Chapter Four
A/N: Hello! Here's chapter 4 for you! Hope you like it!
Sitting at the table, his mind full of thoughts of what he and the Captain had to discuss, Kit didn't notice at first that Ella was approaching. As she came close however, he noticed the presence of someone and looked up to see her coming towards him. His eyes widened in surprise and one word popped into his head. Beautiful.
Ella looked stunning. The yellow dress suited her perfectly. It had sleeves that came just to her elbows and a classic neckline that curved just at the top of her breasts in the style commonly worn by ladies nowadays. It matched her skin tone and wavy blonde hair. She was a vision.
He was so entranced with looking at her that he didn't hear her at first when she opened her mouth to ask him a question. It was only after he noticed her brows drawn together in a concerned expression that he realized she was waiting for him to reply. He hastily stood up from the table in greeting and asked:
"What-" ahem "Sorry, what was that?"
"I asked if you were alright. You seemed upset."
"Oh! No no no! It's nothing. Everything's fine." The King offered Ella what he hoped was an assuring smile.
"Are you sure? I can't help but feel as if something is wrong."
"No nothing's wrong. Everything is fine. In fact, seeing you here standing before me….in that dress…. Makes everything more than fine, if you don't mind my saying so."
Ella's face turned a rosy shade of red. It wasn't just the way she looked or felt in the dress that made her face colour up. It was also something about the way the King was looking at her. It made her feel even grander than the dress did.
She offered a bright smile and did a twirl. "Do you like it? I love it. It's beautiful."
"Beautiful indeed," she heard him murmur. Something about the tone of his voice made her straighten and turn to really look at him. He was standing there looking at her with this intense gaze.
Ella felt a little flutter in her stomach as she moved up close to him. When she was standing right in front of him, she went up on her tiptoe and kissed him softly on the cheek. Then she pulled back and said "Thank you."
At his confused look she continued. "For the lovely dress… and the compliment." She shyly lowered her eyes as she said this.
"No, not at all. It is I who should be thanking you. I truly must be the luckiest man alive to be able to see such a vision in the morning, and for many mornings to come." He took her hands in his and said "No my lady. It is I who must be thanking you." Then he brushed a soft kiss over first the back of one hand, then the other.
Embarrassed with all the attention, Ella needed something to distract herself, otherwise her face would never be its normal colour again.
"Shall we have breakfast?" she asked.
"Yes, of course." The King signaled to the servants to begin bringing in the food and led Ella over to a chair where he pulled it back for her to take a seat.
Just as they had taken their last bites and the servants began to clear away the dishes- Ella thanking them all for the wonderful meal- a messenger came in with a note for the King. After reading it quickly he thanked the messenger and turned to look at Ella.
"Forgive me my lady, but I won't be able to spend the day with you today. I have some important matters to attend to."
"Oh." Ella tried not to look crestfallen. It would be unreasonable to expect that the King would be able to spend all of his free time with her. Ella knew she had to be gracious and understanding and so she said "Of course, your highness. I hope everything goes well."
Kit took Ella's hand in his across the table. "Why so formal all of a sudden? Have I upset you? I'm sorry. I wouldn't leave you today if it weren't important. I promise I'll make it up to you."
"Oh no no no! That's quite alright. You have nothing to apologize for!" she hastened to reassure him. "It's just…..well… with the wedding so soon, there's still so much to do… and… I don't even know what I'm supposed to be doing!"
The King stopped and thought about that for a second, then a slow smile spread across his face. He rose to his feet, offered Ella his hand to help her up and said to her:
"Come my lady. I think I have the perfect place for you to start."
Ella wondered where they were going. The King led Ella back down to the end of the hallway and through a swinging double door. As they passed through the door, Ella saw that they were in a large kitchen. There were several people at various stations tending to various pots and dishes. As the cooks noticed that the King and his intended were present, they all stopped what they were doing to give a little bow, murmur a greeting, offer a smile or in some way acknowledge their king and future queen. Ella thought to herself that the king really must be well beloved by his staff.
"Kit my boy! How wonderful to see you!" As they turned toward to source of the voice that was loud enough to clearly be heard over the general bustling in the kitchen, Ella saw a short, plump little man hurrying towards them. He had a round face, chubby cheeks and a thick dark moustache. As he approached them, he stuck out his hand and when he got within arm's reach he reached out, grabbed the king's hand with his extended one and pulled him into a hearty embrace, even thumping Kit on the back.
When he pulled back, he looked at Ella and asked "And who is this lovely lady, eh?"
Kit stepped forward and said "Marco, I'd like you to meet Ella, my intended. Ella, this is Marco. He's been the head cook here since before I was born."
Ella smiled and opened her mouth to say how pleased she was to meet him but before she had a chance, she found herself also pulled into a hearty embrace by the slightly shorter portly man. He didn't thump her on the back like he did with Kit but instead Ella found herself lifted off the floor and spun all the way around before being put back down.
Back on her feet, Ella finally caught her breath enough to say that she was very pleased to meet him, to which he replied:
"Oh no no no mia cara, the pleasure is all mine! I heard about the mysterious beauty who had my Kit wrapped around his little finger, but I never imagined she would be as lovely as you!"
Ella's cheeks coloured. She was in no way used to people referring to her using words like lovely or beauty.
"He's right you know," Ella heard. She looked up into the loving, smiling face of the king. "You are indeed lovely." Then Kit took one of Ella's hands in his and pressed a soft kiss unto the back of it.
"Oh! I'm so excited! I am already planning the feast in my head!" Marco clapped his hands together excitedly and a large grin spread across his face.
"Feast?" Ella broke away from the king's gaze to turn an enquiring look on Marco.
"Yes! For the wedding of course! It will be magnificent!"
"Right! The wedding feast!" The king cut in. "Actually Marco, that's exactly what I came here to talk to you about. My lovely bride-to-be seems to be having a bit of trouble with the wedding planning. So I thought that maybe she'd start here."
"Wedding planning?" Ella repeated, a bit shocked. "You want me to plan the wedding?"
"Well…. Yes.. that is… if you'd like. I just thought it'd be good for you. You'll be able to have everything exactly as you want it. And since I won't be able to spend the day with you, I thought this might be a good way to pass the time."
Ella couldn't believe it. Kit wanted her to plan the wedding? Their wedding? It hardly seemed real. Just days ago, she's been unable to even have a quiet moment to herself because her "family" had kept her so busy. And now here she was with the whole day free not just to relax but to plan her own wedding!
"Well? Ella? What do you say? Would you mind helping Marco plan out the feast for the wedding?"
Ella was so stunned she hardly knew what to say. The only thing that came out was a breathless "Yes yes! Absolutely!"
Kit smiled. It warmed his heart to see Ella so happy, and at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret that something so small could have such a huge impact on her.
"Great! I'm glad!" The king said to her. To Marco he said: "I'll leave her in your care."
Turning back to Ella, he said, "My lady, I'll be off now. I should be back some time later this afternoon. I'll see you when I return."
Kit turned to go but before he had taken more than a few steps, he heard his name being called.
Turning, he was met with a pair of very soft lips as they collided somewhat forcefully with his. When Ella stepped back, her eyes were shining. "I….I didn't get to thank you. For this. You don't know how much it means to me."
Kit's heart sank. That little niggling feeling of sorrow for her grew all the more. Her reaction in this way again confirmed for him the kind of life she must have led while living with those… people.
Swallowing thickly around the lump in his throat, Kit took Ella's hands in his, and looked her in the eyes. "Ella, my darling, listen to me. There is nothing that is within my power to grant you that I would ever deny you. Never. You don't have to thank me for allowing you to plan your own wedding. I love you and I will do everything in my power to make you happy. I promise."
Kit leaned in and placed a gentle kiss to her lips and then to her brow before gently breaking away from her.
"Will you be alright? You don't have to do this if you don't want to."
"No no! I want to! Go I'll be fine. I'll see you later?"
Kit smiled at her and said: "Count on it" Before he again took his leave.
The King went back to his private study where he was to meet with the Captain of the guard. When he opened the door and stepped inside, he found the man already there awaiting him. He came to attention when he spotted the King.
"Good, you're here. Have a seat."
"Thank you, your majesty," the captain said. He waited until the King had moved behind the desk to sit before taking his own seat.
"Now, we have much to discuss."
The Captain sat and waited patiently for his king to explain.
"As you know, my intended and I expect to marry in a few days. I expect everything to be perfect for her."
The Captain nodded.
"This brings me to matter at hand. I cannot have those….people who called themselves her "family" around at the wedding."
"I understand, Your majesty. I'll tell the guards to look out for them and stop them from…"
"No! No. That won't do." The King interrupted. "They'd still be in the kingdom. They'd still be too close!"
"Here the captain's face took on a more grim expression and he leaned in to ask the king softly: "Sire, just what exactly is it you intend to do?"
Kit turned and looked the captain dead in the eyes and said ominously: "I think it's a lovely day for a ride in the countryside, don't you?"
A/N: There you have it! Chapter Four done! I've already begun working on chapter five so don't worry. Hopefully it won't take me too long to get up. I'm glad I could make the chapter longer for you. Don't forget to leave a review ok?
Thanks!
