For the most part, she finds life at the palace to be dull, soon discovers the prince seems to be lacking in both charm and brains and laments the fact that noblewomen have virtually no power whatsoever.

She despises Madame Bisset, who is in charge of her training, but makes friends with Mary, a young servant girl, and Jed Reston, who is standing in for his father (who had a stroke) as her history teacher.

Despite Lucille forbidding her from attending and giving her more than enough housework to keep her busy, Ella planned to go, mostly as a way to spite her, as well as search for a potentially better job than a housemaid.

She managed to attend by wearing her mother's old wedding dress and glass slippers she won in a wager with the town's glassblower and getting a ride from a friendly coachman.

Although Prince Charming was enamored by her, Ella had to run from the ball at midnight because it was the only way to catch a free ride home, though she lost one of her glass slippers as she left.

Increasingly dissatisfied with her life at the palace, and learning that she was chosen to be the prince's bride to keep the family lineage beautiful as opposed to true love, Ella brings up the possibility of breaking the engagement.

Madame Bisset also posts a monstrous jailer named Quog to keep guard over her, warning Ella that if she refuses to go through with the marriage after the wedding day, he will be allowed to do with her as he wishes.