Every day you’ve dealt with your terrible stepmother and your equally terrible and ugly stepsisters as you’ve done your chores. One day, an invitation to the prince’s ball comes to your late father’s estate. After your late mother’s dress is destroyed, you find an elderly woman in front of you. She waves her wand through the air and suddenly a blue ball gown with glass slippers appear on the bench next to you. She claims you can go to the ball for only a small price. You have to kill the prince.
“No.” I fold my arms, meeting her eyes.
She blinks at me. “No?”
“Not for a silk dress and a night at a party. Only a fool would commit regicide for so low a price.”
The old woman hesitates, and her eyes narrow. “Well. True. Though it would only be regicide if I asked you to kill the king.”
“His heir is close enough, to my mind.”
The old woman rubs her chin thoughtfully. “Aye, that’s fair. But… if the price were better?”
I shrug. “I’ve contemplated murdering my stepmother and her daughters often enough. The only reason I don’t do it is that I’d surely be the first and only suspect. If a murder would truly free me from this misery… I’d certainly be willing to consider it. After careful planning, of course.”
“Indeed. Indeed.” She smiles grimly. “All right, my dear. Shall we plan a murder, then?”