Disclaimer: I do not own Ella Enchanted.
Chapter One: Celebrations and Such
Inside the old castle much revelry was taking place in honor of Prince Charmont's thirtieth birthday. Ironically, the prince had long ago deserted the loud, boisterous party in favor of the solitude provided by the castle's candle tree grove. But no one inside appeared to notice his absence; most likely, all the guests were far too drunk to know their own faces, let alone recognize when someone else whom they were not intimately acquainted with was gone.
Standing outside, enveloped by surges of blustery winter winds that shrieked against the trees, causing them to creak and groan as they bent, Char shivered slightly and gritted his teeth. His clothes provided him little warmth as they were designed foremost for decorative and arguably, ostentatious purposes – not for rational, sensible ones like keeping the occupant from freezing.
Frowning, Char acknowledged the fact that he could always return to the party and if he wished, he could even enjoy the dense warmth generated by the feeling of wine in one's stomach. But Char had no intention of returning to the material comforts provided by the castle. While the castle could provide him with heat, it also hesitated not a moment to shroud him with the corrupt, licentious attention of both married ladies and innocent lasses alike. He knew undeniably that the moment he rejoined the party, women would flock to him and stand on their toes in order to whisper in his ears invitations to their beds, not caring that he had announced his engagement to Lady Lena Devron several months prior. Shaking his head in disgust, Char knew he wanted nothing to do with the unbridled debauchery that occurred at every major celebration: the men, drunk, rowdy, and crude, and the women, equally drunk, disgustingly wanton and shameless.
Resolutely, Char brushed aside his thoughts and instead struck forward on the stone path, hurriedly walking away from the castle while pushing deeper into the grove.
Lady Lena Devron took a last deep breath, exhaled, and firmly opened the library's ornate oak double doors. Immediately, the quiet that she had eagerly possessed in the sanctuary of the old castle's empty library was replaced with the booming sounds of chatter interspersed with sharp, high-pitched or low, rumbling laughter and further mingled, although less noticeably, with the music of the orchestra playing far below. Inwardly wincing, Lena managed to keep a smile plastered to her face as she descended the spiraling staircase.
"Leeeeeena!" A girlish squeal penetrated Lena's thoughts. After quickly scanning the crowd to find the voice that had called for her, Lena's gaze met with a vaguely familiar looking blonde. The girl, waving frantically, began to shove her way through the throngs of people; when she had finally managed to sidle up to within inches of Lena, she began to squeal again. "Leeena! You look amaaazing! Oh, I am so jealous of you! Look at you - your dress, your hair . . . oh, it must be great, great fun to be you!"
Uncomfortably, Lena gave the blonde a polite, noncommittal smile to which the girl gasped, "Certainly you haven't forgotten me? Why, you and I were such good friends - we always did have so much fun at all those balls that the king held two years ago to find Prince Charmont a bride!"
And then as it clicked, Lena's smile immediately turned chilly and when she spoke her voice was flat, "How do you do, Marissa?"
"Wonderful, wonderful, I am wonderful!" Marissa replied ingratiatingly.
"And are there any new developments you wish to inform me of in your quest to find an excessively wealthy husband?"
"Oh my dear, how you do jest!" The blonde began to laugh and quiver hysterically and showed no signs of ceasing, even when Lena narrowed her eyes.
"Really? I jest?" Lena intoned sarcastically. "Tell me, Marissa, at those balls you just so nostalgically recollected for me, did you or did you not viciously attack me after each encounter I had with Char? Is that your definition of friendship? Because heaven forgive me if I mistook your kind actions as mean-spirited."
At Lena's bold confrontation, Marissa blanched and stuttered for words, "L-Lena, really . . . what you c-call 'vicious attacks' were j-just lighthearted jokes. I-I didn't mean any harm! Surely you can see that!"
Observing Marissa's frightened face, Lena began to feel pity tugging at her heart. Yes, two years ago at those balls Marissa had attempted to thwart her from becoming acquainted with Char. It had begun at the first of five consecutive balls; she had been in the receiving line and had stood directly behind Marissa. When it was Marissa's turn to greet Char, he had smiled, bowed, bade her good evening and then had turned to Lena. Somehow, Lena remembered, she had made Char laugh and after he bowed to her, he requested that she give him the pleasure of sharing the first dance. Marissa had seen what transpired and she had been furious. Just as soon as she had left the receiving line, Marissa waited for the right moment and then suddenly stepped on the back of her gown, tearing it horribly. Lena had been humiliated as everyone around her, assuming that she had done it herself out of clumsiness, gaped at her ruined dress, while Marissa slid off unnoticed into the crowd.
Bringing her thoughts back to the present, Lena tilted her head and sighed. She could not be angry with Marissa any longer. Marissa had simply done what she thought was necessary to securing a needed position for herself. But Marissa had lost and she, Lena, had won over Char. After those five balls, Char began to court her solely and now, two years later, she was his fiancée. In five months time their wedding would occur and in one year's time, King Jerrold, who had recently been sufficiently weakened from an illness, would step down as king and Char would take his place. In one year's time she would be queen. Realization dawned on Lena as she stared at Marissa's widened eyes; all of Kyrria, including Marissa, knew that Char would become king soon. And with that knowledge the blonde was attempting to use her connection to Lena to the best of her advantage; after all, being the friend of the future queen was a worthy title to have.
Not one to be used, nor one to be entirely cold-hearted, Lena nodded her head graciously while sinking into a half-curtsy. While she was in her bent position, Lena stole a last look at Marissa before rising and slipping away into the crowd.