The Glass Slipper

Ella is a lonely servant in a European duchy, shunned by the townspeople for her anti-social behavior. She clings to a dream of living in the palace after a fortune-teller foretells it for her late mother. The dream gives her hope amid everyday scorn.

Prince Charles returns from years abroad, and three days of festivities are planned around his homecoming. He recalls a girl with unbearably sad eyes from his youth, a memory that unsettles him during the celebrations. The mood mixes excitement with a hint of mystery about the past.

After an argument with her stepfamily, Ella runs away to her favorite secluded pool on the palace grounds. There she meets Mrs. Toquet, an eccentric town vagrant who becomes her first true friend. The encounter marks a turning point for Ella as she finds unlikely companionship.

The next day at the pool, Ella meets Charles and his friend Kovin and learns they are from the Palace. Charles recognizes Ella's eyes as the girl he saw years ago, though Ella suspects he is making fun of her. She pushes him into the pool in a mix of surprise and emotion, then begins to reconsider him.

Cousin Loulou's visit disrupts the Sonder household, and Ella is expected to be cleaned up for the guest. She remembers she left her shoes at the pond and rushes off to retrieve them, where Charles waits for her. He gives her an invitation to the Ball and a quick dancing lesson, and they share a brief kiss before she slips away.

Mrs. Toquet arrives with a pair of borrowed glass slippers and a ballgown, claiming she has 'borrowed' them for Ella's use. She arranges a coach to take Ella to the palace and warns her to leave by midnight so as not to inconvenience the coachman. The scene sets up a magical transformation and a race against time.

At the palace Ball, Ella is besieged by young men who want to dance with her, while she longs to reach the kitchens to find Charles. Charles dances with her and reveals his true identity as the Prince, while other guests notice her exotic appearance and whisper that she may be an Egyptian princess. The ball becomes a blend of romance and social intrigue.

When the clock strikes midnight, Ella flees the ballroom, leaving behind one glass slipper that the Prince later picks up. Her coach overturns on the way back to her home, and she is knocked unconscious. She awakens at home to Mrs. Toquet, who tells her that everything she borrowed has returned to its rightful owners.

The Prince informs his father that he has met the woman he wants to marry. Kovin quickly spins the tale that Ella is an Egyptian princess, fueling gossip at court. By morning, everyone believes the Princess-to-be is foreign and mysterious.

Devastated by the rumors, Ella decides to run away to bid farewell to Mrs. Toquet, the one friend who truly understood her. She visits her favorite place to say goodbye and to gather the courage to face what comes next. The moment deepens the sense that she longs for genuine companionship.

The Prince finds Ella's lost glass slipper and declares that it will fit the foot of the princess he intends to marry. A crowd, including Ella's stepmother and stepsisters, witnesses the moment as Charles proclaims his choice. Ella and the Prince ride off toward the palace, and the crowd bows before them.

In the final moment, Mrs. Toquet is revealed to be Ella's fairy godmother and guides her toward a hopeful future. She vanishes once her magic has done its work. The story closes on Ella stepping into a new life beside the Prince.