Disclaimer: Everything you recognize from the book belongs to Gail Carson
Levine.
::Chapter 9: One Last Visit::
(Christmas morning. . .)
I sucked in my stomach, holding my breath as Annabella tried to fit Mother's dress onto me for the Christmas Ball, which was to be held this evening.
"Just a little more, Princess," she replied, struggling to tighten the ribbons on the back of the dress.
"I-can-barely-breathe -" I gasped in between breaths. Mother must have had a TINY waist when she was younger.
After a few more minutes of sucking in and struggling, Annabella finally succeeded.
"There!" she cried, stepping back a few steps, beaming proudly at her hard work. "Twirl around for me," she said.
I did- I mean, I tried. I stumbled, wobbling into a crooked circle, gasping for breath.
"It's beautiful!" she gushed, staring enviously at the gown. "It look's even more gorgeous when it's ON you!"
I stepped sideways in front of the mirror, glancing at myself up and down. I couldn't help but grin when I saw how it looked. I fingered the cool, green silk, admiring the long sleeves trailing down to the floor. Then I turned to the side, surprised to see that the dress gave me the appearance of a tiny waist. I grinned, ignoring the fact that I could barely walk and breathe at the same time. "I like it," I admitted, although it was a bit loose on the bodice and tight on the waist.
Annabella's eyes widened. She smiled warmly, for this was the first time that I actually admitted liking an outfit Mother had chosen for me.
"Now, let me fix up your hair," Annabelle said, motioning for me to come over.
I hobbled over, plopping myself onto the wooden chair she had pulled over in front of her.
She fiddled and fooled with my hair for a quite a while. After what seemed like hours of pulling and plaiting, she held a glass mirror in front of my face.
"Voila! How do you like it?" she asked, blushing when she saw the expression on my face.
I was speechless. I was expecting sometime horrible, like an evil monster from a fairy tale or something- but this had to be one of the best- no. . . THE best work that Annabelle had done. I was shocked.
"It's. . ." I gawked at my reflection. She had plaited some of my hair in a ring around my head. She plaited the rest of the hair also in tiny braids, tying them delicately into a rather large, fancy bun on the top of my head, with a few strands falling in front of my ears. ". . .gorgeous!"
She beamed proudly. "Thank you, Princess."
A grin spread across my face. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all, aside from the fact that I would have to dance with 'Mr. Badbreath', as I liked to call him. But, other than that, it was going pretty well. . .although Mother wouldn't be able to attend. . .
Mother!
That reminded me. "Annabella, I have to go see Mother for a minute. Thank you so much for everything!" I excalimed. I gave her a quick hug, and ran out the door, or at least TRIED to, concentrating on breathing regularly despite my sucked in stomach.
I quickly rapped on the large, marble door of Mother's bedchamber.
I waited quietly for a few moments, waiting for an answer.
Silence.
I tried again, this time a bit louder.
It was silent for a few moments, when the door slowly creaked open. The head of a chambermaid popped out, glancing at me. She stepped outside, quickly sweeping into a curtsey. "I'm so sorry, Your Highness! I didn't realize it was you at the door, please, come in, come in. Her Royal Highness is waiting for your arrival."
I nodded, slowly stepping into the room. I found Mother lying in bed, resting peacefully as if she were an infant.
"Mother, I'm here," I spoke softly, almost as if she were a wild deer that I did not want to scare away.
I stared for a few moments, when her eyes barely opened.
"Mena," she breathed softly, her voice as soft as a light breeze. "Come here, let me see you."
I stepped a bit closer, smiling nervously.
Mother chuckled weakly. "You remind me of myself when I was about your age."
She slowly reached her trembling hand up, touching my cheek. Her hand felt cool against the warmth of my body. She looked as if she was about to say something, but it never came. Instead, she eyed me with sad eyes. She opened her mouth again to say something, struggling for her voice. Suddenly, her eyes began to flutter slightly.
"M-Mother?!" I cried anxiously. Hearing my commotion, the chambermaid rushed to my side.
"M-My baby girl. . . I. . . I. . ." her breaths became short and quick. "I. . .lov-" Her arm dropped to her side.
My heart raced. "M-Mother?" I cried anxiously. I reached for her arm, trembling. It felt as cold as snow. "M-Mother!"
The chambermaid shakily reached for Mother's other wrist, checking for a pulse. Tears rolled down her cheek. "M-May you rest in peace, my queen. . ." she whispered, kneeling down to her knees, bowing low.
"W-What are you doing?!" I cried, ushering the maid up. "M-Make her wake up! Sh-She's n-not-" The scene around me started to blur, partly because of the curse tugging at the back of my mind to tell the truth, and because of my tears. "Sh-She's not de-" I tried to say it, for if I had, it had to be true. But it wasn't. And saying it would be a lie.
"Sh-She's. . ." I slowly dropped to the floor, onto my knees, sobbing hysterically. ". . .gone."
A/N: Sniff. . . I know, I know. . . I'm evil. . . We're all going to miss our dear Ella. . . Now let us have a moment of silence in her honor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .alright.
PLEASE REVIEW!!
::Chapter 9: One Last Visit::
(Christmas morning. . .)
I sucked in my stomach, holding my breath as Annabella tried to fit Mother's dress onto me for the Christmas Ball, which was to be held this evening.
"Just a little more, Princess," she replied, struggling to tighten the ribbons on the back of the dress.
"I-can-barely-breathe -" I gasped in between breaths. Mother must have had a TINY waist when she was younger.
After a few more minutes of sucking in and struggling, Annabella finally succeeded.
"There!" she cried, stepping back a few steps, beaming proudly at her hard work. "Twirl around for me," she said.
I did- I mean, I tried. I stumbled, wobbling into a crooked circle, gasping for breath.
"It's beautiful!" she gushed, staring enviously at the gown. "It look's even more gorgeous when it's ON you!"
I stepped sideways in front of the mirror, glancing at myself up and down. I couldn't help but grin when I saw how it looked. I fingered the cool, green silk, admiring the long sleeves trailing down to the floor. Then I turned to the side, surprised to see that the dress gave me the appearance of a tiny waist. I grinned, ignoring the fact that I could barely walk and breathe at the same time. "I like it," I admitted, although it was a bit loose on the bodice and tight on the waist.
Annabella's eyes widened. She smiled warmly, for this was the first time that I actually admitted liking an outfit Mother had chosen for me.
"Now, let me fix up your hair," Annabelle said, motioning for me to come over.
I hobbled over, plopping myself onto the wooden chair she had pulled over in front of her.
She fiddled and fooled with my hair for a quite a while. After what seemed like hours of pulling and plaiting, she held a glass mirror in front of my face.
"Voila! How do you like it?" she asked, blushing when she saw the expression on my face.
I was speechless. I was expecting sometime horrible, like an evil monster from a fairy tale or something- but this had to be one of the best- no. . . THE best work that Annabelle had done. I was shocked.
"It's. . ." I gawked at my reflection. She had plaited some of my hair in a ring around my head. She plaited the rest of the hair also in tiny braids, tying them delicately into a rather large, fancy bun on the top of my head, with a few strands falling in front of my ears. ". . .gorgeous!"
She beamed proudly. "Thank you, Princess."
A grin spread across my face. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all, aside from the fact that I would have to dance with 'Mr. Badbreath', as I liked to call him. But, other than that, it was going pretty well. . .although Mother wouldn't be able to attend. . .
Mother!
That reminded me. "Annabella, I have to go see Mother for a minute. Thank you so much for everything!" I excalimed. I gave her a quick hug, and ran out the door, or at least TRIED to, concentrating on breathing regularly despite my sucked in stomach.
I quickly rapped on the large, marble door of Mother's bedchamber.
I waited quietly for a few moments, waiting for an answer.
Silence.
I tried again, this time a bit louder.
It was silent for a few moments, when the door slowly creaked open. The head of a chambermaid popped out, glancing at me. She stepped outside, quickly sweeping into a curtsey. "I'm so sorry, Your Highness! I didn't realize it was you at the door, please, come in, come in. Her Royal Highness is waiting for your arrival."
I nodded, slowly stepping into the room. I found Mother lying in bed, resting peacefully as if she were an infant.
"Mother, I'm here," I spoke softly, almost as if she were a wild deer that I did not want to scare away.
I stared for a few moments, when her eyes barely opened.
"Mena," she breathed softly, her voice as soft as a light breeze. "Come here, let me see you."
I stepped a bit closer, smiling nervously.
Mother chuckled weakly. "You remind me of myself when I was about your age."
She slowly reached her trembling hand up, touching my cheek. Her hand felt cool against the warmth of my body. She looked as if she was about to say something, but it never came. Instead, she eyed me with sad eyes. She opened her mouth again to say something, struggling for her voice. Suddenly, her eyes began to flutter slightly.
"M-Mother?!" I cried anxiously. Hearing my commotion, the chambermaid rushed to my side.
"M-My baby girl. . . I. . . I. . ." her breaths became short and quick. "I. . .lov-" Her arm dropped to her side.
My heart raced. "M-Mother?" I cried anxiously. I reached for her arm, trembling. It felt as cold as snow. "M-Mother!"
The chambermaid shakily reached for Mother's other wrist, checking for a pulse. Tears rolled down her cheek. "M-May you rest in peace, my queen. . ." she whispered, kneeling down to her knees, bowing low.
"W-What are you doing?!" I cried, ushering the maid up. "M-Make her wake up! Sh-She's n-not-" The scene around me started to blur, partly because of the curse tugging at the back of my mind to tell the truth, and because of my tears. "Sh-She's not de-" I tried to say it, for if I had, it had to be true. But it wasn't. And saying it would be a lie.
"Sh-She's. . ." I slowly dropped to the floor, onto my knees, sobbing hysterically. ". . .gone."
A/N: Sniff. . . I know, I know. . . I'm evil. . . We're all going to miss our dear Ella. . . Now let us have a moment of silence in her honor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .alright.
PLEASE REVIEW!!
