************wow you all are worried about marcus and ella hooking up!! hehe i love peoples reactions!!! :) anywho~ im in love!! or in like... so im going to have a fun time with this. i like this story a lot better than my A Shakespear Kind of Love one. how about y'all?********
It turned out that Marcus lived just in the heart of Bast, not very far away from Florence's house. He was there every day we were, but Stephen said that Marcus hardly ever visited any more. I didn't spend much time with him, though I attracted his frequently, and he, mine.
Of course Char strayed across my thoughts often. But I had only known him for a short while, and It wasn't certain that I would ever see him again. I had no idea how long he would be on his ogre-finding trip, and I wasn't staying at Florence's cottage more than two weeks. Perhaps by the time we did see each other again, I would be married off, because that's all Florence talked about.
"Ella, you are nearing marriage, I sense it," said Florence. I had no idea what she was talking about. She always said she sensed things, as if she could see into the future, which is impossible.
"I'm too young, Florence," I said politely, and took a sip of my bitter tea.
Ignoring my previous comment, Florence asked, "Do you have your eye on any young man, Dearie? You and Marcus would make a handsome couple."
I wrinkled my nose and choked on my tea. Although he was the best-looking man I had ever met in my life (better looking than Char, I admit), I had no intention of going off and marrying him. "No, thank you," I replied. "Too close a relation," I said, because it was the only excuse I could think of. I didn't want to discuss intimate feelings and emotions towards men in front of a lady I barely knew and my mother, who was sitting there and smiling.
"Ella," said Mother, leaning forward and patting my knee. "Your Mother's cousin's daughter's husband's brother is not too close a relation." She sat up straight and looked me over. "Does this mean you do have feelings for him?" she asked. Sometimes my mother can be so nosy, prying and asking in a friendly way that makes you like her and want to reply and be good friends with her.
I did not answer her question. Florence asked me another.
"Why don't you want to marry my Marcus?" she said, offended for some reason.
"I think you really do have feelings for him," said Mother quietly. "It's either him or Prince Char."
Florence looked from Mother to me, tears in her eyes. "So I sense that you would choose a prince over my Marcus? Marcus is like a son to me, so insulting him is insulting me!"
"No, no!" was all I could say. Mother just kept repeating that I would end up marrying either Char or Marcus, and Florence's tears spilled over as she protested that we had insulted her entire family and we were to leave the next day. Mother paid no attention to that, either.
I left the room in a flurry, too pressured between the two of them to even think clearly.
I missed Char more than I thought I would. His constant optimism, his wonderful smile, the feel of his lips against my hand, his voice... I loved him. No! I couldn't. Couldn't! I barely knew him. Or did I? We were open with each other, so I knew practically everything about him.
The day was beautiful, and the air sweet and fresh. I walked around the small farm and reached a grove of trees, the wind sweeping my skirts around me.
"Oh, finally," I said in gratitude for the solitude. I leaned against a large oak and exhaled heavily.
"What was that?" said Prince Charmont, coming around from the other side of the tree and looking magnificent.
"Char!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him, nearing tears. I didn't realize what I had done until he said softly, "Calm down, Ella," and placed his hands on my back in a brotherly fashion.
The curse tugged at me to follow his command, but I didn't want to calm down. I wanted to let all my emotions out at once, to be an empty shell like one of Dame Olga's daughters. I began feeling dizzy, and stumbled when Char pulled me down to sit against the tree with him.
At last, I took a few deep breaths and calmed down. I noticed Char had his hand on my shoulder and looked up at him. "What are you doing here?" I asked.
"Still on my trip," said Char in a worried tone. He was worried about me! "We're camping for the day; one of the knights I'm traveling with got wounded. I just wanted some time alone, and came out here to think." He stroked a lock of my hair absent-mindedly. "What are YOU doing here?"
"Oh, my mother and her cousin got in a fight." I sighed. "Over me," I added. "I just wanted to get out and think clearly."
Char smiled. "What were they fighting about?"
"Who I should marry," I said, blushing. "Florence says I should marry her daughter's husband's brother, Marcus, but I don't want to marry him; I don't know him!"
"Who does your mother think you should marry?" asked Char.
My face grew hot.
"Tell me," said Char, being friendly.
"A wealthy man," I said, and left it at that. After all, Char WAS wealthy. "Florence got offended that I would choose a wealthy man over 'her Marcus,' as she puts it." I rolled my eyes and Char laughed.
"And?" said Char. "Have you chosen?"
"Of course not!" I said, aghast. "I'm too young for marriage, and I don't know Marcus OR the wealthy man, so I can't make a choice!"
"Ah," said Char.
"Are you betrothed?" I said, letting my question slip without thinking. I had thought it many times, but never had the courage to ask.
Char looked at me, surprise showing on his face. He stood up, beaming. I had no idea why, he just had this huge smile on his face that lit up his huge countenance. "No, I am not," he said. "Come, walk with me." He offered me his hand, and I took it, not even bothering to fight the curse this time.
********
moo..? i like this chapter. its a wee bit longer, eh? and its cute!!! cuz its like marcus--no char!---haha marcus is winning---char wins! that sorta thing. but you dont know if char has won yet. you dont even know if char has won.... poo... well i have an idea for the next chapter. have a great day!
REVIEW PLEASE!
It turned out that Marcus lived just in the heart of Bast, not very far away from Florence's house. He was there every day we were, but Stephen said that Marcus hardly ever visited any more. I didn't spend much time with him, though I attracted his frequently, and he, mine.
Of course Char strayed across my thoughts often. But I had only known him for a short while, and It wasn't certain that I would ever see him again. I had no idea how long he would be on his ogre-finding trip, and I wasn't staying at Florence's cottage more than two weeks. Perhaps by the time we did see each other again, I would be married off, because that's all Florence talked about.
"Ella, you are nearing marriage, I sense it," said Florence. I had no idea what she was talking about. She always said she sensed things, as if she could see into the future, which is impossible.
"I'm too young, Florence," I said politely, and took a sip of my bitter tea.
Ignoring my previous comment, Florence asked, "Do you have your eye on any young man, Dearie? You and Marcus would make a handsome couple."
I wrinkled my nose and choked on my tea. Although he was the best-looking man I had ever met in my life (better looking than Char, I admit), I had no intention of going off and marrying him. "No, thank you," I replied. "Too close a relation," I said, because it was the only excuse I could think of. I didn't want to discuss intimate feelings and emotions towards men in front of a lady I barely knew and my mother, who was sitting there and smiling.
"Ella," said Mother, leaning forward and patting my knee. "Your Mother's cousin's daughter's husband's brother is not too close a relation." She sat up straight and looked me over. "Does this mean you do have feelings for him?" she asked. Sometimes my mother can be so nosy, prying and asking in a friendly way that makes you like her and want to reply and be good friends with her.
I did not answer her question. Florence asked me another.
"Why don't you want to marry my Marcus?" she said, offended for some reason.
"I think you really do have feelings for him," said Mother quietly. "It's either him or Prince Char."
Florence looked from Mother to me, tears in her eyes. "So I sense that you would choose a prince over my Marcus? Marcus is like a son to me, so insulting him is insulting me!"
"No, no!" was all I could say. Mother just kept repeating that I would end up marrying either Char or Marcus, and Florence's tears spilled over as she protested that we had insulted her entire family and we were to leave the next day. Mother paid no attention to that, either.
I left the room in a flurry, too pressured between the two of them to even think clearly.
I missed Char more than I thought I would. His constant optimism, his wonderful smile, the feel of his lips against my hand, his voice... I loved him. No! I couldn't. Couldn't! I barely knew him. Or did I? We were open with each other, so I knew practically everything about him.
The day was beautiful, and the air sweet and fresh. I walked around the small farm and reached a grove of trees, the wind sweeping my skirts around me.
"Oh, finally," I said in gratitude for the solitude. I leaned against a large oak and exhaled heavily.
"What was that?" said Prince Charmont, coming around from the other side of the tree and looking magnificent.
"Char!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him, nearing tears. I didn't realize what I had done until he said softly, "Calm down, Ella," and placed his hands on my back in a brotherly fashion.
The curse tugged at me to follow his command, but I didn't want to calm down. I wanted to let all my emotions out at once, to be an empty shell like one of Dame Olga's daughters. I began feeling dizzy, and stumbled when Char pulled me down to sit against the tree with him.
At last, I took a few deep breaths and calmed down. I noticed Char had his hand on my shoulder and looked up at him. "What are you doing here?" I asked.
"Still on my trip," said Char in a worried tone. He was worried about me! "We're camping for the day; one of the knights I'm traveling with got wounded. I just wanted some time alone, and came out here to think." He stroked a lock of my hair absent-mindedly. "What are YOU doing here?"
"Oh, my mother and her cousin got in a fight." I sighed. "Over me," I added. "I just wanted to get out and think clearly."
Char smiled. "What were they fighting about?"
"Who I should marry," I said, blushing. "Florence says I should marry her daughter's husband's brother, Marcus, but I don't want to marry him; I don't know him!"
"Who does your mother think you should marry?" asked Char.
My face grew hot.
"Tell me," said Char, being friendly.
"A wealthy man," I said, and left it at that. After all, Char WAS wealthy. "Florence got offended that I would choose a wealthy man over 'her Marcus,' as she puts it." I rolled my eyes and Char laughed.
"And?" said Char. "Have you chosen?"
"Of course not!" I said, aghast. "I'm too young for marriage, and I don't know Marcus OR the wealthy man, so I can't make a choice!"
"Ah," said Char.
"Are you betrothed?" I said, letting my question slip without thinking. I had thought it many times, but never had the courage to ask.
Char looked at me, surprise showing on his face. He stood up, beaming. I had no idea why, he just had this huge smile on his face that lit up his huge countenance. "No, I am not," he said. "Come, walk with me." He offered me his hand, and I took it, not even bothering to fight the curse this time.
********
moo..? i like this chapter. its a wee bit longer, eh? and its cute!!! cuz its like marcus--no char!---haha marcus is winning---char wins! that sorta thing. but you dont know if char has won yet. you dont even know if char has won.... poo... well i have an idea for the next chapter. have a great day!
REVIEW PLEASE!