Disclaimer: I dont own any of the Ella Enchanted characters, but the others are mine, mine, mine! :)
"Milady, your mother requests your presence at breakfast in an hour," said Sylvie, my chambermaid, as she entered my bedroom. I sat up groggily and pulled back the heavy red curtains on my four-poster bed.
"Must you always wake me so early Sylvie? You very well know I don't have to go to breakfast with them every time they request it of me," I said as I slowly got out of bed. I raised my outstretched arm to shoulder height and pointed towards the tall windows in my room. I flicked my hand to the side and willed the heavy, dark curtains open. Sylvie smiled as the curtains magically opened and sunlight flooded the room.
Now, before I get any further, let me explain myself. I, Lady Ella Areida, was named after my aunt, the Queen of Kyrria, and my aunt's best friend, Lady Areida of Ayortha. My mother is Princess Cecilia Anne, sister of the King of Kyrria, Charmont. But, I know him as Uncle Char and his wife as Aunt Ella. Their son, Peter is one year my senior and my best friend. Aunt Ella is expecting her second child at the time; my mother and Uncle Char have a bet going as to the gender of the baby. Mother thinks it's another boy, yet Uncle Char is convinced it's a girl. My father is Sir Nicholas, Uncle Char's head knight.
I just turned 16 this past month and from what my mother has told me, I have filled out well. I'm assuming she means the many womanly curves I've acquired that just attract the eyes of men during Uncle's balls. The eyes I try to hide from by slipping out of the balls with Peter to seek out Mandy, our cook and fairy godmother. Yes, that's right; Mandy's a fairy, the best fairy that we know of. My family's had its share of fairies too. My aunt was cursed with obedience by the dumbest fairy we know, Lucinda. She has since changed and disappeared from society, probably in hiding until her victims pass on. However, her daughter Giselle has made plenty of appearances and has given out plenty of gifts. Her offerings, nonetheless, are actually good gifts. I was her second recipient; I received the gift of fairy magic.
Everyone in the castle, my family and the servants, all know about my magical gift. My Uncle has sworn the servants to secrecy, so the townsfolk don't know about my magical abilities. I really scared my chambermaid one night when she found me hovering above my bed; I had been dreaming about flying over the fields of Frell. I used my magic for good things mostly, I only used bad magic to torment people when I got angry, which wasn't often. One time, when Peter had stolen my favorite doll when I was nine, I lifted him up into the air and was careful to bounce him along the stone walls and ceilings throughout the castle halls. I was grounded for a week, but it was worth it! I still use my magic, to help me get ready or to conjure up hot water for a tub or summon objects across my room.
Now that I've explained myself, let us get on with things. Father, Mother, and I all live in a separate wing of the Kyrrian Castle located in Frell; the same one Uncle Char, Aunt Ella, and Peter live in. Peter and Father are out on an excursion to escort Madame Goodwin back to her manor in Elsie, a neighboring country. Madame Goodwin is my mother's closest friend and she was visiting for some time. So, Mother, Aunt Ella, and Uncle Char all decided to have breakfast together and to "discuss a few things" from what Sylvie told me.
I faced my armoire and magically swung open the large, oak door to reveal several everyday dresses. They were still suited for royalty, which bothered me, but I would secretly alter them to look plainer. Today, I picked out a leaf green, satin dress with three-quarter length sleeves and a little bit of lace frill at the ends. It used to have mini rosettes all over the bodice, but I thought it was a little much, so I removed them by simply waving my hand.
Sylvie told me my mother expected me to show for breakfast to talk with my aunt and uncle about something important. Probably about another old, revolting man who wants my hand in marriage. They've been doing that a lot lately. Yesterday, as a matter of fact, I was introduced to father's prime knight, Sir Richard. He was twice my age, with gray hair, and wrinkles all over his face. Not to mention he smelled like the castle stables. He seemed to be very close with Uncle Char and Aunt Ella, talking about ogre tamers or something along those lines.
I left my bedchamber and headed towards the breakfast room on the east side. It caught most of the morning sun, therefore named the breakfast room. Sylvie fell into step behind me as our flat heels clicked loudly on the cobblestone floors. As soon as we reached the main staircase, a fancy, thick carpet dulled the clicking. Mandy claimed it was fairy made, but I never noticed anything special about it. Aunt Ella says she's seen its magical effects, but has yet to explain what they are.
I slid down the banister with Sylvie running after me, yelling to mind my manners and act my age. At the bottom, I was facing the grand, front door and I thought about the beautiful day awaiting me outside. I actually started planning on running out those doors and skipping breakfast, when Sylvie caught up and urged me onward to the breakfast room. I turned left, down one of the main hallways, which was lined with portraits of previous rulers. At the far end was the breakfast room, where I could hear light laughter and conversation between my mother, aunt, and uncle.
I took a deep breath and walked in. Uncle Char and Aunt Ella were sitting next to each other on one side of the table. Across from my aunt, was my mother with an empty seat next to her, facing Uncle Char. The two seats at the heads of the table normally belonged to Peter and my father, but since they weren't home, their place settings had been cleared. I sat down next to mother and started dishing out small portions of fruit, morning biscuits, and some jam. Aunt Ella poured me some tea then refilled Uncle Char's cup as well.
I got about halfway through my meal while the other spoke about how much they enjoyed having Madame Goodwin for the past two weeks before they turned to me. I must've had an annoyed look on my face because my mother said my name in her warning tone. I wiped my face of all emotion until my aunt told me what she had to say.
"We're going to have a ball to mark your 16th birthday, Eleanor, er, I mean Ella. Sorry dear. Anyway, we're going to have a ball and we're inviting all the eligible men in the country," she finished with a smile. I looked to Uncle Char with my mouth wide open. He and my father normally stuck up for me in these types of situations when my mother and Aunt Ella sided with each other. Peter would just take this opportunity to laugh his head off.
"Sorry El," he began to say. "Your Aunt and mother are right. You should really begin looking for a suitor. You're getting far too old and, well, you've really grown in a year." I looked at his face and knew I should listen to him. Uncle Char always knew what was best for me and he never steered me wrong. I slowly nodded my head before continuing with my breakfast.
"Oh," my mother said. "I've invited Madame Goodwin and her family to your ball, sweet." I nodded my head again thinking about Madame Goodwin's insufferable son, Keith. Madame Goodwin's brother is the King of Palisades, our neighboring country, making Keith a lord. He wasn't quiet and soft-spoken like his mother, but rude and intensely irritating.
As I can so fondly remember, Lord Keith Goodwin was the young boy of nine who pushed innocent seven-year-old me into the duck pond at the old castle's gardens. He was also the gawky twelve-year-old who couldn't complete one single dance without stepping on my toes at Peter's eleventh birthday ball. And most recently, he was the sixteen-year-old lad who couldn't keep his hands off of fourteen-year-old me, and ended up with a black eye after I punched him smartly in the face.
I smiled at the memory of Lord Keith with a small cold steak on his face, trying desperately to reduce the swelling of his bruised eye. This caught Uncle Char off guard.
"Am I to deduce that you are happy about seeing Lord Goodwin at your birthday ball, El?" he asked with a hint of laughter in his voice. I looked up startled and he began to chuckle heartily. I was quite like my aunt when it came to my personality, thanks to the amount of time she and I spent together when I was growing up.
I retaliated to my uncle's laughter with, "No, I was simply dreaming of what terrible curse I will perform on the unlucky boy once he arrives." I gave him a wicked smile as his eyes narrowed playfully. I knew what he was thinking – two could play this game.
"But of course, he is no longer a boy, but a grown gentleman," he said calmly looking over to my aunt, who nodded in agreement with a brilliant smile. She could always lighten up a conversation. Mother was stifling her giggles with her cloth napkin.
At this one I burst out laughing and surprised both my aunt and my mother. "Hardly!" I leaned forward, careful to keep my sleeves of my dress out of my jam, and whispered, "Never." Uncle Char was still smiling when he crossed his arms and glanced at my mother.
"Dear sister, please announce our reasons for inviting Lord Goodwin, besides the fact that we know El is smitten with him." I gave him an incredulous look, but looked at my mother, already knowing the answer and dreading the moment when the news escapes my mother's small mouth.
"He will be your escort for the ball," she said in a high-pitched, feminine voice, filled with honey and sugar. The news came too soon.
Well, this is my second fan fic...ive been working on this one for about a month now...its all I can think about, and I keep having great ideas for it. Tell me if you like it!
RiLeY