Ella Enchanted - By Gail Carson Levine Page 0,47

won't see her again for a year.

I had to write to him. If he thought I was angry, he might never write to me.

But how could I explain my behavior?

The guest room I occupied was supplied with writing paper, ink, and a pen. I trimmed the pen, then found I didn't know how to begin. I could call him "Char"

quite easily, but writing it was another matter. "Dear Char" looked disrespectful on the page. "Dear Prince Charmont" or "Dear Highness" seemed too formal. And how would I conclude? "Yours truly" and "Sincerely" seemed stiff, while "Your friend" seemed childish.

Omitting the salutation, I began. It would be addressed to him, so there should be no mistake.

I have been confined to my room. I saw you come to visit and saw you leave. I waved, but you must not have seen. Father is vexed with me. It has nothing to do with you. He was insulted that I left the wedding early.

Two more days remain to my sentence. Now that you are gone and I can no longer hope to tell you goodbye, it is not so terrible. I hope you will still write to me, and not only about Ayortha. I have many questions, most of them impertinent. When you were a boy, did you study with other children, or did you have tutors all to yourself? I suppose you were equally wonderful at all your subjects -- but were you? Who took care of you when you were small? When did you discover you were a prince and would someday be king? What did the knowledge mean to you?

If my questions offend, please do not answer any of them.

I went on to tell him about my years before Mother died, games with Mother and Mandy, the taste of Tonic, listening to fairy stories. I omitted only the most important facts: Lucinda's gift and that Mandy was a fairy.

Then I promised,

in my next letter, I shall tell more about finishing school and the elves and Areida, my Ayorthaian friend, If you write quickly, I shall also send Mandy's and my recipe for roly-poly pudding. (Cooking is another of my accomplishments, although not taught at finishing school) You may try the recipe and astound your hosts.

If you do write, pray do not address the letters to me or mark them to show that you are the correspondent. Direct your letters to Mandy. She'll see that I get them.

You are shocked that I have proposed a subterfuge. My only hope is that one who flies down a stair rail as beautifully as you do can overcome his scruples in this matter.

As my Ayorthaian friend would say, "Adumma ubensu enusse onsordo!" Or, please write soon.

I closed with, "Your impatient friend, Ella." Somehow, the adjective made the rest less childish. I went back to the beginning and added "Dear Char" as the salutation.

But how was I to address the letter? I had no idea where he was staying.

In the end, I directed it to the royal family in Ayortha and prayed it fell into helpful hands.

Now, I could only wait for a reply. In the meanwhile, what would I have to endure from my stepfamily?

23

THREE DAYS after Char left, Father went too, off to be a merchant again.

Before leaving, he spoke to me privately in the small parlor he had converted into his study.

"I leave at noon," he said. "Thank heaven the fairy left me my will and my reason so that I can leave, although I shall long for my Olga every moment I'm gone. What a gift! If I could take this knife" -- he touched the scabbard at his waist -- "and carve out the part of my heart that belongs to my wife, I should do it."

He would never hurt himself. "Why must I stay with them?" I asked.

"Where else can you go? You fled finishing school, and you'll be in better society here than you would find with me. Including me. Don't run off again."

"You are better society than they are," I said. It was true: There was a little honesty in Father but none at all in Hattie or Mum Olga.

"This is praise indeed. Come, tell your father good-bye."

"Farewell."

"I shall miss you, child." He kissed my forehead. "I prefer to love my wife from afar. I shall not soon return."

"I don't care."

But I found that I did.

As soon as Father's carriage disappeared from view, Mum Olga swallowed her tears and directed a manservant to transfer my belongings to a