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Once upon a time, on a faraway planet, there lived a girl. When she was a child, she got herself all covered up in ashes. One of her bright siblings had considered it a good idea to climb down a stuffed chimney, you see. As a result, she was given the nickname Asharella.
She was the youngest of three sisters, yet obviously far more mature than the other two. The eldest sister, Yutanasia, despite being a great beauty with a mane of jet-black hair, had the mentality of a child. Not to mention her refusal to speak and her inexplicable taste for raw meat. She always carried around a notepad to communicate.
The middle sister, Ranzilla, a butterface with a plait of grey hair, had a far more easy-going nature, allowing her to socialize with people, yet her dim wit rarely allowed her to achieve anything of value. Truly, Asharella was the only competent individual in the family. If not for her timely interference whenever her sisters felt like going on a shopping spree, they would have gone broke ages ago. Or so she believed.
Despite these mild annoyances, Asharella would have been able to live a fairly content and stable life, if not for one thing…
“Oh, lovely Asharella! Your eyes are colder than the frostiest ice! Your voice is chillier than a snowstorm! Your heart is harder than a diamond, your hair is...”
Not again. Asharella let out a deep sigh as she rushedly shut the living room window to silence the idiot singing in the garden outside. The resulting thud loudly echoed through-out the house.
Her suitor was at it again. The famed prince Leez, a proud lad sporting wavy green hair and a body to die for, a privileged boy who had it all. Power, money, popularity. Everything one could wish for. And yet, ever since she rescued him from a crazed chicken, he kept chasing after her with innocent perseverance. And just now he was kneeling under the window of her room, surrounded by pumpkin patches, performing what could hardly be considered a piece of music.
“Aw, why did you cut him off?” Ranzilla came out of the adjacent room while brushing her long hair.
Asharella gave her the iciest glare she was capable of.
Ranzilla didn’t let herself get intimidated and continued, “You know, you shouldn’t act so cold. You should try to look at it from his perspective.” She joined Asharella at the window and looked out at the prince kneeling outside.
Even a rock would have pitied him. His shoulders were slumped, his head lowered. Yet he seemed to be glancing at their window with a cautious expression of hope every now and then.
“Do enlighten me. What exactly is this perspective of his I should be considering? All I see is a pathetic child serenading on a doorstep,” Asharella scoffed, crossing her hands over her chest.
“Well, of course, that’s all you’d see. Geez, are all geniuses like that? I shouldn’t have to spell it out for you.” Ranzilla facepalmed.
“You waste your words on me, Ranzilla.”
“The guy admires you! He’s looked up to you ever since that mad chicken nearly pecked him to death. Would it really hurt you to be a bit nicer?” She accompanied her words with wild gesticulation, nearly poking out her eye with the brush she was holding.
“Yes,” Asharella answered with a deadpan expression. It was fully worth it to see Ranzilla’s jaw drop in shock.
Ranzilla stormed out of the room in anger. Asharella smirked as her sister departed.
She turned around, ready to distance herself from the accursed window.
Then she jumped with surprise. Yutanasia was standing right before her, an expression of sadness and disappointment on her face.
“What the? Did you hear the whole thing?” Asharella quickly regained her composure as she inquired.
Yutanasia solemnly nodded.
“I hope you’re not going to defend him as well.”
Yutanasia uncomfortably shifted her gaze to the window, then to the ground, then straight at Asharella. She then held up a notepad which stated: “You didn’t mean what you said, did you?”
“So what if I did?” Asharella shrugged.
Yutanasia turned the page of her notepad and wrote: “You should tell prince Leez that it was a misunderstanding. You need to clear things up, otherwise, everyone will get the wrong impression…” She gestured towards the window.
Asharella took another glance outside. Ranzilla was comforting the prince, putting a calming hand on his shoulder, the brush still in her hand, making the whole scene look absurd. The prince seemed to be moping pathetically.
Asharella turned back towards her eldest sister. “There’s nothing to clear up.”
Yutanasia paused. “Well, then I’ll stop interfering.” A disturbing glint shone in her eyes. Yutanasia soundlessly left the room.
Asharella could then see her joining the group outside, holding up her notepad in front of the prince. Simpletons tend to stick together , she thought.
“Did she not like my song? I didn’t even get to tell her what her hair looks like…” Prince Leez was saying regretfully, eyes turned towards the ground.
“Nah, it was real cool,” Ranzilla made a halfhearted attempt to comfort the prince. “By the way, what does her hair look like?”
“The clear winter sky!” Prince Leez exclaimed enthusiastically, his eyes lightening up all of a sudden. He started rambling so quickly, you could barely understand what he was saying: “You know, like when you know it’s supposed to be blue, but it’s so light you can barely tell. And it’s all chilly and frosty outside…”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it.” Ranzilla stopped Leez tactfully with a hand raised. “But prince Leez, I hope it’s not too bold of me to say this, but if she stays this unreceptive towards your efforts, wouldn’t it be best to give up?”
The expression in the prince’s face was one of utter disbelief. “How can you say that? Asharella… she’s special to me. I can never leave her…”
“But…” Ranzilla tried to continue, confused.
Prince Leez was starting to look desperate.
“Don’t talk her out of it, Ranzilla. I’m sure we can get Asharella to look back at Leez!” Yutanasia had joined the group. She was holding up her notepad before the two others with a wide smile on her face.
Leez cheered up immediately and smiled in turn. “Yes! I believe that. I have to believe that.”
“That’s all nice, but how exactly are we supposed to do that?” Ranzilla remained skeptical.
“We shall create the perfect setting for Leez to ask for Asharella’s hand.” Yutanasia wrote.
“Waah?” Ranzilla seemed shocked. “How?”
“Would she really accept, though?” Leez worried.
“Of course, she will. You have to believe in yourself more, prince Leez.” Yutanasia finished. “Now, let’s do this…”
“Girls… y’know what? Let’s go out today!” Not long after prince Leez finally stopped loitering under the window and the two sisters returned into the house, Ranzilla came up with this bothersome suggestion.
Yutanasia nodded enthusiastically.
Asharella hesitated. Letting her sisters go on their own would be a deathly blow to their savings. But…
“If you’re worried that prince Leez might be waiting outside, there’s no need,” Ranzilla stated as if guessing her thoughts.
“Tsk. Why would I be worried about that? That guy means nothing to me,” Asharella snarled, clearly offended.
Yutanasia’s eyes widened.
“Is that so?” Ranzilla teased, not getting the hint. “Then there’s no reason not to go, right?”
Asharella measured her with cold eyes.
“If that will shut you up, I guess I have no choice,” she finally resigned.
The sisters cheered.
The trio headed out to the market in the town square. The area was filled with people, gossiping, mingling and trudging about. All of them so tiresomely loud. Shopping stalls featuring various merchandise were spread out all over the place, bright banners propagating the nature of their assortment raised upon the stalls.
Yutanasia and Ranzilla were gawking in awe, skipping from stall to stall, both of them filled with excitement.
“Oh, look!” Ranzilla stopped by a stall with jewelry and accessories. She started picking up rings of various shapes.
“What are you stalling for?” Asharella was in no mood to wait while Ranzilla sifted through trinkets they could not afford. She turned away from the stall and took a step along the path.
“Ah, I just realized you seriously need a new ring,” Ranzilla put an arm around Asharella’s shoulders and turned her back towards the market stall.
“What? Why would I need some useless trinket?” Asharella growled and shook off Ranzilla’s arm.
“Don’t say that. Every girl needs to look pretty sometimes,” Ranzilla smiled innocently.
The merchant seemed to have overheard their conversation. He addressed the girls with an excited glint in his eyes: “Ah, the young ladies happen to be in need of some jewelry! Well, you’ve come to the right place. Take a look at this exquisite diamond ring.” The merchant held out the ring towards Asharella.
“No, we…” Asharella started but was abruptly cut off by Ranzilla.
“Oh wow, that’s a lovely piece. What do you think, Asharella?” Ranzilla completely ignored Asharella’s blatant discomfort.
The gears in Asharella’s head were turning. Why is Ranzilla doing this? What could she be plotting? Yet no answer came to mind.
Ranzilla nudged her with an elbow. “Well, what do you say?” Ranzilla’s eyes glistened as she took the ring into her hands and turned it around in the light. It shone magically.
Asharella gawked at the price tag. When she took in the insane amount, she snagged the ring out of her sister’s hands and returned it to the merchant. “No, thank you. Another time, perhaps.”
“Aw, why?” Ranzilla complained, a dejected expression on her face, clearly determined to continue.
As if she would ever need it, the fickle good-for-nothing freeloader.
“I don’t have time for this nonsense.” Asharella quickly looked around, searching for an excuse that would allow her to escape this situation. Then she noticed it. Salvation and damnation at the same time. “Ranzilla, when did you last see Yutanasia?”
“Huh?” Ranzilla confusedly started to spin her head left and right.
Indeed, Yutanasia was nowhere to be seen.
Asharella sighed. Gluttonous fool.
Then to Ranzilla: “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll find her.” She then quickly made her way through the crowd. She had a good guess as to where Yutanasia may have gone.
“Well, that didn’t go so well, did it?” prince Leez came out from behind a corner, where he was hiding. He had been following the girls all the way from their house.
“Don’t worry about it. She always acts like that.” Ranzilla waved her hand dismissively. “Merchant, I’ll be buying this one.” Ranzilla pointed to the diamond ring that she had been examining just a little while ago.
She then handed the ring over to prince Leez. “Here you go.”
“Ranzilla, you didn’t have to...” Leez’s eyes went wide.
“It’s no problem for me.” Ranzilla smiled. “Now go after Asharella quickly, before you lose her!”
Leez nodded and headed off.
Several times along the way, Asharella felt as if someone was following her. She would always stop and turn around, and oddly enough, items would fall. The lid of a barrel, a stack of boxes. Whenever she made an unexpected movement, she could hear highly suspicious sounds. Yet, she never spotted anyone who would stand out.
How disturbing.
After passing around a stall with glass and porcelain, Asharella finally arrived at her destination. The butcher’s shop. And sure enough, her sister was there, drooling over a counter with raw meat. The owner looked somewhat distressed and didn’t seem to know how to deal with the woman.
Seriously? One loses herself at a stall full of useless trinkets, the other terrorizes a butcher… Why am I the one to deal with this?
“I apologize. My sister is slightly…” Asharella waved her finger next to her head in a universal gesture implying her sister had a screw loose. The shopkeeper nodded with sympathy.
She grabbed Yutanasia by the wrist and started dragging her away.
Suddenly, Asharella heard the sound of shattering glass. A considerable amount of it at that. She released her sister and took a look in the direction of the noise.
Sure enough, prince Leez was sitting among a pile of what was once exquisite glass and porcelain, blood dripping from the various cuts he acquired. He had clearly knocked down the whole stall, behind which he must have been hiding. The owner of the stall stood stock still, apparently having trouble taking in the situation.
How dare he!
“Prince Leez, were you stalking me?” Asharella asked coldly. If looks could kill, hers would have done it.
“Ah, I… I…” the prince started blabbering, all flustered.
Yutanasia hesitantly stretched out her hand towards him, only to let it fall loose next to her body again when Asharella spared her a murderous glare. She then at least attempted to approach the merchant, who seemed to be awakening from the shock and starting to redden with anger. Out of the corner of her eye, Asharella could see Yutanasia giving the merchant a stack of money as an apology.
“No excuses. I think the situation is quite obvious,” Asharella stated in a no-nonsense manner.
“No, that’s not true… Asharella, I…,” Leez attempted to defend himself.
“What do you mean it’s not true. Don’t argue like a little kid, admit it,” Asharella was swiftly running out of patience.
Leez looked down to the ground with an expression full of dismay.
For a second, Asharella felt a sliver of triumph. A smile started to find its way onto her face at the humiliation of her opponent, when…
“Asharella, you’re being too harsh!” a familiar voice spoke up. Ranzilla was trying to help prince Leez stand up. “Just look how he’s bleeding. Any decent person would first ask if he’s alright.”
Bothersome pest! Just who does she think she is? When Asharella opened her mouth to speak up her mind, she got interrupted.
“No, it’s fine,” prince Leez reassuringly smiled at Ranzilla. “Asharella is right. Everything was my fault. This is just the kind of person I am.”
Ranzilla seemed baffled. Yutanasia stood by, unsure of what to do with herself. Well, at least he knows. Asharella allowed herself a smug smirk.
“I… I’ll get going now…” the prince picked himself up from the ground, and slowly started limping away, all slumped, bloodied and beaten down.
Asharella wasn’t allowed to enjoy her victory for long.
“Hey, Asharella. What was up with that? Why do you treat him like a dog? He deserves better!” Ranzilla started arguing.
“You think so? You think you have any right for an opinion? You, who were supposed to be waiting at the accessories stall, you, who nearly threw out half of our savings for a trinket!” Asharella raged, fists clenched so tightly she was drawing blood with her nails.
Yutanasia held up her notebook to write something, but Asharella didn’t let her finish and turned her focus to her. “And you! Running away to buy out a butcher’s shop! Throwing out money to pay a mere merchant for damage that that foolish fraud of a prince caused! Neither of you has the right to criticize me.” Asharella finished in a tone that allowed no further discussion.
Ranzilla opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by Yutanasia, who lifted her notepad towards her. Asharella couldn’t see what was stated.
Upon reading it, Ranzilla bit down her lip in frustration but stayed quiet for once.
When Asharella reached the conclusion that she had finally, finally, managed to silence them, she loosened her fists and proposed: “Let’s go get something to eat.”
Ranzilla nodded, perhaps relieved somehow.
Yutanasia then scribbled something into her notepad and lifted it up towards Asharella. “Tell me where you’re going. I’ll meet up with you later.”
Asharella was too exasperated to further argue. Yutanasia ran off into the distance.
“Are you okay, Leez?” Yutanasia lifted her notepad before the prince. As expected, the prince hadn’t run far. He was sitting on the ground just a street away from the ceramics stall, hugging his knees, on the verge of tears.
When he noticed Yutanasia, he quickly wiped his eyes and stood up. “Of course I’m fine. This is nothing. Something like this can’t stop me.” He did his best to smile. But it was a forced smile, one that didn’t reach the eyes.
“Now let’s get you fixed up.” Yutanasia put down her notepad and took out a bundle of bandages. She then patiently patched up each of the cuts and bruises that Leez acquired from the glass incident earlier.
Leez was only sniffling now. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done without the two of you.”
Yutanasia smiled.
“But what do I do now? There’s no way I can catch up to Asharella.”
Yutanasia finished wrapping a bandage and picked up her notepad again. “I will tell you where to go. Be confident.”
Asharella and Ranzilla got themselves seated in a comfortable restaurant. Asharella ordered a healthy vegetarian meal for each of them, even Yutanasia, who had not yet arrived.
While they waited for the food, the table was steeped in silence. Ranzilla seemed to be purposefully avoiding Asharella’s gaze. This arrangement fully suited Asharella.
Even after the meal arrived, neither spoke. Where is that idiot? Asharella wondered, slightly bothered by Yutanasia’s absence.
Finally, Yutanasia arrived to break the silence. She took a seat, then grimaced when she took in all the green substances on her plate. Asharella smirked.
Without touching her meal, Yutanasia held up her notepad. “You’ve made prince Leez really sad. He likes you so much he’s even willing to overlook your atrocious personality.”
“This again?” Asharella displayed her annoyance. I thought we had settled this already.
“Yeah, he’s a really cool guy! Why do you keep trying to drive him away?” Ranzilla chimed in.
“You should give him a chance, at least,” Yutanasia continued.
“I’ve heard enough of that already,” Asharella stopped them in an icy tone. “Lay it a rest, unless you want to…”
Wait, this is odd.
“Yutanasia, where were you?” she inquired as an unpleasant suspicion started crawling up on her.
Yutanasia shrugged her shoulders and smiled complacently. Ranzilla spread out her arms as if saying “what can you do.”
It was as if they were waiting for something.
She recalled how Ranzilla had insisted on buying a ring. She thought back to how Yutanasia had gone right after prince Leez left, and after learning the location of the restaurant. Thinking farther back, she recalled her two sisters plotting something with the prince right there under her window...
No, it can’t be…
Suddenly, music started playing. All the restaurant guests fell silent. The door to the restaurant opened… and prince Leez, elegant despite being covered in bandages, entered.
Asharella’s eyes widened in shock. She quickly peeked at her sisters. Neither showed a glimpse of surprise. So that’s how it was. Bothersome pests!
The prince graciously approached their table and kneeled down before Asharella. The room gasped.
“Back when that crazed chicken escaped from the coop, I… I thought I was staring death in the face. That bloodshot gaze will never stop haunting me. But you, Asharella, you saved me. You were my rescuer, standing up to that pecking monster and chasing it away. It was then that I realized I cannot live my life without you.”
Asharella pulled back reproachfully, an expression of pure disgust on her face.
Prince Leez pulled out something from his front pocket and held it out towards her. “This is a diamond ring, embedded with the mineral that is as hard as your heart. I ask you now, will you marry me?” He looked up at her with anticipation.
“Hell no!” Asharella jumped up from her place. “Get out of here, you piece of filth!” She slapped the hand in which he was holding the ring, the very same that Asharella had seen at the merchant’s stall earlier. He let go of the jewel which then fell to the ground with a clank and stopped only after tumbling for a short distance.
Prince Leez seemed so stunned he couldn’t make a single sound.
Asharella continued, voice raised, fists clenched: “Had I known what would come of it, I would have left you to die! I never should have helped you in the first place.”
Tears started to well up in the prince’s eyes.
“Asharella, why are you doing this? There is no need to go so far,” Ranzilla vocally insisted.
“Tell Leez it was a misunderstanding. You’re not going to leave it like this, are you? You can’t…” Yutanasia hurriedly scribbled in her notepad, a worried expression on her face.
“Why? Why do you always take his side! Why is it always him!” Asharella let out a scream. A scream so chilly it made the blood in everyone’s veins freeze for a second. She grabbed her head in her hands and ran out of the establishment. She could hear voices calling after her. She didn’t care.
“Prince Leez, are you okay?” Ranzilla tried to help the prince get up. The prince was doing his best not to fall into tears. “I’m sorry things turned out this way. Maybe it’s a sign that you should finally let go of Asharella....”
Leez looked at him accusingly. Ranzilla shut up.
“Leez, why do you even follow her? She’s only ever mean to you!” Yutanasia scribbled into her notepad.
“Not you too! I thought you understood, I thought you…” Leez’s voice broke.
Yutanasia looked down regretfully.
“I can’t leave Asharella. I can’t let her go.” The prince’s voice suddenly became resolute as he reached a decision. He stood up, fists clenched. He stopped by to pick up the ring he had dropped. He examined it for a while, turning it around in the light. “I will believe in her until the end. That’s what I promised to myself.”
Leez left for the door, his step full of determination.
“No, Leez you shouldn’t...” Ranzilla made a gesture to stop the prince, but Yutanasia took her by the shoulder and shook her head.
“Let Leez go,” she held up the notebook with one hand.
“Why? Asharella is only even going to hurt her!” Ranzilla cried.
“If this is the only thing that can make Leez happy, then it is worth it.” Yutanasia smiled.
By then Leez had already run out of the restaurant.
I have had just about enough! Asharella ran without pause. Through the city, through the market, around stalls and houses. She didn’t stop until she found herself in the garden near her house. She wore an expression full of desperation. Please help me. Anyone! I can’t take it anymore. This is so unfair.
“What is it that you desire and what can you give me in return?”
Asharella jumped at the sudden voice behind her. She quickly turned around to face the speaker. It was a thin man with blond hair falling into his face, making it hard to discern his eyes of undeterminable color. The man harbored an enigmatic smile on his face.
“You… you are…” Asharella’s mind raced as she tried to collect her thoughts.
“Surely you’ve figured out who I am by now.” The man looked at her with expectation, putting his hands in his pockets.
“You’re my Primeval God Parent!” Asharella finally let out the words, settling on an answer with absolute certainty.
“Correct! You’re as smart as I expected.” The Primeval God Parent nodded to himself. “Well then, what is your answer to my question?”
Asharella no longer hesitated. She spat out the words hurriedly as if afraid the opportunity would pass if she were to linger. “I want to run away. I want to get as far away from prince Leez as possible. I am willing to give anything to achieve this!”
“Anything? You should not say such things so lightly,” The Primeval God Parent seemed amused.
When he saw the determined expression on her face, he continued with a grim voice, “Then I will take something of equal value to your wish. You will never be able to find yourself a true love.”
“That sounds aweso…,” she quickly cut herself off and made it a point to adopt a solemn expression, “I mean, it is a considerable sacrifice, but I am willing to make it for the sake of my dream.”
She felt uncomfortable under the Primeval God Parent’s scrutinizing gaze, yet she stood her ground.
“Very well,” the God Parent turned around as if searching for something. “First of all, you’ll need a vehicle.”
He laid his eyes upon a pumpkin growing from a patch nearby. “This will do.” He flickered his fingers and the pumpkin turned into a mechanical carriage, with a driver's seat up front, behind the steering wheel, and a comfortable passenger’s compartment behind it.
Asharella’s eyes widened in awe.
“Next… we will need a driver.” No sooner did Asharella notice a snake with a red-blue motive slithering in the grass nearby, and with a flicker of the God Parent’s fingers, the snake turned into a short girl, with a forked tongue, slitted eyes, and blue pig-tails.
“What the hell am I doing here?” the girl asked crudely, turning towards the man.
“You are helping this lady escape,” he gestured in Asharella’s direction.
“No fricking way, why should I?” the girl frowned. Asharella noticed the God Parent sigh deeply, as the girl’s attention turned towards her. Looks like he’s leaving me to hang.
Asharella gathered her composure and attempted to make a convincing statement. “We’ll be running from a prince.”
“What, why should I help you with your relationship issues?” The girl turned away with her hands crossed over her chest.
Asharella made another attempt to sound convincing. “It will be fun.”
“No kidding.” The skepticism could almost be heard dripping from her fangs.
“Well then, since the two of you are getting along so nicely, I’ll leave the rest up to you.” The Primeval God Parent stepped in with an amused smile. “And Asharella, one more thing… you’ll need these.”
He handed to her a pair of glass slippers, magically reflecting the light.
“That looks pretty uncomfortable, why do I have to wear them?”
“I am not pressuring you. I only offer choices. What you do with them is up to you.” He shrugged his shoulders.
Asharella opened her mouth to ask another question, but by then the Primeval God Parent had already disappeared.
“Huh, I guess it’s just us now.” The snakish girl said as she got herself seated in the driver’s seat. “Come on, what are you waiting for?”
Asharella took one last glance towards the house in which she had spent her whole life alongside her annoying sisters. I wonder if I will miss them.
Nah. She stopped her thoughts from trailing off as she put on the glass slippers.
“Asharella! Asharella! I’ve finally found you,” a shrill voice suddenly cried out.
Asharella immediately recognized the voice of the undeterrable prince Leez, accompanied by his heavy footsteps, as he rushed towards her.
She hesitated no longer and swiftly stepped into the carriage. “Go, go!” she yelled at the snakish girl.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” the girl replied in annoyance. She quickly started up the vehicle, which slowly, oh so slowly, started to get into motion.
“No! Asharella! What are you doing?” The Prince had almost reached the carriage by now.
“What do you think, dimwit?” Asharella laughed at him as the carriage started to gain distance.
The prince was refusing to let go, he kept chasing after the carriage, even as it was getting smaller. “Don’t go! Please! I need you.”
“Hmm, this may be a bit too easy, what do you say?” the snakish girl smiled sheepishly at Asharella and slowed down the carriage.
“Huh? What are you doing? Do you want him to catch up?” Asharella seemed panicked for a moment.
“Exactly,” the driver’s smile widened.
Leez was catching up to the carriage. An expression of hope and happiness could be seen on his face. He was within arm’s reach when… the carriage took off again.
“Ha ha ha!!!” the driver had to let go of the steering wheel as she hugged her stomach to contain her laughter.
Asharella allowed herself a cautious smile. “Let’s do it again.”
“See? Fun,” the driver said in between fits of laughter.
Once more the carriage slowed down, and Leez began to gain upon them. “Asharella, have you changed your mind? Please, tell me you did!”
“Quick, get going!” Asharella shouted as she saw the prince nearing.
The driver stepped on the brakes, but this time, she was too slow, as laughter was hindering her movements.
Just as the carriage started moving, prince Leez managed to grab onto the railings at the back of the carriage.
“Asharella! I promise I’ll do anything you ask! Just… don’t leave me!” he pleaded.
Leez started to make his way around the transport, to the door of the passenger’s seat.
Oh, no you don’t! Asharella thought to herself. She bent down and took off one of her glass slippers.
She then took aim and threw it with all her might.
Smack!
The slipper caught prince Leez right in the middle of his face. The impact forced him to let go of the carriage.
The prince tumbled to the ground, a deeply injured expression on his face.
Good riddance. Asharella turned around to gaze in front of herself and let out a sigh of relief. That should keep him away.
“Nice!” The driver praised Asharella, a toothy grin on her face. “I couldn’t have done it better.”
And so Asharella left into the distance, never to return, and never to look back. Thus she achieved her dream of living undisturbed by her annoying peers and lived happily ever after. Or so she thought.
Prince Leez picked up the glass slipper from the ground. He looked at it with mixed feelings. Was it longing? Was it desperation? Or was it… hatred? Something in his expression changed. Something inside him broke and could never be fixed.
He kept the slipper. So as to never forget.
There was now an intangible distance between himself and Yutanasia and Ranzilla. No matter how kind and thoughtful they acted, he could never bring himself to open up. He became bitter, resentful and prone to insults. And such was his rulership when he became king. Aside from banning chickens, he also prohibited Asharella from ever returning to the country. And so he lived in loneliness and unhappily ever after.
THE END.