[b]With an intense, burning anger in her eyes, Ella accepted the wine and relaxed in her seat again. She needed to calm herself, she thought quietly, it would do her no good to deny the prince’s claim at this point, and he’d already decided that she would be jealous of another woman in his bed.

“I would prefer your servants not gossip and begin to question our union,” Ella reasoned once she calmed herself enough to think straight, “It won’t do you any good to have people questioning our undying love for each other, right?”

Ella took a long drink of her wine but didn't finish it again, the liquor finally doing its job and easing her stress away. Besides, she shouldn't drink entirely too much with Marken right there in front of her, or he’d think she was some kind of bar maid.[/b]