“That’s it!” Ella jumped out of her chair. “I’m out of here! I’ve got chores to do anyway!” Lon whistled to the tune of wedding bells as Ella stormed out of the house, hopping in her car and not bothering to buckle until she’d already driven down the road a little. Her cheeks burned as she drove home, shaking Lon and Isabella’s commentary out of her head. “Oh, Ella, did you hear?” Charlotte asked excitedly as soon as Ella entered the Tremaine house. “There’s going to be a ball in just a few months! The king is throwing it to find a wife for his son, Prince David.” “Why would she care?” Lacey sneered. “It’s not like the prince would ever give Mary-Beth a second look. Look at her!” Anastasia laughed and flipped her overly-processed, thin hair over one shoulder. “Like anyone would want her, in her raggedy clothes, with her bad attitude. Well, maybe that baseball kid she always hangs out with, but no one else.” The truth was, Ella was worried Anastasia and Lacey might be right. She hadn’t exactly had much luck with men, likely due to her aggressive attitude. “And you,” Anastasia addressed Charlotte,” are much too young for the prince.” “Well, does the prince have a younger brother?” Charlotte asked hopefully. “Or a cousin, or something?” “I believe he does have a younger brother,” Lacey answered. “Now, the ball is only a few months away, so let’s all be sure to diet and find the most beautiful gowns in the meantime…” Ella turned to exit the room and begin her chores while her step-family was distracted. After cleaning the bathroom and preparing dinner, Ella tiredly made her way to her room, where she sat down on her bed and released one of the mice into her hand. Ella watched as she walked around the bed, and made sure she didn’t fall off the edge. It didn’t take long for Ella to become too tired to stay awake any longer, so she put the mouse away, showered and brushed her teeth, and laid down in bed, Lucifer curling up beside her, his tail wagging mischievously, even as he fell asleep. Ella couldn’t help but notice, in the last moments before she fell asleep, that she was thinking about Dave. She shook her head, clearing out her thoughts. Lacey Tremaine was an observant woman. She had noticed Ella’s change of attitude upon entering the house. She had taken note of the slight blush on Ella’s cheeks, and so had made sure to remind her that she had absolutely no opportunity to date the prince. She didn’t even want Ella to attend the ball that would be held in a few months to try to find the prince a woman to marry. Lacey knew Ella was naturally more beautiful than either of her own daughters; for this reason she had always withheld money from Ella that she might use to purchase nicer clothes, or makeup, always making sure she could only afford the basic necessities and purchasing for her loose-fitting clothing that did nothing to highlight her figure. Like her mother, Ella was attractive, with an hourglass figure and pretty face. Lacey’s eldest daughter Anastasia could not compete, not even with designer clothes, makeup and bleached hair. Charlotte was somewhat better-looking than Anastasia, although a little overweight, and more fashionable as well, but she was much too young to date the prince. Although the odds of any of the three girls meeting and dating the prince were astronomically low, Lacey was convinced the odds were considerably higher than they realistically could be. She had convinced herself, as soon as she heard news of the upcoming ball, that Anastasia would be the one to meet and marry the prince, and she would do everything in her power to keep her late husband’s daughter far away from him.