Sir Bowen was seething. How dare he! How dare he promise him his
daughter, and then let her marry someone else? She was his! Well, no one
cheated Sir Bowen of Torlia and lived to tell the tale. He stood up.
"Neil!" he called.
A servant appeared at the doorway. "Yes sir?"
"Prepare the carriage!" Bowen smiled malevolently. "We're going to pay a little visit to the prince-and his lovely new bride."
"Father! How could you do this to me? I have taken orders from you my whole life! I've always obeyed you! How could you promise me into a marriage without my consent?" Ella was in a rage. Her father, in his ever- present quest for money, had put all of their lives in danger. The nerve!
Her father's face, which had been filled with worry, now became indignant. "I told you. I hadn't the slightest notion you were to be queen. If I had, of course I would not have promised you to him. Aside from that, you knew I needed money and would probably find a husband for you. I hardly think it is entirely my fault when-"
Ella ran off. She couldn't take it anymore. She had only just found happiness. Now it was being ripped from her without the slightest thought? There was only one person who could help her now. She ran into the kitchen.
"Mandy! Mandy!"
Mandy, sweet, familiar Mandy, came into view. How Ella loved her, from her frizzy gray hair to her tiny fairy feet. Mandy would use magic. Mandy would make everything better. "What is it, sweet? What's wrong?"
Ella collapsed into Mandy's welcoming arms. And told her the whole account.
If Ella thought she was mad at her father, it was nothing compared to Mandy's livid rage. "That monster! Selling his daughter off to the highest bidder like some horse! Putting a few gold KJs before his own daughter's happiness! I wish I could…"
Ella cut off Mandy's rant. "Please, save your revenge for later. Just, do some magic. Please."
Mandy looked at Ella, her expression one of compunction. "Oh, Lady. I'm sorry. The magic would be too big. Remember that night, after the third ball? Where I said nothing is small magic at a time like this? Well, this is that kind of time. With the ever present danger and the- oh honey, I can't."
Ella's eyes filled with tears. "So we'll just let this man walk in and snatch me away to be his…" the tears spilled over.
Ella cried and Mandy hugged, neither aware when Char came into the kitchen, looking for Ella. Seeing the pair, he walked over and joined the hug.
After Ella had quieted down a bit, Char spoke to her, quiet words of reassuring, "Don't worry, Ella. I won't let him get you. No one can take you from me. We'll be prepared. We'll have guards, and protection, and…oh, don't worry. I'll take care of you. We'll take care of each other."
Mandy, gently cleaning away her own tears, left the couple. They still sat there on the kitchen floor, letting the scullery maids gawk at the future sovereigns clinging to each other on the ground.
A servant appeared at the doorway. "Yes sir?"
"Prepare the carriage!" Bowen smiled malevolently. "We're going to pay a little visit to the prince-and his lovely new bride."
"Father! How could you do this to me? I have taken orders from you my whole life! I've always obeyed you! How could you promise me into a marriage without my consent?" Ella was in a rage. Her father, in his ever- present quest for money, had put all of their lives in danger. The nerve!
Her father's face, which had been filled with worry, now became indignant. "I told you. I hadn't the slightest notion you were to be queen. If I had, of course I would not have promised you to him. Aside from that, you knew I needed money and would probably find a husband for you. I hardly think it is entirely my fault when-"
Ella ran off. She couldn't take it anymore. She had only just found happiness. Now it was being ripped from her without the slightest thought? There was only one person who could help her now. She ran into the kitchen.
"Mandy! Mandy!"
Mandy, sweet, familiar Mandy, came into view. How Ella loved her, from her frizzy gray hair to her tiny fairy feet. Mandy would use magic. Mandy would make everything better. "What is it, sweet? What's wrong?"
Ella collapsed into Mandy's welcoming arms. And told her the whole account.
If Ella thought she was mad at her father, it was nothing compared to Mandy's livid rage. "That monster! Selling his daughter off to the highest bidder like some horse! Putting a few gold KJs before his own daughter's happiness! I wish I could…"
Ella cut off Mandy's rant. "Please, save your revenge for later. Just, do some magic. Please."
Mandy looked at Ella, her expression one of compunction. "Oh, Lady. I'm sorry. The magic would be too big. Remember that night, after the third ball? Where I said nothing is small magic at a time like this? Well, this is that kind of time. With the ever present danger and the- oh honey, I can't."
Ella's eyes filled with tears. "So we'll just let this man walk in and snatch me away to be his…" the tears spilled over.
Ella cried and Mandy hugged, neither aware when Char came into the kitchen, looking for Ella. Seeing the pair, he walked over and joined the hug.
After Ella had quieted down a bit, Char spoke to her, quiet words of reassuring, "Don't worry, Ella. I won't let him get you. No one can take you from me. We'll be prepared. We'll have guards, and protection, and…oh, don't worry. I'll take care of you. We'll take care of each other."
Mandy, gently cleaning away her own tears, left the couple. They still sat there on the kitchen floor, letting the scullery maids gawk at the future sovereigns clinging to each other on the ground.