I feel like I don't update this very frequently, so here's a longer chapter. btw, Love the Mean Girls reference in your last review SmellofRoses! That made me laugh hahaha...anyway, enjoy!
Chapter Seven-
After a while, Ella felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up, startled. "Anthony?" She asked in alarm, her mind reasoning that somehow he had heard her distress and had come to help her.
"No, Your Highness," It was a soldier, dressed in the royal guard uniform, at least twenty years Ella's senior. She sighed, and got to her feet. "Is everything alright? Forgive me, but you seem distressed."
"I'm sorry," Ella let him escort her through the gardens and back to the castle, where he offered her a handkerchief. "It's nothing of importance. And thank you." She gently dried her eyes and gave a soft smile. The soldier looked as if he didn't fully believe her, but didn't press the matter, to her relief.
"I'll leave you here then, Your Highness," He said formally.
"Do you know when the Wit Trials begin?" Ella asked, composing herself quickly.
"I believe they begin this afternoon, Your Highness," The soldier replied. "I can imagine that they will take some time, as I was informed that you would be meeting each of the twenty suitors individually."
"Twenty..." Ella repeated aloud, no longer paying attention in full to the soldier. "I must see my father about that." She turned back to the soldier and curtsied politely. "Thank you, sir, but I must go."
"My pleasure, Your Highness," The soldier bowed and Ella sped off in search of her father. She found him in his office and opened the door without knocking.
"Father did you read it?" She asked breathlessly. "The letter, did you read it?"
"Yes," The King said slowly, raising his eyebrow.
"And...?"
"And what? What would you have me do, Ella?" The King seemed oblivious to Ella's wishes, and she sighed, crossing over to his desk.
"Father, I want Anthony to stay," Ella said softly, picking her words carefully. "I know it means that there will be twenty-one suitors instead of twenty, but it would mean a lot to me if you allowed him to continue."
"You have seemed to play favorites quite a lot in this," The King mused and Ella pressed her lips tightly together, trying to prevent any emotion to shine through. "First with the Athleticism Trial with the Viscount de Letendre and the Baron de Cremeans...and now with the Count of Malloch. It appears that those are the prime competition?" Her father gave a slight chuckle, and Ella realized he was teasing her. She fought off the urge to grow cross and merely maintained a tight, controlled smile, pressing her lips firmly together. She would not comment, because any word that was sure to come from her mouth was going to be vile and cruel.
"Today is the Wit Trial, as I'm sure you know," Her father carried on, standing up from his desk and pacing the room. "Suitors will be challenged on both their attitudes for solving challenges - much like ones that would apply to a future king - but also, wit in the respect that they must have a sense of humor. I believe that was one of your contributions?"
"Yes, father," Ella said politely.
"I'm looking forwards to this one," The king smiled. "I can guarantee you that it shall be amusing, to say the least."
"I am looking forward to see what you have planned, father," Ella said politely.
"I expect you to be in the Great Hall in two hours," The King said, and Ella knew that was her cue to leave. "The first suitor you shall see will be Gabriel, Earl of Nerney."
"Alright, Father," Ella curtsied and left the room. She tried to call to mind Gabriel's face, but couldn't remember it. Had she danced with him in the ball? Everyone's faces had blended together that night, with the exception of Frederik's, Anthony's, and John's.
It had felt like a lifetime had passed since she had seen John. The testing hadn't counted; she wanted a conversation with him. To clear her mind from this Anthony business. Ella called to mind John's face and made herself focus. He was the one she wanted, she had chosen.
Two hours passed and Ella met Gabriel in the Great Hall as instructed. Her father was already waiting for them, and smiled warmly when Gabriel entered the room.
Ella found she did recognize him, and remembered dancing with him briefly at the ball. Gabriel had wispy brown hair and nice eyes, and bowed when he saw her. Ella curtsied politely.
"Congratulations for making it this far, Gabriel," The King said, and Ella winced slightly, because he was making this sound like a competition again. "You have proved your wealth, athleticism, chivalry, and intelligence, but now you must prove your wit."
Ella looked down, covering her eyes discretely with her hand. The way her father was saying it made things sound stupid and embarrassing, and she willed him to just stop talking. He was making Gabriel sound like a horse, or an ox, strong and stable, the best the farmer had to offer.
"Come, walk with me," The King gestured, and Ella and Gabriel fell in step beside the King as they walked through the halls. "Do you care about my daughter?"
Stop! Ella pleaded internally, wishing she could be anywhere else but here. It felt wrong to be thinking about her with another man besides John. She wondered when his turn was.
"Of course, Your Majesty," Gabriel replied, casting Ella a brief glance. She looked down, embarrassed.
"And you realize that if you were to marry her, you would one day be king."
"Y-yes, Your Majesty," Gabriel was obviously startled by the King mentioning succession so soon. He recovered quickly, though, and maintained his collected demeanor. The King turned into a room flanked by guards on either side and Ella paused, her brow furrowing. She had only been in this room a few times in her life, and never when there was actual need of it.
"The war room, father?" She asked, her eyes going to the many maps of the kingdom pinned onto the walls like medals. On the vast table was a hand drawn map of the entire world, with cities written on in black, swirling calligraphy. It was incredibly old, and preserved under a large sheet of glass.
"Yes, Ella, but we are not here to discuss battle strategies and war tactics," The King laughed. "Would I really give that away? No, Gabriel, my boy, I want to ask you some questions to test your mind."
"I am ready, Your Majesty," He said, moving across the table so he was opposite Ella, while the King was at the head.
"It is greater than God and more evil than the devil. The poor have it, the rich need it and if you eat it you'll die. What is it?" The King asked, and Ella wondered where he had gotten this riddle from.
Gabriel's face contorted into a puzzled grin, and Ella could almost see the gears shifting in his mind to come up with an answer. His mouth formed words without sound, and Ella tried to think of an answer as well.
"Your Majesty," Gabriel looked at the king, a puzzled look in his eye. "Nothing is greater than God and nothing is more evil than the devil. But the poor have...the poor have nothing! And the rich need nothing, either! And if you don't eat anything - which is nothing - you'll die! Am I wrong?" Gabriel looked genuinely thrilled and the King clapped him on the back. Ella mentally ran over other possibilities in her head, but reasoned that Gabriel had to be correct.
"Well done!" The king cried, and Ella smiled at him. Now the answer seemed obvious, but she knew she never would have guessed on her own. On his victory, Gabriel seemed to loosen up, relaxing his posture and smiling widely.
"Another, Your Majesty, surely you have more," Gabriel challenged, rubbing his hands together.
A bit cocky, Ella though to herself. But not unbearably so.
"Alright then, if you're so eager," The King searched his mind for another, and came up with one. "Say my name, and I am gone. What am I?"
"Say my name and I am gone," Ella repeated under her breath, and Gabriel looked at her across the table.
"But what is the name?" He asked her softly. "What is gone as soon as you say it?"
Ella closed her eyes, pressing her finger to her temple, thinking. There was absolute silence in the room, the only thing she could hear was the faint sounds of -
"Silence," Ella opened her eyes. "It's gone as soon as you speak. Silence, right?"
"Yes, it is," The king looked impressed, but also somewhat skeptical that Ella had figured it out on her own. "Alright, come with me, both of you. I have had the chefs prepare a treat for us."
Gabriel and Ella followed the King into the gardens and kept up a light conversation. Gabriel seemed nice enough to her, and Ella felt friendly towards him, but certainly nothing like John.
A male servant came out carrying a tray, and on it, a dark, chocolate pudding. "That looks wonderful," Ella smiled, already tasting it on her tongue.
Suddenly, the servant tripped, and the tray - and the pudding - went soaring through the air...landing right on Gabriel's chest. Ella gasped in shock and her father caught her eye, and she saw he was stifling a laugh. Was this the humor part of the Trial?
Gabriel stared down at his ruined clothes in a stunned silence for a moment, and looked up, wiping the pudding from his face. Ella stifled a laugh behind her hand; it was admittedly comical.
"You stupid wretch," Gabriel sneered, and his hair, his face was dark brown now, tinted by the pudding. She snorted, trying to control herself, but Gabriel's anger only made it funnier. "This is not, funny," Gabriel pointed a finger at her and some of the pudding went flying onto Ella's skirt.
She shrieked in excitement and burst into giggles. Now the King was laughing too, and even the servant was hiding a grin. "I'm sorry," Ella tried. "I'm sorry, you're right. It's not f - funny."
Gabriel looked a mix of mortified and furious and Ella laughed even further because he stood there looking like he had absolutely no idea how to conduct himself. The servant approached Gabriel with a towel, muttering apologies, but Gabriel pushed him away, and muttered something about leaving, before storming off.
"Not that one," Ella giggled, settling down and watching Gabriel go. "He's smart but not...not...able to deal with these situations gracefully."
"Indeed, daughter," The king got up, broad smiles plastered on both of their faces. "Come, onto the next one."