Cinderbella

A/N: I was bored, and was thinking about fairy tales. Hope you like it!!

As she stepped into the brightly lit room, adrenaline rushed through her body. She had spent the last 5 weeks sewing and knitting clothing to sell to save up for a dress and special shoes. When her sisters had gone shopping with her stepmother for their dresses, she had gone shopping, too. It almost seemed as if she had a fairy godmother looking over her, for she had found the most adorable shoes that looked as if they were made of glass.

Her hard work had paid off. The ball was more amazing than she ever could have imagined. People were twirling around, frilly dresses a smear of color against the drab-looking castle walls. Banners and streamers hung from the rafters, and there was a small table of appetizers in the corner. Her mouth watered; to depress me, Reneevil (as she liked to call her) had deprived her of food since yesterday morning, and she was ravenous.

Carefully, she skirted around the billowing skirts to reach the table. She forced herself to eat slowly, even though the food was delicious; she didn't want to seem like a pig if the prince were to come along.

Speaking of the prince, where was he? She had been promised by the messenger who had delivered the invitations, that all eligible ladies would be allowed to dance with the prince. Was she not an eligible lady?

Just as she thought this, she noticed a tall young man standing in the very corner of the ballroom. He was covered in shadow, but she could make out his bronze-colored hair. Curious, she edged closer, until she was standing a foot away from the mysterious stranger.

Even in the dark, she could tell that he was remarkable handsome. His face seemed to be chiseled from stone, and his eyes were amber-colored. She couldn't tell in the dim light, but it looked like he was grinning slightly at her.

Gathering her courage (after all, she knew that this would probably be her only time out of the house for a few months), she politely asked, "Care to dance?"

"

… Sure," he replied angelically, after obvious hesitation. She wondered why. Maybe he was –

And then they were dancing. She had never danced, or seen a professional dancer before, but instinctively, she knew that he was incredible. He seemed to be supporting her weight, but of course that was impossible. And, his pale, pale skin seemed to shimmer, even sparkle in the light, but that too was impossible…

Many hours later, they finally took a break. Gasping for breath, she asked him, "Are you the prince?"

He openly smirked. "Not even close."

"Then may I ask who you are?"

He sighed, "If you must know, I'm –"

Just then, the clock tolled midnight. And as she turned to look at the clock, at that precise moment, she locked eyes with Reneevil. She squinted, and then her eyes widened in surprise. Her heart sank as Reneevil made her way through the crowd towards her.

She turned to the unknown man and said hastily, "I must go. Thank you for the dance."

He frowned slightly in concern. "Wait, where –"

"I must go!" she said shrilly.

She ran as fast as she could in her delicate shoes. As she turned towards the exit, the mysterious man dashed in front of her. Before she could wonder how he got there, her shoe gave way, she tripped out the door, and was gone into the night.