(A/N: Cool, I'm glad to know that people out there, other than me, love Strongbad! He also put up a new Teen Girl Squad, haha!! Anywayz, I love Ella Enchanted and just had to write my own story! I hope you guy s like this chapter, it's longer than the others. Oh, and if you like Harry Potter, I have a lot of Draco/Ginny fics I've written that I've heard are pretty good! TaTa!)

Bed of Roses

Chapter Two

The next week was a very hectic one indeed. The Palace was practically torn apart with people trying to get ready for the big day. Chamber maids were being called down to help prepare the Great Hall, which was difficult for them because they had to ready rooms for their traveling guests. The kitchens were filled with new and strange aromas and the food kept piling up in the larder. About a dozen boys from Frell had been hired to help catch rodents so that they wouldn't spoil the evening that would follow, and each one would receive a gold KJ at the end of the week!

The Royal Family itself was turned upside down. Ella tried to oversee every aspect of the preparations, but with three little boys trailing her around, it was difficult to get from one side of the castle to the other without much effort. Char had been answering letters of state that had piled up while he was away and couldn't be bothered to take the children away so they had joined the rat patrol. Gavin couldn't be seen in the palace this whole time, for he spent his time down by the Menagerie, tending to the poor phoenix.

Gavin was standing with Timothy, who was two years his elder.

"It really is a magnificent bird." Gavin said as he stood outside of the cage, watching the bird preen itself.

"It's a male," Timothy offered, "See its golden beak and its plumage shimmers? A females beak is brown and her feathers aren't nearly as dazzling."

"Funny," Gavin commented as he looked at Timothy. "In the animal kingdom it's the males that put on the show and the females that choose whom to mate with. Whereas humans-"

"Yeah, we have the pressure to pick the right one." Timothy paused. "Is there a girl who has caught our young Prince's heart?"

Gavin blushed, though he didn't know why. "Not anyone in Frell. May I go inside?"

Timothy unlocked the door to the cage and Gavin stepped inside, leaving Timothy on the outside. Gavin slowly walked up to the bird who immediately stopped preening and stared at him, its head cocked to one side. Gavin reached out his hand and gently stroked the creature's head.

"I hear the King of Ayortha is coming to your birthday." Timothy said.

Gavin's heart dropped, "Yes, I am to travel back with him. Thank the stars he is not bringing any of his daughters."

"That's not what I hear." Timothy laughed. "All six of his daughters are coming, so my girl tells me."

"Your girl?" Gavin cocked his eyebrow up. He asked because he was genuinely curios, and to change the subject.

"Yeah," This time Timothy blushed. "She's a milk maid for Baron Rodrick. She's that beautiful!" Timothy stopped to picture the beautiful milk maid, then he grew serious. "Perhaps you'll find someone among the Kings daughters. Ayorthians are very beautiful, very elegant and as rushed as a leaf falling from the tree."

"And how would you know?"

"Oh, just hear things-"

~*~*~

Guests began to arrive the day before the Celebration and had been put up in the castles many spare rooms. Ladies and lords with their sons and daughters, all dressed in the latest fashions, their maids put up in the servant's wing. Ella and Char had greeted all of their guests and said tea would be taken up to each of their rooms so they may eat and rest. Many of the young girls chose to go hunting, however not for game, but for Prince Gavin. They roamed the halls, the gardens and some even ventured out into Frell, but only a few had traipsed to the Menagerie.

"The Prince!" One girl exclaimed. Her golden blonde hair was piled onto her head and her eyes were sparkling pools of violets, her nose classically upturned. "Thank goodness my Mother didn't win King Charmont when she was younger or I'd never have my chance!"

"Your chance?" A brunette questioned. Her dark tresses were cascading in ringlets down her back, her eyes were a rich hazel, but her nose was decidedly stubby. "What makes you think he'll choose you over me?"

"Breeding, my dear, good breeding."

"Pshaw, you sound like a horse!"

The two girls walked down the hill from which they were standing and had a good view of the Menagerie and all the animals, and there was Prince Gavin, standing by the moat holding out an apple to a male centaur. Gavin hadn't even heard the swishing of their many layered dresses, or the flapping of their fans as they tried to cool off.

"Oh, isn't he a beauty!" The blonde exclaimed, looking at Prince Gavin, then at the centaur.

Gavin turned around and took notice of the two girls. He smiled politely, accepted their bows, and then resumed his interest towards the centaur.

"Is that a Dansling?" The brunette asked this question.

"No," Gavin turned, "it's a wild Meringe. We caught him on the border of the Great Forest. They're very rare."

"I had no idea the Prince was such an animal lover."

Gavin wasn't sure which one had spoken, for he had turned his head back to the centaur after commenting on its breed. "Sort of,"

Both girls looked at each other, wondering why their charms weren't working. They had both a string of beaux back home, all of them pining away for them. It just didn't make sense!

"And what is that one, over there?" Blonde asked, daring to stand next to the Prince.

Brunette followed suit, and was situated on the other side of Gavin. He felt very uncomfortable sandwiched between these two vain girls and searched desperately for an excuse to leave.

"Uh, that one is a Dansling colt. He was raised here. Simon is the best animal trainer in the Kingdom, and his son will follow in his footsteps."

"I have a nightingale back home and it sings the sweetest music you ever heard," Blonde said. "You should hear it sometime."

Brunette looked daggers at Blonde, "My father caught a mermaid and she resides in the garden pool. Her siren songs are very enchanting."

"Oh!" Gavin exclaimed, "I think I hear Timothy now, excuse me ladies, I must go." Gavin bowed to them, then quickly left the area.

But Gavin was not to be freed from these young girls. While he was wiling in the garden he had met a whole crowd of girls that followed him wherever he went and nearly giggled themselves to death as he made a path between them to get out of a dead end. Next he tried the stables, but there were girls standing around, looking as if they were interrogating the stable hands. Gavin turned on his heel and took the kitchen entrance into the castle and the back stairs up to his room, where he sat and wiled the day away.

Dinner that evening wasn't particularly fancy, but satisfied even the highest ranked lord. The Royal family sat at a long rectangular table on a dais on one side of the room, looking over at the many other tables where sat their guests. Gavin tried to keep his eyes on his food, though he knew half the guests were staring at him.

"Why are they all staring at you?" Jerrold asked.

Michael whispered something into his ear, then Jerrold backed away with a look of pure disgust on his face.

"Eew! Girls are gross!" Michael and Jerrold began to laugh.

"I want to know." Eric pouted.

"They want to kiss him." Jerrold whispered rather loudly.

Gavin glared at his younger brothers, "Don't whisper, it's not dignified."

As soon as the meals were finished, the tables and chairs were cleared away and the guests retired to their rooms, as so did the Royal Family.

~*~*~

"You look so handsome." Ella said to her son.

The two of them were in Gavin's room and he had just finished his toiletry and was staring at himself in the mirror. Ella had stepped in to see how he was doing, and nearly messed his clothes up by taking him in a huge hug.

"I probably won't be able to see you alone again, Gavin, so I want to give you my present now." Ella sat down on the bed and Gavin followed. He hadn't even noticed the box in his mother's hand. "Mandy gave this to me when I was young, and now I'm giving it to you." Ella began to open the box as she continued to speak. "Mandy gave this to me when I was young and it helped me out during the hardest part of my life."

Gavin had heard his Mother's tragic story of her stepfamily's cruelty to her. He rarely saw Mum Olga and Hattie. Olive had no intention to ever come to the palace, she was quite content where she was, in her large house being adored by her husband. He felt so proud every time he heard the story retold to him, knowing that his Mother was so brave and that her blood ran through his veins. As he watched, he saw his Mother pull out a large book.

"They're fairy tales, but not the way you've been told by your nanny." Ella handed the book to him.

Gavin looked confused, but didn't want to hurt his Mother's feelings by not accepting the gift.

"Oh, Gavin, life is hard and cruel and unforgiving, I know. But you must go on. Trials that we face today will make us stronger tomorrow. We must learn to forgive and to not let the obstacles stop us from living. We've not failed until we give up trying, remember that." Ella stopped to wipe away a few tears. "I know you're not telling me something, Gavin, a mother always knows. But please, whenever you feel like giving up, open up the book and loose yourself in a fairy tale."

Ella kissed her son on the cheek, then left him with his thoughts. Gavin had opened the book and stared at the title to the first story, "The Elves and the Shoe Maker." Gavin read the first few lines before he heard a servant knock on his door and tell him the party was beginning. Gavin laid the book on the bed, then walked out of the room.

The music was already playing and a few people and taken the advantage of the open floor to dance and twirl about. As Gavin entered the music and those who were dancing stopped and everyone cheered for their future King. The music once again started up and more people began to dance.

Gavin hated to dance, truth be told, but he had learned and was quite excellent at the footwork. He was obliged to dance with the girls, but made it a point to not ask the same girls twice, for fear she would think it some sort of a sign. Gavin was looking for a sign himself. Maybe within this Hall the girl he would marry was standing idly by, waiting her turn. Looking into the eyes of all his dance partners proved that none of them were right.

"Hello Prince Gavin," His current dance partner said in deep tones with an accent.

Gavin looked at the girl closely to see if he knew her. She must be one of Semiedi's daughters, Gavin thought. She had dark skin and hair and he placed her accent as Aythorian.

"Princess-"

"Adia." She said, blushing slightly. "I must congratulate you on your age and say how wise you must be, filled with all sorts of knowledge-" Adia trailed off.

"I'm sorry, why 'must' you?" Gavin asked.

"It is my Father," Adia sighed. "He dragged myself and my sisters here, hoping one of us would catch your heart. Even little Idissa, who is not yet eleven, is waiting her turn. In Ayortha as soon as a girl reaches the age of ten, she is considered a woman. Otherwise Semi would be here as well."

Gavin couldn't help but laugh a little, "And why has your Father chosen you first, then, to woo me?"

Adia couldn't help but laugh herself, and feel a little more comfortable. "I am closer to your age, though a few months older. My Father thinks that if we marry, our countries will be forever at peace and that we can trade freely. He worries that his daughters will not find suitable matches-"

"I am sorry, Adia, but I have no plans to marry any time soon."

"Do not worry, Prince, nor do I."

The dancing continued and soon Gavin had been introduced to all of Semiedi's daughters, each professing some reason or other not to love him. The eldest, who was twenty, had her eyes on another man. Adia was next in line at eighteen, then came the twin girls, Seri and Laisda. Seri had planned on exploring the wilderness to the west in hopes of adventure while Laisda was too busy stringing a dozen or so boys along at home to bother with a foreign Prince. Idissa was more worried about growing taller then getting a husband, and Gavin was worried about tripping over her while they danced.

Towards midnight the dancing stopped and fireworks were heard going off over the castle. Many of the guests walked out onto the balcony to see the sky light up with reds and blues and greens in the shapes of dragons and harts and mermaids. Trumpets sounding in the Hall called the guests back and the King stood up and gave a toast, praising his son's age and endowing him with all the privileges of adulthood.

"Two gifts I have for you!" The King announced. "The first is the crown I wore when I was your age." A servant carrying a velvet pillow with a small golden crown on top walked up to the King. Charmont placed the crown on his sons head, "I now announce you Prince Regent of Kyrria!" The Hall filled with cheers and clapping. "The next gift, if you please." Char called to someone near the balcony.

All the heads turned as they saw a gilded cage being rolled into view. Simon and Timothy were pushing the phoenix and Gavin's heart nearly leapt out of his chest when he saw.

"My son is a magician when it comes to animals. He charmed this phoenix who had a broken wing, and now it is healed. We will now set it free into the wild!" Char raised his hand into the air and the gates flew open and the phoenix flapped its beautiful scarlet and gold wings and took off into the night sky, calling back to the Prince in its beautiful musical voice.

The dancing was struck up again, but all Gavin could think about was not being able to say goodbye.