Cinderella (The Price of Gold)


 * This article focuses on the character Cinderella. For the fairytale, see Cinderella (Fairytale).

Princess Cinderella, nicknamed Ella, is a recurring character on Once Upon a Time. She débuts in the fourth episode of the first season. She is played by guest star Jessy Schram, and is the fairytale counterpart of Ashley Boyd.

Cinderella is one of the best-known fairytale characters; a humble but beautiful girl who is tormented by her step-family. Because she is desperate to get out of her unfortunate situation, she ends up turning to the notorious Rumplestiltskin for help.

Cinderella is based on the main character in the fairytale of the same name.

Season One
Cinderella is first seen while she is sweeping the courtyard of her stepmother's manor as a royal ball is occuring. Once her stepfamily is gone, her Fairy Godmother appears to her. She tells her that she will be able to go to the Prince's ball, but suddenly explodes into orange dust.

It was Rumplestiltskin who destroyed her fairy godmother, saying he was doing her a favor. He manipulates her into making a deal with him. He promises to save her from her wretched life in return for an unspecified precious object later on. Desperate, Cinderella agrees.

Later, we see her on her wedding night, relishing in her new life and true love, surrounded by her friends, including Snow White and Prince Charming. Rumplestiltskin is also in attendance, and he reveals that the precious item he wanted in return for her new life was not money or jewels, but her first-born child.

After some time, Cinderella is packing her bags when Prince Thomas unexpectedly walks in. She tells him that she is pregnant, and that she has promised Rumplestiltskin their child. She is devastated, but Thomas assures her that he will fix this, and they simply need to make a new deal to undo the old deal.

Thomas, with the help of Prince Charming and Grumpy, plans to tempt Rumplestiltskin with a new deal, tricking him into believing Cinderella is carrying twins. When he signs the contract to get the second child using a quill charmed by the Blue Fairy, he will be frozen, and they will be able to transport him to a secure prison in the dwarves' mines.

Cinderella is hesitant to use magic to undo magic, but they go through with the plan. Thomas promises to pay whatever price is required for the Blue Fairy's magic. Although Rumplestiltskin doesn't buy it, he still signs the contract and is captured. However, the price of trying to break the original deal is that Prince Thomas disappears, and Cinderella will not be able to see him again until she fulfills her deal with Rumplestiltskin.

Trivia

 * Cinderella is a reference to the cinders of a fireplace where she sat & slept when her work was done each day.
 * Cinderella is very similar to Snow White, regarding their childhood and teenaged years. Their mothers both died when they were young, and both of their fathers remarried a woman who treated them unfairly and cruelly after his death. However, unlike Snow, Cinderella married into her kingdom's royal family.
 * Cinderella and Snow were pregnant at the same time, however Snow gave birth before the Dark Curse arrived and Cinderella did not. Resulting in her remaining pregnant until she went into labor 28 years later as Ashley. Coincidentally both babies were blond girls.
 * Along with Prince Charming, Grumpy, Prince Thomas and the Blue Fairy; Cinderella plays an active part in the imprisonment of Rumplestiltskin.
 * In some cultures, the story is called The Little Glass Slippers, in reference to the glass slippers Cinderella wears when she goes to the ball.
 * She is the second Disney PrincessTM to appear on the show.

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