Four Years Later
Ella stood at the market, Gobhald, grabbing a basket full of apples, beef, and pork. She was to prepare dinner. It was her job now. That and washing clothes, dishes, and towels.
Ever since her father died, Ella felt that she was cursed. An eternal suffering that lasted a lifetime. Though, she didn’t know what she did to deserve this. She had been searching for the answer for ages.
After setting a couple sticks of soft butter into the basket, she started feeling a dizzy spell cast over her, blurring her vision.
No, no, no, she thought. Not again!
She pressed her hand to one of the shelves, trying to steady her breathing as her panic set in.
Why did this have to happen in public? This was horrible.
Ella choked on the air, trying to gasp, but it seemed as if oxygen wasn’t getting to her lungs.
The shelf she was holding onto snapped, and her legs collapsed from under her. Ella bit back a cry as she hit the cement floor.
All the food she gathered scattered across the ground in a mess.
Hoping no one was watching her, she took a couple deep breaths while lying on the ground. After the panic calmed and her breathing steadied, she pushed her hands on the tile, sitting up when a voice entered her ears:
“Whoa... You okay?”
It sounded like a boy, young, maybe in his teens. Ella cast a look above her to see a tall boy with coal black hair and bright green eyes gaze softly at her.
He tilted his head at her stare. “You... okay...?” he repeated.
Ella looked away. “Oh, yes. Yes, I’m alright.”
“Need help?” The man offered his hand.
She stared at it for a brief moment before resisting and she stood on her own. He put his hand down, defeated. Ella’s legs wobbled, threatening to buckle again, but she forced herself to steady them.
“What happened?” the black haired boy said. “Were you sleeping on the floor or something?”
“No. I just tripped,” she lied. No need to tell a strange boy that she fell constantly, and her stomach twisted and turned, forcing her to starve. Those were the main two reasons Ella kept on collapsing.
“What’s your name, Princess?” the boy wondered.
Did... he... just call her... “Princess”?
Was she supposed to cringe when he said that? She didn’t. In fact, she found it rather soothing to be called that. Mainly because she was treated horribly. But... there was something about how this boy said it... How his tone was... It made Ella feel a rush of warmth consume her.
“I’m Ella,” she said. “And I’m not a Princess….”
“Is that short for something?” he asked, ignoring her comment.
“It’s short for Isabella.”
The boy smiled, sending tingles through Ella’s skin. “I’m Blake.”
She froze, breathing shallowly. “Wait...” she whispered, “Prince Blake?”
A nod. “But just call me Blake. I don’t like all the royalty stuff.”
Ella looked around in a panic, hoping no one was watching this encounter. She was trembling slightly, half in fear, the other half because she was starving.
It seemed as if Blake noticed this. “Are you okay, Princess? Why are you looking around like that?”
Ella stared back at him, heart pounding. “I have to go.” And she started walking, but Blake grabbed her arm, tugging lightly so she faced him.
“You look famished,” he stated.
He was right. Ella was quite pale and skinny. Her bright red hair made her skin look white. Like a blank sheet of paper. The only thing that wasn’t white were the brown freckles that scattered across her cheekbones.
“Please… let go of my arm….”
“I saw you fall, Princess,” he continued, making her heart drop with guilt. “You didn’t trip. You grabbed this shelf.” He held out his free hand to the broken wood. It left large spikes poking out of the edges. “It snapped. And you fell. I saw it.”
Ella felt her stomach drop down to her feet, she started panting slightly.
She just lied to the Prince... And he knew it... Was he going to punish her...?
Blake watched her gaze for a moment, and his eyes darkened. “Ella, you’re not in trouble,” he promised as if he read her thoughts. “I just want to get you something to eat. Is that okay?”
Her lips parted as she studied him. “Why?”
“Because you’re clearly sick,” he answered. “And I want to help.”
Ella stared at him for a moment, seeing her reflection in Blake’s soft green eyes. She started getting lost, her emotions heightening to the tip and she wanted to cry.
Oh, God... her energy was dissolving inside her and her emotions were getting out of control.
“Why me?” she whispered, trying to stop her knees from buckling again.
“Because you’re one of my people,” Blake responded. “I take care of my people. I am their Prince. And,” he added, “you’re very pretty.”
Ella was too overwhelmed with exhaustion to feel her heart flutter at his response. Her vision started blurring again, her head wanted to float while her body became heavy.
“Ella?” Blake’s voice came from a distance. It was as if he were miles away and she was falling though the floor.
“Can you hear me?” Blake questioned, panic rising in his tone.
Ella was too dizzy to respond. The world was spinning as if she were in the center of a tornado. She needed to eat something. Her stomach was consuming her entire body and her head felt like it was in the clouds.
“I’m going to pick you up,” Blake warned.
No… she thought. Please… I don’t want help…
She wasn’t sure if she responded or not, but if she did, he didn’t listen.
Barely, Ella felt Blake’s arm under her knees, the other supporting her back as he scooped her up in his arms.
She felt light in Blake’s hold, like she was flying.
Ella couldn’t resist closing her eyes. She tried to force them to stay open, but she was too deprived of energy to stay awake.
Please…
She hoped Blake wouldn’t try to kill or take advantage of her. There was something else, as well... Something Ella was afraid of... She couldn’t think of it at the moment.
Ella faded into darkness as Blake carried her out of the shop. A loud whooshing sound entered her ears, and she heard a flutter of wings. Like an Angel. But no… Angels couldn’t exist, right?
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