Cinderella sat at a large wooden table in the kitchen. Mrs. Potts busied her self by talking to the chef while Lumiere flirted with a a feather duster. Cogsworth had gone to settle a dispute between a shovel and a hoe.

Cinderella sat watching all the goings on. She smiled slightly. She liked it here. It was so much different from her home. She felt comforted and at ease. There was also a small feeling that she had been there before. She knew this place but couldn't remember how.

"Well dear, how was your breakfast?" Asked Mrs. Potts.

Chef Bouche leaned forward intent on hearing her response.

"It was very good. I liked the eggs. They were brouillade de truffes, right?"

"Very good. Not many people pick up the black truffle. They don't usually have that knowledge. You must come from a noble home." said Chef Bouche impressed.

Cinderella smiled, "Yes. My mother was a Lady Gwenaella Irene Letendre. She taught me about truffles. She taught me how to cook and sew. Also to clean and take care of a household. Everything a young woman should know about how to manage her own house."

Mrs. Potts and Chef Bouche smiled. "Well she certainly taught you well. Concerning truffles." said Chef Bouche.

"Oh let me help you clean up." said Cinderella getting to her feet.

"No dear. Don't worry about it." Said Mrs. Potts as she indicated towards the sink. Cinderella's plate, cup, fork, and knife got up and walked to the sink. They proceeded to jump in the water where a dish cloth washed them. They then rinsed themselves off and were dried off by another towel, all by their own power.

"You're our guest." Said Lumiere. "You don't need to do the dishes or clean. As you see they can do that themselves."

Cinderella nodded in awe and disbelief at the dishes. "That's going to take some getting used to. If I can't wash the dishes or clean, what good am I going to do here? What am I supposed to do?"

The objects looked at her. "You're our guest. You can do whatever you like. You are not a maid here. Just a ordinary girl." said Lumiere.

"Huh." said Cinderlla. She didn't know what to think or do. She hadn't been able to do what she wanted in years. She didn't know how to be an ordinary girl.

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Cogsworth showed Cinderella around the castle. They went through the North wing, then the South wing, and then the East wing. But when they came to the West wing Cogsworth became nervous and agitated. "We... uh.. we.. you don't go there. That place is off limits. Understand?"

Cinderella looked curiously up the stairs but nodded. "I understand." The tour continued with the grand hall, entry hall, library, green house, the courtyard, and gardens.

"That ends the tour. I have to go check in with the Master. You'll be alright on your own?" asked Cogsworth.

"Yes." Cinderella responded. Cogsworth turned to leave and quickly added "Don't forget "

"Don't go into the West wing." said Cinderella before he could finish. "I know." Cogsworth nodded and waddled off. Cinderella looked around. 'What to do?' she thought. She wandered around till she came across a room that was left open. "Hello?" she called. No one answered. Cinderella cautiously poked her head inside. It was a room that led to the up to one of the towers. Cinderella climbed up the staircase and into a round room with three doors. Cobwebs covered two of the three doors. The third had cobwebs on the frame but the seal of the door was clean. Like someone had recently gone inside. Cinderella walked up to the clean door and gently pushed the door. It opened easily with out so much as a creak. Inside the room was covered unenchanted furniture, several trunks, and covered portraits and paintings. Dust covered most everything in the room, except one portrait. The cloth covering the portrait had almost no dust on it. Clearly someone had been to view this portrait recently. Curious to see what the painting was, portrait or painting, she walked forward and reached her hand out to remove the cover. A creak came from further in the room. Her heart started beating faster at the aspect of being caught. She did not think she should be in this room. She hurriedly left the room and walked quickly down the stairs. She wondered what the noise was and what the painting could have been.

Once her heart stopped racing she calmly found her way to the library. She then browsed the books to find a suitable book that perked her interest. She came across a small book shelf of old books. The spines on the books were worn from use and reading. She ran her fingers across the spines.

"Jorinda and Joringel. Diamonds and Toads. Bluebeard. Donkeyskin." Cinderella picked up the copy of Donkeyskin and walked over to the little couch by the small bookshelf. She sat down and curled up with the book. She contently sat there the rest of the day reading.

So she settled into a routine the stayed consistently the same from day to day. In the morning she would get up, get dressed, and head down to the kitchen. She would eat whatever Chef Bouche felt like making.

After breakfast she would walk the grounds. She often worked in the garden and green house. After she washed up she headed to the library and read till lunch. Then she helped cook lunch and work beside Chef Bouche. He was glad to have the company and outside opinion. They often created new things together and tried new techniques. Chef Bouche would showed her new dishes and they made many of the dishes Cinderella's mother taught her.

After lunch she would sit for several hours and work on her sewing. After she would explore the castle some more. No matter how many times she did there was always something new to discover. Then it was time for dinner and she ate in the kitchen again with Cogsworth, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, and several other objects. They would talk and laugh and have a merry time.

After dinner she would go out on the balcony of her room and watch the night sky. She loved to look at the stars and moon. Her balcony overlooked the gardens and into the forest beyond the gate. She often saw Beast wandering through the gardens at night. She thought how lonely he must be. But she never went to him. Just before bed she would write in her diary about her day. And every night she would dream the same dream. Wandering through the castle this castle she thought. She searched for something. But what she could never figure out. As she searched she she always saw the same portraits. She could almost swear she knew the faces but her mind couldn't grasps who they were. Every morning she would wake up and remember the dream. It left a haunting feeling that she could not shake. Slowly through her day though it seemed to fade from her mind.

Everyday the routine continued. Cinderella was in the kitchen helping Chef Bouche make lunch. "What are we making today?" Cinderella asked Chef Bouche.

"How about a ratatouille to go with the roast boar I have been roasting all morning?"

"Mmmmm. That sounds delicious." said Cinderella. She set herself up slicing vegetables. Soon all the components were ready and Cinderella helped Chef Bouche put it together.

"It will take about 25 to 30 minutes." Chef Bouche busied himself by cleaning his burners while they waited. Cogsworth came in all a tizzy.

"Oh dear. Oh my. Oh." he muttered.

"What wrong?" asked Cinderella.

"Oh. Master wants lunch now. He is ravenous and demanding to be fed."

Cinderella was puzzled. "So just bring him some of the lunch we prepared. I don't understand"

"Its not that simple." Cogsworth cut in. "The tray that usually brings him his food lost a wheel and the others are being cleaned. There is no one to bring him his lunch. None of us can bring it to him before it gets cold and the dishes with spill it before they even reach him." Cogsworth continued to mutter and fret while Mrs. Potts and Lumiere tried to find solutions to the problem.

"Lunch is ready!" Chimed Chef Bouche. Everyone but Cinderella ignored him. She quickly made a plate up and moved to the door way of the kitchen.

"I'll bring him his lunch." She said loudly and before they could object she exited the kitchen and quickly walked toward the West wing. She walked briskly so they could not keep up with her. When she came to the stairs that lead to the West wing she paused. She knew she wasn't supposed to go there but that is why she made the plate. To have an excuse to enter the forbidden wing and to be useful. She took a deep breath and walked up the stairs that led to the West wing.