A Tale of A Foolish Cinderella

    Previous story: Cinderella and the prince — who’s now become a king, broke up, they stopped talking to each other and moved on with their own life. 

    Until one day, The King suddenly rang the bell and showed up at the doorstep. “How are you doing?” He asked casually. Cinderella was so flustered, yet foolishly happy by the chance to reconnect with someone she used to or was probably still in love with.

    It appears that The King needed support from Cinderella to withstand attacks from neighboring kingdoms that wanted to dethrone him. After his mother and father gave him the throne, The King ruled his kingdom alone. Cinderella, who knew that man like the back of her hand, understood the struggle. She assured him that she would support him no matter what. 

    Days turned to weeks, and the time spent together had made their heart grow fonder. The King gave a hint that he wanted to re-establish their relationship again as a new. Cinderella hesitated, yet delighted. She gave a requirement: If The King truly wanted them to be together, he had to do it right. Be serious, be on time, and be certain. Otherwise, they could simply be friendly neighbor kingdoms that support each other. 

    The King said convincingly, “Yes, definitely, I know how important it is to be certain. I promise you, this time I will come to you and do things right.”

    Cinderella accepted the premeditated proposal. She once again slowly included The King in her life and future plans. She thought, this time they’re gonna make it through and finally get the happily ever after they deserved.

    Weeks turn to months. The King’s kingdom slowly getting on its feet again. When things cooled down, Cinderella finally asked The King when would he come to visit her so they could finally discuss everything properly. He gave one promise to another, changing his mind on every occasion. He said he was busy to rebuild his destroyed kingdom. He couldn’t leave now. So he gave an offer, why didn’t Cinderella come to visit him to see the kingdom's situation?

    So, she came. They met each other again after such a long time. They hugged. They kissed. Enjoying the time together. They visited many beautiful places and met some acquaintances who were surprised to see them still together. The King said this place became a whole lot better when Cinderella was around. He said he wanted her to be together forever. Cinderella felt the truth in his eyes. At least at that time.

    As time went by, The King seemed to avoid the most important topic. He never proposed or simply made a plan as Cinderella wished for. Finally, he admitted that he wasn’t ready. It was something she expected and sensed for a while. She said, it was better to end things before it was too late, but The King reached out to her. He held her hands, The King reassured her, that he didn’t want to lose her, and asked for more time to unravel his mind. He promised, once again, to make things right.

    Is Cinderella being a fool for trusting the king’s promises again?

    Perhaps. 

    At that time, she blinded herself from the truth. She wanted to believe that the King could change. He was once a helpless prince who was finally taking on many responsibilities in his own kingdom. He seemed like a lone king, so she would love to stay by his side. She wants him to thrive, succeed, and even grow bigger than this. 

    When it was about time for Cinderella to leave, The King made a romantic promise to pick her up. He kept the only remaining slipper glass as a guarantee. A promise to return it, even to make the pair to replace the one he broke.

    Cinderella returned to her daily life, working hard as a queen in her own kingdom. She became aware of her strengths and values, and she wondered if one day, The King finally came to fulfill his promise, would it be the best decision for her kingdom?

    She loved The King, but she was aware of what kind of person the man he loved. She waited (im)patiently on what kind of decision The King will come up this time. Would it be different? Would it be worth the wait? She gave a time limit, as this time she was not willing to wait forever. 

    Months turn to a year, and still nothing certain.

    Then, it became clear to her that the King couldn’t even respect his own words let alone his promise to her.

    Time ran out, and she had to make an important decision for herself. She confronted the King and asked him to let her go. The King cried helplessly, he refused, begging her to come back. Out of love, she held on just a little bit longer. On her tiny corner little heart, she hoped The King could finally be a man for once, for her.

    Only then did she receive a bunch of questionnaires instead of a proposal to test her commitment and loyalty to The King. 

• Is Cinderella willing to give up her own kingdom so she could come to a faraway land?
• Will she ever leave him if one day she doesn’t like the faraway land anymore?
• If they have kids, would she teach kids everything related to her culture? (because apparently, the King doesn’t value it that much)
• Can Cinderella convert to the culture of the faraway Kingdom? (because the King believes that the woman should always follow the man)

    Cinderella was stunned as she read the questionnaires. Finally, the truth couldn’t be covered anymore: The King didn't value her feelings or well-being.

    Cinderella’s kingdom might seem smaller than the King's, but it was full of colors, joy, and warmth. The sun shines brightly, and the people are full of laughter. She had a big family who gave meaning to her life—something that people in Cinderella’s kingdom built with care and cannot be replaced by money. 

    On the other hand, The King felt that his kingdom was better, bigger, richer and he had so much to offer. Cinderella was about to give up everything and everyone in her kingdom, going to a faraway land that was very cold, gray, and lonely, to stay by The King. She was ready to restart again her life with The King, but only if The King was willing to commit. 

    But he didn't. He probably never was. Not for her.

    The recent conversation made her question The King's true intention. Is it love or did he only need Cinderella's presence and company? As a partner, she didn't feel valued, heard, and prioritized. Her happiness was not the first to come when they plan about life. 

    All these years, she thought she would be the happiest with The King. Was she truly happy, though? 

    She thought, being foolishly in love is enough. However, no amount of support, sacrifices, or time to wait could make him commit if he didn't want to commit. So, it was up to her to be in the same situation being dragged all around and hoping that someday The King would change, or she could be in charge for her own happiness. On their last call, Cinderella finally told The King to keep her remaining slipper glass because she didn't want it anymore. 

    Once upon a time, Cinderella said loudly “fuck this shit” and then she moved on quickly.

    She then lived happily as a queen surrounded by loving family and friends, working towards her dreams and goals to create a magnificent empire.

    One day in the future, when her life story is written in a book, she will be grateful for choosing herself and her own happiness. To know her worth and know what she deserves because that's how an inspiring woman should be.

    Cinderella might love someone again in the future, but she learned the hard way to never do it blindly or foolishly.

    A tale of a foolish Cinderella ended here, because from this moment on, she made a plead to herself: Love shouldn’t be blind. Love should be done with the eyes wide open. Love shouldn’t make anyone fool, instead, it should be done with intelligence. Love should give the peace of mind. Also, love should be done equally with a partner who wants to work on it together. 

    Lastly, it doesn’t matter if any king will come or not in the future. Cinderella knows that she is The Queen. Therefore, she is capable of ruling the world with or without the man. 

Disclaimer: 

This story is merely fiction, if there are any similarities of events or life story.. yes, what you think is right :D

18.03.25