A/N: Hello! thanx to aillidh1645 for her awesome review, and singinstrawberry for hers as well. i'm so sorry if the chapters are rushed before they reach ayortha, but they stay in ayortha for like six months so i didn't want it to take too long for them to get there, you kno? whatever i confuse myself. ok, now, because i'm such a HUGE Ella Enchanted fan, i'm going to submit 2 chappies in 1 in celebration (hehe) of the release of the Ella Enchanted movie. (it's actually not so bad, until the end of the film, get ready to punch in your tv screen) i pretty much just tried to pretend it wasn't called Ella Enchanted and got through watching it alive. lol. well, enjoy my next 2 chapters!

Chapter 7

"You did it! You did it, El! We're alive!" Jem yelled when we got back to the inn.

"I know! I can't believe it!" I yelled back. He took my hands and we spun round, jumping and laughing and chanting, "We're alive!". It was absurd and we got very strange looks from passers by, but I didn't care. We swung around again and again until we got so dizzy we had to lie down.

It was dark when we got back to the inn. Chris was worried sick. He lectured me and then hugged me and lectured me some more. But I just hugged him tight and left the room.

Tess came frantically galloping towards the inn the next morning. I was glad the ogres didn't get her.

The night we escaped I wrote a letter back home.

Dear Mother and Father,

I am extremely grateful for your Ogrese lessons Mother. They proved they were worth learning just a few hours ago.

Six ogres attacked Jem (my friend) and I while we were riding. Don't worry, I'm not hurt, only a little sore. I managed to charm them enough that we could escape.

Bast is quite beautiful (although I haven't seen many orange carriages) and the weather has been fair. Chris is always being sucked into meetings with courtiers. I pity him and offered to give him a free lesson on how to sleep with your eyes open.

I don't believe I've introduced you to Jem. He is the prince of Ayortha and has traveled with us since our first stop in Jen. He is a good person with a good sense of humor. He has been company for me in Chris's absence.

Tell Mandy I've been taking my vitamins and to send me the recipe for the curing soup (Chris's caught cold).

Don't laugh too hard without me!

Your daughter,

El

I folded the letter and kissed the paper lightly, a few tears falling down my face. I slid it gently into the drawer of my bedside table and went to sleep.

The next morning was gray with dark thunderheads in the distance. I was glad with this. I loved thunderstorms.

I opened my bedside table drawer and took out my letter. I unfolded it.

The page was blank. I smoothed the creases from the parchment and put it in it's stack. The letter would have reached mother's magic book by now.

The magic book was mother's most prized possession. When father and she left on "King and Queenly duties", we always directed our letters to the book by sealing them with a kiss.

I often snuck into her room and took the book while she wasn't looking. The stories and pictures always fascinated me.

I dressed in my travelling gown and went down for breakfast.

Chapter 8

The carriage ride was excruciatingly long. By nightfall we reached Ayortha.

I was sleeping with my head resting on the carriage wall. Jem gently shook me and we stepped out of the carriage.

Lights. Lights and singing was all i could see or hear for five minutes while my eyes adjusted to the glare. The townspeople laughed and cheered until I was sure my eardrums would burst.

Though the nobles were there, they did not speak a word. They bowed and curtseyed and motioned us inside the castle.

Aunt Areida was inside the doors. When she saw us, she ran to Chris and I and tightly embraced us. I had missed her so much!

The commoners of Ayortha were so different from the nobles. They talked and laughed and were just plain fun.

"Oh, you two! Look how you've grown! Why have your parents kept you away so long?"

We talked for a while, Chris, Aunt Areida and I, and then I said goodbye to Chris (who was staying at the castle) and Jem.

"El, I'll be bored without your fumbles to laugh at," Chris mocked as he hugged me.

"I'll see you at the welcome ball tomorrow night," I said. "Amuse yourself with fumbles of your own until then."

Then I turned to Jem. He said nothing. Only opened his arms. In the presence of his family he couldn't be seen as a chatterbox. I stepped into his embrace. I felt his face move towards my hair.

"Tomorrow, 4 'o clock. I can come to your aunt's." he whispered.

I gave the slightest nodd that I was sure only he noticed.

We parted and I left with Aunt Areida.

Aunt showed me to my room. It was the same one I always stayed in.

The walls were a deep red and the furniture was maple. The bedspread was a red and beige quilt, stitched by an artist.

Aunt Areida handed me a letter.

"This arrived from your parents," she said. "Don't stay up too late, the ball is tomorrow."

The Ayorthan family always held a ball at the coming of the Kyrrian Prince, as a welcome, instead of a Sing.

I opened the letter, amazed at how fast the post could travel these days.

Dear El,

Ogres! My goodness, what have you been up to? Thank god you're alright! I promise to give you more Ogrese homework from now on.

I've been waiting for news about the carriages in Bast. I believe the style is now deep blue? Listen to me, I sound like Hattie (God forbid). I have spent much time with Mandy as your father goes to meeting after meeting. He could probably use the lessons you offered Chris.

This Jem sounds very nice, I would like to meet him sometime. It's good you found a friend over there.

I enclosed the recipe for curing soup and a few unicorn hairs (Mandy wasn't sure where you could get them).

Write back soon!

Love,

Mother and Father

I put the letter on the desk and slipped into bed.