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?
Author Note: Prince Aaron may seem very mean in this chapter and he is. I have to make him look mean, so I'm sorry if this offends anyone.
Chapter 10: Plotting Revealed
"I have to admit, Ella, that you definitely have Char fooled. Did you see the look on his face when he heard your name? I absolutely can't wait until tonight when he sees you again. And this time, you will not wear a veil or any kind of head covering," Aaron said as soon as the servants, unpacking our belongings, had left. We were alone, in the room I was going to sleep in until the wedding night. I shuddered at the thought of the wedding.
The room was rectangular shaped. A four poster bed was perpendicular to one of the walls and a night stand sat beside it. There was a doorway that led to a balcony on the opposite wall, along with a desk and chair. A table with four chairs sat near the center of the room on a long rug. A dresser stood against an adjacent wall. There was a door to my small closet which held all my dresses and shoes on the remaining wall with another door that led to Aaron's bed room.
I stood near the balcony, as far away from Aaron, who had just come through the door separating his and my rooms. I turned to look at him, anger boiling inside of me.
"You think this is a joke? You know everything, don't you? About Char and me. Well, you can forget about the wedding now. Because I am not going to marry you! I can not!" I shouted. He merely smirked at me.
"All right, so maybe I know about your obedience and your little escapade with 'Char'." Aaron sneered at the name. "He's always been one step higher or faster than me. He's not fit to rule any kingdom, yet he gets the best one around!" Aaron frowned. He walked over to where I was and shoved me out on the balcony. I gasped and tried to wrench myself free, but he forced me to stay beside him. "See this?"
He pointed out to the stretching horizon of Kyrria. I nodded. His grip around my arm was going to leave a bruise.
"This is what I want. What I've always wanted. Do you know what position I would be in if I had this kingdom and everything in it? Along with Ayortha, I could rule the world!" He cried. I finally managed to wrench myself free and backed up against the balcony wall.
"You want Kyrria? But, that's impossible! You would have to fight us for it and your army's not strong enough!" My eyes widened. He smiled and rolled his eyes.
"You don't get it, do you?" he asked, shaking his head. He advanced slowly on me. I turned to scream for help. "Don't try to yell to get help."
Immediately, my throat closed up. He grabbed my arm and whirled me around to face him.
"You are right, though, about the army. We can't take Kyrria by force."
I narrowed my eyes. Everything was falling into place.
"So you use subterfuge. You have been plotting this whole thing for years, haven't you?" I asked. He nodded.
"We'd been plotting, but until that Olga woman came into the picture, we had nothing."
"But, why her?"
"You want me to tell you? All right, I'll tell you everything. It's not as if you're going to tell anyone, what with your obedience. So, Olga had been helping my Father infiltrate the Kyrrian court for years. She knew that we needed a lady, who had a respectable daughter, to marry my father, so he would have a 'daughter' to play the part of a fiancée in the peace contract. My sister is already married and out of the question for the job. So, when she heard about how Hattie wanted to marry Prince Charmont, she nominated herself.
"At first, we were a bit skeptical. Why should we choose her over all these other women with daughters even more beautiful than Hattie to become my Father's bride? That's when she brought in you."
"Me? What good am I?" I gasped.
"First, your obedience in everything. If I married you, you'd do anything I wanted you to. But, still I wasn't sure. Then, she told me of your relationship with Prince Charmont. I've always hated him and we needed him distracted from finding out our plot when we arrived at this point in our plan. And so far, it's working."
"You're despicable! You're marrying me to spite and distract Char?" I slapped his cheek with all my might. He didn't even grimace, even though his cheek was slowly turning bright red.
"Don't ever do that to me again," he whispered, deadly. I pushed back from him and felt my back press up against the wall. "And you won't tell anyone about what I have just told you. You will keep it a secret until you die." Aaron smiled darkly. He glanced over me thoughtfully. "Tonight, you will wear the white dress I picked out for you in the market a while back. Wear your hair with nothing covering your face. I want Char to know it's you. My plan will go perfectly."
A tear slipped from my left eye as I glared at him. How could anyone be so cruel?
"Not so perfect! You have one flaw! Hattie marrying Char will perhaps unite Ayortha and Kyrria, but you will not have the crown!" I said. Aaron's face loomed near mine. I could see his smile in his eyes.
"Ah, yes. I had quite forgotten to tell you about that. A few days after the wedding night, Hattie will claim she is pregnant, whether she is or isn't. Then, with her throne secured for her, I will have Char killed. With that done, Hattie will step down from the throne, because she is a woman and not fit to rule a country, and I will take over, being the closest male relative to the throne rule both kingdoms!" Aaron laughed loudly. I gasped and my breathing stopped. KILL CHAR?!
"You will NOT kill Char!" I said very loudly, for I had been ordered not to yell. No! This would not happen! It couldn't! I had not come this far for my Char to be killed!
"I will do it, Ella. And I will make you watch. It will be fun for me. Or, perhaps, I should order you to do it. After all you would if I ordered it. And then, you and I will rule both kingdoms and conquer all the other kingdoms far and wide and we shall create an empire."
"No!"
"Yes! You will not tell anyone of this, Ella. Or, I will kill everyone you love."
I sank down the wall. Aaron grabbed me and yanked me back up. He closed the space between our faces and kissed me. I pushed against him and struggled.
He broke off, laughing.
"How can you be so cruel?!" I asked, weeping.
"I am not cruel, Ella. I just know what I want and nothing will stop me. Now, I'll leave you to do what you will. Remember, do not tell anyone about my plans no matter what they say and stop crying! You will act as you normally do! Do not say anything or do anything to reveal what you know. And don't try to run away from this."
I could hear him laughing as he walked back into his room and down his stairs. I choked down sobs that threatened to burst out. Below the balcony, a guard called orders to his ranks and a few horses whinnied anxiously. Hattie's triumphant, and yet horrible, singing filtered through the air from somewhere in the castle.
"Char," I whispered and slowly walked back inside the room. I wanted to run. Run as fast and as hard as I could until I reached the ends of the world and through myself to whatever lay beyond it.
"Ella?" Terrance called from behind me. I looked at him, my eyes bright with unshed tears. He stood in the door frame, his hair all wet from the bath he took. "What's wrong? Was it Aaron?"
I nodded and swallowed. I tried to cry out and tell him everything, but then Char would die. And if I did tell him, Char would die. Die.
Then, the world began to spin. Around like a wheel on the carriage that had brought me here, to my doom. Terrance reached out towards me, trying to steady me.
"Ella, look at me! Don't faint," Terrance ordered. At once the room stopped spinning and I stared up into his eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. . . everything. . . but I can't tell you! It's all wrong! It's all wrong! I hate him!" I winced as Terrance grabbed my arm where Aaron had hurt it. He gasped at the bruise.
"Aaron?"
"Yes. He's a horrible person, Terrance! You have to –"
The curse cut me off there. I stared up at Terrance, hoping that he would see what was happening and save me and everyone else. But, he just looked worried.
"Ella, what did he do?"
"He. . . he hurt me. . . and he's doing something awful!"
"What is he doing?"
"I can't tell you. He said –"
Silence.
"Can I ask you something, Ella? I've wondered about this for a long time. I heard Hattie say something about it."
"Ask."
"Are you some how forced to be obedient? I mean, Hattie always orders you around and you do everything that is said to you as an order, even if it's picking up dung from the pig sty. And you do everything I've ever seen told to you."
I bit my lip. So, Terrance had found out. I couldn't tell him, though. Mother had promised me to tell no one. But, if Terrance ordered me to tell him, would it be so bad? Mandy was not here to help me through this and Terrance was my best friend. Terrance squeezed my hand.
"Ella? Tell me."
An order.
"Yes, I'm obedient against my will," I whispered. Strangely, it felt good to say. It felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from my chest and I could breathe again.
"I knew it! How did this come to happen? Was it by magic? I bet it was a fairy! Am I right? Oh, Ella, this I awful! No wonder you haven't hightailed it out of here. And no wonder Aaron's marrying you!" Terrance stood up and began pacing. "Remember how I told you of Aaron's childhood? Well, it was all a lie to get you to like him better. He forced me to make up stories so you would put up less of a fuss about him and the wedding. I hated to do it, Ella, but death was the consequence. What you've just told me makes everything fall into place. Are you being forced against your will to marry Aaron? Do you love him?"
Terrance knelt back down in front of me and looked into my eyes. I shook my head.
"I don't love Aaron. I love some one else. But, please, don't ask me anymore! Something bad will happen if this conversation goes the way it's going!" I pleaded. Terrance nodded and stood back up. He looked out the window, absentmindedly stroking his dagger in its sheath on his belt. He seemed to be thinking. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers and smiled.
"Ella, I think I may know a way to release you from your obedience! I must go right away! I will be back in a few hours." Terrance ran from the room, bounding down the stairs. A maid coming up the stairs yelped when he almost ran into her. I laughed at the startled look on her face. She frowned and shook her head.
"My Lady, I've come to help you get ready for the feast tonight," she curtsied. I got up from the floor.
"There's still hours to come before the feast!" I protested. "It's hardly early afternoon!"
"Ah, but His Highness ordered me to make you extra prepared, if you know what I mean. And that means a lot of hours with me, Mia," Mia smiled. Her gray and white dress uniform made her dark hair stand out. "Now, which did His Highness prefer you to wear? The lovely white silk one? All right then, let's get started."
Mia ushered me behind a curtain and into a steaming hot bath tub. She washed my hair and scented it. Rose petals floated on top of the water. Afterwards, Mia rubbed oils and lotions on me.
"Oh, My Lady, you'll be the bell of the ball tonight! Now, where is that dress?" Mia said excitedly from my closet. I sat on the bed in my petticoats and underclothes trying to figure out what to do.
Aaron had ordered me not to tell anyone about his plan and I had to go on like I didn't know anything. Where was Terrance? He had been gone for hours. What was he doing?
Mia waddled out with the creamy white dress. She helped me put it on and laced it up tightly. I felt like a large hand had closed around my chest and allowed only tiny gasps of air through.
"Mia, I . . . can't breathe," I choked out. Mia laughed.
"That's only the corset, My Lady. You'll get used to it. And besides, it makes your waist look skinnier and your bosom larger," Mia smoothed out the wrinkles and set to work on my dark hair.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror. The dress did do the things Mia had said. It was lower cut, just like Aaron likes. The white fabric fell in folds to the floor and a gold braided belt was looped around my waist. Mia curled my hair and piled it on top of my head, pinning gold stars into the mass of curls. She added a touch of glitter, rouge, eye shadow, kohl, and gloss for my lips.
After an hour, Mia finally helped me into my shoes and pronounced me done.
"You look like an angel from the world above," Mia smiled at me. I closed my eyes. I was no angel. No angels would be forced to obedience and keep quiet of murder plots. "Ah, it's the hour of lamp lighting! The feast will have begun already! We must make haste!"
I walked solemnly towards the hallway that would lead me to the feast. Already, I could hear the laughter and chatter and clanking of plates and glasses. The sounds reverberated on the walls and into my ears.
"His Highness said that he would meet you outside the feast doors. Go on, My Lady. Go to the feast," Mia gently pushed me towards the feast. Then, she quickly closed the door to my chambers, leaving me alone in the hallway, save for the guard standing at the side who was to lead to me to the feast.
"Come," the guard said gruffly and began walking down the hall. I followed quietly. The hallways were illuminated with bright torches and candles. The laughter of people grew louder as we neared the feast.
The guard stopped in front of the door. Aaron stepped out of the shadows, startling me.
"Ready?" he asked. His eyes flickered.
"What do you think?" I replied. He smirked and grabbed my hand.
"I don't think I like this new you. Perhaps I should not have told you what I did," Aaron thought out loud. He bent down to whisper into my ear. "Forget, Ella. Forget I told you that Prince Charmont is going to die. Perhaps that will make you feel better."
Instantly, the memories slipped away. I gasped at the sudden blankness in my mind. And I felt sadness and pain go away, being replaced by the anger at Aaron at his plans to try and take Kyrria. But, why had I been so sad?
"What did you do?" I asked quietly, my eyes searching his for an answer. He chuckled.
"Just a little order to make you feel better," Aaron smiled. His grip on my hand tightened and he nodded to the guard to open the doors to the feast. "Let's have fun tonight, love."
I wanted to slap him, but his tight grip painfully made me stay silent by his side. The corset was not helping either. I watched as the guard opened the two doors and light burst through. The chatter died as everyone turned to the doors at the sound of them opening.
"Let's go," Aaron whispered and pulled me into the room.
Author Note: Ah! I am so, so, so, so sorry that I have not updated for a while. I am so busy. This is such a weird chapter too, sorry about that. I was gone on a trip for three weeks, so I asked my friend to write a little and she wrote the beginning part. So, sorry if it's odd. Next chapter will include Char seeing Ella. Terrance has an important role to play and I'm not sure whether I want him to come in after the feast or at the wedding and I have a few other things to sort out because I don't want this story to end like the book or the movie, I want a new ending. Thank you for reviewing everyone! I love every single one of them! Stay tuned for the next chapter which I hope to get started on very soon!
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?
Author Note: Prince Aaron may seem very mean in this chapter and he is. I have to make him look mean, so I'm sorry if this offends anyone.
Chapter 10: Plotting Revealed
"I have to admit, Ella, that you definitely have Char fooled. Did you see the look on his face when he heard your name? I absolutely can't wait until tonight when he sees you again. And this time, you will not wear a veil or any kind of head covering," Aaron said as soon as the servants, unpacking our belongings, had left. We were alone, in the room I was going to sleep in until the wedding night. I shuddered at the thought of the wedding.
The room was rectangular shaped. A four poster bed was perpendicular to one of the walls and a night stand sat beside it. There was a doorway that led to a balcony on the opposite wall, along with a desk and chair. A table with four chairs sat near the center of the room on a long rug. A dresser stood against an adjacent wall. There was a door to my small closet which held all my dresses and shoes on the remaining wall with another door that led to Aaron's bed room.
I stood near the balcony, as far away from Aaron, who had just come through the door separating his and my rooms. I turned to look at him, anger boiling inside of me.
"You think this is a joke? You know everything, don't you? About Char and me. Well, you can forget about the wedding now. Because I am not going to marry you! I can not!" I shouted. He merely smirked at me.
"All right, so maybe I know about your obedience and your little escapade with 'Char'." Aaron sneered at the name. "He's always been one step higher or faster than me. He's not fit to rule any kingdom, yet he gets the best one around!" Aaron frowned. He walked over to where I was and shoved me out on the balcony. I gasped and tried to wrench myself free, but he forced me to stay beside him. "See this?"
He pointed out to the stretching horizon of Kyrria. I nodded. His grip around my arm was going to leave a bruise.
"This is what I want. What I've always wanted. Do you know what position I would be in if I had this kingdom and everything in it? Along with Ayortha, I could rule the world!" He cried. I finally managed to wrench myself free and backed up against the balcony wall.
"You want Kyrria? But, that's impossible! You would have to fight us for it and your army's not strong enough!" My eyes widened. He smiled and rolled his eyes.
"You don't get it, do you?" he asked, shaking his head. He advanced slowly on me. I turned to scream for help. "Don't try to yell to get help."
Immediately, my throat closed up. He grabbed my arm and whirled me around to face him.
"You are right, though, about the army. We can't take Kyrria by force."
I narrowed my eyes. Everything was falling into place.
"So you use subterfuge. You have been plotting this whole thing for years, haven't you?" I asked. He nodded.
"We'd been plotting, but until that Olga woman came into the picture, we had nothing."
"But, why her?"
"You want me to tell you? All right, I'll tell you everything. It's not as if you're going to tell anyone, what with your obedience. So, Olga had been helping my Father infiltrate the Kyrrian court for years. She knew that we needed a lady, who had a respectable daughter, to marry my father, so he would have a 'daughter' to play the part of a fiancée in the peace contract. My sister is already married and out of the question for the job. So, when she heard about how Hattie wanted to marry Prince Charmont, she nominated herself.
"At first, we were a bit skeptical. Why should we choose her over all these other women with daughters even more beautiful than Hattie to become my Father's bride? That's when she brought in you."
"Me? What good am I?" I gasped.
"First, your obedience in everything. If I married you, you'd do anything I wanted you to. But, still I wasn't sure. Then, she told me of your relationship with Prince Charmont. I've always hated him and we needed him distracted from finding out our plot when we arrived at this point in our plan. And so far, it's working."
"You're despicable! You're marrying me to spite and distract Char?" I slapped his cheek with all my might. He didn't even grimace, even though his cheek was slowly turning bright red.
"Don't ever do that to me again," he whispered, deadly. I pushed back from him and felt my back press up against the wall. "And you won't tell anyone about what I have just told you. You will keep it a secret until you die." Aaron smiled darkly. He glanced over me thoughtfully. "Tonight, you will wear the white dress I picked out for you in the market a while back. Wear your hair with nothing covering your face. I want Char to know it's you. My plan will go perfectly."
A tear slipped from my left eye as I glared at him. How could anyone be so cruel?
"Not so perfect! You have one flaw! Hattie marrying Char will perhaps unite Ayortha and Kyrria, but you will not have the crown!" I said. Aaron's face loomed near mine. I could see his smile in his eyes.
"Ah, yes. I had quite forgotten to tell you about that. A few days after the wedding night, Hattie will claim she is pregnant, whether she is or isn't. Then, with her throne secured for her, I will have Char killed. With that done, Hattie will step down from the throne, because she is a woman and not fit to rule a country, and I will take over, being the closest male relative to the throne rule both kingdoms!" Aaron laughed loudly. I gasped and my breathing stopped. KILL CHAR?!
"You will NOT kill Char!" I said very loudly, for I had been ordered not to yell. No! This would not happen! It couldn't! I had not come this far for my Char to be killed!
"I will do it, Ella. And I will make you watch. It will be fun for me. Or, perhaps, I should order you to do it. After all you would if I ordered it. And then, you and I will rule both kingdoms and conquer all the other kingdoms far and wide and we shall create an empire."
"No!"
"Yes! You will not tell anyone of this, Ella. Or, I will kill everyone you love."
I sank down the wall. Aaron grabbed me and yanked me back up. He closed the space between our faces and kissed me. I pushed against him and struggled.
He broke off, laughing.
"How can you be so cruel?!" I asked, weeping.
"I am not cruel, Ella. I just know what I want and nothing will stop me. Now, I'll leave you to do what you will. Remember, do not tell anyone about my plans no matter what they say and stop crying! You will act as you normally do! Do not say anything or do anything to reveal what you know. And don't try to run away from this."
I could hear him laughing as he walked back into his room and down his stairs. I choked down sobs that threatened to burst out. Below the balcony, a guard called orders to his ranks and a few horses whinnied anxiously. Hattie's triumphant, and yet horrible, singing filtered through the air from somewhere in the castle.
"Char," I whispered and slowly walked back inside the room. I wanted to run. Run as fast and as hard as I could until I reached the ends of the world and through myself to whatever lay beyond it.
"Ella?" Terrance called from behind me. I looked at him, my eyes bright with unshed tears. He stood in the door frame, his hair all wet from the bath he took. "What's wrong? Was it Aaron?"
I nodded and swallowed. I tried to cry out and tell him everything, but then Char would die. And if I did tell him, Char would die. Die.
Then, the world began to spin. Around like a wheel on the carriage that had brought me here, to my doom. Terrance reached out towards me, trying to steady me.
"Ella, look at me! Don't faint," Terrance ordered. At once the room stopped spinning and I stared up into his eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. . . everything. . . but I can't tell you! It's all wrong! It's all wrong! I hate him!" I winced as Terrance grabbed my arm where Aaron had hurt it. He gasped at the bruise.
"Aaron?"
"Yes. He's a horrible person, Terrance! You have to –"
The curse cut me off there. I stared up at Terrance, hoping that he would see what was happening and save me and everyone else. But, he just looked worried.
"Ella, what did he do?"
"He. . . he hurt me. . . and he's doing something awful!"
"What is he doing?"
"I can't tell you. He said –"
Silence.
"Can I ask you something, Ella? I've wondered about this for a long time. I heard Hattie say something about it."
"Ask."
"Are you some how forced to be obedient? I mean, Hattie always orders you around and you do everything that is said to you as an order, even if it's picking up dung from the pig sty. And you do everything I've ever seen told to you."
I bit my lip. So, Terrance had found out. I couldn't tell him, though. Mother had promised me to tell no one. But, if Terrance ordered me to tell him, would it be so bad? Mandy was not here to help me through this and Terrance was my best friend. Terrance squeezed my hand.
"Ella? Tell me."
An order.
"Yes, I'm obedient against my will," I whispered. Strangely, it felt good to say. It felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from my chest and I could breathe again.
"I knew it! How did this come to happen? Was it by magic? I bet it was a fairy! Am I right? Oh, Ella, this I awful! No wonder you haven't hightailed it out of here. And no wonder Aaron's marrying you!" Terrance stood up and began pacing. "Remember how I told you of Aaron's childhood? Well, it was all a lie to get you to like him better. He forced me to make up stories so you would put up less of a fuss about him and the wedding. I hated to do it, Ella, but death was the consequence. What you've just told me makes everything fall into place. Are you being forced against your will to marry Aaron? Do you love him?"
Terrance knelt back down in front of me and looked into my eyes. I shook my head.
"I don't love Aaron. I love some one else. But, please, don't ask me anymore! Something bad will happen if this conversation goes the way it's going!" I pleaded. Terrance nodded and stood back up. He looked out the window, absentmindedly stroking his dagger in its sheath on his belt. He seemed to be thinking. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers and smiled.
"Ella, I think I may know a way to release you from your obedience! I must go right away! I will be back in a few hours." Terrance ran from the room, bounding down the stairs. A maid coming up the stairs yelped when he almost ran into her. I laughed at the startled look on her face. She frowned and shook her head.
"My Lady, I've come to help you get ready for the feast tonight," she curtsied. I got up from the floor.
"There's still hours to come before the feast!" I protested. "It's hardly early afternoon!"
"Ah, but His Highness ordered me to make you extra prepared, if you know what I mean. And that means a lot of hours with me, Mia," Mia smiled. Her gray and white dress uniform made her dark hair stand out. "Now, which did His Highness prefer you to wear? The lovely white silk one? All right then, let's get started."
Mia ushered me behind a curtain and into a steaming hot bath tub. She washed my hair and scented it. Rose petals floated on top of the water. Afterwards, Mia rubbed oils and lotions on me.
"Oh, My Lady, you'll be the bell of the ball tonight! Now, where is that dress?" Mia said excitedly from my closet. I sat on the bed in my petticoats and underclothes trying to figure out what to do.
Aaron had ordered me not to tell anyone about his plan and I had to go on like I didn't know anything. Where was Terrance? He had been gone for hours. What was he doing?
Mia waddled out with the creamy white dress. She helped me put it on and laced it up tightly. I felt like a large hand had closed around my chest and allowed only tiny gasps of air through.
"Mia, I . . . can't breathe," I choked out. Mia laughed.
"That's only the corset, My Lady. You'll get used to it. And besides, it makes your waist look skinnier and your bosom larger," Mia smoothed out the wrinkles and set to work on my dark hair.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror. The dress did do the things Mia had said. It was lower cut, just like Aaron likes. The white fabric fell in folds to the floor and a gold braided belt was looped around my waist. Mia curled my hair and piled it on top of my head, pinning gold stars into the mass of curls. She added a touch of glitter, rouge, eye shadow, kohl, and gloss for my lips.
After an hour, Mia finally helped me into my shoes and pronounced me done.
"You look like an angel from the world above," Mia smiled at me. I closed my eyes. I was no angel. No angels would be forced to obedience and keep quiet of murder plots. "Ah, it's the hour of lamp lighting! The feast will have begun already! We must make haste!"
I walked solemnly towards the hallway that would lead me to the feast. Already, I could hear the laughter and chatter and clanking of plates and glasses. The sounds reverberated on the walls and into my ears.
"His Highness said that he would meet you outside the feast doors. Go on, My Lady. Go to the feast," Mia gently pushed me towards the feast. Then, she quickly closed the door to my chambers, leaving me alone in the hallway, save for the guard standing at the side who was to lead to me to the feast.
"Come," the guard said gruffly and began walking down the hall. I followed quietly. The hallways were illuminated with bright torches and candles. The laughter of people grew louder as we neared the feast.
The guard stopped in front of the door. Aaron stepped out of the shadows, startling me.
"Ready?" he asked. His eyes flickered.
"What do you think?" I replied. He smirked and grabbed my hand.
"I don't think I like this new you. Perhaps I should not have told you what I did," Aaron thought out loud. He bent down to whisper into my ear. "Forget, Ella. Forget I told you that Prince Charmont is going to die. Perhaps that will make you feel better."
Instantly, the memories slipped away. I gasped at the sudden blankness in my mind. And I felt sadness and pain go away, being replaced by the anger at Aaron at his plans to try and take Kyrria. But, why had I been so sad?
"What did you do?" I asked quietly, my eyes searching his for an answer. He chuckled.
"Just a little order to make you feel better," Aaron smiled. His grip on my hand tightened and he nodded to the guard to open the doors to the feast. "Let's have fun tonight, love."
I wanted to slap him, but his tight grip painfully made me stay silent by his side. The corset was not helping either. I watched as the guard opened the two doors and light burst through. The chatter died as everyone turned to the doors at the sound of them opening.
"Let's go," Aaron whispered and pulled me into the room.
Author Note: Ah! I am so, so, so, so sorry that I have not updated for a while. I am so busy. This is such a weird chapter too, sorry about that. I was gone on a trip for three weeks, so I asked my friend to write a little and she wrote the beginning part. So, sorry if it's odd. Next chapter will include Char seeing Ella. Terrance has an important role to play and I'm not sure whether I want him to come in after the feast or at the wedding and I have a few other things to sort out because I don't want this story to end like the book or the movie, I want a new ending. Thank you for reviewing everyone! I love every single one of them! Stay tuned for the next chapter which I hope to get started on very soon!