Back at the chateau, Drizella and Anastasia were in the middle of their music lesson. They wore fancy dresses and had giant bows in their hair. Though they were neat and primped, they were awkward and obnoxious. Drizella sang while Anastasia played the flute. Both girls were completely off-key. Lady Tremaine happily accompanied her tone-deaf daughters on a large black grand piano.

All through the lesson, the girls tried to outdo each other. With every note, Drizella sang louder and more off-key as Anastasia blew harder into her flute.

Lucifer sat on a velvet bench in the same room. He was so pained by the horrific noise that he covered his ears with his paws. Still miserable, he tried hiding under a big, fluffy red pillow. Finally, he couldn’t take the noise any longer. He jumped off the bench and ran out, slamming the door behind him. He shook his head and tried to recover. Then he walked toward the stairs and heard someone singing the same song the sisters were singing…but who could it be?

It was Cinderella—and her voice was beautiful. She was at the bottom of the staircase scrubbing the black-and-green marble floors in the grand entrance. She dipped her rag into a bubble-filled washbasin. A giant bubble rose and landed on her finger. She looked at her reflection in the bubble, fluffed her hair, and continued to sing sweetly as she scrubbed the entire floor.

Instead of enjoying the sound of Cinderella’s lovely voice, Lucifer saw an opportunity to wreak havoc. He spotted a huge pile of dirt in a dustpan. He then glared at Cinderella.

After stepping in the pile of dirt, Lucifer paraded around on Cinderella’s sparkling clean floor. Then he resumed his position on the stairs.

The cat smugly looked up at Cinderella.

Cinderella caught his eye. She saw him surrounded by dirty paw prints.

“Oh, Lucifer!” she cried. Then she turned around and saw the filthy floor—the floor she had just scrubbed on her hands and knees. It was covered with paw prints. “You mean old thing!” she yelled. She went after him with her broom. “I’m just going to have to teach you a lesson—”

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

“Open in the name of the King!” shouted a man from outside.

Jaq and Gus curiously peeked out of a mouse hole as Cinderella opened the door.

“An urgent message from His Imperial Majesty,” said the messenger, handing Cinderella a letter. She thanked him, curtsied politely, and shut the door. The mice ran toward her for a closer look.

“Uh, what’s it say?” asked Gus.

“I don’t know,” replied Cinderella. She examined the letter, then looked upstairs as the music started again. “He says it’s urgent.”

Cinderella and the mice winced as they heard Anastasia and Drizella hit an exceptionally bad note. “Maybe I should interrupt the…‘music lesson’?” she said, giggling. The mice giggled, too, and watched Cinderella head up the stairs.

Meanwhile, Drizella continued to get every note wrong. Anastasia played her flute and got her finger stuck in one of the holes. She tried to wiggle it out while still playing and ended up hitting Drizella under her chin. Drizella was furious. She grabbed the flute and hit Anastasia over the head with it. Anastasia hit her back, and a fight ensued.

“Girls, girls!” Lady Tremaine admonished. She stopped playing the piano and waved a finger at her daughters. “Remember, above all…self-control.”

Cinderella knocked on the door and entered the grand room. Lady Tremaine was furious. She stood up from her piano bench. Her dress was formal and she was wearing a big green brooch, but her evil eyes were her most noticeable accessory.

“Cinderella, I warned you never to interrupt our—” she began testily. “But this just arrived from the palace,” interjected Cinderella, holding up the letter.

“From the palace?” screamed the stepsisters. They ran to Cinderella, snatched the envelope from her hand, and ripped it open. But Lady Tremaine calmly took it from them. Her eyes lit up as she began to read the letter out loud. There was going to be a ball in honor of the Prince, and every eligible maiden in the kingdom was required to attend.

“A ball!” cheered the stepsisters. They squirmed with excitement and batted their eyelashes.

Cinderella was equally excited. “Why, that means I can go, too!” she exclaimed. Anastasia and Drizella laughed. There they stood in their fine gowns while Cinderella wore dirty and tattered clothes, holding a broom in her hand. They mocked Cinderella for her ridiculous idea, but Cinderella held her head high. She stood proudly and walked deeper into the room to confront the ladies.

“I’m still a member of the family,” she said, trying to assert herself.

Gus and Jaq had been watching through a mouse hole the whole time. They were proud of Cinderella for standing up for herself.

Lady Tremaine hadn’t been expecting her stepdaughter’s bold statement. The wheels in her scheming brain turned as she thought of a response. She had a plan.

“Well, I see no reason why you can’t go…,” began Lady Tremaine. The stepsisters were shocked. “If you get all your work done.”

“Oh, I will…I promise!” said Cinderella joyously.

“And if you can find something suitable to wear,” finished Lady Tremaine.

“I’m sure I can!” replied Cinderella. “Oh, thank you, Stepmother!” She ran out of the room, closing the door behind her. Gus and Jaq followed.

Drizella and Anastasia rushed to their mother. They were angry and confused. Why on earth would she let Cinderella go to the ball?

“Mother, do you realize what you just said?” asked Drizella.

“Of course,” said Lady Tremaine with a sinister smile. “I said if.”

“Oh!” replied Drizella, nodding. “IF!”

Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, and Drizella all cackled. They were about to make Cinderella’s life more miserable than ever.