Anastasia: Cinderella’s Unsung Sister

I see the way you look at her, oh how she shines

Brown eyes that would never look into mine

~

Cinderella. Cinderella. Cinderella. If I hear that name one more time, I’m going to scream. I’m sure I saw her at the ball last night yet no one believed me. She’s beautiful. Everyone adores her. She gets it all. Love and affection from her late father and now all of my mother’s attention too. Even princes fall in love with her.

Especially Prince Charming. The man I have longed for my whole life. The one thing I thought was mine before she took that too. The one person I thought that could love me more than Cinderella. 

Now I have to watch them plan their wedding and watch him whisk her away from the sidelines where she is supposed to sit and watch me do all of the things she gets to do. I have to stay with my wretched mother who has never given me the time of day while the love of my life marries someone else. 

I know I haven’t been the most vocal when it came to how my mom treated Ella but in my defense my mom doesn’t even notice me. I highly doubt she would’ve even listened. 

~

I think when she walked down the aisle

I forgot to smile

~

At the wedding, I wanted to apologize to Ella but she refused to see me. I can’t say I blame her. I sat in the back pew and watched her walk down the aisle and couldn’t help but wish that it was me instead. 

~

My eyes stung,

I wanted to proclaim my love in front of everyone

When the priest asked if anyone had any objections, I felt the words bubbling in my chest, burning in my throat. It broke my heart but I couldn’t bring myself to take another thing from her. She deserved to be happy even if I never was again.

~

For the first time in my life

I kept my wicked mouth shut

Tears pricked my eyes

I had a lump in my throat

Frozen in time 

Watching what should have been mine

Carrying her out of the venue

And I wanted to, oh, I wanted to

But I couldn’t take him from you

And I wish I could say sorry

I hope this gesture will say 

What I can’t bring myself to

~

I couldn’t speak. I was still even as I watched them walk out. I forced my feet to follow them. I had to apologize to her. She needed to know how sorry I was before she left us forever. 

~

I swallowed my pride

Fate had never been on my side

But this time

I apologize

~

She had heard me. I knew she did. I saw her glance at me before she brushed me off. But she had heard me. 

~

I came alone

I left alone

A soon to be familiar feeling

~

I turned and began to walk away. I felt the crowd glance over at me, stifling their laughter. I thought about returning home. Home. An interesting word to use because it never felt like home. 

I debated whether or not to walk home or walk off into the sunset all by my lonesome.

~

I guess I never got my happily ever after

I wasn’t destined to be a princess

But maybe my destiny lies in something else

I hope I’m destined for greatness

~

And for the first time in my life, I made a decision by myself for myself. I walked away from my home and away from the castle. I didn’t know where I was going but I knew I would find where I was meant to be.

I don’t know what the future holds for me, what’s in my destiny––clearly, Prince Charming wasn’t. That was Cinderella’s story and I can’t wait to tell you mine. 

~

This isn’t the end

Because this is the beginning of my story.