A Cindrella Twist

I know most waiting for Gretel to remember Hensel again and wondering what fate awaits them, but they can wait as am upto my neck in work and unable to take time and visit them. Thankfully there was a small story contest at work and I did manage to send in my entry at last minute, mainly coz it had a 500 word limit. The contest was based on premise "What if Cindrella had not forgotten her glass slipper behind?" And this is my twist on the classic Cinderella story as I submitted. Its not exactly the way I wanted it to, my original version was about 1000 words, might post it if I get time [which seems very unlikely before 30th June]

Anyhow, here is the entry the way I submitted it. Hope you all are able to see the glimpses of the complete story that I was trying to weave in here. And now you know why I never edit my stories, they take the soul away. Well, enjoy.

A Twisted Cindrella Story

By the time Cinderella reached the doors of the Ball Room her dress had already started to reveal the signs of the patchwork tatters it really was. Her heart was pounding so loudly she could neither hear the pleas of the prince as he ran after her nor of the queen who was ordering the guards to hold prince back. She only wanted to get away form the prince before he knew who she really was, yet at the same time wishing that prince would follow her and find out who she was and still love her.

But the prince couldn’t follow her. He doubled up with pain the moment he stepped out into the moonlight. Moments later a bloodcurdling howl echoed across the kingdom. That was the last anyone ever saw or heard of the prince. Soon the word spread that the prince was sick. Some said love sick while others mentioned some sort of curse. But only the Queen knew the truth.

When the prince was born he was taken away by a leprechaun named Rumpeltstiltskin. He had lost a game to the queen and had to return the prince, but in his final moments he had placed a curse on the prince. The prince was to turn into a werewolf on the night of his 18th birthday. It was a fairy godmother, the same one who helped Cinderella, who told the queen of the only way to end the curse. If somehow the Prince could find his true love and kiss her on his 18th birthday, the curse would be broken. That was the reason queen had announced a dance ball and invited all the maidens across all the lands.

"Don't lose heart, for there is where love resides. And as long as there is love, there is hope."

The late king's words echoed in her head as the queen cast her eyes on her sleeping son. He was werewolf but his heart was... "Yes, hope is not lost, not yet."

The queen promised great wealth and riches to anyone willing to marry the Prince but the few who dared to come forward only managed to scream and bolt in fear at the sight of the "The Beast". None of them loved him. Queen had given up all hope when "she" came.

Cinderella didn't scream or run but started to cry. The Prince didn't gnarl or roar but let out a sigh and his paw wiped the tears off her face. Then something magical happened. The palm opened up, the hair receded. They kissed. The back straightened, the prince stood erect again and… the curse refused to recede further.

That night Cinderella married her “Beast” prince who grew more charming as their love grew. First three years of their marriage inspired many ballads and tales, "Beauty And The Beast" being most popular though inaccurate. Finally, the curse was fully broken on prince's 21st birthday and they both lived happily ever after.

The End