Phillippa here!
Wowowowow! That was like the quickest update EVER for me! Not many people reviewed, but I guess that's my fault for taking so long last time (and the STUPID STUPID STUPID computer's.)
My thanks to my loyal and true (or just really bored) reviewers:
Turwen -- I hope I know how sisters should talk, with all the talking I do with my OWN sister.
Arein -- (gasps) Are you implying that I would throw things? Just kidding. I thank you for embracing your hopelessly romantic state instead of denying it! I'm sorry, but this chapter has NO Irene-Nat in it. (frowny face)
erin -- hey! A new reviewer! Although this was not inspired by Ella Enchanted at all, I thank you for your comments that my story is original. That is big on my list of "Ways to Make a Story Awesome."
Artemis -- oink oink oink! What a pig! I'm sorry, didn't mean you dear, it's just that Ella just ate ALL my chocolate bars I was going to give you, and now I don't have anything. . .sigh. Don't drool too much! It could ruin your keyboard!
Tiger Lily21 -- Aieee! I'm still not done with the fist chapter of Leila the Runaway, so sorry! It's almost done, I pro-pro-promise! (runs to read Nicole: Fairy Godmother Extrodaniare) Hope to hear from you soon!
LilliannaRose -- Oh, dear! I am SO SO SO sorry that I did not thank you for reviewing last chapter. I was just so excited that I could update that I forgot! Please, please, please forgive me! (PS - DOWN WITH ELLA!)
Miss Piratess -- Thanks about the title. Don't worry, Lawrie (as I like to call the infatuated prince) will realize all about Ella soon enough!
and now, the chapter you've all been waiting for. . .
Ada sat silently, and no new ideas came to my mind. My best one seemed to be to break it, but doubtless Ella had the other shoe. Useless, useless, useless. Was there no sure-fire way to keep this from happening?
Ada snapped her fingers. "I've got it!"
"What?" I asked excitedly.
"No, no, it won't work." She frowned and twisted her blonde hair around her finger absently.
I groaned a little and twisted my own hair. We both did it from nerves and habit. My thoughts were less "will this work?" and "will that work?" and more "nothing will work" and "Ella's going to become Queen after all." The situation was dire.
Ella entered, unaware of our discussion. She seemed much calmer, a sort of calm you detect with a cat after it caught a mouse. This worried me. What could Ella be so satisfied about? She seemed to be even more soot-covered than before, though I was sure that Mother hadn't told her to clean the fireplace. A placid smile was on her face, and her eyes and a dreamy look in them.
"What are you so happy about?" Ada snapped. I remembered how she had to stop me from making a scene last night. No scruples had she with arguing, but she had pride that sometimes drove me crazy.
"What are you so unhappy about?" Ella asked sweetly, walking over to us. It looked like she had purposely smudged her face with her sooty hands, but she had obviously taken a bath and done her hair, and I was almost positive that she was wearing her nicest, most whole dress. Something was going on in that evil simple-minded brain of hers, and that worried me even more. "It's a beautiful day."
Ella was right about that, I thought, looking out the window. The sky was clear blue, and the sun shone down on the small capital city of its small country of Bolton. The cool April wind blew refreshingly down the street, and almost every face was smiling.
And the golden carriage was closer than ever. . .
I turned back to Ella. Her placid smile had been replaced by a malevolent grin. "You see it, don't you?"
I grabbed Ada's arm and held on tight. "Reney-let-go-of-me!" Ada said in a weird sort of chant. Ella's grin widened.
"You've got it right, Ada, dear. The poor stupid prince will be here any minute. And when he sees my glass shoe. . ."
Wait a minute -- how did Ella know I knew? Oh, she must've known I would realize it when I took stock. . .but -- "I don't understand, Ella," I said, deciding that letting Ada speak was the wrong idea. "Why did you run from the prince?"
"Obviously," Ella sneered. "I had to clean the cellar. And after all," she went on, voice dripping with open sarcasm, "absence does make the heart grow fonder. But," -- a sigh -- "how would His Infatuated Highness find his true love? That's where the shoe came in." Ella's dainty foot extended from underneath her skirts. "Thankfully, glass shoes have gone out of style. Otherwise, my plan would've never worked."
Ella's devious plan astonished me so much that my with-holding grip on Ada's arm lessened. She broke free.
"Go ahead," Ella said, in that annoyingly innocent voice. "Hit me. It will only reinforce what I say when I tell Lawrence about how my evil step-family forced me to do all their work and treated me like a slave."
Ada froze. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Prince Lawrence the Forth/Fifth climb back into his carriage. Time was running out, and we still had no plan. As we all stood there in the shop, staring at each other, Mother came in through the door with a bundle under her arm.
"No customers? That's odd. I suppose they're at lunch. Although, we didn't have much business this morning, either. I guess everyone slept in because of last night." By this time, I was standing behind the desk, rustling through papers, Ada was straightening the shoes, and Ella was wandering aimlessly past the dresses.
Mother laid her package on the desk and gave me a smile. "How was your excursion with Mr. Grey?"
I smiled, too, tracing the word Poems with my finger. "Heavenly." I love you, I love you, I love you.
"I picked this up from the general store. I think it might be those straw hats I ordered for summer." The prince exited another house. I twisted a brown strand of hair nervously around the finger that had been on my new book. "Oh," Mother groaned as she opened it. "More of those glass shoes. Honestly, I never understood that short-lived fad. That brings our grand total to. . . Irene, didn't you do stock this morning?"
"Yes," I said in a small voice. Mother hadn't noticed that both Ada and Ella's eyes were glued on the package. "There are five pairs in there."
Mother shook her graying head. "I knew I shouldn't have ordered these. What are we going to do with twenty-five pairs of glass shoes that no one wants?" Neither Ada nor Ella answered her, and I was a bit preoccupied with the royalty walking up to our door, who without a doubt wanted a glass shoe. "What's wrong with all of you today? I know that last night was as perfect as a dream, but that's no excuse to --"
Knock, knock. Mother twirled around, her slender eyebrows knitted together. She went to the door in three quick strides and started to speak as she opened the door. "This is a store, and you may feel free to open the -- oh."
Prince Lawrence stood there in all his royal grandeur. I had followed her, hoping some last minute plan would come to my mind. Ada was close behind, her round face still burning red from anger.
"Excuse me, madam. May I intrude upon you this fine afternoon?"
"Yes," she squeaked. As if she could say no to a prince.
The prince, looked dapper as usual stepped into our shop, followed by his most trusted advisor, his uncle Roderick. Sir Roderick passed Mother without a second glance, but I swear I saw him wink at her.
Honestly. At their age, winking!
Of course, right then my mind was engaged with the other royal family member in front of me. Ada, Mother and I all curtsied, and I saw his mind recollecting me and remembering my face. "Ladies," he murmured.
"Now," said Sir Roderick, all business. "The reason we have come --"
"Uncle, wait. Is this not the Gloria Graham?" The Gloria Graham? What did he mean? What could Mother possibly be known for . . ?
"Yes, Your Majesty, this is Mrs. Graham," Sir Roderick informed him. Prince Lawrence smiled weakly, and I noticed how tired he seemed.
"I thought I recognized you," he stated, addressing me. Mother and Sir Roderick looked confused, and Ada smirked. "You look much like you mother." Mother and I looked at each other. I saw my silver blue eyes, my too small nose, my slim face, my too full lips, and my tan skin. Of course, my hair was Father's hair, brown straight hair. Mother's beautiful dark golden curls had all gone to Ada, but the rest of Ada, save her nose, was all Father's genes.
"What do you mean, the Gloria Graham?" Ada said, suddenly. Evidently, she was too awe-struck before to realize the emphasis.
"What do you mean what do I mean, miss?" asked Sir Roderick, with Prince Lawrence the Fourth/Fifth looking equally puzzled.
"I mean what are you implying by saying that our mother is the Gloria Graham? I was never aware there was more than one. Is there?"
"I do not remember any other Gloria Graham, miss," replied Sir Roderick.
"All right, then," I spoke up. "Why is she the Gloria Graham?" Sir Roderick only stared at Mother.
When Mother finally spoke, her voice sounded resigned and sad. "Roderick," she said, softly. "I did not tell them."
"You did not tell them, Gloria? In Heaven's name, why not?"
"I saw no reason to. Their father agreed with me, and my second husband never knew. Life was simpler without having them live day after day with the knowledge that their mother --" Mother took a deep breath. "That their mother is the king's cousin."
"What?" I said.
"What?" Ada said. "We're royalty? Duchesses or something?"
"No," answered Mother. "Not duchesses. My parents were the Earl and Countess Kymesak."
"I'm a Countess?" Ada said, in a hushed voice.
"Not technically," put in Sir Roderick. "Your mother stepped down from the role about a half-year after she married your father, Thomas Graham, whom she met at a ball much like the one last night. Because she was the only child of the Earl and Countess Kymesak, your grandparents, the present Earl Kymesak, another of your mother's cousins, Andrew, took over the role."
"I don't believe it. You walked away from being a Countess for this?" Ada seemed angry for some reason I could not grasp. Though, the news was certainly incredible. She must have met up with Roderick -- my cousin -- at the ball and talked about the past. Of course, she did not have any feelings for her own cousin! But she could not explain herself if she was trying to keep it all a secret.
"Ada, dear, you could say I walked away from being a Countess, but that is not the real truth. I was forced to leave my role when they found out I had married your father, who was but a shopkeeper, in secret. They wanted me to divorce him, but --" Mother gave a tired smile. "As Roderick has been so polite to exclude it, I assume he is leaving me to tell you the whole story. I was all ready pregnant with you, dear, so I could not divorce him. So, I abdicated. For your father and for you."
"Oh," said Ada, very softly.
In the small silence that followed, there came a loud banging from the cellar. We all turned to face it, and I realized why something had seemed not quite right. Ella was gone. She had gone into the cellar, to further put into effect her lies. She would say we had locked her there, so the prince could not find her.
"Is there another lady in the house?" asked Prince Lawrence, puzzled.
No, I thought. Ella is no lady.
"One," said Mother, walking to the door. "My step-daughter, Ella Broen." She twisted the handle, and then stared. She had not expected it to be locked. "That's odd," she thought aloud, and dug out her key and unlocked it. "Ella, dear?" she called as she opened the rickety old door.
I heard a horrendous but all-too-familiar shriek. "What is it? Have you come to torment me again?" Ada, Mother and I all shook our heads, knowing Ella. Sir Roderick and the prince looked all together confused.
"Ella, we have visitors who wish to see you."
"Who? Who is there in this town that does not scoff at the sight of me, laugh at my dirty clothes, or call me Cinderella? Who is there who would wish to see me, who is but a lowly servant?" Ada and I gave each other looks. Ella was putting in all the theatrics she could manage.
"Just come up, dear, and you'll see," Mother called.
Ella came up, and what a sight she was! Full of even more dirt and grime than before, she walked with an air of someone defeated, instead of the prideful strut she usually had. "Yes, Step-Mother?" Ella asked, in a soft, meek voice I had never heard from her lips before.
"Prince Lawrence the Four -- Fi -- Prince Lawrence has come to our house, along with his advisor, the king's brother, Sir Roderick."
"Your Majesty," greeted Ella, sweeping a curtsy.
Prince Lawrence seemed to have lost the ability to speak. He gawked at Ella, taking her figure and face in as if he had never seen her before. Ella kept her eyes focused on the floor. "Miss," said Sir Roderick, glancing at Prince Lawrence. "We would like you to try on this --"
"No," breathed the prince. "Uncle, it is her, I have found her! There is no need for the glass shoe."
"Glass shoe?" asked Ella, finally looking up. "You have my glass shoe?"
"Oh! I thought I had lost you forever!" cried the prince, stepping towards her.
What could we do? Ada, Mother and I stood there like the stuffed dummies we used to show off new dresses. Mother was looking at Sir Roderick, I was looking at the prince, and Ada was looking at Ella. Sir Roderick's eyes flitted from one person to the other, and he opened his mouth to speak. "Maiden, why are you dressed so?"
All eyes focused on the dress. "It is my step-family, sir. They treat me much like a servant. When my father died, they sold all my dresses and forced me to wear their old ones."
"That is not true!" Ada and I corrected together.
"They may refute it all they wish, but it is true, my lord."
"But -- but, maiden," Sir Roderick stammered.
"Please, tell me your name," begged Prince Lawrence, who must have been deaf to the last few statements. "Is it Ella, like your step-mother said?"
"It is," Ella answered, in that same submissive voice she had probably used last night.
"Ella," the prince whispered.
"Your Highness, I would like to put in a word --" started Sir Roderick.
"Uncle, who cares about anything else? I have found her!"
"Yes, but she --"
"-- is perfect," finished the prince.
"Lawrence," said Sir Roderick, loudly, snapping the prince out of whatever spell Ella had over him. "I went against your parents's wishes when I allowed you to find your princess. Here I must draw the line. This lady has said that the Grahams treated her 'much like a servant' after her father died. How could my cousins -- your cousins -- do such a thing? We spoke with them before, did they seem like the kind of people who would treat anyone like a servant."
"Cousins?" whispered Ella.
"No, Uncle, but my chosen one would not lie. Perhaps they are only acting gracious and kind," Prince Lawrence argued.
"Perhaps your chosen one is the one who is acting," commented Sir Roderick.
"Acting?" whispered Ella.
Prince Lawrence looked at Ella, whose face had gone white as mist in the morning. "Do not speak in such a way to my chosen wife."
"You spoke that way about our cousin, of whom we know much more and have known for much longer."
"Yes -- but --" The prince looked at us again. "Do you swear that what you have said is the honest truth? Would you swear it on the Bible?"
"I would," I said solemnly. Ada and Mother both nodded their consent. Prince Lawrence looked confused and mystified, and Ella's face had turned to a familiar red hue. However ghastly Ella was, I doubted even she could swear that a lie was the truth on the Bible. Although we called her evil in our song, I had suspicion that she was more greedy, money-hungry and lazy than evil.
Her carefully laid plan was dying as quick as the fad of the glass shoes.
"Ella?" The poor prince's handsome face was crestfallen, but it had a hint of hope. He still had confidence that she could make it all right again.
Ella said nothing, but her eyes glistened with tears. Could it be that it was not all an act? Could it be that she really did have feelings for the prince? No, it was impossible. She was only a spoiled, materialistic brat.
"Your Highness," said Mother, like one speaking out of the darkness. "I would like to apologize. My step-daughter has done you great damage. I --"
"No!" belted Prince Lawrence, unexpectedly. "No," he repeated himself. "My dear cousin, it is I who should apologize to you." Ella's eyes spilled over, tears started plummeting down her face. "I am sorry for the distress I have caused you. I am --" He took an unstable breath. "I am indebted to you."
"No," Ella echoed, almost inaudibly, as the prince and Sir Roderick left our shop.
So, faithful readers, what do you think? Is Ella just an extremely good actress, or could she really have feelings for (sigh) the poor prince of Bolton?
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