Here's the first ever 'Ella Enchanted' fic. I was bored one day, and after reading Ella for the 102nd time, I got an idea for a fanfic. Please review; my Harry Potter fanfics haven't been getting much reviewing. The first few pages are from the book, and are property of Gail Carson Levine. Ella, Char, Hattie, Olive, Mandy, Dame Olga, Nancy, and Sir Peter are all hers. Anyone that sounds unfamiliar is mine. Here's the first ever Ella fanfic.
Ella and the Passing
Early Packing~
"Lela, I'm so sorry!" There was so much remorse in his voice that it startled me.
"Why? What were you saying? I'm the one to apologize. I wasn't listening. I was thinking about how sad it will be to leave Frell. No more balls every night." I said
"But you can come back, can't you?"
"I suppose. But it wouldn't be the same. You can never go back to a moment when you were happy."
"That's true." The dance ended. "Would you like to go outside? Every time the musicians start up, I'm reminded of all the maidens with whom I should be dancing with."
Outdoors we strolled through the castle gardens while I kept listening for chimes. How much time had passed? How much time was left?
Char spoke of Frell, asking whether I'd visited this sight or that, and describing each one for me. I must have answered reasonably when I had to. But if called upon to repeat what I said, or what he said, I couldn't. Most of my mind and all of my heart were set on the sound of his voice, the warmth of his arm in mine, the rhythm of our steps together, the fresh scent of the night air. And on the wish that each minute would last a year. I cried again, but in the dark, he didn't see. And the clock moved relentlessly on: ten, half-after, eleven, half-after.
"That's enough." He said finally. "I can face them now."
Inside we danced. "Soon it will be time for me to sing. After that, I'll either be surrounded by worshipping music lovers, or shunned by all."
"Surrounded." I said. "And I would never shun you."
"I wonder. You may shun me if you knew the truth." He took a breath and was suddenly quite formal. "I apologize if I unintentionally raised your expectations, but I've resolved never to marry."
So the balls hadn't been his idea. I stifled a triumphant laugh. "You didn't mislead me. I've only been saving stories for home. I'll tell them 'The prince said thus-and-so to me, and I said thus-and-so back to him. And, Mother, I made him laugh, I made our prince laugh. And Father, he danced with me-one night with almost no one except me.' 'What did he wear?' my sister will want to know. 'Did he carry his sword always?' Father will ask."
Char tightened his hold on my waist. "Marriage is supposed to last forever, but friendship can be forever too. Will you…"
I felt something at the back of my head. Hattie, dancing nearby with the Earl of Demby, snatched off my mask. I let go of Char, and covered my face with my hands, but not quickly enough.
"Ella!" Hattie shrieked.
Char gasped. "Ella?"
I broke away from him and began to run as the clock struck midnight. Char would have caught me in a minute, but Hattie must have held him somehow.
Outside, a huge pumpkin stood uselessly in the line of carriages. I continued to flee. A white rat skittered across my path. Somewhere I lost one of my slippers. I ran on, listening for pursuers.
At home, maybe Mandy would know what to do. Or I could hide in the cellar, in the stable-somewhere. How could I have gone to the balls? To put Char and Kyrria in such danger!
"Mandy!" I shouted as soon as I reached the manor. A servant stared at me. I ran into the kitchen. "I've endangered Char again, and Kyrria! What can I do?"
"Here's your bag, I've got mine. We'll find work as cooks. Let's go!" She said, running to the back of the manor to the stables. Mandy got onto one of the horses, and pulled me on. She gave me her bag to hold, and we rode through the backyard, and to the main path. I saw Char's carriage outside the manor, along with Dame Olga's carriage. We went south, which was the way to Ayortha. I noticed that there were tears coming down my face. To this day, I could never figure out how Mandy and I did this all in such a short amount of time, those moments were like a haze to me, and I could only later recollect them from Mandy's telling of it.
"Good-bye Char." I said silently, as I turned for one last look.
"Lora my dear, please fetch me a glass of water." Sorrel said. Mandy and I rode till the sun came up. We didn't quite get to Ayortha, but we were about 10 miles away from there. We stopped in front of a quite large manor. Luckily, they were willing to take us in, once they tasted Mandy's cooking. I decided to go by the name of Lora, so I couldn't be traced down.
I went to the kitchen, where Mandy was preparing dinner.
"Sorrel wants another glass of water?" Mandy asked
"Yes, she's really enamored with writing that book." I said, getting her some water. Sorrel was the daughter of Lady Marie. I liked Sorrel, she never gave orders, and she was a kind soul. Sorrel was about 18, and still not married, she simply didn't care about that now. All she cared about was that book. I was usually under her service, never doing much for Lady Marie. She had enough maids and manservants to attend to the whole Royal Court of Ayortha.
"Do you know what her book is about?" Mandy asked
"Not a clue. I keep asking her, but she pretends that I never asked. She puts herself in a thicket of secret. I'm not sure that even her mother knows what she's doing."
"As if her mother would take the time to notice." Mandy said, returning to the dinner
I took the glass of water to Sorrel, and then went to my room, which was next to Mandy's. I tried to think of something else that I had to do, but my mind came up blank. I had the night free to do whatever I want. Then an idea struck my mind.
"Mandy, I'm going to visit Areida." I said, and I left before she could order me not to go. I took the horse that we rode to the manor on, and I left.
I often think back on my life when a free moment allows me, and to this day, I still wonder what pushed me to see Areida. I usually had many free nights, and never had an idea so radical come to me. But the rebel in me told me to go, and I never tried to disagree with rebellious Ella. Either that, or fate was finally taking pity on my soul.
I couldn't remember the name of the horse we took, so I named him Apple, after my centaur back in Frell. I rode out of Denary, and into Ayortha. Ayortha was so different from Kyrria, just from the minute you stroll in. It just seemed like a more beautiful place, a place that walks would be more enjoyed, a place where the roses were redder and the food tasted better. I loved Ayortha the minute I got there.
I looked down at Apple. For some reason, I thought of Char. How I missed him so, but at least he's safe from me. I'm in a place where I cannot harm him. Then why did I feel so bad?
I then had another thought, where was the inn that Areida and her parents ran? I went over to a man who was selling bread, and asked,
"Do you know of a couple with an inn that have a daughter named Areida?" I asked, and then I realized that I had asked in Kyrrian, which, by the look on the man's face, he didn't know.
"Aehda, eue uehu aerrsa ideki oeuo aeja ahea ieui uhedlu ehe ehte ofjrajseao ieradi Areida?" Which was basically what I said in Kyrrian, but not as well.
"Ishi." He said, which meant yes.
"Aua uehu erre eres oelpro aera iuilerai irhi?" I tried to say, 'Do you know where I could find them?'
"Ishi, ete afhta uwiru erhae odhro iserjgi agdia usautntu." He said, which I think meant 'Yes, you go about a mile north and take a left.'
"Aiela." I said, which meant 'Thank-you.'
I got back up on Apple, and thought of Char again. He was probably over me, and now in love with another maiden, and they were probably about to be married. Just the thought ached my broken heart. I missed him so much, and my magic book would only show me writings from his journal, and no pictures of him. How I longed to see him just one more time.
Maybe he wasn't in love with another maiden. He told me, well, he actually told Lela, that he resolved never to marry. My heart ached even more for doing that to him. He would grow an old man, never marrying another maiden. I couldn't help but laughing at my picture of a very old Char. For some reason, though, that resolve never to marry kept me from breaking down into tears.
I took the left that the man instructed me to take. There weren't many homes, but there were many tiny shops. I kept riding down that path, admiring the beauty of Ayortha. If I could, I would probably stay there always, but Char was in Ayortha often, looking for ogres with his men.
Char! Of course, why didn't I think of this before, he could be here right now, and he'll see me, and, and…I couldn't bare it. But I was so close to the inn, it was in my view, and Char was nowhere to be seen. If I were to turn back, I might run into him. This way I was sure I wouldn't run into him. But when I would leave, it would have to be in the dark of the night.
I rode into the stable that was in the back of the inn. I grabbed my purse that was still on Apple's back. I had managed to get a few coins ever since Olive demanded to have all my money from here and there.
I went back to the front of the inn, and walked in. I didn't take a moment to glance at the beautiful room that I was in, since my Magic Book gave me very detailed drawings of Arieda's inn. No one was in the reception hall, so I walked in a bit more. I took a right in the corridor that I was in, since I believed it to be the dining hall.
You won't believe what I saw.
I know that most of this was from the book, but I wanted to take off from that point. Tell me if you guys like this, and I'll continue it. Laterz-Mystery Girl
