Cinderella said No (Part 1)

Once upon a time, there was a Prince, who lived in a kingdom in a faraway land.

Like any young Prince, Valentino had big dreams. Not of the usual princely things, like conquering fire-breathing dragons or fighting in battles to defend his kingdom. And not even of being king, though he was next in line.

Valentino was a hopeless romantic; he dreamt only of finding true love.

Like his late mother, he was born with a soft heart, and the very idea of being alone like his father scared him more than any dragon or beast he could encounter.

For his eighteenth birthday, the King planned a ball to celebrate his son's coming of age. The prince insisted that every eligible lady be invited to attend. From noblewoman to scullery maid, he wanted the best chance to meet the woman he was destined for.

The night finally arrived, and Prince Valentino had never seen the palace so alive.

Music and laughter filled the room as ladies in their best gowns sashayed across the marble floor. Valentino stood shyly at the edge of the crowd, staring wide-eyed at the array of young ladies who had come just for him.

"Godmother," he whispered urgently to his greatest confidante, "I can't possibly choose. Each one of them is more beautiful than the next."

She looked at him with amusement. After Valentino's mother died when he was only a boy, his Godmother raised him as her own.

"My dear boy, you can't choose on beauty alone.” She took him discreetly to one side. "You have to take the time to get to know them. The right one will not only captivate you with her beauty, but also charm you with her wit, and impress you with her mind."

"How will I know if I've fallen in love?"

"Because, my dear, love has a way of making you feel like the whole world stands still while you can't stop spinning."

"Now, go, talk." She gently nudged him towards a group of young women giggling amongst themselves.

The Prince attempted to follow her advice, but he discovered something unexpected—he was at a complete loss when it came to talking to women. He either spoke in soliloquies and watched as they stifled yawns behind their hands, or failed to find words to fill the awkward silences.

Feeling despondent, he slipped out to the courtyard for some fresh air.

"The stars are truly magnificent tonight." Valentino jumped. He hadn't noticed the young lady sitting in a corner quietly by herself.

"Oops...didn't mean to frighten you. I'm Ella," she added. Valentino greeted her timidly, unable to ignore how her emerald green eyes twinkled as brightly as the stars above them.

"Pleased to meet you, Ella," he noticed her bare feet and the dainty footwear lying discarded beside her.

"Sorry for sneaking away," she said, rubbing her heels. "My toes aren't used to being crammed into such delicate shoes."

Valentino felt instantly at ease. "No need to apologise. Honestly, I needed a break too. Turns out I haven't a clue what I'm doing." He sighed.

Ella tilted her head. "Really? I thought I was the only one feeling like a fish out of water."

The Prince's eyes lit up. "I have an idea. Something that might help with your aching feet. Come with me." He set out towards the garden.

Curious, Ella picked up her heels and followed him down the cobbled garden path.

Soon, they were perched on the edge of a moonlit pond, their feet dangling in the cool water. Faint music drifted from the palace.

Ella leaned back and sighed happily.

"Feeling more at home now?" he asked with a playful smile.

She chuckled. "Shouldn't you be inside with all the others?" she gestured behind them towards the palace. "All those hopeful ladies wondering where their Prince has disappeared to."

His warm hazel eyes gazed into hers as he murmured. "Right now, I'd rather be here."

For the rest of the evening, conversation flowed effortlessly, and for the first time, Prince Valentino felt like he could be entirely himself.

It was as if he had known Ella his whole life, and by the time the evening drew to a close, Prince Valentino was completely enchanted.

"I'd better go," Ella said hurriedly, as the palace clocks chimed, signalling it was past midnight. She lifted her feet out of the pond and stood up.

"Thank you for a pleasant evening," she said with a small curtsey, "and for saving my feet.”

"The pleasure was all mine, Ella." He said, planting a soft kiss on her hand. "Will I see you again?"

"I believe that's up to you," she replied stepping into her carriage.

She blew him a kiss from her window as Valentino watched her disappear into the night. On his way back to the palace, he walked past the pond and noticed something glistening under the moonlight. Ella's slippers. He stopped and picked one up carefully, turning it over in his hand, mesmerised by the way it sparkled when it caught the light. Knowing it was too late to chase after her, he gathered the other one and returned to the palace, eager to tell his Godmother everything about Ella and the romantic night they had shared.

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The next day, Valentino felt like he was drunk. His Godmother had been right; being in love made his head spin. It felt wonderful and terrifying at the same time. He was determined to find Ella and make her his princess.

After making inquiries, he was surprised to learn that no one had ever heard of the girl from the ball. All he had left of her were the two sparkling slippers and the memory of their conversation under the stars.

"Godmother, isn't there anything you can do?" he implored, after exhausting all his options.

She knew she would never hear the end of it—he was a force to be reckoned with when he set his mind on something. Although she preferred to use her magical powers sparingly, who was she to stand in the way of true love?

"Let me see those shoes."

She pulled out her wand from under her skirt and tapped once on each sparkling heel.

"There," she said, handing him the magical heels. "Now the only person who can fit into these will be the original owner."

"But, how will I find her?" Valentino was still confused.

"You can start by going door to door, one village at a time, and ask each lady to try them on. It's the best I can do."

And so, enchanted footwear in hand, the Prince set off on a quest to find Ella with a plan to make her his princess.

The Girl in the Tower

It had been another exhausting day of knocking on doors, watching hopeful women try squeeze their feet into the delicate slippers. So far, none of them had succeeded. Prince Valentino was beginning to lose heart. On the ride home, slumped in his carriage, he sighed heavily as he gazed out the window.

He'd asked the driver to take a shortcut through the woods. Somewhere in the distance, a songbird's call floated through the trees. He leaned closer to the window, trying to catch more of it—only to realise it wasn't a bird at all. It was a woman's voice.

He called for the carriage to stop and stepped out, intrigued. Without thinking twice, he followed the sound into the woods.

The melody grew clearer with every step until he reached its source: a tall, ivy-covered tower. At the very top, through a tiny window, sat a golden-haired girl, her mellifluous voice drifting through the air like a gentle breeze.

Prince Valentino shaded his eyes and called up to the tiny window.

"Hello up there!"

The singing stopped abruptly. The girl squinted down at him in surprise, her wild golden curls cascading down the tower, almost reaching the ground.

"Sorry to bother you, I just needed to know to whom that beautiful voice belonged,"

"That depends on who's asking," she shouted back, resting her chin in her hand.

"I'm Prince Valentino," he said with a bow.

"A Prince! What brings you here, wandering through these woods, are you lost?"

"Actually, no, I'm back from a quest. Although now that you say that..." he looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, wondering if he would, in fact, find his way back.

"Ah, a quest," she said, rolling her eyes playfully. "Don't tell me you're chasing some fire-breathing dragon—should I be scared?"

"No, no, nothing like that," he said, holding up a woman's shoe. "I'm looking for the girl who wore this to the palace ball. She vanished without a trace."

She smirked. "Well, I don't think you're going to find her out here. It's just me in this tower, and I've certainly not been to any ball."

He took a step closer. "Why are you singing alone in that tower?"

"Imprisoned by a wicked sorceress," she said with a shrug. "You know how it goes.

Prince Valentino frowned sympathetically. "I'm sorry for your predicament, uh..?"

"Call me Zel."

"Pleased to meet you, Zel. So..." the Prince glanced around the base of the tower, frowning, "how do we get you out of there?"

"With a secret password and a very long rope."

Prince Valentino raised an eyebrow. "A password?"

She nodded. "Mm-hmm. She cast a spell on the entire tower; nothing comes in, nothing gets out. The only way to break the spell is with the password."

He took a step back, peering up at the structure. It looked perfectly ordinary—just old stone covered in ivy—but as he looked closer, it had a faint hue around it.

"I've tried everything," Zel went on, resting her arms on the windowsill. "Every name I could think of, every combination of every letter in the alphabet," she sighed.

The Prince crossed his arms thoughtfully. "And she just leaves you here, alone all day long?"

Zel shrugged again. "I have my books. They take me to exotic destinations and far-away places," she smiled dreamily.

"What if I could get you out of there, Zel?" he asked, stepping closer to the base of the tower. "Would you come with me?"

His heart galloped in his chest. It all made sense. The search for Elle had failed because he was meant to find Zel instead.

Zel leaned further out the window, her golden curls catching the light. "Depends," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Does your plan involve adventure—or am I signing up to be a bored Princess sitting in a castle? From one prison to another?"

Taken aback, he asked, "What kind of adventure are we talking about?"

"Real adventure." She said longingly, "I want to ride camels through deserts, dance under the stars, get lost in exotic marketplaces. I want to swim with dolphins in the Caribbean and eat pastries in Paris—wherever that is."

Prince Valentino blinked. "Swim with dolphins? Pastries in... where?"

"Exactly. I've read about these places in my books. I want to live the stories, not just dream them."

He shifted his weight. "But... what about true love? Living happily ever after?"

"I wouldn't say no to love. But, there's got to be more than sitting on thrones and throwing grand balls, don't you think?"

The Prince had never considered that there could be more outside the palace walls. He looked around and noticed it was getting dark.

"It's nearly nightfall—they’ll be wondering where I am," he said, glancing reluctantly toward the path. Then, looking back up at her, he added, "I hate leaving you like this, Zel. But I promise—I'll be back to get you out. You have my word." He placed a hand over his heart.

"Alright, Prince Valentino. I'll be here," she replied with a sceptical smile.

As he made his way back through the woods, adrenaline pulsed through his veins. This wasn't just a rescue; it was destiny. Zel was feisty and spirited, not your average damsel in distress. True, she had some wild dreams he didn't quite understand, but that only made her more fascinating. He was completely smitten with the girl in the tower.

to be continued...