Chapter 1:

I felt like I was floating on air, we danced the night away. He stole me away from the crowd, we stood outside of the balcony. I admired the bright light surrounding us, the extravagant twinkle from the stars. It looked like diamonds. "This is beautiful," I said with a smile.

"It is," he agreed. When I looked over, he wasn't talking about the view he was looking at me. The handsome prince couldn't take his eyes off me. He chose me. A girl that has been told her entire life that she doesn't belong, that she is nothing. I got lost in Prince Skylor's eyes. I felt shy, shielding my face. He lifted my chin, meeting his eyes again. This had to be a dream.

"Don't hide your beautiful face," he said in a whisper.

"You think I'm beautiful?" I asked, the fluttering in my gut went into a frenzy. He was the beautiful one. His strong jawline, crystal blue eyes, full eyebrows and broad shoulders could make anyone weak in the knees. He was a dream. A mesmerizing dream.

"You're the most beautiful woman I have met. Where have you been all my life?" He asked as he leaned in.

"I don't know," I said. I didn't have the right answer. Was that the wrong one? He chuckled, closing his eyes. I shut mine, moving toward his face. There was a pull in the bottom of gut when he didn't let go of my face.

The loud chime clung when the hour hand hit 12. Oh, no. My dream was over. "I have to go," I told him, releasing his hold from my body.

"Wait, why?" The timber of his voice concerned and stuttered, he loosened his hand but didn't let go.

"I can't explain. I have to go." I removed his grip and ran off.

"Wait, will I see you again?" he asked. His voice was regal, humble, and honest. I wanted to stay but if he saw the real me then he would turn up his nose. The look ini his eyes filled with curiosity, I could drown in them.

"I don't think so," I muttered and ran outside to my carriage before it turned back to a pumpkin. I rushed home, shutting the door behind me. My dress turned from the pure white ball gown to the pink and white frock I made with my own hands. I breathed out, releasing the hold from my chest, everything turned back to reality when I came home. At least I got my dance with royalty. The Prince. Princess Cinderella, it had a nice ring to it. I swooned and smiled secretly, humming to the tune from the ball. The voices of my stepsisters interrupted my daydream. "He didn't even look at me mom!" Amanda, the terrible, complained. I could picture her stomping on the ground with a sour face like she ate a lemon.

"Honey, calm down. You will have your day again. Think of it as an opportunity for the both of you," their mother said nonchalantly. It amazed me how she was so gentle with them and horrible to me. I barely made eye contact with either of them and they treated me like dirt.

"Please, it was obvious he wanted me," Amanda spoke with a haughty voice. I rolled my eyes, quickly changed to my maiden frock and black hair back in a ponytail, grabbing the cloth to pretend I just finished cleaning the room. I was supposed to be here all night cleaning the house. It's already clean.

"He stayed with that wench all night! She's not even pretty!" Amanda screeched. I wiped down my dresser, making myself look busy.

"I think she was." Cassandra said. I snorted, shaking my head.

"Shut up Cass."

"You shut up."

My room door opened, slamming against the wall. Turning around, Andrea, my stepmother, pushed it open with force. Amanda and Cassandra, were right behind her in their poofy matching pink dresses that made it look like they had big butts. Just like their personalities: tacky. Amanda's red hair was up in a bun, rosy cheeks from her blush made it look like she was red in the face. Cassandra's brown hair was down, curly ringlets and barefaced like she rinsed her skin with water only. Andrea's dark green eyes gazed up and down, she stifled a laugh but scowled. Her hair and outfit matched her personality: devil in red. "And what have you been doing all night?" She asked, approaching me slowly.

"Cleaning," I answered and gulped. My ensemble said so since I changed quickly. "How was the ball?"

"None of your concern," she sneered. She circled me in silence, "did you leave this house?"

"No," I said calmly. "How was the prince, Amanda?" I asked my step sister. The thought of him made my skin prickle. Amanda huffed and lifted her head up, passing me by and bumping my shoulder.

"He kept dancing with this frou frou girl on the dance floor. Ugh. She wasn't even pretty." She removed the hair pins from her hair and threw it on the floor.

"She seemed eh. She distracted him from me."

"You? He didn't want you!" Amanda turned around and sneered. "He didn't look your way. If it wasn't for that trollop, his eyes would be on moi."

"Ha!" Cassandra laughed condescendingly. "Please, That would be me. I'm the pretty one."

"I'm the pretty one! Mom said so!"

"Both of you girls are beautiful. Always lovely."

I cleared my throat and muttered "Maybe he wants someone with a brain."

"Excuse me, what did you say?" Cassandra almost pounced, stepping up to me.

"I said, maybe he had no brain not noticing you." I grinned, hoping it didn't look like a grimace.

"Hmph. What do you know?" Cassandra asked, shaking her head.

"Nothing. I know nothing," I answered.

"That's right. Nothing, just like you. You are nothing," my stepmother Andrea butted in. I frowned, I have endured too much from her. I already did everything for this family. My father, King Rolan, usually looks the other way and thinks she is amazing. He didn't know better. He wasn't here to defend me. I had to find him. When I told him her true colors, he claimed I'm this way because I was still mourning my mother. He married her and forgot about his first wife when she died. "My daughters deserve everything. They are beautiful, you are not. You don't belong here. You should have died, along with your mother." Her words tore through me, she could say plenty of things about me but when it came to my late mother, she crossed the line.

"This is not your family, Andrea. Or your castle or kingdom. You're a stranger that seduced my father. You don't belong here." My jaw tightened from every word, I stood firm on my feet, chin up and glaring. She had no right in this castle. I knew what she did, what she did to my mother. I had no proof, it was her word against mine and she stayed under this roof pretending to be sweet. The wrinkles on her forehead deepened, the green in her eyes darkened as the motion of her hand raised and struck me across the face, I seethed, my head snapped from her affliction. Panting and looking at her through the corner of my eye. "You're a viper."

"A beautiful one that has your father wrapped around my finger. He'll do anything for me." She smirked.

"We'll see about that." I walked out, holding back the tears in my eyes as I swallowed. "Where's father?" I panted, running up the stairs to his room. This was proof, she struck me. She had to go.

"Father!" I yelled, seething and panting, I swallowed hard, holding back the tears made my throat hurt. "Father!" I couldn't endure this any longer. Father needed to open his eyes to the woman he claimed to be an angel. She must be stopped.