My mother and father were nobility, which means I am too, technically. But my step-mother decided; when I was young, that to save money I must work.

Since I was, at the time, still quite known, I couldn't work anywhere but at home, or else raise questions. So I cooked and I cleaned and helped with the mending, while the other servants tried to do more to get me to do less. I don't mind the work now and I still have plenty of time to learn what I need to in the day.

I can read, write, dance, and sing lovely. I go out to the village and visit. My friends there are kind, and the prince is so funny. He thinks himself so clever with his disguise; and I'm not sure the others recognise him but I do. When we were younger we would meet each other under the big oak tree in the town square. I don't know if he remembers it, or me. He only seems to think of me as a servant because of my dress. He ignores my lady like qualities, my poise and elegant speech.

My step-sisters help with the mending but if they were caught doing anything else to help they would not eat for almost a week, have their corsets tied so tight they could barely breath, and wear shoes too small for their feet with heels four inches tall. They always feel bad that they can't help more but I don't want them to suffer on my behalf.

Coming up is a big ball of the prince's, his father wants him to find a respectable bride. My lovely step-sisters are getting new dresses, they hope that maybe a nobleman will take a fancy to them and come courting.

My step-mother would not let me get a new dress, so my step-sisters are helping me fix-up my mother's wedding dress. Step-mother will try to keep me home but my step-sisters are so close to me that we have a plan to get me out anyway. I will arrive late to the ball, in my mother's silvery flowing gown, wearing a delicate silver tiara with several small emeralds in it, as well as my mother's silver silk slippers made from a soft leather for the soles decorated with tiny emerald beads making them shine like crystal or glass.

Our old coach has been slowly refurbished, now ready for the ball. The servants painted it white, added vines, new velvet of grey on the seats and will be pulled by our four grey dappled horses. My step-sisters have insisted of being pulled by our chestnut coloured horses even though they won't make a big entrance.

Tonight is the night of the ball, my sisters have left and my servants are treating me how they never wanted to stop. My coppery golden hair is curled into an elegant and high up do. My dress is on, my slippers that are now molded to my feet after weeks of sleeping in them, are on, if only a little loose. Silver lace gloves are now too dawned.

Off I go to the palace. I enter at the top of the stairs as the Prince is introduced to my sisters. One of the gentlemen along the stairs greets me and offers his arm because it would be unseemly to be escorted down to meet the prince. I wonder what he would think if he knew I knew the prince intimately already. I meet the prince with a sweeping curtsy that I normally would tease him with. Our eyes meet and the silly boy asks if he knows me. I answer coyly yes and no. We dance the night away, once the clock strikes 12, I run. Knowing step-mother will leave at 1.

I race through the crowds, up the stairs in the ballroom and down the ones on the front of the palace. My one slipper falls off but I don't dare grab it I must get home first and be in bed. I make it just in time to put everything away and crawl into bed. Then I fall asleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow.

My sisters a quite excited, apparently there was a mystery girl at the ball who no one knows and all she left was a fine slipper, supposedly to be made of glass. The prince will find her by her slipper the first test is to see if it will fit, if it does you must show them the other slipper.

Our house will be first because they left early and are the closest noble family which is good. He won't have far to look.

My sisters are forced to try them on first. They don't try very hard, they know it's my slipper and they know that once I'm gone I will be much happier. My sisters know that if I don't leave I will forever be at the beck and call of their mother and they want that even less for me than I do.

I come down the stairs in my sister's dress we altered for me in case someone came calling for me. I can tell as I'm coming down he knows who I am completely. As we leave my manor and sisters, whom I will visit, behind he tells me that he always knew I was his little oak tree girl.