Author Topic: Cinderella - A Sims 3 Retelling  (Read 12727 times)

Offline Gwendy

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Re: Cinderella - A Sims 3 Retelling
« Reply #30 on: November 02, 2014, 06:52:14 AM »
Well, looks like Ella just bought herself one million years dungeon. :-\ Nothing involving this situation can be good, or end well.
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Offline Brooke.

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Re: Cinderella - A Sims 3 Retelling
« Reply #31 on: November 02, 2014, 07:06:31 AM »
Edmund!  >:( I'd lock him in a dungeon instead.
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Offline Figwit

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Re: Cinderella - A Sims 3 Retelling
« Reply #32 on: November 02, 2014, 05:55:12 PM »
 ;D  Thanks Gwendy and Brooke. 


The Prince was the first to move. He pounced on the slipper and held it aloft.

'This is the match of the one I have.  The one she left behind.  But how is it that you have it?'

'And why do you keep it hidden when you must know that I seek it – this slipper and she who wore it?'

Edmund's puzzled gaze swept the room.  Two girls, touselled hair and gaping mouths stared back at him, dull and stupid and unknowing. 

The flickering candlelight reflected in their wide open eyes turning them to startled buttons in sleepy faces. 

The other though, she looked away.  He saw the tremble in her shoulders and the nervous twisting of her fingers and a horrible truth dawned.

He recalled then the alluring lips of his mystery partner and suddenly knew why they had attracted him so.

Molly and Sally exchanged puzzled glances. Both shrugged their shoulders. They had no idea what was going on but they could feel the approaching storm gathering its strength.

'You.' At last the Prince spoke and his voice cracked with fury.



'What manner of trickery, what magical deceit, what witchery did you employ?'

'This outrage is not to be borne.'

Ella looked up then.  Her face pale, eyes imploring but hopeless.



'Sir I..."

In anger he threw the slipper across the room where it bounced off the wall with force enough to dislodge the heel.



'Keep it, My perfidious lady.' He bowed mockingly.

'The feel of the thing is as repulsive to me as your presence.'

And then he was gone.  His angry footfalls loud on the bare boards of the hall leading from their room.

Ella collapsed in tears.  Anger, she had expected, but never in her darkest nightmares had she pictured the profound disappointment she had just seen on his face.

Offline Brooke.

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Re: Cinderella - A Sims 3 Retelling
« Reply #33 on: November 03, 2014, 06:53:48 AM »
He doesn't deserve her, I really want Ella to find someone worthy of her  ;D
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Offline Figwit

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Re: Cinderella - A Sims 3 Retelling
« Reply #34 on: November 03, 2014, 06:07:16 PM »
He is a total jerk. >:(

Molly

Who would have thought there could be so much water in such a small body?

Ella has wept her way through every kerchief Sal and I own while she told us of how she had dressed herself up all posh and proper and passed herself off as a fine lady at the Ball.

We were just gobsmacked. Our own Ella was the mystery lady and it's her they have all been hunting up hill and down dale.  Caused a right royal ruckus, she has.  What a laugh.   

The palace is abuzz with the news because naturally, Sal and I did our share of spreading it.



It is the best tale any of us have heard in a long time. The revenge of the servant classes, that's what it is, with Ella as our champion.

Course we are worried too even though we laugh.  The toffs aren't going to like this and we know that Ella is in for it. 

She's been locked up with Keaton all morning.  No doubt Keaton is tearing strips off her before telling her to pack her bags.

Tis a shame. We will miss our Ella.

King Henry

Henry frowned at the distressed young woman in front of him.

This was a highly unusual case. It was not often that a house servant would be brought to judgement before the King and Queen.

This case, however, had brought a good deal of embarrassment to the Court.  She had taken them all in.

Every guest at the Ball had unknowingly brushed shoulders with a mere servant girl believing her to be of their own social standing and then there was the foolery of his son in chasing around after her.

He could not sweep this under the carpet or all his servants would be trying it on.

All the same, this was a private affair. Just him, his wife, his son, and his adviser. 



They would hear her story and then decide on what action to take.

Pretty young thing, he decided with regret. He did not like seeing a woman in tears and he liked being the cause even less. 

'Well?' He, focussed on a spot above the girl's bowed head, 'You have some explaining to do.'
 
Ella drew breath but before she could utter a word, the king held up a hand for silence.  A servant had entered the room and approached his chair.

Offline Brooke.

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Re: Cinderella - A Sims 3 Retelling
« Reply #35 on: November 04, 2014, 05:57:08 AM »
Uh - oh, there's a storm coming!
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Offline Figwit

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Re: Cinderella - A Sims 3 Retelling
« Reply #36 on: November 04, 2014, 07:00:05 PM »
Or a story.  ;)

Ella

I wish this was over, drat this delay. 

The King looks very angry but it is nothing compared to the fury I see on the Princes' face. He will never forgive me for making a fool of him and my heart is broken. 

So vain I was. So proud to be a fine lady.  I might have known no good could come of it.  I wish I could take it all back. Tears stay away. 



Mrs Keaton told me to trust her and that she would put it right but I do not see how. 

I was foolish to hang onto that shoe as a keepsake. If only I had dropped it in the privy, that would have been an end to it.

Why does the King continue to whisper to his servant? Does he bid him to ask the executioner to sharpen his axe?

Ah, Mrs Keaton is here. 



The servant has brought her in.  She smiles at me.  Does she hope to reassure me but I see the tenseness in her demeanour. 

She is nervous herself. Mrs Keaton afraid?  Who would have imagined?

'Keaton. I believe you have something to add to this matter.'

The King's attention had turned to his housekeeper.

Agnes curtseyed to the Royals then took her place next to the trembling Ella.

Her back was straight and her hair, as usual, was pulled tightly back into a neat bun.



She took a deep breath, to steady her nerves, and began.

'I do indeed, your Majesties. I am here to beg your mercy for this child for she was but a pawn in my hands.  It was I who encouraged her, I who procured the clothes and dressed her for the Ball. It was all my idea and so, if you wish to blame anyone, then it is I.'

Ella gasped.  No.  She did not want Mrs Keaton to take the blame. Now both would sink when one would have done.

'But why?' The Queen asked.

'This tale grows strange indeed. A servant of this palace is bold enough to pass herself off as an invited guest at my son's Ball and now we learn she was not only aided in her deceit by you, my trusted housekeeper, but you were the instigator of this foolery.'

She sighed deeply.  'This is most unusual behaviour, Keaton, and I am finding it difficult to comprehend.'



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Offline Brooke.

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Re: Cinderella - A Sims 3 Retelling
« Reply #37 on: November 05, 2014, 04:23:20 AM »
Doesn't King Henry look like an older Joffrey in that outfit? I think Keaton will be reminding the King of a certain someone  ;)
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Offline Figwit

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Re: Cinderella - A Sims 3 Retelling
« Reply #38 on: November 05, 2014, 05:38:26 PM »
Yes, he does.   :)  I think you have guessed what is about to be revealed and thanks for not giving it away.  ;D


Agnes, however, addressed herself to the King.



'Look at her closely, your Majesty.' She turned her head to Ella. 

'Does she not remind you of someone?'

'A King does not play such guessing games.' King Henry grumbled but curiosity got the better of him and he raised himself from his chair and walked slowly towards Ella.

He lifted her chin with his fingers and looked closely into her eyes.

They were red and swollen from weeping but, yes, that same shade of blue, the jaw-line softer, but there was a likeness.



'Sarah?' His voice was barely a whisper.

'Her daughter.' Agnes answered. 'The child she bore alone after she fled from the cruelty of Baron Whitesnow.

'Sarah was my mother?' Ella felt the blood drain from her face and the room tilted to one side.  She grasped Miss Keaton's arm to steady herself. 

Agnes nodded.  'I dressed you in her clothes and you took your place at the Ball as befitting your blood. For one night, you were granted the chance to enjoy your heritage.'

The Prince glowered at them from across the room.

'How can this be?' The King interrupted, his face turning a fine shade of purple.

'Sarah's daughter?  A servant in my home beneath my very nose.  What insolence is this?'

The queen rested a placating hand on her husband's arm.

'There is a story to be told here, my dear.  Come, sit yourself again and let us hear it through before we upset ourselves.'

Agnes cleared her throat.  Her neck, above her high collar, was blotched red but her voice was steady.

'Sarah came to the palace one night.  She sought me out as her former servant.  She was bruised and afraid and disguised as a beggar woman.'



'Disguises run in the family it seems.' Mocked the Prince but he was quietened by a glare from his father.

'She had endured what she could, for Lady Sarah was proud and stubborn, but she could tolerate no more.' Agnes continued.

'The charm that the Baron had used to win her love was a thin veil indeed and he too soon revealed his true colours.'



'Now there's a surprise,' The Prince muttered.

Offline Brooke.

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Re: Cinderella - A Sims 3 Retelling
« Reply #39 on: November 06, 2014, 05:30:35 AM »
What a reveal! Poor Sarah, I had assumed she'd just died from some mysterious medieval disease but it was the cruelty of a stupid man  :'( Another reference to your other story, I adore those  :D
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Offline Figwit

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Re: Cinderella - A Sims 3 Retelling
« Reply #40 on: November 06, 2014, 05:14:50 PM »
Thanks Brooke.  ;D Sorry, not many pictures for this next bit.  I changed it from the original (but I think it is better now) so my friend did not have the chance to supply me with photos.

PS.  I have just found out that housekeepers (and cooks) had the honorary title of Mrs so Miss Keaton should have been Mrs Keaton (whether or not she was married).  So I have changed Miss to Mrs (and probably missed a few).  I am guessing there are many mistakes I have made in this story but that is one less for now.  :P


You brought her to me, a private meeting,' The King unexpectedly took up the story.

'She thought I would help her, overlook her indiscretions, take her back.' He sighed, and a bitterness crept into his tone. 

'Ever it was she supposed I would be her fool.'

The King's knuckles whitened as he angrily clenched his fists.



'I was glad she suffered.  She had brought insult and disgrace to this House and I could not forgive her.  I bid her get from my House and accept the consequences of her deeds.  I cared not where she went or if she got there.  I gave no thought to it then and very little since.'
 
'But,' he growled, 'How does this relate to her daughter living and breathing under my roof with everyone, except presumably you, Keaton, unaware of her identity?'

Mrs Keaton squared her shoulders, 'She did not tell you, your Majesty, and she begged me to keep it secret from you, but my Lady Sarah was with child when she ran from the Baron.
It was for the sake of the child that she fled.  She did not want the baby to fall within his grasp nor to be raised in his corrupt and decadent household.'

The King stared moodily off into the distance.  The silence grew.  Iris leaned across to pat his arm.

'The past is behind us, my love.  There are many unkindnesses we would undo if we could. Let us not dwell on the choices made then, but instead let it shape our justice this day.'

'For it seems,' The Queen continued, 'That Sarah found a loyal friend in Keaton.  Pray continue, if you please.'

Agnes drew breath.  'Yes, I helped her but so did many others.  Lady Sarah was well-loved for she had grown from girlhood in this Court and she had always been kind.  We hid her that night in the servants' quarters and the next day found a family on the outskirts of the village who took her in.  She stayed there until the babe was born.'

Agnes turned to Ella.  'She was ill, weak and I believe, her heart was broken.' She cast a sly glance at the King who shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

'Our village friends did what they could but she did not last long beyond the birth of you, her child.  She bid me to watch out for you, Ella, to protect you and keep you hidden and so I did. When you were of age, I brought you to the castle and here you have stayed, ignorant of your roots, but safe and well.'

'Poor child.' The queen patted Ella's face.  'To find and lose a mother in the space of one morning must be hard to bear, but fortunate you were in the kindnesses of strangers.  However, we have now a problem that needs to be addressed.'

'As we have learned, the blood in your veins runs noble and, although Keaton's care and facility has produced a healthy and strong young woman, your place I deem is not with the servants.'  She glanced at her husband for confirmation and he nodded. 

'So what are we to do?'

Offline Brooke.

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Re: Cinderella - A Sims 3 Retelling
« Reply #41 on: November 07, 2014, 04:57:57 AM »
I'm surprised by the Queen's kindness, it makes me think if she has an ulterior motive.
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Offline Figwit

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Re: Cinderella - A Sims 3 Retelling
« Reply #42 on: November 07, 2014, 02:53:30 PM »
:)  I thought of that too and, although I don't explore it in this story, I think she might have had some hand in getting rid of her rival.  Perhaps the king is not the only one with the bad conscience.


'What nonsense is this?'
 
Prince Edmund had become increasingly agitated throughout the narrative and now he leapt to his feet.



'Sarah's child you say?  And who was she but a penniless chit who repaid the advantages of your care and consequence by throwing herself at a scoundrel.'

'Edmund, you will not talk of Sarah that way.'  The king spluttered.  'I loved her like...a sister.'



'Right,' Edmund rolled his eyes.

'And that drunken wastrel, Whitesnow, is the father.  Why should we care?  He has long gambled away his power and lands and all but the most useless of his servants have left him.  He hangs onto his title by the skin of his teeth while all around laugh behind his sorry back.  Send her to him and let him add her to his family tree but I will wager he would rather her as a servant than another by-blow to add to his collection. '

He tipped his head back and laughed, a cruel derisive sound which echoed hollowly off the walls. 

'She is not our problem and never should have been.  Her fool of a mother saw to that.  You were wise to turn that leech from your door and so you should follow suit with this deceitful, ill-begotten creature.'



Ella's eyes stung from the unshed tears.  Death would have been preferable to this public rending by the man she thought she loved.

'Edmund.  You will be quiet.'  The King thundered. He slammed his fist on the table.

A pot of ink toppled and rolled onto the floor, splashing its dark liquid contents onto the boards. All ignored it.

'You have listened with your head but not your heart, my son.'  Queen Iris's voice was quiet, calming. 



'A great wrong was done in this house many years ago. A young woman, headstrong but naïve gave her heart to a man unworthy of her love. Foolish, yes, but who is not guilty of foolish actions when they are young?' She fixed her eye on her son who glared back defiantly.



'My husband,' the Queen continued. 'I believe this is our chance to right that wrong. This young girl's mother made a mistake that cost her your love and protection.’ Her voice grew soft. ‘She paid for her misdeed ultimately with her life.’

‘This lovely young woman, who, although raised as a servant and believing herself to belong to that class, effectively fooled the whole assembly at the Ball, servants, guests, and hosts, into accepting her as one of their own. 

'Such boldness and daring could bring a healthy dose of intelligence, beauty and courage to our bloodlines,' the Queen paused and smiled ruefully,

'To say nothing of a superb talent for acting.'

The Princes' face turned white.

'Mother.' He cried. 'Are you suggesting I marry this pitiable creature?  This is preposterous.' 

Ella’s face flushed red and hot tears, finally freed, rolled down her cheek.

'No. You will not marry this girl.' The King rumbled. 'Not now anyway. Maybe, when you have proved you deserve her she might consider you for a husband. I fear, my son, that I have spoiled and pampered you and sadly, you have inherited the callousness I had as a youth. I believe a dose of humility might make a better man of you.'

'I suggest you wear your strongest boots and your oldest clothes tomorrow for you are to live a very different life for a while.'


Offline Brooke.

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Re: Cinderella - A Sims 3 Retelling
« Reply #43 on: November 08, 2014, 09:54:13 AM »
Oh, Edmund is not going to enjoy the coming days  ;D
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Offline Figwit

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Re: Cinderella - A Sims 3 Retelling
« Reply #44 on: November 08, 2014, 06:24:58 PM »
No, and serves him right too.  ;D


Agnes Keaton

Well, all is well that ends well it is said. I am much pleased to say that Ella was adopted as a ward by the King and Queen.

I am unsure how much was genuine kindness and how much was a distraction from the embarrassment of the entire court being made look foolish by one from the lower orders.

The subterfuge didn't seem so bad now that she could be claimed as the new discovered daughter of the King's third cousin.

Sarah would be happy with the result, I am sure, though I wonder if Ella’s new life is to be envied or regretted.  Only time will tell this.

The Prince. Well the Prince was ordered to assist the stable boy for half a year.

The King thought it would be a good opportunity for him to experience life as a servant and therefore broaden his character.

I believe it has worked. The Prince seems a calmer, kinder young man these days.  I have hopes that he has inherited the good sense and compassion of his mother's line to temper the arrogance and vanity he has oft times displayed.

As for Ella, well she is the proper young lady now.

She is still the same lovely, smiling girl she ever was and it is no trouble for her to drop in to see her old work friends when she has a moment or two to spare.



She promoted both Sally and Molly to be her personal maids though I doubt that hopeless pair could be much use to anyone.

Still, they are loyal to her and that is the most important attribute of a good servant.

Ella

Fairy tales can come true and I am living proof.



My life has been very different this past year. I no longer rise at dawn to clean the fireplaces and scrub the floors. I have my own servants to do that now.

When I open my wardrobe I find it is brimming with fine gowns of silk and lace and soft velvet.

I no longer wear sturdy work boots which squeeze my toes and rub my heels tender. Instead my feet are encased in dainty slippers as soft as down with sparkling buckles and pretty bows. 



A servant, Sally or Molly, brushes my hair at night and turns down my bed and sees to it that my clothes are laid out for the next day.



I attend dinner parties and flutter my eyelashes at silly old men and silly young ones and I laugh softly at their jokes.

It delights me that I can charm them so easily. 



The Prince is different now.  Perhaps all those months of mucking out the stables helped to humble him but I believe he just needed the time to grow up.

At first he was resentful of my acceptance into the Court. It took him many weeks to treat me with anything but disdain but, little by little, the ice between us has melted and slowly we are building a true friendship. 

We spend a lot of our days together laughing or talking but never more than that.



I am a lady now and will not disgrace my position nor the trust of the King and Queen and he respects that.

Sometimes, I see the raw desire in his eyes but then the shutters come down and we both quickly talk of other things. 



Has he forgiven me? I do not know.

I think it will take longer than a year to heal the wound to his pride but we are both young and time is on our side.

Have I forgiven him? That I cannot answer either. 

Easier to ask myself if I could trust him with my heart and that answer is simple.

My heart made its own choice the night of the day I turned sixteen.


The End

Thanks to all my readers but a very special thank you to the amazing Brooke who never missed a day.  Thank you Brooke.  I looked forward to your comments and think I would have gone into a depression if you missed a day  ;D   Take care and I hope to meet you again on the forum here.