********i have nothing to say.*********
Char and I walked a long time, discussing everything from the flowers to the way kingdoms were ruled, behaving like old friends, my arm linked through his, our laughs echoing the other's. When the sun was setting, Char walked me back to cottage and kissed my hand again, saying that he would see me in Frell shortly. I smiled at his back as he walked away.
When I climbed the steps and entered the house, I found Mother crying. There was a lot of crying going on that day. She was sitting at the table, soaking it, it seemed.
"What's wrong, Mother?" I asked.
"The worst news possible," she said through her tears.
"What?" I said. "Tell me!" I demanded. And of course she did.
She and Florence had kept arguing. Florence wanted Mother and me packed up and in our carriage the very next morning, leaving for Frell. That was good news to me; I was waiting to go home and wait for Char. But when Mother said she was sorry and asked Florence how she could apologize for insulting her, Florence was happy. She already had an idea cooking. Mother asked her what she had in mind, and Florence said that I could marry Marcus as an apology. Mother flatout said no and said that she would rather leave for Frell and never return than force me to marry someone I didn't love. This was when disaster struck.
"Well," Florence had said, "You tell Ella she wants to marry Marcus. You tell her that she is going to marry him whether she likes it or not. Make her love him. Force her to marry him if you have to, or I will."
"So I'm telling you," said Mother when she was done telling what she had to tell. "You want to marry Marcus. Love him! You are going to marry him whether you like it or not. I will force you if I have to. Oh, I HATE this curse!" She elapsed into tears again.
I felt an odd feeling rushing up my spine and into my chest. Into my heart. I loved Marcus. Oh, no. I couldn't love him. I loved Char. Or did I? No, I loved Marcus. "I love Marcus," I said out loud to Mother. I smiled and placed my hand on Mother's back. "Don't worry Mother, I'll be happy. I love him and I'll love being married to him."
Mother looked up at me. She was still beautiful even though tears were streaming down her face and her eyes were all red and puffy. "You CAN'T love him. You DON'T, Ella. I just told you to. Do you love Marcus?"
"Of course I do!" I said, appalled. "He is the most handsome, most caring, funniest person I've ever met. I will marry him."
At that moment, Florence entered the room, looking pleased. "So you love Marcus, Ella?" she said softly, in her misty voice.
"Yes!" I proclaimed.
"No!" mother insisted.
Florence looked at us both, a sly expression on her face. "I'll take Ella's word. You'll be married within the month. I sense this." And she walked from the room.
Mother stopped sniveling. "I have to force you to marry him if I have to, but I don't. So don't marry him! I've fufilled my command."
"I won't marry him, Mother," I said, "but I still love him."
"What did you used to do when you were little to fufill your commands enough to stop the dizziness but not enough to fufill your commander's desire?
I worked this out in my mind: what did I do to stop the dizziness but still not fufill the command? Like when Mandy told me to get some almonds and i only got two. "I only did part of the command by not being too specific," I said simply.
"That's IT!" exclaimed Mother, rising from her chair so fast she knocked it over. "I have already told you to love him, so I followed the curse! But now I can tell you not to!"
"You will do no such thing," said Florence, entering the room again. "Eleanor, don't speak to Ella anymore. Ella, don't listen to your mother if she speaks to you, is that understood?" No one moved or made a sound. "Acknowledge me!" Mother and I both nodded. "You will marry Marcus soon. VERY soon. Never mind this prince man, all right?"
Char was gone from my mind.
I nodded.
*************
i love t.k.w. :) at least i LIKE t.k.w.
have a nice day.
review.
Char and I walked a long time, discussing everything from the flowers to the way kingdoms were ruled, behaving like old friends, my arm linked through his, our laughs echoing the other's. When the sun was setting, Char walked me back to cottage and kissed my hand again, saying that he would see me in Frell shortly. I smiled at his back as he walked away.
When I climbed the steps and entered the house, I found Mother crying. There was a lot of crying going on that day. She was sitting at the table, soaking it, it seemed.
"What's wrong, Mother?" I asked.
"The worst news possible," she said through her tears.
"What?" I said. "Tell me!" I demanded. And of course she did.
She and Florence had kept arguing. Florence wanted Mother and me packed up and in our carriage the very next morning, leaving for Frell. That was good news to me; I was waiting to go home and wait for Char. But when Mother said she was sorry and asked Florence how she could apologize for insulting her, Florence was happy. She already had an idea cooking. Mother asked her what she had in mind, and Florence said that I could marry Marcus as an apology. Mother flatout said no and said that she would rather leave for Frell and never return than force me to marry someone I didn't love. This was when disaster struck.
"Well," Florence had said, "You tell Ella she wants to marry Marcus. You tell her that she is going to marry him whether she likes it or not. Make her love him. Force her to marry him if you have to, or I will."
"So I'm telling you," said Mother when she was done telling what she had to tell. "You want to marry Marcus. Love him! You are going to marry him whether you like it or not. I will force you if I have to. Oh, I HATE this curse!" She elapsed into tears again.
I felt an odd feeling rushing up my spine and into my chest. Into my heart. I loved Marcus. Oh, no. I couldn't love him. I loved Char. Or did I? No, I loved Marcus. "I love Marcus," I said out loud to Mother. I smiled and placed my hand on Mother's back. "Don't worry Mother, I'll be happy. I love him and I'll love being married to him."
Mother looked up at me. She was still beautiful even though tears were streaming down her face and her eyes were all red and puffy. "You CAN'T love him. You DON'T, Ella. I just told you to. Do you love Marcus?"
"Of course I do!" I said, appalled. "He is the most handsome, most caring, funniest person I've ever met. I will marry him."
At that moment, Florence entered the room, looking pleased. "So you love Marcus, Ella?" she said softly, in her misty voice.
"Yes!" I proclaimed.
"No!" mother insisted.
Florence looked at us both, a sly expression on her face. "I'll take Ella's word. You'll be married within the month. I sense this." And she walked from the room.
Mother stopped sniveling. "I have to force you to marry him if I have to, but I don't. So don't marry him! I've fufilled my command."
"I won't marry him, Mother," I said, "but I still love him."
"What did you used to do when you were little to fufill your commands enough to stop the dizziness but not enough to fufill your commander's desire?
I worked this out in my mind: what did I do to stop the dizziness but still not fufill the command? Like when Mandy told me to get some almonds and i only got two. "I only did part of the command by not being too specific," I said simply.
"That's IT!" exclaimed Mother, rising from her chair so fast she knocked it over. "I have already told you to love him, so I followed the curse! But now I can tell you not to!"
"You will do no such thing," said Florence, entering the room again. "Eleanor, don't speak to Ella anymore. Ella, don't listen to your mother if she speaks to you, is that understood?" No one moved or made a sound. "Acknowledge me!" Mother and I both nodded. "You will marry Marcus soon. VERY soon. Never mind this prince man, all right?"
Char was gone from my mind.
I nodded.
*************
i love t.k.w. :) at least i LIKE t.k.w.
have a nice day.
review.