***woooo.... okay i just have one thing to say. someone predicted something (not gonna say who, not gonna say what) in a review and if that was YOU and you read it in this very chapter, know this: i was planning to do it, and you read my mind. you are very smart. congratulations!!! okay read.*******
Finding out that Char had left the inn to return to Frell was shocking enough, but not as shocking as the news I heard a few days later. I was finishing up the last days of my job (as I had told Mable I would give her a full week before returning to Frell; I had given Will no explanation for my absence) when I heard someone say it on the streets.
"Did you hear, Thelma, that Prince Charmont has refused to become king when his father dies?"
I turned so quickly, I hurt my neck. The two conversationalists were elderly ladies, perhaps ten years older than Mum Olga.
"Aye, I did, Hazel. But did you hear the other part of the news?"
"What other part?"
Thelma lowered her voice to a whisper. I clutched my basket of vegitables and moved closer to them. "It was because he doesn't want to marry,"
"No, no that can't be!" Hazel gasped.
"Tis true, Hazel. His sister is next in line, and she will become queen if he never marries."
"But, Thelma, I heard he didn't want to get married at all! There's no way for him to become king, then, is there?"
"No." Both of them sighed. "Oh, this melon looks great. How is your sister faring lately with her baby, Hazel?"
And that was the end of the conversation. Char, refusing the crown, giving it up to his sister, Cecilia? I finished my shopping and rushed back to the inn, where I found Areida and Mandy eating their breakfast.
"Oh, good morning," said Areida cheerily. "Finish your shopping nicely, then?"
Without replying, I said to Mandy very quietly, "Char has denounced the crown! He has given it up to his sister, Cecilia!"
Mandy thought for a while. Areida gave me a questioning look, and I replied with an I'll-explain-later look. "Sweet," Mandy whispered, "this may not be the right time to go to Frell and ask for his forgiveness. I don't think there will ever be a good time to go to him."
Tears filled my eyes. "No, no!" I shook my head violently. Will, who was at the sink, turned around with compassion in his eyes. "No, I must go to him! I must go to Frell!" I was crying so hard, I don't think anyone understood a word I said. "Mandy, we must--"
"Lady, there is nothing you can do right now. Let him go. Be at peace." Mandy rocked me in her arms and we slowly sat down, me still sobbing into her shoulder. Will and Areida exited hastily.
We stayed in Dneprov as the months passsed, feeling more at home. The pain of Char was ebbing away at a snail's pace, but it was going nevertheless. I didn't decide to marry Will, even if I couldn't have Char. Instead, I took a leaf from Char's book and resolved never to marry. Someone else, on the other hand, was close to marriage.
I was standing at the stove, stirring a pot of soup for Will while he attended other business and while Mandy was just waking up. The tune I was humming was the same as the one Char had sung into my ear at the ball. The tears wanted to come, but I would not let them. I was past that. No marriage for me.
"Ella!"
I turned around to see Areida, face pink and breathless. "What is wrong?" I asked. I dropped the spoon in the pot and pulled Areida to sit at the table, urging her to take deep breaths. "What has happened?"
Areida calmed herself for a moment, then said, "I am engaged."
My jaw dropped, and I laughed in happiness. "Two whom?"
"William."
My jaw came right back up as fast as it had dropped. "Oh..." I said, slightly deflated. I was not feeling that he should have married me. No, I was feeling... I don't know what I was feeling. Jealous? Surprised? Happy? Yes, I must be happy for Areida, I thought. "Oh!" I changed my tone of voice. "That's WONDERFUL!! When did this happen?"
"Just now!" said Areida. "Just now he proposed. We've been secretly courting these past five months, Ella. I know he proposed to you before. You are not angry with me, are you?"
"Oh, never, Areida, old friend! I would never be angry with you!"
Areida beamed. "In that case, I want you to be my maid of honor."
"Of course!" I exclaimed. "When is the marriage?"
"In a month." Areida breathed deeply and rose, as did I. "Oh, I'm so excited I could burst!" With that, she fled from the room calling Mandy's name.
Will came into the kitchen not moments after. He was blushing.
"I heard the news," I said.
"Oh," he mumbled. "Are you angry?"
"No, Will. You've moved on. That's good." I turned back to the soup and tried to find the spoon somewhere in it. "I have resolved never to marry, anyway," I said to the pot.
Will came to my side. "Why? Was it me?"
"Oh, no," I said comfortingly. "It wasn't you. It was someone else. Here's the spoon. There's your soup. Stir well. I must get back to my job."
****************
dun dun dun... YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BE REALLY MEAN RIGHT NOW?? if i just said, THE END! and ended it right there. hehe cuz i know whats going to happen!!!
well... there ya go, unknown-reviewer-who-knows-all!!! oh, and everyone else. william has someone, but ella doesnt. ah well. who knows? I DO!! haha
review please
ta, everyone have a great day.
Finding out that Char had left the inn to return to Frell was shocking enough, but not as shocking as the news I heard a few days later. I was finishing up the last days of my job (as I had told Mable I would give her a full week before returning to Frell; I had given Will no explanation for my absence) when I heard someone say it on the streets.
"Did you hear, Thelma, that Prince Charmont has refused to become king when his father dies?"
I turned so quickly, I hurt my neck. The two conversationalists were elderly ladies, perhaps ten years older than Mum Olga.
"Aye, I did, Hazel. But did you hear the other part of the news?"
"What other part?"
Thelma lowered her voice to a whisper. I clutched my basket of vegitables and moved closer to them. "It was because he doesn't want to marry,"
"No, no that can't be!" Hazel gasped.
"Tis true, Hazel. His sister is next in line, and she will become queen if he never marries."
"But, Thelma, I heard he didn't want to get married at all! There's no way for him to become king, then, is there?"
"No." Both of them sighed. "Oh, this melon looks great. How is your sister faring lately with her baby, Hazel?"
And that was the end of the conversation. Char, refusing the crown, giving it up to his sister, Cecilia? I finished my shopping and rushed back to the inn, where I found Areida and Mandy eating their breakfast.
"Oh, good morning," said Areida cheerily. "Finish your shopping nicely, then?"
Without replying, I said to Mandy very quietly, "Char has denounced the crown! He has given it up to his sister, Cecilia!"
Mandy thought for a while. Areida gave me a questioning look, and I replied with an I'll-explain-later look. "Sweet," Mandy whispered, "this may not be the right time to go to Frell and ask for his forgiveness. I don't think there will ever be a good time to go to him."
Tears filled my eyes. "No, no!" I shook my head violently. Will, who was at the sink, turned around with compassion in his eyes. "No, I must go to him! I must go to Frell!" I was crying so hard, I don't think anyone understood a word I said. "Mandy, we must--"
"Lady, there is nothing you can do right now. Let him go. Be at peace." Mandy rocked me in her arms and we slowly sat down, me still sobbing into her shoulder. Will and Areida exited hastily.
We stayed in Dneprov as the months passsed, feeling more at home. The pain of Char was ebbing away at a snail's pace, but it was going nevertheless. I didn't decide to marry Will, even if I couldn't have Char. Instead, I took a leaf from Char's book and resolved never to marry. Someone else, on the other hand, was close to marriage.
I was standing at the stove, stirring a pot of soup for Will while he attended other business and while Mandy was just waking up. The tune I was humming was the same as the one Char had sung into my ear at the ball. The tears wanted to come, but I would not let them. I was past that. No marriage for me.
"Ella!"
I turned around to see Areida, face pink and breathless. "What is wrong?" I asked. I dropped the spoon in the pot and pulled Areida to sit at the table, urging her to take deep breaths. "What has happened?"
Areida calmed herself for a moment, then said, "I am engaged."
My jaw dropped, and I laughed in happiness. "Two whom?"
"William."
My jaw came right back up as fast as it had dropped. "Oh..." I said, slightly deflated. I was not feeling that he should have married me. No, I was feeling... I don't know what I was feeling. Jealous? Surprised? Happy? Yes, I must be happy for Areida, I thought. "Oh!" I changed my tone of voice. "That's WONDERFUL!! When did this happen?"
"Just now!" said Areida. "Just now he proposed. We've been secretly courting these past five months, Ella. I know he proposed to you before. You are not angry with me, are you?"
"Oh, never, Areida, old friend! I would never be angry with you!"
Areida beamed. "In that case, I want you to be my maid of honor."
"Of course!" I exclaimed. "When is the marriage?"
"In a month." Areida breathed deeply and rose, as did I. "Oh, I'm so excited I could burst!" With that, she fled from the room calling Mandy's name.
Will came into the kitchen not moments after. He was blushing.
"I heard the news," I said.
"Oh," he mumbled. "Are you angry?"
"No, Will. You've moved on. That's good." I turned back to the soup and tried to find the spoon somewhere in it. "I have resolved never to marry, anyway," I said to the pot.
Will came to my side. "Why? Was it me?"
"Oh, no," I said comfortingly. "It wasn't you. It was someone else. Here's the spoon. There's your soup. Stir well. I must get back to my job."
****************
dun dun dun... YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BE REALLY MEAN RIGHT NOW?? if i just said, THE END! and ended it right there. hehe cuz i know whats going to happen!!!
well... there ya go, unknown-reviewer-who-knows-all!!! oh, and everyone else. william has someone, but ella doesnt. ah well. who knows? I DO!! haha
review please
ta, everyone have a great day.
