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            …who are you? The Prince asked.

            “My name is Cinderella Tucknor, your Majesty.”  She introduced herself with a curtsey.

            “Lord Tucknor’s daughter?” he asked with a surprised look on his face.

            “Yes, your Majesty,” she answered.

            Why, we were told by the Lady Tucknor, you were gone, a victim of the sickness during the winter after your father’s passing.  Don’t you remember me?  On my 5^th birthday, you and I were promised to each other, and to be married when I was 21,” he told her.

            “We were?”  Cinderella looked into his eyes, trying to remember a younger version of the face and eyes looking at her with growing fondness.

            “Yes, remember the leaves?” an impish grin formed on his lips.

A memory of a young boy running and jumping into piles of fall leaves brought a smile to her face.

“See you remembered.  So Cinderella will you marry me?,” he said gathering her into his arms knowing she was going to say yes.

            “But my Step-mother and Step-sisters, they must be told,” she told him.

            And do they did.

            Cinderella’s Step-mother was angry, but what could she do?  She had even taken Cinderella to the side and said, “It should have been my eldest, you no good…”

            Cinderella didn’t say a thing…

            … she glared hatefully at her step’s… page 24

            …she left the house…page 26