Thank you, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! to everyone who reviewed. I really appreciate it. Your reviews made my day!

I had to redo this chapter because I decided it didn't come out sounding right, and chapter five would not have matched a K+ rating.

I also realize that I never mentioned a disclaimer. So, sadly enough, I don't own any of the Ella Enchanted characters, ideas, settings, etc.

Now, chapter four, take two.

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Rose and I stood frozen for what seemed like ages before Edward's voice shook me out of my stupor.

"Come on, Lily, don't just stand there!" he snapped, still as sound asleep as ever.

All at once I made a mad dash for the door, Rose on my heels. We collapsed into the long, dewy grass in the backyard.

"That was close," Rose panted.

"Too close," I agreed. "But we got out of there, and that's the important thing. Now, I'm going on to Pimm. You can make it back to the house okay?"

Rose stared at me as if I had gone insane. "What makes you think I'm going back to the house?"

"What makes you think you're coming?" I demanded.

"We're SISTERS? Hello?" Rose's face was flushing redder than her hair.

"You have two sisters back in the house. You can't come with me. It's too dangerous," I stood up.

"I think it's too dangerous for you to go alone," Rose shot back. "I'm coming with you. Let me come."

I was stunned to find that there was no familiar need to obey. Had I unknowingly broken the curse?

No a little voice in the back of my head told me. Edward said not to obey her, remember?

"Come on, Rose, stop being stubborn," I pleaded. "You can't come along, and that's final."

"I'm coming," Rose stood up next to me and started walking down the path, with an attitude that clearly said, "What are you going to do about it?" She turned back for a moment and added, "Besides, you need someone to correct your stupid plans in case you decide it's safe to march through the king's bedroom."

I rolled my eyes at her, sighed and followed her down the path. At least I wouldn't be alone.

I soon realized that there was a huge difference between looking at a route on a map and traveling that route in real life. Not only did I have no idea how to follow the maps, but they did not depict one little bit of the difficulties of the real trails. The forest trail was barely visible on the ground. At times I doubted we were even on the right path.

"Remind me again why this is a good idea?" Rose panted as she clambered over a large rock jutting out of the middle of the path.

My eyes flashed fire in her direction, but I bit my tongue and tried my best to keep my temper in check. "I'll go first, if it's too difficult for your tender feet," I nimbly jumped off the rock, landing in front of her in the path.

Rose glared at me, but had the sense to keep her mouth shut. We ducked under stray tree branches, climbed over fallen trees and rocks, dodged poisonous plants I vaguely recognized from my reading, and tried our best to stay on the faint trail.

After what felt like an exhausting eternity, the sun peeked over the hills in the east. Rose yanked on the shoulder of my dress. "It's morning."

"Yes? And your point is?" I was grumpy from my lack of sleep and the hard work of the trail.

"Well, we're going to have to stop and sleep sometime," she hinted. "And besides, what if someone comes down this path?"

I laughed weakly. "Nobody's been down this road in at least a century!" But I concurred with the need for sleep. "Where do you expect to lie down?"

"Off the trail somewhere?" Rose suggested. "Unless you have a better plan?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I snapped.

"Well, it was your brilliant idea to leave the house right through Edward's room, and it was you extremely intelligent decision to go down this God forsaken trail!" Rose yelled, and let out a stream of words that I would never have expected my quiet, serene sister to use or know.

I gaped at her, but only for a moment. "If you think your expert opinion is so much smarter than my own, why don't you go off on your own? In fact, if I'm so stupid, why didn't you JUST STAY HOME TO BEGIN WITH?" I added my own line of unprintable words for impression, mixing in a couple of elfian insults and gnomic attacks.

Rose stared at me, an indeciperable expression on her face. Was it hurt? Anger? Sorrow? Confusion? A mixture of them all? "If that's the way you feel about it, then fine. I'm leaving," she turned, her head held high and her voice calm and quiet, and marched off down the path.

I gazed after her. I had only really known my sister for one day, and yet her soft words had pierced my heart and brought tears to my eyes. For a moment I considered running after her, but then I shook myself. That's her problem, I told myself. She'll figure out soon that she can't live on her own, and come back. At least, that's what I told myself. Whether or not I believed it is another story.

"Why, look, boys, it's breakfast!" a delighted voice drifted through my thoughts from beside me. I whirled around and came face to face with a towering band of six ogres.