Chapter 1
"At the stroke of midnight, you will take this dagger, and plunge it through his heart and kill him" exclaimed Edgar, the words followed by the echo of magic as Ella's curse of obedience took control giving her no other choice, but to follow his commands and it was then that Ella realized that she didn't truly understand her curse the way she might have once, for now, she was this man's puppet. This, she realized, was why her mother had always wanted her curse to be their secret because it was men like King Edgar who would come to use her this way. Who would make her do things that were not in her nature and Ella felt as something in her gave as Lucinda failed her once again? As the chains of her tree fell away, Ella couldn't control her steps as she made her way to the castle, and entering the ball, she couldn't even cry when Char spotted her, and she knew this was the moment where she would have to kill him. Everything went just as Edgar said it would. She found herself in the hall of mirrors and Char was on one knee there waiting for an answer that she wanted to give, but then there was only the blade in her hand. It was surprisingly lite even as it was being thrust into his chest. Yet even as she was committing this horrible task, Ella knew this wouldn't be the end, and with tears she wondered what would come next. Edgar knew of her curse now and there was no way to simply make him forget it. She was his now, his property to do with as he wished, and as Char looked at her as he fell to his death, Ella knew what was to come for her, she just didn't know the full extent of it. The worst was over, she thought, but in all reality, it was just beginning. After all, she thought, what could be worse then having to kill the man she had fallen so deeply in love with, but even as she could hear the guards coming there was more waiting. Even as Char lay already dead, everything that awaited her was slowly falling into place, and Ella didn't know how much until the snake came to slip the blade from her hand. She didn't notice as it went away with it. She didn't even notice that Edgar was there leading her into a secret opening in the wall until she was already inside, and the door was closing behind them. All she did notice was the hollow feeling in her skull and the image that was forever left behind her eyes. That image of Char as he fell to the ground. Of him staring at her in death before Edgar took her away. Ella knew she would never look at a mirror quite the same just as she knew that those images would haunt her. She couldn't forget that moment even as she was faced with the true nature of her fate.
They were standing in a small room reflected by the mirrors on all sides. From it, Ella could see the room they'd just been in, where Char still lay dead, and where the guards were all clustered about him now. Ella couldn't say anything as she watched them. She could feel the king next to her the whole time and yet even as she stared at it all, she still couldn't escape the image of Char as he died. Of the gaping questioning look on his face and the pain. He hadn't understood why she was doing this. She couldn't tell him either and watching him now as they lifted his body in the way of a king, Ella wished she could explain herself, but it was too late. And then she saw his eyes as they carried him out. They were wide open, just as they'd been when she forced the blade into his heart, and in that moment, Ella realized she was shaking. He didn't say anything, but as he died, he only looked at her until he was gone.
"Why did you take me away from him? I should have stayed with him…I don't care if they know what I've done. I deserve their fury. I killed him…I deserve to be punished" exclaimed Ella in that moment, almost forgetting that King Edgar was there as she stared at the now empty room always knowing that if he hadn't of come that they would have found her there with his body. When King Edgar came taking her by the arm and forcing her away before the guards came, Ella didn't understand until she stood chest to chest with him, and Ella couldn't contain her anger. When she turned to look at him, there were tears in her eyes, and yet she found she wasn't afraid of him anymore as she raised her fists to strike him. She hit his chest more fiercely than she believed herself capable wanting to call him out for the thing he had forced upon her, but the words were gone. There were only her small fists which seemed not to faze him as he stood there letting her hit him until all the energy went out of her. Ella could only stand there crying in front of him and in that moment, he let her.
Ella expected him to smile down at her now that his evil plan had worked, but when she looked at him, he was only looking at her.
"What happens now? Are you going to have me killed…say you found me with the blade that that snake already ran off with? What fate do you have planned for me now that you've had me kill the man I love?" said Ella finding she didn't care even as he stared down at her with no hint in his eyes as to the things he had planned. He did that for a long time until with that ever-slithering hiss and a few words signaling that its task too was complete, his snake returned, and it was then with the creature around his neck that Edgar acted. Delicately, he took the hand which only moments before had been hitting him, and with Ella watching him always, he kissed it. His eyes seemed to stare then, and Ella felt her stomach heave as if to prepare her for whatever else was to come.
"Don't" exclaimed Ella, but his hand on her back told her that he had not lifted his power, for even then he was drawing her closer, and Ella felt suddenly dirty.
"I am still the one in control here, my dear Ella, after all your obedience hasn't just went away by you committing the one murder. We are going to move forward with my plans which after a brief mourning period will include our wedding where you will be my queen. Your life will be made all the better if you only let it" whispered Edgar his voice no longer having the merriment it had before, but instead, it remained always calm.
"I just killed your nephew…even if I agreed to marry you the kingdom would never allow it" exclaimed Ella realizing that the more she pushed him away the closer he came to her until there was nowhere to go.
"That would be the case, my dear, if the kingdom were going to believe such a thing. Your involvement in Char's murder will never be known. I have laid out this plan down to the last detail, the blade will be found still covered in Char's blood in Hattie's possession, and so everyone will believe she killed the prince. They will believe she was jealous of all the attention he was paying you, but she didn't know that you had no interest in Char. Your interest was always in me and mine in you. We will be each other's alibis in this case, and no one need ever know the truth of how Char died. You will marry me and be my queen which will cement the story we are weaving" said Edgar always beaming at her as he wove this plot the magic cementing her choice in the matter until Ella knew that everything, he said would be her fate. She knew in the end; she would have no choice because he would use her curse to make her obey.
"You will marry me, Ella of Frell. I want you to say it. Say King Edgar I would be honored to be your wife" said Edgar using the hand on her back to bring her so close that she was pressed into his chest.
"I'll marry you, King Edgar, I would be honored to be your wife" whispered Ella letting him hold her as she started to cry.
"Tell me that you are in love with me" said Edgar waving his snake away. Once the creature disappeared, Edgar was holding her face in his hands, and staring into her eyes. He wanted her to mean it, but he knew that could come later. For now, he just wanted the words, and he saw as the magic washed over her to make her obey.
"I love you" whispered Ella crying more until he told her to stop. It was then that her tears simply stopped, and Ella found herself forced to kiss him. When he kissed her, Ella wanted to say that it was entirely unpleasant, but it wasn't. In fact, his lips were oddly smooth, just as his hands were so sure about what they wanted as they held her hips, and bringing her tight to his chest, Ella was suddenly warm. That warmth seemed to grow as he moved lower until gripping her ass, it was then that Ella realized that the warmth she felt was building from in-between their bodies, and as her arms hung limply by her sides, she knew there was nothing she could do about it. As always, she was powerless, but this felt different somehow as she gave in to whatever this was. When he drew away, he kissed her cheek, and smiled at her in a way that wasn't altogether evil.
"Don't look, so forlorn, Ella. After all, you will be queen, and you are to be married. Those two things might not be as unpleasant as you believe" whispered Edgar kissing her hand once more before leaving through another door she had failed to notice before. It was then that he handled the chaos that had ensued since Char's death and it went much the way he had planned. Ella hadn't left the room yet and she knew already how it would be because he had outlined it that way. Hattie would be held responsible for the prince's death. He would be king and remain that until he died. And she would marry him. Ella was still processing that when he came back when she least expected him to. Edgar had returned, his snake too, and with that creature coming to bind her hands behind her back, Ella found herself forced into the window where they had watched Char's body be carried away. His eyes were fiercer now as they looked into hers. They made her both afraid and intrigued by him at the same time even as he was leaning close to whisper directions into her ear.
"You will never tell another living soul what happened here tonight, nor will you tell anyone ever what you did to the prince. You will act as surprised as the rest of the kingdom. You will be a woman in love with the king. You will tell anyone who dares ask you that you fell in love with me the moment our eyes met, now, say yes to all of it. Say yes, my love" whispered Edgar the snakes scales rough against her wrists as he looked at her once more awaiting an answer. As he did, he kept her flush against the window, his breath hot on her skin as their eyes stayed locked one upon the other, and Ella felt as magic washed over her to make her do as he commanded her to. When Ella said the words just as he had scripted them, he smiled, and that was when the snake released her hands only for Edgar to take one in his own. He brought it to his lips for a kiss and this time when he went away, he took Ella with him, and she was his servant. From that moment on, nothing was ever the same. Her father was so happy when he found out she was marrying the king.
"My daughter is going to be the queen…if only your mother were here to see such a thing" said Her father throughout her engagement though somehow Ella knew the opposite would be happening if her mother had lived to see this day even as the pride in his eyes made her long to be happier about the whole thing.
"It eliminates the shame of having a stepdaughter who murdered the prince too" said her father, the words would always make her stepmother glare in her direction, especially after Hattie was executed, and though Ella wanted to be overjoyed at the way her father seemed to prefer her now over her stepmother, she could not muster it as the day for the wedding got all the closer. Olive hadn't said anything since the execution, so much so that Ella almost felt sorry for her. Ella expected not to see Edgar again until the wedding, she was actually looking forward to having the time to mourn Char, but Edgar actually visited her almost daily. If Ella didn't know her own feelings, she might have believed they were to be wed of her own free will simply by the way he chose to treat her in the days of their engagement. He treated her as if he truly loved her. As if the emotion itself was something the two of them truly shared and Ella in all her obedience was forced to act the same even as her heart mourned another man. Sometimes, it was more then Ella could bear even as she smiled. Sometimes, her heart was heavy with the knowledge of what she had done, and it haunted her dreams when she slept. Because it wasn't just who she had killed, but the very fact that she had killed anyone at all. It was something she had never done before and yet; Ella never got the chance to face any of that as Edgar kept her close as the days passed bringing them closer to the day they were to be married.
He bought her an engagement ring larger than her own finger, daily bouquets of flowers and would make her walk with him. The days went by quickly until it was the night before their wedding and Ella found herself at a banquet celebrating. Edgar took her to walk in the palace garden and as he held her hand, he began to speak.
"Ella, my dear, I know what you must think of me, but this marriage does not have to be completely unpleasant for you. All you have to do is do your duty as my wife and I can assure your happiness. Do you understand?" said Edgar turning her so she had no choice, but to look up into his face. Ella waited for him to tell her what to say, but it never came. It was then she realized that he wanted her to answer for herself.
"Yes, I'll do my best" whispered Ella letting him kiss her.