plopped down on her bed, and fell asleep.

——

The next day, at the castle, Prince Oliver and his father, King Thomas, were having a meeting about his future.

”Dad, please, I don’t want to get married!” Prince Oliver begged. “Besides, I haven’t met someone who I find interesting.”

”You have to!” King Thomas said sternly. “One of these days, you will rule this kingdom. And you need a wife to help you.”

”Sorry, but I will marry my one true love, just like you did with Mom.”

King Thomas chuckled. He knew his son was right. At that moment, Dodger, the Royal advisor and Oliver’s best friend, who was watching the whole thing, had an idea.

”Excuse me, Your Majesty, I suggest we have a ball, but with every maiden in the kingdom.”

Prince Oliver and King Thomas were surprised.

”What?!” Prince Oliver said in shock.

“Every girl?” King Thomas said in surprise.

“Dodger, please, I——,” Prince Oliver started to say.

”Aw, come on, kid, this just might help you find your bride.“

Prince Oliver thought for a moment.

“Okay, let’s do it,” he said confidently.

——

While Marie was busy dusting the furniture in the living room, there was a knock at the door.

“Coming!” she called, and went for the door. When she opened it, Dodger stood there with a bag of envelopes and held one out to Marie.

“A special invitation to a royal ball,” he announced.

“Oh, how exciting!” Marie chuckled. But before she could take the invitation, the stepsisters barged in, pushed Marie to the ground, and started tugging at the invitation. Rita won, started reading invitation, and squealed.

”Prince Oliver will marry me, and I'll be a princess!”

”No, he'll marry me!” Georgette snapped. As the stepsisters ran off to tell their mother, Dodger pulled Marie up.

”In your dreams,” he said with a wink, in which Marie responded with a chuckle.

——

Up in her room, Marie opened a chest, and pulled out a fancy dress. Marie has always loved this dress, for it was her mother’s. Unfortunately, her stepmother had asked her to help the stepsisters get ready for the ball, so she didn’t have much time. Luckily, by that evening, when Marie had finished helping her stepfamily get ready, she ran upstairs and quickly worked on her dress.

——

Before long, the stepmother and stepsisters strolled to the door. But before they could step out…

”Wait for me!”

The three looked back to see Marie running downstairs wearing her light-blue dress. She also had a pink ribbon tied around her neck and a small pink bow on her head.

“Marie, where did you get that dress?” the stepmother asked.

”It was my mother’s.”

”Sorry, but you’re not going to the ball, Marie.”

”What? But the invitation said that every girl should be there.”

Just as Marie was about to step out the door, the stepsisters yanked her back and started ripping her dress apart while the stepmother watched with an evil grin.

”Ragged servant girl, you are,” she cackled. “And what you shall always be. Now clean this up.” Marie was just about to confront her stepfamily, but they slammed the door on her. As tears started to form in her eyes, Marie sobbed and ran outside to where her parents were buried.

”I'm sorry, Mom and Dad,” she said between sobs. “I tried to be kind, but I just can’t.” At that moment, sparkles started appeared behind Marie. They came together and formed a hooded cat. It reached out and stroked Marie's fur.

”Now, now, dear, don’t say that,” she said softly. “If you lost all your hope, I wouldn’t be here.” Marie looked behind her gasped. There stood a female Himalayan cat, smiling at her.

”What the——? Who are you?”

”My name is Sassy, and I am your fairy godmother. Now dry those tears. You're going to the ball.”

“But how? I haven’t got time to fix my dress. It’s not possible.”

But Sassy just smiled and pulled out a wand.

”I assure you, anything is possbike with magic.”

”Magic?”

”Yes. Magic. Now let’s see. I'll need a pumpkin, four mice, a lizard, and a goose.”

Although Marie was confused about was why her fairy godmother needed such weird things, she got them, anyway. With her magic wand, Sassy turned the pumpkin into a carriage, the mice into horses, the lizard into the footman, and the the goose into the horseman.

”Okay, looks like everything is all set.”

”But, fairy godmother, what about my dress? It was my mother’s. Can you fix it up?” Marie asked.

Sassy started to take a quick scan of Marie's ripped dress.

”Hmm, do you want me to change the color?”

”Uh, sure. I want it to match my bows.”

Nodding, Sassy zapped Marie’s ripped dress with her wand. Spinning around, Marie watched the magic sparkles work on her dress. Before long, her dress was now pink to match her bows with sparkles everywhere. And for the finishing touches, a pair of glass slippers.

”It’s beautiful!” Marie gasped, in which Sassy responded with a giggle. It was almost too good to be true for Marie as she stepped into the carriage. Sassy was just about to leave, but remembered something super important.

”Marie, you must remember something very important.”

”What is it?”

“At the last stroke of midnight, the spell will be broken. And everything will be turn back to what it was before.”

Promising that she'll remember, Marie waved goodbye to her fairy godmother as she left for the castle.

——

Up at the castle, the ball was underway. Prince Oliver was exhausted and stepped outside for a quick breather. He looked back to see Dodger walking up to him.

”You okay, kid?”

”I'm fine, Dodge. I’m just tired. I just know that this is gonna be a long night.”

Dodger knew his best friend was right.

”Come on, kid, we gotta keep this up.”

——

As Oliver greeted Rita and Georgette, he looked up and froze. There stood Marie. He didn’t who she was or where she came from, but he didn’t care. He knew he had to meet her.

”Hello,” he said, taking her paw and kissing it. “May I have this dance?”

“Yes,” Marie smiled. As the two started to waltz, King Thomas beamed with excitement.

”I knew it! I knew he'd find the one! Who is she? Do you know her?”

”No, Your Majesty,” Dodger said. “I've never seen her before.”

——

As Marie continued to dance with the Prince, her stepfamily was watching.

“Who *is* that girl?” Rita asked. “It should be me out there dancing with the Prince!”

“No, it should be *me!*” Georgette snapped.

”Oh, hush, you two,” the stepmother said. “Though I can’t help but think there’s something familiar about her.”

——

Before long, Prince Oliver and Marie found themselves in the garden. As the two took a stroll through the moonlight, Prince Oliver couldn’t help but keep his eyes on the most beautiful girl he has ever seen.

”Tell me: do you believe in love at first sight?” Prince Oliver asked.

“Yes, I do,” Marie smiled. “If you have the courage and kindness in your heart.” The two smiled at each other and started to lean in. But before they could lock lips, the clock started to chime. Marie looked up and gasped: it was midnight!

”Oh, no, I gotta go!” she said, remembering her fairy godmother's warning. “Goodbye!” And she took off. But Prince Oliver chased her.

”Come back!” he called. “You never told me your name!” As Marie ran down the stairs, one of her glass slippers fell off. Realizing this, she ran back and was about to pick it up, but Prince Oliver stilled chased her. So she took off without it. Prince Oliver stopped before the slipper and picked it up.

——

Luckily for Marie, she made it back home just in time before the spell wore off. And the next day, she was busy dusting the furniture, when the front door opened, and in came the stepmother and two stepsisters.

”Morning, Marie,” the stepmother said.

”Good morning. How was the ball?” Marie asked in response, hiding the fact that she was there herself.

”Eh, it was good. Keep working. I want everything spotless by the end of the day.”

Once the stepfamily was upstairs, Marie reached into her pocket and pulled out her glass slipper, smiled, and snuggled it. Then, she put it back in her pocket and continued working.

——

Up at the castle, after his son told him about the glass slipper and the mysterious girl who left it behind, King Thomas announced that every girl who attended the ball last night was to try on the slipper. Prince Oliver and Dodger visited every girl that attended the ball. Unfortunately, none of them so far fit the slipper. Before long, the two came to Marie’s house, the last one. Prince Oliver was exhausted and ready to give up as he knocked on the door. The door opened, and there stood the stepmother.

”Do come in,” she said, and called the two stepsisters to come downstairs. Oliver tried the slipper on Rita, but her paw was too long. Then, he tried the slipper on Georgette, her paw was too wide. At that moment, Marie, who was walking by with a bucket of soapy water, saw Oliver holding the slipper.

”Excuse me, may I try it on?”

Oliver nodded.

”This oughta be good,” the stepmother whispered to her two daughters, who quietly chuckled. Marie slowly placed her paw in the slipper, and…

“IT FITS!” Prince Oliver said in excitement.

”It fits?!” the stepfamily repeated in shock. Oliver and Marie smiled at each other. Marie reached into her pocket and pulled out the other slipper.

”Now that I've found you,” Oliver said, smiling at Marie, “can you tell me what your name is?”

”My name is Marie.”

Oliver smiled and kneeled down.

”Marie, will you marry me?”

Marie beamed excitedly.

”YES!” she squealed, and flung her arms around him. But the stepmother immediately split the two and threw Marie into a wall.

”You are *not* going with him!”

But Oliver and Dodger glared at the stepfamily.

”You three are guilty of abuse and are officially banned from this kingdom!”

The stepfamily gasped in shock and horror.

——

The following week, everyone in the kingdom began to cheer as Oliver and Marie were married. The Magic of true love was in the air. As Dodger smiled at the newlyweds, King Thomas was happy to see his son and new daughter-in-law have their very first kiss. And they all lived happily ever after.

**THE END**