Banging my fists on the carriage door that wouldn’t budge, the fire crept closer, intending to overtake me. 

My banging became lighter the more I realized how futile it was.

As the smoke became too much I suddenly remembered. 

 

“Oh…this isn’t what I was promised.” 

 

---

 

Before ending up in my current predicament, My name was Marianne Martinez. 

I always loved to read stories, as a child I was fond of fairy tales where the heroines would always achieve their happy endings. I wanted to be as happy as they were.

And as I got older I got a taste of revenge stories, of heroines being reincarnated from an awful situation and being able to change their life by getting vengeance on those who wronged them. 

 

The strong, independent heroines of those stories, I wanted to be like them. And just like everyone else in the comment sections I too would say if I was in her place I’d do the same, but…

 

I know that I could never actually do that. I’ve never been able to be mean to anyone, and so long as I was shown an ounce of kindness in return, even after being treated cruelly, I couldn’t help but forgive them. 

My grandfather, who I loved to hear tell me stories from fairy tales to his own experiences, was much the same. 

He was a man who devoted his life to help others as a doctor and pharmacist. And to him it did not matter who it was or how they treated him, he was determined to help everyone who he met.

So long as he could help others, he didn’t care if he won money or not and I always thought that was admirable. 

I wanted to be just like him, but my grades were always subpar and my parents didn’t want me to be a doctor anyway, I was supposed to do what they wanted me to. 

So I studied and Studied but never quite made it into any college, much to my parents' chagrin. 

I had to take whatever classes my parents picked out for me at the community college nearby. 

Pressure piled up and I couldn’t help but wonder is this really how I wanted things to continue? 

 

At the end of another tiring day, I walked home…

 

---

“So you’re awake.” A man stood before me and smiled.

“Ah…yes?” I didn’t even realize I fell asleep. Wait, had I fallen asleep? I could’ve sworn I was walking home.

The man before me introduced himself as a god named Lyzher, explaining that I was now in his domain. I had apparently spontaneously combusted, but it had been a mistake! 

Irregularities occurred all around the world, and Lyzher just happened to be in charge of clearing them away before they caused problems. But while clearing some away as usual he ended up taking me with them!

He profusely apologized, but I told him it was okay. I couldn’t say I was particularly pleased about my life, so maybe this wasn’t all that bad…plus I don’t want him to feel bad over a mistake.

But he insisted on doing something for me. 

“I have some acquaintances who rule over other worlds, I’m sure they could take you in! I’ll even ask for a favor so you can live comfortably as you decide.” 

An opportunity for a new life…

 

---

 

When I awoke next, I was surrounded by several people, who introduced themselves as the pantheon of the new world I was in. 

The leader of the bunch introduced herself as Xotona. 

“Welcome, Marianne. Shall we get started on your new life?” 

“Oh, yes please!” I smiled. 

“We promise to do our utmost to ensure you live happily. What sort of life do you want?” 

I shifted from foot to foot, “if it’s not too much trouble. I’d like to have a happy family.” 

Xotona nodded and began instructing another god, Ubnir, to start looking at expecting families. 

“And I…I would also like the ability to help others.” 

“In what way?” 

“I would like the ability to heal and make medicine. Just like my grandfather.” 

Xotona nodded again. 

“Enjoy your new life.” Ubnir said. “It will be one filled with happiness and fortune.” 

 

---

 

And soon I was in a world like those from my books, reincarnated as the child of a count. 

 

Even as I remained unborn, I could somehow hear what was going on around me. My mother was loved by father, but she wasn’t his only wife. And the other wives didn’t look kindly upon my mother, no matter how nice she was to them. 

 

But that never stopped my mother from treating them just like sisters. She wanted me to be kind too. She even told me as she patted her belly, “my dear child, when you are born I hope you will be pious and kind. Our great goddess will surely look upon you and protect you. May she keep your heart noble.” 

 

But then, Blair, whom she treated like her older sister, poisoned my mother while she was giving birth. I survived, but my mother did not. 

 

And father, who loves mother so much, loathed me, when the doctor Blair paid off told him delivering me was what caused her death. 

 

"If you had never been born Ella," father yelled, "she would still be here with me!" And as a young child all I could do was cry. 

Instead of getting treated like a count’s daughter, they began treating me like a servant as soon as I was old enough to work. 

 

But even so I endured. My dear mother’s words (which I swore I heard her say to me, but couldn’t quite remember when or how) kept me going. To be pious and good, to remain noble of heart. 

I prayed to the gods and goddesses of the pantheon daily. I wasn’t allowed to attend church with my family, but I did what I could to honor the pantheon and the great goddess, knowing it’s what mother would have wanted. And I’m sure they remembered their promise.

 

And I made sure to always follow what my consort-mothers and sisters would ask of me. Change the sheets, wash my sisters’ clothes, and soon two of my sisters, Anneleise and Gardenia, began to throw all manner of things inside the hearths of their rooms. Then they would make me go and pick it all up for them, even if they only planned to throw most of it out anyway. 

Because of that, I would always be covered in ash and so they began to tease me. 

 

“Ella’s always covered in cinders! We should call her Cinderella! Cinderella! Cinderella!” They laughed, but maybe because of the fairytales I loved in my past life, I didn’t really mind it. But I think that just made them cause more messes for me to clean up. 

As I got older, their abuse escalated.

My mothers called me into their teatime to laugh at me and call me names. I begged them to stop, but in response it escalated, my sisters Beth and  Ramona pushed me down a flight of stairs one day, and my sister Maurine locked me in the attic when it was dinner time too. Then I’d get scolded for missing dinner and asking for something to eat once I was finally let out. 

I finally couldn’t take it anymore and begged father for help and in return he yelled at me for daring to bother him. When my mothers learned of this they began to strike me during teatime for daring to try and tell on them. 

From that point on I just had to keep enduring and I prayed for them to look upon me kindly, just once. And I thought my prayers had been answered. 

 

"We'll be going on a trip to the capital Ella, why not join us?" consort-mother Blair asked with a smile. I was overjoyed and readily agreed. She told me to pack all my things and place them in a carriage. Once done, I was told to climb the carriage and our family went on their way. 

However, on the way there the carriage suddenly changed directions and headed to a place surrounded by weeping willows. The coachman dismounted and released the horses, abandoning the carriage with me still inside. 

I wanted to leap out and ask the coachman what was going on, but neither door would open and soon fire began to creep inside. I banged my fists on the carriage doors and screamed for help, but no one could hear me. My voice grew hoarse and all I could do was accept the inevitable. 

And then I remembered.

“…but I guess they never said it was guaranteed, huh?”

 

I can’t be as strong as the heroines of my novels, but I still wish I could’ve gotten a happy ending…

 

---

The assassins approached the ash left behind. "It did burn all the way through," one remarked.

"Of course it did." another scoffed, "Fire spells are my specialty."

"Report to the Countess, we've done our job." The leader said to the faithful maid of Blair who handed the men bags of gold. They all soon dispersed and only the ash was left behind, blowing away with the wind. Or it should have anyways.

 

“Ella, Ella, Pious Ella! Your mothers’ and siblings’ hearts have become charred black as the years have gone by and your father’s has since been wrapped and punctured by a thousand thorns! The whispers of the gods cannot reach them now.” The ashes of the crime scene began to swirl around a brilliantly shining phoenix. 

“I feel bad for her, truly I do.” It said as the ashes continued to collect around it. “But this could not have worked out any better for me!

"Your charred heart has delivered unto me the perfect vessel, dear countess~!" Finally finished with its task, the phoenix triumphantly squealed as the ashes began to reform into Ella’s image. 

“I shall blow life into the ashes I painstakingly collected.  Ella, Ella, Pious Ella! Rise once more and devote your pious self to me, become my saint!

“Saint Cinderella!”