The Other Side Of Cinderella

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl who lived with her stepmother and her two stepsisters. They were evil to her, and treated her like a slave. It hadn't always been that way, but she was an orphan, and had nowhere else to go even though she had reached adulthood a few years before. Her stepmother had said she would have to leave with only the clothes on her back if she decided to strike out on her own, even though her father had left a modest estate when he died. Every day they made her do all the work around the large house, until she went to sleep completely exhausted. What was worse, when they didn't like how she did something, they spanked her. They never seemed to like how she did anything, so she was spanked often.

She didn't let the punishments break her spirit. Somehow she was able to become stronger because of them. She saw them as something to endure, to help her be the person she needed to be. She secretly pleasured herself to thoughts of the spankings later on, in the dark, during the only time left for herself. She wished in her heart of hearts to be spanked by someone who loved her, instead of someone who only wanted to control and punish her. Every night, before she fell asleep, she wished for it.

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On the other side of the kingdom, there was much activity in the castle. The king and queen were planning a ball so that their son, the prince could decide on a bride. All of the eligible girls in the kingdom were to be there. He had seen some of them in the streets during his occasional trips to the center of the town, but he hadn't seen any possible prospects. Little did he know, that as he contemplated his future, his sister, the princess, also contemplated hers. She thrilled at the thought of the ball, all those girls in one room for her to look at and hope for. No one knew of her deepest wish, to have one of them for her very own, to love and care for. She knew that her parents wanted her married off eventually, but they had no idea that she didn't want to marry a prince. Ever since she had been small, she had only fancied the girls, and nothing had changed as she approached adulthood. There was something else too, something that hid in her soul, that she almost dared not wish for. As a child she had watched as the whipping girl was punished in her place. This did something to her insides, and she had wished she could be the one spanking the anguished girl. Not that she wanted to hurt the girl, but she wanted to feel what it was like to be the one to make the girl's bare bottom all red the way the tutor did. As she grew older, she secretly pleasured herself to thoughts of the girl's bright red bare bottom, and imagined that it was she who spanked her. She wished it would happen for real.

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"Cinderella! Come here at once! You lazy thing, you've let the fire go out again!"

Cinderella raced to her stepmother's bedchamber. She had meant to stoke the fire, but her stepsisters had needed her to do so many other chores that she hadn't had time. She knew that she would be punished now, no matter what, and that if she didn't hurry, it would only be worse for her.

The ritual was always the same. As soon as she entered the room she was to silently bend over the end of the bed. Her stepmother lifted her dress to bare her bottom, took her slipper in hand, and started spanking her. Cinderella tried to stay silent, because any sound made her stepmother even angrier, but the spanking seemed to be planned to cause the very sounds and cries that would make the spanking even worse. Her entire bottom felt on fire, and she knew that it was red very soon after the spanking started. She tried not to thrash around, but soon that was impossible, as was staying quiet. As she whimpered and then cried aloud, thrashing to avoid the blows, her stepmother spanked her even harder. There were no words said, no lecturing or scolding. Cinderella knew why she was being spanked, and wouldn't have heard any scolding over her cries. When she thought that the spanking would never end, it finally would, and she would have to compose herself immediately.

There was no time to sit and cry out her misery. She had to rebuild and light the fire, but first, her stepmother pinned the back of her dress up out of the way so that she could watch Cinderella's red bare bottom as she worked. It always embarrassed Cinderella greatly, at least while it was happening. She could feel her stepmother's eyes constantly on her bottom, wherever she moved, as she put the wood in the fireplace.

Once the fire was lit, she returned to her stepmother, to be placed over her knee for another spanking. Her dress already out of the way, she felt even more vulnerable. There was no time to prepare herself for what was to come, and the first blow of the heavy wooden hairbrush almost took her breath away. This spanking was even harder, and was almost intolerable due to the effects of the first spanking. Cinderella couldn't even pretend to be stoic. She cried and thrashed about from the first spanks of the hairbrush on her already very sore bare bottom. This time the spanking was punctuated by her stepmother's words. "You will tend to the fire every hour if that is what it takes for you to remember not to let it go out. I shouldn't have to sit in a cold room just because you are so lazy."

Cinderella knew that she was expected to respond, but couldn't find her voice. This, of course, just made the spanking last longer. She gathered up everything she had left inside her, which was fading fast, and forced herself to say the words she knew that her stepmother was waiting to hear.

"I'm sorry I was lazy, I'll remember from now on. It won't happen again."

With that, the spanking stopped and she was allowed to leave the room. She wasn't allowed to lower the back of her dress until her stepmother allowed her to, and she felt the stares from her stepsisters as she passed them in the hallway. They giggled and her face was suddenly as red as her bottom. She wished that she wouldn't react to them, but there was always a certain amount of shame involved after a spanking. They always saw her bare bottom, and it never ceased to embarrass her. As much as she kept herself from becoming despondent over her circumstances, the embarrassment was impossible to avoid. As soon as she was safe in her room she reached back to feel the damage that had been done during the spankings. Her bottom was hot, and she could tell that it would be red for quite a while. She couldn't stay hidden in her room though, as much as she would've liked to, so she set about doing the rest of her chores.

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The castle was bustling with activity. The ball was only two days away, and everyone was frantic to make it perfect. This made it very easy for the princess to remain in the background. Except for having a special dress made for the ball, she had nothing else to do but daydream, which she did constantly. She hoped to catch the eye of one of the young women who would be crowded into the ballroom, but she knew most of them would be hoping to catch the eye of the prince. She wondered if she would have the courage to approach one of them, or if she would be too afraid and miss her chance. She got butterflies in her stomach thinking about it. She had never really allowed herself to consider having what she truly wanted, because she thought it impossible most of the time. There was just that faint glimmer of hope, and she couldn't let it go.

At night her daydreams turned into actual dreams, giving her a glimpse of her desire. She saw a young woman, soft and naked on the bed, her head down so that her face was hidden by her long blond hair. She walked to the edge of the bed, and carefully pulled the woman to her, and over her lap. She started spanking her, and she watched the perfect bare bottom turn a gorgeous pink under her hand. She reached to pull back the long hair that hid the woman's face, and as she did, she saw that the woman wore a gold collar with a small lock at the side. The woman said, "Only I have the key." The princess didn't know what it meant, and she woke up, confused. She wondered if it was a sign, so she made sure to remember it.

***************************** The next day, a carriage arrived at the house where Cinderella lived. She answered the knock at the door, only to be shoved rudely away by her stepmother and stepsisters. The man at the door was dressed the way she imagined that people at the castle dressed. She hid in the hallway, listening, but at first she couldn't tell what was happening, until her stepsisters screamed in unison, "The castle, we're going to the castle! We're going to meet the prince!"

The screaming dissolved into a jumbled conversation of what they would wear to the castle. They immediately turned to Cinderella to start helping them in their preparations.

"Cinderella, we're going to the ball at the castle. The prince is looking for a bride. Since YOU aren't going, you need to help us get ready. Hurry up," they shouted as they pushed her up the stairs to their rooms.

They kept her so busy that she had no time to really think about what it meant to go to a ball at the castle. They seemed to be even more vindictive, taunting and needling her about not going to the ball with them.

"You're only a maid, the prince would never look at you. You're much too plain to go to the ball. You have nothing to wear but rags," they chanted over and over.

She tried not to let it bother her, but the chanting grated on her nerves, and she started making mistakes. This gave the sisters ample reason to spank her. The older sister bent her over, lifted her skirt, and spanked her with her hand. As soon as she was done, the younger one spun her around and put her over her knee to be spanked with the ebony hairbrush that she picked up from the dressing table. Cinderella tried to wiggle out of her grasp, and almost succeeded, but her older stepsister held her down before she could break free. With both of them holding her down there was no hope of getting away. She surrendered to the spanks that branded her hot bottom, and hoped it would end soon. It might have lasted much longer, but the sisters were too intent on continuing their quest for the perfect costume for the ball.

All three of them kept her running until the wee hours of the morning. They finally realized that if they were to look their best they would have to get some sleep, which left Cinderella alone for the first time all day. She was too tired to fall asleep, and as much as she had hated the spankings she'd received that day, she pleasured herself to the memory of them. Within minutes she was in a deep sleep.

She dreamed she was lying on a bed, naked. Her head was down, but she sensed that someone was in the room with her. She felt the other person pull her across the bed, and put her over their lap, but it wasn't in the aggressive way that she was used to. It was in a loving way, and she could tell as she was placed over their lap that it was a woman. She knew the woman was spanking her, but she didn't feel as though she was being punished. This was what she had always wished for, to be spanked in a loving way, and for a moment she thought that maybe it could really happen. Soon she felt the woman stop spanking her and reach for her hair. As her hair was pulled back from her face, she said, "Only I have the key." She had no idea what she meant, but she felt something around her neck, and wondered if it had something to do with it. She woke up confused, but she made sure that she remembered the dream because it gave her hope.

She was out of bed before the others, did her morning chores, and then woke the others. The house was in an uproar as soon as they were awake. So much to do to get ready, her name being shouted from all directions, everyone needing something all at the same time. She was dizzy from trying to do everything at once, and they all seemed to be even more annoyed with her than usual. Luckily for her, they were so busy getting ready that they didn't even have time to spank her. She hoped that they would forget about it by the next day.

Once they left for the ball, she dropped to the floor in a heap. She was so tired, but she had the images of that dream in her head. She wondered if she would ever find that woman. She had never had a definite idea of who she would fall in love with one day, so it didn't shock her that the person in the dream was a woman. The wish to find the woman grew stronger inside her.

"Oh, I so wish I could find the woman in my dream. I wish I could go to the ball, I wish I could be free from this life," she said aloud.

As she finished speaking, the house was suddenly brightly lit, as though a hundred candles had been ignited. The light was much brighter in the middle of the room, and before Cinderella could say another word, a woman appeared. She seemed to be surrounded by mist at first, which disappeared just as quickly as she had appeared.

Cinderella was so surprised that she couldn't speak at first. The woman was dressed all in white, in a flowing gown that engulfed her arms right up to her hands. It made her movements look very graceful, as if she were fluid instead of solid.

"Who are you," Cinderella finally asked.

"I heard your wish, and I'm here to help you. I knew your mother, and I promised her before she died that I would help you when the time was right," the woman said.

"But I've been so alone, didn't I need help before now?" Cinderella didn't understand why it had taken so long for this woman to appear if she was supposed to help her.

"Once you voiced your heart's desire, it was time. Until now I didn't know you were ready for the change, because change you will, and you had to be strong enough for it," the woman answered, kindness in her voice.

"Is that why I had that dream last night, because I finally know what I want? There have always been bits and pieces that made me think about what I wanted, but until last night there was nothing to show me," Cinderella said, as the realization washed over her. Yes, she thought, she was ready for whatever was to happen from now on. "You're going to the ball, and you're going to have your chance. It will be brief tonight, and your wish won't be complete, but it will be the start, and you will see your new path. I will give you until midnight, and then you must leave before the spell I cast has worn itself out," the woman said.

"I have no dress, and no way to get to the castle. How do I start on the path if I have no way to start," Cinderella asked, puzzled.

"Leave that to me," the woman said,"because I have strong magic which allows me to grant what you wish."

With a flourish the woman waved her hand, and everything in the room seemed to spin. It settled around Cinderella, who was too astonished to move. The rags she wore vanished, and a beautiful gown formed around her. She found herself dressed all in white, as the woman was, but her gown sparkled everywhere the light hit it. She had never seen anything so beautiful. She could tell that her hair was done up on top of her head. It took a minute to notice that she felt something around her neck.

"That is a gold collar," the woman answered her quizzical look. She handed Cinderella a small gold key. "Keep this with you, because you will need it farther down the path. No one will recognize you as long as you wear the collar, because of the magic in it."

Cinderella gaped at the key. She knew that it was the one she had told about in her dream, even though this was the first time she was seeing it. She gripped it tightly.

The woman led her outside, and there in front of the house was a white carriage, with white horses, and a driver sitting in the seat on top. She couldn't believe this was happening, and she turned to the woman.

"I don't know how to thank you," she said, "I never thought it could really come true. I thought it would remain a dream."

The woman smiled at her. "As long as you follow your heart, you will have what you wish for. Remember that. And remember to be home before midnight, because my magic may be strong, but it's not infinite. You wouldn't want all this to dissolve into rags while you're at the castle." "I'll remember," Cinderella said as she got into the carriage, "I promise!"

And with that, the carriage headed off to the castle.

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The princess wandered the ballroom, admiring all the women in their finest gowns. With all of them focused so intensely on the prince, hoping that he would pick them, it was easy for her to stare and not be noticed. She didn't see anyone who seemed to be "the one", and she almost felt silly expecting to see anyone she would recognize as that. After two hours of searching, she was starting to give up hope, when she happened to look toward the entrance. Her breath seemed to leave her body as she saw the most beautiful woman she had ever seen in her life. The odd thing was that no one else seemed to notice her, or at least to be stunned by her. She wondered how they could not see her beauty, how they could not want to drop to the floor at her feet in awe. She started making her way to the entrance, and as she got closer, she saw a glint of gold around the woman's throat. The collar in her dream. Was she dreaming again? If she stayed where she was, she'd never know, so she continued to make her way across the room. As she finally stood in front of the woman, she found that she couldn't speak. The woman seemed shy, which seemed silly to the princess. How could someone so amazing not know her own power over others? There seemed to be nothing for the woman to be shy about, she was perfect. Her white gown sparkled, and seemed to move on its own as the woman walked. It seemed to envelope her more than just simply to be worn by her. She reached out to touch the collar, and at first the woman seemed frightened, but then she relaxed. Their eyes met, and they knew that they were meant for each other. The princess took the woman by the hand, and led her into the room. She started to dance with her, even though everyone stared. She didn't care if they stared, this was her love, her destiny, and she let her heart lead her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her father start to approach, but she turned to look at him and he stopped. She wondered if he could understand the pleading look in her eyes as much as she meant it. She had found her heart's desire, and no one, not even her father, could keep her from it.

Soon they stopped noticing anyone else in the large room. They were in their own little world, even in the middle of so many people. They didn't speak, not one word, but their eyes told each other everything. All the years of longing, the nights spent hoping and wishing for the one thing that would make them whole, they told each other with a look. They were locked in a spell that would not let them go, and they had no desire to see it go.

It seemed like forever that they danced and gazed into each other's souls, but then the bell in the clock tower threw them back to reality. The princess had no idea how long they had been there, but when the bell kept sounding ten, then eleven, then twelve, she knew that it had been hours. The next thing she knew, the woman seemed panicked, and she ran from the room. The princess started to run after her, but she couldn't keep up. She lost sight of the woman just before the long hallway out of the castle, and as she got to the end of it, the woman was gone, but the collar was left on the stone floor. She picked it up, and at first she despaired of ever seeing the woman again, but then she remembered the dream. The key. The woman in the dream was the only one who would have the key. The princess would search the entire kingdom until she found her. She couldn't let her vanish into the night without ever seeing her again.