Escape and Revenge
It was 5 years after her marriage to Prince Kit that made Ella's life change upside down. Not in a bad way, of course. It was the best thing that had ever happened in her life. Through these years, Ella had completely forgotten about her old, cruel, and dark life. She had forgiven her stepmother's cruelty, but as the days in the castle changed to months then into years, Ella's heart had questioned the reasons why her stepmother did what she did. She wasn't angry or anything like that, she was just...upset…confused. Ella walked down the hallway where every servant bowed to her and gave her a warm smile. She smiled back. The only thing she wanted to do right now buried herself in a good book with a cup of tea and a warm fireplace. The castle's wall was covered with portraits of her and Kit. She always never thought that she looked good in pictures, but Kit would say otherwise. She stopped and turned to the portrait of her wedding day. She smiled warmly at the thought of the handsome prince that saved her from her miserable life. Her childhood was golden. A happy go lucky feeling, until that day. The day she lost her mother. After that, the housemaids left and her father remarried. But little did she or her father knew that the woman had girls of her own and was a widow herself. Once her father died just a few years after her mother, her stepmother showed her true colors. Ella shuddered at the thought. After looking at the portrait, she goes into the library, grabs her favorite book, sits down, and reads it. In the old home that Ella had once lived in, her stepmother, Lady Tremain, paced around the big library, going from shelf to shelf, finding a book that could help her get revenge on Ella. "Mother," came her daughter's voice. Anastasia rushed to her mother. "I think I found it!" She pulled out a book. Her sister, Drizilla, ran to her. Their mother looks at the book and smiles.
"That was mine!" Drizilla cried. "I found it first!" Tremaine rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"It was not!" Anastasia complained. And back and forth, they argued. Lady Tremain moaned.
"ENOUGH, YOU TWO! DID YOU FIND THE RIGHT BOOK?!" She screamed in anger.
The girls shut their mouths and nod. "Yes, mother." They hand it to her and she opens it up.
"Finally, Cinderella," Tremaine whispered. "You'll be mine once again." A small grin appears
"Oh, mother!" Anastasia said. "Can we torture her?" Tremaine and Drizella look at her.
"OF COURSE WE'RE GONNA TORTURE HER!" Drizella exclaimed in exasperation.
"Let's go, girls," Tremain said. "Revenge will be sweet." They go into the carriage and head off.
Minutes drifted into hours as Ella stuck her nose in the book. She fell asleep with her face in her book and a smile of content. Suddenly, a loud bang was heard; she jolted up out of her seat. She stood up. "Kit?" She called out. "Is that you?" No response. She got out of her seat and headed outside. Right when she poked her head out the door, a bag flung over her head. She screamed for help, but to no avail. "KIT!" Suddenly, she gets hit hard across the head and goes limp.
"Oh, poor Cinderella," the sisters mocked as they felt Ella's body go limp. Tremain looks around, and once the coast was clear, they ran out of the castle and headed back to the mansion. "She's very light, mother. Why?" They carried her into the carriage and sat by their mother in the inside.
"That's because she doesn't eat much," Tremain replied. "And now, she won't ever eat again!" When Ella awoke, her head hurt. She sat up and held her head. "What…happened…?" She looks around and sees nothing, but darkness all around her. Suddenly, a too-familiar voice is heard.
"Good," came the voice. "You're awake."
Ella's eyes widened at the voice. This seemed to please her capture. It was her stepmother, but did she dare to say the word? She couldn't now…could she….?
"S-Stepmother…" Ella whispered under her breath. DRATS! She swallowed hard. Suddenly, two other figures appeared. She knew exactly who they were and she groaned internally at the thought of them. She then got the courage to speak. "What do you want with me?" The girls stopped talking and turned to her. Ella's heart pounded hard within her chest.
"Oh, Cinderella!" said Anastasia in a tone of pure mockery. Ella rolled her eyes. Anastasia, for sure. Anastasia slaps Ella hard across the face. "Did you just rolled your eyes at me?!" Ella rubs her cheek.
"Did that hurt?" Drizella mocked. Ella glared at her. She wasn't going to talk back at her now.
"Men, come out here," Tremain said. Two tall men, one with a beard, and the other with no beard come out of the shadows and grab Ella. As much as Ella wanted to scream, she kept her mouth shut for fear of getting killed. A nasty grin appears on Tremain's face. "Take her to the torture chamber," Ella screamed and struggled as hard as she could. A young 10-year-old servant, Lily, was cleaning by the library when she realized that Ella was missing. Her eyes widen with fear; she runs to get Kit. "MR. KIT!" she rushes frantically to him.
"What is it, my dear?" He goes to her and bends down to her height. She looks at him, breathing heavily.
"It's Queen Ella!" said Lily. "SHE'S MISSING!"
Kit calmed her down. "What happened to her?"
"She went to read in the library, but now, she's gone!" She began to sob. "I just went to clean the library when I saw her missing!" Kit pulls her tightly in a hug.
"YOUR MAJESTY!" The Captain ran to him. Kit turns to him. "Her Majesty is missing!" Lily held on Kit tightly.
"I've just received news by this young one," Kit smiles warmly at Lily. She smiles back. "But by who….?"
"By her stepmother," replied the Captain. "UMPH!" Ella held her breath as the bearded guard hit her stomach with the hilt of his gun. She collapsed to her knees, but the younger looking guard pulled her hair back. "Aaahhh…." Ella whimpered in pain. Just then, Tremain came in with a cane in hand. She looks up at her. "Why?! Why are you so cruel?! What have I done to deserve this? To deserve this torture? WHY?!"
"You came into my life," Tremain replied. Ella froze in place. She knew that Tremain never wanted to marry her father. She just wanted to get the inheritance! Ella's eyes furrowed in anger; she was just about had it with Tremain's cruel treatment towards her. The guard tightens his grip which made her come back to reality. In the corner of her eye, Ella could see Lucifer ready to pounce on her. The bearded guard moved out of the way. That was when Ella screamed at the top of her lungs. Lucifer had found his mark and attacked. Tremain stood, enjoying the show. "What should we do, your Majesty?" Lily asked.
He looks down at her. "I'm not sure yet, Lily."
"Well, we have to do something!" Lily cried. "WHO KNOWS WHAT HER STEPMOTHER HAS ALREADY DONE TO HER!" She sat against the wall, rocking back and forth in fear. "I don't want to see Queen Ella get hurt…"
Kit went to her. She looks up at him. Kit looks down at his feet. "Sweetie, if I knew, I'd tell you, sadly, I don't know." Lily hugs his waist. He bends down and hugs her back. "We'll find her." Scratches and blood dripped from Ella's forehead and cheeks as tears streamed down her face from the pain she had just endured. Lucifer strutted towards Tremain, smiling in content for scratching Ella. Tremain looks on in joyful revenge. Tremain walked up to Ella; the clanking sound of her staff echoed through the room and into Ella's ears. The vibration of the sound made Ella groan in pain as she curled up into a ball on the ground. "M-Make it stop, please…" Silence. It stops. That's a relief, Ella thought to herself. Suddenly, it was just her and her stepsisters. They crack their knuckles and walk towards her slowly. Ella gulps and backs away from them. Don't do this! PLEASE! Ella's mind screamed. Immediately after receiving news of Tremain's whereabouts, Kit and his men packed their bags and readied their horses. "What about me?" Lily asked. "I want to help!" Kit sighed and hopped down his horse.
"I know you do, Lily," Kit said. "But it's dangerous."
"Sir," Lily said sharply. "I've been kidnapped before as a young girl and was forced to see my parents die in front of me. What makes this more dangerous?" Kit froze in place. He remembered when all his castle staff, including Lily, was captured by the enemy when his father was still in the rule. It broke his heart. "So, please, sir. Let me at least be at service for you." Ella backed away again as another punch to the face hit her. This time, harder than the last. She whispers to herself. "Have courage and be kind." She began to repeat this to herself in a mantra. Her stepsisters didn't hear her. Drizella takes off her shoe and hits Ella across the arm with it. Ella whimpered in pain but didn't say a word. The girls growled in anger.
"YOU'RE WEAK!" Drizella kicks her stomach. Ella whimpered in pain and curled up in a ball. Anastasia pulls her hair back and Drizella punches her hard in the face, giving her a black eye and a bloody nose.
Ella winced in pain. "Please, you've done enough!"
"Why should we?" Anastasia and Drizella screamed.
Ella looks down at the ground. "I didn't do anything." She whispers to herself. "Oh, where are you, Fairy Godmother?" Anastasia and Drizella's eyebrows rise in confusion. So is that why they didn't recognize her at the ball? They scream for their mother, who runs in. Ella looks up at her. Tremain steps on her back.
"AAAGGGHHH!' Ella screamed out in pain.
"So, you had a magical fairy to help you?" Tremain interrogated Ella. Ella looked at the ground, silent. "ANSWER ME, YOU WRETCHED, SERVANT GIRL!" Tremain pulled out a sword and pressed it against Ella's throat. Kit sighs in defeat. "Alright, Lily. You can come." She smiles in delight and hugs him tightly. "Stay by me."
"As you wish, your Majesty," Lily says, bowing to him.
He smiles and helps her up onto the horse. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," he said, smiling. "Hold on tightly!"
She holds tightly onto his waist as they gallop away through the forest. "Do you know where she is?"
"Yes, sir," she said over the howling wind. "She's with her stepmother in her home estate." Kit nods and cracks the reins of his horse, making him go faster.
"WOAH! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Lily laughed with glee.
"You like it?" Kit laughed. She nods and laughs more.
"YES, SIR!" Lily laughed. "THIS IS SO FUN, SIR!"
"I'm glad!" He gallops harder and faster. She laughs.
"MR. KIT!" Came a voice. Kit stopped abruptly.
"YES?!" Kit called back. "What is it, Captain?"
He goes to him. "Do you remember the Grand Duke?"
"Yes, I do," Kit replied, nodding. Lily bit her lip hard. Suddenly, in the corner of the room, a man in the shadows walks out. Ella gulped in the realization of who the man was…the Grand Duke. The Duke looks at Tremain and smiles.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Grand Duke," Tremain said.
"Likewise," the Grand Duke replies. Ella looks at him, trembling in fear. He looks back at her.
"Pleasure to see you again," the Grand Duke sneered. Suddenly, the door slams open wide.
"LET HER GO!" A voice screamed. "NOW!" All heads turned to the sound of the voice.
"L-Lily…?" Ella called out weakly. Lily ran to Ella's side and held her hand tightly.
"I'm here, your Majesty," Lily said. Ella held the girl's tiny hand in hers. "I'm here…" Suddenly, she saw the two stepsisters approach them slowly like a predator with its prey. Lily quickly stood up and pulled out the knife from her pocket. "STAY AWAY FROM HER!" Kit and his men hurried as fast as they could, but Lily was nowhere in sight. She had gone ahead of them, anxious to get Ella out of her terrible predicament as quickly as possible; Kit and the Captain didn't even stop or call after her because someone with that much determination should not be messed with. And the most important fact to keep in mind is that she didn't go ahead of them by a horse. No, she got ahead of them by foot; she ran as fast as a bullet and was soon out of sight. "You know something, your Majesty," the Captain told Kit. "She deserves to have a higher position for this act of bravery of hers." Kit nodded. "One girl like her is a worthy gift."
"You're right, Captain," Kit replied. "She does." He closes his eyes and thinks back to the time when Lily helped his father when he collapsed to the ground in a coughing fit. She was only 3 at the time. she was now 17; oh, how the time flies! Kit thought to himself. The Captain gently nudges his shoulder and he comes back to reality. "I have a question for you, Captain." He nods.
"Go ahead, your Majesty," the Captain said. Kit sighs and looks at him with sadness in his eyes.
"Whatever happened to Lily's parents?" Kit finally asks. The Captain strokes his beard, thinking.
"We don't know," the Captain replied after a moment's thought. "We believe she's an orphan."
"So, you have no record or anything about her family?" Kit questioned. "Her parents?"
The Captain shook his head. "No sir, I'm sorry." Kit sighed. "Why do you ask?"
"I don't know," Kit replied. "She came up to me and just asked. I didn't know how to respond."
"When did she ask you?" the Captain asked. Kit shook his head, trying to remember.
"Just a few days ago," Kit said. Suddenly, a scream was heard in the distance. "LET'S GO!"
"I warned you!" Lily screamed as she stabbed the dagger into Anastasia's arm. Ella watched in complete awe – and fear – at the young servant girl. It never once occurred to her that Lily, this young, innocent servant girl, was a fighter…a protector. She watched as Lily slashed at Tremain and the Grand Duke with nothing, but her two small daggers in their arms. She got the high ground as she was able to push both Anastasia and Drizella to the ground and step on them.
"NO!" Tremain screamed. Lily's head snapped in Tremain's direction. "Not my daughters!"
"LET US GO, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Anastasia and Drizilla cried. The Grand Duke came behind Lily. Ella held back the urge to scream. Lily, knowing the Grand Duke's presence behind her, kicks him in the place that hurt most. He fell to the ground, screaming in pain. Lily looked back at the sisters, then their mother, daggers inches near each girl's throat. They gasp in fear.
"You have two choices, Lady Tremain," Lily said, her voice cutting through the quiet air. "You have the choice to either free Ella and your daughters will be unarmed; or, you don't let Ella go and I'll slit each of your daughter's throats slowly and watch as you suffer. Which one do you prefer?" Ella gasped when she heard this, but she knew that the punishment fit the crime…right? Suddenly, the Grand Duke stood up and went behind Lily. He then stabbed her with his knife to the stomach. Lily's eyes went wide as she gasped for air. Ella screamed. Lily looks at Ella as the Grand Duke pulls the knife from her stomach, making Lily to slowly to her knees. She gasped in pain as she held her stomach in pain. Ella ran to her and held her in her arms. Lily smiles weakly.
Tears streamed down Ella's face as she held her young servant. "W-Why did you do that?"
Lily coughed up blood and looked up at her queen. "A humble servant makes noble sacrifices."
Ella sobbed harder. "B-But y-you're too young to die, Lily! You're too young to die now!"
Lily laughed weakly. "I-I've been through worse, your Majesty. Believe me. Much worse."
Just then, Kit and the Captain rushed in and saw Ella and a bleeding Lily on the ground. Kit turns to the Captain. "You and your men take care of Tremain, her daughters, and the Grand Duke."
"What about you, your Majesty?" the Captain asked as he prepared his men for battle if need be.
"I'll take care of my wife and new adoptive daughter," Kit replied. Lily smiled weakly.
"As you wish, your Majesty," the Captain said. "MEN, COME AND TAKE THEM AWAY!" The men grab them. As much as they struggled, it was to no avail. Once they stopped fighting, the guards take them away and lock them in the carriage and head back to the king, her queen, and Lily. Kit held Ella in his arms as the Captain gently scooped Lily into his arms. She smiles and falls asleep on him. He smiles back warmly and looks at Kit. "They need medical attention."
He nods and they head back to the carriage. Ella rests on Kit's chest. "Thank you for saving us."
"It's not me you should thank," Kit whispered. He points to the sleeping Lily. "It's her to thank."
Ella smiled warmly at the girl. "I'm glad she's our daughter now." Kit smiles warmly and nods.
Once back at the castle, the nurses rushed Ella and Lily to the infirmary and the guards threw the Grand Duke and Tremains in the dungeons. Ella put a hand on Lily's forehead. "Thank you."
"For what?" Lily asked, looking at Ella. Ella's eyes said it all. "Mama…" Ella smiles warmly. "A sacrifice is a vow that anyone and everyone makes. I might not know my parents, but I do know this: 'Have courage and be kind.'" Ella looks at her. "Your mother told you the same thing?" Ella nods. "Yeah, that's the only thing I remember my mama told me too. Her last words." Just then, Kit came in. Lily smiles at him. "Hello, Papa." He smiles at her, warmly.
"Hi, sweethearts," he said, placing a kiss on Ella and Lily's foreheads. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," Ella replied. She turns to Kit. "I'm glad to be a mother now." Kit nods and smiles.
"So do I, darling," he said. "So do I." They turn to Lily who hugs them tightly. They hug back.
"And I'm glad to be your daughter," Lily smiled warmly. A few days pass, and Ella and Lily's wounds were completely healed. "IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY!" She jumps on Ella and Kit. "C'MON!" They laugh and throw off their blankets and change into their winter clothes.
The Captain meets them with a warm smile. "Merry Christmas." They have a snowball fight.
The
End
Kristina Haddad
2-2-19
HAVE COURAGE
AND
BE KIND