A/N: Hi again! After a long time. Sorry for the wait once again, but I hope you like this chapter even though there isn't much happening. Enjoy!

6.

They had agreed that she would stay behind at the embassy today while Falad would go and continue the negotiations at the palace. Then agreements needed to be made and the dherr'eshaanians were very self conscious about how their agreements were written and illustrated. Everything that was written in Dherr'eshaan was to be beautifully written and illustrated. And because it took time, especially the illustration, Rella had stayed and started to make the illustrations. She was actually very good at it. She was good at making agreements all together, many people had said that she was tough woman to make deals with, but still she was not as good as Falad. He was able to think things she didn't even realize and that way make sure that there never was any loopholes left in the agreements or, if wanted, there were loopholes… for the dherr'eshaanians of course. But she was really good in writing beautifully and illustrating beautifully. Her adoptive family had always praised her about it.

As she always woke up early, she had done a lot of work by lunchtime. Although it had been difficult as her thoughts were constantly straying to what Anastasia had told her. That had been the day – or rather the night – before yesterday. As she was finishing her lunch thoughts of their encounter circled in her mind over and over. She didn't know what to do.

Rella set the cutleries on the empty plate and reached for the teapot. She poured herself some tea before standing up and walking to the terrace hoping to find her mice friends from there. Maybe talking to them would clear her head a little. As she stepped outside she glanced around but couldn't see them. She was sure she had heard them here earlier.

"Jaq! Gus!" she called. "Are you here?"

For a moment nothing happened. Then she heard small rustling and soon saw two tiny figures scuttling across the terrace and nimbly climbing on the table squeaking her name as a greeting. Rella smiled happily, she was so glad that they were alright. Though they had grown older and Jaq apparently had a family – "14 children! Oh, my… Congratulations, Jag." – they were still the same friends she had always known. Rella offered them a crumbled cookie and they sat down in front of her.

After wondering for awhile, Rella decided to just ask them straight. "What – can you tell me what Anastasia has been doing in the past years?"

The mice glanced at each other before nodding enthusiastically. "Sure!" "Of course, Cinderelly!"

Rella smiled at them. "Thank you. Umm… Why don't you start with what happened after I'd left. Did stepmother put him under a spell again?"

Jaq shook his small head. "No. When the princey came back, he didn't say anything about Cinderelly. He just married Anastasia."

"Never said a thing?" Rella asked and Jaq shook his head. Rella frowned a little as she thought. Perhaps the prince hadn't thought it that important after all, her and him. And it wasn't uncommon amongst the nobility and royalty that one married for some other reason than love. And truly, they didn't keep that exact records at the harbor about the coming and leaving of ships. Even if the prince had gone through them and found a destination, she could have jumped off at any harbor the ship had stopped. It had been more practical and reasonable to marry Anastasia, who had been there already. And when she was out of the influence of her mother and sister, she was actually quite nice company although a bit spoiled and naive. Rella had been here a week by now and she hadn't seen stepmother but once in the entire time and Drizella she hadn't seen at all. So it was possible that they didn't spend their time in the court very much and Anastasia was left in her own devices.

"I see", Rella said. "Has she changed? Anastasia, I mean."

The mice took a pondering look on their faces and after a few moments Gus nodded.

"Yes, she is different now", Jaq agreed.

"Really? How so?" She asked. Rella noticed that she was really hoping that Anastasia had tried to amend her ways as she had said.

Jaq tilted his head as he thought. "She started being nice. For start. Then she got a baby and she started to go all sorts of thingies that were made for helping people."

"Thingies? You mean charity events?" Rella asked.

The mice nodded furiously.

Rella sipped her tea. Perhaps she really was trying to amend her ways, Rella thought. The possibility to forgive her younger stepsister suddenly seemed a bit easier. She wondered why she hadn't talked to the mice earlier. She had wrestled with this for over a day. Though she was still a bit unsure, but Anastasia had always been the nicer one of the two. Never as bad as her sister. She had been easily led, Rella supposed. So, maybe she could try and go to speak to her next time she went to the castle.

…

Falad narrowed his eyes slightly as he aimed with the musket at the clay disk that flew through the air. He followed the target for a few more seconds before firing and shattering the clay disk into pieces. The prince had suggested, that to have a break from the work they'd go clay pigeon shooting once they'd eaten their lunch. Falad had agreed to it, thinking that a little fresh air never hurt anybody, but also because the prince seemed to have something on his mind. Something, that didn't have anything to do with trading agreements.

They had been shooting for awhile now. Prince Charles was a very good shooter, Falad had noticed. He rarely missed when he shot the targets whereas Falad himself was only adequate. He had done this a little few times before at home, but he had never really bothered with it. He didn't like firearms, he much rather preferred the saber they used in Dherr'eshaan and was extremely good at wielding it. Falad grinned inwardly. Rella preferred the saber too, at least if the way she looked at him as he practiced gave any inclination.

The prince aimed and shattered a clay disk once again before turning to Falad. "I've been meaning to ask you, lord Ir'd'aran", he said as he loaded his musket, "is your wife originally from around our capital? I can't shake the feeling that I've met her before."

So that was what the prince wanted to talk about, Falad thought. He bought some time by aiming at the target, trying to decide what to answer to the prince. He didn't want to say anything that would cause distress to Rella later. And he had to admit that he was a bit suspicious of the prince. What if he hadn't gotten over Rella? Or then he was overreacting.

"Yes, she has lived around here", Falad said carefully. "But I'm not sure if you would've met her. At those times she was forced to work as a maid."

The prince frowned. "Really? A maid… well, perhaps I've seen someone who looks just like her. Or did she ever work at the palace?"

"You will have to ask that from her, your highness", Falad said a little reluctantly. "She doesn't talk about that time of her life very much." And even if she did, the prince didn't need to know that. Falad thought.

"Hmm… well, she is a very beautiful woman, if I may say so, and perhaps that is the reason she has stayed in my mind", the prince pondered and shot a disk down again.

"That she is, and one of a kind", Falad said feeling some sort of satisfaction that she had married him in the end. He frowned slightly and wondered what was wrong with him. He didn't normally feel as possessive and over protective as this, they loved each other and trusted each other. Although, he was on unfamiliar territory here, perhaps it was the reason.

They spent some more time shooting until the butler, Mr. Richardson, came to them. He stood politely behind them as the prince aimed and coughed discreetly. The prince shot the target and turned around to face the butler raising his eyebrow in the process.

"Yes, Mr. Richardson?" the prince asked.

"Your appointment with the delegate from Hennaran is in half an hour, your highness", the butler said bowing slightly.

The prince blinked and the muttered a curse. "Oh shoot! I completely forgot the time!" He turned towards Falad. "We're going to have to continue this tomorrow, lord Ir'd'aran."

Falad nodded and bowed as well and watched the prince hurry towards the castle, no doubt to make himself more presentable. Falad handed the musket to the servant and started heading to the castle as well. Now that he had a opportunity to get away earlier, he thought about surprising Rella. He was going to go via the city and see if he could find something she would like. Maybe he could visit that bakery they were on the other day…

….

"What about Drizella?" Rella asked and rested her head on her hands as she looked at the mice. "What happened to her after I left? I haven't seen her here even once."

Jaq took a bite from a biscuit and munched it happily before answering. "The evil stepmother found her a prince too."

"Really? From where?" she asked. She should've known. No way Drizella would've settled for any less than Anastasia, once she had been married.

"From north", Jaq said.

"Hennaran?"

Jaq shook his head. "No, that wasn't the name."

"Aherin?"

Now he nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes. That was it!"

Well, at least the woman was in another kingdom for sure, Rella thought relieved that she didn't have to worry about the elder stepsister. So, the prince of Aherin. Poor guy, the prince had to be going nuts with Drizella if he was even some sort of a decent person. She wondered what her stepmother was doing now that she had managed to marry of her daughters to royalty. She couldn't imagine her merely lounging around, visiting other nobility at teatime. She could imagine her making appearance at the balls, but other than that, she really couldn't see her being very social amongst them. She considered herself above everybody else. Rella wouldn't be surprised if she thought that of the royal family as well.

Rella sighed. She should get back to work. She looked down at the mice.

"I'm sorry guys, but I have to go now. I have lots of work to do", she said.

Jaq and Gus smiled. "That's okay Cinderelly, we'll go work too."

"Oh?"

Jaq nodded. "Fourteen mouths to feed."

Rella smiled and nodded. "Of course. I'll see you later."

"Bye!" Jaq and Gus waived at her as they scuttled back to the yard and disappeared into the garden.

Rella stood up and collected her teacup before turning to go back inside. As she was opening the terrace doors, she heard commotion from the front yard. She frowned slightly, wondering who was it and hurried through the house, setting the teacup onto the tray as she passed it. Rella opened the front door and stepped outside.

"Rella!" Falad stepped down from the horse and gave the reins to the stable boy. He walked briskly and smiling to Rella and scooped her in his arms giving her a kiss in the process. Rella laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Falad? What are you doing here? I thought you were going to be at the palace whole day", Rella exclaimed smiling.

"Me too", Falad answered, "but it appeared that his highness forgot a meeting he had. So I decided to take a free afternoon."

Rella grinned. "That's nice."

Falad nodded. "Isn't it. Now, what would you think about, going to the theatre? I heard in the palace, that there is a play going on that is supposed to be amusing. Would you like to go and see if it is?" Falad raised an eyebrow.

Rella pretended to think for a moment before nodding. "I'd love to."

"Oh good, because I went and bought the tickets already", he smirked charmingly.

Rella laughed. "Of course you did."

Falad offered her his arm and they stepped inside the house, talking about the play and their days. Their servant brought the delicious cupcakes inside with a note from Mrs. Lane. They spent the rest of their day having fun.