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It was two in the morning when Ella woke. She was alone in her bedroom, a warm blanket covering her shoulders.
Blake was gone. She didn’t know how long he was gone for, but the lamps were still on.
It was then that she stood up, folding her fingers around the handle of a light as she carried it to the wooden desk. It settled in the corner of the room. Right next to the window that currently had the curtains drawn.
Resting down onto the leather chair, Ella rustled through the desk drawer. She didn’t really know what she was looking for... maybe a knife? Something to help her escape? But she just ended up finding paper as well as an ink jar and a feather.
She stopped for a moment, staring down at the feather. It was the color of light, like the sun. And it reminded her of Blake somehow. And she ran her finger down the edges, feeling the softness run against her skin, wondering if this was how Blake’s feathers felt. Warm and soft. White and beautiful.
It was then... after searching through all the drawers... that she decided she wanted to express her emotions on paper...
She dipped the tip into the ink, the white being consumed with black like night covering the light of the sky. And she started writing.
She really didn’t write anything in particular. Just her troubles, fears, and desires put into a fictional world.
The feather scratched the paper nonstop for almost thirty minutes. Ella would’ve kept going, but the door to her room opened and she stopped to see Blake enter, his black hair damp like he just took a bath.
She stared at him for a moment as he closed the door behind him. He cast a look at the bed to see it empty, and pure panic set over his expression until he looked at the desk she was sitting at.
Blake’s expression then calmed as if he were relieved, but his tone was harsh in protectiveness as he spoke.
“Why the hell are you up? It’s almost two-thirty!”
She looked down at her paper. Well... papers. She wrote almost twenty pages. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“Nightmares again?” His tone calmed. It was hard to believe he could read minds, and at times... it got pretty irritating... It was also annoying that he knew so much about her when she knew practically nothing about him. Like his favorite things, color, food, type of clothing, style.
When she didn’t respond, Blake stepped toward her in soft pads. “Come on. Lay down. I’ll help you sleep.”
She didn’t move. Just stayed in place, staring down at her paper as she tried to avoid eye-contact. His gaze was hot... like a fire... and she wouldn’t be able to look away when she stared into his eyes.
“I’m okay,” she said softly.
“Princess,” Blake said, annoyed.
“I said I’m fine,” she repeated.
“Lay down,” he commanded gently.
“You can go to bed,” Ella suggested. “I’m not preventing you.”
“I’m not leaving until you’re asleep.”
Ella covered her face with her hands, leaning into them. “Prince,” her voice was muffled, “I said I’m fine. So go.”
“No.”
Blake was being stubborn, and she felt a little sting of irritation crawl at her skin. She knew it was hypocritical, she was being stubborn as well.
“Come on,” he said. “Get up.”
“Please,” Ella begged, “just go.”
Blake stared at her for a moment, studying her. “You’re scared about something.”
“No...” she tried to convince him. “Really. I’m okay.”
“You’re lying,” he noticed.
She could feel him getting closer, so she turned and gave him a look that dared him to get near her.
He dared.
“Up you get.” He waved his fingers toward the ceiling, gesturing for her to stand.
She took a deep breath. “It’s okay, Prince Blake,” Ella whispered. “I don’t want you worrying about me. I’m fine. You can go to bed, okay?”
“But I like worrying about you,” he argued, making her heart flutter. “And you need someone to. You feel alone. Forsaken. And I don’t like that, Princess.”
Ella was silent. At a loss for words. And she flinched when she felt his hand lightly grasp her shoulder.
“Come here.”
“Prince—” But he already slipped his hands under her armpits, and he lifted her like a child, supporting her bottom with his arm, his other lightly brushing her hair out of her face.
“Put me down...” she said silently.
“No.”
“Prince—”
“You mind as well get used to it,” he interrupted. “I’m not going to listen to you refuse help when you want it, you know.”
Ella rested her head on Blake’s shoulder as he carried her over to the bed, gently stroking her arm. God... he was right...
“Lay down, Princess,” he said, gently setting her on the bed.
He rested one hand on her back, the other on her chest, and lightly pushed her down onto the mattress, feeling her stare at him as he did it.
“Why are you doing this?” she breathed. “Why do you care?”
Blake drew the blanket over her again. “Because.”
Ella tried to shift to a sitting position, but Blake pressed his hand to her chest, making her stop.
“Prince Blake?” she wondered quietly. “Why won’t you answer me?”
“I am,” Blake said with a light chuckle, sitting on the bed. “But it doesn’t mean it’s what you want to hear.”
She looked away, biting her lip to resist saying it. “Can you stay?”
Blake grinned. “Whatever you want, I’ll do it.”
“Don’t say that,” she pleaded, staring at the bedside table on the other side of the mattress.
Blake glanced at her expression. She could feel that there was a full load of hate... self-loathing in her eyes. “Why?”
“I don’t want to be spoiled,” she admitted in a whisper.
She felt him smile again, lying down next to her while lightly tugging her shoulder so she faced him.
“I can’t help it,” he said. “You have a cute face.”
Ella felt her cheeks burning. “Wh- what...?”
“Come here, you.” Blake dragged her to his chest, gently slipping his fingers under her armpits.
“Ahh!” Ella exclaimed, laughing as he tickled her. “Ahh! Stop it! Blake!” She gasped for air when he stopped... and she looked into his eyes... thinking.
Blake reached for her again, but she pushed away before he started comforting her. He stared at her for a moment, studying her next move. “Wait...” she breathed.
“What’s wrong, Princess?” he wondered softly. Ella questioned how he could put her at ease with just his words. How was that even possible?
“I....” She hesitated, looking away, though she could feel Blake watch every movement she made. “I don’t want to sleep.”
He let out a long sigh. It felt like hours before he spoke, but when he did, his voice was quiet and soft, like the calm waves of the ocean. “Princess, are you scared?” And before she could say anything, he added, “And be honest. I know when you’re lying.”
Ella rolled away for a moment, reaching for a blanket that was balled up next to her. When she grabbed it, she laid it over herself and Blake, then stared up at him as his green eyes studied her.
“You see this?” she whispered, pulling out a necklace that was hidden in the collar of her night dress. It was a metal Angel feather, glistening in the firelight. “It was my mother’s,” Ella explained. “My father gave it to me when I was six. He told me to never lose it. He said that it was my mom’s lucky charm. That it would keep her safe. And that if I wore it, I would have her protection.”
Blake was silent, maybe waiting for her to finish, Ella couldn’t tell.
“Before it was my mother’s, it was my grandmother’s, then her mother’s, and so on. I kept it with me every day... and every night I would try to talk to my mom. I wanted to hurt myself at times... but I felt an Angel watching over me... or... just someone... and at first... I thought it was in my head... I thought that presence I felt was fake... but I never gave up. ”
Ella looked up at Blake’s soft gaze. “So... now... I know it was you... You were watching over me. You were my guardian Angel....” She let out a chuckle. “Quite literally.” Her expression turned serious within seconds. “So... I want you to have it... to show that I thank you... and that....” She let out a soft breath, whispering, “So please take it....”
Ella held out the necklace to Blake, gently opening his palm, letting the chain fall into his hand, and she closed his fingers around the soft metal, holding it for a moment.
“You’re willing to give me something that means so much to you,” Blake noticed quietly, examining the golden metal in his hand. He looked at her a second later and smiled. “You’re starting to trust me, aren’t you?”
“Maybe...” she admitted in a whisper.
After clipping the chain around his neck, he looked back at Ella who held her gaze to the gold feather on his chest. She touched the tips of her fingers to it, whispering something in Latin, and took her hand away.
“It suits you,” she stated gently. “You’re an Angel... My guardian Angel....”
She could feel Blake’s smile light a fire inside her. “You’re my Princess,” he said back. “My Savior.”
Gently, he grasped her hand, planting kisses on each finger, and Ella gasped.
“Prince Blake,” she said, scared.
“It’s okay,” he promised. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“But... Prince Blake... why are you—”
“No,” he breathed, pressing her relaxed hand to his cheek. “No ‘Prince.’ Just Blake.”
Ella shook her head. “No, I can’t do that. I’m a maid, remember?”
He smiled a cocky smile. “Not anymore, Ella. You’re a Princess now.”
“No...” she felt her heart drop. “Don’t tell me that... I never said I wanted to be!”
Blake lightly brushed her hair out of her eyes, and she turned away, covering her mouth with the blanket, loving the feeling of the softness rubbing against her face.
“So,” he said, annoyed. “You want to play this game again, huh?”
Ella closed her eyes as if they would block the words from entering her mind. “I’m not playing games....”
“Look at me, Princess,” he said, lightly tugging her arm so she turned to him... and he held her eyes. “I don’t care what other people say. What they have told you. What they put you through. You are beautiful, kind, and loving. And you are capable of being loved just like everyone else in this world.”
Ella felt her heart pounding in her chest... warmth consuming her veins... and light coming back into her eyes... It was like all she saw was black and white before... She wasn’t sure if she liked it, so she tore her gaze away.
“Princess...” Blake pleaded, “don’t look away from me... please... I want to see your eyes....”
Ella let out a soft whimper without meaning to, curling up into a ball.
“Let me see your eyes,” he begged in a whisper. “Let me see.”
He stopped pressuring her after a minute. “I’m not going to allow you to close yourself off from me,” he stated. “I can read you, Princess. And I know you force yourself to because you were taught that. I know you think you don’t deserve it. I also know that you do.”
“How can you be so sure?” she asked gently, the blanket covering the bottom half of her face as she turned away from him again.
“You just said I was your guardian Angel,” Blake said softly. “That I was the one watching over you. So wouldn’t it be reasonable to listen to the person who knows everything you do, why you do it, and tells you that you’re a good person?”
“But... why does everyone hate me...?” Ella whispered, feeling herself sink into sadness.
“I don’t hate you,” Blake stated gently from behind her. “My mom and dad don’t hate you. The maids and guards don’t hate you.”
“How do you know that...?”
She could hear the smile in his tone. “I can read their minds, Princess.”
“Okay... fair point...” she admitted. “But how can I trust your word? How do I know that you’re not just trying to make me trust you?”
“Princess,” he brushed her arm through the blanket gently, “I’m not the kind of person to lie about something like that. I’m not a trickster. I’m strict, yes, but I’m not cruel.”
“Why are you so nice to me then...?” Ella wondered.
“Because you deserve it,” he explained. “And because you’re treated horribly, terribly. No one deserves that, Princess. And especially not you.”
Thoughts stirred through her head. “Why then?” she said.
Blake knew what she was asking even though her question was really vague. “There isn’t a reason as to why you deserve this,” he said, “because you don’t. You are treated horribly by those people because they’re just horrible people.”
“I don’t understand...” Ella said, curling up.
“What if I put it this way?” Blake thought for a moment. “Let’s say there’s a girl,” he said. “She’s kind, sweet, and she feeds the ducks leftover bread crumbs. She helps the elderly walk across the street. She greets the store owner with a warm smile and makes him happy every day he sees her. Do you see this image, Ella?”
She nodded, wondering where he was going with this.
“Well, do you think that she deserves to be burned? Beaten? Hurt?”
“No!” Ella said, concerned.
“Do you think that she should be told that she was worthless?”
“No! Why are you asking me this?” She turned to him, staring at him like he was a psycho.
“Do you think,” Blake continued, something dark swirling deep in his gaze, “that she should want to kill herself?”
Ella felt tears stinging her eyes. “No! That’s horrible! Someone like that deserves to be loved and cared for!”
“That’s you Ella,” Blake said, making her freeze.
“What?” was all she said.
“Sweetheart,” he bent down so his breath warmed her cheeks, “you feed the ducks during the day. You walk the elderly across the street every day. You greet the store owner, and make him smile. And he never smiles!” Blake chuckled. “He’s a crotchety old man! You cook meals, you clean, and you bake cakes, you make blankets. Do you really think you did anything to deserve getting hurt?”
Ella felt ice consume her veins, but get burned by a fire from her heart. “I... never thought of it that way....”
“Of course you didn’t!” Blake said gently. “You were taught to hate yourself, Princess. No one should be taught that.”
“Then... what’s your point...?”
“That your stepmother’s in the wrong. Not you,” Blake said. “Your stepsister’s in the wrong. Not you. Can you hear what I’m saying?”
A nod. “So... I’m a good person...?”
Blake gave her a, did you seriously just ask that, look.
“You’re more of an Angel than I am, Princess,” he stated. “And I am an Angel.”
Ella stayed silent, just stared at his chest that rose and fell softly with every breath he breathed.
“Can I hold you now?” Blake whispered gently.
She looked down and nodded.
“Come here.” He slid his hands under her arm pits again, pulling her closer so she was pressed to him, the blanket covering the tip of her nose and her cheeks. And Blake gently ran his hand up and down her back, his breath heating her ear as her face pressed into the soft part of his neck.
“You’re warm,” Ella admitted softly.
A chuckle escaped his lips. “And you’re cute.”
“Thank you...” Ella whispered into his skin, hoping it wasn’t too late to express that.
But Blake responded faster than she thought. “I care about you, Princess. More than anything else in the world.”
Ella gazed up at him, eyes wide, and she saw something glisten in his dark green irises. A light... bright and flaming... like a star in the night sky...
And Ella stared at that light, afraid to lose it, fearing that it would vanish. She then looked down at his lips... and a thought pushed at her mind...
Oh, no... Oh, God... she wanted him to kiss her....
“What?” Blake blinked for a second.
But she stayed silent, and he leaned closer, watching her. Almost as if he were afraid she would scoot away or flinch, but she didn’t. Nor did she have the urge to.
Ella knew what he was doing, but she didn’t feel embarrassed or scared in any way. She stayed still, gazing softly into his eyes, and he looked back into hers with the same gentleness.
Blake was close now, so close she could feel his breath on her lips, and she could smell mint from his soap. He gave her a moment to regain her thoughts. They were all swirling around her head and she couldn’t grasp one.
Seconds later his mouth was pressed to hers, his lips soft like silk. And he leaned in closer as five more seconds past. Then ten, he laced his fingers through her hair and pulled closer.
He tasted like mints and pepper, he smelled like fresh cut leaves and earth, and Ella couldn’t grasp a single emotion that pushed at her mind. She just held onto Blake like he was keeping her from falling into hell.
The way his mouth curved with hers was unimaginable. It was like they were meant for each other.
The taste and the smell of him was soothing but awakening, and Ella couldn’t get enough.
She never kissed anyone before. Never knew it could make her heart pound like it did, force warmth into her cold veins, and make her feel so vulnerable to his touch. It was like he was fire, and she was melting into his arms.
It felt like they were kissing for hours when really, it was only two minutes, and a knock cascaded on the bedroom door.
“Prince Blake? Are you in there?” It was one of the guards.
Blake broke off too quickly, letting out an annoyed groan. He looked back at Ella as she tried to regain her breath, mouthing, sorry.
He then walked over to the door and threw it open. “What?”
The guard looked taken off guard by his angry tone. “Sorry to bother you this late, Prince,” he said apologetically. “But it’s urgent.”
“Can it wait until morning?” Blake spoke groggily. Ella couldn’t tell if he was faking the exhaustion or not. She felt a rush of fear consume her. Did he feel embarrassed for kissing her?
“I’m afraid not,” the guard said.
“Fine.” Blake looked back over to Ella. I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry.
Did he just speak to her mind again? Mind readers could do that? But before she could ask him, he was already gone.
And she was left alone.
*****
TWO MINUTES HAD PASSED since Blake left, and Ella lay on the bed, the top half of her body hanging off the edge of the mattress. Something she liked doing as a child.
When the third minute had made its mark, she groaned in boredom as if the minutes had been hours.
Ella couldn’t sleep for the life of her. The moment she had with Blake was stuck in her head, tumbling her thoughts. She worried she was going mad.
After a couple seconds, she felt a light sting on her arm, though she ignored it.
Probably just a bug bite, she thought.
But it got worse, and worse.
Seconds later her arm was on fire as if someone was carving her skin with a flaming knife.
The pain was so unbearable that she muffled a cry into a whimper, and cast a look at her arm.
Blood dripped off her skin... and she stared for a moment, confusion covering the pain.
Something was carving into her skin... words... like somebody was scraping them into her arm with a blade...
They said something in Latin... Ella couldn’t read it because tears were building in her eyes with the pain...
Falling off the bed, she accidentally let out a cry as the magic continually scraped the letters into her... burning the edges of the wounds...
Ella held her wrist, hoping to stop the flaming as she started letting out more gasps and sobs. She thought maybe if she held her arm still that the agony would stop... that the burning would calm... but that never happened... In fact... it got much worse...
A capitalized word dug into her pale skin, deeper than the other ones, and she let out a screaming cry as the spell cut her deeply, the pain choking her, scorching her skin.
The wound that was written was much slower than the other words. Like it was purposely giving her agony.
The last letter was written, and she screamed as the period pierced her arm like a flaming torch.
And the magic was gone.
Seconds later a maid slammed the door open. She cast a look at Ella on the floor, curled up into a ball, and she rushed over to the girl, gently settling on the ground.
“Princess, what happened? Why are you cry—”
The maid looked down at Ella’s arm, and her eyes widened. “Hold on, Princess,” she whispered soothingly as Ella let out sobs. “I’ll get you some help, I’ll be right back.” And she ran out of the room.
Through the agony, Ella could hear the brown-haired maid calling down the hall.
“I need Prince Blake! Where is he?”
“No! Don’t call him!” Ella sobbed through the agony.
Pattered feet scattered across the hallway as other maids ran to the room. Three entered, and darted to Ella once they saw her just like the first one.
“I NEED PRINCE BLAKE!” the maid yelled. “I NEED HIM NOW!”
“Please!” Ella begged. “He was busy!”
As the three girls rested next to Ella, she heard loud footsteps echo across the stone floors.
“What is it now?” Blake said, annoyed.
“Prince.” Then Ella heard nothing but whispers.
There was a moment of silence.
“Show her to me.” His voice immediately turned from annoyed to angry.
Blake’s tall figure walked through the doorway as the three girls cuddled Ella into a blanket and pillow. His eyes were hard with a protectiveness she never knew existed...
Ella stared up at him with tear filled eyes, trying not to cry like she was before.
Blake kneeled down beside her, lightly wiping the tears that stained her cheeks. He then softly reached for her left arm, but she covered it with her hand, shaking her head.
“Please, don’t...” she whispered, voice cracking.
“Show me,” he breathed, grasping her hand.
Ella resisted, crying, “No! Stop! STOP IT!”
Blake let go, breathing out a sigh. He lightly tucked her hair behind her ear, clearly attempting to calm her, and it was working... partly...
“Princess,” he said, “it’s okay. Let me see. I can help.”
She shook her head, throat stinging as she held back sobs. “No....”
“Prince Blake,” one of the maids said, “would you like us to hold her down?”
Pure fear struck Ella’s chest, and she stirred from under him, screaming.
“No! NO! Get off! GET OFF!”
Blake placed his hand on her chest, shooting a look at the maid that spoke.
“GET OFF ME!” Ella screeched. “GET OFF ME!”
He then gazed down at the red haired girl, lightly brushing her cheeks with his thumb, and it was calming her even though she was terrified.
“We’re not going to hold you down,” he whispered. Then he looked back at the girl who spoke. “Okay?”
She stayed silent, looking down.
He moved his eyes to focus back onto Ella. “I promise.”
“I don’t want help...” Ella cried silently. “All I need is just gauze and pain meds....”
“I need you to let me see, okay?” Blake said calmly. “I need to see the wound before it gets worse, Princess.”
“No...” Ella admitted.
“I know,” he said, wrapping his fingers loosely around her wrist. “I know you’re used to helping yourself... but I’m here now, I promise.” Lightly, he pulled her hand away, then he softly pushed the blanket off her arm.
“No!” Ella squirmed. “NO! Don’t look at it before I can read it!”
When he saw her wound... he read it... then something dark passed over his expression, angry... but he managed to erase it when he looked back into Ella’s eyes.
She stared up at him, looking terrified.
“Can I pick you up?”
She parted her lips... expecting a more angry response... but... he... asked... to comfort her...?
She let out a short nod.
He carefully scooped her up in his arms, turning to the four maids. “You three, go make her some healing tea, a small meal, and get some extra pillows.”
“Prince Blake.” Ella attempted to stop him.
“And you,” he turned his head to the girl that misspoke, “go to bed. I want you to rest.”
“What?” everyone in the room but Blake said.
The maid looked up at him, clearly shocked. “Prince Blake, but I—”
He shook his head. “I don’t want any excuses. Go to bed. Get some rest.”
And he walked out of the room.
Ella stared at the maid who he just ordered to sleep. She looked shocked and taken aback... as if no one had ever said that to her before... Almost like... whenever a maid messed up, they would be ordered to do chores or something...
Did Ella... change Blake...?