At the top of the glass platform under the glaring chandelier spotlight, Myrielle and Prince Rainier stared each other down.

"This is it," he said calmly. "Our lives are about to change forever."

Myrielle had been too afraid to escape when Fairy Godmother had shown her the note, but was using every ounce of her brainwaves now, to figure out a way to exit stage left and save the kingdom of its debt and live happily ever after; dare to dream?

"There's no need to be nervous," said the prince. "Separate bedrooms, separate life."

It almost sounded appealing, if it weren't for the fact that she'd be livin' it up while her true love was wiping down the dungeons. Even if she became a princess and couldn't be with Fredrick, she would only be able to live with herself if she knew he was free to have a future somewhere else.

"One question," said Myrielle, knowing that the answer would determine whatever happened next. "Is there any chance that you would ever set Fredrick free?"

The prince held the delicate slipper to the light, studying its glistening edges with care. "I'll admit that his release had crossed my mind, as he was a generally loyal ally, after all. And yet..." Every ounce of compassion drained from his eyes. "If you're to live with me in the castle you need to be punished too, and what better punishment than a daily reminder of what you lost trapped right underneath your feet?"

Her eyes went wide as she absorbed the sheer monstrosity of his soul. "You're the cruelest person I've ever met."

"And you're the loveable underdog who stole all of Bella's votes." He dangled the shoe in front of her face. "So I guess that means it's time for you to claim your prize..."

Rather than burst into tears, Myrielle seemed intensely focused.

The prince frowned. "Did you hear what I said? Your future is horrible and there's no escape." Again she had no reaction, and the prince seemed frustrated like a sociopath kicking a dog that kept finding its way back up. "Put on the shoe and ruin your life," he urged, becoming increasingly annoyed by the second.

To his complete surprise, she smiled. "That's a great idea, your highness." She extended her foot towards his hands. "Let's end this contest with a flourish."

He pouted like a bully who was short on satisfaction. "I know, that's what I already said!"

As the audience watched, he slid the glass slipper onto her foot, anticipating the perfect fit. Instead he felt resistance, as Myrielle bunched her foot up and twisted it around.

"Ow!" she said wincing. "Oh my goodness that hurts!"

The prince couldn't process exactly what was happening but he felt the early inklings of sabotage. "What exactly do you think you're doing?" he said glaring.

She yanked her foot away form him and glanced down at Gianni. "It seems we have another peasant loser in our midst!"

Gianni conjured up the most threatening death-stare he could manage. "So this is it?" he hissed. "You would truly destroy the kingdom's stability for your own selfish needs?"

"The kingdom will be fine," she said, adding a playful wink. She stood tall and addressed the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen...it wasn't meant to be!"

Bella screamed and sprinted up the platform as Myrielle made her way down, and all the while the audience applauded fiercely. Myrielle took hold of Bella's arm as they passed each other on the staircase. "I'm happy for you," she said smiling. "I really mean it."

Bella squirmed away and pushed her down the stairs. "You were never princess material!" she cried. Bella leapt into the prince's arms as tears of joy streamed down. "I knew they would love me the most!" She grabbed him by the neck and kissed him with dominating passion.

As Myrielle scraped herself off the floor, she glanced at the platform to find the prince completely under Bella's spell. In a normal situation her ego would've been destroyed, but as she witnessed their passionate kisses she smiled.

She straightened her posture and made her way up to the stage, ready to face two kingdoms worth of glaring kings and queens.

She stood before them and cleared her throat "I know this is not the result that was tallied, but hey...look around you! The crowd seems to be thrilled and why not? She's the spitting image of Cinderella! It's rather perfect for the brand extension, wouldn't you say?"

Cinderella pursed her puffy lips and smiled. "The girl speaks the truth."

"On top of which," she went on, "the citizens never even knew the final tally, so why don't we say...no harm done?" She smiled innocently.

King Edward rubbed his chin in consideration, but before he could decide whether to accept the new alternative, Gianni stomped towards him in a rage. "You cannot let her do this! It goes against everything in the rule book!"

King Edward seemed confused. "Rule book?"

"Yes! The two-hundred-page rule book that outlined the contest terms and conditions!"

King Edward shook his head and smiled. "Ohh Gianni, no one actually reads the terms and conditions!" He and King Gastronso laughed heartily while rubbing their matching amulets. "Go on and erase the debt," he said warmly. "No trouble at all!"

Gianni started speed-walking in a circle, his only available recourse for rage against the kingdom's ruler. He was slightly humiliated but mostly incensed, as his careful plans for the plot of his book crumbled all around him. Of course he had made up the majority of the rules, but he'd polled the people, hadn't he? And the people had voted for the strange and unruly underdog. It may not have been his choice, but it was the happy ending they'd wanted and the happy ending they'd get!

What Gianni didn't realize was that happy endings also existed outside of marrying princes, and that sometimes the happiest endings of all came about in the humblest fashion. But how could a man who wore calf inserts ever comprehend something as subtle as that?

A humble happy ending sounded perfect to Myrielle, or more specifically a humble beginning, shared with the person she cared for the most. She wanted it so much that she would stand there absorbing Queen Enevere's chilling look for however long it took.

"There is more to this matter that needs discussing," said the queen. "Like how we cannot just ignore your forfeit of the contest." The prince wasn't the only one with ruthless intentions, a skill he must've learned in his dysfunctional childhood.

Myrielle was suddenly worried that her plan might not work. "Can't I just leave, and never show my face near the castle ever again?"

"Of course you won't show your face near the castle ever again," the queen confirmed. "In fact...if you come anywhere close, we will have you beheaded at the first opportunity." Myrielle instinctively clutched her neck. "But in addition to that clause...your family's tailor shop is no longer valid and will be boarded up tomorrow morning."

It was a punch to the gut that Myrielle hadn't expected, but as she studied the queen's ruthless smile, she knew she should've seen it coming. She only hoped her family would forgive her when she showed them why she'd done it.

Myrielle bowed her head in acceptance of the outcome. "I understand."

"Go then," said the queen. "Get out of here and never come back."

Myrielle raised her head with a look of glee. "Then I'm off!" she declared, curtsying to every last royal. "I bid you good night, and I hope you enjoyed the cake!"

The clock struck midnight as she ran away while the king shook his head in frustration. "Cake? Cake? It was a piecakéclair!"

***

Myrielle raced through the castle corridors, guided by the crumpled piece of scroll in her hand. Every so often she would stop, squint at whatever was written, and double back in the opposite direction.

After what must've been four or five detours, she reached an ironclad door that was guarded by a motionless knight. There'd been nothing in Fairy Godmother's note about a knight, and she was suddenly worried that her 'master plan' had simply been a drunken lark. She started to turn back but he gestured for her to come forward. "Go on," he said, "you can pass. "

There were very few things Myrielle trusted about the royals, and the guards who lived to serve them were certainly not on the list.

She stayed exactly where she was. "Why would you let me pass?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a satchel of coins. "This is why," he said grinning. He shook the satchel and bobbed his head to the sweet clinking sounds of bribery.

Myrielle immediately felt at ease, knowing full well that coin made the kingdom go 'round. As the guard pulled open the various deadbolts that kept the dungeon door secure, she found herself surprised that Fairy Godmother had spent all this coin just to make sure she'd be happy. She smiled at the thought of her unconventional mentor, realizing just how much she would miss her.

The door's rusty hinges creaked as the guard pulled it open, the sound of it spitting Myrielle's eardrums. Once it was fully open she passed through to the darkened stairwell.

Before she could prepare herself for whatever was waiting below, the guard shut the heavy door behind her. He looked at her through the iron grates and the earlier grin was replaced with a stonewall expression. "Make it quick."

She hurried down the stairs and took an immediate turn as the scroll had instructed. It took no time at all to step into the first murky puddle, making her regret that she'd forgotten her shoes on the platform.

"Please just be water," she prayed, "please just be water."

The first row of dungeons was empty, but as she made her next turn a crew of menacing dirt-faced men stretched their arms out through the jail-cell partitions.

The nearest one licked his lips and laughed. "Looks like they sent us some entertainment for the night!" Their long grimy fingers grazed against her gown, and despite her fear and compulsion to vomit she knew she had a purpose to fulfill.

She scurried past the roving hands and made her next turn. This latest section was abandoned but cleaner than the others. "Fredrick?" she called out timidly. "Are you there?"

A bucket clanged as it hit the floor, and as it echoed through the corridors her heart seemed to freeze inside her chest. "Is that you?"

She heard movement coming towards her but it turned out to be a rat. She normally had a fear of rodents, but after encountering human vermin in the cellblock she'd already passed, the furry grey rat seemed a welcome companion in her quest.

"Hey there little friend," she said warmly. The burgeoning friendship did not last, as the rat took a single sniff of her gown and then scurried up inside the tulle layers.

She let out a bloodcurdling scream and hopped around to no avail. She pulled up her skirt to her upper thighs, and shook it aggressively to force out the pesky rodent.

She hopped and shook with her legs exposed and collided with a human form. The impact caused the rat to fall right out of her skirt, and as it scurried away she finally caught her breath. And focused her eyes. And found herself staring at Fredrick...

[WRITER COMMENTARY: It's been a busy week but the final 2 chapters and epilogue WILL be posted in the next few days, thanks for reading! Also...drama drama drama, eh? ;-) Also...Fredrick!]