[IC] Glass Shoes [GranoxFirewind/LalaKitty]

[Lala Kitty]

Ella finally awoke well-rested rather late the next morning, the sun already in the sky by the time her eyes opened. She could feel that her face was a little swollen from crying last night, but she was otherwise fine. What was more interesting was how she and Marken were wrapped together, snuggled comfortably on the sofa. Damn it, she didn't want to move. But she had to.

Gently, Ella extracted herself from Marken enough to look down at the prince as he slept. He actually looked kind of... cute like this. Ella's cheeks warmed as she reached up and brushed his hair from his face, took in the calmness of his features, and then settled on his lips. Remembering how Marken kissed her yesterday made her own lips tingle again. It had been really pleasant.

On impulse, Ella leaned down towards the prince, stopping herself as her lips almost touched Marken's. Had she lost her bloody mind or something? What if she woke him; there was no explaining away an action like that by claiming it was for more practice.

"Idiot," Ella hissed to herself after sitting up straight. It was much colder in the room without Marken's warmth, but she forced herself not to cuddle against him again and climbed off of the sofa, pulling her long, honey brown hair free of its messy bun and combed it out with her fingers as she mentally kicked herself for being so impulsive and stupid. The last thing she should be doing was indulging herself in flirting.

[GranoxFirewind]

Marken sighed awake, feeling her breath so close against his face. He felt movement on his farm, realizing Ella was pulling herself off him as he opened his eyes. "Why am I an idiot...?" His voice was groggy, as he looked around the room. He had clearly heard Ellas word however, and attributed it as an insult to himself, in his groggy state of mind. He pulled himself to a sitting position, stretching out with a wide yawn. He'd slept better than he had in awhile, ever since this talk of him marrying some girl, Marken hadn't been sleeping well.

Wasn't that supposed to be for girls, anyway? Being married off to some suitor or another, rather than the other way around? It certainly brought a smile to his lips, now that he thought about it. "So how did you sleep last night?" Markens stomach growled, considering how late they'd slept in, he was likely hungry for more than a light breakfast. He stood up, looking down at his outfit and sighing. He'd certainly need to change... Which brought up an interesting question.

"You can't simply walk around in the same outfit, multiple days in a row... You'll need more clothes to change into here." He leaned back into his seat, sighing quietly. One problem after another continued to rise up, and it only made his head hurt. He was tired of all of these issues that continued to show up, first Ellas pure anxiety for the entire thing, then the issue of clothing. Granted, the second one was much more minor, however it was still an issue nonetheless. He also hadn't put it past her to have contacted her own kingdom at some point, given her status as a spy. It didn't sit well with him to have her so close to him with that possibility, but he couldn't help himself. It was simply another issue he would deal with if he needed to.

[Lala Kitty]

Ella jumped at Marken's question, looking over at the man as he sat up, asking her why he was an idiot. She couldn't admit that she was talking about herself so she looked away, finishing putting her hair up in a bun, mostly for modesty. An unmarried woman should never be seen with her hair free, she knew that much.

"You're an idiot because you stayed with me all night," Ella mumbled, still unable to look at Marken, in case her face gave something away. She still wanted to kiss him, and it was unbearable.

"I already warned you not to trust me," Ella continued, "Anyone could figure out that someone like me shouldn't be allowed close to someone of your status. I would kill you if my king commanded it, understood?" Ella tried not to retract her statements, but as it was, she was loyal to her king, and her conflicting feelings towards Marken shouldn't change that. All the same, she didn't want to be too cold.

"But... thank you anyway" Ella mumbled hesitantly, finally looking back at Marken. Her cheeks felt warm, so she could only imagine how much she was blushing.

[GranoxFirewind]

Marken could only chuckle at Ellas words. "Perhaps I am an idiot then, for allowing you that close. Or maybe you're the idiot for letting me get that close to you. Or perhaps we're both idiots." He smiled, highly doubting her words. She had her chance to kill him four days ago, and she instead let him live, and drug herself into this situation. Would she act on those words now? Highly unlikely, and if she tried to, she wouldn't live out the day. That much was certain. With her recent actions though, curling up onto his form to sleep, he knew that she was far too attached to him to simply cut his throat now.

Her blushing face confirmed his thoughts, and he simply stood up and smiled widely. "I think I should thank you, I haven't slept that well in weeks. I liked having you curled up with me." He was confident in his words now, not being nearly as embarrassed about saying such things as Ella had been. He decided that if she was to continue winning him over, it wouldn't do much to try and fight it, it would only ruin the illusion of marriage that they were trying to set up.

"Now, I think in the morning after waking up, couples would usually kiss... Hmm?" His grin lessened into a light smile, as he waited for Ellas reaction. He was teasing her, though his tone didn't convey it. If she did take him off on the offer, than he wouldn't stop her, Marken certainly enjoyed the feeling of his own lips on hers.

[Lala Kitty]

Ella quietly stared back at Marken, unsure if he was being serious right now. It seemed like he was being serious, but she couldn't quite tell. He could just be making fun of her. Chewing her lip, Ella inched closer, finding herself unable to deny an offer from Marken, even if he might be using it as a chance to make fun of her.

Leaning up, Ella quickly gave the prince a peck on the cheek, goading him on a little. If he was serious, he would give her a more serious kiss. She wasn't going to just throw herself at him and let him assume she was some harlot. She wasn't that desperate to give him his way.

"H-happy now?" Ella mumbled, looking away in embarrassment.

[GranoxFirewind]

Marken was honestly surprised that she actually went along with what he said, though instead of letting it show on his face, he kept it neutral instead, allowing her to inch to him. The kiss on the cheek only made him smile and, turning to Ella, he pulled her closer to him. "Not quite..." Before she could react, he wrapped a hand around the back of her head and pulled her face to his, pushing his lips to her own, before any protest could be issued.

He knew she was embarrassed with the way he treated her, but to him, that only meant that she was trying to resist falling for him. Marken decided to simply enjoy the kiss for what it was, loving the softness of her lips on his own. He pulled her body to be straight against his, deciding to get the full experience out of this kiss. The only thing that he didn't get to experience was their tongues, though Marken doubted she was willing enough for that.

When he eventually let Ella pull her head away, still clutching her body against his, she would be met with a small smile. "That... Made me happy." The man simply held her there, staring into her eyes.

[Lala Kitty]

Trembling as Marken pulled back a little, Ella scowled at the prince while her cheeks grew warm and pink. She could swear the man was trying to give her a heart-attack with the way he kissed her. She simply had no time to prepare herself before his mouth claimed hers.

"Y-you are insufferable," Ella huffed with her face still red, "If I didn't know any better, I would think that you enjoy this agreement of yours a little too much." Of course, Ella's heated lecture probably fell on deaf ears, for she hadn't found the will to extract herself from Marken's arms.

The young woman would go to her grave swearing that the prince was too strong for her to pull free, but she knew that she actually just wanted an excuse to stay close.

[GranoxFirewind]

Her face was just within reach of his own, if he decided to claim her lips again. Perhaps he would, afterall the couple certainly needed 'practice.' "Who's to say I don't enjoy this more than I should? I don't see you arguing much..." With that, he pushed his lips to hers once more, deciding this would be yet another test to see just how attracted to him he was. This time, she was free to pull back if she decided to. Either way, he won.

The feeling of her body against him was hard to describe, and Marken would fall back to the couch once more, with her in his arms, whether or not she pulled away from him. Once they separated again, Markens smile would be wide, looking straight at her face again. "I must say, I enjoy doing that... Alot." He didn't move to kiss her again, deciding that if he did it too much, she would grow frustrated and pull away, though he offered her no leave, being mere inches away from her face.

"I think we may have to rethink sleeping arrangements as well, considering how well I slept with you in my arms..." He chuckled softly, before finally allowing his arms to fall away from her, allowing Ella to move away from him, if she so wished. "Regardless, we'll need to eat again soon, I imagine it's almost time for lunch... And if it isn't, I'm certain that I can have something prepared. Being a prince has its perks."

[Lala Kitty]

As much as Ella wanted to accept all of Marken's flirting and offers of kindness, she found herself starting to sink into a pattern that was becoming hard to break. But she wasn't going to become Marken's actual wife, so she needed to be more careful. As much as she wished it, she would never have a real marriage with the prince, or be able to tell him she had feelings for him.

"Let us change our clothes and eat," Ella mumbled softly, changing the subject, "People will assume I have an ill reputation if we hide in your rooms all day." Standing, Ella finally calmed herself, though she wanted to go to Marken again.

Eventually, she was able to convince him to lead her to their rooms, the young woman quickly changing herself into a newer outfit to avoid the eventual fight about how the only exit in Ella's room went through to Marken's. How paranoid was he that she would sneak out? Or was this normal?

[GranoxFirewind]

His thoughts were a curious thing. He knew what the relationship between the two of them was. Knew that nothing could come of it. So then... Why did he feel this way about her? Enjoying her embrace, her lips, teasing her whenever he could. He already knew that she shared similar feelings for him, her every action adding to that understanding. But Marken didn't enjoy this... Back and forth relationship they seemed to have, where she wanted to be with him one moment, and insulted him the next.

Ellas words drew him from his reverie of thoughts, looking up only to nod at her. "I suppose they will. Maybe they'll think we're simply enjoying each other as new lovers should?" His words didn't carry a teasing tone to them, instead rather seeming resigned to something it'd rather not be.

He changed from his outfit into something more casual, considering they had nothing important planned for the day. When Ella emerged, Marken looked at her curiously. "Yesterday, you said that we didn't need to pretend. What did you mean by that?" He sounded completely curious, nothing else to his tone.

[Lala Kitty]

Ella felt cold settled in her stomach as Marken asked her what she meant about them pretending. Should she tell him that she actually wanted to call off their deal and actually marry? It didn't seem like such a good idea now, considering she was on the borderline of treason last night. After all, someone from her kingdom would come to her rescue soon. She only had to wait until an ally came to help her out.

"I was only feeling bad for myself last night," Ella mumbled. Well, she wasn't lying about that. She was pitying herself over the fact that she was currently being forced into a marriage with a man who had no romantic attachment to her at all. He was mostly kind and treated her with the respect a woman ultimately deserved from a lover, but there were no feelings. They only had a physical attraction, she had to remind herself. He knew nothing of her childhood or hopes, and she only knew facts that would help her with her mission to find information.

"I naively believed that my king's enemies were foul and black-hearted people," Ella admitted, her finger lightly trailing a seam on the sofa, "Being treated like... like I have value by you and your father came as a shock to me. But I cannot betray my king; he has done too much for me to turn my back on him. He is the father I wasn't allowed to have as a child, and did his best to give me an education and means of protecting myself. I have a life-oath, if you will. Until King George no longer needs me, I will be loyal to him."

[GranoxFirewind]

"I see... However, you said this before my father treated you kindly. I'm thinking there's more to this, but I'll drop it, you clearly don't want to talk about it in detail." He was disappointed with her answer, his own thoughts about her going the other way. Perhaps he'd misjudged her reactions for something more. Regardless, it was time for them to eat lunch and no matter what, they still had an appearance to keep up. He would hold out his hand for her, though it seemed more distant. He seemed more resigned now, rather than try to tease Ella further, Marken simply kept to himself.

The entire situation made his head hurt. Her words conflicted with her actions, something Marken was more likely to believe, but he wasn't going to force the girl to talk to him. He honestly couldn't, short of something on the lines of torture. And, cold as he asked, Marken simply didn't have it in him to someone, much less for something of that caliber. "Perhaps you've already betrayed your king with your actions yesterday and today. I doubt marrying me is on the list of orders..." He wasn't pushy with his words, they just seemed to be meaningless facts, like his words before that. Emotionless, toneless.

As he awaited her response, Marken would start to lead Ella away from the room, into the mansion once more to the dining hall. The kitchens were nearby, in the event that a meal was not waiting for them, that they had woken up too early for lunch, which was entirely possible. Marken wasn't sure what the time was, he hadn't been woken up by the sunlight, it had been the shifting form of Ella that had stirred him from his slumber. Arriving in the dining hall, Marken was surprised to find that a meal had been waiting, it was just being delivered to the table. A simple lunch, of roasted ham, potatoes, and a gravy made from the grease from the meat, and hot bread, was prepared at a much smaller table. The dining table was far too large to use for such every day lunches, rather it was used in special cases, such as when a noble family was visiting, or a feast was held that required the entire table for food. Regardless, the small table beckoned to Marken with the scent of its delicious food.

"Shall we eat then?" No one else seemed to be at the table, perhaps it was too early for his father or mother to be ready for lunch. As much as that would suit him, Marken still needed to talk to his father about the details of this marriage, get it underway and in the planning. Things needed to be ordered, decorations created, it wouldn't be an overnight process, not even for a king and his son.

[Lala Kitty]

Ella didn't like Marken's tone very much after she replied to his question, but she couldn't say she could blame him. He was dealing with a woman from a warring kingdom, one that he probably couldn't even torture information out of.

His comment stung a little when he claimed that she could be betraying her king, but Ella took the comment in stride and decided not to tell Marken that her king might actually find her current position fortuitous. As a future princess she had sway in the politics here, as well as access to private rooms. Marken probably believed that Ella was after battle plans, but really, even something as simple as an accurate map of the country would do nicely for King George's purposes.

The spy was brought out of her thoughts as Marken led her to the lunch table, giving him a small smile and following him over. After the prince kindly helped her into her chair, he sat himself and Ella looked over the delicious food. Before she could grab her napkin, however, a maid came up to her chair and snatched it, gently placing it in Ella's lap. She could feel the young woman slip something into her pocket and forced herself to not react outwardly, but instead give the woman a smile and nod her way. Was it a letter, instructions from her king perhaps?

"So tell me," Ella mumbled as she was given a small portion of everything on the table, "What do you usually do with your spare time, your grace? Do you like to hunt, or perhaps study linguistics?"

[GranoxFirewind]

Marken watched the maid place Ellas napkin into her lap, and narrowed his eyes slightly. He didn't catch the item that was passed between the two, But what he did notice was very specific. He didn't recognize the maid, though that wasn't unusual, usually. However, Ella had been here for a day, the serving staff wouldn't know who she was, nor would they know to act in such a manner to her. However, the second action that she took, or rather didn't, is what set Marken off. She didn't try to put his own napkin in his nap, despite the fact it was obvious who he was. She was not normal serving staff, not in the least.

He made no note of it as he prepared himself a plate, cutting himself a large slice of ham before piling a large heap of potatoes next to it on his plate. Marken always preferred to serve himself, because only he knew how hungry he was. It just felt more satisfying to make himself a meal, because it was himself that did it, not someone who was paid specifically to do it. A slice of bread was the last thing he grabbed, though before he could bite into his food, Ella was asking him another question. "Er... Neither. I prefer to read. I know a great deal on things like geography, though most of my reading is fiction."

With that said, he cut off a slice of ham and brought it up to his mouth with a satisfied 'Mmmm'. A forkful of potato followed quickly after, the two tastes intermingling in his mouth. Another bite quickly followed, before he looked to Ella. "What about you? Surely you do something in your free time." He leaned back, pulling a piece off his slice of bread and popping it into his mouth.

[Lala Kitty]

"I like to pick locks," Ella replied bluntly as she ripped up a piece of bread. She could see a feel Marken's sheer terror in the air before she laughed, giving him a teasing smile. She could only imagine how nervous he was about people overhearing her, but honestly, she felt most of the people here wouldn't even think twice about what she said. They were paid to clean, not look into the prince's affairs.

"I was joking," Ella told Marken as she cut into her ham, "I like to sketch and draw. I mostly illustrate fictional characters I dream about."

Going back to her food, Ella wondered if Marken realized that she received the note, but drew no attention to it. All she knew was that she would have to get rid of it soon, just in case he was suspicious. The server girl had made a bit of a mistake by giving her special treatment.

[GranoxFirewind]

Her words had him... On edge, to say the least. However, the initial reaction immediately died down when he remembered that he was the only one who knew who she truly was. Was Ella teasing him? That was new. He shook his head helplessly, before sighing at her words. "You know, that's not exactly something to joke about in public. People who aren't maids might end up hearing." He took another bite of his meal, closing his eyes and letting out another yawn.

"Regardless, drawing is a rather interesting talent, one I've never had myself. I've also never had vivid dreams to the point where I could sketch out a character I see in it. Is that common for you?" He sounded genuinely curious, though overtones of... Distance, remained. It was as if he was treating her like he was originally 'supposed' to. Now, instead of the affectionate man that he had been, he was barely interested in her. Marken had simply decided that if she wanted to continue acting like a spy, and keep all of her loyalties clear and open, then he would treat her like one. He doubted she would enjoy her day, like she seemed to have the day before. But Marken simply did not care, Ellas comfort was off his list of concerns now.

He looked up just in time to see his own father walk inside the room, his mother absent. This was twice in a row that she was missing from a meal, that... Wasn't natural. Glenn didn't seem to be as enthusiastic as he had been the day before, instead a more somber mood filled the air. Still, he sat down at the table and made himself a plate. "Hello Marken. Enjoy your night?" The words seemed to be forced out, said as a courtesy rather than out of a desire.

"We did, somewhat. Is something wrong?" Glenn shook his head, but the look in his eyes said otherwise. "I still need to talk to you about my wedding, if that's alright with you." Glenn seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding his head, before he went to his own meal in silence, Marken following suit.

[Lala Kitty]

Jerk. Ella could tell Marken forced his conversation with her and quickly grew impatient. The man quickly flipped his feelings towards her like a switch, greatly disappointing her. Although, she supposed that she should be happy that he was so easily expelled; it would make her job easier. But still, she was exasperated. What kind of man was sweet one day, then as welcoming as a block of ice the next?

When the king arrived to eat his own lunch, Ella observed his haggard appearance and tired demeanor, and felt pity despite herself. It was hard to accept that he was human, in the end; unlike his son who seemed to have the ability to control emotions like a machine.

"Ginger, honey, lemon juice, and warm water," Ella recited aloud as she finished a bit of food. Glenn gave her a perplexed look as she smiled over him a bit warmly and took her napkin from her lap.

"It's an herbal tea that my papa used to give me as a child," Ella explained to the king, "I used to not sleep very well, and he would make that for me to soothe my nerves."

"Ah, I meant to ask you in person, Ella, who was your father?" Glenn asked. He seemed to be trying to avoid his own worried at the moment, but Ella supposed she could indulge him with an answer.

"My father was Lord James Winters," Ella answered as she fiddled with a fork in front of her, "I am afraid he passed when I was young; he was serving you on a mission, my king, in the Toren kingdom. He was killed in the massacre on the day the treaty collapsed." and you let him die. You let that whole faction die when you refused to send a single platoon for their protection.

Ella felt her emotional control snapping and calmed herself before she tried to relax. Her anger at the king was misplaced, she knew that, but the fact that he never even apologized for the men who died in his name bothered her. As Ella finished speaking she stood from her seat, gently pushing it in. Things were becoming too awkward for her, and her mood had already been soured considerably by Marken's attitude towards her.

"If you will please excuse me, I will return to my room for a little bit," Ella announced, "It would seem the two of you could use some time to speak, and I believe that I have bored your son with conversation long enough." Ella kept her polite smile plastered on her face, but the edge in her voice was unmistakable. When she exited the dining room, Glenn let out a chuckle and dug into his food again.

"She's a spitfire," the king decided aloud, "I rather like her."

..._..._...

Quickly, Ella made her way to her room, sliding into Marken's apartments and going through his room to get to hers. She wouldn't admit it, but she loved her room very much, especially since the curtains opened to look out into the gardens. It allowed her to calm herself seeing the beautiful flowers and exotic plants. Maybe they would encourage her to have some good dreams for once.

Walking over to her bed after locking the door (which honestly seemed pointless since Marken probably had a key anyway) Ella pulled out the little note, only to feel her hopes sink to the floor. No, this couldn't be right.

Ella, I am sorry, but I cannot-

Ella crumpled the letter and tossed it to the ground before she made her way to the bed with wobbly feet and climbed in. She sunk into it bonelessly as she tried to process her situation now. No one was coming to save her. That was King George's handwriting, and he had informed her that there was no way to extract her from the Rhal kingdom. There was no hope for her now, she'd been abandoned. All kings were hopeless bastards.

Curling under the throw blanket she'd tossed onto the bed that morning, Ella closed her eyes and cried into her bed. The blanket still smelled like Marken, making her think of slightly more pleasant things, like him teasing her, or the gentle way he'd kissed her yesterday. Calmed somewhat, Ella allowed herself to sink into slumber, the familiar darkness greeting her as she tried to rest.

[GranoxFirewind]

He watched Ella walk away, before looking back to his father. He knew that something was wrong, and though Ella had given him a recipe for a tea, he knew that the reason for his lack of sleep wasn't so simple. A sigh left his lips as he spoke again. "Father, I know something is wrong. You start missing sleep right as my mother starts disappearing from meals? That's a tad suspicious." He folded his arms over his chest, looking to his dad as he waited for a response.

The man looked to his son, a strange look in his eyes, before pushing his plate forward and planting his hands on the table. A long silence drug out as Glenn carefully considered his words. "I believe your mother has been poisoned..." The silence took over again, and Glenn continued at Markens curious, and horrified, expression. "The night after your ball, we ate dinner and she fell ill not an hour later. We assumed it was just mere food poisoning, but it's been three days now, and her condition has only worsened. At this rate, she'll... Pass, within the week."

Marken closed his eyes for a moment, thinking heavily on recent events. "I see... I need some time to process this. I think I'm going to go speak to Ella about this. We can discuss wedding plans later, after I've dealt with... This." He stood up and nodded once to Glenn, before walking back to his room. He didn't make it halfway before anger overtook him. A loud thump echoed through the hallway as he spammed his fist against the wall, though that only served to injure his knuckles. He continued on to his room, clenching his fists as he decided what to do with Ella.

He threw open the door, slamming it behind him loudly. It would be obvious that he was both back and that he was angry. The first thing he saw was Ellas closed door. He fished a key out from his pocket. The locks to the doors in his room were all the same, and the door was open in seconds. He saw Ella sleeping, and he trembled in rage. Her kingdom had POISONED his mother, and she had the nerve to simply sleep? He noticed a note on the floor, and began reading it, his eyes narrowing as he did so. So, she had intended to extract herself, and her king had told her no. Good, it would serve the bitch right. He sat down in a chair in the room, staring across the room at the bed as he waited for her to wake up. She would have hell to pay when her little nap was over.

[Lala Kitty]

Ella stayed completely still as Marken entered the room, awake the moment she could hear movement in the background. With the angry way he was slamming doors and stalking around, she half expected him to drag her out of the bed by her hair due to his temper, but he sat in a chair instead, just waiting quietly. She didn't like the silence, didn't like that he didn't just come out with whatever it was. When her teacher grew angry like that, she was in for a good whipping.

Steeling herself for whatever reason Marken was annoyed with her, Ella finally opened her eyes and sat up, unable to hide the tired expression on her face and the slight puffiness from her crying. When Ella saw the note in Marken's hand her eyes narrowed and she climbed from the bed, just in case she needed to move around quickly. She was used to men being violent when they were disappointed, and she'd be damned before she laid down and took a beating from any man.

"What has you in such a little hissy fit?" Ella huffed as she pulled her hair into a more neat bun, "You can't have expected me to not try to escape. But you have what you want, in the end. My king has abandoned me and made it quite clear that I am useless to him now."

Ella didn't like the way her voice was shaking, but she pretended there was no issue, even though all she wanted to do was cry. Her pride wouldn't allow her to admit that she felt wounded, that being abandoned was her worst fear for the longest time.

[GranoxFirewind]

"Congratulations. He's abandoned you. Sounds about right for the man." He stood up, his voice was cold as ice, trembling slightly with anger. He didn't notice, nor cared, about the way she looked, the way her voice shook. "WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU DONE WHILE YOU WERE HERE?" The question was sudden, yelled at the girl with force. Marken was clearly angry, though the note in his hand wasn't the reason. He tossed it behind him, impacting harshly against the wall.

"I don't care that you tried to leave. I couldn't care less. Right now, my mother is in her room, DYING, because of your kingdom. I don't remember you being an assassin. Or perhaps you neglected to tell me that?" His tone was filled with hurt, anger, and pain. He was tired of this damn war, tired of this damn kingdom. Everything that it had been involved in turned to tragedy, in one way or another. He never moved from his seat, but it was plain in his eyes what he felt.

He pushed his head into his hands, staring down at the ground. Everything was piling on at once. He'd finally come to terms that this girl was a spy, despite everything he'd tried to believe to the contrary, and it only hurt more. With everything her country was causing him, he was surprised that he simply didn't have her executed or something similar. But no, Marken had no more words for her, instead just staring at the ground blankly.