Cinderella

"In this world or the next, Cinderella... I will have that baby!"

- Rumplestiltskin

Ella, more commonly known as Cinderella, was previously a young poor servant, who eventually became the wife to Prince Thomas after sealing a deal with Rumplestiltskin. When the Dark Curse was set in motion, it trapped her in Storybrooke, Maine, where she lives as Ashley Boyd, a young maid who finally gave birth to her child when time started moving again.

Before the Curse
"My life... is wretched."

On the night of Prince Thomas' ball, Ella is forced to clean her house by her cruel step-family, when the Fairy Godmother appears to her and tells her that she will, in fact, be able to attend the ball. However, as the Fairy Godmother takes out her wand, she explodes into a myriad of gold dust. Ella is taken aback by this, as Rumplestiltskin appears and tells her that he was doing her a favor. Rumple steals the Fairy Godmother's wand and manipulates Ella into making a deal with him. Rumple explains that he can make all of Ella's dreams come true, by allowing her to attend the royal ball. Ella explains that she does not have anything to give him in return, to which Rumple tells her that he will receive his payment at a later date. Desperate and forlorn, Ella accepts the deal. Later, we see Cinderella on her wedding night, cherishing her new life and love. However, Rumplestiltskin arrives and tells Cinderella that, for her to complete the deal, she must give him her first-born child. Cinderella is noticeably shocked by this, as she believed he wanted jewels or money. A short while later, Cinderella discovers she is pregnant and tells Thomas that she has promised Rumplestiltskin their baby. She is dejected, but Thomas tells her that he will make everything better and to break the deal, they simply have to make a new deal. With the help of Prince Charming and Grumpy, Thomas plans to trick Rumplestiltskin into believing that Cinderella is pregnant with twins. A quill charmed by the Blue Fairy shall be used by Rumple, who will be frozen long enough for Charming and Thomas to transport him to a secure prison in the dwarfs' mines. Cinderella is at first hesitant to undo such powerful magic, but they go through with the plan. Rumplestiltskin signs the new deal, and is trapped and captured. However, Rumplestiltskin apparently makes it so that Thomas disappears, and that he does not come back until Cinderella does, in fact, fulfill her deal with Rumple.

Season 1
"I thought love would be different..."

After Emma Swan spills cocoa over herself, she meets, in the laundry room at Granny's, a pregnant 19-year-old maid, whose name is Ashley Boyd - none other than Cinderella. She tells Emma that no one believes she'll be able to take care of the baby once it comes. Emma tells her not to listen to them: the choice is hers. Later on, Ashley breaks into Mr. Gold's pawn shop. Gold catches her in the act, but she maces him and steals a key from him. After it is revealed that Ashley made a deal with Mr. Gold about her unborn child and has run away, Emma and Henry find Ruby's car crashed on the side of the road and Ashley sitting in a ditch, in labor. Emma drives Ashley to the Storybrooke hospital, giving her a talk about what it really means to have a baby of her own – she won't be able to run away ever again. Ashley says she really does want to keep the baby. Later, at the hospital, a doctor reports to Emma and Henry that Ashley has given birth to a healthy baby girl. Emma has a stern talk with Mr. Gold that leads to him agreeing to let Ashley have her baby, just so long as Emma herself owes him a favor. Sean, the baby's father, later arrives at the hospital and brings the baby, now named Alexandra, a pair of tiny slippers.

On Valentine's Day, Ashley comes into the diner with her baby and admits to her friends that she hasn't had time to get married to Sean yet, and he's been working double shifts at the cannery. Ruby overhears them talking and suggests that they all go out for a ladies night on Valentine's Day. Emma isn't interested, and then gets a call from the station about a break-in. Ashley, Mary Margaret and Ruby go to a bar that night, and Ashley starts drinking, admitting that it's her first night out since she had the baby. Ruby spots some cute guys and invites Ashley to go over to them with her. Ashley hesitates, saying that she's with Sean, but Ruby points out that Sean isn't there for her. As Ruby goes over, Ashley admits that she's right, and Mary Margaret commiserates. Ashley finally admits that she just wants to be with Sean, but that there's no point in being together if they can't be together. This said, Sean comes in, on a break from the cannery, and proposes to her. Ashley accepts as everyone applauds, gleefully, and Sean then takes his new fiancée for a short drive as their first date as an engaged couple.

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland
"Hey, looks like a storm's coming. You better find a place to keep dry."

A storm hits, on a night when the employee in charge of locking up Granny's Diner is the lovely Ashley Boyd, who tells her companion Leroy - the town drunk - that he's closing up the joint. As she heads down the steps, she looks up at the stormy sky as she comments that he's gunning for the "Customer of the Week" plaque. A careless pedestrian makes his way to the diner as Leroy starts to tell Ashley that the situation is win-win for them, she gets his mug on the wall and he finally gets... He is unable to finish his thought for the man walks past them but not without bumping into Ashley and catching her off-guard. Leroy tells the man that it's closing time, and Ashley adds that it looks like a storm is coming so he better find a place to keep dry. Leroy and Ashley start walking away, and the man turns back to them with a smirk and says, "I'll get right on that." This said, he reveals that he has taken the keychain from Ashley and swings it around his finger. He then uses it to open the front door to Granny's and gets in.

Season 4
"Being a first time mother is not easy."

Knowing from experience how difficult it can get to be a first-time mother, Ashley sets up and presides over Storybrooke's very own "Mommy & Me" classes, attended by former fairytale personas who are now forced to bring up their babies in the modern world. She finishes the first class with the "Goodbye" song, and informs her fellow mothers that they'll be singing more songs in the next class, so she's burned them a CD. New mother Aurora - who is also new to Storybrooke - wonders what a CD is. Emma drops by the class when it ends to pick up her baby brother, to babysit him, and Ashley takes the opportunity to greet her and get in touch. Emma comments on what she's got going there, and Ashley explains that it's basically a support group, because being a first-time mother can be so hard. Emma takes this a bit personally, since Neal isn't actually Mary Margaret's first child, but she tries to shrug it off like it's nothing. However, her emotions get the best of her, as they reflect through her magical powers when the milk bottle she's holding starts to boil, causing the three former princesses to flinch in her presence, and Snow to prevent Neal from going with his big sister. When Snow and Charming set off to run an errand regarding the town's newest villains, they hire Ashley to babysit Neal.

Trivia

 * The name "Cinderella" typically derives from the fact that the beauty was forced to sleep on top of cinders in an old version of the story. In the series, her name is revealed to be Ella, with "Cinderella" presumably being a nickname given to her for the same reason. It is possible that the name of her alter-ego, Ashley, was chosen because the first three letters constitute the word "ash".
 * Cinderella became the first minor character in the series to have a centric episode, in her very first appearance no less.

Gallery
Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the character.