The Wicked Kingdom

Yet still Ella's mind was also hesitant about going to the ball, she did not want to leave Pippin. Ella had actually grown to love all the servants. Yet Pippin she wanted to marry. Then she remembered Pippin's words "There are destinies greater than love." Ella believed she had a duty to the kingdom, a duty to make life better for the servant class. To allow them to freely move of the land they were born, to learn trades, to sell wares, to serve in government, to get an education. Then Ella's heart sank, for she remembered she had no dress.

Ella was called into the manor by the shrill voice of Millie. Ella came into the manor and her heart sank again, Millie was wearing a stunning and trendy dress, she looked better than Ella had ever seen her before. Millie's shoes were sparkling fancy shoes that made her much taller than she really was. Ella's eyes began to water from her envy. Then Ella dropped to her knees and started wailing as she saw Fiona walk down the stairs.

"Where did you get that!" Ella screamed. Fiona was wearing Ella's deceased mother's finest dress.

"It was the best dress in the manor." Fiona smugly said.

"How dare you! My mother's dress!" Ella screamed as Fiona did a twirl at the bottom of the stairs.

Ella thought her mother's finest dress was gone, as a girl she used to marvel at the dress Fiona was wearing. Ella would stare at it in her mother's old dress room. Ella's father had to store the dress in the attic because every time he saw it he would burst into tears. Ella's father never let Ella know the true location of the dress, for fear she would put it back in the main part of the house. He told her he had to sell the dress because the sight of it made him too sad to bear. Losing the dress was like losing her mother again, Ella cried for days. Now Ella was seeing her mother's prized dress again and her worst enemy was wearing it.

"I found it in the attic, it's the most beautiful dress I've ever seen, I think the prince will love it! It's funny I remember you telling me about this dress when we first met. Well, you were right, it is magnificent! Too bad you didn't find it...They always say, "Finders, keepers. Losers Weepers." Fiona was reveling in Ella's jealousy and anger.

Ella stormed out of the house again hearing the taunting laughter of her stepfamily, she was red-faced with anger. Once back in the servant's quarters, Ella started pulling at her hair and screaming. Pippin came to comfort Ella but she pushed him away, she was inconsolable.

Weeks passed and Ella remained silent, raging inside, she wouldn't even talk to Pippin she just silently did her chores, lightly sobbing herself to sleep every night. One night Pippin whispered to her,

"I've been going to the barn every night to meet you."

Ella responded with cold silence, Pippin frustrated spoke back, "You used to be okay with staying with me, you said you were destined to do it. Now this ball happens and you have a chance to be with a prince and you can't talk because you don't have a dress?"

Ella angered shouted back, "You said there were greater destinies than just love, I lost my chance to help the world, because of a dress, that's the kind of world we live in Pippin. I am not okay with being abused, by anyone, you shouldn't be either. Why don't you servants set fires to all the manors you live in and slit the throats of the royals?"

Pippin remained silent this time, Ella spoke back "You are a coward, you all are, you let yourselves live in a situation where you constantly take abuse."

Pippin now visibly upset pounded his fist on the dirt floor and left the room. Ella began to softly cry again, what she said to Pippin was horrible, he was no coward. Why didn't Ella murder her stepfamily? Why was she suffering such abuse? As much as Ella hated her stepfamily she was thoroughly committed being abused by them to simply gain a small inheritance, she was the one who was a coward. She projected her rage onto Pippen. It was a fact, that Ella didn't know what to do with her rage, she couldn't take out her rage on his stepsisters so now she was directing it at Pippin, the person she loved the most.

The weeks leading up to the day of the ball led to Ella's further embitterment, for she had been thoroughly bested. Fiona showed off her dress, Millie taunted her with laughter and Ella took the abuse without retaliation. Pippin and Ella were not talking, they barely looked at each other.

Finally, the day of the ball had arrived, the palace was six hours away by carriage so it would be mid-morning by the time Ella's sisters would be leaving for the ball. Ella felt as though she was going to have a terrible day, she planned on spending the day crying and feeling sorry for herself as Fiona surely would become the crown princess. Ella woke up to the crow of a rooster and to her surprise no servants were in the servant's quarters. Ella walked out with trepidation to find all of the servants waiting for her outside.

Harriet the old friendly servant came forward and kindly spoke the Ella, "We made you a dress."

Ella couldn't believe it, the servants had clandestinely made her a gown for the ball. It wasn't just a suitable dress, it was a fantastic dress. Ella became completely overwhelmed with joy, she immediately started hugging all the servants. She was taken inside the servants quarters and she was helped into her dress. She looked stunning, the women servants were clapping and putting their hands over their faces as Ella's hair was put up in a bun. Ella looked radiant with a beaming smile. Her dress was brilliantly made of clothing Millie thought too drab and threw out. Many of the servants were brilliant seamstresses. Suddenly the party was broken up by Fiona and Millie who stood outside of the servant's quarters, they were surrounded by two large men who were their carriage drivers.

"What is going on in here? What is all the commotion?"

Ella walked forward so that Fiona and Millie could see her. Ella basked in the shock on Fiona and Millie's face. Ella truly looked like a princess her body was shaped exquisitely to her gown, her blond hair was nearly golden in the light. Ella had the absolutely stunning quality only found in storybooks.

Ella confidently said "I will be going to the ball as well, I have every right as a member of the nobility. That is the one thing you cannot take from me."

Fiona was now visibly enraged, this anger was heightened when a still shocked Millie whispered under her breath. "She looks better than you."

Fiona charged Ella and grabbed her by the top of her dress and ripped it. Ella was shocked, Millie ran up and while laughing ripped the bottom part of Ella's dress. The servants started screaming, all of their hard work and kindness was being destroyed in front of their eyes. Fiona told her carriage drivers, "Hold them back!"

The carriage drivers were bound to listen to their superior and could be punished severely if they disobeyed the nobility. Ella tried in vain to both fight back and defend herself, but it was of no use, her stepsisters were behaving like rabid demons, they began sadistically tearing her dress to shreds. Pippin overcome with rage was now fighting the two large carriage drivers, who were soundly beating him with clubs. Ella looked on in horror as her lover was taking blow after blow while she was helplessly having all of her fantasies crushed by her evil step-sisters.

When the dust settled Ella's stepsisters had left in their carriage, almost all of the servants were weeping. Ella was left naked clutching the remnants of her dress. Ella's devastation was so complete she didn't even try to cover her nudity. A bleeding Pippin walked up to Ella and attempted to cover her nudity with his ragged shirt. Ella was nearly catatonic.

Pippin through a bloodied mouth said "We haven't burned down the manor because it's yours. I am sorry we couldn't help you, we love you, we loved your father."

Ella calmly got up refusing Pippin's shirt. She walked nude into the servant's quarters and put on some new rags. Ella got a sponge and a bucket, she went to the well and calmly filled the bucket with water, she walked back to Pippin and surrounded by crying devastated servants started tending to Pippin's cuts and bruises. She did so silently but with care and purpose.

Finally, Ella spoke in a cracked voice, "I love you, Pippin. I love you so much. I am so sorry, you deserve better than this, all of you do. My father and I were kinder than my stepfamily but all of you deserve more than what you have here." There were tears in Ella's eyes.

Pippin embraced Ella and put his head on her shoulder, Ella could feel his tears. After a long embrace, Ella whispered to Pippin "Get a horse ready."

As Pippin left to get a horse ready Ella addressed the reeling servants.

"We are going to break into the manor and retrieve my ill stepmother. Then we are going to burn the manor to the ground. I am going to the ball in these rags with Pippin. There are two outcomes to the ball, either I marry the prince and use my power to free all of you from servitude, or more likely I get thrown out upon entering the palace, if that happens I will come back and we will all together demand justice, we will likely be killed, but it will be fighting for a righteous cause. If any of you disagree with this plan let it be known now."

Ella expected the servants to be scared of this prospect, but as soon as Ella was done speaking each one was doing their part to put the plan into action. None of the servants were cowards at all, they really loved Ella, they would follow her to hell and back. Ella went with some servants to get her sick step-mother. Ella was shocked and repulsed to find that her stepmother was lying in her bed long deceased. She had died and neither of her daughters even batted an eye. Perfumes were placed around her corpse to mask the smell. Although Ella was disturbed by the corpse, she felt no emotion learning of her stepmother's death. It was sad to Ella that no one seemed to care about Ella's Stepmother, not even her own daughters.

Ella then realized that she should have received her inheritance and be released from the manor earlier. Ella remembered the genuinely good times with her stepmother and contemplated the fact that her Stepmother had forsaken her in favor of her selfish stepdaughter's desires only to be completely ignored by them. The smell was atrocious. Fiona masked the smell in the bedroom with massive amounts of powerful perfume, yet the putrid smell of Ella's stepmother's corpse was powerful by the time it was out of the room.

The servants dug a haphazard grave for Ella's stepmother and buried her with a small and quick ceremony. Pippin at this point had readied the horse, it was in the front of the manor. Ella met Pippin in front of the manor. Pippin had a rose in his hand, he gave it to Ella. Ella immediately put it in her hair and smiled as she kissed Pippin. The rest of the servants emerged to say goodbye to Ella. Almost all of them had lit torches. Ella on sat on the back of the horse barefoot and in rags. She waved at the servants "You are the noblest people I have ever met!" Ella waved as the manor was lit on fire. As Pippin commanded the horse to sprint towards the palace Ella looked back at her lifelong home, it was completely engulfed in flames. A wicked smile grew wide.

***IV. Having a Ball***

"What's gotten into you?" Pippin shouted as the wind rushed through their hair.

"I am not a coward anymore," Ella replied back.

Ella and Pippin swiftly approached the castle, making record time.

Pippin stopped his exhausted horse at the palace gates, the two ragged people got off the horse. Pippin stayed back and tended to the horse. Ella walked over to the gatekeeper by herself. The gatekeeper said in a manner that he had probably said hundreds of times daily "State your business?"

Ella replied with confidence, "I am nobility, I am here for the ball."

The gatekeeper did a double take and looked shocked as he looked at the woman standing before him in rags. "Like that? Are you going to the ball like that? You can't be nobility!"

"I am on the list my name is Ella from the Luna Manor."

"Well you're on the list, but I don't believe you and I think you might get laughed out of the building." The gatekeeper smirked.

Ella stated her birth year and three generations of maiden names from her family, which is what the kingdom used to identify nobility. In the patriarchal kingdom, maiden names were not to be uttered after marriage, except to direct descendants and government officials that needed to know your identity.

"This is going to be good." The gatekeeper smiled as he opened the gate.

Ella walked down the long corridor up to the palace. Trumpet players usually sounded their horns as the distinguished guests arrived. Ella walking alone in rags was not even noticed until she had practically passed the trumpets and was beginning to walk up the stairs entering the palace. A single pathetic trumpet noise sounding for two notes before stopping.

Ella entered the palace and walked down a long hallway. Her bare feet touching the cold marble floor, she walked through the massive double-wide doors of the ballroom. She walked down a red carpet and had a bird's eye view of the massive ball. She could see the prince dancing with Fiona, she was whispering in his ear. The prince was tall and muscular, with black hair. The prince was meticulously groomed and was dressed in a stunning outfit. He was wearing a white suit with gold trim. Ella could see the other noble women in their extravagant dresses whispering gossip and uttering cutting jealous remarks to each other.

Ella walked just like she would have walked wearing a beautiful dress, only she was in rags with a single rose in her hair. An older noblewoman noticed her first and immediately fainted. Gasps were soon heard throughout the halls. The commotion made the prince stop dancing with Fiona he looked over at Ella. Ella looked directly in his eyes. The prince was shocked. Ella heard Millie's cackling shrill laugh, then all the noblewomen began to laugh and openly mock Ella. Ella didn't let this faze her she continued to walk directly towards the prince.

The prince in a deep commanding voice let out the word "Silence" and as Ella approached him you could hear a pin drop. The prince immediately embraced Ella's hands and started to dance.

"I must dance with every guest." the Prince reminded the crowd.

Fiona's face distorted into an ugly and angry mess as she stormed off the dance floor as the prince dance with Ella.

"You can't be royalty?" The prince whispered in Ella's ear.

"But I am," Ella stated confidently.

"How is this possible?"

"I have been forced into servitude by my stepsisters who have usurped my position in my household."

"Well you have an interesting back story," the prince said in a sly voice with a smile.

Anger welled up within Ella, "I am in love with a servant and I only wish to marry you to gain influence in the court. I want to free the servant class, I want to reform every aspect of this backward society!" Ella spoke in a whisper with force and confidence, expecting fully for the prince to reject her right then and there.

"Come with me." The prince said in a serious tone as he whisked the surprised Ella way out of the ballroom.

Ella was immediately given a fine gown and she was dressed by servants. She was quickly led to a large balcony where the prince was sitting.

Ella now looking much more royal, she sat nervously next to the prince on a chair, they were both overlooking what seemed to be the entire kingdom. Ella thought she saw a small bright light that could have been the burning manor. The prince ushered all servants off of the balcony. He began to speak directly to the point.

"Ella, if what you are saying is true I cannot believe my luck. You have come here in rags as my angel. I have put off marriage for years now, this ball was another stall tactic. But it truly is getting dire, my father is of ill-health and I shall take the crown soon, I need a queen."

Ella still dumbfounded exclaimed, "I, I don't know what to say."

"You gave me magic words, you love a servant, whom I love is not a servant, but a nobleman. I cannot bare to leave him if you love a servant you can have your servant in secret. In secret, we can both have who we want. I can be with whom I love and so can you. You do not care that I love a man do you?"

"I don't care at all," Ella said obviously delighted by the events of the night.

"Furthermore, I too want to reform this diseased kingdom, my father is out of step with the times and he had a long rule. Now it is time to make this place livable for everyone, not just the nobility."

Ella and the prince continued their conversation, Ella explained her situation in detail, both the prince and Ella exchanged very compatible ideas about reforms that could be made. Ella couldn't believe how quickly she came to like the prince as a person.

"So shall we return to the ballroom and kiss? I will propose with a ring and we will move on from there. I will not wait any longer than I have to. Your entrance in rags will make a great story, you will surely be a popular princess."

The room gasped as Ella re-emerged with the prince looking like true royalty. The prince took Ella to the center of the ballroom and got down on one knee. Immediately multiple noble women fainted, others started crying. Ella smiled as she heard the what she considered the beautiful sound of Fiona shrieking "impossible!" repeatedly. As Ella kissed the prince, it wasn't the kiss that made her heart race but the knowledge that she had bested her evil stepsisters.

Ella left the palace to horns blaring, the still bruised and ragged Pippin was in shock to see Ella emerge with such fanfare. Ella walked right up to Pippin and whispered in his ear, "come with me, you're with the new crown princess." Pippin let out a huge smile and nearly jumped as he walked briskly back to the palace.

Pippin, the Prince and Ella all eventually met in the Prince's private quarters. Ella's evil stepsisters were discussed. The Prince thought nothing of executing them on the spot, but Ella urged him to spare their lives, not because she believed in mercy, but because she wanted to see them live out their lives in abject suffering.

"Let me have them! My mind is already churning with ideas for their punishment." Ella said with a wicked smile.

Pippin looked concerned.

***V. The Council Decides***

Fiona and Millie were beyond angry at the turn of events at the ball. Millie put on an embarrassing public display of anger, pulling at her hair and stomping her feet, before running away in tears. Fiona became pale and nearly fainted, she spilled her wine before breaking down in tears in the middle of the ballroom. Eventually callously and without care throwing a glass at the court jester badly cutting his arm. Fiona and Millie were not the only distressed women at the ball, all the noble women believed they had a chance with the prince, and many left the ball moaning in anguish.

When Fiona finally made it out of the ballroom she was greeted by Millie struggling while being held by two guards. It was at this moment that Fiona did faint, her limp body was thrown over the shoulder by one of the guards and she was led to a cold, dark and damp jail cell. Fiona and Millie would suffer for their crimes.

Ella let Fiona and Millie stew in their cell, uncertain of their fate while she prepared herself for a lavish wedding. All of the servants from the old manor came to the palace and were promoted to Ella's personal attendants, they were paid well and treated with reverence. Even the manor dogs were taken to the palace, to live happily in the vast palace grounds, free from being kicked by Fiona.