This involves some Sleeping Beauty, or Shrek, I guess. Just a small bit, though.
This is dedicated to the wonderful EllaFreak, my wonderful beta.
"Will you marry me?"
We walked off the dance floor and out into the gardens before answering. "No," I said, surprising him.
"Why?" he asked, bewildered. "Don't you want to marry a prince?"
"I'm sure it would be quite lovely." I told him politely. "But you need to marry someone you love. You don't love me. We are just friends."
He shook his head. "You don't understand. I have to get married."
"Yes, I understand perfectly well!" I was beginning to get angry. "You need to love the person you marry! We don't love each other!" I was shouting. I was upset. It hurt me to lie to him.
"Fine." He sighed. "I must return to my guests. Goodnight, Lady Lela." He turned his back on me and walked towards the ballroom door. After he was gone, I sank down on the bench and took off my mask. The tears came in a rush. It had really hurt me to say that to him. Mandy was right, I shouldn't have come.
After a few minutes, I finished crying. Drying my face, I put my mask back on and walked back to the ballroom. I wouldn't stay. I would take my carriage and go home.
When I got to the manor, I went straight to my room. Stripping off the ball gown, I threw it onto the floor before sinking on my bed and sobbing. This was one of the worst nights of my life. I wished mother were still alive. I needed her right now.
I stalked back into the ballroom, angry. Why couldn't she have just agreed to marry me? We could have learned to love one another. Suddenly, Olive was in front of me, asking me to dance. I couldn't refuse, so I let her pull me onto the dance floor. She chattered endlessly, and I toned everything out. Finally, I asked, "How is Ella?" I knew my voice was dead, but I didn't care.
Olive grimaced slightly. "Oh, Ella is okay, I suppose. She stayed at the manor."
"What about her husband?" I asked, surprised that she was in Frell.
"What husband?" Olive asked in return. "Ella's not married. Hattie and mother wouldn't allow her to, even if someone did ask."
Olive obviously didn't know of the letter Hattie had sent me. Or she was so stupid she didn't know she wasn't supposed to say anything.
"Why wouldn't they let her?" I asked, wondering how much Olive would tell me. Obviously everything.
"Oh, because she's a servant now. Mama doesn't allow servants to marry."
I stopped dancing. "She's a what?!" I shouted, outraged.
"A servant," Olive repeated dumbly.
"Come with me." I told her before dragging her off the dance floor. We walked out to the royal carriages and got in, telling them to go to their manor. Olive didn't say a word, obviously liking riding in a royal carriage.
Finally, we arrived. I got out of the carriage, but didn't even think of assisting Olive. We walked into the house, and I ordered, "Show me to her room."
Olive thought for a moment, and I didn't think she would do it. But finally she began to walk to the servants' quarters. She stopped outside a door at the end of a hallway, and said, "This is it."
I nodded and said coldly, "Wait below."
Olive gave me a look, but walked back down the hallway and the stairs. When I was sure that she was gone, I knocked on the door. After a few moments, I heard Ella's voice say, "Go away, Mandy, please. I don't want to talk about it. You where right, I should have never gone."
I wondered briefly what she was talking about before testing the door. It wasn't locked. I opened it, and saw Ella, her back towards the door, wrapped in a thin green blanket. I looked around the room. Small bed, little candle that barely lit the tiny room, and an old, worn chest. In front of it was a white gown that I immediately recognized: Lela's. But if that was Lela's gown, that meant that... Ella was Lela.
She hadn't heard me come in. That was good. I had the element of surprise. I sat down on the bed behind her and pulled her against my chest. She went stiff for a moment before turning to see who held her. She jumped when she saw me.
I was shocked to see that her eyes where red and she had tear stains on her cheeks. I wondered why she had been crying. But I needed to know other things first.
After several moments of silence, I commanded, "Tell me why you where at the ball."
"I wanted to go." I answered. That was true. I had. To see him.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because I like to dance." I answered. I didn't have to tell him why, because he hadn't ordered me.
"You have never gone to a ball before." He said, giving me a hard look. I could tell he didn't believe me.
"Why did you go in disguise?" He asked. "Tell me the truth."
I could have gotten away with it if he hadn't said the last. Stalling for time, I asked, "Do I have to?"
He looked amused. "Yes."
"Fine," I sighed. I had to tell him soon. "I wanted to see you, but you couldn't recognize me." My answer confused him, I knew.
"Did you write that letter?" He was figuring things out fast.
"Yes." He deserved the truth. I would give it to him. Except the truth about the curse. Unless he commanded me, I couldn't tell him that. Mother had forbidden me to.
"Was it true?" He asked next. Oh, why did he have to figure things out? Why couldn't he just be stupid?
"No!" I tried to push myself away from him, but he held tight.
"Why did you lie? Answer me truthfully, Ella. "
"Because you couldn't know the truth! I couldn't tell you!" I had begun crying again. I couldn't help it. This was just too hard.
"What is the truth?" He asked me quietly, tugging my chin up so my eyes met his. I didn't answer.
"Tell me." He commanded in a soft, calm voice.
"I would hurt you, if I said I loved you!" I was sobbing now.
He drew me up and hugged me to his chest. It was comforting to be held against him like that. His kindness just made me cry harder.
"Do you?"
"Yes!" I knew that I didn't have to tell him, but I did anyway.
"Then how would you hurt me?" This one I didn't have to answer. I couldn't answer, unless he commanded me to. Instead, I turned my back on him. He turned me around to face him once again. He leaned towards me and brushed tears off my face. Then, he did something that I hadn't expected him to do.
I kissed her. It shocked her, I could tell. It surprised me too. I hadn't planned on doing that. She sank into me, and I wrapped my arms around her. She was shivering.
When we broke apart, I smiled. She blushed and looked down at her hands. Mine went out and took hold of them. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light. Then, a female voice spoke. It was laced with power. "Only love's first kiss will break the curse."
The light disappeared, and I was able to see once more. I wondered what that had been about. When I turned to Ella, she had a dazed look on her face. Then, her face broke into a large grin. She looked happier than I had ever seen her. "What was that? What curse?" I asked.
"I was given a 'gift' by the fairy Lucinda at birth." I explained happily. I still couldn't believe what had happened. Mandy never said that this was a possibility.
He made me explain everything. When I was finally done, he kissed me again.
"Ella, would you marry me?" He asked when we broke apart.
"Yes." She smiled through her tears. I was confident that they where tears of happiness. She had, after all, told me that she loved me. Several times, in fact. I let out a large whoop of joy that was obviously heard from downstairs, for up came Olive, Hattie, Dame Olga, and what appeared to be an extremely happy cook.
"What is the meaning of this?" Hattie's shrill voice pierced the air.
"Well, Hattie, let me explain." Ella began, smiling brightly. "I am no longer under my curse. Which means that I don't have to do anything you tell me to." I wrapped my arms around her. "You forgot something, dear." I whispered in her ear. She shivered slightly before saying, "And Char and I are getting married."
The room went silent. Finally, Dame Olga said viciously, "Don't lie, foolish child. What would the prince see in an ugly wench like you?" Obviously, she hadn't seen the way Char was holding me.
Gripping my waist more tightly, he said coldly, "I would appreciate if you would show more respect to my fiancee, the future queen of Kyrria."
Mum Olga looked shocked for a moment before nodding her head sharply and stocking out of the room, her two daughters following closely behind. Hattie threw me a dirty look, but all I did was smile and say, "Oh, Hattie, darling, could you possibly wait for a moment?"
Obviously she believed my sweet voice, for she did. Mandy and Char both looked at me as if I was crazy, but I walked over to her with a false smile on my face.
She could tell my smile was fake, for she frowned and began to look worried, though her awful smile was still in tact. "I want my mother's necklace back, and I want it back now." I held out a hand.
"No." She snarled before heading once more for the door.
I caught her arm. "I will have that necklace back." My voice was shaking with fury.
"Fine." She pulled it off and threw it out my feet before practically running from the room.
The room was once more quiet. Mandy rushed over to me and hugged me, tears falling from her eyes. "You did it, lady! You broke the curse." We rocked back and forth. When she finally let go, we where both crying. Char dug out several handkerchiefs from his pocket and handed some to us.
After we had calmed down, Char asked me, "You'll come back to the palace with me tonight, right?"
"No." She answered. I gaped.
"Why?" I finally managed. Mandy was looking at her as if she was off her rocker. I was beginning to agree.
"I can't leave Mandy and Nancy here."
I sighed my relief. I thought that she had changed her mind. "They can come with us, love."
She smiled before I pulled her into a hug. "Good." She tucked her head under my chin, and I began to rub her back. It had been a long and tiring day- for both of us.
"When are we going?" She asked sleepily.
"As soon as you're ready."
"I'll pack your stuff, Lady." Mandy told us before adding, "I believe it would be better for Nancy and I to come in the morning, however, your highness." I nodded. This was understandable.
Ella, however, didn't seem to like the idea. Her head snapped up, and, all sleepiness gone from her face, demanded, "Why?"
"It would be easier, Ella. Nancy and I both have things to attend to."
"Very well." Ella grudgingly agreed. She would have put up much more of a fight had she been more awake. I was glad she wasn't.
"Let's go wait upstairs." I told her, tugging on her arm. Surprisingly, she was asleep. I smiled before sweeping my love up in my arms and carrying her out of the room, gently kissing her forehead as I went. She smiled slightly in her sleep and snuggled against my chest.
Okay, if there are any wheres and weres wrong, im sorry. i really cant tell the difference. my apologies.