Ella took a deep breath. This was it. To Sir Bowen, this was her
“wedding day.” Only Ella knew that this was her escape. She could pull it
off today. As long as the plan went accordingly, she would be out of here,
and back home. Ella just hoped the plan worked.
She had gotten Sir Bowen’s approval of an outdoors wedding. In fact,
he was going about acting like it was his idea. He had magically attained
huge bouquets of lilies, roses, sunflowers, and all other kinds of flowers
imaginable. There were many guests at the castle (most likely all bullied
and threatened into showing up) and they all had brought the critical
ingredient to Ella’s plan.
Horses.
This had to be executed perfectly, down to the last second. Any
hesitating could ruin everything, and trap her here forever. But Ella
wouldn’t let that happen. She was getting out of here.
Sir Bowen appeared at the door to her chamber, assuring himself of
the fact that she was in her wedding cake-like dress.
“Ah, my dear Ella. You do look exquisite. Come. It’s time to say
our vows!”
He turned and walked out, Ella following close behind. They walked
downstairs and Ella stepped onto the green verdant field for the first time
in days.
It was time.
Char rode around aimlessly, dejected. He had been everywhere,
everywhere he could possibly think of. After leaving Uaxee’s farm, he had
traveled to Fairyland. There, Mandy and Lucinda had called a meeting of
the fairies, but none could think of anything to do. Anything that
wouldn’t have drastic repercussions on the earth, that is. All, though,
had been assured that Ella would be okay, that she was strong, that she
would make it.
None of them had a clue as to her location, however.
Next he had traveled to the Gnome Caverns. There, he had once again
encountered zhatapH and zulpH, this time joined by fraecH, zulpH’s mother.
Char had talked for a long time with zhatapH, who had told him that,
regrettably, she had seen no more, and had nothing new to tell him. He
asked all the gnomes reputed to foretell the future if they knew where Ella
was, but none could offer help. Sadly he had left, only to realize that he
had no more options.
There was no place left to go. He had been everywhere. He had done
everything told to him by the prophecy! But still no Ella. He might as
well resign himself to the fact that Ella was lost.
About a hundred yards ahead of him, Char saw a large open field.
Maybe he could go there and gallop out his misery…
Chapter Twelve :: Escape!
The field was crowded, filled with bustling servants and mingling
party guests. All were safely within the realm of the invisibility spell,
so as not to be seen by the errant traveler.
Ella looked around. She knew there was no stable by this castle, so
they must be keeping the horses outside. Where were they? She spotted
them near the castle walls, much to far away to be helpful to her.
Ella turned to look at Sir Bowen. “Might we bring some of the horses
closer to us? I love horses, and I would like to have them near me.”
Sir Bowen looked at her strangely, but finally replied, “Very well.
I shall bring one horse over and let it stand next to you. You’re lucky
you need to follow my orders. However, do not even think of finding a way
of disobeying me. You will stay here and marry me. Do you understand?”
Ella tried to look upset, like he had shot down her only hope. If he
only knew that he had been the one to give it to her. “Very well.”
The chancellor Bowen at threatened into performing the ceremony
walked up to stand at the altar, and the Kyrrian wedding processional
started to play. Slowly, Sir Bowen led Ella down the aisle, the guests
whispering as they walked past. Ella caught snatches of the conversations.
“That poor girl…”
“Being forced to marry that monster! Why I…”
“Wish someone would make that man pay!”
“She’s doomed.”
Ella just kept walking. With any luck, they’d change their
whisperings soon.
Finally, they reached the altar. The chancellor began to speak.
“We are gathered here today to witness the marriage…”
Ella did not pay much attention to the words being spoken. She paid
more attention to the horse on her right. If she did everything exactly
right, she could be on in a matter of seconds…
“Sir Bowen, do you take Lady Eleanor to be your dutiful wife, and be
a dutiful husband in return?” The words pierced through Ella’s mind,
alerting her to the fact that escape was mere moments away.
Sir Bowen’s voice was loud and clear. “Yes, I do.”
The chancellor turned to Ella. “And do you, Lady Eleanor, take Sir
Bowen to be your dutiful husband, and be a dutiful wife in return?”
Ella looked at Sir Bowen’s face. His look clearly stated, “Say yes,
or suffer the consequences.”
She turned back to the chancellor. When she spoke, her voice was,
calm, strong, and clear.
“Never.”
Then she dropped her huge lily bouquet, jumped onto the horse’s back,
and rode off before anyone had registered what happened.
Char rode at a meandering pace, wallowing in his own self pity. Ella
was gone. Lost to him forever. He should just stay here in this field,
wandering around for the rest of days, if his life were to be without Ella.
Suddenly, a figure appeared out of thin air. The figure was dressed
all in white, galloping with all her might on an equally white horse. The
figure was…
“Ella?”
Char’s joyous shout reached Ella’s ears, and she immediately slowed
down. Seeing Char, she hopped off her horse and started running toward
him. Char did the same.
They met and had a joyous reunion. Mother Nature herself must have
smiled at the beauty of the two souls reuniting in the middle of the
greenery.
They were interrupted abruptly when Sir Bowen angrily charged out
from the same nowhere Ella had come from.
“You devious little wench!” he roared. “How dare you trick me!
You’ll pay dearly for this, mark my words! You’ll pay for these lies, for
this deceit! You will pay!”
Of course, it was Sir Bowen who paid. In his near murderous rage, he
had not noticed Char. Char made an easy sport of sneaking up behind the
knight and hitting him squarely on the back of the skull. He fell in a
heap to the ground.
Both Ella and Char stared at the prone form lying in the grass. It
was Ella who spoke first.
“Well that seems-almost anticlimactic, doesn’t it?”
Char laughed, music to Ella’s ears. He pulled her in for another
kiss.
When they were finished, they turned back to Sir Bowen’s unconscious
body. “I suppose I should arrest him, shouldn’t I?” Char asked. “I mean,
what else could we do? Any ideas?”
Ella’s eyes lit up in good-natured malice. “I have the perfect idea.
All we need is the help of Mandy and Lucinda. Small magic only. This
way, we could kill two birds with one stone.” Ella told Char of her plan.
Soon Char’s eyes were lit up too.
“That’s a wonderful idea!”
They laughed some more. Then Char took Ella’s hand and started
leading her toward the horses, and said the most wonderful words to Ella’s
ears:
“Let’s go home.”
Chapter Thirteen :: Epilogue
Ella and Char took their time on the journey home. They stopped by
all the places Char had visited in his journey, to let all their friends
know that Ella was, indeed, all right. There was a welcome back party at
all the places, so it did take awhile to return. This gave Char some time
to think.
He thought about all the places he had been, all the words of comfort
he had heard.
“If anyone could prevail, it’s Ella.”
“Ella, above all others, could survive.”
“Surely, such a nice girl will come back to you.”
Not to mention calling on Ella’s strength to save himself from the
ogres.
He had dismissed all these things, not believing they were truly
clues to find Ella.
But they were.
Ella, in the end, had not needed Char to find her. Ella had found
him. Char did not stop to remember how much his wife had gone through, how
much strength she had.
He had fulfilled the prophecy without realizing it. Only by being
reminded by all these people close to Ella of Ella’s strength could he
remember.
But now he did. And he would never underestimate Ella’s strength
again.
Nor would he underestimate her intelligence, after the punishment she
had thought of for Sir Bowen.
“Yes, I do.”
Sir Bowen wished he could bite his tongue, take back the words, do
something. But the magic controlling his actions was too strong.
The chancellor looked smugly blissful. “Then I pronounce you husband
and wife.”
Bowen wished that he wouldn’t. He cursed the day he had ever made a
deal with Sir Peter. He cursed himself for not letting it go, and
kidnapping Ella. But most of all he cursed Ella, for subjecting him to
this eternal punishment.
Well, the deed was done, and there was no undoing it now. He was
married. He looked forward to his marriage with a mixture of dread and
disgust.
However, his new bride, Hattie, was just pleased she was married to a
real, live knight.
And, one of these couples at least, lived happily ever after.