We all know the tale of the poor, unfortunate kitchen girl who was so kind and so pure of heart that, with a little help, she transcended her humble origins and lived, as they say, happily ever after. It is my belief that every child springs forth from the womb with the foreknowledge of this story running through their veins, so ingrained is it in our collective psyche. Cinderella. Can you recall a time when you did not know that name? Such a delightful, whimsical tale of the triumph of goodness, and fluffy bunnies, and...daffodils. Charming. I've never liked daffodils.
What if it were true?
Oh I don't mean the cloying sweetness of it, that truly belongs to the realm of fairy-tale. But what about the bones of the tale itself? I invite you to suspend your disbelief for a moment while I present to you some facts I know to be true.
1.) That magic does in fact exist.
2.) That there once was a girl, who by means of magical assistance changed her fate and married a prince.
3.) That this was one of the most disastrous occurrences our world has ever known.
You don't believe me do you? I never expected you to. But which of these are you actually having the most trouble accepting? It can't be the first, not with everything that's been going on recently. You'd have to be dead not to notice, and even then I'd be surprised. The second one isn't all that hard to believe either, most fairy-tales or folktales have some basis in fact if you go back far enough. So that leaves the third. And that would be the tricky one. It is the ultimate story of injustice falling before the greatness of a good heart. How can we live without that myth? What could possibly be bad about it?
Perhaps I should tell you. After all, her story is critical to understanding mine.
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