Happily Never After Read online

  “I think I can help,” she stated in a high voice. Her wings fluttered behind her as she settled on the dance floor.

  Jarret’s jaw clenched. “You’re a fairy godmother,” he growled.

  “Of course.” She drifted over to a chair and seated herself neatly. “My name is Lavender. Unfortunately Evangeline caught a misfired spell.” She tapped her wand on her knee.

  “What does that mean?” the Queen asked, arching an eyebrow.

  “It means a very naughty fairy godmother tried to cast a spell on Ella, and she missed and hit Evangeline.” Lavender smiled apologetically.

  “What can we do?” Ella asked, watching Prince Ellander stare at Evangeline as if she were the entire reason for his existence. Evangeline was doing her best to ignore him, her foot tapping in irritation.

  “Unfortunately the spell was not very specific.” Lavender watched the group, pursing her lips as she tried to figure out a solution. She sighed. “The best I can do is to lessen the Prince’s enthusiasm. Until Evangeline is able to find her true love, the spell will not be broken.” She waved her wand, screwing her face up in concentration. She flicked the spell out, sending a shower of sparks toward the Prince. As soon as it hit him, he dropped his arms and took a step back from Evangeline. She sighed in relief.

  Prince Ellander took a step closer to her. “Is there anything wrong my love?” he asked.

  Evangeline rolled her eyes and took a slight step away from him. “I am fine, thank you.”

  “He won’t be able to stay away from you. At least not until the spell is broken.” Lavender shrugged.

  The Queen sighed in exasperation. “And how is my son supposed to do his duties when he is following after this human woman like a lost little puppy?”

  Lavender shrugged, “I am afraid that is the best I can do right now.”

  The Queen clenched her jaw in obvious frustration. “I suppose Rose is aware of the problem.”

  “She is, and she is working on resolving it.” Lavender smiled serenely.

  “I suppose you will have to come up to the palace.” The Queen looked at Jarret, Evangeline and Ella. She clapped her hands, and a handful of servants appeared from nowhere. “Gather their belongings from wherever they are staying. They will be coming with me to the palace until we can get this fixed.”

  Prince Ellander reached out and brushed a stray hair from Evangeline’s face. She rolled her eyes and batted his hand away.

  Ella stifled a giggle, leaning in to whisper to Jarret. “I guess she might be getting married before you.”

  Jarret grunted. “Maybe, but I doubt this Prince is her true love.”

  13 – A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME

  Rose leaned back in the chair, watching Prince Charmaine and Alastair with amusement.

  “What do you mean my niece was hit by a misfired spell?” Alastair bellowed, his hair standing wildly out from his head as if he suffered from an overdose of static electricity. “How could that happen?”

  “I told you, Alastair, Violet meant to hit Ella, and Evangeline got in the way,” Rose stated calmly. “Unfortunately Prince Ellander thinks she is his one true love because of the spell. They won’t be leaving the Great Forest anytime soon.”

  “But what about the ball? How am I supposed to be reintroduced to Lady Winslow?” Prince Charmaine pouted. “I can’t wait around here forever. My father will force me to go back and marry some fluff brain from another kingdom.”

  Rose rolled her eyes. “We can’t have that,” she said drily. “I may have a solution though.”

  “What?” Prince Charmaine sat back, crossing his arms, looking petulant.

  “I would suggest that you gather an entourage and head to the Great Forest. I will speak with the Queen.” Her eyes sparkled with amusement. “We’ll call it a diplomatic mission.”

  Prince Charmaine jumped to his feet. “That is a grand idea. I will go under the ruse of negotiating a trade agreement for.…” He paused to think, then snapped his fingers as an idea occurred to him. “Enchanted crystals! While I am there, I can meet and woo Lady Winslow.” He leaned over to Rose and planted a kiss on her cheek. “You are brilliant! I should go make arrangements.” He darted out of the room leaving Alastair and Rose in peace.

  “That is all well and good, Rose,” Alastair growled. “But what are you going to do about my niece?”

  Rose smiled at him, motioning at him to calm down. “Prince Charmaine will arrive in the Great Forest only to find that Ella and Jarret have moved on. Evangeline will, of course have to remain because of Prince Ellander.”

  “How does this help?” He cocked an eyebrow at her, tapping a finger on his desk in impatience.

  Rose sighed. “Prince Charmaine has never been Ella’s true happily ever after. You know that.”

  Alastair shook his head. “What does that have to do with Evangeline?”

  “Simple. Evangeline needs to find true love with a Prince. Obviously Prince Ellander is not the right Prince, so we will provide another option. Ella still needs to find her happily ever after. Jarret can take her on an extended tour of the Kingdoms, which will allow Ella to find what she is looking for.” Rose stood, then stepped around his desk gracefully and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, old friend. We will get this sorted out. If I have to scour all of the kingdoms for every available Prince, I will.”

  “And what about your wayward fairy godmother?” Alastair heaved a sigh, turning in his chair to glance up at her. “Will she interfere anymore?”

  “No,” Rose stated emphatically. “I have confiscated her wand. She will be serving penance for quite a while. Once I get this whole mess straightened out, she will be coming to apologize to you, Jarret, Ella and Evangeline. I don’t think she could have made more of a mess if she had tried.”

  Alastair reached up, taking her delicate hand which rested on his shoulder. “Perhaps, but there is some good that came from all of this.”

  “What is that?” Rose smiled at him.

  “I met you.” Alastair stood, leading her over to the window. “If Ella’s father had never made his wish, if your silly fairy godmother had not messed things up so badly, then I would still be a poor winemaker.”

  Rose chuckled. “And now you are one of the wealthiest men in the Kingdom.”

  “That wasn’t what I meant.” Alastair turned to look out the window, taking in the vast estate. “I may have gained a great deal of wealth after I started helping you. But it is your friendship I value the most.”

  Rose watched him. “I value your friendship as well, Alastair. I know you only started working with me in an attempt to correct the mistakes of my less-than-able fairy godmothers. But I have come to rely on your keen understanding of human nature.” She leaned against the window frame, watching a gardener as he trimmed a hedge.

  Alastair grunted. “Perhaps I should start teaching your fairy godmothers about human nature before they head out into the world.”

  “What a novel idea!” She clapped her hands in delight. “I think that would be fabulous.”

  Alastair stared at her in disbelief. “You do know I was joking?”

  Rose laughed. “Of course, but it is a wonderful idea. After this is over, maybe you should think about turning the family business over to Jarret. Then you could come teach my fairy godmothers how to help people get their true happily ever afters.”

  Alastair continued to stare at her, thinking over her offer. He nodded slowly. “Maybe, we’ll see.”

  “Wonderful!” Rose stood on tiptoe and kissed him on his cheek. “I can’t wait.”

  14 – THE GOLDEN CITY

  Sunrise in Aurelia was unlike any other sunrise that Ella had ever witnessed. The golden rays peeked over the horizon, bathing the forest below in soft orange light. It crept up from the base of the city, washing the walls with its glowing warmth until they looked like they were painted gold. Then it swept over the buildings causing them to glimmer as if they were on fire. Ella, standing on a parapet of the castle, st
ared transfixed by the surreal beauty.

  Jarret chuckled as he watched her face. “I told you it is amazing.” He grinned.

  “I’ve never seen anything this wonderful,” she breathed.

  “It is truly a most magnificent sight.” Prince Ellander commented, joining them as they leaned out over the crenulations. “Don’t you agree my love?” he asked Evangeline, who had followed Jarret and Ella onto the parapet to avoid the Prince.

  She sighed. “Of course. Ella, as soon as you are done admiring the view I think perhaps we should find a place and resume your fencing lessons.” She moved carefully away from the Prince, stepping in between Ella and Jarret.

  “Fencing? Why are you learning the art of the sword, fair Lady?” Prince Ellander maneuvered up next to Evangeline, pushing in between her and Ella. His arm snaked around Evangeline’s waist, pulling her close. He never took his eyes off Ella.

  Ella cleared her throat, trying to hide her amusement at Evangeline’s discomfort as she tried to remove herself unobtrusively from the Prince’s grasp.

  “Evangeline is teaching me to be a Lady,” Ella stated quietly.

  Prince Ellander cocked his head in confusion. “How does learning to fence teach you to be a Lady?”

  Ella shrugged, unsure of how to respond.

  “Oh for goodness’s sake,” Evangeline huffed, crossing her arms after failing to remove the Prince’s arm. “Her ungrateful stepmother stole her inheritance and forced her to work as a servant in her own home. Recently Ella made a wish, which her fairy godmother granted. The silly fairy sent her to Prince Charmaine’s ball, where they danced until midnight. When Ella’s stepmother found out that Ella had attended the ball she threw her out of the house.” Evangeline turned to face Prince Ellander and glared at him. “Jarret and I are trying to help Ella learn to become a Lady so she can be reunited with Prince Charmaine,”

  “Wait.” Prince Ellander oblivious to Evangeline’s frustration with him, turned to Ella, his eyes wide. “You are the fair maiden Prince Charmaine has been searching his entire Kingdom for?”

  Ella shrugged.

  “Yes, she is,” Jarret interjected, noting Ella’s discomfort at being the center of attention. “We are – ” he paused for – “or were taking her on a tour of places she has dreamed of seeing to buy time while we teach her the fundamentals of etiquette.”

  “I am still unclear how learning to fence will help her become a Lady, but I will gladly show you a place where you can spar.” Prince Ellander took Evangeline’s hand and led her away from the parapet and into the castle. Ella and Jarret followed behind them, stifling their laughter every time Evangeline glared back at them.

  “It should be obvious.” she commented as she tried to pull away from Prince Ellander’s grasp again. “She does not know how to move, she has never worn gowns or heels, and she has spent the last several years slumping and cowering.”

  “Ah – ” Prince Ellander nodded sagely. “I see. Well, perhaps my mother can be of some assistance. She has trained many ladies-in-waiting.”

  Evangeline looked over her shoulder to Ella and Jarret. Her face begged them to rescue her from her overly attentive Prince. Ella stifled a giggle; she didn’t want to take pleasure in Evangeline’s discomfort, but it was funny watching her try to discourage the Prince. Ellander led them through the castle, past exquisitely decorated rooms filled with Lords and ladies lounging in comfort. He led them out into a garden filled with vibrant flowers, their luscious scents filling the air. He stopped beyond the garden at a training ground filled with soldiers.

  “We do not have a private training ground. All who wish to train in the art of war train here.” He gestured expansively toward the grounds.

  “This will be fine. Thank you.” Evangeline pulled her hand out of his grasp and headed over to a rack full of training weapons. She selected one and motioned for Ella to join her. “At least while we are practicing I don’t have to worry about him crowding my space,” she whispered.

  Ella glanced over at the Prince, who waited patiently on the edge of the practice ground. She grinned, “He is very handsome though.”

  Evangeline rolled her eyes. “Maybe, but I prefer my men to be a little more relaxed. What about you? What is your perfect man like? Does Prince Charmaine fit the bill?”

  Ella blushed. “I…. He….” she swallowed nervously. “He is very handsome, but.…” She hesitated. “I really don’t know him”

  Evangeline chuckled. “I understand. What about Jarret? You know him.”

  Ella glanced over at her friend, smiling at him. “I’ve known Jarret since I was little. He’s like a big brother to me.”

  “Hmmm…Perhaps.” Evangeline gave her an unreadable look. She whipped her sword through the air. “He is very handsome though.”

  “Yes he is. Kind too.” Ella stretched carefully, watching Evangeline.

  “The girl who captures his heart will be lucky. He is a good man.” Evangeline motioned for Ella to take her place across from her. “Shall we get started?”

  Ella nodded in agreement as she took her place, saluting Evangeline with her blade. “Let’s go.”

  The morning passed in a flurry of fencing. Ella managed to score a few touches on Evangeline and then tried her best to face off with Jarret. Evangeline left her on the training grounds when a summons arrived from the Queen. She stomped off, Prince Ellander in tow, muttering under her breath about fairy godmothers and spells gone wrong.

  Jarret was very relaxed as he evaded Ella’s advances, quickly returning to a defensive position. Ella could tell he was merely defending and not putting any effort into attacking. The ease with which he avoided her attacks showed her that he was a very skilled opponent, and the likelihood of her scoring a touch was nonexistent. A few failed passes left her huffing in displeasure while he stood calm and cool, a little smile playing at the corners of his lips.

  “What am I doing wrong?” Ella grumbled as her foil missed its mark once again.

  Jarret smiled gently, lowering his weapon. “May I show you?”

  Ella nodded, waiting for him to demonstrate. Instead he stepped behind her, wrapping his hand around hers over the hilt of the blade. His other hand rested gently on her waist.

  “Relax your grip a little,” he murmured in her ear. “Good,” he said as he felt her grip loosen. “You are telegraphing your attacks by dropping your shoulder and leaning the way you want your blade to go. It’s all about finesse. The smaller the movement, the less likely it is your opponent will see it coming. Don’t let your eyes or your body show where you are planning to attack.” He turned her wrist slightly and moved her arm forward, showing her how to angle the blade with the slightest movement.

  “Okay, but what about – ” She turned to ask him a question, but she lost her train of thought when she realized how close Jarret was standing to her. Her heart fluttered, and her breath caught as she held his sparking green gaze. This close she was able to see his thick, dark lashes and full lips.

  “Yes?” he prompted, waiting patiently for her to continue, still holding her hand in his, an eyebrow arched in response.

  “I…um, I….” She swallowed and turned away, trying to gather her thoughts. “What about defending?” she finally asked as her voice and thoughts returned.

  “Use the smallest movement necessary. That way you can react quicker. The less distance you move your blade from defending or attacking, the less ground you have cover when you have to move in a different direction.” He let go of her and moved so he was once again in front of her. He saluted and took up a ready position.

  Ella blinked a couple of times, trying to clear the confusion out of her mind. “How do I know how small to make the movements?”

  “That’s why we spar.” Jarret chuckled. “The more we spar, the more you learn how far to move to be effective.”

  Ella nodded, finally getting her thoughts back on track. She feinted to the left, trying to draw him off, and then lunged, twisting her blade slig
htly to the right. He parried and reposted with an attack of his own. Ella retreated a few steps, desperately defending herself. She watched for an opening and took it, surprised when it actually broke through and touched him. Jarret looked up at her startled and then proceeded to act out a dramatic death scene, falling to the ground, clutching his heart, and moaning in agony.

  Ella laughed. It reminded her of when they were children. She clapped, praising his performance as he stood, dusted himself off, and offered a florid bow.

  Someone off to the side cleared their throat and coughed, drawing Jarret and Ella’s attention. “Pardon me, my Lord and Lady. The Queen requests your presence at once.” The servant bowed, motioning for them to follow him.

  “What’s going on?” Ella whispered to Jarret as the servant led them through the castle to the Queen.

  Jarret shrugged. “I don’t know. I wonder what sort of trouble Evangeline has gotten herself into this time.”

  The servant led them into a large suite of rooms, announcing them as he opened a set of double doors. The Queen sat on a small throne next to a window, staring out into the bright sunshine with a look of annoyance. Evangeline and Prince Ellander stood off to the side, Evangeline tapping her foot impatiently, arms crossed and a look of extreme displeasure on her face. Prince Ellander looked confused as he stared back and forth between his mother and Evangeline. Ella had just enough time to notice another woman standing in the room before Jarret shouted.

  “Rose!” He leapt across the room, gathered the elegant woman up in a hug, and spun her around, planting an exuberant kiss on her cheek. The woman laughed in delight, the wings on her back fluttering as he set her down.

  The Queen’s eyebrow shot up in surprise. “I see you already know our esteemed guest.” Her voice was cool and composed.

  Jarret grinned at her. “She’s my godmother.”

  “How ironic,” the Queen stated, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

  Ella stared in confusion. “But Jarret, she’s a fairy godmother.”