Chapter Six

A/N: Hello my lovelies! Here we are with Chapter 6! Like I said in the previous chapter, I'll try to speed certain things up….but this scene coming up won't be one of them lol. It has to happen, for reasons that I hope would be obvious, but I'll see what I can do in the future.

Ella went up to her room, all the while smiling and nodding at those along the way, as much to be courteous and as much to maintain an air of calm, lest anyone notice that something was off and alert the King before she was ready to confront him.

Closing the door to her room behind her as she entered, Ella crossed over and sat on the bed. She tried to sort out her thoughts. She'd thought Kit was acting a bit odd since this morning but he'd assured her that everything was fine. And not having known him for very long, who was she to say otherwise? Ella's heart was pounding in her chest. What she really wanted to do right now was to go and confront the King forthwith. Ask him about his odd behavior. No. A voice inside her said. What you really should do is give him a chance to explain himself.

Now was not a good time to confront him. She should wait until later, and confront him in private. As Ella sat there pondering, there was a knock at the door. After staring at the door in confusion and slight panic, she bid the person to come in. When the door opened, the two maids from that morning, Kate and Jane, stepped in.

"Excuse us, Miss Ella, we're here to get you ready for dinner." Kate said.

"No, that won't be… necessary." Ella said shakily. She had to pause for a breath before finishing.

"Are you alright Miss Ella?" Jane asked.

Ella realized that the last thing she wanted to do right now was to take out her bad mood on the two maids, who were just trying to do their jobs. So instead, she took a deep breath, let it out slowly and said to them "Yes, yes I'm fine. I don't need any help with my bath this evening. But if you would be so kind, I'd like you to pick out something for me to wear to dinner please."

"Of course Miss Ella," Kate said.

Ella got up and went into the adjacent bathroom. She undressed almost by rote; her mind was too clouded to really think about anything. Looking at the tub, Ella quickly dismissed it. Instead, she went to the other corner of the room and got in the shower stall. As she started to soap and lather her skin however, her skin suddenly felt too feverish. The warm water made her feel like she couldn't breathe. She quickly turned the faucet to cold water and let it beat on her body full blast. The cold water helped to quiet her restless mind, in much the same way as the cool breeze had done when it hit her face on her ride earlier in the day.

She stepped out of the shower and felt a bit better. Her mind started to calm and return to its senses. She emerged from the bathroom clad in another robe where she found that the two maids had already laid out her attire for the evening. This time it was a lovely cream colored gown, with elbow length sleeves. Ella allowed them to help her get dressed this time. She was more preoccupied with studying what she would say to the King when she saw him. She wasn't quite sure what to make of what she saw, but she knew enough to know that something wasn't right.

By now, Ella was familiar enough with this part of the palace that she was able to make her way to the dining room on her own and so, after thanking the maids for their help, she started off to meet Kit.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Kit was not in the best of moods himself. It had been a very trying day and he was doing his best to forget the majority of it. Except for one little problem….. The object at the center of most of his thoughts was about to join him for dinner any minute. And he had no idea what to say to her. Should he come clean about the whole thing? He didn't want to upset her by mentioning those people and bringing up bad memories. On the other hand, perhaps she would more appreciate his honesty…?

Kit had no idea what to do about it. And it was starting to give him a headache. He could already feel the muscles in his forehead start to throb and his jaw was already sore from clenching it so hard. Seated at the head of the dining table with the servants busy laying the table, Kit leaned over and put his head in his hand.

And this was exactly how Ella found him as she entered the dining room. And in this moment, Ella knew that something was most certainly wrong.

Much like at breakfast that morning, Kit didn't realise Ella was there until she was only a few steps from him. But this time, when he looked up to find her approaching him, he hastened to his feet, as much to greet her as to hide his current state of mind. Similarly, Ella didn't comment on either of his actions, choosing instead to simply smile at him and offer a little curtsy in greeting.

"Your Grace," Ella said mildly.

"My lady. Good evening. You look…. Amazing, I must say."

Ella lowered her eyes and thanked him, smiling shyly.

"Shall we sit?" Kit held out a chair for Ella, then sat after she did. He motioned for the servants to start serving the food.

"So, how was your day? Did Marco help you with the wedding feast plans?"

"Oh, yes!" Ella had almost all but forgotten about how her day had started, having been so preoccupied about what she'd seen just an hour earlier.

She proceeded to tell him all about the decisions that she and Marco had made regarding the wedding reception menu and how there were so many dishes- most with names she had never heard of- that she wasn't even sure there would be enough people to eat them all.

The King laughed. "Well I'm sure that none of it will go to waste. Everyone in the Kingdom is invited, after all." Kit started to really relax. He really enjoyed the way Ella was so excited about something that to his mind, was a small thing. It amazed him and awed him that she could find joy in these 'little' things. It made him love her all the more.

Finally, Ella's recounting of her time with Marco came to an end. But when she asked him "So…how was your day?" everything changed.

Kit's smile instantly vanished. His face grew tense again. All of those warm, happy feelings that he'd been experiencing were quickly replaced by that anger that had been simmering all day since that encounter with Ella's stepmother.

Kit looked down into his plate. "Fine. It went fine."

"You don't look like it went fine…. Is something wrong?"

"No, no nothing's wrong. I told you-"

"Kit. I know something happened today. I've felt like you've been hiding something all day. Please tell me what it is!" Ella pleaded.

The king took a deep breath. "Ella please don't ask me that. It's nothing for you to worry about-"

"How can I not be worried when someone I love is clearly suffering? I may not know how things work here in your world, but where I come from, when people truly love each other, they don't treat each other this way. And I would know about that, wouldn't I?"

Ella threw down her napkin, pushed back from the table and left Kit sitting there feeling even worse than before.

XOXOXOXOXO

Ella found herself going back to the balcony where they had had dinner the night before. She found that after having her freedom so severely restricted, she sought solace in the outdoors rather than inside. As she gazed up at the night sky with all its glittering gems for stars, for the first time she wondered if this was truly going to work. How was she going to fit in here? She'd been so glad that everything was so different from her old life, but maybe perhaps it was too different to work out?

Ella sighed softly. But as soon as she started seriously wondering if she was doing the right thing in marrying the king, she heard the sound of someone clearing their throat behind her. Turning, she came face to face with none other than the object of her confusion and turmoil.

"Ella, my lady, I'd like to have a word with you. If I may…"

Ella gave him a small nod, then turned back to face the balcony. The king moved to stand next to her. He too, looked up at the stars, but it seemed in more of a silent prayer kind of way. After a moment, he took a deep breath and said: "I've behaved badly these past couple days. I've kept things from you that I shouldn't have and I'm sorry."

Ella turned to him. "What things?" she asked mildly.

Kit turned to face her fully. "I went to see your stepmother and step sisters today." Pausing, he studied her face. Ella's eyes had had widened in surprise before her whole face took on an expression of understanding.

"Did this have something to do with why you were upset when you came back?... And at dinner tonight?"

It was Kit's turn to look surprised. So, she had seen him when he'd returned from his excursion. And she'd waited, hoping that maybe he'd tell her why at dinner…. And he'd failed to do it then too.

"Yes," he said uneasily. "I… I'm not even sure where to begin."

Seeing the distress on his face, Ella placed a hand on his shoulder. Softly she asked " Why did you go to see them?"

Kit hesitated but finally he said "I had to go see them. I had to meet the people who treated you so deplorably. They had to be punished!"

Ella's mouth opened in shock and she recoiled a bit in shock at both what he'd said and at the sudden display of temper. "Kit… what did you do?"

Kit looked her right in eye and said "I had them banished. They have two days to pack up their things and leave. They're never to set foot in this kingdom again." Seeing the disapproval on her face, he hastened to continue. "I know- I know you forgave them but I can't. I don't understand how someone could be so cruel to another human being, especially anyone as kind and loving as you. That woman truly is a horrible human being, Ella."

Seeing the desperate, strained expression on his face and hearing his horrified tone, Ella understood that something else had taken place that had sealed his decision. Moving closer to him, Ella asked softly "What did she say to you, Kit?"

Cursing himself because he knew that what he was about to say would hurt her and that he wouldn't be able prevent her from hearing it, Kit hesitated a bit before taking a breath and saying flatly: "She said that you were ungrateful. That she'd done everything she could for you and you were never grateful. She said that you deserved the treatment you'd gotten…. That it was better than you deserved for thinking you were better than them." Kit's hands unconsciously clenched and unclenched at his sides as he spoke.

Ella's eyes widened in shock and her mouth fell open, but then she surprised him. Instead of bursting into tears as he thought she would, or getting angry and punching a wall, as he wanted to do, Ella's face softened. She moved in closer until they were gently pressed against each other, looked up at him and said "Poor Kit…" Then she hugged him. Kit was so shocked at her response that he could do nothing for a moment. But after a short while, his hands found themselves worming around her to hug her back.

Breathing in the scent of her hair, he sighed and said "Truly I must be the luckiest man in the world, to have someone as kind and gracious and loving as you by my side. Oh Ella…" When she pulled back to look up into his face, he said simply "I love you," then leaned in and gently pressed his lips against hers.

Though it was a simple kiss, it lasted long enough that when he pulled back, he could feel the weight of what had transpired that day start to leave his shoulders. And looking into her eyes, he felt his heart lifting as well for he could read her understanding, and more importantly her forgiveness in her eyes. Kit smiled at her and when she returned it, he knew that this rough patch was over and things were back on their previous path.

Kit and Ella stayed out on the balcony for a while longer, watching the stars and just enjoying each other's company. Eventually though, it was time to go to bed. They walked back to Ella's room hand in hand. Reaching her door, Kit told her that he was sorry for lying to her and how grateful he was to her for her easy forgiveness.

Then he leaned in and kissed her again. This time, the kiss was a bit more intense and lasted a bit longer, as Kit tried to convey some of the things that he couldn't in words, through the kiss. Pulling back, he bid her goodnight and after seeing her safely inside her room, he turned and walked down the hallway and up to his private chambers.

As he undressed and got into bed, he reflected on how much worse that could have gone if Ella was not the strong, amazing, kind hearted woman that she was. He again marveled that she could be that way despite- or perhaps because of- the horrible way her stepmother and step sisters had treated her. In any case, Kit promised himself that he would never allow anyone to treat her that way again. And from this point on, he would do all in his power to make up for her horrible past, starting in the morning….

With thoughts of the next day circling about his mind….and how pleased Ella would be when he surprised her, Kit fell asleep with a smile on his face and a warm feeling in his chest.

A/N: There you have it guys! Chapter 6 all done! I had a tougher time with this one, it was going a slightly different way, but in the end, I like this better. I hope you do as well. Leave me a review and tell me what you think ok?

-Shoi