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Mary POV
***** *****
I was heading down the halls for Aurora's room. I had to tell her what Lady Malifice tried to do. I had to! I paused halfway to wave to Vermin, who was talking to Ella. He grinned and waved in return. Ella gestured to me as well. And that was when disaster struck.
King Dashing, drunk as possible while still standing, came out of one of the doors. At that same moment, Ella said, "Can you help me with something, Jocelyn?" I froze. Toads and weasels. King Dashing grabbed Vermin by his collar and slammed him into the wall. "You little pest!" he screamed, and threw him onto the ground. Vermin screamed in return, but his was a cry of pain, not defiance. "Who gave you permission to use that name?" He threw him into the wall again, and continued to pick him up and throw him down again and again. Vermin groaned. "I -I."
Ella finally intervened. "Please! Your Highness, I - he did not tell me that name! I - I overheard it when some of the Hyrene workers were talking about him. They called him King Jocelyn. They have not heard of his new name, you understand." She smiled timidly at him, almost apologizing. King Dashing, who was holding Vermin aloft at the moment, dropped him, but there was still anger in his eyes. "Very well, then," he replied, but his voice still trailed with venom. He turned and stormed curtly from the room, heading down the stairwell I had just come up.
Ella rushed over to Vermin, who was so still and pale he seemed not to be breathing. She knelt down and murmured something. He turned a death-white face to her and whispered, "He'll kill me." Ella smiled consolingly and brushed back his bangs. "Hush, dear. I'm sure he would do no such thing." Vermin shook his head, blankly watching the wall opposite him. "He will. He promised that if I ever used that name in his sight, he'd gut me." He seemed unable to even comprehend what had just happened, much less respond to it. But it seemed odd that he would think that. Ella knew well as I that Dashing would give Vermin grief for using that name, but kill him? I did not think even Dashing was that ruthless.
Ella stroked his head as if he were a child, trying to gain a response of any kind, but his only answer was to blink five or six times. I quickly hurried by, staring at them with pity. Ella smiled frailly, but Vermin never turned his head - all that he watched was floor between his feet. She was still running her fingers through his hair when I left them.
I knocked on Aurora's door. No one answered. I knocked again, and the response was the same. Not a sound to reply. Where was she?
"Lady Aurora?" I called nervously, rapping again. Instantly, the door swung open, and Lady Rapunzel grabbed me round the waist. She threw me into the room and slammed the door behind her. I staggered backwards and landed square on my tailbone. It was a rather painful experience, but I was relieved nonetheless.
"Where is Aurora?" I cried. Rapunzel, I noticed with a start, was wearing a sword, and she frowned at me. Her auburn hair was braided tightly behind her neck, and she had on man's clothing. I blinked a few times in astonishment. "My - my lady?"
Rapunzel grinned. "Vermin stole them for me, right under Archibald's nose. They're great, aren't they?" I shrugged. So she did resemble a man with her hair like that, and in boy's clothes, but I guess there must have been some reason for her outrageous attire. "Of course."
Aurora trailed over to us. "Hello, Mary. Why were you looking for me?" she asked, smiling gently. Her fingers played nervously with strands of her hair. Now, as important as I knew my message was, my curiosity got the better of me.
"Why is Rapunzel dressed like that?"
Aurora sighed despondently, and sat down in one of the chairs. Her face was pale with fear, so she gestured to Rapunzel. "We're holing up in here!" the latter cried exuberantly, arms akimbo and a grin on her face. "Open defiance of Lady Malifice, that wicked old crone!" She cackled wickedly in demonic expectation. Aurora smiled faintly. "Yes, Rapunzel has seen fit to lock both of us in here."
"But my ladies, you must come out! There is someone in dire troub-" Rapunzel clamped a hand brusquely over my mouth. Her green eyes surveyed the scene suspiciously. "Malifice," she hissed. It was then I noticed the slight patter of footsteps in the hallway. Aurora blanched, her pale face twisting with fright. She ran for the back room, clutching her skirts as if they were life preservers. Rapunzel drew her sword and threw me out the door. I spun from the force of her shove and landed on my tailbone again.
The wooden door clicked shut behind me, and I imagine that Rapunzel bolted it. I stood up, brushing off my skirts disdainfully. This poor dress was getting such a beating. Well, at least she hadn't ripped any hems. I soothed some of the many wrinkles in my sleeves, and adjusted my askew locks. Sometimes that Lady Rapunzel was too boisterous for her own good.
Lady Malifice strode right past the door, not seeming to notice that Rapunzel was barring the entrance with chairs and other furniture, as was obvious from the sounds inside there. She nodded curtly to me and walked briskly past the scene, glowering.
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A/N: Yay! The next chapter is the beginning of the ball! *claps happily* You can't tell me you're not excited, eh? Hehe. Anyways, the real plot comes during the ball. Everything comes together. Heehee. And, once again, you reviewers rock!!!!
Mary POV
***** *****
I was heading down the halls for Aurora's room. I had to tell her what Lady Malifice tried to do. I had to! I paused halfway to wave to Vermin, who was talking to Ella. He grinned and waved in return. Ella gestured to me as well. And that was when disaster struck.
King Dashing, drunk as possible while still standing, came out of one of the doors. At that same moment, Ella said, "Can you help me with something, Jocelyn?" I froze. Toads and weasels. King Dashing grabbed Vermin by his collar and slammed him into the wall. "You little pest!" he screamed, and threw him onto the ground. Vermin screamed in return, but his was a cry of pain, not defiance. "Who gave you permission to use that name?" He threw him into the wall again, and continued to pick him up and throw him down again and again. Vermin groaned. "I -I."
Ella finally intervened. "Please! Your Highness, I - he did not tell me that name! I - I overheard it when some of the Hyrene workers were talking about him. They called him King Jocelyn. They have not heard of his new name, you understand." She smiled timidly at him, almost apologizing. King Dashing, who was holding Vermin aloft at the moment, dropped him, but there was still anger in his eyes. "Very well, then," he replied, but his voice still trailed with venom. He turned and stormed curtly from the room, heading down the stairwell I had just come up.
Ella rushed over to Vermin, who was so still and pale he seemed not to be breathing. She knelt down and murmured something. He turned a death-white face to her and whispered, "He'll kill me." Ella smiled consolingly and brushed back his bangs. "Hush, dear. I'm sure he would do no such thing." Vermin shook his head, blankly watching the wall opposite him. "He will. He promised that if I ever used that name in his sight, he'd gut me." He seemed unable to even comprehend what had just happened, much less respond to it. But it seemed odd that he would think that. Ella knew well as I that Dashing would give Vermin grief for using that name, but kill him? I did not think even Dashing was that ruthless.
Ella stroked his head as if he were a child, trying to gain a response of any kind, but his only answer was to blink five or six times. I quickly hurried by, staring at them with pity. Ella smiled frailly, but Vermin never turned his head - all that he watched was floor between his feet. She was still running her fingers through his hair when I left them.
I knocked on Aurora's door. No one answered. I knocked again, and the response was the same. Not a sound to reply. Where was she?
"Lady Aurora?" I called nervously, rapping again. Instantly, the door swung open, and Lady Rapunzel grabbed me round the waist. She threw me into the room and slammed the door behind her. I staggered backwards and landed square on my tailbone. It was a rather painful experience, but I was relieved nonetheless.
"Where is Aurora?" I cried. Rapunzel, I noticed with a start, was wearing a sword, and she frowned at me. Her auburn hair was braided tightly behind her neck, and she had on man's clothing. I blinked a few times in astonishment. "My - my lady?"
Rapunzel grinned. "Vermin stole them for me, right under Archibald's nose. They're great, aren't they?" I shrugged. So she did resemble a man with her hair like that, and in boy's clothes, but I guess there must have been some reason for her outrageous attire. "Of course."
Aurora trailed over to us. "Hello, Mary. Why were you looking for me?" she asked, smiling gently. Her fingers played nervously with strands of her hair. Now, as important as I knew my message was, my curiosity got the better of me.
"Why is Rapunzel dressed like that?"
Aurora sighed despondently, and sat down in one of the chairs. Her face was pale with fear, so she gestured to Rapunzel. "We're holing up in here!" the latter cried exuberantly, arms akimbo and a grin on her face. "Open defiance of Lady Malifice, that wicked old crone!" She cackled wickedly in demonic expectation. Aurora smiled faintly. "Yes, Rapunzel has seen fit to lock both of us in here."
"But my ladies, you must come out! There is someone in dire troub-" Rapunzel clamped a hand brusquely over my mouth. Her green eyes surveyed the scene suspiciously. "Malifice," she hissed. It was then I noticed the slight patter of footsteps in the hallway. Aurora blanched, her pale face twisting with fright. She ran for the back room, clutching her skirts as if they were life preservers. Rapunzel drew her sword and threw me out the door. I spun from the force of her shove and landed on my tailbone again.
The wooden door clicked shut behind me, and I imagine that Rapunzel bolted it. I stood up, brushing off my skirts disdainfully. This poor dress was getting such a beating. Well, at least she hadn't ripped any hems. I soothed some of the many wrinkles in my sleeves, and adjusted my askew locks. Sometimes that Lady Rapunzel was too boisterous for her own good.
Lady Malifice strode right past the door, not seeming to notice that Rapunzel was barring the entrance with chairs and other furniture, as was obvious from the sounds inside there. She nodded curtly to me and walked briskly past the scene, glowering.
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A/N: Yay! The next chapter is the beginning of the ball! *claps happily* You can't tell me you're not excited, eh? Hehe. Anyways, the real plot comes during the ball. Everything comes together. Heehee. And, once again, you reviewers rock!!!!