[IC] Glass Shoes [GranoxFirewind/LalaKitty]

[Lala Kitty]

Ella felt her eyes widen and her cheeks turn pink as Regina made a teasing comment about her and Marken sharing a bed the night before. So, the wicked governess had sold them out, had she? The woman didn't seem to know how to not be a bitch. Unaware of who Luke could be, Ella gave him a small smile and watched him leave. When the queen asked Ella what her childhood was like. She really didn't want to get on that subject.

"I'm afraid that my childhood isn't much to discuss," Ella told Regina softly, "My parents passed away when I was very young, and most of my childhood was spent in captivity with my stepmother or in Toren."

Ella realized that she probably shouldn't have mentioned being in Toren, but it wouldn't do her any good to try & deny the four years she spent there in “school.” They’d probably find about it anyway.

[GranoxFirewind]

Marken was walking away as Ella began to give her answer, silently hoping that she didn't do anything to jeopardize their relationship. When it came down to it, Marken did not want her out of his life, even with what she once was. As far as he knew, she wasn't a spy for Toren now. No, now she was something else, someone else. He quickly made his way down the halls, the path already known. While he'd never personally visited Luke, it was required for the royal family to know their way around the palace. Security reasons, and it also helped to avoid the always awkward situation of just being lost.

Soon enough, he found himself before a door. Unlike the way to Gene, that had steadily become darker, this corridor was much brighter, and also had heavier guard presence. The door was unlocked, and Marken made his way in without so much as a call, glancing around the room with a small smile. The walls were plain, mostly, but there were several counters, holding all forms of jewelry and gems. They glittered from the candlelight, dazzling the looker.

"Luke! Come out, I've got something for you!" Light footsteps were heard, before a thin wiry man walked out from another door, adjusting a pair of glasses.

"What is it boy? I've got orders to fulfill, money to make your family..." His words died off as he saw the amulet hanging from Markens neck. Immediately, he stalked forward to examine it, his fingers reaching out to grasp it as a practiced eye looked over the facets. "Where did you get this? It's lesser quality, but it's got a certain... Appeal." Marken pulled it away from the man, looking down at him.

"My fiance gave it to me. It's why I'm here. I want you to make another one, a replica of this one, with a sapphire as the jewel. Call it your wedding gift to me. Use this one as a base." Marken took off the amulet, and gently handed it to the man. "I want it done by the end of the day. I've seen you work gold and silver like no other, and I know you've got the supplies to do it, otherwise my family has kept you rather... Unstocked." The man was left shocked by the request, or rather order, unable to formulate a response before Marken was gone. He sighed, but went to work. The boy was right, he would have it done very soon.
--
Regina let out a very soft small, small though pained. She didn't judge Ella for her whereabouts, completely oblivious to her previous employment. Instead, she went on, deciding to steer the conversation away from that topic. "Why do you think my son fell in love with you, out of all of his choices? Forgive me, but I doubt you stood out for beauty alone. He's one to see past such."

[Lala Kitty]

"Why he fell in love with me...?"

Ella was shocked by Regina's question, pausing for a moment to consider what it could be that Marken found the most alluring about her. He was attracted to her, yes, but what about her would make him consider her more than a means to an end? And he trusted her so much already, when she was the last person he should be putting her faith into.

As Regina took a moment to compose herself, Ella tried to think of what to say, not sure at all how she should respond. As far as she saw, she was almost completely unlovable.

"Honestly, I don't see any qualities in me that would lure in a man," Ella said honestly, "I'm not as refined as the women who groomed themselves to be the wife of a prince, and I'm not very good at holding my tongue. If anything, I would think that my actions put him off."

[GranoxFirewind]

Regina let out a soft chuckle as Ella answered. She was clearly very amused by her answer, and chewed on a hunk of biscuit thoughtfully as she considered the girl before her. Finally, a proper response came to the woman, and her eyes glimmered with mirth. "I think I know why he's decided to love you, out of everyone available."

The woman folded her arms underneath her chin, turning around to completely face her sons fiance. "True, to a normal prince, or any usual man, you would likely come across as too blunt and uncultured." She raised her hand up. "I mean no offense, of course. However, to my son, I think what he's attracted to is exactly that. You're not afraid to speak your tongue to him, you're not afraid to tell him that you're unhappy. You've talked to him like he's a person."

She closed her eyes for a moment, a moment passing to reveal how old she was. Regina looked to be in her forties,clear signs of age showing through. "As he didn't treat you with a silver tongue, you didn't try to act like the puppy you would think he wants. My guess would be that he's gotten to know you on a deeper level as well, that you act like a real person. You see him, not his position."

[Lala Kitty]

Ella felt a little disembodied by Regina's words, quietly taking in what she said. Was it really so simple that all she had to do was treat Marken like a normal person? And here she thought Marken only found her attractive this whole time.

"I suppose that makes sense," Ella admitted as she looked down at her food, "But in all honesty, the fact that Marken is royalty won't make him a better father to my children, or a better husband. I still have to keep things like that in mind when I meet anyone interested in being my partner."

Which was true. It didn’t matter how powerful Marken was, any man she chose to be her husband would treat their children well. It just killed her that she found a man who was seemingly perfect for her, but after tonight, she’d be alone again. And it had to be tonight. She could feel her resolve slowly deteriorating into nothing.

[GranoxFirewind]

Regina nodded and smiled. "I thought as much. I think my son will be a good husband, though I'm probably biased too." She let out a soft chuckle before returning to her meal in silence, having nothing else to ask Ella. If she didn't question her on anything, the meal would pass by relatively quickly.

Afterwards, if Ella were to search for Marken, he'd be impossible to track down. It was almost like he was hiding from Ella, the guards either not knowing where he was, or unwilling to disclose the information. As it stood, he was gone for the moment. Instead, he was simply taking a stroll through the gardens. He doubted Ella would ever look for him there, considering his love for the indoors and things such as wine. The garden lacked both of those.

A change of scenery never hurt either, as he took in the fresh air and glanced around. He was also trying to figure out a suitable location for their wedding. He wanted it, despite his parents wishes, to be a low key affair. Ella wasn't that well known, and as it stood, he honestly didn't want to deal with the hundreds of commoners who would show up if they were allowed. The upper echelons of society, along with Ella's family, would be allowed to attend. The garden had an area that was more than suitable for a gathering of that sort, large enough to fit them all comfortably, but still within the walls to provide privacy for the marriage.

[Lala Kitty]

Ella gave up her search for Marken after about an hour and retired to the library, supposing she should find somewhere quiet for the moment. She was able to find a private little nook and relaxed with a book in the large room, trying her best to keep her mind off of killing Marken. It was getting hard for her to keep her resolve, but she couldn't back down now.

It didn't help that the silly woman had picked up one of the most infamous romances of all time, Romeo and Juliet. She wanted nothing more than to find the fool that believed that a fourteen-year-old girl and a sixteen-year-old boy were really in love, like they even knew what love could be. In Ella's opinion, they were just children infatuated with the forbidden, and their parents' terrible behavior only encouraged them to act out worse.

By the time supper rolled around, Ella had shut out the possibility of her having a "happily ever after" with her fiancé. As much as she wanted to stay in Rhal and be Marken's true bride, things just didn't seem like they would fall into place. Begrudgingly, she would have to throw away their happiness to please her king and return to his service.

[GranoxFirewind]

"Yes, yes, it's done. I had to custom make the mold for that, boy! It's not cheap!" The jeweler seemed quite irritated, but underneath that, he was very excited. It was rare that the royal family requested his services, not since he'd been commissioned to make Regina's wedding ring. He knew that, whoever wore the amulet, it would be seen by everyone, as a mark of his skill.

"I know, I know. Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it. Besides, you live here and get nearly anything you need for free anyway." He waved his hand dismissively as he looked over the amulet. It was forged from sparkling silver, inset with tiny diamonds all around the large sapphire set into the center. He'd asked for a replica, but of course Luke had to outdo the piece he was given. Still, they were more than similar enough to be capable of being compared. Satisfied that Ella would be more than pleased with it, Marken left the man to whatever it was that he did with his free time, just in time to attend dinner.
--
He arrived to the table a tad earlier than anyone else, hiding Ella's gift inside a pocket. He'd slip it to her when the time seemed right, as he now looked around the dining hall. Dinner was simple, consisting of a simple soup, along with loaves of bread. Marken already had a bowl in front of him, full of the steaming liquid, but he waited for the rest of his family first. It was considered both rude and impolite to start a meal before anyone else was present. The prince still knew manners and customs, he just chose to ignore a great deal of them when dealing with Ella.

[Lala Kitty]

Ella felt exhausted by the time she was fetched to eat supper, barely dragging herself to the dinner hall. Surprisingly, it was a little easier to face Marken, with her resolve now in place. By now, she'd completely convinced herself that killing him was for the best, and that whatever she did to him, it wouldn't be nearly as bad as what the maid had planned for him.

But now, Ella was starting to see that returning to her normal life would be impossible. Perhaps it was the overly-dramatic Shakespeare, she read, but Ella felt it would be best to die with Marken. The pain of losing him and the guilt of being his murderer would drive her insane before too long anyway. As she always believed, she was never cut out to take another person's life.

At the table, Ella sat in the seat next to Marken's, giving him a smile and pretending there was nothing wrong. Marken and her would enjoy their last night together, no matter what she was feeling on the inside.

[GranoxFirewind]

He gave Ella an equal smile, reaching his hand out to stroke her cheek gently. "I've got a surprise for you, after dinner. I think you'll love it." He was clearly excited to give whatever it was that he had to her, glancing impatiently down the hall for his parents to arrive. As far as he knew, they would both be attending dinner, and so if they began, it would be rather improper.

Soon enough they both walked in, Regina still looking rather weak. Still, Marken was more than happy that she no longer seemed to be in pain. Now she just seemed exhausted, though sleep could easily fix that. With everyone seated, Marken reached down with a spoon and began to eat his soup. He didn't have much to talk about right now. Instead, he was eager to finish his meal, reaching up to take a drink of tea. Normally, he'd have wine with a meal, but as it stood, tea went much better with the salty soup, rather than an overly sweet wine.

[Lala Kitty]

To Ella's relief, Marken seemed to be preoccupied for the night, though she did wonder what he wanted to give her. Dinner didn't drag on for too long, much to the woman's relief, and it wasn't long before Marken and Ella bid his parents good night, and everyone headed in their separate ways.

Ella was both excited and terrified to be alone with her fiancé, knowing what the night would bring them. And damn it all, her heart wouldn't calm itself, even for just a few seconds. Couldn't she have just one moment of piece before she took the final plunge?

Ella was almost shaking when the two arrived at their shared apartments, taking her long hair down before Marken came over to do it himself. If he was too kind to her tonight, or touched her too much, she would cowardly back down again, ruining her plan. She couldn't afford- they couldn't afford for her to do so.

"So, what is this gift you mentioned before supper?" Ella asked Marken as she placed her hair ties on the coffee table, "You have piqued my interest, so don't keep me in the dark for too long."

[GranoxFirewind]

Dinner was rather plain with little conversation to be had. All the better, so that he could give Ella her gift sooner. He was quickly growing impatient, eager to see her reaction to the jeweled amulet he would deliver. It would be perfect, a gift to match the one she'd given him. One that would, hopefully, show her that he truly cared about her. More than she seemed to believe, anyway.

He walked in behind her, smiling widely when she pulled her hair down. "So I won't have to do it this time? I'm surprised." His voice held obvious mirth, glad that she took it upon herself to do something he'd do regardless. It may have seemed a little selfish, but Marken truly believed she looked all the more beautiful with her hair down instead of in the bun that she kept it in.

Pulling out the amulet and hiding it in his hand, Marken walked up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and tucked his chin on her shoulder. "You're really that eager? It's a good thing I'm too impatient to tease you with it." His hand opened up, revealing the amulet right in front of her. She'd likely recognize it at a replica, albeit much higher quality, of his own, with the sapphire matching the hues of her eyes. "Do you like it?"

[Lala Kitty]

For a moment, Ella didn't know how to respond to the sight of the amulet. It was so much like her father's, though customized and a bit flashier and jeweled. and the blue jewel in it was the perfect cloudy shade of blue that matched her eyes. Is this what he was doing all day? She could only think of the money and time he'd put into getting this gift made for her.

Reaching up with shaking hands, Ella cradled the beautiful trinket in her hands, tears falling from her eyes before she could stop herself. Why did Marken have to be so damned nice to her? Her resolve was crumbling again, just from this action. It took all of her willpower not to drop to her knees and beg for his forgiveness then and there.

"Marken..." she breathed out shakily, "This is too good for someone like me...."

[GranoxFirewind]

With his hands now free, Marken wrapped his arms fully around her, pulling her tightly to him. Her reaction was perfect, in his opinion. He had no clue about the inner war she was waging with herself, that she was trying to work up the courage to kill him. Rather, he assumed the tears were for something different, but in the end, they all meant the same to him. He was almost protective in how he clutched Ella, not wanting her to go anywhere else.

"I had it made just for you. It's too good for anyone BUT you. You gave me your fathers amulet, a gift to the one who would be your husband. This is my gift to you, since you're going to be my wife." He closed his eyes and was content to simply hold her for a minute longer, before letting go, backing away.

"Could you put it on? I'm eager to see how it looks on you." He sounded excited, and his face held a small smile, full of warmth. He'd found a way to give her something back for the wondrous gift she'd given him, and that was perfect to the man.

[Lala Kitty]

Ella felt her fingers go numb as she nodded, allowing Marken to put the amulet on her. It felt heavy and cold right now, like it was weighing her down with her decisions. She really didn't deserve something this amazing. Turning around after Marken fastened the amulet, Ella hugged the man tightly, rubbing her face into his chest. She felt like she was about to have a heart attack.

"Thank you," Ella told Marken softly. He would probably never know how much his kindness meant to her.

With great difficulty, Ella contained herself until bedtime. When the governess came in to help Ella into her room and helped her dress, Ella was shocked how happy she was to see the old woman. She was able to spend a moment or two away from Marken and recollect herself. After the governess began to prep her room for sleep, Ella went to greet Marken in his room for a goodnight kiss. She wanted to enjoy it, to enjoy their last moments together.

[GranoxFirewind]

He was shocked at first by the massive hug she gave him, but quickly returned it, tucking her head underneath his chin. He was content to hold her tightly like this, it felt nice. It felt right. "You know, I can't see the amulet on you if you keep clutching me like this." He smiled at her, gently disengaging from the hug.so that he could look Ella over more thoroughly. After a moment of examination, he pulled her back into a tight hug. "It's my gift, there's no need to thank me. You already have."

The rest of the day was spent leisurely, Marken simply enjoying being close to Ella. At times, he would pull her into another hug, or give her a small kiss, but otherwise, he was content to simply be in his wife's presence. Most of it was spent on the couch that he so enjoyed, Ella curled up protectively against his form, Marken in a state between asleep and awake.

The Governess showing up made him sigh, truly not wanting to break apart. Of course, they would almost certainly be back together again soon, so the prince dealt with it, instead using the time to change into something more appropriate for sleeping. When Ella arrived in his room, she found him dressed in silk pajamas. Say what you would about the man, he certainly enjoyed his comfort. It didn't surprise him at all when Ella went to kiss him, and he was more than happy to oblige her. He twined his fingers into her hair, pulling her close to him and allowing the kiss to drag on. It was supposed to be their goodnight kiss, afterall.

[Lala Kitty]

For three long hours after the governess left, Ella stayed in her room. She should just get up, and go finish her job. But every time she moved to get up and take care of her "job," she'd catch a glimpse of her amulet, or remember something kind that Marken said to her.

"I have to do this," Ella mumbled to herself finally, sitting up. She climbed out of her bed and grabbed the poison vial once more. Going into Marken's room as he slept, Ella tip-toed her way over the bed and looked down at him. He was sleeping peacefully, as he had done the night before, spread out on the bed.

Ella's fingers shook as she pulled open the vial, slowly moving to lean over Marken. But she couldn't do it. No matter what Ella said to herself, she couldn't tilt the vial to pour its contents into Marken's mouth and end his life. There was only one thing that she could do now.

Closing the vial, Ella climbed into the bed with Marken as her vision blurred with tears; damn it, she was turning into an awful wreck again. She began to gently shake her fiancé, frantically trying to get his attention. She couldn't hold back her guilt anymore. Every fiber in her being demanded that she tell Marken what was going on. Hopefully, he would have mercy on her for almost betraying him, though honestly, she would accept any punishment he had for her.

"M-marken, wake up," she called softly, the vial still clutched in her other hand.

[GranoxFirewind]

Marken had gone to bed after their enjoyable kiss, able to find sleep much quicker than he had the night before. Though Ella didn't come to visit him directly after the governess left, like he'd expected her to, he still assumed she would find her way to his bed soon enough, just like the night before. He was content enough with that thought to fall asleep quickly, his form splayed across his bed in a quiet slumber.

He was jolted awake by Ella shaking him, opening his eyes groggily. "Ella? Can't you just slip into my bed before I'm sound asleep?" He sounded exceptionally tired, having just been jolted awake from his peaceful sleep. Even still, he was happy to see, her, and it reflected in his tone, just in a rather sleepy manner. In his state, he didn't see the clutched vial of poison, instead only staring up at Ella's face. That's when he finally noticed the tears beginning to drip down her face.

"Is something wrong Ella?" He said in a concerned tone, clearly worried for her now. He sat up more fully, looking directly at her. He took in her form, her worried face, the look in her eyes, and reached his hand out to grab her open hand, the one with the poison vial too far away from him to see or grab.

[Lala Kitty]

Dropping the poison vial onto the bed, Ella lunged forward and clung to Marken as she continued to cry. She trembled and buried her face into his shoulder, his usual kindness only pushing her further into her depression. She was almost catatonic now; there was no way she was going to stop crying very soon.

"W-wanted me to k-kill you," Ella announced almost incoherently, "Only w-way home... w-with poison... but I can't! I c-can't do it!"

Hugging Marken tighter, Ella continued to sob rather pathetically with her face hidden in Marken's shoulder, knowing that she probably wasn't making much sense. At least for the moment, she could still cling to him, though that would probably change.

[GranoxFirewind]

He blinked, automatically wrapping his arms around her as he tried to comprehend what she'd just said. Clearly, his words had some kind of effect on her, given the intensity of her sobs, and the way she clutched onto him. Marken had no intention of releasing her either, not while she was in such a shape. He noticed the vial that she'd dropped, and narrowed his eyes.

He was barely able to make out what she had said, something about poison and that she couldn't do it? He held her just as tightly as she held him, feeling wide awake now. Something was very clearly wrong, and Marken wanted to get to the bottom of it. He began stroking her hair in an attempt to comfort her, dipping his head down so that his lips just brushed against her ear. "Calm down Ella. Tell me what's wrong. What's this about poison?" He sounded cautious, though his grip on the girl never lessened, though it could just as easily be justified as him holding her so she couldn't do anything.