Ellen was shaking, her hands and knees eager to replicate the inner turmoil she was going through. She could barely issue a protest when the Count took her by the hand and guided her away from the spotlight and into one of the palace’s many vacant divisions on the upper floor. 

It was an old guest room that had been reconverted into a storage facility following the most recent renovation. The inside was littered with a couple of chairs, a three-legged table, and many cardboard boxes wrapped up in sticky cobwebs. A pile of garish curtains that had seen better days lay also forgotten in the shadows.

It had been ages since anyone ventured inside it and it was likely most of the palace’s servants didn’t even know it existed. He locked the door on the inside and hid the key before she realized what was happening. His eyes glimmered feverishly while hers became duller by the second.

The young woman looked down and, for a moment, she saw her lovely dress turn back into the ragged clothes of a stupid servant, one that deserved nothing more than what Mistress Tatiana and her daughters gave her. Why was she risking everything she knew chasing after a fairy tale when it would be so much better to simply sit down, close her eyes, and wake up ready for yet another lifetime of mindless service? Yes, so much better. All she needed to do was...

“Snap out of it right now!” Cinderella’s voice echoed inside her mind, momentarily driving the encroaching funk away. Ellen shook her head, reality and fantasy crashing like thunderous waves all around. The Count’s smile hovered her like an evil version of the Cheshire cat as he said,

“Lady Sin. I take great pride in knowing every respectable lady in the kingdom (and pretty much all the non-respectable ones, too), and yet I never heard of you and neither has anyone else. You are quite the walking riddle that has got Prince Phillip himself evading his royal duties just to be with you. That’s quite the dangerous game you’ve been playing, one that has even put my Mistress on edge. I regret to inform you your round is over for now.”

“Is this a joke?” she retorted, a splash of vitality and defiance returning to her cheeks. “I demand you let me out of here this very instant!”

“Cute. Only those in a position of power get to make demands and have their wishes met, and that’s certainly not the case. My instructions were clear and I’ll see them through until the end. You’re not leaving this place until the ball is over.”

“The hell I’m not!” Ellen retorted, suddenly re-energized by the presence of her fairy companion next to her. “Get out of my way or I’ll scream.”

“Even if you do, no one will hear you because of the music downstairs,” The Count stood his ground and produced a sharp silver blade from behind his waistcoat. Unlike other weapons that had never tasted blood before, this one was proud to exhibit its battle scars along the tip and the hilt, remnants of a time when even the most insignificant of offenses was met with suffering and death. “Careful now. It would be a shame if you were to get skewered trying to escape...” he cackled.

“You really enjoy being Tatiana’s lapdog, don’t you?” Ellen huffed.

“Her name is Mistress Tatiana, witch! You can only wish you were half the woman she is.”

“Yeah, no thanks. Cinderella, do you mind taking care of this buffoon for me?”

“I thought you would never ask,” the fairy replied.

“Who are you talking to now?” The Count mumbled, brandishing the knife before Ellen’s sparkling gaze.

“You’ll see.”

A spiral of magic crept into the air. surrounding the Count who remained blissfully unaware of what was happening. Blue lightning zapped the weapon out of his callous hands landing with a harsh clang at Ellen’s feet. Picking it up, the uninvited guest said,

“What were you saying about being skewered?”

“What the...?” His eyes darted nervously across the room. “How did you do that?”

“I’m not as helpless as you think I am.”

“You ought to be ashamed of what you just did,” Cinderella materialized behind him and kicked him straight in the balls. The hapless man flew across the room, landing face flat on the floor. He tried to get up, but a crystal boot pinned him further, crushing his left heel. Gasping, he rotated his head to see the two women looking down at him as if they were about to give him a bitter taste of his own medicine.

“There’s two?” The realization of the fairy godmother’s presence in the room completely warped his worldview. “Oh, so that’s how you crashed this party out of nowhere. You’re a fucking goddamned witch!”

“Hardly,” Ellen slid the boot across his leg, threatening to smoosh something else. “If anyone deserves that name is the woman you serve.”

“Don’t you dare badmouth my Mistress again, skank!”

Ellen drew the knife to his throat, stopping just an inch away from drawing red. 

“Or what? Not so brave when you don’t have your toy, are you?”

The Count sighed and adjusted his body so that he was at least in a semi-sitting position instead of helplessly humiliated on the dirty floor. The only thing worse than being overpowered so easily was anticipating the punishment for failing his beloved owner.

“Are you going to kill me?”

“Would you have killed me if she ordered you to?”

“Without hesitation.”

“It’s your lucky day. I’m nothing like her at all,” Ellen put the knife away.

“What are you going to do then?”

“That’s what I’m wondering, too,” Cinderella said. “Do you want to just leave him here?”

“I want him to stop being a nuisance. Any suggestions?”

“Oh, I have plenty. How much pain do you want?”

“No pain or he’ll probably end up enjoying it. Can’t you just completely restrain him or something?”

“Yes, I can definitely do that. Stand back, please.”

Cinderella stared at the curtains and then at the scared man on the floor, the perfect combination of pleasure and torture emerging from within her soul. A soft exhale breathed life into the colorful fabric and it slithered towards her, like a hissing pit of snakes. It attacked the Count’s legs first, binding them with such force the veins in his entire body popped up at the same time. Then, it continued up to his torso, one end going clockwise and the other anti-clockwise. His feeble attempts to scream were immediately muffled when the animated objects covered his mouth, ears, and eyes before meeting at the top of his head in a neatly tied bow. When the magic finally subsided, he was the perfect mummy.

“What do you think?” Cinderella asked.

“Quite the masterpiece,” Ellen smirked. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, but do you mind telling me what happened just now?”

“I’m not sure,” the young girl pulled up a chair and sat her weary body. “One moment, I was doing wonderfully and in the next, it was as if I was drowning in sorrow.”

“Confidence crisis?”

“Maybe. All I know is it hurts a lot.”

“Hmmm...” Cinderella sat next to her, right hand resting on her lap. “Well, true change is a process that takes time to solidify and you were asleep for far too long. Perhaps, I’m the one to blame.”

“What do you mean?”

“I keep telling myself you’re ready to embrace your true destiny because that’s what I believe in but, no matter how similar we are, you and I are still quite different. Your experiences so far shaped you in ways I can only imagine but never fully grasp and those wounds will not go away just because you and I wish it to. Magic can help in a lot of things, but it doesn’t change what’s inside one’s heart. How are you feeling now?”

“Better, but the feeling of uneasiness is still here. What happens when the night is over, Cinderella? I can’t just go back to what I was and pretend none of this happened! I can’t!”

“I’m not asking you to, but simply to be strong a little longer. You can never claim your life back if Tatiana’s lust for power is successful, you know that.”

“I wish you could just get a spell going and rewrite history...”

“So do I, sweetie, but that’s now how this works. When I was still learning, I tried to force the limits of my power and only made things worse. I won’t make the same mistakes with you.”

“Now what?”

“There’s still a bit of time to kill before the witching hour, so put on your best smile and let’s get back out there. Hopefully, Tatiana and her daughters weren’t able to do much damage in your absence.”

“Yeah, hopefully...”

The two women left the room holding hands and descended to the main floor. One potential crisis averted, and yet another one was about to start.

* * *

When Ellen returned to the dance floor, the prince was being hounded by Prudence and Drusilla. Against all odds, the first had secured a dance with him while the other waited for a last-minute opportunity that was likely never to come. No one seemed to notice her momentary leave, and yet the moment she emerged from behind the orchestra again, Tatiana let out an angry growl.

She stood next to the King himself, laughing at his poor attempts to be funny, none of which held any water. The older monarch was particularly interested in her ample bosom, trading furtive glances whenever he had the chance. As he leaned to whisper yet another unwanted remark, the evil black widow made another move,

“You’re hilarious as always, Your Majesty,” she said. “A question if I may.”

“But of course, Lady Tatiana. What’s on your mind?”

“Surely, you’ve noticed the Prince’s blooming interest in the newcomer by now, but doesn’t it strike you odd that a Lady hides her face on such momentous occasion. This is not that kind of dance after all.”

“It is somewhat unexpected, yes, but what do you wish me to do about it? A Lady is entitled to her discretion, is she not?”

“Only if it pleases her King. No one I’ve talked to knows who she is. Am I to believe that Your Majesty is content with having such a perfect stranger practically be the center of attention instead of his son?”

The King peered through the crowd until his eyes laid to rest on Ellen’s dazzling outfit and said, “Do you ask such questions out of genuine interest for myself and this kingdom or are you simply jealous of her youth?”

“Does Your Majesty think so poorly of me to even suggest such a thing?”

“Please do not try to use the ‘virtue’ card, My Lady, for your reputation in certain matters of the flesh precedes you. You are correct in your assessment that there’s indeed something odd about this Lady Sin, but let’s not pretend the same doesn’t apply to you.”

“I had forgotten how quick your tongue can be, Your Majesty. My apologies if I have offended you.”

“I’m not offended, but I would appreciate it if you were honest from the start for a change. Answer me this: what would you do about this if you were in my shoes?”

“I would use my royal authority to have my curiosity satisfied. Who knows who hides behind that mask and whether her presence here constitutes a genuine threat or not. Your Majesty will, of course, do what he thinks he’s right with no need for such advice,” Tatiana sibilated and excused herself. Her burning eyes said everything one needed to know about her state of mind.

“You’ve made even more pissed now, it seems,” Cinderella said as she floated upward once more, hiding from prying eyes.

“I can see that.”

The stepmother made one final approach to her and smirked as she walked her by:

“I suppose I should be surprised you’re still out and about, but you simply can’t trust your minions to do anything right these days. Enjoy your anonymity while you can, for I fear it won’t be that long.”

“What have you done this time?”

“Moi? Absolutely nothing. Don’t blame me for a father’s curiosity. One way or another, this night won’t end well for you.”

Tatiana waltzed away at the same time two royal guards quietly approached the masked beauty and asked her to follow them. “His Majesty would like a word with you, My Lady. Please come with us,” they said in unison. Ellen walked between them, climbing the stairs that led to the upper balcony, while Cinderella monitored the new development with a frown on her face. Yet another thing that had never happened before, a new wrinkle in a night that should have been filled with nothing but wonder and delight. Time ran faster towards the inevitable end, yet still not fast enough.

“Your Majesty, it is a pleasure,” Ellen solemnly greeted him.

“The pleasure is all mine, I assure you,” he bowed to kiss her right hand. “Your presence in these festivities has certainly enlivened them in a way many didn’t think possible. Thank you for the air of mystery you brought.”

“You’re welcome, I suppose,” she muttered in reply.

“However, and you’ll forgive me in advance for being so blunt, there comes a time when too much mystery is more of a hindrance than something to look forward to, and it has recently come to my attention that we’re past that threshold. Do you understand where I’m going with this?”

“I believe so, Your Majesty.”

“Splendid. Then surely, you won’t mind revealing to everyone in this party the beauty behind the mask, starting with me, of course.”

“Father, what is the meaning of this?” Prince Phillip intervened, climbing the stairs at the other end of the room to meet them halfway.

“Ah, Phillip, the Lady Sin was just about to grace us with the reveal of her true self, something you’ve been looking forward to as well, I believe.”

“Perhaps, but was she doing it out of her own volition, or were you trying to persuade her just now?”

“Does it matter when the result is the same?”

“It matters to me. The Lady has already made her opinion clear about the mask she’s wearing and I respect it. It would be a wonderful display of restraint on your part if you could do the same.”

“This is supposed to be your event, Phillip, not hers. Does this not bother you one bit?”

“Only lesser men are bothered by the mysteries of women, father. I know I’m not one and neither are you, I’m sure.”

“Of course,” the king agreed. “Lady Sin, this was a most enlightening conversation. Please enjoy the rest of your evening in our presence.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Ellen silently thanked her rescuer and shuddered when the echoes of the church clock reverberated across the palace. 

“It’s time,” Cinderella cooed as the magic that had brought them together withered at the tip of her fingers. “Run, Ellen. Now!”

She didn’t have to ask again.