The rest of the night was quite uneventful, except for the departure of Ataniea. Around midnight, that fateful hour, she got ill and left immediately without Char. My suspition was that Hattie put something in her food to make her sick and destracted Char while Ataniea was escorted from the manor.
Unfortunately, being sick can have a minus side also. Olive was screaming in "pain," as she put it, and called her mother up to her to comfort her. Mum Olga ordered me to go down and stay with Hattie until she came back.
Of course, Hattie was in the sitting room with Char. I refused to go in. Char was not going to see Ella. I needed a mask. But the curse was tugging at me, forbidding me to find one. I entered the room. Thankfully, their backs were turned.
Char was asking about me. "Your handmaiden--Clarise, did you say?" Hattie nodded. "Why is she always masked?"
"Well," Hattie stuttered, "she has a... deformation. Yes. In fact, she only has half a nose and preferes to keep her face hidden to spare the shame."
Char didn't believe this story, I could tell. "Really?" he said. "Perhaps I can look at her eye socket and ask the castle doctor if there is anything we can do about it."
Hattie had no idea what to say. Now was my time was to come in, but I had nothing to cover my face with. Ah yes. I had a clean handkercheif that I had meant to give to Olive. I attatched it to my head band and cleared my throat. Both Char and Hattie turned and faced me.
"Your Highness," I said, curtsying. He bowed his head gracefully, and I rose. "I understand you are getting married within the week."
"Yes, Clarise." He said, rising and offering me a seat. I sat, averting my eyes from him and closing my lids to hide them.
"Are you happy with your marriage?" I asked the unanswered question.
"Clarise!" Hattie exclaimed. "What a rude thing to say! That's a personal matter of Charmont's, and you must respect that or leave the room."
What I really wanted was to leave the room, but I said nothing.
"No, no," said Char. "It's all right. Clarise, you've really got me thinking. But it's not a matter of love, it's a matter of whether or not my father approves."
"I disagree!" I shouted before I knew what was doing.
Hattie and Char were silent. I realized that I had risen from my chair and sat down again.
"I beg your pardon, Prince Charmont, I really do." I said.
"It's all right," he said.
"I just think that marriage is based on love, not on approval of parents. I think you should marry who you want, and not care what happens after that."
Char opened and shut his mouth again.
It was then that Mandy entered the room, saying, "Hattie, your mother is calling you to Olive's room." Mandy turned and left.
Hattie departed rather reluctantly, leaving Char to answer me freely.
"I would marry who I wanted," he said, "but she is already married."
I was taken aback. Not only did he still care for me--Ella, that is--but I had said something I had been denying for a long time. You should marry who you want, and not care what happens after that. I should marry Char, and not care what the curse does to me after that.
"I'm intrigued," Char said, "by your opinion on marriage. Tell me more."
"Uhm, well..." I searched for what to say. "If you dont want to marry Ataniea, then you shouldn't. Your marriage would only suffer. You would be unhappy, and so would she, no matter how much she denied it. If the woman you love is already married, seek out another one. And besides, I think you're lying about the woman you love. She's probably out there waiting for you to come to your senses." I couldn't help but add the last part.
He gave me an odd look, then said, "I don't think that I'm lying, unless she was." He sighed. "I must go. Tell Dame Olga and her daughters goodbye for me. I might see you at the wedding."
With that, he swept from the room.
***********
ahhhh the plays over!! ah oh no i a so sad! im not kidding that was soo much fun to be in!! but im sick so im at home typing this.
sorry this chapter was short too. im TRYING, i really am. ive got this huge report due in 2 weeks and its worth like half my term grade and i have to get good grades or ill be slaughtered by my parents.
tis sad how my life is going. have a great day, everyone!
Unfortunately, being sick can have a minus side also. Olive was screaming in "pain," as she put it, and called her mother up to her to comfort her. Mum Olga ordered me to go down and stay with Hattie until she came back.
Of course, Hattie was in the sitting room with Char. I refused to go in. Char was not going to see Ella. I needed a mask. But the curse was tugging at me, forbidding me to find one. I entered the room. Thankfully, their backs were turned.
Char was asking about me. "Your handmaiden--Clarise, did you say?" Hattie nodded. "Why is she always masked?"
"Well," Hattie stuttered, "she has a... deformation. Yes. In fact, she only has half a nose and preferes to keep her face hidden to spare the shame."
Char didn't believe this story, I could tell. "Really?" he said. "Perhaps I can look at her eye socket and ask the castle doctor if there is anything we can do about it."
Hattie had no idea what to say. Now was my time was to come in, but I had nothing to cover my face with. Ah yes. I had a clean handkercheif that I had meant to give to Olive. I attatched it to my head band and cleared my throat. Both Char and Hattie turned and faced me.
"Your Highness," I said, curtsying. He bowed his head gracefully, and I rose. "I understand you are getting married within the week."
"Yes, Clarise." He said, rising and offering me a seat. I sat, averting my eyes from him and closing my lids to hide them.
"Are you happy with your marriage?" I asked the unanswered question.
"Clarise!" Hattie exclaimed. "What a rude thing to say! That's a personal matter of Charmont's, and you must respect that or leave the room."
What I really wanted was to leave the room, but I said nothing.
"No, no," said Char. "It's all right. Clarise, you've really got me thinking. But it's not a matter of love, it's a matter of whether or not my father approves."
"I disagree!" I shouted before I knew what was doing.
Hattie and Char were silent. I realized that I had risen from my chair and sat down again.
"I beg your pardon, Prince Charmont, I really do." I said.
"It's all right," he said.
"I just think that marriage is based on love, not on approval of parents. I think you should marry who you want, and not care what happens after that."
Char opened and shut his mouth again.
It was then that Mandy entered the room, saying, "Hattie, your mother is calling you to Olive's room." Mandy turned and left.
Hattie departed rather reluctantly, leaving Char to answer me freely.
"I would marry who I wanted," he said, "but she is already married."
I was taken aback. Not only did he still care for me--Ella, that is--but I had said something I had been denying for a long time. You should marry who you want, and not care what happens after that. I should marry Char, and not care what the curse does to me after that.
"I'm intrigued," Char said, "by your opinion on marriage. Tell me more."
"Uhm, well..." I searched for what to say. "If you dont want to marry Ataniea, then you shouldn't. Your marriage would only suffer. You would be unhappy, and so would she, no matter how much she denied it. If the woman you love is already married, seek out another one. And besides, I think you're lying about the woman you love. She's probably out there waiting for you to come to your senses." I couldn't help but add the last part.
He gave me an odd look, then said, "I don't think that I'm lying, unless she was." He sighed. "I must go. Tell Dame Olga and her daughters goodbye for me. I might see you at the wedding."
With that, he swept from the room.
***********
ahhhh the plays over!! ah oh no i a so sad! im not kidding that was soo much fun to be in!! but im sick so im at home typing this.
sorry this chapter was short too. im TRYING, i really am. ive got this huge report due in 2 weeks and its worth like half my term grade and i have to get good grades or ill be slaughtered by my parents.
tis sad how my life is going. have a great day, everyone!
