She managed to outwalk the Prince when he was stopped by the members and staff to greet, carrying her legs up to an empty hall. Taking a seat on one of the chairs she leaned back closing her eyes. Her peace was broken when she heard a voice, "Ella! Congratulations!!!" It was Daisy who then punched her arm resulting in her complaining about it. "You didn't tell me that you were marrying the Prince? Am I your friend or not? At least I had the right to know it first."
"It was decided overnight. I presumed you would be sleeping by then," Ella replied returning back to lean in the chair. Daisy sat opposite to her excitedly chattered, "The Queen marrying the Prince. Not bad, not bad at all. I didn't know you were aiming that high..." She winked which made Ella clear it out, "It's an alliance. Did you hear the whole announcement?" Doubting her friend heard everything that was told by the Prince which was confirmed soon, "Uh I now your taste is not bad. He looks good, he has a great physique, of course he is a prince that's why. But I was busy doodling you both together to listen him talk boringly until the crowd cheered with the 'Marriage'. Now listen here lady, as you had not informed about this, I will be taking the sole responsibility in deciding your wedding dress. Who is going to be your maid-of-honor?" Her friend went on and on that she stopped herself from downing her heart's burden on her.
"Anything you like."
"That's not an answer. You have to name a person!"
"You be it if you want to." She didn't think there was anyone else here to share that place. "Really?! Of course I want to!" Hugging her she muttered, "Thank you! Thank you. I have contacts of the best designers for you dress. I'll give them a call. Oh! When is the date but? I didn't catch that if even it was announced." Her questioning eyes made her go back to what she was speaking replying, "I don't know."
"You don't know the date of your wedding!?" "It will be decided and announced soon. Don't stress much, "Ella calmed the woman.
"How can I not- Oooh…" the stressed expression changed into a knowing one, "You and the Prince want to keep it a suspense! So that people will be anticipating it till then. You both will be the renowned couple!" Ella agreed her friend had strange business ideas in the impossible situations. Shaking her head at the girl's intuitiveness, Daisy left her alone to make arrangements afraid if the wedding date will be fixed too soon for her to prepare. Not wanting to disturb her thoughts which was good as there was at least one person happy in this occasion.
Ella was poised in the seat of the library of the mansion with the papers derived from the Prince's parliament, displaying certain changes which shall be implemented if she agreed. There were many of them including reduced rates of food imports from them, clothes, cosmetics, which would have been useful if not for drastic climate change between both the nations. She still went through the words and turned the pages until she reached the section for oil.
Everything was as she wanted it to be except, she thought there was something strange in one of the clauses. It was an insignificant one and she would have needed specialists to tell about it, but strangely her mind strayed to that line even after she had inspected the whole document. Ella went to Daisy to borrow the telephone for a call, all the way recollecting the number she wanted to dial. After slowly pushing each button, the ring went through and she hoped that it was the right number.
The line connected on the fourth ring speaking first, "Queen Ella. I was waiting for your call." That should be creepy but she was facing a lot of strange things to define them same. She was silent thinking of whether she should do this but the man on the other side said, "I know you are there. How may I be of service?" "I need to find something." "When and where?" "The usual." The line went dead after that and Ella placed the handset back. Hearing the sound, Daisy looked up from the computer, "Done already? Who was it?" "Someone I know," she replied absent-minded.
Daisy cleared her throat to grab her friend's attention who was not exactly present to listen to her throat or advise a medication for it. "Ella!" That brought the attention back to her asking, "Why are you shouting?" "Because you weren't listening!"
"What were you saying?" Daisy's cheeks became red where she realized she wasn't exactly saying anything. "Um... Yes!" She loudly said then formed a questioning look like a detective, "Did you or did you not steal my ID?" If the woman would have been standing now then she would be having her hands clipped on her hips, Ella blinked innocently, "I didn't. Why would I steal it when I can easily ask you for it?" "Excuse me, but in my experience if someone was denied something, generally it leads that one to get it from other means. One of them being 'stealing'."
"Oh." Ella nodded as though received a lecture and understood, "And what are the other means? Just curious." Her friend gave her the stink eye which was suiting her receptionist persona accusing, "I know you took my ID not once but twice! And both the times they naturally end up being in the Records room. Surely it isn't a coincidence." "I have no idea what you are talking about, "Ella swore in a tone she had only used with her mother and now her, even if she didn't believe in swears or promises but no one needs to know that...
"Don't you lie to me," Daisy pointed a finger at her friend who was feeling like getting scolded by her schoolmaster. Obediently Ella stood with her hands clasped on the side still trying to cover up the lie. She continued, "At least you can have the decency to keep it back in the place. It is not at all thrilling to climb up those stairs only to be reminded that my ID was not with me. Then to retreat back to fetch someone else, with their ID of course, on the way to again head up get access inside and search for the ID which wasn't easy to find either. And both the time I felt like I lost a lot of pounds."
"Well it's a good exercise then." The glare she got was suggesting absolute opposite. Ella thought of a way to escape when she faked a gasp, "I have to see the stems I had collected. I have been making a hybrid, it must be ready now to be out in the sun, " she kept on rambling and moving step by step back from her friend and the place escaping as soon as possible. Daisy kept on calling her to wait and answer a bit more questions to which she answered, "My flowers will be dead Daisy. You yourself are a flower, you will understand..." The receptionist stood in her place thinking of the statement but Ella was long gone from there to wait to see her reaction.
She wasn't lying completely as she was indeed preparing hybrid categories to experiment but it was in progress, as for her to escape from there she clashed into someone while on the way to the manor. This time she fell on her backside too hard that she hoped someone to have passed an arm to save her or maybe given their hand to grab on. Hissing in pain she raged her eyes to the unwelcome intrusion in the form of Foreign Prince. Changing the intensity of her eyes to a peaceful one, Ella helped herself to get on her feet before he offered which was apparently too late than she expected. "I'm sorry milady. I must be walking blindly," Indeed you were walking blind enough to not fall yourself, "There was a lot in my mind and I have to leave for my country at once. Have you signed the papers?"
Yes, she read them but wasn't ready to commit it yet, "I have to go through some more pages and then I shall pass them to you." The man looked relieved answering, "I shall await your answer. I could have asked for your number or any means to contact you, but I couldn't find you carrying one..." If anything, she was feeling anger towards that idiot Knight; it was twenty-first century and she as an heir was not having a cell-phone! That has to be changed. Ella was about to open her mouth when he held her hand, the one which was not holding her probably-swollen backside, "I shall arrange one for you which you can use to communicate with me. That way you can let me know your answer and I will send a chopper to get those papers from you." The woman wisely kept her mouth shut and nodded to the eager looking Prince ready to depart as soon as his ride arrived.
Finally, the man took his eyes and hands away from her, checking his pockets and satisfyingly taking his leave. Only when he walked past her did Ella realize that the Prince was not behaving his usual self but was fidgeting to keep something in his pockets, whatever it was, it was the reason why the Royal didn't offer his hand to help her out. For as she was aware, people like him prided on being a show-off in good manners, thought Ella while watching the Prince go far away from her sight until he was gone.