Okay there's some more from Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted in this chapter. But I changed some of it around in places for it to make since. Tell me what you think! :)
Chapter Two
The next morning, I woke up with my fingers curled around Mother's necklace. The clock in King Jerrold's palace was just striking six. Perfect. I wanted to rise early and spend the day putting up posters and asking around for governesses in the places I loved best.
I put my gown over the necklace and crept down to the pantry, where I found a tray of freshly bakes scones. They were hot, so I tossed two in th air and caught them in my skirt, pulling it out to make a basket. Then, looking down at my breakfast, I ran to the front of the house and right into Father.
He was in the entranceway, waiting for Nathan to bring the carriage around.
"I don't have time for you now, Eleanor. Run off and bang into somebody else. And tell Mandy I'll be back with the bailiff. We'll need lunch."
As instructed, I ran off. Aside from its dangerous aspects, the curse often made a fool of me and was partly the reason I seemed so clumsy. Now I had to bang into someone.
Bertha was carrying wet laundry. When I bumped into her, she dropped her basket. My gowns and stockings and undergarments tumbled onto the tiles. I helped her pick them up, but she was going to have to wash everything over again.
"Little mistress, it's hard enough getting your things ready so quick without having to do it twice," she scolded.
After I apologized, and after I delivered Father's message to Mandy, and after she made me sit down and eat breakfast on a plate, I started for the royal menagerie just outside the walls of the king's palace. I figured it was as good a place as any to start, although I didn't expect to find an able governess there. But I hadn't been there for so long, so I thought that I could spare a few hours. And who knew, maybe I would find a governess there.
My favorite exhibits were the talking birds and the exotic animals. Except for the hydra in her swamp and the baby dragon, the exotics - the unicorn, the herd of centaurs, and the gryphorn family - lived on an island meadow surrounded by an extension of the castle moat.
The dragon was kept in an iron cage. He was beautiful in his tiny ferocity and seemed happiest when flaming, his ruby eyes gleaming evilly.
I bought a morsel of yellow cheese from the stand next to the cage and toasted it in the fire, which was a tricky buisness, getting close enough for cooking but not so close the dragon could get the treat.
I wondered what King Jerrold planned to do with him when he grew up. I wondered also if I would be home to learn his fate.
Beyone the dragon, a centaur stood near the moat, gazing at me. Did centuars like cheese? I walked toward him quietly, hoping he wouldn't gallop off.
"Here," a voice said.
I turned. It was Prince Charmont, offering me an apple.
"Thank you."
Holding out my hand, I edged closer to the moat. The centuar's nostrils flared and he trotted toward me. I tossed the apple. Two other centuars galloped over, but mine caught the treat and started eating, crunching loudly.
"I always expect them to thank me or to say, 'How dare you stare?'" I said.
"They're not smart enough to talk. See how blank their eyes are." He pointed, teaching me.
I knew all that, but perhaps it was a princely duty to explain matters to one's subjects.
"If they had words," I said, "they wouldn't be able to think of anything to say."
A surprised silence followed. Then Char laughed. "That's funny! You're funny. As the Lady Eleanor was." He looked stricken. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to remind you."
"I think of her often," I said. Most of the time.
We walked along the edge of the moat, and I put up a flyer Mandy made me.
"What's that?" Char asked.
"Well, Father gave me the choice of going to Jenn to Finishing School and finding myself a governess. If I don't find a governess, I'm going to Finishing School anyway. So I though, well at least I'm doing something to stop me going."
Char nodded, absorbing the conflict. "Well," he said, "we have a governess. Maybe you could come live with us."
Now, Im like every other lass, dreaming of living in the palace someday, but this wasn't the time. "Oh, I don't think Father would like that at all!" I said, before I even knew I was thinking it.
"Ah," said Char, trying to think of a solution. Changing the subject (perhaps because he didn't have an answer), he asked me, "Would you like an apple too?" He held out another one to me.
I wanted to make him laugh, so I pawed the ground with my right foot and tossed my head as though I had a mane. Opening my eyes as wide as they'd go, I stared stupidly at Char and took the apple.
He did laugh. Then he made an anouncement. "I like you. I'm quite taken with you." He took a third apple for himself out of the pocket of his cape.
I liked him too. He wasn't haughty or disdainful, or stuffy, as High Chancellor Thomas was.
I kept putting up flyers in each section, giving our address and Father's name, Sir Peter.
Soon, we reached my other favorite place, the parrot cages. The birds spoke all the languages of the world, even non-human tounges. I imated all the birds (something I'm very good at) and even started to teach Char some exotic tounges. His memory was good, but his accent horrible. He seemed keen to learn, though.
We walked around for hours, sometimes talking, sometimes silent. When Char had to go, he left telling me this.
"Tonight I will summon all governesses in Kyrria to my castle and send them to you. And soon I shall catch a Centuar and give it to you."
Chapter Two
The next morning, I woke up with my fingers curled around Mother's necklace. The clock in King Jerrold's palace was just striking six. Perfect. I wanted to rise early and spend the day putting up posters and asking around for governesses in the places I loved best.
I put my gown over the necklace and crept down to the pantry, where I found a tray of freshly bakes scones. They were hot, so I tossed two in th air and caught them in my skirt, pulling it out to make a basket. Then, looking down at my breakfast, I ran to the front of the house and right into Father.
He was in the entranceway, waiting for Nathan to bring the carriage around.
"I don't have time for you now, Eleanor. Run off and bang into somebody else. And tell Mandy I'll be back with the bailiff. We'll need lunch."
As instructed, I ran off. Aside from its dangerous aspects, the curse often made a fool of me and was partly the reason I seemed so clumsy. Now I had to bang into someone.
Bertha was carrying wet laundry. When I bumped into her, she dropped her basket. My gowns and stockings and undergarments tumbled onto the tiles. I helped her pick them up, but she was going to have to wash everything over again.
"Little mistress, it's hard enough getting your things ready so quick without having to do it twice," she scolded.
After I apologized, and after I delivered Father's message to Mandy, and after she made me sit down and eat breakfast on a plate, I started for the royal menagerie just outside the walls of the king's palace. I figured it was as good a place as any to start, although I didn't expect to find an able governess there. But I hadn't been there for so long, so I thought that I could spare a few hours. And who knew, maybe I would find a governess there.
My favorite exhibits were the talking birds and the exotic animals. Except for the hydra in her swamp and the baby dragon, the exotics - the unicorn, the herd of centaurs, and the gryphorn family - lived on an island meadow surrounded by an extension of the castle moat.
The dragon was kept in an iron cage. He was beautiful in his tiny ferocity and seemed happiest when flaming, his ruby eyes gleaming evilly.
I bought a morsel of yellow cheese from the stand next to the cage and toasted it in the fire, which was a tricky buisness, getting close enough for cooking but not so close the dragon could get the treat.
I wondered what King Jerrold planned to do with him when he grew up. I wondered also if I would be home to learn his fate.
Beyone the dragon, a centaur stood near the moat, gazing at me. Did centuars like cheese? I walked toward him quietly, hoping he wouldn't gallop off.
"Here," a voice said.
I turned. It was Prince Charmont, offering me an apple.
"Thank you."
Holding out my hand, I edged closer to the moat. The centuar's nostrils flared and he trotted toward me. I tossed the apple. Two other centuars galloped over, but mine caught the treat and started eating, crunching loudly.
"I always expect them to thank me or to say, 'How dare you stare?'" I said.
"They're not smart enough to talk. See how blank their eyes are." He pointed, teaching me.
I knew all that, but perhaps it was a princely duty to explain matters to one's subjects.
"If they had words," I said, "they wouldn't be able to think of anything to say."
A surprised silence followed. Then Char laughed. "That's funny! You're funny. As the Lady Eleanor was." He looked stricken. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to remind you."
"I think of her often," I said. Most of the time.
We walked along the edge of the moat, and I put up a flyer Mandy made me.
"What's that?" Char asked.
"Well, Father gave me the choice of going to Jenn to Finishing School and finding myself a governess. If I don't find a governess, I'm going to Finishing School anyway. So I though, well at least I'm doing something to stop me going."
Char nodded, absorbing the conflict. "Well," he said, "we have a governess. Maybe you could come live with us."
Now, Im like every other lass, dreaming of living in the palace someday, but this wasn't the time. "Oh, I don't think Father would like that at all!" I said, before I even knew I was thinking it.
"Ah," said Char, trying to think of a solution. Changing the subject (perhaps because he didn't have an answer), he asked me, "Would you like an apple too?" He held out another one to me.
I wanted to make him laugh, so I pawed the ground with my right foot and tossed my head as though I had a mane. Opening my eyes as wide as they'd go, I stared stupidly at Char and took the apple.
He did laugh. Then he made an anouncement. "I like you. I'm quite taken with you." He took a third apple for himself out of the pocket of his cape.
I liked him too. He wasn't haughty or disdainful, or stuffy, as High Chancellor Thomas was.
I kept putting up flyers in each section, giving our address and Father's name, Sir Peter.
Soon, we reached my other favorite place, the parrot cages. The birds spoke all the languages of the world, even non-human tounges. I imated all the birds (something I'm very good at) and even started to teach Char some exotic tounges. His memory was good, but his accent horrible. He seemed keen to learn, though.
We walked around for hours, sometimes talking, sometimes silent. When Char had to go, he left telling me this.
"Tonight I will summon all governesses in Kyrria to my castle and send them to you. And soon I shall catch a Centuar and give it to you."