Trix blinked dumbly at Ella.
"What," she asked, eyes glued to Ella.
"I said I'm not going, Ginger," she repeated a little irritated.
"But why? I mean you said you would go when were talking before," she whined. Ella turned to look at her furrowed brow.
"With Tristan," she hurriedly added realizing her mistake.
"Yeah I did that for you," she said marching up the stairs. Trix followed closely. Poppy was in the know kitchen packing out the few vegetables that they had bought.
"What, how so?"
Ella suddenly stopped in the middle of the staircase, causing Trix to almost bump into her.
"Ginger, I'm not blind. I see the way you guys were looking at each other," she stated smiling slightly.
Trix stared at her dumbfoundedly. She opened her mouth to speak then closed it. She raised her brow pointedly then continued up the stairs.
Trix sighed defeated. How was she supposed to convince Ella to go to this ball? She needed to meet the prince. Trix bit her lip as she contemplated how.
'Where did Cinderella first met Prince Charming?'
Answer: not at the ball.
Trix smiled as she pulled out her book.
~~~~Having only a few herbs to cook Poppy called Ella down to share the news with her....
"Ella, we have a problem," Poppy yelled walking out off the kitchen.
"What," Ella asked walking down the stairs to meet her.
"We have no meat," she stated.
"Well aren't you going to want to eat something light for the ball," Ella asked.
"I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about you," Poppy yelled animatedly.
Ella chuckled and shook her head.
"I'll be fine," she pleased with Poppy.
"What no. Your going hunting."
"One: it helps clear your mind, two: you need the protein and three: don't you enjoy hunting," she listed the reasons why Ella should go.
Ella sighed contemplating what she should do her eyes suddenly met Trix's. Trix flinched forgetting that she was still there.
"Well aren't you going to object," Ella asked.
Trix shook her head. Ella eyed her, then agreed.
Trix smirked successfully as Ella left the house with her hunting gear.
~~~Ella ventured into the woods staying close to the path but not too close. She loved the calm of the woods. She always felt at home there. As she continued on she paused as she heard the faint sound of a grunt...
Ella stood frozen in her spot. She stilled her rapidly beating heart and crouched down. She listen closely and heard it again. She cautiously and quietly began to approach the source of the sound.
As she got closer, an overturned carriage came into view. She quicken her pace then stopped as she considered that it maybe a trap. Another grunt came from the direction of the carriage. She slowly approached the carriage, her body tensed. Her ears tuned in to any and every sound.
"Help," a weak cry came from inside the carriage Ella quickened her pace. She climbed unto the carriage and pulled the door open. A man laid inside a large red spot on his torso with a sword sticking out of it.
"Help me, please."
Ella didn't waste a second. She slowly descended down into the carriage, careful not to step on him. She worked quickly and quietly preparing a bandage. When time came for her to remove the sword. She met the knowing eyes of her damsel.
"This...what's your favorite color," she asked awkwardly.
The stranger chuckled as best as he could.
"I can handle the pain," he stated nodding his head.
Ella smiled reassuringly, terror in her eyes. He could but she couldn't. Yes she had experience with nasty cuts but that's all they were nasty cuts not wounds.
She cleared her throat and answered her own question.
"Well mine is blue."
She wrapped her hand around the hilt of the sword. The stranger sensing her discomfort played along.
"I like the color red," he stated.
"It's something associated with the most purest of emotions: anger and love." Ella turned to look at him. The look in his eyes was so dreamy.
In that moment she suddenly pulled the sword out of him. He growled and glared at her. She hurriedly bandage him up.
"What you said you could handle it."
The stranger rolled his eyes and grimaced when she tightened the bandages.
She rose to her feet when she was done.
"We need to get out of here before whoever attacked you comes back," she stated glancing down at the stranger.
"I'm Eaton by the way," he stated staring up at her through long lashes with clear gray eyes.
Ella's breathing hitched.
"Oh," she stated dumbly.
"Uhm, I'm going outside to see if I can get you out," she said hastily jumping out off the carriage.
"Seriously," she whispered to herself as she walked around the carriage, not sure how she was going to get him out. She was passing the bottom of the carriage when a door suddenly opened.
Eaton popped his head out.
"Secret compartment," he explained as he pulled himself out.
Ella nodded to herself. She glanced around, looking for a sturdy stick to hold the Prince's weight. She found one after a few minutes of searching. She helped him up with a few grunts.
"Thanks, Oh," he stated smiling at the end.
Ella turned her face to hide her pink cheeks.
"Actually it's Ella."
Ella did not know why she was acting this way. Yes, the prince was an attractive guy...
'No, no, no attraction is not trust.'
She cleared her throat and recovered quickly.
"We should get moving," she stated leading the way.
....
Trix bit into her cookie slowly. Her eyes moving from East to West and west to east, watching a worried Poppy pace a hole into the floor. Every few minutes, she would go to the window and peer out. Poppy had forgotten entirely about the royal ball, not that there was one anymore due to Trix's trick.
"Where is she," Poppy said voicing her worries for the 100th time, literally.
"She is fine. She is an expert Hunter you know, not mention unnervingly good with animals," Trix reassured her.
"How are so calm," Poppy asked focusing her attention on Trix. Her gaze fell to Trix's book.
"And what have you been writing in that book of yours," she continued.
"Nothing and I'm so calm because I know that Ella can take care of herself," Trix stated standing up.
'Thats the kind of character I wrote her to be.'
A sudden knocking on the door sent Poppy running towards it. She pulled it open with a hopeful smile on her face. Trix watched bemused as it fell from her face.
A determined Tristan walked pass her and went straight for Trix.
"I thought we had an understanding," he said angrily.
Trix rolled her eyes.
"She wasn't going to go so made a plan B and oh looky it's working," she said waving her book in front of his face knowing well that he wouldn't be able to read it.
"Until it isn't. Look we need to find them. The Queen is freaking out and unseen dangers could reveal themselves at anytime," Tristan said seriously.
Trix bit her lip then reluctantly nodded.
"Ella couldn't have gone too far from the house," she stated packing her book in a small bag.
Poppy snorted and folded her arms.
"Well you obviously have forgotten that Ella tends to lose her sense of direction when she is somewhere that she loves," Poppy stated.
Trix sighed frustratedly. Why did all her plans have to always fail.