Chapter 9: Heart breaking times
Char's POV
"Fairy book... what?" I said dazedly as my sister walked over to me. She had just interrupted several of my upsetting thoughts.
I had finally found Ella! I was finally going to get answers from her. That was what I had been thinking since Cecilia had first shown me the picture.
And then I had. And I didn't like what I had heard.
She was cursed with obedience. She wasn't allowed to tell anyone about it, explaining why she hadn't told me before. However, I should have been able to figure it out! It all added up.
I couldn't explain what kind of horrible lurching feeling I had when I heard her say those dreaded words about her curse. Who knows what kind of orders I had given her with out realizing it? My head throbbed at the thought of it.
Why couldn't she marry me though? She said it was because she didn't want anyone to harm me because of her obeying their demands, but still, why did she have to make things so difficult?
She was protecting me. I loved her for that. She was so kind, putting everyone else before herself. But I didn't want her to...
I just wanted to be with her, she was one of a kind.
"Char!"
"Cecilia, what is the matter?" I said once again taken aback.
"Char, where is the fairy book? I just remembered we had such a prized possession, And I believe, dear brother, that you had it last!" She sounded so angry and worried, a thing that wasn't like her at all.
"Cecilia you just love to tease me." I rolled my eyes. How could she be mentioning that fairy book when I was so miserable and had my own troubles to deal with? It was her responsibility to hold on to it anyway, I did give it to her after all.
"Cecilia, you know that I do not have that fairy book, you know that I gave it to you and it is your responsibility to hold on to it." I made sure I said this slowly and patiently.
"Charmont, don't you dare treat me like I am a child! First you say that I can't listen to your conversation with Ella because it didn't 'concern me' and now I'm all of a sudden in charge of a book that belonged to not just me but to both of us and helped you find your one true love! Oh and by the way, in case you have forgotten, I realized first that the fairy book would help us find Ella!" She ranted, face red with anger.
I took a step back. "Cecilia, calm yourself!" I ordered, completely shocked. She had never overreacted like this before, and I was extremely taken aback by her outburst. It wasn't in her nature to act like a spoiled brat for no reason, so I must have really upset her. I thought about what she had said.
"Cecilia, I am sorry." I realized I had been selfish. "I suppose I was taking advantage of you. You know that I love you and I truly appreciate you helping me find Ella. If it weren't for you, I would always wonder where Ella was and why she was running away from me. I would wonder each day why she deceived me, and why she had lied to me, telling me she was married. I would love her, yet think her a wretched minx at the same time....." I stopped, realizing that my list of 'how I would think of Ella' could go on forever.
Cecilia put a hand on my shoulder, again surprising me. Her eyes were shining brightly with tears. She sat down on a chair next to mine and hugged me, burying her head in my shoulder and crying.
We stayed in this position for several moments before Cecilia said through tears, "you have it so hard."
I just patted her on the back. I didn't know what to say. I couldn't help but agree with her.
A few seconds longer and Cecilia regained herself enough to inform me that we had to go back to Ella's room so her friend could show us where our rooms would be located.
Rooms... that meant that Cecilia and I could stay at the inn as long as we needed to.
As long as it took to convince Ella that she would make the most beautiful magnificent queen! Whether I got hurt because of her or not.
Ella's POV
For about the past couple of minutes Areida and I just sat on my bed in silence. I don't think she knew what to say, and I was all spoken out from answering her questions.
"Ella," Areida said all of a sudden. "Ella, I never knew... I feel terrible..... I'm so sorry."
How could I possibly respond to that? Sure she was sorry, I thought bitterly, but what good would that do for me? I was still cursed with obedience whether she was sorry or not.
"Well, I suppose now you know. There isn't anything I could do about it and if I were to marry him, we're both cursed." I took a breath. Areida watched me, sadness filling her eyes. "Areida, don't look at me like that. It only reminds me of how horrible the curse really is and there is absolutely nothing we could do about it." I paused once more before saying dreamily, "Mandy once told me there would be a way to break the curse besides Lucinda removing it but she has no idea what that way is." I shook myself, trying to clear my head. "I'm stuck like this. Or, at least until I find a way to end it."
I was sick of this. Why me? Why did I have to be the one cursed? It could have been anyone. It could have been Hattie! Why me and not her? Yeah, I may not have been perfect, but compared to her I was!
I was not going to hold back my tears this time. I felt them fight there way through. I swiped them away, angry, but before I knew it I was uncontrollably sobbing. Areida pulled me to herself, crying along with me.
We must have been quite the spectacle, Areida and I. Both hugging and sobbing on the tiny bed, mumbling nonsense through all of our tears.
"Char was the first person besides Mandy to comfort me since mother died."
"He wanted me to still love him while making sure I knew all of his faults! I will miss him! I just can't handle this wretched pressure anymore!"
"Why is it that I must be unlucky, why!?"
"Now we'll never be together! I'll never be rid of this dreaded curse!"
All I could think of was what I had lost. Him.
"Ella," Areida said. I was too carried away and depressed to pay her any mind. Apparently she wasn't crying anymore.
"I'll never be able to hear his voice, or see him!"
"Ella," Areida tried again.
"I'll live in misery for the rest of my pathetic cursed life!"
"Ella!!!" I was snapped back into reality. I looked up at Areida still sobbing but no longer rambling on and on about my horrible life. I felt rather bad, bothering her with all my problems. But I soon forgot that when she once more started to talk.
"Ella, I think I have an idea. I don't know if it will work or if you tried it before but maybe... no, it seems too far-fetched. We could try it though, it is worth a try!" Areida said excitedly.
"What's the plan?!" I was all of a sudden overjoyed, could there still be hope for me perhaps? The tears stopped, leaving only dirty traces on my face.
The only problem was, I was not the one who said 'what's the plan.'
Char and Cecilia were in the doorway. It was Cecilia who had asked.
"Lass, if you don't mind showing us our rooms now," Char said to Areida, pretending his sister had not spoken.
"Areida, what's your idea?" I asked before Areida answered Char. I couldn't wait for her to tell me! Apparently Cecilia was also quite interested. However, she didn't ask anything past her first question.
If Cecilia had heard Areida telling me about her idea I wonder what other things she had heard. How long were Char and Cecilia standing in that doorway?
"Of course I'll show you your rooms now, your highnesses." Areida said sweeping them a graceful curtsey. She quickly turned her head towards me, I noticed that her eyes were still a bit wet with tears and she had a sorrowful expression on her face. She mouthed the words, "I'll tell you later."
I understood. Though we were best friends, she couldn't make guests wait.
She would have to tell me her plan later.
Mandy's POV
"Lucinda, I don't know what to do with you!" I commented, exasperated. It did me no good, for she had already disappeared.
She tells me she's going to stop doing big magic and then she does this. I just don't believe her! I can't believe what she did to what I could normally call a nice day!
As glad as I am at the return of Ella's fairy book, this is inexcusable!
Okay, this was once more written by EllaFreak, with me just beta-ing. Yes, I'm lazy. Besides, she has wonderful new ideas. All I have is awful writers block. Ugh. Anyway, we have a new story under our joint account, EnchantedGurls. It's a Cinderella-type story called Ella of the Ashes. Its in the fairy tales section. So go check it out!!!
BTW, I'm sorry for taking so long to add this. Ive had it for almost two months I think, but never got to posting it. Very sorry. And now I'm not even answering reviews! I feel so awful!!! If you want to give me awful reviews, direct them to me, not EllaFreak, because this is all my fault. In fact, I give you my permission to send rude emails to me. I feel so awful about making you guys wait so long for this chapter! I hate slow updaters...especially if they don't have an excuse!!!