"You're the only ladies here?" The Duke asked Lady Tremaine, after trying the glass slipper on both her daughters, having no positive results.

"There's no one else, your grace" The woman answered, faking a kind and polite voice towards him, but still cursing herself for letting such opportunity go so easily.

Uneasy, with the size of a mouse, Aqua watched from the banister how the Duke was leaving, not giving Cinderella to try as well. "Come on… hurry Jaq!" She murmured impatiently, hoping her new rodent friend could make it in time. She turned back at the scene and gasped at seeing going towards the exit.

Aqua looked around her, hoping that Cinderella could appear, but nothing happened.

She had to do something!

Not giving it much thought Aqua ran towards the Duke, but as she reached the edge of the banister she returned to her normal size. Losing balance from the sudden new weight she fell with a surprised cry.

The Duke stopped where he was and turned back.

"Ouch…" Aqua grunted as she held her ankle. But realizing what just happened, she looked up and gasped at seeing the Tremaine family and the Duke staring at her in utter confusion.

"Oh, would it uh…" She stuttered, thinking of something good to say that could not get her in trouble or cause suspicion. "Would it be alright if I tried on the glass slipper?" She finally said. At least that would buy some time for Jaq.

"Oh, I met you at the palace! Unfortunately, you're not the young lady the Prince is looking for…"

Aqua slowly stood up, holding her aching right arm, but giving a smile that radiated trust. "But I am a girl" She let go of her arm. "I should at least be given a chance to try it on."

Lady Tremaine finally stepped forward, glaring at Aqua in distrust. "Who are you? And what are you doing in my house?" She asked angrily.

"She's probably here to rob us!" Drizella spoke up.

"Mother do something!" Anastasia cried.

Lady Tremaine turned back at the Duke. "That girl does not live here" She clarified with a scoff. "I have only two daughters. I believe we're finished here your grace.

"Regardless, she means no harm" The Duke affirmed, walking towards the blue-haired girl with the glass slipper on his left hand. He approached Aqua, then handed over the slipper. "Here you are my dear."

Aqua looked back at the stairs nervously. 'Jaq, hurry!'

"Madame?" The Duke asked in anticipation.

"Uh…um, y-yeah" Hesitant, Aqua took the slipper in both hands and sat down on a chair that was nearby. Leaning down, she removed her left shoe to reveal a foot smaller than one would imagine.

Gulping, Aqua compared the size of the slipper and her foot, fearing that by coincidence it might fit in.

Still glancing at the stairs, Aqua moved the slipper towards her foot, and with a silent sigh, put it on.

Only to find it fit perfectly.

Aqua widened her eyes in horror. 'Oh no…'

"Amazing! You're the lady the Prince is looking for! How can this be?" The Duke asked in shock.

"Impossible! There is no way she could be the one!" Lady Tremaine yelled angered.

"T-This must be a mistake-! I… I am not the one the Prince is looking for" Aqua said desperate, trying to not get involved any further. She removed the slipper from her foot and gave it back to the Duke as she put on her own shoe back. "Please take it back, I assure you I'm not the one you're looking for."

Confused, the Duke took the slipper; he looked down at it, then back at Aqua. "But, it has to be you. You wanted to try the slipper, you surely knew it would fit. It has to be you!"

"I insist, it's not me!" She repeated.

"That's right! I am the one the Prince is looking for!" Drizella said, trying one more time.

The Duke turned at Drizella. "I'm sorry my lady, but you have already tried the slipper and it has not fit." He turned at Aqua. "But it did with you, but since you say you're not the one, at least let me take you to the Prince so he see for himself."

This kind of relieved Aqua, perhaps the Prince would notice she was not Cinderella "O-Ok then" She looked back at the stairs again. "But could we just-"

"Sorry madam, but the faster the better." The Duke said then softly held Aqua's arm and led her outside; Aqua still looked back, feeling sorry for when Cinderella would walk down only to find it was too late.

"Please wait!" Cinderella cried as she hurriedly walked down the stairs. She froze where she was at hearing familiar yet evil laughs.

"Foolish girl!" Lady Tremaine yelled at her with a devious smirk on her face. "He already left."

Cinderella widened her eyes in disbelief. "What?"

"With another girl! The slipper fit on her instead!" Anastasia added.

Cinderella placed both her hands on her chest were her heart was pounding. "No…"

The Tremaines laughed when Cinderella ran back to her room, crying hopelessly.

From the top of the stairs Jaq watched Cinderella run away and sighed sadly, his ears and tail going down as he frowned. "We were too late."

Ven travelled through the lanes between having just left after helping to finish Cinderella's dress. Though he hadn't travelled that far he figured that by this point the ball was already over.

"I wonder how it went to Cinderella with the ball." He smiled from the inside of his armor. "Won't hurt to check it out."

The Prince kept pacing in the throne room; it had only been less than an hour since the Duke left, but he was impatient of when his perfect princess would come back. When he had laid eyes on her, he had been enchanted by her beauty, by her voice and later by her wonderful personality. He needed to see her again, and soon.

Complete unaware of his surroundings the Prince didn't notice when an Unversed rose from the ground and sneaked behind him. It leapt forward and tackled him down, taking the Prince off guard as he fell and hit his head against the floor.

"Your highness!"

Several guards rushed inside and the Unversed left.

The guards ran towards the Prince, and were relieved when they saw him stand up. "Are you okay your highness?" One of them asked.

The Prince groaned and rubbed the back of his head. "Y-Yeah, I'll be fine."

The guards nodded, then left.

As he rubbed his head the Prince couldn't help but feel he had forgotten something. 'What, was I think about just now…? Ah yes, my princess. The Duke went to find her.'

The Prince then frowned in confusion when the image of her face appeared to be nothing but a blur in his mind.