Some say, fate is beyond our command. That we can never change it. But I know better. Our destiny is within us. We just have to be brave enough to face it.

(Disney's Brave, Merida)

***

"I am afraid.. there really is none who could fit this perfect glass slipper in our town.."

announced The Royal Page to his subordinates as he takes a step back to the front door with grief filling his heart at every heart beat. He never found the Cinderella. What will his majesty, the king he have served without losing even a morsel of loyalty for many years do? Will he be beheaded? Will he be thrown to the dogs? Or will he die, seeing the darkness slowly spreading inside the king's heart desperate to have not found a perfect fiance of his son, Prince Charming? He did not know...

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The little girl lying on the gigantic tattered red carpet spread before the warm fireplace read aloud from her favorite fairytale as wonder and enlightenment slowly filled her beautiful hazel-green eyes.

Though a thick layer of frost snow had almost covered her house window, the girl felt happy that she was already engulfed by warmth and comfort of the little cottage, where both her pregnant mother and the little girl herself lived alone for many years now.

The girl slowly crawled to her lanvender scented pillow like a turtle and snuggled her head into it with one hand and held the metal coated story book on her other.

The calm melody from her mother's piano flooded the room and a chill breeze peeped from a half opened window.

Goosebumps immediately popped from the little girl's arms probably because of the coldness of the wind or the intensity of the story.

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"Wait!? Your grace! May I try the glass slipper on?" cried Cinderella rushing out of the unlocked door as the Royal page exists through the door.

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The young girl chuckled to herself.

The story was almost reaching it's climax and having read it for more than a billion times, the lips of the girl twisted in a smile. Her eyes which usually are portrayed to be glum and unemotional were filled with excitement as the music of her mother's piano echoed more and more louder coincidentally syncing the young girl's own emotions.

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"And, The Royal Page gently pushed the glass slipper into the elegant foot of the beautiful Cinderella when magic filled the room transforming her into the girl, Prince Charming fell in love with, at the ball. Magic sparkled around the gorgeous atmosphere revealing Ms fairy godmother who screens, the next scene of Cinderella and Prince Charming kiss, the kiss of marriage.

And, they lived happily ever after.

fin~•

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Read the girl loudly as her cheerful screams echoed the empty and hallow room. She was so blinded in excitment and hasn't even realized that her mother had already stopped playing, the piano. She was that elated. The girl hopped and screamed just like she always does when she finishes her favourite fairytale. Happiness engulfed the girl's soul.

'A happily ever after'.

Just, like she had always hoped her life would be when she falls in love with her prince charming. He would love her like how the prince from the story book did and he would save her from all the suffering she had faced with her single mother after her father had disappeared..("dead" as her mother called it) from her life.

Red strings of destiny that are interconnected with the one you love, matched by fate to be clinged for eternity just like how it did, for the beautiful princess, she had about read, now.

The little girl believed them.

She believed all of these things would eventually come true in her life too and with these thoughts she hopped, she sang, she laughed happily thinking all these.

Pa!

Suddenly, a sharp sound cut through the air as the girl's mother raised a hand and struck the little visionary's cheeks hard. Immediately a burning pain surged up where the slap had landed.

Utter shock encapsulated the girl's mind as tears filled her hallow eyes. She takes her palm gently touching her hurt cheeks and rubbed her eyes.

'Mother..B-But.. Why..?' squeaked the little girl.

'Snap into the reality, Anasta-chan! How long will you trust in these little escape routes of our harsh destiny!?' screamed her mother as Anasta felt her body shiver with fear looking at her enraged mother.

She knew her mother wasn't like this. Anasta never knew what real love is. And, so she thought the love poured from her single mother was it's true expression. They were poor and hardly had any sufficient food inside the abandoned cottage, which they now called it their home.

But, being born in a noble family, her mother taught her to survive as a nobel even after being neglected by her own husband for a love affair.

Her mother was so obsessed with the girl's father and was completely wounded by his selfish behavior and thus tried her best to raise her daughter into a strong independent woman who does not depend on a man for her survival.

And, it was obviously because of these circumstances, the mother detested her daughter's squeals for a happily ever after.

Enormous tears soon rolled from the daughter's eyes as the lingering pain spread across her face.

And, beside them the mother's pupils contracted sharply. She immediately pulled her hand and took a step back trembling. The little girl continued rubbing her eyes when a giant warm hug suddenly dissolved the cold fear that had surrounded her heart, a few moments ago.

'I am so sorry.. Sweetie. I didn't mean it..' apologized the girl's mother shocked by her own guesture and squeezed her daughter into her warm arms.

The girl looked at her mother and found her eyes diluted with tears just like hers.

The innocent child, almost completely forgetting the painful slap she had felt before a few moments, wiped the tears of her mother's eyes.

'Don't cry, Mamma.. ' sniffed the young girl. 'Anasta's there for you. Don't cry..I promise, I won't wish to be the Cinderella again.. They are just fairytales, right? I know it. So I won't.. Sniff.. I won't.. Sniff.. '

'Anastasia De Rottenstein.. ' the mother sat on her knees matching her daughter's height. She knew she had hurt her daughter and she couldn't help but be sorry for her. But, even she knew that there was something very important she would like to remind her daughter about.

She smiled gently.

' Life is not a fairytale, sweet heart..' spoke her mother in a gentle voice wiping her daughter's eyes. 'If you lose your shoes in the midnight, it doesn't mean you will meet you prince charming...cause it only means you are drunk and not sober..'

The girl's eyes widened with wonder at the new ideology. She had never thought something like this. It was stupid yet made sense that a cheerful laugh immediately burst out of her little lips.

'Haha, it's too funny, mother! Isn't it?' she laughed as her mother engulfed chuckle into her mouth.

'Yes, it is, darling.' her mother smiled as a cold wind peeked out the half opened window and blew out the candles off the room.

'This is annoying, isn't it..?' asked the mother as her daughter nodded in comprehension of what her mother might do now. A cute grin spread across the girl's lips revealing her half grown incisor tooth.

And, soon black sparkles glowed from the mother's hands and thin translucent strands of thread, like magic quickly grew from her fingers before floating through the air and forcing the half open window to close.

'All done 'stated the mother in a cheerful tone as the girl leaped in joy again.

'Wow!! That was amazing mom. Awesome! Do it again! Do it again!'

The girl circled her mother cheerfully and looked at her in awe and wonder. Not only was her mother talented in playing piano like none other women of the town but she was also a great mage who lived as a powerful duchess before being cast aside for marrying a commoner.

Anastasia, however knew she couldn't posses these powers, since she was still very young and "magic" was something only few people are gifted with. It is very unlikely that she might even be gifted with it in future.

'Aaaaaah', The girl let out a sigh. 'How I wish I can be a Cinderella and have my dress gifted like a princess with magic, too.. ' she thought loud and slowly turned to her mother's scary glare.

'A-Ah.. Sorry, mother!' apologized the young girl immediately as fear spread her heart. She clasped her fists tightly. Her mind mentally preparing for a powerful blow in her cheek again. She bit her lips hard and nervously looked at her angry mother.

Fortunately, the mother's glare slowly dissolved from her face when a deep sigh escapes through her lips.

'Anasta-chan..' the mother put her palms over her daughter's cheeks.

'I have already told you... Fairytales are not true. And, becoming a princess just because you have attended the royal ball at midnight, isn't the reality.'

'I know..' sulked the little girl perfectly knowing whatever her mother had said right now was true because even though there is a huge castle in their kingdom just like the one from the fairytale story, only the royals and men of great places could enter it.

And, it is rumoured that the two princes of the kingdom were complete weirdos. One, a hater of woman and other, a masochistic womanizer. So, there is no way, she could become the Cinderella for at least one of them.

'But.. ' dragged the mother as a little sparkle of a naughty glimmer sparkled inside her eyes. 'There is no rule that you cannot become a true princess.. ' The mother smiled.

'Really, you mean, I can be a princess too! But..how? I am not a royal nor are Prince Charmings real?' asked the curious child as her eyes reflected her mother's spark.

'Anasta-chan..to be a true princess..'a grin spreads over her mother's face as the girl's heart beat grows more and more louder.

'You must shine inside-out..without expecting a spark from others.. " grinned her mother unconciously igniting the words of spark that would soon ignite the girl's threads of destiny all her life.

The girl blinked in enchantment. As though she had been cast into a trance by a magic spell. But soon, a soft laughter escaped Anasta's lips.

'Then, Mamma Mamma!' cooed the little girl hugging her mother's neck.

'Then.. I pledge that I will become the true princess who will shine inside-out on my own! ' announced the enthusiastic daughter cheerfully.

The gentle smile that was twisted across the mother's lips soon turned into a loud clumsy laugher and shook their hallow castle.

'I really hope you will, Anasta darling..' grinned the mother.

Thud!

And suddenly, The baby from the mother's womb wobbled. The mother gently placed her palm over her womb.

The mother smiled. 'Hear that, Drizzella, your big sister wants to become a true princess. Wouldn't you wanna wish her luck?' She hushed to her own womb before laughing along with Anasta all over again.

The cold night ended with a simple supper of bread and jam and everyone went to bed.

The strock of clock 12.00 soon struck it's sound and little Anastasia opened the window of her room curiously. With her knees bent and arms leaning on the window pane a heavy sigh escaped her lips, when a sparkling shooting star shot through the sky.

She immediately remembered her mother's talk and clasped her hands to her lips tilting her head towards the amazing sight.

"Star bright, Star light! The first star, I see tonight. I wish, I wish, I wish, that I would become the princess..Umm.. Umm..' she panicked having forgotten whatever her mother had told her just like the other advices and quickly tried to rechant the initial wish.. 'Mamma told me to become... And later, get married to my Prince Charming..' wished the young girl at the shoot star and quickly hopped into the bed before shutting her eyes and releasing loud snores around her room.

Her mother on the other room unaware of her daughter's selfish yet stupid wish gently blows of the other candle lights. She bent and quietly put out the fire of the fireplace when the metal from Anasta's favourite book came to her vision.

"Grim's Fairytales/ Tales" It's title read.

Irritated by the very sight, she grasped the book fearing the future events and almost flung it into the fire when she stopped and looked at it more desperatly.

.....

The metallic storybook, the only remnant of the other world,

that would soon control the destiny of her life and her two daughters. She knew them well, being recarnated into the main villaness of the fairytale that was very popular during her past life.

Yes, she was the villaness. The step mother of the beautiful heroine, Cinderella and her daughters were the mean step sister who had abused the main heroine. The mother knew them well and it was for this reason that she loathed, hated and disgusted, the book. But,yet she tried to educate her daughter Anasta of the fate her family is destined to meet in hope that she could somehow change the knots of her family's fate.

But, they are her death flags. The knots of destiny. And, No one can change it, right?

The very thought lingered a painful hurt over her heart and she tried hard to forget them.

..Born as the main villaness of the fairytale, Cinderella destined to meet a bad end..

She thought.

But, I did..advice my daughter to stay in caution about the fairytale's future.. Didn't I..? Wondered the mother and placed her hand over her womb again.

"I just wish my daughter's would be safe from this treacherous fate."

wished the mother when the clear band of shooting star lightens the sky piercing through the dark cold sky. She thought of her words of advice again.

"To be a princess you must shine inside-out .."

She pulled her blankets closer and snuggled into her bed closing her eyelids.

The shooting star sparkled brightly and raced faster in the sky as little sparkles filled the rooms of both the mother and daughter.

Little, did they then know that these are the words that have the powers henceforth light up the young girl's life.

***** ***** ****** *****

(Note! Before moving on to chapter 1, let me introduce the others what the type of ways the book refers name honorifics according to the Japanese culture. (bcoz the book is anime based)

*Chan- dear one, used in kids, family, peers, friends. Mostly a female honorific. [INFORMAL]

*Samma- Lady/ Lord or for royalty. [FORMAL]

*San- Miss/Mr [FORMAL]

*Kun- dear one, used in family, kids, peers, friends. Mostly a male honorific (similar to chan) [INFORMAL)]

Tsundere- a person who's cold on outside and sweet on the inside. (female lead)

Yandere- a person who's sweet and extremely friendly on the outside but has a killer like murderous attitude on the inside when something happens to their loved one. (male lead)

*They only call each other by their first name when they are too familer with each other. Otherwise it is considered rude.

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