*******Ella*******
I sat up and stared into the face of me. Other than her nose being smaller, her eyes bigger and her eyelashes longer we could have passed off as twins. We stared at each other for a moment and then something clicked in both of our heads.
"You!" We both cried.
"How do you know me?" I asked.
"You are the ogre tamer," she said in shock.
"What?"
"I saw you on the tapestry and Char told me you were the ogre tamer. You married the rich man. Are you happy?" she asked abruptly.
"What? What does that have to do with anything?"
"Char wonders whether or not you are happy," she explained, "Tell me, are you happy?"
It was an order, "No. I am miserable."
"I must know; why did you marry that man? Did you honestly marry him for his money alone?"
"No. He is a good man," it was so hard to keep up the lie.
"Then why are you miserable?" she asked.
"It is rude to ask so many questions!" I said, trying to think up a good excuse.
She looked hurt, "I am not forcing you to answer. But why can't you just-just tell me!"
I sighed, "I am miserable because I have to lie to Char about being married so that he will not marry me even though all I want in the world is for Char to be mine, and noe Char is going to marry you and life is just difficult for me."
"You are not married? Why are you lying to Char about it?"
"Because, I have my reasons now you must promise not to tell anyone or things could go very wrong in Kyria. Promise!" I begged, the curse had made me say too much.
"I promise. But now he's going to put me in the difficult position of refusing him."
"Oh no you cannot!" I cried, "He loves you! You cannot hurt him like I did."
"But I do not love him, and he does not love me! He loves you. I know he does. If it werent for family honor I would tell him the truth. Do you promise you will not tell?" I nodded, "I did not go to the balls. The first time I met Char was in Bast when he came to get me. My mother convinced me it was my duty to my family to marry him. I feel terrible."
"You should tell him. He is a good man, he will understand. And who knows, he is probably falling madly in love with you."
We sat in silence for a while and then she said, "You should come back to the palace with me. You can talk things over with him. I dont see any reason why you two cannot be friends."
My stomach did a back flip. Friends. We could not even be friends. He'd soon find out I'm not married and I could still be used against him. I felt a tear begin to form in my eye. I blinked it away but knew it would return.
"No I do not think I want to bother you two. Maybe after you- I had best be going. I am sure dinner is ready. It was nice to meet you Lela. I wish you the best of luck with Char."
She sighed, "Goodbye Ogre Tamer. Please do not forget what I have told you."
I turned and ran back toward the manor. The curse would not let me get too close so I just climbed a tree in the neighboring yard and waited. The tears flowed freely. After about an hour I saw Char and Hattie. She was holding his arm and walking him out to his carriage. I could see she was talking his ears off.
"Oh Char, my love, will you ever be mine?" I whispered.
He snapped his head as if he had heard and looked up at the tree. I sat back and hoped I had blended with the branches. He shook his head and stepped into his carriage. Hattie waved goodbye. I climbed down the tree and went into the kitchen to help Mandy clean up.
I sat up and stared into the face of me. Other than her nose being smaller, her eyes bigger and her eyelashes longer we could have passed off as twins. We stared at each other for a moment and then something clicked in both of our heads.
"You!" We both cried.
"How do you know me?" I asked.
"You are the ogre tamer," she said in shock.
"What?"
"I saw you on the tapestry and Char told me you were the ogre tamer. You married the rich man. Are you happy?" she asked abruptly.
"What? What does that have to do with anything?"
"Char wonders whether or not you are happy," she explained, "Tell me, are you happy?"
It was an order, "No. I am miserable."
"I must know; why did you marry that man? Did you honestly marry him for his money alone?"
"No. He is a good man," it was so hard to keep up the lie.
"Then why are you miserable?" she asked.
"It is rude to ask so many questions!" I said, trying to think up a good excuse.
She looked hurt, "I am not forcing you to answer. But why can't you just-just tell me!"
I sighed, "I am miserable because I have to lie to Char about being married so that he will not marry me even though all I want in the world is for Char to be mine, and noe Char is going to marry you and life is just difficult for me."
"You are not married? Why are you lying to Char about it?"
"Because, I have my reasons now you must promise not to tell anyone or things could go very wrong in Kyria. Promise!" I begged, the curse had made me say too much.
"I promise. But now he's going to put me in the difficult position of refusing him."
"Oh no you cannot!" I cried, "He loves you! You cannot hurt him like I did."
"But I do not love him, and he does not love me! He loves you. I know he does. If it werent for family honor I would tell him the truth. Do you promise you will not tell?" I nodded, "I did not go to the balls. The first time I met Char was in Bast when he came to get me. My mother convinced me it was my duty to my family to marry him. I feel terrible."
"You should tell him. He is a good man, he will understand. And who knows, he is probably falling madly in love with you."
We sat in silence for a while and then she said, "You should come back to the palace with me. You can talk things over with him. I dont see any reason why you two cannot be friends."
My stomach did a back flip. Friends. We could not even be friends. He'd soon find out I'm not married and I could still be used against him. I felt a tear begin to form in my eye. I blinked it away but knew it would return.
"No I do not think I want to bother you two. Maybe after you- I had best be going. I am sure dinner is ready. It was nice to meet you Lela. I wish you the best of luck with Char."
She sighed, "Goodbye Ogre Tamer. Please do not forget what I have told you."
I turned and ran back toward the manor. The curse would not let me get too close so I just climbed a tree in the neighboring yard and waited. The tears flowed freely. After about an hour I saw Char and Hattie. She was holding his arm and walking him out to his carriage. I could see she was talking his ears off.
"Oh Char, my love, will you ever be mine?" I whispered.
He snapped his head as if he had heard and looked up at the tree. I sat back and hoped I had blended with the branches. He shook his head and stepped into his carriage. Hattie waved goodbye. I climbed down the tree and went into the kitchen to help Mandy clean up.