*******Ella*******
"Charmont will be arriving home in two days. We must have him over for dinner," Mum Olga purred between bites.
"But Mama! Haven't you heard? He's bringing that skinny little brat, Lela, back with him!" Hattie cried, spitting bits of her dinner across the table.
The tray I had been carrying fell out of my hands and crashed to the floor. Broken dishes littered the rug. It took me a moment to gather myself again. I closed my mouth, which I realized had been opened.
"What in the name of Kyrria?" Mandy cried, running out of the kitchen.
"How did you manage that?" Mum Olga asked menacingly.
"I'm sorry I.I tripped," I lied.
"That'll cost you dearly. Wash the floors and the windows before retiring to your bed!" Mum Olga ordered.
"Yes ma'am," I said sadly.
"Here Lady, I'll help you clean up," Mandy offered.
She stooped down on her hands and knees and I thought I saw all of the glass under the table jump into her pocket. We picked up all the pieces and food. Once we were back in the kitchen Mandy held out the tray and all the glass reassembled itself into the plates they had been moments before. All of the food returned to the dishes as good as new. Mandy set the tray down and I reached for it.
"Don't take it yet, it'll take me longer than that to remake all this food," she winked at me.
"Mandy, there is someone in Bast named Lela. She's coming back to Frell with Char! Do you know what that means? He's proposed to her!" I cried.
"It doesn't mean that and you know it. Besides, Hattie's sources aren't always accurate. Don't make assumptions until you see Char and Lela arriving to Frell. Look at you; you're exhausted. Don't wash the windows and floors tonight," she said the counter command, "I'll do it tonight. Here, take this in to them."
"I don't want you to have to stay up and clean, Mandy. I can do it," I said, fighting the curse.
"I'll do it my way. Go now."
I couldn't fight any longer. I stepped toward the dining hall and the symptoms stopped. I brought the tray back to them and they gobbled everything down. I went back into the kitchen and Mandy sent me to bed. I went reluctantly. When I was in bed I pulled the magic book out from under my pillow. It felt heavy tonight.
The first thing in the book was a journal entry in a handwriting I didn't recognize.
Dear Diary,
I was expecting the prince, I mean Char, to propose today
but instead he just invited me to the castle to stay with
him. That's fine with me. I don't know if I want to marry
him. It was all Mother and Aunt Lily's idea and I don't
like it. I am intrigued though. Who is this woman who
hurt him? I hope in this next week I will find out and
maybe I'll fall in love with him. Maybe.
Lela
Just as I finished reading, Mandy entered the room, I showed her the book and cried, "She's an imposter! How dare she lie to Char! How dare she steal him from me!" I gasped, "Did I say that out loud?"
Mandy sighed and sat down next to me, "Oh Lady. Are you upset that Char might find someone to replace you?"
"Well, kind of."
"So are you upset because she might replace you?"
"No! Well I mean, that's part of the reason, but I just don't want Char to think he's in love when he really isn't. I mean the Lela he thinks he's in love with isn't the real Lela. She's a liar."
"I understand, Lady. Char's a smart man; he'll figure it out. And if he does fall in love with her let us trust that she'll confess. Goodnight Lady," she kissed my forehead and left.
I said it over and over again in my head: Replaced.
"Charmont will be arriving home in two days. We must have him over for dinner," Mum Olga purred between bites.
"But Mama! Haven't you heard? He's bringing that skinny little brat, Lela, back with him!" Hattie cried, spitting bits of her dinner across the table.
The tray I had been carrying fell out of my hands and crashed to the floor. Broken dishes littered the rug. It took me a moment to gather myself again. I closed my mouth, which I realized had been opened.
"What in the name of Kyrria?" Mandy cried, running out of the kitchen.
"How did you manage that?" Mum Olga asked menacingly.
"I'm sorry I.I tripped," I lied.
"That'll cost you dearly. Wash the floors and the windows before retiring to your bed!" Mum Olga ordered.
"Yes ma'am," I said sadly.
"Here Lady, I'll help you clean up," Mandy offered.
She stooped down on her hands and knees and I thought I saw all of the glass under the table jump into her pocket. We picked up all the pieces and food. Once we were back in the kitchen Mandy held out the tray and all the glass reassembled itself into the plates they had been moments before. All of the food returned to the dishes as good as new. Mandy set the tray down and I reached for it.
"Don't take it yet, it'll take me longer than that to remake all this food," she winked at me.
"Mandy, there is someone in Bast named Lela. She's coming back to Frell with Char! Do you know what that means? He's proposed to her!" I cried.
"It doesn't mean that and you know it. Besides, Hattie's sources aren't always accurate. Don't make assumptions until you see Char and Lela arriving to Frell. Look at you; you're exhausted. Don't wash the windows and floors tonight," she said the counter command, "I'll do it tonight. Here, take this in to them."
"I don't want you to have to stay up and clean, Mandy. I can do it," I said, fighting the curse.
"I'll do it my way. Go now."
I couldn't fight any longer. I stepped toward the dining hall and the symptoms stopped. I brought the tray back to them and they gobbled everything down. I went back into the kitchen and Mandy sent me to bed. I went reluctantly. When I was in bed I pulled the magic book out from under my pillow. It felt heavy tonight.
The first thing in the book was a journal entry in a handwriting I didn't recognize.
Dear Diary,
I was expecting the prince, I mean Char, to propose today
but instead he just invited me to the castle to stay with
him. That's fine with me. I don't know if I want to marry
him. It was all Mother and Aunt Lily's idea and I don't
like it. I am intrigued though. Who is this woman who
hurt him? I hope in this next week I will find out and
maybe I'll fall in love with him. Maybe.
Lela
Just as I finished reading, Mandy entered the room, I showed her the book and cried, "She's an imposter! How dare she lie to Char! How dare she steal him from me!" I gasped, "Did I say that out loud?"
Mandy sighed and sat down next to me, "Oh Lady. Are you upset that Char might find someone to replace you?"
"Well, kind of."
"So are you upset because she might replace you?"
"No! Well I mean, that's part of the reason, but I just don't want Char to think he's in love when he really isn't. I mean the Lela he thinks he's in love with isn't the real Lela. She's a liar."
"I understand, Lady. Char's a smart man; he'll figure it out. And if he does fall in love with her let us trust that she'll confess. Goodnight Lady," she kissed my forehead and left.
I said it over and over again in my head: Replaced.