The lush countryside of a magical world harbored many who could sing chantments of sorcery, an ability both valued and feared by all. There was healing magic, power that could stitch any physical wound together. Black magic was its partner, having the power of destruction and creation, a dangerous magic indeed.
In this divine land, there once lived a family of two, a man and his beautiful daughter. The father was elderly and the daughter reaching her adulthood, and the two lived peacefully and in harmony. Over time the father grew lonely and longed for a new wife to love. He met a woman with two daughters of her own, and eventually they were married under a spring sky. The beautiful daughter's new sisters were ones who could wield healing magic, and they made it their purpose to jest her inability to sing up spells. What they didn't know was that she really could conquer both white and black magic, but she kept it a secret from her new family and even her old father for reasons unknown.
The seasons passed and the old father passed away. With their lord gone forever, the girl's stepmother and stepsisters claimed their throne and commanded the lonesome daughter as their servant. They made her clean and cook and provide, never once considering their cruel actions. Truly, the women were jealous of the daughter’s beauty. She had midnight colored hair and flawless white skin, and her eyes were bright royal green gems. They did their best to make her suffer. The once beautiful daughter had become dirtied in the work she was forced to do every day. The ashes she cleaned out from the fireplace stained her face, and her sisters took it upon themselves to give her a new name. From then on she was called Cinderella, for her deep black hair was the same color as the ashes on her face.
Though dirty and lowly, Cinderella did not falter. She was smart and sly, and also a bit mean-hearted herself. She had managed to continue to keep the secret of her power from her family. From time to time, she played tricks on her evil sisters to pay them back for their deviousness. The sisters had no idea that Cinderella was the one causing all their troubles, for from what they knew she could not wield magic nor was intelligent enough to play a prank on them. But the sisters blamed her anyway, complaining and complaining to their mother. The mother reacted in setting aside even more work for Cinderella. But Cinderella did not mind. The work she did now was nothing compared to the chores she had to do for her father, for he was too old to move around freely. Her magic was her only consolation, and she enjoyed the chances given to her to confuse and torture her family. Unbeknownst to her that darkness was welling up in her heart.
It seemed to Cinderella that this life would continue on forever, but she was to be proven wrong. One day an invitation came to the house, calling the women to attend a week-long ball at the King's palace. Delighted to be able to visit the castle, Cinderella's mother and sisters went out to purchase elegant gowns for the party. Cinderella was forced to stay home and complete her chores. She knew she wouldn't be allowed to attend the ball. Poor Cinderella would stay home for a week while her family enjoyed the festivities.
But Cinderella had a plan. Before they left for the castle, she heard from her gossiping sisters that the King's son was looking for a wife that could wield healing magic. Cinderella wanted power, and the strength of a princess suited her. So, using her magic, she created seven magnificent dresses for the ball. She disguised herself so her mother and sisters could not discover her. It seemed like a flawless plan to her, and Cinderella went on her way.
She arrived at the castle and was immediately captured in everyone's eyes. Her beauty was plain to all. The prince was quick to catch her hand and danced with her half the evening. The ball continued, quickly reaching its final hours on the seventh day. Each day Cinderella arrived more beautiful, and on the last day she was as a goddess. The prince held her hand and danced with her the entire night, refusing to relinquish her to other men. But Cinderella released herself from his hold. She needed to return home before her family did, so she would not be discovered. However, she wanted the prince to follow her. She took an embroidered shoe and tossed it across the steps of the castle, vanishing into the night as the prince caught one last glimpse of her.
The land was in uproar for the next few days. It was announced that the prince had found his wife, and was looking for her residence. The prince arrived at Cinderella's home, and her sisters quickly rushed to the prince's side. He had brought an embroidered shoe, the one that Cinderella left on the castle steps. The prince was looking for the one whose foot fit into the beautiful slipper. Before she had a chance to try it on, Cinderella's sisters rushed to have their own feet shoved into it.
The first sister's foot was much too large, and she used her magic to make it smaller. Her foot fit, and the prince was joyous. Cinderella could not have this, and quietly used her own magic to expose her sister. Her foot grew and popped right out of the shoe, and expressions of surprise and embarrassment never left her face. The second sister took this chance to try on the shoe herself. However, her foot was much too small, and she used magic to make it larger. Her foot fit, and the prince was joyous once again. Cinderella again uncovered her sister's deceit with her magic. The shoe slipped right off her foot, and her face matched the first sister’s.
Unable to convince the prince to take one of her daughters as his wife, the stepmother was forced to bid farewell to him. Then, Cinderella stepped forward. She offered her foot for measurements, a beautiful and appealing smile on her face. The prince was so enraptured by Cinderella's beauty, completely ignoring the other women. Her foot fit easily, and without doubt the shoe belonged to Cinderella. The prince presently took her hand and whisked her away to his castle, and a few days later they were wed.
Cinderella was now a princess. The first part of her plan was complete, and she moved to initiate the second part. Soon after their marriage, Cinderella began to poison her prince in an attempt to cause a seemingly natural death. The dreadful poison took its affect and months later the prince was dead. The king and queen were so distraught over their loss, and Cinderella masked her own happiness as she cried tears at the prince's funeral. She wanted power, and it was slowly being granted to her. Cinderella was made to marry another man who would one day take over the throne. She began poisoning him as well. There was no obstacle she could not overcome, and she had no qualms about murder. She had grown up treated like nothing; she would return the favor to anyone that stood in front of her goal. Her second husband was soon dead, and she secretly celebrated another victory.
Continuously for the next few years, another man was wed to Cinderella. She killed them all. Much time passed and the king and queen fell ill to age and died silently. As princess, Cinderella moved up to the status of queen. Rumor had quickly run around the land marking Cinderella as the "Queen of Death", as any man given to her perished soon after. Uncaring of the rumors and joyful of her success, Cinderella took her throne. Her magic accumulated in strength over the course of time, and now she was so powerful that she was able to sing a spell over her entire kingdom. Her people no longer feared her, for their senses were gone and their hearts with their queen. Cinderella reigned for many years after that, content, for her heart was as black as her long, beautiful hair.
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