Hey everyone! Thank you so much for your support of this story. I can not even explain to you how wonderful you guys make me feel. I can't wait for you to read this chapter.!
Ella was in a bit of a mental panic as the prince led her through the palace gardens. This was the exact opposite of her intentions when coming to the ball. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty. So many of the girls in the kingdom could only dream of being in her position. She knew that she should feel lucky to be with the prince, but she couldn't get her mind off another man. She wished so badly that she could just find Greyson and get out of this complicated situation. She had not seen him in the palace. What if he wasn't there at all? Although, she hadn't really gotten to take the time to search for the baker before she happened to catch the prince's eye.
So here she was, walking hand-in-hand rather uncomfortably with his royal highness as he led them through his property. This all seemed so strange, as it was only hours ago that she was in utter distress in a ripped-up gown with not a hope in the world for a chance to have the perfect night.
Greyson, to say the least, was having a less than ideal time at the ball. His heart was in a hundred pieces and it felt like he had taken a knife to the gut. The worst part, was that he couldn't even be upset at the prince and Ella.
He had said it himself, the prince would've been a fool if he had chosen to dance with any other girl besides Ella, for no one could compare to her. She was kind, smart, and had a genuinely good heart, not to mention that, in Greyson's opinion, she was the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. She had looked even more astonishing as she descended the stairs to the ball that night, a feat that Greyson thought impossible. He had never known a moment in which, to him, Ella looked anything less than perfect.
And as for the prince, Greyson could not blame Ella for wanting him. He was the desire of every maiden in the palace. He was charming. He was attractive. He was royalty. How could a humble baker compare? How could messy, mud colored hair compete against perfectly styled locks? How could rough, flour-covered hands stack up against the fair, manicured fingers? How could his father's old, worn-down apron win someone over against the fine, tailored trappings of royalty? How did Greyson let himself believe he ever had a chance? The prince was worthy of Ella. A baker was not.
Despite himself, Greyson decided to stay at the palace for the duration of the ball. He would be a fool to not take advantage of this rare time in the palace. He figured he would take his mind of the deepening knife of emotion in his stomach to admire the architecture.
In the back of his mind however, he couldn't help but wonder about what was happening in that garden.
Ella and the prince were now approaching an ivy-covered wall on the palace grounds. The prince suddenly turned to Ella. "Sorry for the long walk, but I just had to show you this." he said as he opened an old wooden door in the wall. Ella gasped lightly.
The door opened to reveal a secret garden, of sorts. It was decadently garnished with flowers and topiaries. The lawn was greener than any shade Ella had ever seen. In the middle of it all was a grand oak tree. Tied to a low hanging branch was a simple swing. It was a breathtaking sight of beauty.
"A secret garden." Ella whispered in awe. The prince smiled fondly at her reaction.
"Yes. It's been in my family for generations, yet few know of it's existence. I thought you might enjoy it."
Ella found herself walking into the garden. She spun around lightly, taking in every last detail, from the mighty branches of the oak to the simple delicacy of the evening stars. She glistened as the moonlight caught her dress, and she felt as though she was living in a fantasy.
The prince sauntered over to the swing. He held the ropes and gestured for her to sit. Ella blushed as she positioned herself and her grand gown on the seat. Lightly, the prince began to sway her back and forth, her feet brushing across the lush grass.
Suddenly, she felt one of her glass slippers fall off her foot. She was prepared to reach down and grab it when the prince rushed to her side. Gracefully, he knelt down in the grass, bending to pick up the slipper. He examined it, an amused look on his face. "Glass?" He asked.
Ella smiled and nodded. The prince laughed. "That's new, I like it." he said, looking up at her. Their eyes locked and he smiled. Ella couldn't help but stare. He had a smile that made a girl feel as if she were the most important person to exist. It reminded her of someone else. He leaned down toward her feet and slowly replaced the slipper. Moonlight bounced off the translucent exterior, causing it to absolutely shine. The prince then returned to his prior position, swaying Ella gently on the swing.
Ella took a moment to steal a quick glance at him. She could understand the fuss, he was a very attractive man, who seemed to be terribly courteous and kind. Perhaps, in another world, she could see herself thoroughly enjoying this moment, taking a grand interest, falling in love even. However, this was not the case, nor would it ever be.
Because in this moment, where she was given the opportunity to live a life desired by every woman in the kingdom, Ella realized what she wanted. It wasn't the prince.
Throughout the last several months, Ella had been battling confusing feelings, feelings that resolved around Greyson Fitz. These feelings baffled her, as she could describe the sensation it brought her and yet at the same time she could not think of how to label it. Now suddenly, as she looked at his highness and yearned for another, she could name her complex feelings.
It was the feeling of immense graduate when a stranger offered her a dozen eggs after reaching out to help her off the ground. It was the feeling of comfortable intimacy when she found herself wrapped around him in the moonlight. It was the feeling of nurture when he wiped her tears off her face. It was bliss when they were intertwined in the kitchen. It was frustrated longing when she couldn't be with him. It was awe when he stood up to lady Tremaine on her behalf. It was elation when she could finally see him again.
And now, she felt confident that she was in love with Greyson Fitz. Completely, definitely, in love.
Ella began to panic. She knew had had to find the baker immediately. She had to tell him. She needed to tell him. Even if he didn't reciprocate her feelings, she had to get this off her chest. And she had to do it soon.
This immediacy was due to the godmother's gift. Just as Ella was about to leave for the palace, the godmother gave a warning to Ella.
"Now love, I must inform you," she had said, "The magic can only last for so long. On the very last bell toll at the stroke of midnight, everything will be undone, reverted to what it once was."
Ella had no clue how much time had passed since then, but she knew that she didn't want to risk not being able to confess her feelings to the baker. She didn't want to waste this time where she was feeling courageous.
She had no time to explain herself to the poor, charming prince. Time was of the essence! She stood up suddenly and turned to the royal heir. "I'm terribly sorry, you've been perfectly lovely, but I must go right now. Something has come up!"
And with that, she picked up the hem of her gown and ran out the garden, rushing to return through the back of the palace to get to the ball, to get to Greyson.
The prince stood there for a moment, perplexed at what had just happened. Why had the mysterious princess decided to run from him? Was it something the said? Was it something he did? The prince decided he could not risk losing this woman. He ran after her.
Ella ran as fast as she could in heels through the palace gardens. She rushed past the opulent flowers and topiaries and fountains. No time could be wasted. It was unknown to her how much time she had left. All this sudden confusion and action with the prince had caused her to lose track of time. For all she knew, she could have as many as five hours left. However, she also could have only five minutes.
She felt her heart race in anticipation. Dialogue began to plan itself in her head. How does one go about confessing love to another? Ella was lacking experience in romance. The only encounter she had with that matter came from books and stories. Should she just flat-out tell him: "I'm in love with you, Greyson Fitz"? Should she try to explain herself, why she was dancing with the prince? Should she recite to him the feelings she was sorting through on the secret garden's swing?
Suddenly, she grew rather nervous. What of Greyson did not feel the same? What if, to him, their relationship was viewed as purely platonic? What if this soiled all the moments that they shared? Could she handle his rejection?
But what if he did love her back? What if he felt all the same messy confusing feelings that she did? Just thinking of that possibility made Ella more anxious to get to the baker. She approached the steps to the back entrance of the palace. Her energy was fading, but she had to make it through that door. As the sound of rushed footsteps approached her ears, Ella turned to see the prince, a bit of length away from her, running. She began to panic. This night was growing more hectic by the moment. She ran up the stairs, continuing her inventory of possibilities.
What if he kissed her? She had never kissed anyone before. She had read about kisses though, and knew that they were supposed to be quite grand. Ella's mind concocted a picture of the baker kissing her and just that thought made her heart feel as if it were on fire. She could only imagine what the real thing could be like.
Finally, she got to the door. She opened it to see, once again, the massive ballroom, filled with all the kingdom's people. She began her search in a great hurry, as she knew the prince was catching up to her. She craned her neck to see over the masses of people. The room was too big! In the sea of faces she could not pick out those warm brown eyes. She could not find that smile that always put her at ease. She began to quicken her pace, turning each and every way, scanning her surrounding in a dizzy, growing more and more distraught.
She was frantically running when, suddenly, she was tripped by the outstretched foot of a happily dancing couple. She felt herself fall backwards. Ella closed her eyes and braced for what would likely be a painful impact on the palace floor. To her surprise, she felt herself get caught by a pair of arms.
She opened her eyes to find Greyson Fitz looking down at her with a stunned expression on his face.
For the both of them, the world stopped. Though the party went on as people danced and moved about, the two of them remained completely frozen. Ella felt as though the air in her had been taken. Here he was. The baker she has been searching for, the man she was in love with was finally holding her for the first time that night. Something had gone right.
Greyson was absolutely shocked at the situation. He had seen a figure fall, and instinct had him reaching out to catch her. When he saw it was Ella... There were no mere words to describe that feeling. The woman he had been searching for all night, the woman he was in love with, was in his arms. For the first time that night, the pair finally had what they originally wanted.
Yet tragically, they were both speechless. So many unspoken words hung in the air between them, so many feelings that needed to be expressed. They were both so stunned at the matter of coincidence that neither of them understood reality. They just stared at each other, trying to decide if this was real.
Ella had not seen Greyson all night, so she did not get to see how he had cleaned himself up for the occasion. His apron was replaced with a nice suit. His messy brown hair had been nearly combed. His hands had been thoroughly washed. Ella decided that he looked handsome, as his eyes still shone the way they always had when they were looking at her.
Greyson looked down at the gorgeous woman in his arms. He had so much to say. He wanted to tell her that she was beautiful. He wanted to ask about the prince. He wanted to express how joyed he was to finally be with her that night.
She wanted to explain what had happened with the prince. She wanted to tell Greyson of how all she wanted was to dance with him. She wanted to tell him how relieved she was to finally be in his arms.
What he wanted the most was to confess to her that he was completely in love with her.
What she wanted most of all was to confess to him that she was utterly in love with him.
Their world remained frozen.
Greyson helped her get back onto her feet. He kept his arms around her though, moving them to rest on her waist, drawing her close to him. She moved her arms to his shoulders to rest them around his neck. Their faces were just less than a foot apart and neither one of them felt as though they could breathe. Their hearts were racing.
"You're beautiful." Greyson whispered, his voice catching at the sudden use. Ella felt herself glow at his words.
"Thank you," she blushed. In that moment, she gathered all her courage. This was the perfect time. This was the perfect moment. She took a deep breath. "Greyson, can I tell you something?" She asked hesitantly.
The baker smiled warmly. He reached his hand up to gently stroke her jawline with the back of his fingers. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. "You can tell me anything, Ella." he said quietly.
Ella took a deep breath. She was about to speak when she was suddenly interrupted by the slow, steady tolling of the castle's bell tower, much to her horror.
No no no no! This could not be happening! Their perfect moment was ruined. She had to leave right now! Greyson was waiting for her to say something. In the corner of her eye, Ella saw the prince frantically searching for her. Just then, he spotted her. He began to run. She began to panic. She turned to Greyson. His face held a great deal of confusion. In his hair, she spotted something she hadn't before. Right above his ear was the smallest patch of flour. Had missed it when cleaning himself. Ella felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. Greyson.
Reluctantly, she pushed herself out of his arms. He was surprised at her withdrawal, as his eyebrow ceased into the saddest, most disappointed look Ella had ever seen. It broke her heart. "I have to leave." was all she could say as she took off running, running up the steps and out of the palace. A very shocked and broken Greyson saw the prince run after her with his royal guardsmen. He, in turn, ran after them.
As the bell rang out for the second of twelve times, Ella raced down the palace steps. Tears stung her eyes as she spotted her carriage waiting for her. Halfway down the stairs, one of her glass slippers fell off. She had no time to go back and grab it. She needed to make her way home before the carriage was no more.
Ella finally reached her ride and they took off, quickly making their way back.
Greyson, out of breath, watched as the prince watched as Ella pulled away. His royal highness was frantic. He sent several guards to follow the carriage. "We cannot lose the mystery princess!" He stressed.
Greyson watched then as the prince spotted a glass slipper on one of the steps. It was, of course, Ella's. The prince picked it up and held it to his heart. "I won't let you leave me." He whispered.
Greyson looked onto the road, at Ella's carriage that was now a considerable distance away. "Why did you leave me?" He whispered.