Hattie and Olive enrolled at the same community college as Ella.
During class, Ella was debating the political decisions of the Royal Family against Hattie.
Ella was winning the debate.
"Admit you're stupid and don't know what you're talking about!" Hattie snapped in frustration.
Olive and the entire class laughed their socks off when Ella immediately did as told.
Except Hattie.
"Hold your tongue, Ella!" cackled Olive.
"My... tongue itches?" Ella sheepishly explained, mouth open and pinching her tongue with her fingers.
Although the teacher declared her the winner, Hattie didn't feel like the victor at all.
She was growing worried about Ella.
After school was dismissed, Hattie and Olive invited Ella and Areida along for the grand opening of the new open-air mall.
Prince Charmont and his uncle, Sir Edgar, were presiding over the opening ceremony.
Whole throngs of excited fangirls had flocked to see the dashing Prince Char in person.
They screamed ecstatically when he showed up.
Ella and Areida, however, were here for another reason entirely.
They held up protest signs.
"Say not to Ogrecide!" shouted Ella.
"Stop the land grab!" hollered Areida.
"What are you doing, Ella?" yelled Hattie. "Are you trying to get us in trouble?"
"Go home, now!" ordered Olive.
As Ella walked away, the fangirls all got carried away and started flinging themselves at Prince Char.
The Prince fled from the love-crazed mob hot on his heels.
Luckily, he managed to escape... then ran right into Ella, who was walking home all by herself.
"Prince Charmont!" gasped a surprised Ella.
"Please, call me Char," greeted the Prince.
Ella wasn't pleased at all to be face to face with Prince Char.
She had a very low opinion of him.
But when she turned around to leave, Prince Char called out to her. "Wait a second. Come back here."
Ella halted, spun around on one heel, and marched back towards to him.
"What's your name?" he asked her.
"Ella," she answered him. "Ella Of Frell."
Prince Char told Ella that she was the first maiden he's ever met who didn't go gaga at the very sight of him.
"Ella Of Frell, you are not like other girls."
"You have no idea."
Just then, Hattie and Olive showed up.
Hattie ordered Ella to return to the mall with them, leaving Prince Char free to sneak off by himself.
Back at the mall, Hattie decided to mention the elephant in the room.
"Are you sure you're all right, Ella?" she asked.
"No, she's not!" interrupted Olive. "I'll prove it!"
She pointed at some shoes on a display rack. "Take those!"
Areida's jaw surrendered itself to gravity upon seeing Ella march off and return with the stolen shoes automatically.
Hattie wanted to order Ella to return the items, but Olive kept ordering her to steal more and more stuff.
Soon enough, the guards spotted them.
The four girls decided to make tracks.
Hattie saw something that might help. "Ella, hijack that carriage!"
After she punted the driver flying off his seat, all four of them piled on and sped off on their new getaway vehicle.
Looming up ahead was a fork in the road.
Hattie knew which way to go. "Ri... !"
But before she could bark out the right directions to Ella, Olive beat her to the punch. "Left!"
That was the wrong way.
It led to a cliff overlooking a swamp.
The horses skidded to a halt, and the momentum sent Ella, Areida, Hattie, and Olive flying off the stolen carriage and plummeting into the mud.
The guards were there to greet them when they finally pulled themselves back onto dry land.
"You're under arrest!"
"Mum's gonna flip!" groaned Olive.
Ella, Hattie, and Areida responded by pelting her in the face with three large dollops of mud.
A/N
Here's Hattie showing more of her protective and caring big sister side... even though Olive keeps messing things up with her hilarious yet endearing tomfoolery.
The last scene in this chapter was inspired by Korra attempting to evade arrest in the first episode of The Legend Of Korra Book 1, Welcome To Republic City.