The sobs seemed never ending, but eventually they did end. I pulled myself together and walked home. When I reached the manor, I wanted to run to Mandy and tell her everything. She would find a way to save me from this fate, but I couldn't. Sir Conner had seen to that. Again I wondered how Sir Conner knew about the curse. After all, he had to know about it. Why else would he make practically every word he said to me an order?

Upon entering the house I immediately bumped into Father.

"You clumsy oaf," he muttered. Not too long ago I would have spewed over such words, but it didn't matter now. Being called a clumsy oaf was the least of my worries. Father glanced over my disheveled appearance.

"Go make yourself presentable," Father ordered. "I had my darling Olga buy you a more suitable dress this morning. Hattie's gowns aren't becoming on you. We have guests for lunch, so I expect you to come to the dining room as soon as you're ready."

I was only too happy to return to my room. Upon entering I filled the bath tub with scalding hot water and tried to scour away the memories of Sir Conner's dirty hands. It was to no avail. My body was covered in bruises from his manhandling with me. Sir Conner was far from gentle with me during my first time. I hated the thought of what he did. True the events of the day were inevitable given the fact that we were to be wed, but it didn't make them any less desirable. To make matters worse Char must now only see me as a lying harlot. It would not matter what really happened in the shed.

I climbed out of the tub and picked up the dress that Mum Olga bought. It was short sleeved. I pulled the blue garment over my head and glanced in the mirror. The bruises were clear all over my arms. I wanted to walk out into the dining room with my arms bear for the world to see what had been done to me, but the curse wouldn't allow it. Every time, I went to open the door my hand would refuse to work. Eventually, I grabbed a shawl and placed it over my arms to hide a majority of the bruises. It did the trick. The curse allowed me to leave my bedroom.

I tried to dally on my way to the dining room because I had no doubt by guests father had meant Sir Conner. I had no desire to see my betrothed.

Upon entering the dining room, I learned that I was only halfway right. Sitting next to an empty chair was Sir Conner, but across from him sat Char. I gasped at the sight of the prince. I walked carefully to my seat trying to sit in a way that would not allow me to come close enough for Sir Conner to whisper an order into my ear.

"Oh Ella, it's good of you to finally join us," Hattie said. I highly doubted that. From the look on her face I could tell she was hoping I would stay away. She was obviously worried I was going to snatch up the prince.

"Sorry to be so late," I replied. "I tripped on my way home."

I spoke in a softer tone than usual. Sir Conner seemed pleased with my subdued demeanor while Char stared at me puzzled. He knew I was clumsy however, so I assumed he would take me at my word.

"It is a pleasure to see you again Lady Eleanor," Char said. I stared at him momentarily surprised by his use of formality. It seemed as though Char was trying to create a mountain between us. I wanted to tear it down, but I remembered the curse. I couldn't be with Char without putting him into extreme danger. It would be better if Char gave up on me. By allowing him to create this distance between us, it was a sign that he would be willing to move on. After all, Char would eventually have to move on. He would have no choice. Someday he would be king, and Kyrria would need an heir.

"The pleasure is all mine, your Majesty," I replied matching his formality. Hattie smiled at the use of titles. It seemed to please her that the prince and I had a falling out. Her pleasure only grew during the meal during which she managed to flirt with both Sir Conner and Char. Char would have nothing of it only responding to her in polite tones. He kept his face serious the whole time and I could tell he would later be laughing over Hattie's over the top behavior. Sir Conner on the other hand seemed to enjoy Hattie's flirting and when the meal was done even suggested that Hattie and him take a walk in the orchard. Hattie was only too willing to oblige. Sir Conner might be betrothed to me, but his flirting made it evident that he would be all too willing to seek out other woman as well. It only begged the question as to why he was marrying me if he wanted to keep up with his bachelor days. I could only hope that maybe he would discover that he did not want to get married after all and I would be free from him. Somehow, I doubted that would be the case.

Eventually, it worked out so that only Father, Char, and myself were left at the table when Char requested that he might speak privately to me in Father's study. Father forever the opportunist was happy to oblige. I on the other hand found myself wishing he had just said no.

"Why do you wish to speak with me, your majesty?" I asked as Char shut the door to the study.

"Just stop it Ella," Char said. He sounded exasperated and his stance had turned from his normal confident stride to one much more worn out and tired. I stared at him not knowing what to say. I clutched the shawl I was wearing more tightly around my arms. Even with it one could still make out some of the bruises on my arm.

"I have so much I want to say to you," Char said turning away from me. He stared out the window. We could see Hattie and Sir Conner walking through the trees. If I didn't know better, I would have guessed them to be the ones engaged. Hattie had her arm wrapped tenderly around Sir Conner's as he lead her down the path and she smiled lovingly up at him why he spoke to her gently. It seemed such a contrast to the way he normally treated me. I wished that Hattie would steal him away.

"I love you Ella," Char's voice said bringing me away from the world outside the window. He turned back around so he was once again facing me. "I love you."

I stared at his face. His honesty surprised me, but a part of me was excited by actually hearing those three words cross his lips. Sure he had written and told me of his love, but he had never actually once said it to me before. At the same time, I could feel my heart break into a million little pieces. There was nothing I could do accept reject him in response. It was one thing to hurt him through a letter, but it would be another thing to do it face to face.

"I am engaged to Sir Conner," I said. Char gave a bitter laugh.

"I know," he replied. "Did you forget that I stumbled upon your little tryst this morning?"

My memory flashed back to his standing in the doorway of the shed. I bit of me felt some unjustifiable anger over the fact that he did nothing to prevent the eventual outcome. Sir Conner still raped me.

"I don't want to discuss this morning with you," I replied. I turned away from him. Not a single cell in my body wanted to face him like this.

"You were the last person I expected to see doing something like that," Char said. "At least not with some random guy."

An opening. "That random guy happens to be the man I will marry in less than two months time. He is the one I want to be with. I love him." I lied. Char needn't know that in reality I couldn't get far enough away from him.

"That guy happens to be making out with your stepsister," Char said angrily. Before I could glance out the window to see if he was right, Char had already crossed the distance between us. Grabbing me by my upper arms he swung around so that I could see where Hattie leaned up against a tree as Sir Conner planted kisses on her.

Char let go of my arms and I felt my shawl fall to the ground. "See," he said quietly.

I turned to face him. His eyes looked upon me sadly and his gaze locked with mine.

"You don't seem to upset about it," he said. "Tell me Ella do you love Sir Conner."

If Char had left it as merely a question, I would have been free to lie and tell him yes, but he had ordered and try as I might I could do nothing but obey.

"No," I said. I broke our locked gazes and looked down at the ground.

"What happened to you?" Char asked quietly. Confused I looked up to find him staring at my arms. Suddenly, it dawned on me that I no longer had the shawl to help hide the bruises. I bent to the ground to quickly retrieve it.

"I tripped on my way home earlier," I said as I got back up.

"Those look like handprints," Char said. I stared at his concerned face. I yearned to tell him the truth, but the curse refused me to do so.

"It was just a bad fall," I reiterated. The excuse sounded weak even to me. "You know how clumsy I am. I once broke a whole set of dishes."

Char laughed weakly at the reminder of that story.

"Ella, why are you marrying him?" Char asked. "You don't love him and I don't care what you say. It's evident from the bruises he treats you poorly."

"I have no choice," I replied. I stared at a corner of the room refusing to let my gaze meet Char's.

"There's always a choice. You could marry me," Char said. I could feel tears begin to swell behind my eyes. I gave a silent order to myself not to cry. The tears stayed where they were.

"I can't," I replied. Char gently placed a finger under my chin and raised my face so I was staring at him.

"Why not?" he asked. I stared at his face. Sweet Char, loving Char. I knew that despite the pain marrying Sir Conner would cause me, it would be nothing compared to the pain if someone was to use me in plotting Char's death.

"I just can't," I said. I broke away from his grasp and ran to the door. From there I quickly fled outside to escape from him. I heard Char run after me, but he gave up his pursuit when after yelling my name I just continued running.