A/N: Characters belong to Gail Carson Levine.
- - - FINALLY, ELLA - - -
Lela and I were strolling through the castle gardens. Her arm was tucked safely in mine, and as we walked we chatted about this and that. But I soon noticed that I was really the only one doing all of the chatting. Lela would respond now and then with a nod or a quick word, but her heart did not seem to be in it. I noticed that she seemed a little sad again. I would quickly glance at her once every while, just to make sure she was doing okay.
After awhile of me holding up the conversation, and Lela sighing and nodding once in awhile, I decided that it was time to go back inside.
"That's enough," I said. "I can face them now." I tightened my hold on Lela's arm a little bit, and led her gently back into the ballroom. She was worrying me a little bit now. I thought I had seen her cry again, but I couldn't be sure if it was just my imagination or a trick of the moonlight. Anyway, it would be rude to call her on it.
Once inside, we danced again. I made sure to watch Lela's face for any sign that she might need to step outside again. I didn't know why, but she seemed especially fragile on this particular night.
I was supposed to sing tonight. I had almost forgotten about it, except I had noticed that a young Ayorthaian girl was singing with the string quartet that was playing. She had a lovely voice, and it made me wonder how everyone would accept their prince and his performance.
"Soon it will be time for me to sing," I said. "After that I'll either be surrounded by worshipping music lovers or shunned by all." I smiled to myself. I knew my voice wasn't bad at all, but still, I wondered.
"Surrounded," Lela said. I began to smile at her. "And I would never shun you."
"I wonder. You may shun me if you know the truth."
I took a deep breath. I had been waiting for an opportunity to tell her all night. And now was as good a time as ever.
"I apologize if I unintentionally raised your expectations, but I've resolved never to marry." I searched her face, trying to figure out what she would say. It was hard, what with her mask covering any expression, whether it may be angry or surprised. The only clue I had was the way she was slightly smiling.
I raised my eyebrows. This was not what I had expected.
"You didn't mislead me," she said. "I've only been saving stories for home. I'll tell them, 'The prince said thus-and-so to me, and I said thus-and-so back to him. And, Mother, I made him laugh. I made our prince laugh. And Father, he danced with me-one night with almost no one except me.' 'What did he wear?' my sister will want to know. 'Did he have his sword with him always?' Father will ask."
Lela had no idea what her words meant to me. I tightened my arms around her a little bit. She was a very precious friend, indeed.
"Marriage is supposed to be forever, but friendship can be forever too. Will you-"
I never finished my sentence. Before I could do anything, before I could stop her, Hattie came up behind Lela and snatched off her mask. And, for an instant, before she quickly covered her face with her hands, I saw it. I saw the identity she had been hiding all along.
"Ella!" Hattie shrieked.
"Ella?" I gasped. Shock and wonder and happiness and anger all filled my voice at once.
She broke away from me, and ran. I made to run after her, to catch her and make her explain herself, but Hattie tripped me. I fell, and soon about one hundred maidens were crouched around me, squealing and generally making an unnecessary fuss. I leaped up, and the maidens gave me some space. I started walking very quickly toward the doors. Hattie ran up to me.
"Your Highness! . . . Your Highness??"
I ignored her. The love of my life had just run out that door, she was not married to a rich nobleman (this I knew now for certain), and I was NOT going to let her get away from me again. No. Matter. What.
I ran out the castle doors, down the steps, and that's when I saw it.
It was one of Ella's glass slippers. One that belonged to the pair that we had found together, that night at the old castle.
I picked it up, held it in my hand. It was so tiny.
I slipped it into a pocket in my cloak.
I had to find her.
- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Minutes later, my knights and I were riding through the streets of Frell in the royal carriage. I kept urging the coachman to make the horses go faster.
Sir Stephan gently chided me, "Now, Young Sir, it won't do you any good to tire out those horses. They'll take you as fast as they can manage comfortably. Don't look so worried! Your young Ogre Tamer isn't going anywhere."
Leave it to Sir Stephan to be worried about horses at such a time!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Finally, we arrived at Ella's manor. We had been let inside by one of the servants, who looked more than mildly surprised to see our royal entourage at the door.
"I want to see everyone in this entire household," I told the servant. "Immediately."
The servant ran off, spurred by the impatience in my voice.
My thoughts wouldn't settle. Why had Ella lied to me? Was it all Hattie's trick after all? Did she love me as I loved her? I had nothing but hope welling up in me. If only. . .
The household began to file into the front hall. Once they were all assembled, I searched their faces. I couldn't see Ella. My knights and I walked in their midst, searching.
"Here's a maid," said Sir Stephan.
My heart did a back-flip.
"Come lass," he said, and pulled Ella to me from the crowd of servants.
She was beautiful, as always, but she looked terrified. She was also wearing servant's garb and a dirty kerchief over her hair, and her face was smudged with soot. My head was reeling.
"Ella! Ella? Why are you dressed so?" My hands were shaking, I was so nervous.
"Your Majesty, I'm-"
"That's only Cinders, the scullery maid," interjected Hattie. "Sire, would you care for a refreshment now you're here?"
What? How could Ella be a scullery maid?
"She's a scullery maid?"
"A scullery maid. Of no account. But our cook, Mandy, has cakes fit for a prince."
I stepped closer to Ella, tried to read her face. She tried to go for the door, but Sir Stephan still hadn't let go of her hand.
"Lass," I said gently, so I didn't frighten her anymore. "I won't hurt you, no matter what." I cupped my hand underneath her chin, and tilted her face up to mine.
I knew it was Ella. I knew from the moment her mask slipped off at the ball. She couldn't pretend with me. I let my hand linger on her face, then dropped it at my side. I slipped my other hand inside my cloak, and pulled out the slipper. I saw Ella's face change once she caught sight of it.
"It belonged to Ella, and it will fit her alone, whether she is a scullery maid or a duchess," I said.
One of the knights brought a chair.
"That's my slipper," said Hattie quickly. "It's been missing for years."
I couldn't believe Hattie was trying this now. The wench.
"Your feet are too big," said Olive.
"Try it," I said, suppressing a laugh.
"I lost it because it kept falling off," said Hattie, smiling with her rabbit teeth. She removed her own footwear, and then tried to put on Ella's slipper. She couldn't even get her big toe in, her feet were that huge.
"I'm younger than Hattie," said Olive. "So my feet are smaller. Probably."
Olive's feet were even bigger than Hattie's.
Finally, it was Ella's turn. She sat in the chair, and extended her tiny foot. I gently guided the slipper on. It was a perfect fit, of course.
I still knelt before Ella, my face close to hers. I said softly, so that only she could hear, "You needn't be Ella if you don't want to be."
She looked as if she were going to burst into tears.
"I'm not," she choked, but the tears came anyway.
I looked into her eyes, hope filling me up and giving me courage.
"That letter was rubbish. A trick." I gave Hattie a quick glare, and turned back to Ella.
She was so beautiful and sweet. I had to ask.
"Do you love me? Tell me." I wasn't aware of the rest of the household anymore. I only had eyes for Ella.
"I do," she said, smiling at me with tears running down her face. I wanted to gather her up in my arms, I wanted to kiss her, I wanted to dance with joy. She loved me.
"Then marry me!" I said, everything I felt spilling out of me and into my voice.
She nodded. I was smiling. I felt like I hadn't smiled like this in years. I took her hand in mine, and held it as she kept weeping.
"Don't marry him, Ella," Hattie said quickly.
I ignored Hattie. Ella loved me. Ella wanted to marry me. Ella was my soul mate, and nothing else mattered anymore.
Ella withdrew her hand from mine. "I can't," she said.
"Hattie, don't be a fool," Mum Olga snapped at her eldest daughter. "Don't you want to be stepsister to the queen and make her give you whatever you like?" She smiled at Ella evilly. "His Highness is kind enough to want to marry you, Ella, my sweet."
I was staring at Ella's face, and she was at me. Ella loved me. Me and only me. How happy I could make her. . . How happy she could make me! If only she would marry me. . .
"Marry me Ella," I said again, whispering. "Say you'll marry me." My heart was going to burst.
Her eyes welled up again, and I could see her love for me in them. She closed them briefly, drawing in deep breaths. She seemed to be struggling with something. I put my hand on her shoulder. I didn't understand any of this.
Her eyes were open now, and she was staring right at me, but she wasn't at the same time. She couldn't see me. She was focused on something inside herself, something deep and important. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Her hand was clamped over her mouth, and she was rocking back and forth in her chair. I held her other hand, still kneeling beside her. I wouldn't leave her.
Suddenly, her eyes lost their glazed look, and a fierce and determined fire burned within them.
"No," she shouted, "I won't marry you. I won't do it. No one can force me!" She leaped up, and I was almost knocked backward. I stood, also.
I stared at her. "Who would force you?" Shock filled my voice.
"No matter who. I won't, I won't. They can't make me, no one can make me. I won't marry you."
I was speechless. Dumbfounded.
"She'll marry you," said Olive, laughing. "You told her to. She has to listen." She turned to Ella. "Marry him and give me your money!"
This was ridiculous!
"I won't! Stop ordering me to!"
"She doesn't have to marry me," I said quietly.
"Ella, go to your room," Hattie said. "His Majesty can have no further need of you."
What was Hattie talking about?
"I have great need of her," I said, giving Hattie another glare.
"Hush Hattie!" said Ella. "I don't want to go to my room. Everyone must know I shan't marry the prince."
I could only watch in wonderment as Ella ran to the door, opened it, and shouted into the night air, "I shan't marry the prince!" She then ran back to me, threw her arms around my neck, and said, "I shan't marry you."
It felt so wonderful to have her in my arms. She kissed my cheek, and I turned her head with my hand and kissed her lips. I held onto her, my arms about her waist.
"Go to your room this instant. I command you," Hattie said shrilly.
I pulled away from Ella, who still had her arms around my neck, and held her hands.
"Why won't you marry me?" I asked, puzzled. "Why not, if you love me?"
"I'm cursed. You wouldn't be safe if I were your wife."
Cursed? What did she mean? What kind of curse? Before I could ask, I saw her cook, Mandy, pushing her way through the servants.
But then I looked at Ella again, and she was smiling at me, the love in her eyes plain to see. I was sure mine looked the same. I still held her hands.
The cook reached us. "You're free. The curse is over, love," she said to Ella, hugging her. "Your rescued yourself when you rescued the prince. I'm that proud and glad, sweet, I could shout."
My smile widened into a grin. Ella looked so happy, happier than I had ever seen her. I made to pull her into my arms, but she acted before I could. She tore off the dirty kerchief that hid her beautiful hair, and curtsied to me. I raised my eyebrows, cocked my head to one side.
"When you asked for my hand a few minutes ago, I was still too young to marry."
I was grinning, all of the joy in my heart couldn't be expressed at that moment.
"I'm older now, so much older that not only can I marry, but I can beg you to marry me." She knelt before me and took my hand.
Before she could say anything else, I pulled her up, took her in my arms, and kissed her. Our kiss was sweet, loving, and filled with all of the other things that we had not been able to express to each other until that very moment. Our kiss ended, and I gently ran my hand over her cheek, and brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen in her face. She was mine now, forever. And I was hers.
She looked up at me, and her eyes twinkled.
"I'll take that as a yes then?" she asked mischievously.
Together our laughter rang throughout the manor, an omen for the happy years that were to come our way.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A/N: Oh, I just loved writing that chapter! Sigh. . . I'm definitely going to write about the wedding and such, but I'm going to be going on vacation starting tomorrow, so that will not be up for about 2 weeks. I hope I satisfied everybody who was waiting for so long for this chapter.
Thanks for all of the reviews, and I'll be back in 2 weeks!
- - - FINALLY, ELLA - - -
Lela and I were strolling through the castle gardens. Her arm was tucked safely in mine, and as we walked we chatted about this and that. But I soon noticed that I was really the only one doing all of the chatting. Lela would respond now and then with a nod or a quick word, but her heart did not seem to be in it. I noticed that she seemed a little sad again. I would quickly glance at her once every while, just to make sure she was doing okay.
After awhile of me holding up the conversation, and Lela sighing and nodding once in awhile, I decided that it was time to go back inside.
"That's enough," I said. "I can face them now." I tightened my hold on Lela's arm a little bit, and led her gently back into the ballroom. She was worrying me a little bit now. I thought I had seen her cry again, but I couldn't be sure if it was just my imagination or a trick of the moonlight. Anyway, it would be rude to call her on it.
Once inside, we danced again. I made sure to watch Lela's face for any sign that she might need to step outside again. I didn't know why, but she seemed especially fragile on this particular night.
I was supposed to sing tonight. I had almost forgotten about it, except I had noticed that a young Ayorthaian girl was singing with the string quartet that was playing. She had a lovely voice, and it made me wonder how everyone would accept their prince and his performance.
"Soon it will be time for me to sing," I said. "After that I'll either be surrounded by worshipping music lovers or shunned by all." I smiled to myself. I knew my voice wasn't bad at all, but still, I wondered.
"Surrounded," Lela said. I began to smile at her. "And I would never shun you."
"I wonder. You may shun me if you know the truth."
I took a deep breath. I had been waiting for an opportunity to tell her all night. And now was as good a time as ever.
"I apologize if I unintentionally raised your expectations, but I've resolved never to marry." I searched her face, trying to figure out what she would say. It was hard, what with her mask covering any expression, whether it may be angry or surprised. The only clue I had was the way she was slightly smiling.
I raised my eyebrows. This was not what I had expected.
"You didn't mislead me," she said. "I've only been saving stories for home. I'll tell them, 'The prince said thus-and-so to me, and I said thus-and-so back to him. And, Mother, I made him laugh. I made our prince laugh. And Father, he danced with me-one night with almost no one except me.' 'What did he wear?' my sister will want to know. 'Did he have his sword with him always?' Father will ask."
Lela had no idea what her words meant to me. I tightened my arms around her a little bit. She was a very precious friend, indeed.
"Marriage is supposed to be forever, but friendship can be forever too. Will you-"
I never finished my sentence. Before I could do anything, before I could stop her, Hattie came up behind Lela and snatched off her mask. And, for an instant, before she quickly covered her face with her hands, I saw it. I saw the identity she had been hiding all along.
"Ella!" Hattie shrieked.
"Ella?" I gasped. Shock and wonder and happiness and anger all filled my voice at once.
She broke away from me, and ran. I made to run after her, to catch her and make her explain herself, but Hattie tripped me. I fell, and soon about one hundred maidens were crouched around me, squealing and generally making an unnecessary fuss. I leaped up, and the maidens gave me some space. I started walking very quickly toward the doors. Hattie ran up to me.
"Your Highness! . . . Your Highness??"
I ignored her. The love of my life had just run out that door, she was not married to a rich nobleman (this I knew now for certain), and I was NOT going to let her get away from me again. No. Matter. What.
I ran out the castle doors, down the steps, and that's when I saw it.
It was one of Ella's glass slippers. One that belonged to the pair that we had found together, that night at the old castle.
I picked it up, held it in my hand. It was so tiny.
I slipped it into a pocket in my cloak.
I had to find her.
- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Minutes later, my knights and I were riding through the streets of Frell in the royal carriage. I kept urging the coachman to make the horses go faster.
Sir Stephan gently chided me, "Now, Young Sir, it won't do you any good to tire out those horses. They'll take you as fast as they can manage comfortably. Don't look so worried! Your young Ogre Tamer isn't going anywhere."
Leave it to Sir Stephan to be worried about horses at such a time!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Finally, we arrived at Ella's manor. We had been let inside by one of the servants, who looked more than mildly surprised to see our royal entourage at the door.
"I want to see everyone in this entire household," I told the servant. "Immediately."
The servant ran off, spurred by the impatience in my voice.
My thoughts wouldn't settle. Why had Ella lied to me? Was it all Hattie's trick after all? Did she love me as I loved her? I had nothing but hope welling up in me. If only. . .
The household began to file into the front hall. Once they were all assembled, I searched their faces. I couldn't see Ella. My knights and I walked in their midst, searching.
"Here's a maid," said Sir Stephan.
My heart did a back-flip.
"Come lass," he said, and pulled Ella to me from the crowd of servants.
She was beautiful, as always, but she looked terrified. She was also wearing servant's garb and a dirty kerchief over her hair, and her face was smudged with soot. My head was reeling.
"Ella! Ella? Why are you dressed so?" My hands were shaking, I was so nervous.
"Your Majesty, I'm-"
"That's only Cinders, the scullery maid," interjected Hattie. "Sire, would you care for a refreshment now you're here?"
What? How could Ella be a scullery maid?
"She's a scullery maid?"
"A scullery maid. Of no account. But our cook, Mandy, has cakes fit for a prince."
I stepped closer to Ella, tried to read her face. She tried to go for the door, but Sir Stephan still hadn't let go of her hand.
"Lass," I said gently, so I didn't frighten her anymore. "I won't hurt you, no matter what." I cupped my hand underneath her chin, and tilted her face up to mine.
I knew it was Ella. I knew from the moment her mask slipped off at the ball. She couldn't pretend with me. I let my hand linger on her face, then dropped it at my side. I slipped my other hand inside my cloak, and pulled out the slipper. I saw Ella's face change once she caught sight of it.
"It belonged to Ella, and it will fit her alone, whether she is a scullery maid or a duchess," I said.
One of the knights brought a chair.
"That's my slipper," said Hattie quickly. "It's been missing for years."
I couldn't believe Hattie was trying this now. The wench.
"Your feet are too big," said Olive.
"Try it," I said, suppressing a laugh.
"I lost it because it kept falling off," said Hattie, smiling with her rabbit teeth. She removed her own footwear, and then tried to put on Ella's slipper. She couldn't even get her big toe in, her feet were that huge.
"I'm younger than Hattie," said Olive. "So my feet are smaller. Probably."
Olive's feet were even bigger than Hattie's.
Finally, it was Ella's turn. She sat in the chair, and extended her tiny foot. I gently guided the slipper on. It was a perfect fit, of course.
I still knelt before Ella, my face close to hers. I said softly, so that only she could hear, "You needn't be Ella if you don't want to be."
She looked as if she were going to burst into tears.
"I'm not," she choked, but the tears came anyway.
I looked into her eyes, hope filling me up and giving me courage.
"That letter was rubbish. A trick." I gave Hattie a quick glare, and turned back to Ella.
She was so beautiful and sweet. I had to ask.
"Do you love me? Tell me." I wasn't aware of the rest of the household anymore. I only had eyes for Ella.
"I do," she said, smiling at me with tears running down her face. I wanted to gather her up in my arms, I wanted to kiss her, I wanted to dance with joy. She loved me.
"Then marry me!" I said, everything I felt spilling out of me and into my voice.
She nodded. I was smiling. I felt like I hadn't smiled like this in years. I took her hand in mine, and held it as she kept weeping.
"Don't marry him, Ella," Hattie said quickly.
I ignored Hattie. Ella loved me. Ella wanted to marry me. Ella was my soul mate, and nothing else mattered anymore.
Ella withdrew her hand from mine. "I can't," she said.
"Hattie, don't be a fool," Mum Olga snapped at her eldest daughter. "Don't you want to be stepsister to the queen and make her give you whatever you like?" She smiled at Ella evilly. "His Highness is kind enough to want to marry you, Ella, my sweet."
I was staring at Ella's face, and she was at me. Ella loved me. Me and only me. How happy I could make her. . . How happy she could make me! If only she would marry me. . .
"Marry me Ella," I said again, whispering. "Say you'll marry me." My heart was going to burst.
Her eyes welled up again, and I could see her love for me in them. She closed them briefly, drawing in deep breaths. She seemed to be struggling with something. I put my hand on her shoulder. I didn't understand any of this.
Her eyes were open now, and she was staring right at me, but she wasn't at the same time. She couldn't see me. She was focused on something inside herself, something deep and important. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Her hand was clamped over her mouth, and she was rocking back and forth in her chair. I held her other hand, still kneeling beside her. I wouldn't leave her.
Suddenly, her eyes lost their glazed look, and a fierce and determined fire burned within them.
"No," she shouted, "I won't marry you. I won't do it. No one can force me!" She leaped up, and I was almost knocked backward. I stood, also.
I stared at her. "Who would force you?" Shock filled my voice.
"No matter who. I won't, I won't. They can't make me, no one can make me. I won't marry you."
I was speechless. Dumbfounded.
"She'll marry you," said Olive, laughing. "You told her to. She has to listen." She turned to Ella. "Marry him and give me your money!"
This was ridiculous!
"I won't! Stop ordering me to!"
"She doesn't have to marry me," I said quietly.
"Ella, go to your room," Hattie said. "His Majesty can have no further need of you."
What was Hattie talking about?
"I have great need of her," I said, giving Hattie another glare.
"Hush Hattie!" said Ella. "I don't want to go to my room. Everyone must know I shan't marry the prince."
I could only watch in wonderment as Ella ran to the door, opened it, and shouted into the night air, "I shan't marry the prince!" She then ran back to me, threw her arms around my neck, and said, "I shan't marry you."
It felt so wonderful to have her in my arms. She kissed my cheek, and I turned her head with my hand and kissed her lips. I held onto her, my arms about her waist.
"Go to your room this instant. I command you," Hattie said shrilly.
I pulled away from Ella, who still had her arms around my neck, and held her hands.
"Why won't you marry me?" I asked, puzzled. "Why not, if you love me?"
"I'm cursed. You wouldn't be safe if I were your wife."
Cursed? What did she mean? What kind of curse? Before I could ask, I saw her cook, Mandy, pushing her way through the servants.
But then I looked at Ella again, and she was smiling at me, the love in her eyes plain to see. I was sure mine looked the same. I still held her hands.
The cook reached us. "You're free. The curse is over, love," she said to Ella, hugging her. "Your rescued yourself when you rescued the prince. I'm that proud and glad, sweet, I could shout."
My smile widened into a grin. Ella looked so happy, happier than I had ever seen her. I made to pull her into my arms, but she acted before I could. She tore off the dirty kerchief that hid her beautiful hair, and curtsied to me. I raised my eyebrows, cocked my head to one side.
"When you asked for my hand a few minutes ago, I was still too young to marry."
I was grinning, all of the joy in my heart couldn't be expressed at that moment.
"I'm older now, so much older that not only can I marry, but I can beg you to marry me." She knelt before me and took my hand.
Before she could say anything else, I pulled her up, took her in my arms, and kissed her. Our kiss was sweet, loving, and filled with all of the other things that we had not been able to express to each other until that very moment. Our kiss ended, and I gently ran my hand over her cheek, and brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen in her face. She was mine now, forever. And I was hers.
She looked up at me, and her eyes twinkled.
"I'll take that as a yes then?" she asked mischievously.
Together our laughter rang throughout the manor, an omen for the happy years that were to come our way.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A/N: Oh, I just loved writing that chapter! Sigh. . . I'm definitely going to write about the wedding and such, but I'm going to be going on vacation starting tomorrow, so that will not be up for about 2 weeks. I hope I satisfied everybody who was waiting for so long for this chapter.
Thanks for all of the reviews, and I'll be back in 2 weeks!