Chapter 4: Apprentices, Princes, and Royal Decrees

Perhaps it was just as well that their stepsisters were cruel, for had Ella not run with Aria to the forest, she might have never met the Prince.

"Easy! Easy!" Ella called to her horse. "Come on, boy, slow down!" A young man on a black horse raced after her. "Miss! Miss, are you all right? Hold on!" "I'm all right, thank you. I'm fine." The young man rode beside her, slowing her horse down.

Aria felt her heart calm as the young man helped slow Ella's horse. "All you all right?" he asked again. "I'm all right," Ella agreed. "But you nearly frightened the life out of him!" "Who?" he asked confused. "The stag! What's he ever done to you that you should chase him about?"

Chuckling, the young man shook his head. "I must confess, I've never met him before. He is a friend of yours?" "An acquaintance," Ella corrected. "We met just now. I looked into his eyes and he looked into mine and I just felt he had a great deal to do with his life, that's all." He smiled, "Miss, what do they call you?" "Never mind what they call me," she said quickly.

The young man smiled at her. "You shouldn't be this deep in the forest alone." "I'm not alone," Ella answered. She nodded to where Aria sat nearby. "And we're with you, Mr.…? Well what do they call you?" he young man laughed, "You don't know who I am?"

At her curious look, he quickly corrected himself. "That is, they call me Kit. Well, my father does. When he's good mood. Oh, and my brother." They both laughed gently. "And where do you live, Mr. Kit?" "At the palace. My father's teaching me his trade." "You're an apprentice!" Ella said cheerfully. "Of a sort," he shrugged.

She smiled sweetly at him. "That's very fine. Do they… do they treat you well?" "Uh, better than I deserve most likely. And you?" "They treat me as well as they're able." "I'm sorry." "It's not your doing." "Nor yours either I'll bet." "It's not so very bad. Others… others have it worse, I'm sure. We must simply have courage and be kind, mustn't we? And I do have my sister." "Yes."

Kit smiled at Ella, "You're right. That's exactly how I feel." They looked over as the hunting party approached. "Please, don't let them hurt him," Ella begged. "But we're hunting. You see, it's… it's what's done." "Just because it's what's done doesn't mean it's what should be done!" "Right again," Kit said. "Well then, you'll leave him alone, won't you?" "I will." She smiled again. "Thank you very much, Mr. Kit."

They were interrupted by the Captain. "Ah, there you are, your high…" "It's Kit!" the young man yelled. "Kit! I'm Kit! I'm on my way!" "Well, we've better get a move on… Mr. Kit." "As I said, on my way."

Ella smiled at Kit as he went to leave. "I hope to see you again, Miss." "And I you," Ella said. Kit grinned at her before riding off. "Come on, Aria," Ella called, once the hunting party was a good distance away. Aria rode up, a playful smirk on her face. "So… what was he like?" Ella laughed, shaking her head before they rode off in the opposite direction as the hunting party.

At the palace, Kit met with his father. The King was in his room as the doctor gave him a checkup. The King chuckled as Kit described the girl he had met. "You should as if you're the first fella ever to meet a pretty girl!" he chortled. "She wasn't a pretty girl!" Kit corrected. "I mean, she was a pretty girl, but there was so much more to her." "How much more?" his father questioned. "You've only met her once! How could you know anything about her?" "You told me you knew right away when you met mother."

Kit's brother, Will, looked up from his book. He looked expectantly at the King. "That was different," the King defended. "Your mother was a princess." " You would have loved her anyway," Will dismissed. "I would never have seen her because it wouldn't have been appropriate. And my father would've told me what I'm telling you, and I would've listened." "No, you wouldn't," Kit disagreed. "Yes, I would." "No, you wouldn't." "I would."

Chuckling softly, Will shook his head. "No, you wouldn't." "You're right," the King sighed as the doctor stepped away. "Well, how is he?" Kit asked. The doctor looked nervously at the anxious prince. "Your Majesty… never mind." The King sighed again, "If it takes that long to work out a way to say it, I already know."

Swallowing, Will closed his book, looking worriedly at his father. "Father…" "Way of all flesh, my boys." He rose, crossing his arms. "Come, we shall be late. And punctuality is the…" "… politeness of princes," his sons finished with him.

They started out of the room and down a corridor. The Grand Duke joined them, ready to chastise Kit. "I'm sure your father spoke to you of your behavior in the forest." "Is it any business of yours, Grand Duke?" Will asked, defending his brother. "Your business is my business, Your Royal Highnesses. It will not do to let the stag go free." Kit shrugged, "Just because it's what's done doesn't mean it's what should be done… or something like that."

They entered a room where Master Phineas was painting a portrait of Kit. "Make him look marriageable, Master Phineas," the King ordered as Kit sat on a platform with a saddle. "We must attract a suitable bride. Even if he won't listen to a word I say." "I shall endeavor to please, Your Majesty," Master Phineas agreed. He bowed as Will smirked. "He can't work miracles, Father."

He glanced up at his brother, who was trying not to laugh as the King hit him up-side the head. "Just remember you'll have to do this too, little brother," Kit reminded him. "In your dreams," Will grumbled. Captain smiled at the brothers' teasing before looking at the canvas. "A splendid canvas, Master Phineas." "Thank you… As if he knows anything about art," he muttered under his breath.

Situating himself in the saddle, Kit frowned at it. "So these portraits will really be sent abroad to induce the high and mighty to attend this ball you insist upon?" "It is a tradition which is beloved," the Grand Duke said. "At which you will choose a bride," the King added.

Kit shook his head, "If I must marry, could I not wed say… a good honest country girl?" "How many divisions will this good honest country girl provide us?" the Grand Duke questioned. "And will she make the kingdom stronger. We are a small kingdom amongst great states, Your Royal Highness. And it's a dangerous world."

The King looked up at his eldest son. "Listen, boy, I want to see you and the kingdom safe." "All right, father," Kit finally said. "On one condition. Let the invitations go to everyone, not just the nobility. The wars have brought sorrow on us all." "What do you think?" the King asked, looking to the Captain. "Will that please the people?" "It's beyond my wit, Your Majesty, but I wouldn't mind a bit of a jolly."

The Grand Duke looked at Kit. "I think we might have made a bargain. A ball for the people, and a princess for the prince." "Sounds like a step in the right direction, if you ask me…" Master Phineas stated. "We didn't ask you!" the King snapped.

A few days later, Aria rode into town to visit Ophelia. "You don't look well, Miss," Ophelia said. "Not at all. Why do you and your sister stay there when they treat you so?" "Because we made our mother and father a promise to cherish the place we were so happy in. They loved our house and… and now that they're gone, we love it for them. It's our home."

Suddenly, a loud voice interrupted him. "Hear Ye! Hear Ye!" They looked up to see the Royal Crier on his horse. He unrolled a scroll, reading from it. "Know on this day, two weeks hence, there shall be held at the palace, a royal ball. At said ball, in accordance with ancient custom, the Prince shall choose a bride. Furthermore, at the behest of the Prince, it is hereby declared that every maiden in the kingdom, be she noble or commoner, is invited to attend. Such is the command of our most noble king."

Though Aria had no wish to attend the ball, she knew Ella would be most excited to see Kit, the apprentice. So she was. And her stepsisters were mildly intrigued by the notion of meeting the Prince.

After Ella related to her stepfamily what Aria had told her, Lady Tremaine jumped up in excitement. "I shall trick him into loving me!" Anastasia declared. "See if I don't!" "This is the best news!" Drisella crooned.

Lady Tremaine spun on her daughters, holding folded hands to her chest. "Calm yourselves. Now listen to me, one of you must win the heart of the Prince. Do that, and we can unwind the debt in which we were ensnared when we came to this backwater." "I a princess!" Drisella swooned. "Or rather I a princess!" Anastasia disagreed.

Turning around, Lady Tremaine frowned when she saw Ella standing there. "Having delivered your news, why are you still here?" she questioned. "You must go to town right away and tell that seamstress to run us up three find ball gowns!" "Just three?" Ella questioned. "There are four of us girls." "What do you mean?" Drisella laughed, "Mummy, she believes that the third dress is for her and thinks little Aria deserves one. How embarrassing."

The lady of the house laughed. "Oh, you're too ambitious for your own good." "Oh, no. I only want to see my friend," Ella promised.

Shaking her head, Lady Tremaine looked sternly at Ella. "Let me be very clear, one gown for Anastasia, one for Drisella, and one for me. La mode Parisian." "She doesn't know what that means," Anastasia laughed. Ella shot something back in fluent French.

Not understanding what she meant, Lady Tremaine frowned. "Good. Right, that's settled then. Now, go! Every girl in the kingdom will be chasing the Prince. You must get there first before the seamstress is drowning in work!" Nodding, Ella raced out of the room.

At the palace, Kit practiced fencing with Will. Will frowned when he easily disarmed Kit. He never won. Kit was easily the best swordsman around. "Wake up, brother," he chided. "You're in a daze." Kit blinked several times. "I'm sorry." "You've been off since the hunt," the Captain said, walking over to them. "It's that wonderful girl," Kit said dreamily. "I can't stop thinking about her." "Well, there are plenty of girls," the Captain reminded him. "But her spirit, her goodness…"

Will grinned at his brother. "You don't suppose she has a sister, do you?" His brother chuckled, softly punching Will's shoulder. "I don't know much about her, but I do know for certain that she has a sister." A small frown appeared on Will's face. "Are you jesting?" Kit laughed loudly. "I'm afraid not."

The Captain shook his head fondly at the two princes. "Perhaps your mystery girl and her sister may come to the ball," he said. "That is why you had the doors thrown open, was it not?" Kit looked sternly at the man. "Captain, it was for the benefit of the people." "Of course," the Captain quickly nodded. "How shallow of me."

Kit was about to ask another question when Will started coughing, his face turning bright red. He rushed forward, catching his brother as the young man doubled over in pain. "William?" he asked anxiously. Will squeezed his eyes shut tightly, taking a deep breath as the coughing subsided then stood up straight. "I'm fine, Kit."

Eager to get the attention off of him, Will looked to the Captain. "What happens if she comes?" The Captain smirked. "Then his highness shall tell her that he is a prince, and a prince may take whichever bride his wishes."

Although still worried about his brother, Kit let out a bitter chuckle at the Captain's words. "Ha." "Ha?" the Captain echoed. "Yes, ha! You know my father and the Grand Duke will only have me marry a princess." "Well," Will shrugged. "If this girl from the forest is as charming as you say, they may change their minds." Kit's face stayed stormy, but a part of him wished his brother's and the Captain's words were true.