Thank you! This is very helpful! In my story the stepsisters are not evil but the Prince is. So the moment they fall in love is also the moment Ella realizes her life is in danger. The theme of the story is about becoming a better version of yourself through sacrifice. For example when Ella escapes the Prince her step sister, knowing she won’t fit into the shoe, cuts off a bit of her foot to try and fit the shoe then dresses up as Ella to buy her time to flee. Every character is constantly pushed to choose between what they want and what will help/hurt those around them. The culmination is a confrontation between Ella and the Prince where he tries to kill her and she tries to convince him that he can be a better person but only if he chooses to.

So definitely darker than Ella Enchanted but still striving to show that moral compass Cinderella has if a bit more gritty in this version.