Ella stared at Jacquelyn, "I beg your pardon?" she said.

"You heard me, I'm your new witch. I will do whatever it is you need." Jacquelyn said with a grin.

"You- you're a witch!?" Ella said taking a step back. "My mother said to associate with witches. She said they'll curse me!"

"Hunny, you're already cursed. I'm here to help with that." of course, Jacquelyn meant it metaphorically, but it seemed as if Ella didn't realize that.

"How!? When!? I don't remember getting cursed! It must have been while I was asleep. What kind of curse is it? I don't think I have any strange ailments or great misfortune." Ella said in a panic. "It must be subtle, maybe premature grey hairs! Or- or possibly a slow killing disease!" her focus fell on Jacquelyn. "Can you lift it? You said you would help, so you have to!" 

"Whoa, whoa! Slow down, Ella!" Jacquelyn said struggling to take in all that Ella had just said. "You're not cursed. It was just a figure of speech."

Ella froze, "What?"

"You are not actually cursed. Not literally. Calling a person with an unfortunate life 'cursed' is a witch idiom." Jacquelyn said slowly with a small smile. "I'm sorry I mislead you. Please forgive me." Ella nodded hesitantly; her brows furrowed. She placed her hands on Jacquelyn's shoulders and studied her face.

"Definitely a witch." Ella muttered. The witch flinched but continued to smile politely. "Why exactly do I need a witch servant?" Ella asked, raising her eyebrow.

Jacquelyn froze, she hadn't thought of that. Why would Ella need a magical assistant? "You never know what could happen...?" she suggested.

Ella sighed, "good enough reason as any." suddenly her face lit up. "What kind of spells can you do?" she asked eagerly.

Grinning, Jacquelyn answered. "Nearly anything."

Eyes widening and smile growing, Ella asked "can you make cake?" Jacquelyn was taken aback from that question because she had expected something along the lines of riches or power, but here this girl was asking for cake. Jacquelyn nodded, affirming that she could indeed make cake with her magic. "That's amazing!" Ella squealed.

"Would you like some?" Jacquelyn asked. Ella nodded with a huge smile. pulling her wand from her sleeve, Jacquelyn cast a spell and a little cake appeared hovering in the air. Ella reached forward and took it from where it floated and immediately made gravity increase for the small cake.

After taking a bite, Ella's face lit up even more than before. She had a small bit of frosting on the corner of her mouth, so Jacquelyn reached forward and wiped it off, much to the surprise and embarrassment of the girl.

Suddenly, a loud call was heard from the house beside the two girls. "Cinderella!!"

Ella's face paled and she wrapped the remaining piece of the cake in a cloth napkin and shoved it in her pocket. "I have to go! I'm so, so sorry!" she said.

"It's completely understandable. If you need me, I'll be waiting by your mother's tree." Jacquelyn said in response. 

"CINDERELLA!" the voice called again. "WHERE ARE YOU, YOU LAZY WENCH!?"

Jacquelyn glared in the direction the scream was coming from while Ella scampered into the house. That person was incredibly rude.

.

Later that night after hours of Manuel labor Ella met Jacquelyn beside her mother's tree. "I'm sorry that I had to leave earlier." she said.

"You don't need to apologize." Jacquelyn assured her.

"I'm also sorry about the language that my stepmother used." Ella said sadly. "She doesn't like me very much."

"Why is that, anyway?"

"My sexual orientation." Ella replied. 

(Before you, the reader, askes- yes. They do have sexualities and gender stuff and whatever. This is fantasy, not historical.)

"Why would she be upset about that?" the young witch asked.

"Well, she wanted me to marry a rich man and then I went and lost my virginity to a woman... and I liked it." she said the last part with a slight blush. "I'm not at all interested in being in bed with a man but it seems as if sex is all they want. My stepmother got upset with me because once word got around, no men wanted my hand."

Jacquelyn nodded. "I can't relate to all of that, but I do understand enjoying the company of a woman." she said.

Ella beamed at her and wrapped her arms around her new friend. "I'm glad that I have someone to relate to now, Jacquelyn."

"Sure."