Hidden Identities
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the entire world! Except, maybe, my car, a few books, some clothes, oh, that one pencil, and, um, maybe, a coke can and . . .
Summary: What if Hattie had not danced by and snatched off Ella's mask? What if Char had asked Ella THE question? What will Lela do?
Chapter Three: Found Out
___
"Madam," Mandy whispered. Dame Olga stood there in the doorway. She glared down at me through pointy eyes.
"Mandy, please sit," Dame Olga commanded. Mandy sat in a chair a few feet away from me. I started to rise and try to make some excuse up. Mum Olga walked swiftly into the kitchen. "Sit, Ella."
I sat.
"Mistress," Mandy tried again. "We were just talking about-"
"No! No excuses! I was coming down here for a midnight snack, when I heard you two talking about running away. There will be no running away from my manor! Hear me, Ella? You are not to run away."
"Yes," I answered. What else had she heard? Hopefully nothing about Char. That would be the end of me. She slowly came closer to look in my eyes.
"Where were you tonight, Ella?"
I opened my mouth to lie, but then, the curse took hold of me. I had forgotten that Char had told me not to lie! I glanced at Mandy, trying to send her a silent message, but she just looked confused at my face. I couldn't answer Mum Olga.
"Ella? Tell me, now!"
"At the . . . castle," I whispered.
"So, you went to the balls. Did you dance with the prince?"
I didn't dance with the prince. Lela did.
"No." The curse did not attack me then.
"Good. Why were you running away?"
I tried to lie, but this time the curse wouldn't let me. Lela had not run away. Ella had.
"Because the prince saw me," I choked out. It was mostly true. He had seen my face behind the mask.
"Silly girl, you were going to run away simply because the prince saw you?"
"Yes." I wrapped the blanket more tightly around me so Mum Olga would not see the dress beneath the blanket. She might tell Hattie about it and Hattie would take it.
"That was a stupid thing to do, Ella. Going to the balls. You could have ruined Hattie's chances with the prince!" She slapped me then. My head rang from it. Tears sprouted in my eyes as I covered my red cheek. Mandy shot up at this.
"Mistress, please refrain yourself," Mandy said as she knelt next to me.
"Watch how you talk to me, Mandy. I am the sovereign of this household! I will strike any servant of mine as I please! Ella, go to your room. You have a long day tomorrow of cleaning. You are not to see the prince ever again! We will finish this conversation tomorrow when you are wide awake!"
I bolted from the kitchen and up to my room. The tears which I had held back in the kitchen fell down my cheeks in full force. I slammed the door to my room and through my self upon the bed, sobbing.
My hand hit something hard beneath my pillow. I looked up from the wet sheets and reached for the object. It was the magic book Mandy had given me a long time ago.
I rubbed my fingers on the cover of the book, letting it comfort me. Slowly, I opened it and flipped through the pages trying to find something about Char. Finally, I landed on a picture.
It was of Char. He was sitting at a window seat, looking out the window with his journal in his hands. I smiled at his lovely profile. I touched my lips where he had kissed me earlier that night.
Turning the page, I found his journal entry.
********
I can't believe that it was Ella. After everything she did to me she had the nerve to come back! She played me for a fool once again!
Lela. Ella. I should have known. They were so much alike, and only two letters of their names were switched. How could I have fallen for her trick?
And Lady Hattie! She found me in one of the maze passages and told me why Ella was here after I asked her. But she did seem shocked when I told her about Ella. Hattie said that earlier this year, Ella had taken a fall from a horse and now she was mentally ill. She does outrageous things whenever she gets the urge. Playing Lela was one of them. Ella is apparently still married to some rich person far away. But, she was visiting until tonight when she was to leave to go home after the ball. Now, I can not even go after her. I don't think Ella is mentally ill though. She seemed well enough tonight.
I was still going to go to Dame Olga's house, but Father stopped me when I was in the stables. Apparently, there was been some unrest in the kingdom of Ayortha and I am to be sent back there to speak at the capital city in the morning. Two weeks in Ayortha! I can not even go to Lady Hattie's house to see if Ella is there or not. I do not believe Hattie at all on what she said about Ella.
********
Char wrote on about me. But, I couldn't read anymore. It was too hard. Hattie saying I was mentally ill! At least she got Char not to come after me and he would be gone from here for a while. Perhaps by the time he got back Mandy and I would have a plan.
I got up and changed into a white nightgown. It was a hand-me-down from Hattie. As I was combing out my hair and trying desperately hard not to think about the balls, Char or anything related to them, I heard shouts coming from downstairs.
They sounded like Hattie. Then, footsteps pounded along the floor outside my room. I dropped the comb and whirled around just in time for the door to burst open.
______________
Author Note: Sorry for this chapter's shortness. I broke my hand a few days ago in playing softball. Lovely, eh? So, I will not be updating as frequently for the next two weeks. It's very hard to type with one hand. So, tune in for the next chapter! And thank you for your lovely reviews!
Chapter Four: Bad, Bad News
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the entire world! Except, maybe, my car, a few books, some clothes, oh, that one pencil, and, um, maybe, a coke can and . . .
Summary: What if Hattie had not danced by and snatched off Ella's mask? What if Char had asked Ella THE question? What will Lela do?
Chapter Three: Found Out
___
"Madam," Mandy whispered. Dame Olga stood there in the doorway. She glared down at me through pointy eyes.
"Mandy, please sit," Dame Olga commanded. Mandy sat in a chair a few feet away from me. I started to rise and try to make some excuse up. Mum Olga walked swiftly into the kitchen. "Sit, Ella."
I sat.
"Mistress," Mandy tried again. "We were just talking about-"
"No! No excuses! I was coming down here for a midnight snack, when I heard you two talking about running away. There will be no running away from my manor! Hear me, Ella? You are not to run away."
"Yes," I answered. What else had she heard? Hopefully nothing about Char. That would be the end of me. She slowly came closer to look in my eyes.
"Where were you tonight, Ella?"
I opened my mouth to lie, but then, the curse took hold of me. I had forgotten that Char had told me not to lie! I glanced at Mandy, trying to send her a silent message, but she just looked confused at my face. I couldn't answer Mum Olga.
"Ella? Tell me, now!"
"At the . . . castle," I whispered.
"So, you went to the balls. Did you dance with the prince?"
I didn't dance with the prince. Lela did.
"No." The curse did not attack me then.
"Good. Why were you running away?"
I tried to lie, but this time the curse wouldn't let me. Lela had not run away. Ella had.
"Because the prince saw me," I choked out. It was mostly true. He had seen my face behind the mask.
"Silly girl, you were going to run away simply because the prince saw you?"
"Yes." I wrapped the blanket more tightly around me so Mum Olga would not see the dress beneath the blanket. She might tell Hattie about it and Hattie would take it.
"That was a stupid thing to do, Ella. Going to the balls. You could have ruined Hattie's chances with the prince!" She slapped me then. My head rang from it. Tears sprouted in my eyes as I covered my red cheek. Mandy shot up at this.
"Mistress, please refrain yourself," Mandy said as she knelt next to me.
"Watch how you talk to me, Mandy. I am the sovereign of this household! I will strike any servant of mine as I please! Ella, go to your room. You have a long day tomorrow of cleaning. You are not to see the prince ever again! We will finish this conversation tomorrow when you are wide awake!"
I bolted from the kitchen and up to my room. The tears which I had held back in the kitchen fell down my cheeks in full force. I slammed the door to my room and through my self upon the bed, sobbing.
My hand hit something hard beneath my pillow. I looked up from the wet sheets and reached for the object. It was the magic book Mandy had given me a long time ago.
I rubbed my fingers on the cover of the book, letting it comfort me. Slowly, I opened it and flipped through the pages trying to find something about Char. Finally, I landed on a picture.
It was of Char. He was sitting at a window seat, looking out the window with his journal in his hands. I smiled at his lovely profile. I touched my lips where he had kissed me earlier that night.
Turning the page, I found his journal entry.
********
I can't believe that it was Ella. After everything she did to me she had the nerve to come back! She played me for a fool once again!
Lela. Ella. I should have known. They were so much alike, and only two letters of their names were switched. How could I have fallen for her trick?
And Lady Hattie! She found me in one of the maze passages and told me why Ella was here after I asked her. But she did seem shocked when I told her about Ella. Hattie said that earlier this year, Ella had taken a fall from a horse and now she was mentally ill. She does outrageous things whenever she gets the urge. Playing Lela was one of them. Ella is apparently still married to some rich person far away. But, she was visiting until tonight when she was to leave to go home after the ball. Now, I can not even go after her. I don't think Ella is mentally ill though. She seemed well enough tonight.
I was still going to go to Dame Olga's house, but Father stopped me when I was in the stables. Apparently, there was been some unrest in the kingdom of Ayortha and I am to be sent back there to speak at the capital city in the morning. Two weeks in Ayortha! I can not even go to Lady Hattie's house to see if Ella is there or not. I do not believe Hattie at all on what she said about Ella.
********
Char wrote on about me. But, I couldn't read anymore. It was too hard. Hattie saying I was mentally ill! At least she got Char not to come after me and he would be gone from here for a while. Perhaps by the time he got back Mandy and I would have a plan.
I got up and changed into a white nightgown. It was a hand-me-down from Hattie. As I was combing out my hair and trying desperately hard not to think about the balls, Char or anything related to them, I heard shouts coming from downstairs.
They sounded like Hattie. Then, footsteps pounded along the floor outside my room. I dropped the comb and whirled around just in time for the door to burst open.
______________
Author Note: Sorry for this chapter's shortness. I broke my hand a few days ago in playing softball. Lovely, eh? So, I will not be updating as frequently for the next two weeks. It's very hard to type with one hand. So, tune in for the next chapter! And thank you for your lovely reviews!
Chapter Four: Bad, Bad News