Inside a fairytale lies reality.

- January 22, 2023

Growing up, my favorite Disney princess was Cinderella. As a child, her shimmering blue dress caught my eye. I wanted to go for a ride on fairy godmother’s carriage. I wanted to watch her dance with the prince all night-

As an adult, my idea of Cinder-Ella has changed. More questions have popped up. I’m questioning the ‘magic’ I grew up watching on screen. This is my rendition of the aftermath of the royal ball, my ideas and opinions and unrealistic Barbie magic that I no longer believe, but look back on fondly.

As the clock struck midnight, Ella transformed back into her true self. She managed to escape Prince Charming, successfully hiding the fact that she was not a princess of the land, but the servant girl of her evil stepmother.

Which brings us to our question. The fairy godmother’s spell was such that all of Cinderella’s magic belongings would turn into her own by the strike of midnight, and true to the spell, her clothes were once again turned into rags, her animals friends back in their forms, a ripe pumpkin left in place of a glass carriage. Then why were her glitter shoes still intact? Realistically, they should’ve disappeared too. And was Ella in such a hurry that she couldn’t pause for one millisecond to grab her missing shoe on the staircase?

I sometimes wonder what would’ve happened if the storyline was more realistic…

What would’ve happened if Ella stopped for a second to pick up her shoe?

Or what if the glass shoes converted to her own by midnight as well?

And if that happened, then Prince Charming wouldn’t have any evidence to track her down. He would’ve possibly married another girl from the country or a princess of royal heritage, and maybe Ella would’ve lived as a slave to her stepmother and stepsisters until the day she died.