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I wait. I strain my ears, listening for any sound of movement. Anything to let me know if there was help nearby. I hear footsteps and begin to pound on the door.

"Help! Hello? Is anyone out there? Help! I'm locked in the bell tower! Hello?" I shout.

"Cindy? Honey, is that you?" my mother asks from outside the door.

"Momma? Momma! It's me!" I answer, tears starting down my cheeks. I am so relieved.

"Oh, Cindy, I'll be right in there!" My mother melts through the door.

"I'm so glad to see you!" I shout as I hug her.

"What happened? When you didn't come home, I was worried so I started to look for you."

"Step-mother locked me up in here as revenge for you stealing Father away from her," I blurt out. "Then she's planning to match up one of her daughters with Gregory, and I want to marry him despite my background!"

My mother's face darkens. "I knew she was no good. I just never thought she'd go this far."

"Can you help me get out of here? And by the way, what time is it?"

"I believe I can. And it's almost daybreak of the day after the ball. By the way, the prince is looking for you."

I can not keep my heart from jumping three beats. I feel a smile blossom on my face. "He's looking for me?"

"He was worried when you disappeared, like me. He found your glass slipper in the garden by my statue. He's sworn that he'll only marry the girl whose feet fit in the slipper," my mother explains. "He's already begun the search. He's been trying the slipper all night. He refuses to stop until he finds you."

"Has it fit anyone yet?" I ask breathlessly.

"Have you seen your feet?" my mother replies with a raised eyebrow. "Although, I'll admit that before I started looking for you, I charmed the shoe."

"You did?"

"I wasn't about to let anyone steal my daughter's chance to find true love. That shoe won't fit anyone but you."

Footsteps resound on the stairs, and we both fall silent.

"Cindy? Knock, knock. It's step-mother," the grating voice says as the door opens.

My mother disappears as my step-mother steps in.

"Well. I must admit I'm surprised. You truly turned his head. He'll never find out it was you though. I had my Jemma chop off her toes to get her foot to your size so the shoe will fit her."

"It'll never fit her even with that," I smirk in reply. No more cowering. I had to take a stand again. "Besides, he saw my face. He'll never believe it was her."

"Oh so cocky. Little upstart," my step-mother growls. "We'll just see. Gregory will marry my daughter. But I don't have time to spare today. Ta ta."

She whirls out, and my mother reappears. Her face is even grimmer than before.

"Now what?" I turn to her. "She's right. He'll never find me if I'm in this tower."

"What if he was at this tower?" my mother asks.

"He's here?" I can't breathe at the thought of him.

"On his way up the stairs. Can't you hear him?"

I hear him moving up the stairs then.

"You can't go up there," my step-mother screeches, apparently following him and attempting to dissuade him.

"And now for that lock," my mother mutters. Her gaze shifts inside the lock and then back to me.

"How--?"

"Fairies can send messages by birds. Ones that say your step-mother is not to be trusted. That she knows where the mystery maid is." My mother stops and seems to listen. "I better go." Then she vanishes.

The door bangs open. There's Gregory, dressed as he was last night. He pauses in the door. We stare at each other a few moments. I notice his face is drawn from a sleepless night of worry. Then he crosses the room and takes me in his arms.