When Ella was born, her fairy godmother, Lucinda, gave her a gift: the gift of
obedience. Only, this makes her do whatever
anyone says without objection – or choice. This was no gift: it was a curse!
Ella’s mother knew about this (as did Mandy, the household fairy) and did not take advantage of it – except when she is at her deathbed she tells her daughter not to tell of her gift to anyone.
Her father, who is unaware of Ella’s unhesitant obedience, remarries to a greedy woman with two daughters – Olive and Hattie. When they find out that she obeys every command, they start using her and trying to make her life even more miserable than they already have.
After many years, when Ella is now a young woman, her step-sisters order her to steal several items in the market and get caught by guards who chase her – she runs into the popular, young, attractive heir to the throne who is also being chased – but by his fans! The two like each other, making Ella’s
stepsisters furious.
Ella cannot bear to live under the obedience spell and Hattie's jealousy a moment longer, so she decides to find Lucinda, the only one who can remove the spell…