Stepsister

The carriage came to a rolling stop in front of your new home. The house was massive, a tribute to your new father’s wealth. Your mother looks at you disapprovingly and ushers you out of the carriage. “This is your home now, act like you belong,” she scolds you. Outside, your new father is standing beside a pretty young girl, a few years younger than you at least. Her face was flawless, and you felt a pang of jealousy. Your mother quietly tells you that this is your stepsister, and you should refer to her as such. [[Comfort your new sister->Sister]] [[Please your mother->Stepsister]]

You kneel to the young girl’s height. “I am your new older sister.” Your mother seems a little miffed at your actions but says nothing. The young girl smiles and introduces herself as Ella. Your father and Ella welcome you into your new home. Little in your day to day life has changed since the move. Your father seems to never be around, and your mother has taken to using Ella for day-to-day chores and encouraging you to do the same. Despite this, Ella seemed as cheerful as when you first met her. If Ella didn’t like it, she would surely speak up at this point, wouldn’t she? Visitors are stopping by soon, and your room is a disaster. Your mother has ordered Ella to clean it for you. [[Help Ella clean->Invitation version 1]] [[Get ready for the visitors->Invitation version 2]]

“You’re my stepsister.” The young girl nods politely and your mother seems pleased. Your father and stepsister welcome you into your new home. Since moving into the new house your living situation has improved significantly. Your new father is hardly around so nothing had changed on that end, but now the young girl named Ella has taken up all the chores of the household. This has given you plenty of time to practice your piano, writing, and courtship skills. Your mother says that you will pick up a handsome and rich man someday. Visitors are stopping by soon, and your room is a disaster. Your mother has ordered Ella to clean it for you, and told you to get ready. [[Take your time getting ready->Invitation version 2]] [[Get ready quickly->Invitation version 3]]

You roll up your sleeves and get to work. Ella is surprised to see you helping, but after a while gets back into her work. Soon your room is spotless. Ella smiles and thanks you profusely. Out of time, she helps pick out a dress and accessories for you and you two sprint to the door. Your mother is upset at your tardiness and the tag-along Ella, but someone knocks on the door before she can go into a tirade. [[Next->Version 1 part 2]]

You let Ella continue to clean your room while you prepare yourself for visitors. While trying on different dresses and making yourself presentable, you take the time to put the dresses you take off back on the hangers and clean up other various messes that you are actively making. Ella seems to appreciate this. You meet up with your mother and she inspects your attire and nods approvingly. Ella, barely finishing the cleaning in time, sprints up just as someone knocks on the door. Your mother seems irate but has no time to tell her off. [[Next->version 2 part 2]]

You let Ella continue to clean your room while you prepare yourself for visitors. Wanting to make the best impression, you try on various dresses, accessories, and try just about every makeup color until you look stunning. Your room is now a disaster, but Ella will clean it so it’s not an issue. Your mother meets up with you in the parlor to go through reminders on proper manners and subjects to discuss when in rich company. Satisfied with your training, you and your mother walk to the door just as someone knocks. [[Next->Version 3 part 2]]

The person at the door was not the visitor your mother was expecting. It is a royal courier! He invited everyone at the household to a royal ball hosted by the King to find the Prince’s bride-to-be. You and Ella are ecstatic, and your mother thanks the courier for the information. The second the courier left, your mother told Ella she is not permitted to go to the ball without a proper ball gown because it would embarrass the family. Undeterred, Ella spent the next week between chores sewing from scraps and unwanted leftover rags and somehow made an elegant gown. Your mother tells you that Ella must not go and if you don’t prevent her from going, then she will. [[Warn Ella]] [[Say nothing->No Warning]]

You smile and nod at your mother. Once she is out of sight, you sneak into Ella’s servant quarters and tell her exactly what your mother said. She is shocked but thankful for the warning and promises to do her best to act dejected and not be noticed when at the ball. [[Next->Warn Ella part 2]]

You debated what to do and decided that saying nothing is probably the easiest option. If Ella is smart enough to avoid your mother, then she will be just fine. If not, so be it. You continue your etiquette and dancing lessons in preparation for the ball. [[The next day->Mother's Actions]]

You yell at your mother despite your instincts. You tell her that it’s not fair to do that to Ella, that it’s not fair for her to put you into that position, that Ella and you are unlikely to be chosen anyways so there is little risk in it all. Your mother tells you to go to your room and that you are grounded until the ball. [[The next day->Mother's Actions]]

The person at the door was not the visitor your mother was expecting. It is a royal courier! He invited everyone at the household to a royal ball hosted by the King to find the Prince’s bride-to-be. You are ecstatic, and your mother thanks the courier for the information. Ella, running up panting, looks giddy much to your mother's dismay. The second the courier left, your mother told Ella she is not permitted to go to the ball without a proper ball gown because it would embarrass the family. Undeterred, Ella spent the next week between chores sewing from scraps and unwanted leftover rags and somehow made an elegant gown. Your mother tells you that Ella must not go and if you don’t prevent her from going, then she will. [[Say nothing->No Warning]] [[Take matters into your own hands->Destroy the Dress]]

The more your mother talks, the more it makes more sense. Ella couldn’t act like a prestigious lady if her life depended on it; you’ve seen her talk to rats for god’s sake! You couldn’t live from the embarrassment if she did something like that in public. When she was outside tending to the garden you sneak into her room and throw her dress into the lit fireplace. The next day Ella wasn’t happy. You only noticed because you have never seen her without a smile. You’re trying to practice piano, but your eyes keep drifting to her playing with the remaining pieces of her dress in the fireplace. “Look at her playing with the cinders,” your mother laughs, “She’s a cinder-playing [[Ella->Cinderella 1]]! [[Cinderella->Cinderella 2]]!”

Ella seems to be a pretty good actor; she has been acting dejected and her dress is nowhere to be seen. She even spent some time playing with similar-colored fabrics in the fireplace, pretending you burnt the dress. “Look at her playing with the cinders,” your mother laughs, “She’s a cinder-playing Ella! Cinderella!” [[Go to the ball->Ball Beauty Good]]

The day of the ball arrives. The prince does not seem particularly interested in you, but you had a wonderful time. Your mother keeps dragging on and on about the prince dancing with almost exclusively one woman, but you are getting tired of how upset your mother is all the time. You didn’t see Cinderella the entire time, which means your mother didn’t either. [[Return home->The Meeting]]

Your mother continues to laugh, and Cinderella leaves the room. [[Go to the ball->Ball Beauty Bad]]

You laugh alongside your mother and Cinderella leaves the room. [[Go to the ball->Ball Beauty Bad]]

The day of the ball arrives. The prince didn’t even look at you, which upsets you to no end. He only danced with one infuriatingly beautiful woman, and you are beginning to wonder what the point of even coming was. Your mother comforts you and tells you there will probably be another ball because the woman ran away. Good, maybe the prince will come to his senses next time. [[Continue->The Shoe Bad]]

The next morning you heard a wail. You run into the room to find Ella playing with scraps of fabric in the fire pit. You realize it is the remains of her dress. “Look at her playing with the cinders,” your mother laughs, “She’s a cinder-playing Ella! Cinderella!” [[Go to the ball->Ball Beauty Neutral]]

The day of the ball arrives. The prince didn’t dance with you once, which irritated you but there was nothing you could do about it. Your mother comforts you, telling you that you did nothing wrong and that only woman he danced with ran away so he will probably have another ball due to his shortsightedness. You get ready for bed and lay down while Cinderella cleans your room. [[Continue->The Shoe Neutral]]

The next day, there is a knock at the door. You open it; it’s the prince! He asks for Ella. Flabbergasted, you go find Cinderella and let her know the prince is here for her. She smiles knowingly and comes up to the door, still in her rags. Your mother is arguing with the prince at the door, saying that Ella didn’t come to the ball, so he must be at the wrong house. The prince embraces Ella, much to your mother’s dismay. During that hug you also feel a pang of jealously, like the one you first felt when meeting Ella, but quickly brush it aside. That type of thinking is not healthy. Ella invites you to the castle with them. [[Accept]] [[Decline]]

A knock comes at the door. You open it; it’s the prince! Next to him is a royal courier holding a shoe. The courier says that the maiden who this shoe belongs to is the prince’s mysterious woman. Your mother immediately says that you are that maiden and will have no issues proving it. She snatches you and the shoe and pushes you into the bathroom with it before the courier can protest. Ella, in the middle of cleaning the bathroom, is surprised at the sudden intrusion. [[Try on the shoe->Shoe Attempt Neutral]]

A knock comes at the door. You open it; it’s the prince! Next to him is a royal courier holding a shoe. The courier says that the maiden who this shoe belongs to is the prince’s mysterious woman. You immediately tell the courier that you are that maiden and snatch the shoe from him and lock yourself into the bathroom to try squishing your foot in. Ella, in the middle of cleaning the bathroom, is surprised at the sudden intrusion. [[Try on the shoe->Shoe Attempt Bad]] [[Examine the shoe size->Examine Size]]

You join Ella in the carriage, leaving your shrieking mother behind. Your lessons have paid off; you are adept at intellectual conversation and earn a decent living as a foreign relations adviser for the court. While it wasn’t the happy ending that Ella was given, you feel a sense of accomplishment in your work and are confident that your time will come. [[The End, Replay?->Start]]

You thank Ella for the invitation but deny it. As the carriage disappears in the distance, you realize all the struggles Ella endured and the work that Ella has put into her own life to get the opportunity to meet the prince. You want to make those kinds of changes in your own life. Invigorated, you talk to your father more than you have your entire life and learn about his trade. He makes you his apprentice and you plan to take over the business once he leaves. You move out of the house and continue your life forward with your mother out of the picture. [[The End, Replay?->Start]]

The shoe doesn’t fit at all. You can barely get your large toe in. [[Try again->Shoe Attempt Neutral 2]] [[Give up->Give up]]

You jam your foot into the shoe, and you immediately feel pain. Your foot was never meant for a shoe this small. [[Try again]]

The shoe is far too small for your feet, and you realize that no amount of squeezing your foot in will change that fact. You scream in frustration. Wide-eyed, Cinderella backs into the corner. [[Try it on anyways->Shoe Attempt Bad]] [[Make the shoe fit->Force the Shoe]]

The shoe still does not fit, and it is beginning to really hurt your toes. [[Give up]] [[Make the shoe fit->Force the Shoe]]

You sigh; that there is no way this shoe will fit. You walk out of the room with your head hanging low and give the shoes back to the courier. Cinderella follows you and asks if she can try them on. Your mother protests but the courier obliges. The shoes fit perfectly, and you stare in shock. [[Cry->Neutral Ending 1]] [[Put on a brave face->Neutral Ending 2]]

You need this. All your problems would go away if this shoe fit, this is your moment! All your lessons were preparing you for life with your prince. You shakily open the bathroom cabinet and take out your dad’s straight razor. [[Breathe in->Cut 1]]

You feel blisters start to form. [[Make the shoe fit->Force the Shoe]]

Once the tears start forming, you can’t get them to stop. It’s not fair, none of this is fair. Why did Cinderella get everything when she was cleaning, while you were preparing for this all your life? You feel a hand on your cheek and you look up. Cinderella is wiping your tears away. That was when you finally realized why she could have what you couldn’t. Your childhood heart has shrunk through years of ignoring and going with the easiest path. Cindere- no, Ella always did what she thought was right. You looked the other way, and despite that she was wiping your tears. You congratulated Ella and she thanked you. She told you that you are welcome to attend her wedding in the following season. [[The End, Replay?->Start]]

You smile and congratulate Cinderella, but you’re filled with black vile. All you want to do is tear those pretty little glass slippers off her feet, but you know when you are beat. Cinderella welcomes you to their wedding in the following season. Your mother tells you that you deserved this position, not Cinderella, and you agree but there is nothing to be done. You continue living off your father’s wealth until he dies and take up his inheritance since Cinderella has no use for it. [[The End, Replay?->Start]]

You slam the razor down on your pinky toe and cry out in pain as you hear the crack and watch your old appendage roll away. Cinderella screams in horror. The shoe fits. [[Take another breath->Cut 2]]

You cut off your other toe, with more grace now that you have done it before. Cinderella keeps screaming. You walk out of the room with the shoes on. You are pleased and ready for paradise, but your mother and the visitors look horrified. You look down; There is a blood trail leading directly to your feet. [[The End, Replay?->Start]]

**Stepsister** [[Begin->Start]]