CHAPTER 4

Two Grumpy Sisters

That afternoon, Cupid busied herself with cooking up a delicious dinner in the kitchen. Even though she’d started to enjoy cooking almost as much as shooting love arrows, Prudence’s and Charlotte’s grumpiness still bothered her. Back at Ever After High, she would have talked about it with some of her friends. But she didn’t have any friends here. Or did she?

Cupid decided to turn to the feathered friends she had made in this topsy-turvy fairytale.

“Birdies, I’m doing everything I can, and the stepsisters never seem to be happy! Why are they so upset?” Cupid asked.

The birds fluttered around excitedly as they tried desperately to get a message across to Cupid. They wanted to explain what was going on. Finally, one of the birds flew out the door and into the hallway. Cupid chased after him. She found the dove perched on the dining room table with an envelope in his beak. He gently nudged Cupid with the envelope. Cupid opened it up and saw that it was an old invitation to a ball from a couple of weeks past. Cupid looked back at the birds in confusion as they flapped their wings all around the room.

“An invitation to a ball is upsetting to the sisters?” Cupid asked. The little birds all nodded their heads vigorously and twittered in agreement. But why would an invitation to a ball make the stepsisters unhappy? Cupid wondered.

Cupid knew she was onto something, she just wasn’t sure what it was. So she found a little notebook and started jotting down everything she knew about “her” stepsisters.…

After the family enjoyed another one of Cupid’s delicious dinners, Stepmother handed Cupid two ball gowns.

“The yellow one is Charlotte’s and the purple one is for Prudence,” she said. Then she called out, “Girls! Come down here for your fittings!”

The two stepsisters reluctantly trudged over to Cupid. Prudence stepped into her dress. It was beautiful! Cupid couldn’t help herself. She gasped.

“Oh, Prudence, this is one of the most hexquisite dresses I’ve ever seen!” she cried. It looked like Prudence was wrapped in a fluffy lavender cloud. The material was soft and billowy, with satin ribbon trimming puffy sleeves. Tiny sequins were sprinkled all over the dress, so her gown looked like a purple sky full of twinkling stars. It would look amazing in motion!

“Look at my beautiful daughter,” said Stepmother proudly.

Cupid stood back and studied Prudence all dressed up. “It doesn’t look like this dress needs much altering at all,” she said. “It fits you like a dream. Just look.”

Prudence stepped in front of the mirror. Before she could stop herself, she shimmied in excitement. Cupid grinned. “I bet the prince will ask you to dance the minute you enter the ballroom,” she said. But instead of looking happy, Prudence suddenly turned pale.

“If the dress is fine, Cinderella, please help me get out of it immediately.” Cupid didn’t understand, but she did as she was told. If I got to wear a gown like that, I’d never take it off, Cupid thought, looking down at her own rags.

She let out a little sigh and said, “Okay, Charlotte, you’re next.”

Charlotte’s dress was equally lovely. It was soft, buttery-yellow silk, with lace trimming around the neck and sleeves.

“You look fableous,” Cupid told her.

“Yes, yellow always was a good color for you, Charlotte, darling,” Stepmother said.

Charlotte studied her reflection thoughtfully.

“The dress is fine,” she said. But then she made an odd request: “Cinderella, could you make sure it’s long enough that my shoes don’t show—at all?”

Her mother seemed surprised—and a little bit disappointed. “But, Charlotte, dear, I bought you a new lovely pair of shoes specifically to match your gown. It would be a shame to cover them up. Look!” And she held up a pair of soft golden slippers with satin bows.

“Mother, please! I don’t want my shoes to show! If I can’t wear the dress the way I want, I won’t go at all!” Charlotte said.

Once again Cupid was confused. The shoes were just beautiful, and she couldn’t figure out why Charlotte didn’t want to wear them.

Charlotte’s mother sighed deeply. “Fine. Cinderella, adjust the gown however she wishes.” Then she stared at the shoes in her hands and said, “Maybe I can return these tomorrow.” She tried to slip one on her own foot. “I’d keep them for myself, Charlotte, if your feet weren’t so very tiny.”

Cupid just looked at Charlotte sadly, not saying a word. Finally, Charlotte broke the silence. “You heard my mother, Cinderella!” she demanded. “Lower my hem!” Reluctantly, Cupid did as she was asked.

After she finished both dresses, Cupid took out her notebook and added her notes on Charlotte’s and Prudence’s strange behavior.

“What is that?” Stepmother asked.

Cupid looked up and hastily closed the book. “Oh, nothing! I’m just—uh—taking notes on Charlotte’s and Prudence’s dress measurements… what they like and dislike in a ball gown… things like that. It will help me for the next time I need to get dresses ready for them.”

As Cupid started to walk to her room, she heard Charlotte calling her name.

“You forgot your book,” said Charlotte.

“Oh!” Cupid replied nervously, hoping the stepsister hadn’t taken a peek inside. “Thanks, I’ll come get it.” She started back down the stairs to retrieve it.

“No—wait!” Charlotte said suddenly, and Cupid froze. “Get ready and go long!”

“‘Go long’? What does that mean?”

Charlotte laughed. “It just means move back a little,” she explained, and so Cupid shuffled up a few steps.

“Now, catch!” Charlotte shouted as she threw the book to Cupid. It landed perfectly in her hands.

“Wow, that’s quite an arm you’ve got there, Charlotte,” Cupid observed.

“Thanks,” Charlotte replied. And, for the first time since Cupid had arrived, Charlotte’s face broke into a big, beautiful smile.

Before she went to bed that night, Cupid decided to bring each stepsister her ball gown. When she got to Prudence’s room, she heard a loud thumping sound. She tiptoed to the door and quietly took a peek. Inside, Prudence was dancing around, holding a broomstick. She was trying to dance a waltz with it, but she was so clumsy she kept tripping over her own two feet. The poor thing, Cupid thought as she watched Prudence’s awkward steps. Prudence attempted a complicated ballroom dance step again and again but kept messing up. She became frustrated and tossed the broom aside. Surprised, Cupid accidently pushed on the door, and it let out a big squeak loud enough for Prudence to catch her watching from the doorway.

“Cinderella! What are you doing there staring at me? Have you been… spying on me?!” she roared.

“No! I didn’t mean anything.… I was just dropping off your dress.…” Cupid tried to explain.

“Get out of here now! You should mind your own business! Stay out, Cinderella!” Prudence yelled and slammed the door.

Cupid wasn’t bothered by having the door closed in her face because now she had another clue! Hanging Prudence’s dress by her door, she quickly made a note in her book.

Pleased with herself, Cupid tucked the notebook back into her apron pocket and headed over to Charlotte’s door.

“Come in!” Charlotte called.

Cupid walked in to find Charlotte doing sit-ups on the floor.

“I finished your gown, and I just wanted to give it to you,” Cupid said.

Charlotte did another sit-up.

“Thanks. Just put it on the bed,” Charlotte said, and continued exercising.

Cupid watched her for a few minutes. “Wow, you’re really good at that,” she told her. “You must be fairy athletic.”

“I am,” replied Charlotte, picking up two hand weights. “Speed, strength, and balance. That’s what I’m trying to work on.”

“That’s spelltacular!” Cupid said honestly.

“Thank you,” said Charlotte. “I appreciate that. Those three qualities are fairy important to me, if I want to keep my spot on my b—”

“On your what?” Cupid asked. “It’s okay. You can tell me.”

Charlotte hesitated. For a moment, it looked as if she was going to confide something in Cupid. But then she stopped.

“Why should I tell you?” Charlotte said at last. “It’s not like we’re not friends. We’re not even sisters, really.” She looked coldly at Cupid as she spoke. “You’re probably just like my mom. All you probably care about is hair, makeup, the Grand Ball, and meeting the prince. Maybe there are more important things—things that matter to me!”

Cupid took a deep breath. “Tell me what is important to you! Let’s make it happen. I want to help everyone be happy.”

Charlotte wasn’t convinced. “You want to help me? Really?”

“Yes, of course!” Cupid answered.

“Well, then leave my gown and get out of here!”

Cupid gently put the gown on Charlotte’s bed and quietly left the room. As soon as she got back to her own room, she made note of everything she had learned about Charlotte.

Later that night, alone in her room, Cupid looked through all her notes. She was starting to get a picture of what made the stepsisters tick.… But this was one complicated fairytale! How could she ever put all the pieces together?