Ella Enchanted - By Gail Carson Levine Page 0,54

think of a hermit queen? And how would I feel, locked away like Rapunzel in her tower? Moreover, even the best precautions might fail.

I could ask him to give up being crown prince in favor of his sister. If he were never to be king, he might not be a target. But how could I ask such a thing?

How could he accept? And would the danger simply move to his sister?

We could keep the marriage a secret. That was absurd. The secret would get out.

I cast about for other ideas, but none came. Cursed, I couldn't marry him. But if I ever managed to break the curse, in a month or in twenty years, I would find him and win him over again if he was still free. No matter what I had to do, no matter how long it took. But now my only choice was to convince him to give me up.

* * *

WHEN I finally thought what to say and began to write, I ruined three sheets of paper by crying on them and a fourth because I forgot to misspell words.

My dear Prince Charmont,

Your latest corespondence with my stepsister was recieved by my mother, Dame Olga, and myself. Ella and the cook, Mandy, were not here to except it.

Ella is absent because she has eloped, taking our cook with her. She left a note which I have enclosed for your perusal.

You have been much decieved in her. It was her custom to read your letters aloud to us and crow over them, thinking it a feather in her cap to be writing to royalty, such as yourself.

For a while, she had ambitions to be queen, but she dispared of it and took another offer. She would go into one of her dreadful rages if she knew the contents of your letter. I do not think she liked living on our generosity, and longed to be able to lord it over us with greater splendor than we could hope for, although we fancy that our stile is very fine.

Your letter arrived four days after her departure. I know because Demby had a ball that night, and Ella was greatly missed. Her beaux turned to me for consolation, and I gave them the same advice I have for you: Think no more of the minks, because she has already forgotten you.

I am sorry to dismay you, but I hope you will be consoled by the fond wishes of this admirer.

Your

angel

of

comfort,

Hattie

I tore a sheet of paper in half for the enclosure, written in my own hand.

These are the first words I ever penned as a married lady. You know him, but I shall not write his name, only that he is very old and very rich and lives far from Frell. And he is fool enough to make me his bride. Someday, and the day may not be long in coming, I shall be sole mistress of a vast estate. I shall not write again, but look for me. When my husband dies, I shall visit Frell. Should you spy a carriage that surpasses of others, peer inside. You will find me within, smiling at my jewels and laughing at the world--

Ella

Char's anger at his tutor would be nothing compared with this. He would hate me until the end of the world. In the morning, Mandy dispatched the correspondence, thinking it an ordinary letter. I didn't tell her about Char's proposal for fear she would think I should accept him. Although I knew I was right, I doubted I could withstand any argument.

As soon as she left to post the letter, I collapsed in front of the fireplace, sobbing. When she returned in half an hour, I was still in tears.

She gathered me in her arms. "What's the trouble, sweet?"

For a few minutes I continued to cry too hard to speak. When I was able to control myself, I told her. "Did I do right?" I asked at the end.

"Come with me, Lady." She grabbed my hand and half dragged me to her room, passing several servants in the hall. Once there, she closed the door and turned to me. "Lady, you did right. Now I'm going to do right, something I should have done long ago. Get behind the curtains, love."

I hesitated, pushing back the urge to obey. "Why?"

"I'm going to settle scores of scores with Lucinda. I want you to see me do it, but I don't want her to see you."

I hid.

"Lucinda! I need you."

The scent