Char stared at me. "What kind of mistake, Ella?"
"Oh, just a mistake," I said quickly. "Anyone could make a mistake like this. Just not me," I added quietly.
"What happened?" demanded Char.
I turned to look at him. His lovely eyes bored into mine and I felt guilty. I felt scared of him for a fleeting moment. This was part of the reason I was ignoring him. He had a temper, and when he got mad, he'd yell like no other.
I turned away. "I got married too soon."
My words seemed to echo several times before Char's expression changed and he laughed. "Ella, my darling, is that it?" He rose from the windowseat and wrapped his arms around me. "If you had told me, we could have delayed the wedding for a month or two!"
I pushed off him, saddened by the look on his face as I did. "Not just a month, Prince, but a couple years."
His face slackened and he seemed hollowed out. "Y-you... you don't love me, do you?"
I stared at the ground. I had to tell him the truth, but at the same time I had to lie. "No, Char," I lied.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next time I saw Char was two days later, when we had a sort of royal meeting about our situation. He wouldn't even look at me.
We sat at a long table, me on one end and he on the other. The king and queen sat on my right, and our attendents sat on my left.
"What was it you wanted to tell us, Char?" The queen asked.
He made a noise between a sob and a cough and said, "The princess and I would like to request a divorce."
The effects of these words were unbelievable. The queen fainted, the king fell out of his chair, and the attendents began to sob. As King Jerrold resumed his seat, The queen's attendent fanned her.
"Perhaps I did not hear you correctly, my son," Jerrold said, clutching his heart. "Princess Ella, could you tell me what this is all about?"
I hated to, just as the queen was waking up. "It's true, your majesty. Char and I would like a divorce."
"An outrage!" the queen gasped. "Scandalous! Whyever would you two do that, you're too much in love!"
An odd silence followed this statement. Char cleared his throat after a moment and said, "No, Mother, we're not."
The queen looked stricken. "Of course you are!" She looked between me and Char, alarmed. "Why wouldn't you be?"
"Mother," Char said, "Being 'in love,' as you put it, requires two people, does it not?" When the queen did not reply, Char pressed on, "But in this case it is only me who is loving anyone."
I felt all eyes on me as I stared at the table, my hands clenched together.
"Ella?" The king.
"What has happened?" The queen.
I took a deep breath and stood up. "It is a long story, highnesses," I muttered.
"Well, by all means, child, speak up!" the queen exclaimed. "We have all day and even if we didn't, this would be the most important thing on our agenda."
I nodded. "Yes, I'll tell you what has happened."
"Oh, just a mistake," I said quickly. "Anyone could make a mistake like this. Just not me," I added quietly.
"What happened?" demanded Char.
I turned to look at him. His lovely eyes bored into mine and I felt guilty. I felt scared of him for a fleeting moment. This was part of the reason I was ignoring him. He had a temper, and when he got mad, he'd yell like no other.
I turned away. "I got married too soon."
My words seemed to echo several times before Char's expression changed and he laughed. "Ella, my darling, is that it?" He rose from the windowseat and wrapped his arms around me. "If you had told me, we could have delayed the wedding for a month or two!"
I pushed off him, saddened by the look on his face as I did. "Not just a month, Prince, but a couple years."
His face slackened and he seemed hollowed out. "Y-you... you don't love me, do you?"
I stared at the ground. I had to tell him the truth, but at the same time I had to lie. "No, Char," I lied.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next time I saw Char was two days later, when we had a sort of royal meeting about our situation. He wouldn't even look at me.
We sat at a long table, me on one end and he on the other. The king and queen sat on my right, and our attendents sat on my left.
"What was it you wanted to tell us, Char?" The queen asked.
He made a noise between a sob and a cough and said, "The princess and I would like to request a divorce."
The effects of these words were unbelievable. The queen fainted, the king fell out of his chair, and the attendents began to sob. As King Jerrold resumed his seat, The queen's attendent fanned her.
"Perhaps I did not hear you correctly, my son," Jerrold said, clutching his heart. "Princess Ella, could you tell me what this is all about?"
I hated to, just as the queen was waking up. "It's true, your majesty. Char and I would like a divorce."
"An outrage!" the queen gasped. "Scandalous! Whyever would you two do that, you're too much in love!"
An odd silence followed this statement. Char cleared his throat after a moment and said, "No, Mother, we're not."
The queen looked stricken. "Of course you are!" She looked between me and Char, alarmed. "Why wouldn't you be?"
"Mother," Char said, "Being 'in love,' as you put it, requires two people, does it not?" When the queen did not reply, Char pressed on, "But in this case it is only me who is loving anyone."
I felt all eyes on me as I stared at the table, my hands clenched together.
"Ella?" The king.
"What has happened?" The queen.
I took a deep breath and stood up. "It is a long story, highnesses," I muttered.
"Well, by all means, child, speak up!" the queen exclaimed. "We have all day and even if we didn't, this would be the most important thing on our agenda."
I nodded. "Yes, I'll tell you what has happened."