The servants were called into the dining hall and we entered in the same line we left in.
Char sat down inb between his father and Princess Ataniea. King Jerrold whispered something to him. It was a scolding, by the look on his face, and I felt for Char. He didn't want to marry Ataniea. He didn't want any of this, and the king was scolding him for getting away from it for barely half an hour.
"Honored guests and visitors," King Jerrold said as he rose from his chair slowly, "the happy couple!" He guestured to Ataniea and Char, and they rose. Char seemed to have been forced up by the princess, but smiled all the same.
Everyone was finished with their meal, and the king suggested the retire to a more suitable place for sitting. Everyone left to the drawing room, and we followed.
The drawing room was as large as our front hall. Everything was red. The velvet chairs, the tapestries, the giant rug in the middle. There were two large chairs at the end of the room, meant for the king and queen, and two others beside it meant for Char and his bride-to-be. I longed to sit in that chair beside him.
Like in the dining room, the servants stood along the wall on the left, looking on. Hattie beckoned me to her, and I did so, sitting in a lesser chair behind her. I noticed that other handmaidens were doing similar.
King Jerrold motioned for Char to stand, and he did. It was time for the customary meeting of the guests. Char was to walk around the room, greeting each of the guests and talking with them for a moment. Unfortunately, Ataniea got to share the glory of this as well as Char.
While Char said hello, everyone else talked amongst themselves. Hattie was too tense to say anything. The only conversation she could bring up was, "I'm hot. Fan me, Ella." As I fanned her, I noticed that the other ladies were introducing Char to their handmaidens. Mum Olga might say my name, but Hattie definately wouldn't.
When Char came to us, Hattie rose and curtsied. Char bowed.
"Lady Hattie," He said, pasting on a fake smile. "Dame Olga."
Ataniea repeated this. Her voice was high pitched and gave me a headache. "Oh, Charmont," she said, "I had no idea you knew such wonderful people!"
By the look on her face, she was sincere. She was truly horrible, if she thought Hattie and Mum Olga to be wonderful. Char nodded stiffly to her.
"And I already know your handmaiden, I met her in the kitchen."
Hattie glared menacingly at me. I smiled and curtsied for Char. "Clarise, isn't it?" he said.
I nodded, and Hattie let out a breath of relief. Ataniea scoffed slightly at my dismal appearance, then tugged Char onward.
I sat back down, and was met by Hattie and Mum Olga barring their teeth at me. "You talked to Char?!" Hattie exclaimed, though rather quietly. "I thought I told you to stay away from him!"
"He talked to ME!" I whispered harshly. "He asked me my name and I knew you would disapprove if I told him my real name, so I told him it was Clarise."
"Very good, Ella," said Mum Olga. When Hattie protested, she said, "Now, Hattie, we know that Char is Ella's friend, and people say that good marriages start with friendship, so it's a good thing she lied to him."
Hattie looked like she was on the verge of telling her mother why I really lied, but she held her tongue. "All right," she said stiffly.
The evening from then on was very uneventful. They sat talking and sipping tea, talking about plans for the wedding, the honeymoon, and the the couple's rein over the country when they grow old.
The royal family escorted their guests to the gigantic doors around midnight. Hattie and Mum Olga hung back a little to get a word with them.
"Oh, Prince Charmont," Mum Olga drizzled. "You can't imagine how happy my Hattie is for your marriage."
Hattie nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, and I would like to apologize for my outrageous behavior at the last ball, Charmont." She batted her eyelashes and flashed me a look of warning.
Char had no idea what to say, so his mother took over. "You're quite forgiven child. Now if you'll excuse us--"
"You are welcome at our manor anytime, highness!" Mum Olga said, seizing the queen's gloved hand. "We await your visit. Don't disappoint us," she said in a singsong voice.
The royal family just nodded politely, and Hattie took this as her cue to leave. "Come, Ella," she said.
I heard numerous gasps. Char was staring at me, as though he could see through the veil. He knew then. He knew I was Ella. No matter what Hattie might say to make up for it, he would know.
Hattie turned and the royal family. "Did I say Ella? Oh, child I'm sorry. I get you mixed up with my stepsister so often."
"Oh, Hattie, I do that all the time," said Ataniea, smiling in sympathy. "I'm sure Charmont and I will be over to see you and your family very soon. I quite adore your manner and sense of style."
Hattie seemed relieved as she lead me from the castle into our carriage. I couldn't wait to get home and have her yell at me for hours, blaming her trip-up on me.
*******
::gasp:: did that just happen? woah. hehe well i hope you enjoyed that portion of the story.
ohhh char *knows* what will happen, i wonder!
THANKS TO ALL YOU WHO REVIEWED!! i opened my email and saw all those reviews and i went to the site and saw that my story was #1!! i dont know if theres any significance there (HOW DOES THAT WORK, THE NUMBERING AND ALL? CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME??) but i was soo happy!!
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NEGLECTED TO REVIEW, PLEASE DO SO AT THIS TIME!! or not i dont mind if you dont. :D
have a great day!
Char sat down inb between his father and Princess Ataniea. King Jerrold whispered something to him. It was a scolding, by the look on his face, and I felt for Char. He didn't want to marry Ataniea. He didn't want any of this, and the king was scolding him for getting away from it for barely half an hour.
"Honored guests and visitors," King Jerrold said as he rose from his chair slowly, "the happy couple!" He guestured to Ataniea and Char, and they rose. Char seemed to have been forced up by the princess, but smiled all the same.
Everyone was finished with their meal, and the king suggested the retire to a more suitable place for sitting. Everyone left to the drawing room, and we followed.
The drawing room was as large as our front hall. Everything was red. The velvet chairs, the tapestries, the giant rug in the middle. There were two large chairs at the end of the room, meant for the king and queen, and two others beside it meant for Char and his bride-to-be. I longed to sit in that chair beside him.
Like in the dining room, the servants stood along the wall on the left, looking on. Hattie beckoned me to her, and I did so, sitting in a lesser chair behind her. I noticed that other handmaidens were doing similar.
King Jerrold motioned for Char to stand, and he did. It was time for the customary meeting of the guests. Char was to walk around the room, greeting each of the guests and talking with them for a moment. Unfortunately, Ataniea got to share the glory of this as well as Char.
While Char said hello, everyone else talked amongst themselves. Hattie was too tense to say anything. The only conversation she could bring up was, "I'm hot. Fan me, Ella." As I fanned her, I noticed that the other ladies were introducing Char to their handmaidens. Mum Olga might say my name, but Hattie definately wouldn't.
When Char came to us, Hattie rose and curtsied. Char bowed.
"Lady Hattie," He said, pasting on a fake smile. "Dame Olga."
Ataniea repeated this. Her voice was high pitched and gave me a headache. "Oh, Charmont," she said, "I had no idea you knew such wonderful people!"
By the look on her face, she was sincere. She was truly horrible, if she thought Hattie and Mum Olga to be wonderful. Char nodded stiffly to her.
"And I already know your handmaiden, I met her in the kitchen."
Hattie glared menacingly at me. I smiled and curtsied for Char. "Clarise, isn't it?" he said.
I nodded, and Hattie let out a breath of relief. Ataniea scoffed slightly at my dismal appearance, then tugged Char onward.
I sat back down, and was met by Hattie and Mum Olga barring their teeth at me. "You talked to Char?!" Hattie exclaimed, though rather quietly. "I thought I told you to stay away from him!"
"He talked to ME!" I whispered harshly. "He asked me my name and I knew you would disapprove if I told him my real name, so I told him it was Clarise."
"Very good, Ella," said Mum Olga. When Hattie protested, she said, "Now, Hattie, we know that Char is Ella's friend, and people say that good marriages start with friendship, so it's a good thing she lied to him."
Hattie looked like she was on the verge of telling her mother why I really lied, but she held her tongue. "All right," she said stiffly.
The evening from then on was very uneventful. They sat talking and sipping tea, talking about plans for the wedding, the honeymoon, and the the couple's rein over the country when they grow old.
The royal family escorted their guests to the gigantic doors around midnight. Hattie and Mum Olga hung back a little to get a word with them.
"Oh, Prince Charmont," Mum Olga drizzled. "You can't imagine how happy my Hattie is for your marriage."
Hattie nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, and I would like to apologize for my outrageous behavior at the last ball, Charmont." She batted her eyelashes and flashed me a look of warning.
Char had no idea what to say, so his mother took over. "You're quite forgiven child. Now if you'll excuse us--"
"You are welcome at our manor anytime, highness!" Mum Olga said, seizing the queen's gloved hand. "We await your visit. Don't disappoint us," she said in a singsong voice.
The royal family just nodded politely, and Hattie took this as her cue to leave. "Come, Ella," she said.
I heard numerous gasps. Char was staring at me, as though he could see through the veil. He knew then. He knew I was Ella. No matter what Hattie might say to make up for it, he would know.
Hattie turned and the royal family. "Did I say Ella? Oh, child I'm sorry. I get you mixed up with my stepsister so often."
"Oh, Hattie, I do that all the time," said Ataniea, smiling in sympathy. "I'm sure Charmont and I will be over to see you and your family very soon. I quite adore your manner and sense of style."
Hattie seemed relieved as she lead me from the castle into our carriage. I couldn't wait to get home and have her yell at me for hours, blaming her trip-up on me.
*******
::gasp:: did that just happen? woah. hehe well i hope you enjoyed that portion of the story.
ohhh char *knows* what will happen, i wonder!
THANKS TO ALL YOU WHO REVIEWED!! i opened my email and saw all those reviews and i went to the site and saw that my story was #1!! i dont know if theres any significance there (HOW DOES THAT WORK, THE NUMBERING AND ALL? CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME??) but i was soo happy!!
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NEGLECTED TO REVIEW, PLEASE DO SO AT THIS TIME!! or not i dont mind if you dont. :D
have a great day!
