*******Lela*******
Mother brushed my hair and Aunt Lily fussed with my dress. I held in a sigh. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go through with this plan. Obviously the person who had impersonated me had wanted this to happen. Maybe they were going to come out and prove I was lying to the prince! Had I been framed? No. Of course not, I was being paranoid. But what if I didn't like Prince Charmont? I had been told of his humor and feared he would find my lack-of suspicious.
"All right Lela, it's time to go. Remember, you're doing this for your family," Mother began walking out the door.
I sighed and followed her, Aunt Lily at my heels. We walked down to the market and pretended to go about our business as usual. A moment later we heard trumpets. This would be a big affair, obviously, the prince asking me to marry him. I got nervous again. I had to bite my tongue to keep from fainting. I saw horses and a carriage. Many people dropped to the ground bowing. Others just pointed in awe.
"Look LELA!" Aunt Lily cried, saying my name louder than she had to, "It's Prince Charmont!"
It worked. The prince looked out the window of his carriage at me and ordered the procession to halt. He jumped out and ran over to us. He was smiling widely. I smiled back meekly.
"Good morning your highness," I said, bowing my head.
"Lela. I finally get to see the beautiful face of the masked dancer. You look a lot like. someone I knew. I thought it would be much harder to find you! And please, call me Char!" he said as if he had told me that before.
"I'm sorry, Char. I guess I forgot."
He grinned, "It's wonderful to see you again. And who is this?"
He was referring to Aunt Lily who had pushed her way into his view, "Char, this is my Aunt Lily and this is my mother, Lela the first."
After they passed around their 'pleasure to meet you's Char turned to me, "I have come to Bast to ask you," Aunt Lily gasped, a shiver ran down my spine, "to join me in Frell."
"Excuse me?" Mother asked as if she had not heard correctly.
"I wish for Ella to spend a week with my family in Frell Castle. Is this all right with you?"
"Of.of course it is," she smiled.
"If you wish to go with her." Char suggested.
I gave her a quick look and she replied, "Oh no! I have.things to do here. No she should go by herself. All by herself," she added, nudging Aunt Lily who was about to offer to join me.
"I will be staying in Bast for the night. If you would be so kind as to show me around."
"Of course, your-Char. It would be an honor. Mother, may I leave you and Aunt Lily to do the rest of the shopping?"
"Yes dear. Enjoy yourself," Mother said.
"Shall we?" Char held his arm out for me and I took it hesitantly.
"Captain Larong, please find an inn and settle your men there. I'll meet you later tonight."
"What would you like to see?" I asked, once we were away from the market.
"How about your home?" he suggested cheerfully.
"M.my.my home? Well it's a little, um, I can take around our acreage, sure," we were mere farmhands. We worked for a very rich family who owned a lot of land.
"I wasn't expecting to see you so soon. Actually, to tell you the truth, I didn't expect to see you at all," I said, molding into character.
"Really? I'm a man of my word. Besides, you're not like anyone I've met.well. never mind," he said, brushing it aside as he had done when we first met.
"Who was she?" I asked cautiously, "The one who looks and acts like me."
"I don't really want to talk about it now. Are these your cows?" he asked, all of a sudden amused.
Who was she? What had happened to her? What had happened to him? Questions flooded my mind. Who was this woman who had hurt him? I was determined to find out.
Mother brushed my hair and Aunt Lily fussed with my dress. I held in a sigh. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go through with this plan. Obviously the person who had impersonated me had wanted this to happen. Maybe they were going to come out and prove I was lying to the prince! Had I been framed? No. Of course not, I was being paranoid. But what if I didn't like Prince Charmont? I had been told of his humor and feared he would find my lack-of suspicious.
"All right Lela, it's time to go. Remember, you're doing this for your family," Mother began walking out the door.
I sighed and followed her, Aunt Lily at my heels. We walked down to the market and pretended to go about our business as usual. A moment later we heard trumpets. This would be a big affair, obviously, the prince asking me to marry him. I got nervous again. I had to bite my tongue to keep from fainting. I saw horses and a carriage. Many people dropped to the ground bowing. Others just pointed in awe.
"Look LELA!" Aunt Lily cried, saying my name louder than she had to, "It's Prince Charmont!"
It worked. The prince looked out the window of his carriage at me and ordered the procession to halt. He jumped out and ran over to us. He was smiling widely. I smiled back meekly.
"Good morning your highness," I said, bowing my head.
"Lela. I finally get to see the beautiful face of the masked dancer. You look a lot like. someone I knew. I thought it would be much harder to find you! And please, call me Char!" he said as if he had told me that before.
"I'm sorry, Char. I guess I forgot."
He grinned, "It's wonderful to see you again. And who is this?"
He was referring to Aunt Lily who had pushed her way into his view, "Char, this is my Aunt Lily and this is my mother, Lela the first."
After they passed around their 'pleasure to meet you's Char turned to me, "I have come to Bast to ask you," Aunt Lily gasped, a shiver ran down my spine, "to join me in Frell."
"Excuse me?" Mother asked as if she had not heard correctly.
"I wish for Ella to spend a week with my family in Frell Castle. Is this all right with you?"
"Of.of course it is," she smiled.
"If you wish to go with her." Char suggested.
I gave her a quick look and she replied, "Oh no! I have.things to do here. No she should go by herself. All by herself," she added, nudging Aunt Lily who was about to offer to join me.
"I will be staying in Bast for the night. If you would be so kind as to show me around."
"Of course, your-Char. It would be an honor. Mother, may I leave you and Aunt Lily to do the rest of the shopping?"
"Yes dear. Enjoy yourself," Mother said.
"Shall we?" Char held his arm out for me and I took it hesitantly.
"Captain Larong, please find an inn and settle your men there. I'll meet you later tonight."
"What would you like to see?" I asked, once we were away from the market.
"How about your home?" he suggested cheerfully.
"M.my.my home? Well it's a little, um, I can take around our acreage, sure," we were mere farmhands. We worked for a very rich family who owned a lot of land.
"I wasn't expecting to see you so soon. Actually, to tell you the truth, I didn't expect to see you at all," I said, molding into character.
"Really? I'm a man of my word. Besides, you're not like anyone I've met.well. never mind," he said, brushing it aside as he had done when we first met.
"Who was she?" I asked cautiously, "The one who looks and acts like me."
"I don't really want to talk about it now. Are these your cows?" he asked, all of a sudden amused.
Who was she? What had happened to her? What had happened to him? Questions flooded my mind. Who was this woman who had hurt him? I was determined to find out.