My father and I were both dressed and ready for the ball to begin, the sun just starting to kiss the horizon as we took our seats on our thrones. I crossed my legs to keep them from bouncing restlessly. I wasn’t afraid of dancing and mingling with the women and I wasn’t afraid of marriage, but the idea of a decision that’d change the rest of my life needed to be made in such a short time filled my stomach with a strange nervousness. 

I watched the many servants running about, waiters loading food and drinks onto their trays and tables filled with even more of the same. Then, the guards raised the castle's gate and the first carriages began rolling onto the cobblestone road. I tapped on the arm of my seat as the seconds ticked by, everyone seemingly holding their breath for the first arrival of the night.

As a beautiful young woman with hair like gold stepped in accompanied by her father, the band struck a soft chord and women poured into the ballroom like a multicolored ocean wave. 

My father rose from his seat. Gathering the attention of every jewel dipped woman and silk clad man. 

“I welcome you all to the first ball of three in Prince Henry’s honor.” He called over the crowd. “Please, eat, drink, and dance to your heart’s content.” The speech was short and sweet, sending the room into a polite round of applause as the king took his seat once more. 

The night was long, faces of women blurring together until they all had the same awed look of appreciation and lusty smile. It felt like I never stopped moving, the bodies pressing against me one after the other. Pleasantries were exchanged while their sweat slicked palms gripped mine, lies flowing freely from their lips to win favor over the last girl I shared a dance with. 

Until I saw her. 

She was not more beautiful than the rest, nor was her dark gown the finest I’d seen, but the shy smile and twinkle in her eye captivated me all the same. Her soft footsteps seemed loud to me as she entered ballroom. With a swiftly beating heart, I watched her long legs move beneath a bronze dress fluttering about her ankles. I could not stop my eyes from following her path down the stairs and into the dancing couples, not even to try and be polite to the young lady on my arm I’d already forgotten the name of.

When she looked at me, it was like the party disappeared. She glided forwards and I could do little to stop myself from moving to meet her in the center of the dance floor. She seemed to tower over me as she bowed in greeting. Without a word, I took her hand and pressed my lips to it. I noticed they were the same size as my own.

She moved wonderfully into each movement, her eyes dark beneath the fringe of her hair that curled around her swan neck. It was impossible to think outside of that moment, when she smiled down at me with rose lips and the fabric of her gown swirling around us. I only found my voice when another dancer would come along with a bow and sickly sweet smile. 

“I am dancing with this lady.” I’d say and she’d go simpering off. There was no one else worth pretending to be interested in, not when the woman before me commanded my whole attention without saying a word. 

But, as the bell chimed midnight and we’d already shared many songs together, the beauty I held close startled in surprise. 

“I must go.” She murmured, voice breathy with panic. I stared at her as she broke away from our embrace, lifting her skirts off the floor and hurrying towards the exit. The crowds parted as she left, staring in surprise or thinly veiled jealousy at the lady who’d managed to catch the prince’s eye. 

“What?” I mumbled, feet stuck in place. “I…Wait!” I chased after her, too slow to stop her from leaving through the front doors. I cared not for anything around me, not when I didn't know if she planned on returning the next night. I jogged up the stairs and burst into the chilly night just in time to see a golden carriage shooting off into the dark. 

She was gone. 

Disappointment filled my being as I turned back towards the glowing steps of the palace, staring down at the hands that’d held an angel. 

Father was understandably upset at my sudden departure and I received a firm talking to once I’d returned, but I grit my teeth through it. I felt it was worth it.

Yet to my great surprise, that next night she returned. I was immediately on my feet and by her side, bowing and taking her hand into mine. It was like returning home, as she breathed a laugh at my eagerness. I easily smiled back, feeling like it was impossible to do otherwise. 

I noticed her gown was a sparkling silver that rustled along the polished ground. I was mesmerized as she spun to the beat, her tawny eyes never leaving mine. 

“I must know your name.” I murmured. I wanted to know everything about her, pull her close and never let her go. Would it be so bad? It was scandalous enough that I refused to exchange dance partners. Would it be worth my father’s fury to press my lips softly to hers? 

“My name,” Her voice was low, nearly inaudible over the music filling the hall. “Is Ashputtle.” 

“What a strange name.” I blurted absentmindedly. My face heated as I realized how rude that must have sounded. “It’s beautiful though. It...it suits you.” I managed through my embarrassment. Ashputtle’s eyes were so warm I knew she took no offense. 

As the clock sang out at midnight, she pulled from my grasp with a hasty apology and dashed away. Once again I ran after her tumbling figure, moonlight bouncing off Ashputtle’s dress when she turned and disappeared into the garden. My boots slipped against the stone beneath me and I lost precious seconds as I struggled back to my feet. By the time I was back on her trail, she’d already got to her carriage.

I watched it zip away almost impossibly fast, panting hard. I hoped she’d return for the final ball. Then, would take her hand and bring her to my father to announce that I’d marry none other than Ashputtle.

 I suddenly pondered if she’d flee again before the time came to announce my choosing. I cooked up a plan, ordering the guards to pour pitch across the steps tomorrow night after her arrival. If she ran, I’d ensnare her in my trap. 

She returned in a gold gown. We danced.

At exactly midnight, she pulled away from me and whispered a soft goodbye with a sad smile. Adrenaline swept through me as I chased after her, candlelight turning her whole body gold.

 I caught up with Ashputtle to see her tugging fruitlessly at her ankles, having fallen right into my trap. I began to descend towards her, ready to demand answers to why she always ran and then beg for her hand in marriage. 

Chest heaving and eyes wide with desperation, she glanced over my way and yanked hard twice before she popped free and sprinted away faster than I’d ever seen a lady run. I cried out in dismay, stopping before I ended up sticking myself into the tar. I had been so sure it would work! 

All was not lost, for I looked down and beheld a glittering shoe laying forgotten in the black goo. I stooped down and pulled the delicate slipper free to inspect it. It matched the color of the dress she’d been wearing and it looked gorgeous in the light of the full moon. 

I gazed at the shoe belonging to the most incredible person I’d ever met and noticed the slipper was a highly unusual size, a size bigger than my own! I bit my lip in thought.

Despite how crazy it may seem, I found myself begging my father to let me search the land for the mystery girl. I presented the slipper and said that whoever could fit such a strange shoe surely must be her, the woman I declared to marry. 

“There is no way you will ever find her with just a shoe! No, you will choose another for your wife.” He said, dropping Ashputtle’s slipper dismissively into the hands of his second in command. I quickly recovered it. 

“Father, please!” I cried. “You must understand, there is no one else like her. I refuse to marry another when there’s a possibility I can find her.” My father seemed like he would refuse for one horrible second, before he let out a long sigh. 

“Will she make you happy?” He asked. I blinked in surprise.

“Yes. She will.” I replied in nearly a whisper. He nodded once. I thanked him and departed with haste, determined to not waste another second. 

“Spread the word,” I told all the squires and messengers I could find. “Tell every man, woman, and child that whosoever can fit this shoe will marry the prince.” 

It wasn’t long before the gossip spread along with my declaration, that I was a fool or that the I'd finally lost it. It mattered not, I would not let anything stop me. 

I watched a hundred girls line up to try it on, each one hoping their foot would land them a life as a princess. Alas, none were the right size for the large slipper. It gleamed innocently after each dejected girl tore it off in defeat, refusing to fit even the most likely of candidate.

 I found myself growing more and more desperate as the day wore on, it truly seemed not a single person in the kingdom was a match. Maybe my mystery girl had truly been a dream.

They arrived at the home of a widowed aristocrat, the very last house in the kingdom they hadn’t visited. She lived in a mansion with her two daughters at the edge of the woods, they were my last chance. 

I let my father’s attendant ring the bell and present the magical item, staying behind as exhaustion filled my entire body. I could see the daughters scrambling towards their mother as she let the attendant in. I knew then there was no hope, I recognized their pretty faces and ugly souls as they fought over who would shove the slipper on their foot first. They had been dreadful to dance with at the ball, both terribly dull and full of useless chatter. Neither of them were the tall beauty I met. 

Yet I still felt my spirits sink as the Duke returned with a somber expression and the shoe still in his grasp. I sighed, reaching out to take it in my hands. I guess I would never find her, the only proof Ashputtle existed resting in my palms. It was time to return to the castle and admit defeat to my father.

“I am sorry, sire,” The Duke murmured. “But perhaps it is for the best-“ He cut himself off. Something sweet filled our ears, the entire company freezing as a lovely voice crooned from inside the house. The gentle melody drifted towards them as the widow hastily began to close the door. 

“Wait,” I commanded her. “Who is that singing?” She laughed as she waved off my question, eyes darting about nervously despite the bright smile she kept on her face. 

“No one, my lord. A simple servant in the kitchens, so sorry for the disturbance.” I could tell she did not wish for me to know who was singing. The music was so enchanting I felt I would not be able to leave without meeting the singer. 

“It’s no bother. I’d like to see who it is, if you don’t mind.” She floundered for a moment before bowing and letting us inside with a resigned, “Yes, your highness.” 

Eager and hopeful, I rushed through the halls and down into the servant’s kitchen. I somehow knew that I was about to find who I was searching for. My men were hot in my heels as we thundered down the wooden steps.

I came to a stop in front of an old door with a rusty handle, breathing heavily. The voice was just behind the door. I reached out and pulled it open harsher than necessary  

A startled shout cut off the singing and there was a clang of a dropped a dish. I watched a tall figure fall to the floor and duck behind a counter, leaving behind a sink full of dishes and sudsy water. A hesitant dirty face peered out from behind dirty bangs. I recognized her immediately, even covered in soot and muck as it was. 

“Excuse me, my lady, I am Prince Henry. I am in search of a certain woman who fits this slipper right here. Would you be so kind as to put it on?” We were all holding our breath as she slowly rose from her hiding spot. 

“I'm so sorry, you have the wrong person, my lord.” A deep voice murmured from them. Understanding swept through the group as we all beheld a male servant awkwardly hunching in on himself. I blinked several times to make sure I was not seeing things, but it was true that they were a man. 

A lot of things were swiftly starting to make sense. 

“Were you not the one singing?” I was grateful the Duke spoke when I failed to. He shrugged his large shoulders, but I knew he was. Before I could do any more thinking, I strode forwards and fell to one knee before him. I suddenly felt the same burning behind my bosom I’d been feeling since Ashputtle had run the first night, this man was still her. 

“Please,” I gazed up at his face, straining to see him clearly beneath the grime. “Allow me.” I watched his adam's apple bob as he offered his ankle, raising it from his worn down work shoes and towards the fanciful slipper. 

It was a perfect fit. 

I knew it was him the moment I looked up at honey eyes filled with tears. My breath was taken away as he smiled that smile I’d been seeing in my dreams down at me. He was the most beautiful person I’d ever seen. 

Clearing my throat, I stood and took his hand in mine. They were warm, the same size as my own, and so achingly familiar. He seemed so hesitant and nervous I had to swoop down to kiss calloused palms. It was deathly silent in the kitchen save for the soft hitch in his throat. 

“Accompany me back to the castle,” I pleaded. “Meet my father and allow me to marry you.” I stared earnestly up at him, not backing down even as he visibly reeled from my request. 

“Marriage…” He said weakly. “Might be a bit fast.” I laughed and tugged him close to finally encircle him in my arms like I’d been desiring for days. I didn’t care he wasn’t clean or that he wasn’t the woman I thought he was. All that mattered was he felt the same pressed against me and his voice was just as beautiful as I remembered. 

“Then let me court you, let me show you I mean it. I have never wished to marry anyone else in my entire life, you are the one I desire to wed.” He wiped away a tear with a trembling hand. 

“Yes,” he whispered, fingers clutching mine. “Yes...please take me from here.” Then he bowed his head to kiss my cheek and my stomach exploded into butterflies. 

I barely heard the applause from our audience, not when he was looking at me like that. I steered us both out of there, past the sisters crying into each other’s shoulders and the lady of the house glaring daggers at her former servant. I ignored them all. 

With a light touch, I lifted him by the waist before swinging myself onto the saddle. Willowy arms wrapped around my chest, pressing against my back as he leaned in close. I couldn’t help tilting my head towards his, pushing closer and closer like I wished to burrow into his very soul. 

“My name is Abram.” He whispered, one of his large hands spreading over my rapidly beating heart. I swallowed, my mouth suddenly feeling very dry.

“Abram...” I breathed. “Please marry me.” 

His laughter echoed in my ears as we took off in a gallop to the castle, never once releasing me from his arms.