Looking for Ella

Ella had just woken up.

Ella: "Am I in a basement?"

Sunlight was streaming in through the slats, letting Ella know it was daytime. Her hands were tied to a post, the ground was a bit cold, and she was wearing tattered clothes. Someone opened the door and came into the room.

Termina: "Look at this, the little girl is awake." She laughed while covering her mouth with her hand.

Ella was upset because she thought she hadn't been able to meet the prince. 

Termina showed the glass slipper to Ella and said: "Where did you get these clothes?"

Ella, worried: "I don't know, someone gave them to me as a gift."

Termina, glaring at Ella with anger, said: "I don't remember teaching you to steal, and you're lying on top of that!"

Ella: "I swear! I didn't steal these clothes!"

Termina: "I should lock you in the storage for a while so you won't dare steal again!" A wicked smile appeared on her face.

Ella: "Wait, please, I'll do whatever you want, just let me out of here!"

Termina left without paying attention to Ella's words and closed the door on her.

Anastasia: "Why do we have to be so unlucky?" She sighed.

Drizella: "Ever since Ella disappeared, we've had to do all the work ourselves. Why did she have to vanish on the night of the party?" She felt miserable.

The doorbell rang. Anastasia quickly ran to see who it was. A carriage from the royal palace had arrived.

Drizella: "Who is it?"

Prince Charming stepped out of the carriage. Termina quickly went to greet him.

Termina, slightly scared, tried to hide her fear: "My lord, what brings you here?"

Charming: "I'm looking for a girl named Ella."

Termina thought: "I need to stay calm and find a way to send him away!"

Termina put on a sad face: "I'm sorry, my lord, but she hasn't returned home since last night." She lowered her head.

Charming thought: "She's acting suspiciously. She probably has Ella locked up somewhere."

A few hours earlier, Prince Charming had gone to gather information about the man who kidnapped Ella. The soldiers found and arrested him.

"The woman told me that girl was her deceased daughter and paid me a lot of money to kidnap her. I don't know anything else!"

A soldier: "My lord, we can't accuse her just like that. She's probably left no trace of herself."

Charming: "I see, so we need to use a new strategy. 

Anastasia: "I don't understand, why did the prince come all the way to our house?"

Termina sat silently and angrily at the table.

Drizella: "Mom, what are you hiding from us?"

Termina, nervously smiling, said: "Because Ella is the one the prince wants to marry."

Drizella: "What?! But why Ella?!"

Termina: "I don't know, but if you don't want us to end up in jail, you have to stay quiet and say nothing." She smiled.

Anastasia: "So you kidnapped and imprisoned Ella!"

Termina stood up: "Anastasia, you'd better not say anything about this."

Anastasia frowned and left.

Anastasia was sitting in the yard, feeling sad. Drizella sat beside her.

Drizella: "I know what you're thinking. I want to help you."

Anastasia: "Do you think if we help Ella and apologize to the prince, he'll forgive us?"

Drizella hugged her knees and said: "I don't know, but it might lessen our punishment." She sighed and stood up.

Prince Charming was searching the entire house but found no trace of Ella.

Charming, frustrated: "I really can't find her."

Termina: "You still don't believe me? I told you, Ella hasn't returned home since last night."

Charming, disheartened, was about to leave when suddenly Anastasia approached him.

Anastasia: "I know where Ella is!"

Termina, fearfully: "What do you mean?"

Anastasia: "There's a hidden door under the rug that leads to stairs. I saw her use it today."

Charming ordered them to move the rug. Underneath was a door. Charming opened the hatch and went down the stairs.

Charming: "Ella!"

Charming untied Ella's hands and held her in his arms.

Ella, very happy: "It's you again, why did you take so long to come?"

A soldier: "Your highness, what should we do with Termina and her daughters?"

Charming: "I will deal with them soon."

Ella, looking surprised: "Did he just say... your highness?"

Charming: "Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. My name is actually Charming."

Ella: "Charming? You're Prince Charming?!"

Ella stood up and curtsied: "I'm sorry I didn't realize it sooner."

Charming stood up and said: "There's no need to apologize, it's my fault for not telling you." He laughed.

Ella looked up: "Your highness, why are you laughing?"

Charming: "Nothing, you just always make me laugh." He smiled.

Ella was walking with Charming.

Anastasia: "Ella, please forgive me for treating you badly!"

Ella hugged Anastasia.

Anastasia: "Ella?"

Ella: "I'm glad we can now be like real sisters." She smiled.

Drizella, looking surprised: "Ella, aren't you angry?"

Ella: "Of course not. If it weren't for you two, I might have stayed in that basement forever."

Ella asked Drizella to come forward and hugged her. The three of them hugged each other.

A soldier: "This is strange, why are they hugging each other?"

Charming: "I wanted to punish them, but Ella asked me not to." He looked at them with a frown.

Ella: "I have to go now, take care of yourselves." She smiled and left.

Anastasia ran towards Ella: "Ella, I hope we meet again someday!" She smiled and waved goodbye.

Ella: "Definitely!"

Ella happily got into the carriage and went to the palace with Prince Charming. Now, she could have a good life and be happy. But this is just the beginning of the story.