Cinderella: Ashes to Empires: Dark Fae Tales Book 1

ASHES TO EMPIRE Behind every fairy tale lurks a shadow story. They call her Cinderella—a helpless waif trapped in cinders and servitude. But Ella is neither helpless nor broken. Behind her mask of submission lies a calculating mind, and in the hearth's ashes, she discovers her path to power. When a royal ball presents an opportunity, Ella strikes a dangerous pact with an ancient fae. In real life, fae magic comes with a price—three nights of enchantment, a deliberately abandoned glass slipper, and a carefully orchestrated romance are merely opening moves in her ruthless game of survival. As Ella ascends from servant to royal bride, her web of manipulation ensnares the court. Blackmail becomes currency, rivals disappear under suspicious circumstances, and even her new prince is nothing more than another piece on her chessboard. But power extracted through deception exacts a terrible price. Haunted by her betrayals and the fae debt coming due, Ella must choose between the crown she's killed for and what remains of her soul. In this darkly seductive retelling, happily ever after was never the goal—an empire of ashes was always the endgame. Some fairy tales are written in wishes. This one is written in blood.