I'm back! I'm sorry it took so long to update. I really wanted to get to it, but with the end of term, it was just about impossible. So here's my newest chapter. I hope you like it!
Please read and review, so I'll know if I should continue with the next chapter.
"What are you talking about?" Char asked raising his eyebrows. "Why are you awake?" he added, suddenly.
Ella whirled around and stared at him. "I just told you."
"I'm too tired to do this, let's go back to sleep," he stated. His eyes narrowed as he tilted his head. The strong line of his jaw twisting as he locked eyes with Ella. "Am I really saying this out loud?"
"Of course you are, how else would I hear you?" Ella answered. She clamped her hand over her mouth.
Char leaned forward. "What do you know that you're not telling me?"
"Order me to do something," Ella stated.
"Don't tell me what to do," he proclaimed suddenly, leaning away from her, the same puzzled look across his handsome face still.
"Tell me to do something," she exclaimed. Then she sat back with a grin. "I just ignored your order! I don't have to listen to you."
"I beg your pardon!" he exclaimed. "Ella, what is going on?"
She reached across the small space and grasped her husband's hand. "I have no idea, but it's scaring me." She briefly closed her eyes, she couldn't believe she'd said that. "We need to figure out what's wrong."
The carriage gave a sudden jerk as it stopped.
Ella leaned around looking out the window her hand clamped firmly over her mouth.
A small quaint town stood around them, under the cover of the night it was hard to see anyone besides the silhouettes of those close to the windows, lit by a flickering candle.
"Your majesties, we are having problems with the carriage wheel," the chauffeur explained. "We will find you a place to sleep and we will leave first thing in the morning."
"Wonderful," Char muttered, a confused expression crossing his face as he bit his bottom lip.
The carriage jolted forward, but went as a slower pace until stopped. Looking out the window, Ella's eyes danced over the quaint figure of an inn. The lights were off inside most of the room, the small sign bearing the name was impossible to see in the darkness of night. With a deep breath, she reached toward the door, slowly allowing herself to move her hand away from her mouth. No sudden outbursts yet. With a deep breath, she stepped out of the carriage.
"Welcome to Fute!"
Char raised his dark eyebrows. "Fute?"
"Yes," the woman who'd greeted them grinned. She was A large woman, a dark blue dress was under the white speckled apron she wore.
"Like foot?" Char continued. Ella's elbow dug into his side and he turned and glared at her. "What was that for?
"Be quiet," Ella hissed.
The woman gave a loud appreciative laugh. "It's perfectly all right, Your Majesties."
A bell boy rushed out and grabbed the bags off the coach. Ella grinned appreciatively, dropping her brown eyes to the ground, then she noticed a peculiar sight. "Uh, where are your shoes?" she blurted out.
Once again, the innkeeper laughed, but this time it was nervous chuckle. "Well, there's been some problems recently," she began, but quickly added, "Nothing that will interfere with your stay while your carriage is getting fixed."
"Well, what kind of problems," Char prodded.
The hostess looked worried and glanced towards the door.
"Char is the King," Ella stated.
"And Ella is the Queen," Char interjected, staring pointedly at her. "It is your title, weather or not you like it."
"What Char is saying is besides the point," she replied, gesturing towards the door. "Please, we'd like to help."
The innkeeper finally relented and led them inside to a small room behind the front desk. Two overstuffed chair sat in corners, the room was so small they almost touched. The innkeeper sat three mugs on the table and poured in what appeared to be tea.
"What's your name?" Ella asked, taking the cup that was offered.
"My name is Franca, your majesty," she nodded, dropping her head in a mock bow.
"Please—" Ella began.
"It's your title," Char interrupted.
"I know," she insisted. "I just don't care for it."
"Let's change the topic," he replied, turning towards Franca. "Why don't you tell us what's been happing."
Franca turned her cup in her hand and took a deep breath before she began. "You've heard the story about the elves and the shoemaker, right? Well, that took place here. The once the elves began to bring in business, the shoemaker has brought in possibly the largest chunk of money. But shoes began to disappear, not just ones from the shoe maker, old shoes, new shoes, house shoes, dress shoes, sandals, and even horse shoes!"
"There's been a crime spree of someone stealing shoes?" Char asked, leaning forward.
"Yes. But no break ins, and nothing else was stolen, just shoes. Some say it's the elves getting their revenge," Franca explained.
"But I thought the shoemaker left tiny clothes for the elves," Ella stated.
"Not all elves are tiny," Char stated. "Could the tiny clothes have offended the elves?"
"No, because the shoemaker saw the ones who made the shoes, they were tiny," Franca stated. "And now, no one knows what to do, whenever new shoes are made, they are taken that very same night."
Ella glanced down at her shoes then at Char. "Sounds like we have out first royal problem."
Please read and review, so I'll know if I should continue with the next chapter.
"What are you talking about?" Char asked raising his eyebrows. "Why are you awake?" he added, suddenly.
Ella whirled around and stared at him. "I just told you."
"I'm too tired to do this, let's go back to sleep," he stated. His eyes narrowed as he tilted his head. The strong line of his jaw twisting as he locked eyes with Ella. "Am I really saying this out loud?"
"Of course you are, how else would I hear you?" Ella answered. She clamped her hand over her mouth.
Char leaned forward. "What do you know that you're not telling me?"
"Order me to do something," Ella stated.
"Don't tell me what to do," he proclaimed suddenly, leaning away from her, the same puzzled look across his handsome face still.
"Tell me to do something," she exclaimed. Then she sat back with a grin. "I just ignored your order! I don't have to listen to you."
"I beg your pardon!" he exclaimed. "Ella, what is going on?"
She reached across the small space and grasped her husband's hand. "I have no idea, but it's scaring me." She briefly closed her eyes, she couldn't believe she'd said that. "We need to figure out what's wrong."
The carriage gave a sudden jerk as it stopped.
Ella leaned around looking out the window her hand clamped firmly over her mouth.
A small quaint town stood around them, under the cover of the night it was hard to see anyone besides the silhouettes of those close to the windows, lit by a flickering candle.
"Your majesties, we are having problems with the carriage wheel," the chauffeur explained. "We will find you a place to sleep and we will leave first thing in the morning."
"Wonderful," Char muttered, a confused expression crossing his face as he bit his bottom lip.
The carriage jolted forward, but went as a slower pace until stopped. Looking out the window, Ella's eyes danced over the quaint figure of an inn. The lights were off inside most of the room, the small sign bearing the name was impossible to see in the darkness of night. With a deep breath, she reached toward the door, slowly allowing herself to move her hand away from her mouth. No sudden outbursts yet. With a deep breath, she stepped out of the carriage.
"Welcome to Fute!"
Char raised his dark eyebrows. "Fute?"
"Yes," the woman who'd greeted them grinned. She was A large woman, a dark blue dress was under the white speckled apron she wore.
"Like foot?" Char continued. Ella's elbow dug into his side and he turned and glared at her. "What was that for?
"Be quiet," Ella hissed.
The woman gave a loud appreciative laugh. "It's perfectly all right, Your Majesties."
A bell boy rushed out and grabbed the bags off the coach. Ella grinned appreciatively, dropping her brown eyes to the ground, then she noticed a peculiar sight. "Uh, where are your shoes?" she blurted out.
Once again, the innkeeper laughed, but this time it was nervous chuckle. "Well, there's been some problems recently," she began, but quickly added, "Nothing that will interfere with your stay while your carriage is getting fixed."
"Well, what kind of problems," Char prodded.
The hostess looked worried and glanced towards the door.
"Char is the King," Ella stated.
"And Ella is the Queen," Char interjected, staring pointedly at her. "It is your title, weather or not you like it."
"What Char is saying is besides the point," she replied, gesturing towards the door. "Please, we'd like to help."
The innkeeper finally relented and led them inside to a small room behind the front desk. Two overstuffed chair sat in corners, the room was so small they almost touched. The innkeeper sat three mugs on the table and poured in what appeared to be tea.
"What's your name?" Ella asked, taking the cup that was offered.
"My name is Franca, your majesty," she nodded, dropping her head in a mock bow.
"Please—" Ella began.
"It's your title," Char interrupted.
"I know," she insisted. "I just don't care for it."
"Let's change the topic," he replied, turning towards Franca. "Why don't you tell us what's been happing."
Franca turned her cup in her hand and took a deep breath before she began. "You've heard the story about the elves and the shoemaker, right? Well, that took place here. The once the elves began to bring in business, the shoemaker has brought in possibly the largest chunk of money. But shoes began to disappear, not just ones from the shoe maker, old shoes, new shoes, house shoes, dress shoes, sandals, and even horse shoes!"
"There's been a crime spree of someone stealing shoes?" Char asked, leaning forward.
"Yes. But no break ins, and nothing else was stolen, just shoes. Some say it's the elves getting their revenge," Franca explained.
"But I thought the shoemaker left tiny clothes for the elves," Ella stated.
"Not all elves are tiny," Char stated. "Could the tiny clothes have offended the elves?"
"No, because the shoemaker saw the ones who made the shoes, they were tiny," Franca stated. "And now, no one knows what to do, whenever new shoes are made, they are taken that very same night."
Ella glanced down at her shoes then at Char. "Sounds like we have out first royal problem."