Cinderella paused. “That night, my stepmother tried to kill me in my bed with an axe, but my prince had hidden outside my window, knowing I wasn’t safe under her roof. He killed her on the spot with his sword and swept me away. The last thing my stepsisters ever saw was me riding away with the prince they’d both dreamed of, their mother dead on the floor.”

Cinderella teared up. “First I took their place at school. Then I took their prince. Then I took their mother. How could they see the Good in me now? How could they see me as anything but an enemy?” she rasped. “For years, they plotted against me until my prince had them both killed, without my knowledge. When I discovered what he’d done, I left him forever. Because what my stepsisters never knew was that I would have stayed the next morning and given up my crown for them. Because they were my Ever After. More than any boy could be. And if I had to be alone the rest of my life in order to keep them in it . . . I would have. But it was all too late.”

She finally looked at Agatha, racked with pain. “That’s why I told you to just stick that wand to Sophie’s head and threaten her and make her do what you want. That’s what my story taught me at least—might as well be a big fat bully and get what you want, ’cause love doesn’t mean anything in the end. Not when a boy’s gonna swoop in and ruin it forever.” She broke down in sobs.

“Oh Ella,” Agatha whispered, tears sliding down her face.

“It’s why I’m never happy,” Ella wept, the harshness gone from her now. “Because everyone thinks my fairy tale was about finding a fairy godmother and a dress and a prince, when I never wanted any of that! I just wanted my stepsisters to be happy! I just wanted to keep my best friends!”

Agatha touched the old princess’s back and let her cry as they walked in silence on the path.

“You really love Sophie?” Ella asked finally. “After everything she’s done?”

Agatha nodded, suddenly overtaken by emotion. “As much as you love your stepsisters.”

Ella stopped on the path, a quiet awakening in her eyes. “That’s why Merlin paired us together. Because I let my story go. I gave in to despair and anger and let it steal my life from under me. But you can fix my fairy tale by fixing yours, Agatha. You can still fight for Sophie. You can still fight for your friend.”

Agatha shook her head. “I don’t know if there’s any of Sophie left to fight for, Ella.”

Her mentor touched her cheek. “You can’t give up, Agatha. Not yet. Show the world what I couldn’t. Love that means just as much as a boy’s. Love that’s stronger than blood. Do it for the both of us.”

Agatha gazed at Ella and for the first time the dark fear inside of her gave way to a ray of light . . .