Ann Ross went to the kitchen that evening and began to prepare the meal for that evening the whole time contemplating on what she should wear to Prince Donovan’s party.
Miss Willows must have noticed something suspicious about the way that Ann Ross was acting. She walked up to her and asked what was wrong with her.
Ann Ross remained silent.
“Have you heard of that ball girl? You know, the one this Friday with all the lights and dancing at the palace? Well, all the girls in this school are invited and I’m taking some of my servants to help cater the festivities. You are not allowed to go. If I see you I will turn you into the police for not paying what was due” Miss Willows bragged and sneered again at Ann Ross before she left the kitchen.
For the next day Ann Ross sat crying in her bedroom.
She went to bed that Thursday night. She woke up groggy and irritated and went to start breakfast: dropping eggs and mixing up dishes.
Later that evening at six o’clock she looked out the window and saw the headmistress in a lovely red gown inside a carriage. There were other carriages for the students and servants. She was going to the gala!
Ann Ross ran upstairs to the deserted attic in the school and cried.
“If my mother was still alive and my aunt hadn’t taken the money I would still be learning in this school! I wouldn’t be so miserable!” these were the first words she had said in years. The tears ran down her face as the carriage pulled out of the main gates towards the palace.
All at once and magically, one of her tears formed a bubble. She gasped and blew at the bubble. It swirled around and around up into the musty space before it popped. Sparkles of light rained down onto the floor and from it a beautiful figure formed.
The figure had wings like an angel and wore a silky full-length ball gown. Its hair was tied into a dark brown bun and she carried a wand.
“I am your fairy godmother. My child, what is the matter?” asked the calming figure.
“I was supposed to go to a ball tonight but the headmistress didn’t allow me to go and instead she went with the rest school!”
“Tell me, what is your one true wish at this very moment?” Ann Ross wished to go to the ball in a lovely gown, with a beautiful tiara, and a carriage to take her there.
With a flick of her wand the godmother transformed Ann Ross’s rags into a lovely pink gown complete with gloves and a ruby necklace. Her messy hair was combed and tied and a tiara was set on top with a glowing cherry jewel placed on top.
“Look outside,” said the godmother. Ann Ross peered out a window to see a glowing red stagecoach with two white stallions there to take her to the ball.
“Oh it’s absolutely wonderful! Thank you godmother! I wish I could do something for you…”
“You can, indeed you can. You must be home by eleven!”
“Wait, Cinderella got to go until midnight.”
“But Cinderella wasn’t a seventeen year old girl! My sweet child, may all your dreams come!” with that the godmother vanished and Ann Ross rushed to the carriage.
When she arrived she got out of the cart and daintily made her way up the massive marble staircase. The doors were open. Sounds of music and joyful laughter filled the air.
Prince Donovan waited for her. He danced with many of the girls attending the boarding school but he tired of them quickly. The king and queen watched him.
“Cindy, do you think tonight is the night?” asked the king.
“Hush Alexander, I’m sure as any time that this could be the night,” replied Queen Cindy.
From the top of the staircase, looking upon the crowd of people was Ann Ross. When Donovan saw this he immediately threw the girl he was with to the side and ran up to greet her. Donovan was amazed at her. She was even more beautiful in a gown.
“Your highness,” Ann Ross said almost breathlessly.
“Come, let us dance,” he took her by her laced glove and lead her onto the dance floor.
They waltzed.
“Your highness, I am very honored to meet you again and I apologize for not talking,” Ann Ross asked after the song had slowed down.
“It is quite alright,” He bowed to her.
From a far corner was Miss Willows. She turned around to see the prince with a lovely girl by his side. The girl was young, striking and very familiar. She was upset when she saw the other girls being turned down and led out of the way.
“Come along girls! Back to the boarding house!” called Miss Willows. The girls sighed and they filed out of the ballroom to the carriages.
The time passed quickly.
It was late and she promised the fairy she’d be home so she bid farewell but Donovan grabbed her hand.
“Please stay.” She sadly shook her head. “Let me walk you to your carriage then.” Ann Ross accepted and together they headed to her wagon. Ann Ross climbed into the wagon, sat and leaned out the window and reached for Donovan’s hand.
“Wait, please tell me what your name is.”
“My name is…”
Suddenly the carriage jerked foreword while they were still holding hands. Ann Ross’s glove slipped off before the wagon sped out of the lot.
“Wait,” Prince Donovan looked solemnly at the glove before he went back to the palace.
Ann Ross asked the driver to park three blocks from the school as she slowly made her way through the gate and to the back of the school towards the quarters. She slipped a key into the door when suddenly the door jerked open. Starting at her was Miss Willows.
“You little brat! How dare you sneak out like that! I knew I saw you! You were dancing with the Prince! Why would he ever want to dance with such a wretched rat like you? You’re in trouble!”
The towering Big Ben let out its chimes. Miss Willows kept screaming through it all and on the eleventh chime Ann Ross’s outfit began to fade away. All that was left was the glove that remained.
“Come with me!” She bellowed and grabbed Ann Ross by the ear and dragged her to the attic.
“You shall stay here for as long as I say!” Miss Willows slammed and locked the attic door. Ann Ross sat in a corner and cried.
Donovan sat at the breakfast.
“What is wrong?” asked the king as he looked up from his plate.
“This wonderful, wonderful girl I met last night left abruptly and I still have her glove. It’s so tiny. The gala and everything was just a dream. The girl was too perfect to be true,” he replied. The king and queen looked at each another.
Queen Cindy cleared her throat. “Anything else Donovan dear?”
“Mother, father”- He stood up from his table as straight as a pole and announced, “The girl I met last night, is the one I wish to marry!”
“Oh! Splendid! Alexander, did you hear what your son said?” King Alexander nodded.
“If you allow me to, may I go at noon to find her and ask for her hand in marriage??” Prince Donovan’s heart raced.
“Yes my son, yes you may,” replied the queen. Donovan bowed to his mother and left the room.
Ann Ross was awakened by this and gazed out the window. Miss Willows answered the door and was thrilled to see Prince Donovan there. In his hand he held a glove, the one she recognized that Ann Ross had.
“Excuse me miss? Were there any girls who attended my ball last night?” Prince Donovan asked.
Miss Willows heard the pounding. With her cunning mind she quickly replied, “Yes your highness, about twenty of my girls attended your ball and several servants. Come in.”
Ann Ross sat in the attic corner as the giggling girls pounded down the stairs.
Prince Donovan picked out an eligible young woman who was fair and young and tried to fit the glove on her. It was too small for her so he moved on. He skipped many of the students who began to cry hysterically.
Ann Ross looked around the room for something to pick the lock with. She found an old wire coat hanger and bent it into shape. She quickly began to pick at the lock.
All the girls in the boarding house and the entire servants didn’t fit the glove. It was either too small or too big.
Prince Donovan, frustrated and confused, smiled and walked out of the school.
The lock on the door clicked and unlocked. Ann Ross hobbled down the staircase as fast as she could. Her feet carried her far and she ran past all of the girls and Miss Willows.
“Get back here you little brat!” Miss Willows screeched and chased after her. Ann Ross began to pick up the pace.
“Prince Donovan!” She called out. She ran over to Prince Donovan who was beaming widely. “I believe you forgot to try the glove on me.” He slipped it onto her hand and it fit perfectly.
Miss Willows fell to her knees and began to whine.
Together Prince Donovan and Ann Ross ascended to the carriage and drove off to the castle.
Prince Donovan arrived at the castle with Ann Ross. He showed her to his parents and Queen Cindy examined her. Ann Ross began her long tale of woe.
“You were forced to work as a servant? Oh, you remind me of me,” the queen smiled.
“Yes Cindy, they acted just like we did. I rescued your mother from a dreadful woman and took her away here. Donovan, you have a knack for following in my footsteps,” King Alexander winked.
Ann Ross gasped.
“What’s wrong Ann Ross?” Donovan asked. The king and queen smiled at each another.
“I bow down to you, Queen Cinderella,” Ann Ross got to her knees with a glee in her heart.
“Mother, honestly you can’t be Cinderella, Ann Ross told me she is a fairy tale on our way here!” Donovan was shocked.
“You need to sharpen your mind Donovan. I am Queen Cindy: short for Cinderella.” Donovan and Ann Ross broke out laughing.
Ann Ross and Prince Donovan were wed one spring day. Many people attended. One surprise guest that arrived was Aunt Beatrice, in a lovely full-length gown.
“My sweet child may all your dreams come true!” Aunt Beatrice winked
“And we all lived happily ever after,” Ann Ross smiled.
As for Miss Willows… She was banned from teaching and found work as a chimney sweep. One Christmas eve, as she was sweeping a chimney, she slipped and fell into it. There she was, stuck, while the careless owners let their fire continue to burn until the next morning.
