The mother and daughter had left for the bus to reach Grace Jones, who stayed with her son and daughter along with her husband. The both of them were travelling there quietly. It was Emma's first time to be out in the open after a long time. She was looking around the streets with wide eyes, consuming everything like an excited child. Ella glanced at her mother and smiled to have her happy and free after a long time. She just hoped her mother forgives her for what she would do. She asked her mother, "Would you have a taco? I'm very hungry!"
"Sure. It's our day. We will hang out; as these Americans say." Ella laughed and went to get one before the bus left the stop. She returned back with two tacos and a coke. She handed her mother one and dug into hers. Emma ate it and drank the coke in between, not realizing that her daughter had not touched the drink. Counting ten minutes later, Emma started feeling drowsy and was tiredly supporting her head on her daughter. She fell asleep soon after that, not before hearing 'I'm sorry', from Ella.
Ella got out of the bus at the next stop, ensuring the driver dropped her mother at her stop. It was the first time for her to be away from her mother, but it was necessary, as what she will be doing would be very dangerous to take her with her. As stubborn as she is, her mother was no less. She would have never agreed to her proposition. Ella took a cab and headed back to the shop. She was lucky that she had agreed to hire a staff in case of need, which was helpful now; when she was absent for about three hours. After reaching the shop she smiled at the girl who was a teenager around sixteen, making extra bucks for herself. Ella headed straight to Helen Willow. Now she had to talk to another one about her change of accommodations.
Unlocking the door, she knocked and stepped in. "I didn't say to come in", came her dear Helen's stoic voice.
"I would love to chat with you. But I have to be out of here tonight. I am going for a long vacation", Ella replied her in her serious tone. If she had expected that Mrs. Willow would take her seriously, it was drained out of the window with her going back to reading her book.
"What! No comebacks? That's new. Are you doing fine, Mrs. Willow?" Ella asked while coming over to sit on the coffee table, facing Helen who was still having the book perched in her hand. That went on for a minute, when Ella interjected, "You are still reading the same line."
"Don't interrupt child. You are disturbing my reading time", her reply came out in a serious tone. Ella decided to leave then; when, "When did you say again that you'll be gone?"
"Tonight."
"The absence shall be deducted from your wages."
"How can I forget the love of my dear hirer now."
"And who is the replacement of yours here?"
"I'm not yet out, and you are replacing me. You break my heart, Helen!" Helen Willow narrowed her eyes at her, which she smiled at.
"There's a girl Lucy, who has already started the work. Don't be too hard on her. I've instructed everything to her. You. Take care of yourself. I don't want any complaints from Lucy regarding you getting all high and jumping up on the customers", Ella said strictly.
"You are not my hirer. Why should I listen to you?"
"Oh! but I hold your money in my purse, so I have full right to keep it away from you." Ella smiled at her. Helen Willow kept muttering some inaudible words under her breath. Out of which she heard bastard, brat, freak, and other beautiful words likely. Ella smiled widely at her.
"Well I have bought all the supplies for you for a month. You have bread, dough packets, fruits, meat packets; You just have to grill or fry them, finish up the fruits before they rot away. Wouldn't waste your precious money there, would we?", she kept on saying while stocking the small fridge with the items, she had brought, before keeping the used items in the front to be used first. While she was doing it with complete focus, she couldn't see the worry and concern of Mrs. Willow, who was observing her behind.
"Why were you going again? Tired already?", Mrs. Willow made a conversation with her, in her composed self. Truth was she was so used to the usual bickering with the girl, she was already aware that she would miss the girl, more than she had missed her son until now.
"Uh, family problem. I'll sort out soon and be back."
"What about your mother? Where is she? Ain't she going with you?"
"What's with all the questions? Missing me already?" Ella would pretend how much she could but that old lady had seen the life more than her. She knew that the girl was hiding or escaping from something, because of how she would be careful at every step. Ella would talk and argue with her a lot, but had never been one of those to talk about their family or friends. Helen didn't care about that in the beginning as she wasn't so interested in that. But as the time passed, the girl had grown on her. And it became evident later; however, Helen Willow waited for the girl to come up with her story when she was ready. After all who was she to question about it when her own family had been through a lot. And she understood when one wanted to be alone.
"Oh! I'm waiting to be rid of you. Why aren't you gone already?", came back the sarcastic reply of Mrs. Willow.
"Sure." Ella went to hug Mrs. Willow, a big tight bear hug. "What is wrong with you child? Have you contracted to any allergies? Is this your parting gift? I knew it! You were after my money!", an over dramatic Helen huffed. Whereas both of them knew that they mind the hug. Ella bid her bye, and kissed her cheek, just to show her affluent contraction of diseases. While heading back down, Ella laughed lightly and was out of the shop. Thereon she went along to the house she had stayed with Max yesterday. She had to pack up before heading back to where all this started. Now that she thought of returning back, she felt her heart starting faster. Maybe she wasn't feeling that strong now than she claimed to be to her mother.
She went along with her plan and for the first time in two years; prayed the Lord for blessing her to face whatever came her way now.
While miles away, Emma woke up drowsily, finding herself in the bus, without Ella. Did Ella got out and she was probably left out, due to crowd? She asked the person on her front about the previous stop, when she found out her stop was to come after about two to three hours later. She was going to inquire about Ella, when she found a letter strapped with her bag next to her seat. She didn't want to open it but she was having an intuition, that it wasn't good news. She took the letter and opened which read,
'Mom. I have to go to London to give up the throne. But I can't risk your life. You have sacrificed enough. I don't know whether the way will be difficult or easy. But I'll face it. Have faith in your daughter. I'll take care of everything.
I'll come back to you. Don't come after me. You know why.
Sorry. Love, Ella.'
The whole ride thereafter went with Emma sobbing for her daughter. She is going to the lion's den all alone! Such thoughts made Emma feel restless for her daughter. She had no one else to call her own. Her husband wasn't the same after the responsibilities of the throne and the corporation. That led to her husband to be always scooped in his work and for her to be grooming her daughter in becoming a better heir, than her father.
Now all she wanted was her daughter to be safe and alive back to her. She would then make sure to keep her happy, for her to never be involved in anymore games, politics and businesses. Emma continued to pray for her daughter from that moment onward, hoping for the Lord to help Ella in accomplishing her wishes.