When Aschenputtel's mother dies, her father marries a woman with two daughters of her own. They treat her like a servant and she's left to sleep on the hearth amongst the ashes, her only friend a little bird that nests in the hazel tree, which grew at her mother's grave. When the king throws a feast to find his son a bride, Aschenputtel begs to attend. Her family answers her with taunts and impossible tasks. She's determined to complete them so she can attend.In a quest to find a bride, Prince Ruairidh stumbles upon The Light Princess, a completely inappropriate bride with an unbreakable spell upon her. He hears rumours that it was her aunt, Princess Makemnoit, who put the spell on her, but no one knows for certain. The Light Princess would make no one a suitable bride, least of all a prince. But when she's in the lake there's something about her that intrigues Prince Ruairidh and he can't help wanting to spend more time with her.