Happily Never After Read online

  Ella narrowed her eyes as Jarret stood up from his casual pose. “What exactly are we going to be doing?” she asked?

  Evangeline grabbed one of the practice swords, pressing the hilt into Ella’s hand. “You are going to learn how to be a Lady. Therefore, we will start with fencing lessons.”

  She picked up another sword, demonstrating how to grip it. “First of all you will never learn how to move like a Lady unless we can break all of those bad habits you learned while serving your step family.” She turned and gently slapped Ella across her hips with the blade. “You slouch, shuffle, and cower.”

  Ella forced herself to swallow the indignant words that almost jumped out of her mouth. She knew that Evangeline was right, but it was still hard to hear it. “So what do I have to do?” she grumbled.

  Evangeline grinned at her while slipping on soft leather gloves. “Jare, give her some gloves.”

  Jarret handed Ella a pair. “Don’t worry, Ella. I’ve got your back,” he whispered in her ear.

  She swallowed her nervousness, pulling on the gloves and picking up her practice blade. She positioned herself facing Evangeline.

  “The first thing you need to learn is how to stand. Bend your knees slightly.” Evangeline looked her over. “Good.” She nodded, noting Ella’s posture. “Now position your feet like this.”

  Ella mimicked her stance, the blade held out in front of her in one hand and the other at a right angle behind her head, pointing toward the sky. She felt like she was going to tip over at any minute.

  “Spread your feet a little farther apart.” Evangeline tapped her front leg with the blade, indicating she should move it. “Chin up, shoulders back. Perfect. Now watch how I move.” She set her herself in position and moved forward, placing her front foot first and sliding her back foot up to meet it. She did this several times and then moved in reverse. “Your turn.” She nodded to Ella.

  Ella took a deep breath and moved forward and back, the blade bobbing in front of her. She felt silly, but after a few tries she started to get the hang of it. Evangeline moved in front of her, calling out directions. Advance. “Advance. Retreat. Advance. Retreat.” The words echoed through the gardens, sounding out the clarion call for the making of a Lady.

  5 – REVENGE OF THE FAIRY GODMOTHER

  Violet watched the wretched girl Evangeline giving Ella fencing lessons. She fumed, furious at the restrictions Rose had placed on her. Ella didn’t need fencing lessons; she needed her Prince Charmaine. She didn’t need lessons in how to be a Lady. Violet growled, flicking her wand in anger, little sparks of magic dripping from its tip. She paced, muttering to herself about how the Leandres men always interfered with her job.

  She paused, an idea beginning to take shape. Rose had forbade her from casting any spells on Ella or the Leandres, but she hadn’t said anything about Prince Charmaine. Violet smiled at the realization that she could make Ella’s wish come true. She let herself fade with a pop, reappearing in the Prince’s castle. It wasn’t as large as the Leandres’ estate, but it had more history and charm.

  Violet fluttered through the halls, looking for the Prince. If she could grant his wish to find Ella, then she would be putting Ella back on track to getting her happily ever after. It took several minutes to locate him, as she wound her way through hallways filled with tapestries and artwork. She found him, seated in a chair, staring out a window. His clothes appeared disheveled as if he had slept in them. She watched for a moment, noting the forlorn look in his bright-blue eyes.

  “Oh fair Prince, what causes you such distress?” she asked, knowing what the answer would be.

  The Prince looked around for the source of the question, his eyes skipping over her. “Who’s there?”

  Violet waved her wand. She grew to human size and slowly became visible. “It is your fairy godmother.”

  He stared at her for a long minute before he sat back laughing. “Who put you up to this? Was it Godrick? He thinks I’m off my rocker.”

  Violet looked at the Prince in confusion. “I don’t understand.” Her wings fluttered in agitation. “I’m here to help you.”

  “Oh really?” His voice was filled with sarcasm. “Tell me, can you make the love of my life magically appear? Can you bring me my true love so we can get married and live happily ever after?”

  Violet cleared her throat. “Um, no. But I can tell you where she is.”

  The Prince sat forward, jabbing a finger at her chest. “You are full of it,” he stated, the turned back to the window and pointedly ignored her.

  Violet’s indigo eyes widened in indignation, her wings beating furiously. She stamped her foot. “I most certainly am not full of it.”

  The Prince looked at her, cocking an eyebrow, a smile curling up one corner of his lips. “Oh yeah? Then where is she?”

  “And why should I tell you?” Violet shot back.

  “Hah!” He jumped up, pointing a finger at her again. “I knew you weren’t a real fairy godmother.”

  “Not a real fairy godmother!” She growled. “Why you insolent little.…I’ll show you.” She waved her wand, and flashes of magic formed a pool in the air between them. Slowly a picture of Ella and Evangeline fencing formed in the pool, the picture zoomed out to reveal the Leandres estate.

  The Prince whooped, then grabbed Violet and planted a kiss on her cheek. He danced out of the room, leaving her standing with one hand resting on the cheek he had kissed.

  “Oh my,” she whispered, unsure of what had just happened.

  6 – AND THE ADVENTURES ARE JUST BEGINNING.…

  Ella stood on the edge of the practice grounds panting and out of breath. She held her side, the stitch in it threatening to double her over. Three hours of constant practice had left her covered in sweat and feeling in desperate need of a bath. Her stomach rumbled loudly, drawing a smile from Jarret, who lounged nearby. Evangeline had stopped the practice when a servant had rushed up with an urgent message from Alastair. Jarret had pulled Evangeline off to the side where they spoke quietly.

  Evangeline motioned for Ella to come over. “Gather some supplies and meet us with horses at the caretaker’s cottage,” she told the servant as Ella joined them. “We have a problem,” she stated, tapping a long finger against her lips.

  “What sort of problem?” Ella asked quietly.

  “The Prince has dropped by unannounced.” Evangeline shook her head, pursing her lips thoughtfully. “I don’t know why he would choose to come here now.”

  Ella felt her stomach flutter, panic starting to set in. “Why is he here? He can’t see me like this!”

  “Precisely,” Evangeline stated emphatically. “We’ll have to take you off somewhere – ”

  “To the Great Forest,” Jarret jumped in. “You wanted to see the Great Forest. We’ll take a little trip to all the places you told me you wanted to see. Evangeline can continue your training, and when we get back we will arrange for you to meet the Prince.”

  Ella stared at him in disbelief, relief warring with confusion. She wasn’t sure she wanted to meet the Prince again. “But – ”

  “I think that is a brilliant idea,” Evangeline interrupted. “We’ll kill two birds with one stone. You’ll get to find out what you want, and we’ll get you away from Prince Charmaine until we can make you into a Lady.”

  Ella looked back and forth between the two. “Why do you want me to be a Lady and meet the Prince?” she asked quietly.

  Jarret took her hand and led her away from the practice area. “Fairy godmothers do have some idea about what your happily ever after contains, but somehow they miss important details that lead to it falling apart before it can really happen.”

  Ella shook her head still confused. “But you said I write my own happily ever after.”

  He chuckled. “I did say that, and you do. First we start by working toward the ending your fairy godmother was trying to give you. If that isn’t what you really want then we can go in a different direction. You said you didn’t kn
ow what you wanted. What do you really think about the Prince?”

  Ella felt herself start to blush. She really did not want to discuss this with Jarret, but she knew he was just trying to help. “He is very handsome, but I didn’t get a chance to get to know him.”

  “That’s why you need to learn to be a Lady. We can introduce you properly so you can get to know him.” Jarret smiled at her. “Then, if you don’t like him after you get to know him, well.…” He shrugged. “You can pick any eligible man in the Kingdom at that point.”

  Ella blushed again and nodded her understanding. Jarret led them through the gardens and out into a small wooded area. Evangeline followed quietly, slapping her gloves in her hand in obvious frustration. The trio came to a small stone cottage set in the trees. Evangeline seated herself on a thick wooden stump used to chop firewood. Jarret knocked on the door, looking around as he waited for an answer. After a minute he shrugged and found a large piece of uncut firewood. He turned it over and dusted it off.

  “My Lady,” he said with a bow to Ella. “A seat for you while we wait.”

  Ella giggled, and Evangeline rolled her eyes. Ella took the proffered seat gratefully, balancing carefully on the tipsy log. Her stomach growled again, louder this time.

  Evangeline grinned at her. “I hope Gervis packed some lunch. Ella’s going to need it.”

  Jarret laughed. “I was beginning to think there was a bear hiding in the woods with all the growling.”

  Ella smiled, feeling her cheeks redden yet again. “Between that horrible dress and the fencing lessons, I haven’t had a lot to eat today. It’s okay.” She shrugged. “I’m used to it.”

  Jarret glared into the distance. “You shouldn’t be used to it. I’m sure your toad of a stepmother never goes hungry.”

  “Jarret,” Evangeline warned. “Be nice. I am sure there is some redeeming quality to the Lady Ravenna.”

  Ella shook her head sadly. “No. She is the cruelest person I know. My stepsisters, Constance and Diana, were my friends until Papa died. Once he was gone, Lady Ravenna forced them to be mean to me, and then over the years it became habit for them to be as cruel as she was.” She stared at the calluses on her palms, rubbing at the toughened skin. They were not the hands of a Lady. She sighed; no amount of training would change the fact that she looked and acted like a servant.

  “Why did the Prince come here?” she asked again, wondering what would bring him to Alastair’s home.

  Evangeline smiled. “He came to see you, dear.” She reached over and took Ella’s hand. “I know you don’t believe it, but he was quite smitten with you at the ball.”

  Ella shook her head. “There were so many beautiful women there. I’m nothing special. We only danced a few dances, and everything he saw was a result of my wish.”

  Jarret chuckled. “Ella, you were by far the most beautiful woman at the ball. There wasn’t a single man there who wasn’t envious of the Prince and his time with you. The Prince didn’t stand a chance because one dance was obviously all it took. I’m just curious how he found out you are here.”

  “Me too,” Evangeline growled.

  Two servants leading four horses into the clearing in front of the cottage interrupted them. “My Lord.” One bowed as he handed the reins of a horse to Jarret. “Your father wishes for me to tell you that the Prince will be staying for an indefinite amount of time. It seems he knows that a certain Lady” – he gave Ella a very pointed look – “is staying at the house.”

  Ella swallowed nervously, “What are we going to do?”

  “We follow the plan,” Evangeline stated. “Please tell Lord Alastair we will be giving Ella a tour of the Great Forest. We will return in one month.” The servant bowed, passing her the reins to another horse. She looped them around a nearby bush, dug through one of the baskets on the packhorse, and handed Ella an apple and chunk of cheese. “That should hold you until we get to an inn.”

  Ella accepted the food gratefully. She took a bite out of the sweet apple, and juice dripped down her chin. She wiped it with the back of her hand, grinning at Jarret. It was very un-Ladylike, but she really didn’t care. “Do you remember when we used to climb the apple trees behind the vineyard?” she asked, then licked the juice dripping from the apple.

  He chuckled warmly. “Your mother used to get so mad at us because you would come home with your dress all torn and dirty.”

  Ella finished the apple and cheese in a few bites. “I miss those days.” She wiped her hands on the front of her pants. “Everything is so complicated now.”

  “Are you ready?” Evangeline asked. She untied and mounted her horse.

  Ella looked at the third horse and sighed. “I guess. I haven’t ridden since I was little, and that was just Buttercup, my pony.”

  “Remember, be fearless,” Jarret whispered in her ear as he helped her into the saddle.

  Ella settled herself. “Let’s go,” she stated as she followed them down a path and further into the woods.

  ***

  Twilight gathered around them as they traveled through the woods down a worn path that eventually led them to q cobblestone road. Ella stopped her horse as the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the hills with blushing streaks of gold and pink. A warm breeze fluttered the leaves, playing counterpoint to the chorus of crickets and frogs.

  Jarret stopped next to her as she admired the sunset. “It’s a lovely night,” he commented quietly.

  Ella smiled at him. “This is my favorite time of day. I used to sit and watch the sunset with Papa. After he died I still found a way to watch it even if it meant getting in trouble.”

  Jarret reached across and squeezed her arm. “It is a beautiful sunset.” He smiled at her. “If you like sunsets, then we’ll have to go to the Golden Sea.”

  Ella nodded. “That sounds wonderful. Where are we going tonight?”

  “There is an inn up ahead. We’ll stop for the night, and tomorrow we will head into the Great Forest,” Evangeline said as she turned back to them. “It’s small but clean, and it will give us a chance to do a little planning.”

  Ella sighed in relief. It had been a long day full of hard work, and she was exhausted. She gently nudged her horse forward, dreaming of a hot meal and a warm bed.

  7 – A PRINCELY SURPRISE

  Alastair watched Prince Charmaine as he paced across the hand-woven rug, hands clasped behind his back. His curly blonde hair captured the sun as he passed in front of the large glass window overlooking the gardens. Alastair knew the Prince was frustrated by having missed Ella, but she was not ready to meet him as an equal. Alastair silently applauded Evangeline and Jarret’s quick thinking.

  “Why would they decide just to up and go on a tour of the Great Forest?” Charmaine growled, turning to face Alastair.

  Alastair put on a serious face and shrugged his shoulders. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, my niece has always been rather impulsive. My guess is she heard that Lady Winslow had never been to the Great Forest and decided to take her.”

  Prince Charmaine flopped onto a chair, sighing. “You do realize the Lady Winslow is the same Lady I have been searching the Kingdom for?”

  “I was unaware, Your Highness.” Alastair offered the Prince a cup of tea.

  Prince Charmaine accepted the cup, and stared into its contents. “How do you know the Lady Winslow?”

  “Her father and I were dear friends. When he died I swore to look after her, but her stepmother refused my help. Ella recently became my ward after her stepmother sent her away.” Alastair sat back, watching the Prince carefully. Alastair had a feeling that Ella’s fairy godmother was behind the Prince’s sudden arrival. “I did not realize you had met her.”

  The Prince waved his hand impatiently. “She was the delightful creature I danced with at the ball. She never told me her name. I have been searching high and low for her.”

  “Ah,” Alastair replied. “Well, my niece was quite clear. They will return in one month. Perhaps I can host anot
her ball when they return, and you can become reacquainted with Lady Winslow.”

  The Prince clapped his hands in delight. “Fantastic. In the meantime I will keep you company just in case they return early.”

  Alastair suppressed a groan. “Very well, Your Highness.”

  The Prince laughed. “You know I never would have thought to look here. But this fairy godmother appeared and showed me that Lady Winslow was staying here.”

  Alastair cocked an eyebrow at the Prince. “You didn’t make a wish, did you?”

  “Heavens no!” The Prince grinned impudently. “The poor dear got so riled up when I pretended not to believe in her magic that she showed me exactly what I wanted to know.” He waggled a finger at Alastair. “I know better than to trust fairy godmother magic.”

  Alastair breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t need to try to undo more than one fairy godmother’s spell at a time. “I’m glad to hear that.”

  Prince Charmaine chuckled. “Your family has made quite a fortune fixing fairy godmother magic. What’s the secret?”

  Alastair smiled. “Ah, Your Highness, just as you cannot reveal crown secrets, I am bound to keep the secret of what I do.”

  “Fair enough.” The Prince shrugged. “Can you tell me more about my mysterious Lady Winslow? I had never heard of her before the ball, and there seems to be no record of her anywhere.”

  Alastair sighed. “It is a tragic tale, my Prince. You see, her mother died when she was very young, and her father remarried. Her stepmother was a perfect Lady and had two lovely daughters of her own. Ella’s father became very ill and died shortly after his second marriage. The stepmother took Ella in but has kept her hidden in order to forward her own daughters’ interests.”