*Yes, I know, very short chapters. Oh and I own Mabel and Ethan. NO ONE IS
TO TOUCH ETHAN! No, not even you Mabel (Mabel- "hey, not fair! He's
mine!")*
I just stood there, in Ethan's arms not sure what to do. Fortunately Ethan did. "Let me handle this." He whispered, letting me go. He walked over the prince and bowed low. "Your majesty, I can explain." The prince raised his eyebrow. "Then do so!" he commanded. Ethan took a deep breathe. "Your majesty, it was a bet with another guard as to who could kiss a servant from a wealthy household with out getting caught." Madame gasped and Ella's face turned in a smug mask. I bit my lip as the prince relaxed and started laughing. "Well it seems that you have lost the bet. Perhaps you should make it up to this young lady?" Ethan nodded and turned. He must have seen my troubled look, for he winked at me. Then he tossed a few coins at me. "Here you go wench." He said nonchalantly. I still wasn't sure if it was all set up or not, but I did know that I wanted to at least shock the prince. "you little---!" I yelled, feigning fury at Ethan. The prince paled and reached into his pocket, no doubt for smelling salts as I yelled a few more strings of curses. Ethan just stood there trying not to laugh, and failing miserably.
"It is time for us to leave" the prince said faintly. "Come along Edgar." Ethan grinned. "That was my father's name. The idiot still doesn't know mine." He whispered as he walked past. I grinned. "Goodbye" I said softly. As they disappeared through the gate, I picked up the coins at my feet and turned to face Madame. Ella's face still looked rather smug, but Madame's held a look of amusement. "It seems that you have caught the eye of someone. A rather handsome someone at that." Ella looked rather confused at this. "B..But did he say that he only kissed her for a bet. So even if Mabel DID like him, he didn't like her." This last bit was emphasized a bit too much, and it was obvious of her intentions by saying it. Fortunately Madame came to my rescue. "Don't be stupid Ella, anyone could tell that he was lying. Well anyone except the prince. Thank the gods he enjoys bets and gambling or you would have been in quite a bit of trouble Mabel." I grinned at the thought of the prince trying to teach me a lesson.
"What did the prince want here?" I asked. Madame rolled her eyes. "I really have no idea. He just went on and on about how if we lived up to be the loyal subjects that he knew we were, no trouble would come to anyone. Seems there's an uprising somewhere and the prince is going around to all the houses trying to keep his allies in line." Ella piped in about here. "He also said that I was lovely and if my parents." she turned and glare at Madame. ".kept treating me like a slave then I was welcome to come live with him." I snickered. "What, to be his love slave? You must get some sense into that empty cavern of yours. You are not a slave, nor are you even a servant. You're just a spoiled brat who thinks that because you're nobility you don't have to even lift a pinkie for the rest of your fellow man." Oh how good the truth felt to say it. But Ella looked as if she had just swallowed something that didn't agree with her. "Why you ungrateful little whore! I should have you put in the stocks for insulting me like that! I should."
But that was as far as her threat got. A hand was laid gently but firmly upon her shoulder. "I think it is time for you to go inside Ella." Madame said icily. "If you dislike the way you are treated then I suggest you find somewhere else to live." Ella looked at her with shock. No one had ever told her that she had to except something. I just stood there, taking in with pleasure, the way Ella's mouth snapped open, then shut again, open and shut, like a dying fish. Finally she regained her composure, turned and stormed into the house. I winced as I heard glass shattering, knowing that I would be partially to blame for it. Madame turned to face me, an I was surprised to see a hint of a smile upon her face.
"I want you to know that if you ever do that again, I cannot come to your rescue." I nodded, unsure if she meant the tiff with Ella, or with the prince, or my time with Ethan. Madame smiled, then noticing my hand, frowned. "What happened?" I looked down. I had almost forgotten that. "Just an accident. I suggest you tell the gardener to put the rake away next time.'' Madame paled again. " Oh dear, is it all right?" I nodded. "Eth- the guard dressed it for me. I guess what you saw was a thank you for that." Madame looked at me, then let loose a rather loud laugh. "You don't fool me" she said chuckling. "I know you fancy him. I would if I were still your age. But you must understand that you will probably never see him again." " I do" I said. "Well go ahead and take a break. The stones are well done." With that Madame turned and walked away.
I held my now throbbing hand, thinking of the words she had just said. I would never see him again. That was probably true, but why hadn't it crossed my mind yet? I looked down at the coins still in my hand. This was all I ha left from him, and it was thrown at me as a joke, which I still wasn't quite sure was truly a joke or not. Did Ethan love me? Was it really a bet? I hoped that he had just said that to avoid the prince's wrath, but what if he hadn't? Suspicion and doubt plagued my mind. I did the only thing I could think of. Walking over to my quarters, I flung myself on my bed and cried. Then I took a nap.
I just stood there, in Ethan's arms not sure what to do. Fortunately Ethan did. "Let me handle this." He whispered, letting me go. He walked over the prince and bowed low. "Your majesty, I can explain." The prince raised his eyebrow. "Then do so!" he commanded. Ethan took a deep breathe. "Your majesty, it was a bet with another guard as to who could kiss a servant from a wealthy household with out getting caught." Madame gasped and Ella's face turned in a smug mask. I bit my lip as the prince relaxed and started laughing. "Well it seems that you have lost the bet. Perhaps you should make it up to this young lady?" Ethan nodded and turned. He must have seen my troubled look, for he winked at me. Then he tossed a few coins at me. "Here you go wench." He said nonchalantly. I still wasn't sure if it was all set up or not, but I did know that I wanted to at least shock the prince. "you little---!" I yelled, feigning fury at Ethan. The prince paled and reached into his pocket, no doubt for smelling salts as I yelled a few more strings of curses. Ethan just stood there trying not to laugh, and failing miserably.
"It is time for us to leave" the prince said faintly. "Come along Edgar." Ethan grinned. "That was my father's name. The idiot still doesn't know mine." He whispered as he walked past. I grinned. "Goodbye" I said softly. As they disappeared through the gate, I picked up the coins at my feet and turned to face Madame. Ella's face still looked rather smug, but Madame's held a look of amusement. "It seems that you have caught the eye of someone. A rather handsome someone at that." Ella looked rather confused at this. "B..But did he say that he only kissed her for a bet. So even if Mabel DID like him, he didn't like her." This last bit was emphasized a bit too much, and it was obvious of her intentions by saying it. Fortunately Madame came to my rescue. "Don't be stupid Ella, anyone could tell that he was lying. Well anyone except the prince. Thank the gods he enjoys bets and gambling or you would have been in quite a bit of trouble Mabel." I grinned at the thought of the prince trying to teach me a lesson.
"What did the prince want here?" I asked. Madame rolled her eyes. "I really have no idea. He just went on and on about how if we lived up to be the loyal subjects that he knew we were, no trouble would come to anyone. Seems there's an uprising somewhere and the prince is going around to all the houses trying to keep his allies in line." Ella piped in about here. "He also said that I was lovely and if my parents." she turned and glare at Madame. ".kept treating me like a slave then I was welcome to come live with him." I snickered. "What, to be his love slave? You must get some sense into that empty cavern of yours. You are not a slave, nor are you even a servant. You're just a spoiled brat who thinks that because you're nobility you don't have to even lift a pinkie for the rest of your fellow man." Oh how good the truth felt to say it. But Ella looked as if she had just swallowed something that didn't agree with her. "Why you ungrateful little whore! I should have you put in the stocks for insulting me like that! I should."
But that was as far as her threat got. A hand was laid gently but firmly upon her shoulder. "I think it is time for you to go inside Ella." Madame said icily. "If you dislike the way you are treated then I suggest you find somewhere else to live." Ella looked at her with shock. No one had ever told her that she had to except something. I just stood there, taking in with pleasure, the way Ella's mouth snapped open, then shut again, open and shut, like a dying fish. Finally she regained her composure, turned and stormed into the house. I winced as I heard glass shattering, knowing that I would be partially to blame for it. Madame turned to face me, an I was surprised to see a hint of a smile upon her face.
"I want you to know that if you ever do that again, I cannot come to your rescue." I nodded, unsure if she meant the tiff with Ella, or with the prince, or my time with Ethan. Madame smiled, then noticing my hand, frowned. "What happened?" I looked down. I had almost forgotten that. "Just an accident. I suggest you tell the gardener to put the rake away next time.'' Madame paled again. " Oh dear, is it all right?" I nodded. "Eth- the guard dressed it for me. I guess what you saw was a thank you for that." Madame looked at me, then let loose a rather loud laugh. "You don't fool me" she said chuckling. "I know you fancy him. I would if I were still your age. But you must understand that you will probably never see him again." " I do" I said. "Well go ahead and take a break. The stones are well done." With that Madame turned and walked away.
I held my now throbbing hand, thinking of the words she had just said. I would never see him again. That was probably true, but why hadn't it crossed my mind yet? I looked down at the coins still in my hand. This was all I ha left from him, and it was thrown at me as a joke, which I still wasn't quite sure was truly a joke or not. Did Ethan love me? Was it really a bet? I hoped that he had just said that to avoid the prince's wrath, but what if he hadn't? Suspicion and doubt plagued my mind. I did the only thing I could think of. Walking over to my quarters, I flung myself on my bed and cried. Then I took a nap.
