The field was crowded, filled with bustling servants and mingling
party guests. All were safely within the realm of the invisibility spell,
so as not to be seen by the errant traveler.
Ella looked around. She knew there was no stable by this castle, so they must be keeping the horses outside. Where were they? She spotted them near the castle walls, much to far away to be helpful to her.
Ella turned to look at Sir Bowen. "Might we bring some of the horses closer to us? I love horses, and I would like to have them near me."
Sir Bowen looked at her strangely, but finally replied, "Very well. I shall bring one horse over and let it stand next to you. You're lucky you need to follow my orders. However, do not even think of finding a way of disobeying me. You will stay here and marry me. Do you understand?"
Ella tried to look upset, like he had shot down her only hope. If he only knew that he had been the one to give it to her. "Very well."
The chancellor Bowen at threatened into performing the ceremony walked up to stand at the altar, and the Kyrrian wedding processional started to play. Slowly, Sir Bowen led Ella down the aisle, the guests whispering as they walked past. Ella caught snatches of the conversations.
"That poor girl…"
"Being forced to marry that monster! Why I…"
"Wish someone would make that man pay!"
"She's doomed."
Ella just kept walking. With any luck, they'd change their whisperings soon.
Finally, they reached the altar. The chancellor began to speak.
"We are gathered here today to witness the marriage…"
Ella did not pay much attention to the words being spoken. She paid more attention to the horse on her right. If she did everything exactly right, she could be on in a matter of seconds…
"Sir Bowen, do you take Lady Eleanor to be your dutiful wife, and be a dutiful husband in return?" The words pierced through Ella's mind, alerting her to the fact that escape was mere moments away.
Sir Bowen's voice was loud and clear. "Yes, I do."
The chancellor turned to Ella. "And do you, Lady Eleanor, take Sir Bowen to be your dutiful husband, and be a dutiful wife in return?"
Ella looked at Sir Bowen's face. His look clearly stated, "Say yes, or suffer the consequences."
She turned back to the chancellor. When she spoke, her voice was, calm, strong, and clear.
"Never."
Then she dropped her huge lily bouquet, jumped onto the horse's back, and rode off before anyone had registered what happened.
Char rode at a meandering pace, wallowing in his own self pity. Ella was gone. Lost to him forever. He should just stay here in this field, wandering around for the rest of days, if his life were to be without Ella.
Suddenly, a figure appeared out of thin air. The figure was dressed all in white, galloping with all her might on an equally white horse. The figure was…
"Ella?"
Char's joyous shout reached Ella's ears, and she immediately slowed down. Seeing Char, she hopped off her horse and started running toward him. Char did the same.
They met and had a joyous reunion. Mother Nature herself must have smiled at the beauty of the two souls reuniting in the middle of the greenery.
They were interrupted abruptly when Sir Bowen angrily charged out from the same nowhere Ella had come from.
"You devious little wench!" he roared. "How dare you trick me! You'll pay dearly for this, mark my words! You'll pay for these lies, for this deceit! You will pay!"
Of course, it was Sir Bowen who paid. In his near murderous rage, he had not noticed Char. Char made an easy sport of sneaking up behind the knight and hitting him squarely on the back of the skull. He fell in a heap to the ground.
Both Ella and Char stared at the prone form lying in the grass. It was Ella who spoke first.
"Well that seems-almost anticlimactic, doesn't it?"
Char laughed, music to Ella's ears. He pulled her in for another kiss.
When they were finished, they turned back to Sir Bowen's unconscious body. "I suppose I should arrest him, shouldn't I?" Char asked. "I mean, what else could we do? Any ideas?"
Ella's eyes lit up in good-natured malice. "I have the perfect idea. All we need is the help of Mandy and Lucinda. Small magic only. This way, we could kill two birds with one stone." Ella told Char of her plan. Soon Char's eyes were lit up too.
"That's a wonderful idea!"
They laughed some more. Then Char took Ella's hand and started leading her toward the horses, and said the most wonderful words to Ella's ears:
"Let's go home."
Ella looked around. She knew there was no stable by this castle, so they must be keeping the horses outside. Where were they? She spotted them near the castle walls, much to far away to be helpful to her.
Ella turned to look at Sir Bowen. "Might we bring some of the horses closer to us? I love horses, and I would like to have them near me."
Sir Bowen looked at her strangely, but finally replied, "Very well. I shall bring one horse over and let it stand next to you. You're lucky you need to follow my orders. However, do not even think of finding a way of disobeying me. You will stay here and marry me. Do you understand?"
Ella tried to look upset, like he had shot down her only hope. If he only knew that he had been the one to give it to her. "Very well."
The chancellor Bowen at threatened into performing the ceremony walked up to stand at the altar, and the Kyrrian wedding processional started to play. Slowly, Sir Bowen led Ella down the aisle, the guests whispering as they walked past. Ella caught snatches of the conversations.
"That poor girl…"
"Being forced to marry that monster! Why I…"
"Wish someone would make that man pay!"
"She's doomed."
Ella just kept walking. With any luck, they'd change their whisperings soon.
Finally, they reached the altar. The chancellor began to speak.
"We are gathered here today to witness the marriage…"
Ella did not pay much attention to the words being spoken. She paid more attention to the horse on her right. If she did everything exactly right, she could be on in a matter of seconds…
"Sir Bowen, do you take Lady Eleanor to be your dutiful wife, and be a dutiful husband in return?" The words pierced through Ella's mind, alerting her to the fact that escape was mere moments away.
Sir Bowen's voice was loud and clear. "Yes, I do."
The chancellor turned to Ella. "And do you, Lady Eleanor, take Sir Bowen to be your dutiful husband, and be a dutiful wife in return?"
Ella looked at Sir Bowen's face. His look clearly stated, "Say yes, or suffer the consequences."
She turned back to the chancellor. When she spoke, her voice was, calm, strong, and clear.
"Never."
Then she dropped her huge lily bouquet, jumped onto the horse's back, and rode off before anyone had registered what happened.
Char rode at a meandering pace, wallowing in his own self pity. Ella was gone. Lost to him forever. He should just stay here in this field, wandering around for the rest of days, if his life were to be without Ella.
Suddenly, a figure appeared out of thin air. The figure was dressed all in white, galloping with all her might on an equally white horse. The figure was…
"Ella?"
Char's joyous shout reached Ella's ears, and she immediately slowed down. Seeing Char, she hopped off her horse and started running toward him. Char did the same.
They met and had a joyous reunion. Mother Nature herself must have smiled at the beauty of the two souls reuniting in the middle of the greenery.
They were interrupted abruptly when Sir Bowen angrily charged out from the same nowhere Ella had come from.
"You devious little wench!" he roared. "How dare you trick me! You'll pay dearly for this, mark my words! You'll pay for these lies, for this deceit! You will pay!"
Of course, it was Sir Bowen who paid. In his near murderous rage, he had not noticed Char. Char made an easy sport of sneaking up behind the knight and hitting him squarely on the back of the skull. He fell in a heap to the ground.
Both Ella and Char stared at the prone form lying in the grass. It was Ella who spoke first.
"Well that seems-almost anticlimactic, doesn't it?"
Char laughed, music to Ella's ears. He pulled her in for another kiss.
When they were finished, they turned back to Sir Bowen's unconscious body. "I suppose I should arrest him, shouldn't I?" Char asked. "I mean, what else could we do? Any ideas?"
Ella's eyes lit up in good-natured malice. "I have the perfect idea. All we need is the help of Mandy and Lucinda. Small magic only. This way, we could kill two birds with one stone." Ella told Char of her plan. Soon Char's eyes were lit up too.
"That's a wonderful idea!"
They laughed some more. Then Char took Ella's hand and started leading her toward the horses, and said the most wonderful words to Ella's ears:
"Let's go home."