No I have not been slacking this post took me 3 days to write so here it is :)
(I know what story this is but its a different version for a writing prompt)
As the day began and the line of women grew, the prince had no idea what his true love looked like. All he knew was he fell deeply in love with her the night before. He vowed to find her but all he had was the elegant slipper that fell from her foot as she fled his arms. She never said her name and he never saw her face, hidden behind the mask. Feathers, glitter and sequins hid her from him. He knew they were meant for each other. He proclaimed he would marry whoever would fit the slipper never knowing what could come of it.
He began fitting the shoe to the feet of the women in the quickly growing line. Word spread throughout the land that anyone who was at the ball the night before were invited back. No one wanted to miss their chance at marrying the prince. Some feet were too small and some were too big. As the line grew his hopes shrank.
The women who had the chance to try on the slipper, left disappointed and crying. Finally an average looking woman walked up to try. Holding her breath her foot slowly slipped into the slipper and it fit, perfectly. The prince's heart leaps but only briefly, because the slipper fit some one. He wasn't sure this was the girl he danced with the night before. He had said he would marry whoever fit the shoe, he decided he would keep his word. The women in line behind the girl with the right size foot began to mumble, and stir. The prince had a few of his servants escort the crowd away, some got angry for not getting a chance while others walked away silently weeping.
The prince turned to the girl and held her hands in his. He had so many questions flooding his mind. The first one to properly escape his lips was "What is your name miss?"
The woman looked at him through her dull brown eyes, the hair hanging around her face lacked luster as well.
"My name is Drusilla, my lord." she replied.
"Drusilla it is then." the prince smiled as he began to question himself and his rash decisions. He kept thinking this isn't the girl from the night before. He wondered of he could keep looking, possibly have the servants bring the other women back. "No" he thought "I am a man of my word and I will marry her."
Evening crept across the sky as the carriage arrive at the manor. Drusilla swiftly jumped from it before it had even stopped.
"Mother, mother!!" she shouted running through the massive doors.
"What is it Drusilla?" her mother, the Baroness, asked as she turned to look at her from her chair in front of the fire. Her younger sister looked up at her from another seat around the hearth.
"It's me! He picked me! The slipper fit." she exclaimed unable to contain her excitement.
"That is wonderful Drusilla but a true lady doesn't run around like a mad person, settle down."
As Drusilla went to take a seat next to her sister she heard a shuffling behind her and looked but the doorway to the hall was dark and empty, so she turned back to tell her mother every detail.
That night as Drusilla tried to sleep she tossed and turned from the excitement and because she kept hearing an indistinguishable sound haunting her throughout the night. The next morning Drusilla sat with her mother and sister to eat breakfast. It was taking much longer to serve than normal. As breakfast was being placed on the table. Her mother and sister began eating right away. Drusilla, annoyed, asked one of her servants what took them so long.
"I'm sorry it is only me and Marge preparing breakfast."
"What?! Where is Cinderella that lazy cow?" said Drusilla with a snide tone to her voice.
"I'm sorry, madame" the servant girl repeated "She is gone."
"WHAT???" the Baroness yelled, the sound of her voice booming through the hall, her face reddening.
"Cinderella wasn't in her bed this morning." answered the servant girl as she was cowering away from the two angry women.
Surprisingly the Baroness regained her calm, turned to her daughters and told them to eat. Shocked they did as they were told.
Afraid to speak or move the scared servant girl stood in the shadow of the corner trying to hide and not bring attention to herself.
Without looking up, the Baroness said smoothly "You may go." relieved she swiftly left the room.
"Mother you are going to punish Cinderella for this when she returns won't you?" asked Drusilla hoping for a yes.
"No my dear." she simply replied.
"What? Why not?" Drusilla asked unbelieving her mother would let her filthy step sister off like that.
"Don't worry, let her go and be ... one less mouth to feed." she chuckled and began to eat again.
Drusilla smiled briefly at the thought before her mind quickly jumped back to her wedding the next day.
The day of the wedding was here. Drusilla couldn't believe everything was happening. Many servants put hours into trying to make her look worthy of a prince. But no matter how hard they tried they couldn't change the ugliness she carried inside her. The day progressed. At the request of the prince the glass slipper, that brought them together, was to be placed between his parents the king and queen. It sat upon a ruby velvet pillow for all to see. The wedding began. Drusilla held her breath when the priest asked if anyone objects. Silence and whispers was all she heard. Relieved she began to exhale.
But only too soon. The chapel doors swung up, "I object," spoke the beautiful woman standing in the doorway. Her blond hair pinned up in curl with such grace, she was dresses in a white glittering gown more elegant than any ever seen. No one seemed to know this woman but all stared in awe at her. Her face was hidden from them by a beautiful mask. She began to walk down the isle. Everyone noticed she was slightly limping. They all looked her up and down to see why.
The prince's eyes were full and bright. Drusilla looked up at him. He could not take his eyes away from this woman, he knew why she was limping. He quickly glanced to his parents and the glass slipper on the pillow. He rushed from Drusilla's arms to grab the slipper. He ran over to the mysterious woman and knelt down. He smoothly slipped on the glass slipper. It fit, and it matched the slipper on her other foot.
"NOO!" a hideous scream escaped Drusilla's lips. "You're mine." she shouted as she ran to the prince.
"I'm sorry Drusilla, you might have fit the shoe, but you don't fit the missing piece of my heart. You are not the woman I fell in love with."the Prince said.
"You love me?" the voice of the woman in white asked.
"Yes, I do," he replied smiling at her.
"But your highness, you've never seen my face," she said hesitantly
"What if I am ugly?" she questioned.
"Miss I don't need to see your face to know you are a beautiful person." he said as he began to reach around to undo the mask of glitter and feathers he recognized so well from the night he fell in love with her.
"No, please, don't she pleaded.
He continued anyway. His hands pulled the mask from her face and the whole of the audience watching gasped.
"No you troll!" Drusilla screeched.
"You can't marry her. She's just a filthy servant. My servant in fact!" she yelped turning her nose up at the face she's known most of her life.
"Cinderella! How dare you?!" the Baroness scolded as she stood from her seat to grab her by the arm.
The prince grabbed the baroness' wrist before she could even lay a finger on Cinderella. Immediately he released her hand back to her, her eyes glaring into him then Cinderella she stepped back.
The prince turns Cinderella's face up to his.
"Is it true? Are you a servant?" he asked quietly.
"No, my lord" Cinderella spoke.
Both Drusilla and the Baroness gasp in shock.
"I am Drusilla's step sister. They have treated me as a slave since my father died."she continued, sadness pulling her eyes down to the ground.
"You filthy pig." Drusilla shouted "Leave, now!"
Cinderella's eyes began to water and tears streamed down her cheeks. She began to turn to leave when the prince grabbed her by the arms and stared deeply in her eyes.
"You miss are the most beautiful woman here, anywhere, inside and out. You could never be ugly."
The gorgeous woman lifted her head, and glance around the room. Every one's eyes were on her. No one seemed frightened, or disgusted. Only two sets of eyes differed from the rest. The Baroness' and Drusilla's scowling in anger.
The prince turned Cinderella's face back to his. "Cinderella, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" the prince proposed.
"What?" both Drusilla and her mother shouted. "You're supposed to marry me." she angrily demanded.
"I'm sorry you are not meant for me. You have my apologies." the prince responded.
The Baroness outraged grabbed Drusilla's younger sister and stormed passed the couple glaring at Cinderella. Drusilla quickly followed after, bright red.
"You still haven't answered me my love." the prince pointed out.
Cinderella gazed up into the princes eyes.
"Yes," she said smiling.
Filled with joy he wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. Gentle kissed their first kiss then merrily spun.
That day they were married. From that day on they lived happily ever after.
