Though she had not started out disliking Isabella, she quickly saw in the girl things her own daughters did not poses. Among those things were grace, patience, kindness, and true elegance. So to not have her daughters out-shined, she made Isabella a servant in the house she had always known. Lady Tremaine was not entirely cruel. She let Isabella keep a few of her toys, some of her parents things, and two good dresses to keep up appearances when people needed to see her, the "other daughter".
Several years passed. Lady Tremaine and her daughters flourished while Isabella was kept in the shadows; serving them, doing house work, and anything else Lady Tremaine demanded. She came to be called and known as Cinderella because more often than not she would fall asleep, exhausted, in front of the fireplace in the kitchen after her long day of work. Cinders and ash smudged and coated her face, hair, gown, and hands.
Lady Tremaine was growing tired of the constant requests to see Cinderella out in society with her and her daughters. When by chance she remembered that she had heard that there was need for servants in a castle far away but not too far, that belonged to her second husbands old friend. So her plan was quickly hatched. She threw a party for Cinderella, whom she claimed was called away to be a companion to a friend of the family. The people, suspecting nothing but finally glad that the girl would be away from Tremaine, were pleased and wished her well. Once the party was over and society placated. Lady Tremaine packed Cinderella up and sent her off to an unknown castle and an unknown fate, to be servant to who knows whom. But Lady Tremaine did not care as long as the girl was out of her hair.
The journey took three days, only stopping twice a day to let the horses rest and be watered. Nights they rested also but resumed their course at the break of day. Cinderella was left at the gate of a grand castle not knowing what waited for her on the other side.
Almost Kiss
