A/N: Characters belong to Gail Carson Levine. This chapter has even more
fluffy goodness. Yay! Basically I am now living out my love life through
Ella and Char. I am pathetic. But enjoy anyway!
- - - WEDDING WOES - - -
It was the day before the wedding. And my mother was in a frenzy.
"Ethel, please tell me that Ella's wedding gown will be ready by tonight. How long can a few simple alterations take? . . . Ethel? Are you listening to me?"
"Er-- yes, um, Your Highness. Tonight. Of course." Ethel, the royal seamstress, tottered a little bit, and let out a small burp. "Oh!" She giggled. "I'm terribly s-sorry, um, Your Majesty . . . for my, uh, rudeness." She covered her mouth with her hand and almost fell over.
My mother was furious. Because Ethel, the best seamstress in all of Kyrria, was obviously very drunk.
I could barely suppress my laugher. Everyone knew that Ethel liked ale, but we didn't know exactly how much. Until now.
"Prince Charmont of Kyrria! This is not funny, not funny at all! Tomorrow is the biggest day of your life, and it is about to be ruined! And all you can do is laugh? Your mother and Queen commands you to stop laughing!"
"Mother. . ." I burst into another fit of laughter. I couldn't wait to tell Ella about this. Ethel was now laying on the floor, drunkenly giggling and burping every now and then.
My mother sighed and rubbed her temples.
"You know what? I'm just going to let your father deal with this. I've had enough." And with that, my mother turned and left the room.
"Right then. Just one moment, Prince Charmont, and your wedding gown will be ready. Just let me find my needle," Ethel slurred, as she started crawling around on the floor, searching for her "needle". Suddenly, she looked up at me.
"You're going to look so pretty!" She smiled dreamily.
I'm pretty sure my laughter could be heard throughout the entire kingdom.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Ella! Ella, are you in here?" Tonight was the wedding dinner and rehearsal, and Ella and I were going to enter the dining hall together.
"Um. . . just a second Char! I'll be right there. Wait! Don't open the door!"
It was too late. I had already opened the door to her chamber and poked my head in.
For a microsecond I saw a flash of white, and then Ella covered herself with her dressing gown.
"Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry, Ella. I had no idea you were changing. I'm sorry. I'll just wait in the hall. I'm sorry." I could feel my cheeks burning. We were about to be married, but we were still very (very!) modest with each other.
"No, Char. Its okay. I was just trying on my wedding gown. And you're not supposed to see me in my wedding gown until the wedding, remember?"
I just stood there, grinning at her, my hand on the doorknob.
She walked over to where I was standing, and gently pushed me out the door. She smiled up at me, and kissed my cheek. "I'm going to change back into my everyday dress. You wait here for me, okay?"
I was still grinning. "Right. Okay. Take your time."
A few minutes later she emerged, wearing the dress I liked best on her. It was a gorgeous green, which matched her eyes exactly.
"You look lovely," I said, taking her hand.
She laughed, and I was reminded of when we first met. When she first smiled at me.
We walked down the hall, hand in hand. I stopped her at the edge of the staircase.
"Are you ready for all of this? I mean, all of the pomp and circumstance that comes with being married to a prince? I mean, to myself. What I really want to say is, if you're having any second thoughts. . ."
"Char." Ella was looking up at me, a little smile on her face, shaking her head, as if she couldn't believe how stupid I was.
"I love you. I want to marry you. And I'm not having second thoughts. I'm ready."
Relief washed over me. I quickly pulled her into a tight hug, startling her a little bit.
"By this time tomorrow night, you'll be my princess," I whispered into her hair.
"Not if Hattie has anything to do with it," she whispered back, her voice full of emotion. Laughter and love.
I wanted to laugh at her joke, but I knew she was crying. It was so like her, to try to laugh her feelings away . . . even her deepest ones. I held her away from me, wiping away her tears with my free hand.
"Why are you crying?" I asked softly.
"Because I'm so happy," she said, smiling through her tears.
I pulled her back into my arms.
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A/N: I love writing corny romantic scenes! *sigh*
Thanks for all of the reviews. The next chapter is coming soon. =)
- - - WEDDING WOES - - -
It was the day before the wedding. And my mother was in a frenzy.
"Ethel, please tell me that Ella's wedding gown will be ready by tonight. How long can a few simple alterations take? . . . Ethel? Are you listening to me?"
"Er-- yes, um, Your Highness. Tonight. Of course." Ethel, the royal seamstress, tottered a little bit, and let out a small burp. "Oh!" She giggled. "I'm terribly s-sorry, um, Your Majesty . . . for my, uh, rudeness." She covered her mouth with her hand and almost fell over.
My mother was furious. Because Ethel, the best seamstress in all of Kyrria, was obviously very drunk.
I could barely suppress my laugher. Everyone knew that Ethel liked ale, but we didn't know exactly how much. Until now.
"Prince Charmont of Kyrria! This is not funny, not funny at all! Tomorrow is the biggest day of your life, and it is about to be ruined! And all you can do is laugh? Your mother and Queen commands you to stop laughing!"
"Mother. . ." I burst into another fit of laughter. I couldn't wait to tell Ella about this. Ethel was now laying on the floor, drunkenly giggling and burping every now and then.
My mother sighed and rubbed her temples.
"You know what? I'm just going to let your father deal with this. I've had enough." And with that, my mother turned and left the room.
"Right then. Just one moment, Prince Charmont, and your wedding gown will be ready. Just let me find my needle," Ethel slurred, as she started crawling around on the floor, searching for her "needle". Suddenly, she looked up at me.
"You're going to look so pretty!" She smiled dreamily.
I'm pretty sure my laughter could be heard throughout the entire kingdom.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Ella! Ella, are you in here?" Tonight was the wedding dinner and rehearsal, and Ella and I were going to enter the dining hall together.
"Um. . . just a second Char! I'll be right there. Wait! Don't open the door!"
It was too late. I had already opened the door to her chamber and poked my head in.
For a microsecond I saw a flash of white, and then Ella covered herself with her dressing gown.
"Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry, Ella. I had no idea you were changing. I'm sorry. I'll just wait in the hall. I'm sorry." I could feel my cheeks burning. We were about to be married, but we were still very (very!) modest with each other.
"No, Char. Its okay. I was just trying on my wedding gown. And you're not supposed to see me in my wedding gown until the wedding, remember?"
I just stood there, grinning at her, my hand on the doorknob.
She walked over to where I was standing, and gently pushed me out the door. She smiled up at me, and kissed my cheek. "I'm going to change back into my everyday dress. You wait here for me, okay?"
I was still grinning. "Right. Okay. Take your time."
A few minutes later she emerged, wearing the dress I liked best on her. It was a gorgeous green, which matched her eyes exactly.
"You look lovely," I said, taking her hand.
She laughed, and I was reminded of when we first met. When she first smiled at me.
We walked down the hall, hand in hand. I stopped her at the edge of the staircase.
"Are you ready for all of this? I mean, all of the pomp and circumstance that comes with being married to a prince? I mean, to myself. What I really want to say is, if you're having any second thoughts. . ."
"Char." Ella was looking up at me, a little smile on her face, shaking her head, as if she couldn't believe how stupid I was.
"I love you. I want to marry you. And I'm not having second thoughts. I'm ready."
Relief washed over me. I quickly pulled her into a tight hug, startling her a little bit.
"By this time tomorrow night, you'll be my princess," I whispered into her hair.
"Not if Hattie has anything to do with it," she whispered back, her voice full of emotion. Laughter and love.
I wanted to laugh at her joke, but I knew she was crying. It was so like her, to try to laugh her feelings away . . . even her deepest ones. I held her away from me, wiping away her tears with my free hand.
"Why are you crying?" I asked softly.
"Because I'm so happy," she said, smiling through her tears.
I pulled her back into my arms.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A/N: I love writing corny romantic scenes! *sigh*
Thanks for all of the reviews. The next chapter is coming soon. =)