Ella waited until he set her feet back down on the polished marble floor. She cupped his face, taking in his handsome features coupled with the modest gold grown. “I was yours from the start, but you know it’s not up to me. And really, it’s not up to you.” She turned to the king, who she realized was gaping at them. She buried her face in the home she’d made of Henry’s chest. “I love you, Henry. Always and only you.”
“I love you, and this night isn’t ending until we’re together.” He gripped her hand, and the two trotted over to the king, standing before him like two teenagers asking for permission to borrow the fancy car.
The king stared at his son in confusion. “Henry?”
“The whole point of this night was for me to find someone to spend my life with. Well, I found her. Dad, this is Ella. This is the one I want to be with.”
The king took two steps back and held up his finger. “No. No, no.”
Ella’s hope crumbled in her chest but she didn’t release Henry’s hand. Part of her couldn’t let him go this time. They’d been apart for too long after having been through just plain too much. “Please, your majesty. Get to know me. I can be good for Henry.” She scrambled for reasons to be accepted as an option for the king’s son. “I have my own home, my own job, so I wouldn’t be living off of Henry. I have a spotless record. Aside from bringing wolves into your palace, I’ve never done a thing to upset your rule.”
Remus stood tall at her side. “See reason, your majesty. Ella would be a fantastic asset. Your son would never be safer. Ella can spot concealed weapons, which would keep Henry away from anything dangerous. She can hear whispered plots against the throne. She’s already used her gifts to keep several councilmembers from harm.”
Henry’s hand tightened around Ella’s. “I love her, Dad. It’s Ella or no one.”
The king’s brows puckered in confusion as he stepped back, pointing at Ella with a look of concern. “You’re not her.” Then he pulled his phone from his pocket. “This woman. This is the one whose picture I had taken off of Royal Watch.” He thumbed through his phone and pulled up a picture of Drizella licking Henry’s ear through his angry expression, which could quite easily be misconstrued as a smolder. “You told me you were in love with a woman named Ella, and this came across my press secretary’s feed. I assumed Ella was short for Drizella.” He pointed at Ella again. “This? This is who you were talking about?”
Henry looked up at the ceiling and let out a cry of relief. “I didn’t understand how you could possibly loathe her that much without even meeting her.”
The king shook his head, wiping his hand over his face. “Oh, Son. I didn’t have to meet Drizella to know she wasn’t for you. I stand by my choice that the girl in the picture is not welcome in our family. There are so many nude photos of her on the internet, and most of them are her posing with a picture of you. It’s enough to turn any father’s stomach.”
Henry’s smile couldn’t be contained as he bobbed on the balls of his feet like a boy on Christmas morning. “Drizella is Ella’s stepsister. She’s horrid. This is Ella, Dad. This is the woman I’ve been seeing in secret.”
The king’s hand flew over his chest, his eyes flicking between the two who were still joined at the hand. “Well done on the secret part. I had no idea. I didn’t think secrets were possible in our position, so I guess she can be trusted not to blather our private life to the press.”
“Of course, your majesty,” Ella offered with a slight bow.
The king’s eyes flicked to Remus, who held up his hands before the king could get his entire question out. “And you two aren’t…”
Remus shook his head, grinning at the misunderstanding. “Ella’s my student. The picture was taken entirely out of context.”
Henry thumbed Ella’s knuckles, his eyes pleading like a desperate man. “Please, Dad. You have to see how happy I am with Ella, and how miserable life has been without her for the past couple weeks.”
“You two split up?”
Henry shook his head in two jerky movements. “Only because she wouldn’t be with me if you were determined not to give your blessing, which you told me you would never do when you thought she was Drizella.”
The king let out a slow chuckle, covering his mouth. “I’m sorry, it’s just… I honestly thought you were lovesick for this Drizella woman. I always hoped for you to be swept off your feet someday, but I never imagined it would be her. She’s vile, and her mother is even worse.” He waved his hand to excuse himself, and then inclined his head to Ella. “Forgive me. I shouldn’t speak ill of your stepmother.”
Ella was too stunned to do anything but gape at the king. “You don’t disapprove, then?”
The king shook his head, a smile still toying with his lips. “Any woman who can come in and command me in my own throne room for such an unselfish cause has what it takes to stand next to you, Henry.”
Elation welled up in Ella, and before she knew what she was doing, she flung her arms around the king’s shoulders, hugging him as she choked back a sob of relief. “Thank you!”
The king fumbled, but finally encircled the woman in his arms. “Will you be good to my son? Will you uphold all that is pure and true in Avondale?”
“Yes, your majesty. I promise.”
He gave her a squeeze and then released her, gazing down on her with unconcealed affection. “Then you have my blessing.” His eyes shifted to his son, posturing with importance. “You’ll find a way to make it work with someone who’s Pulse is so very controversial?”
“It’ll work,” Henry assured them both. “We’ll make it work.” Then he turned to the woman who always kept him waiting. “Please, Ella. Promise me we can make this work.”
Ella looked up into the blue eyes that had charmed her from the start, knowing that no matter what, she wouldn’t find love like his anywhere else. “Yes, Henry. If it won’t push you and your father apart, then yes. We can be together.”
Henry didn’t wait for decorum or privacy. He gathered Ella in his arms and kissed her without permitting another moment to pass them by.
Her stomach fluttered and the unsettled bits of her heart finally slid into place, making her feel as if she belonged with the man of her many hopeful dreams. Her hands curved around the nape of his neck, playing with the strands of hair as if they had all the time in the world to toy with each other.
“Always and only you,” Henry whispered, holding her too tight to ever let her go. He’d lost her too many times to take chances.
Ella kissed his smile once more, melting them both with softness only they could bring out in each other. “Always and only you.”
43
Happily Ever After
Henry didn’t wait a moment to announce that he was off the market. He brought a blushing Ella into the ballroom, dancing with his one and only choice in front of the entire guestlist, most of whom were appalled that the prince had chosen a girl brazen enough to wear jeans and a flannel to a royal ball.
Rory, Cordray, Remus, Adam and Belle were the few who watched with rapture as Henry and Ella shared their first public dance and their first on-camera kiss. In true Henry fashion, the prince could only restrain himself for so long. After one song, he dropped down onto one knee, pulling out his mother’s ring that had been burning a hole in his pocket for two weeks. “Always and only me?” he begged, hope and adoration shining in his eyes.
Ella’s vision clouded over with tears, but she made sure to keep the sight of him before her clear as she nodded. “Yes, Henry. Always and only you.”
“What? No!” Drizella screamed, and launched herself with venom toward Ella, furious at the scene. The music screeched to a stop. “Do you even know who she is? She’s no one! She’s our servant!”
With a click of Henry’s fingers, Drizella was whisked away and put outside for the duration of the royal ball, which was quickly becoming Prince Henry’s impromptu engagement party.
When Drizella let loose that Ella had been the
ir servant, the jealous stares melted into looks of compassion. Softened eyes were painted with the whimsy of a bedtime story as they all witnessed the rapture in Prince Henry’s gaze. That the prince had chosen a servant for his bride won over the hearts of many. It made his charm a thing that transcended harsh opinion, as was his way.
Lady Tremaine wasted no time at all pulling aside one of the reporters and letting loose all of Ella’s secrets to the press, putting the spin on it that Ella was dangerous, since she could send out her Pulse. “She can hear government secrets, you know, with her being able to hear through walls. She’s a danger to the throne, which is probably why the king is sanctioning this union. Best keep the enemy close, if you know what I mean.”
It was Rory who raised her voice, her face pink with anger as she took the focus of the camera from Lady Tremaine. “This woman is horrible! She gave her own daughter a black eye. She locked the soon-to-be-princess in a broom closet. Even on the day her daughter gets engaged, she can’t say a kind word.” Rory squared her shoulders to the camera. “Embrace your new princess as I have, as the king has.”
Lady Tremaine would not be overshadowed, not even by the Chancellor’s daughter. “As Remus Johnstone has? She’s thrown herself at any number of powerful men. Why, she even tempted the Baron to try and get ahead. Unfortunately for her, the Baron only has eyes for me. So sad that she would stoop to seducing her stepmother’s boyfriend. Can you imagine?” Lady Tremaine countered with a simpering smile. “That’ll be all.” Then she turned on her heel and snapped her fingers at Anastasia, who was still gaping at Ella with no words, only incoherent stammering.
Henry encouraged the string quartet to play, drowning out Lady Tremaine as she moved on to the next reporter, and the next, spreading her tales of controversy. He turned and cupped Ella’s face, making sure to draw her eyes from the growing whispers. “This means nothing. There’s only you and only me here tonight. Lady Tremaine isn’t part of this moment.”
Ella swallowed hard and finally nodded. “Always and only you,” she promised.
When the double doors opened, it was the king himself whose presence made the ballroom fall still with silence. Then everyone bowed in reverence to the crown. King Hubert stretched his hand out, not toward Ella, but with a menace to a person behind her. “Guards, arrest the Baron!”
With wide eyes and a wet nose, the Baron took a step back from the crowd, his arms raised in surrender. “Your majesty, I can’t imagine what problem there might be.”
“It took me all of five whole minutes to extract the tracker your company injected in the Lupine.”
“Tracker?” The Baron’s bony hand flew up over his heart as he scrambled to assemble a viable excuse. “Surely you can’t think I would do such a thing. I’ve served the council faithfully for years. And even if I had, there’s no law against it. They’re merely animals.” He snapped his fingers at the nearest accomplice. “Herchon, grab my things. I’ll discuss this with you in private, your majesty, once you’ve calmed enough to see reason.”
The king’s arm raised, and the guards lining the walls closed in. They didn’t require an explanation, only their king’s command. “I would never approve of something so inhumane. How we treat the least of us proves our true character, and now I know the depths of yours. There may not be a law against it, but I will see that there is.” He held up a tiny silver object for all to see. “The serial number matches tracking devices that were registered to your company. The Lupine were once our kinsmen but you’ve treated them like cattle. This crime rests on your head, and I’ll make sure the work of your bloody hands is exposed for the entire kingdom to see.”
When the Baron began to argue, Henry piped in with a booming voice that commanded everyone’s attention. “The Baron tried to purchase my future bride for unseemly purposes. He put his hands on her, and her stepmother entertained the offer just to make a few bucks. If he can’t be charged for his crimes against the Lupine, I’ll see he’s tried for molesting my future wife.”
Henry’s arm was tight around Ella, ensuring that she witnessed justice being played out for her.
The king stiffened, his nostrils flaring as he turned to Ella. “Is this true?”
She clung to Henry and nodded, cringing that her worst moments were being laid bare for the kingdom to dissect, but grateful for the vindication all the same. Cameras flashed, capturing her cheek buried in the meat of Henry’s shoulder, and the fiercely protective look on the prince’s face.
The king’s voice boomed through the ballroom. “Take the Baron away! No woman in my kingdom will fear for her safety from a councilmember.”
Not a minute later, the Baron was cuffed and led out of the ballroom, leaving Lady Tremaine with her mouth wide open as she was escorted out of the palace.
The ballroom was silent until Adam spoke up. “And I thought my parties were controversial. Well done, Henry.”
Slowly, Henry’s grip on Ella loosened, and a tired smile soothed the worry that wrinkled the corners of his eyes. “You know how I love a good spectacle.” Then he rubbed Ella’s back, leaning his chin to her forehead so he could inhale the scent of her hair to center himself. “Are you alright, blue eyes?”
Ella cuddled into his warmth, which had always done its best to shield her from life’s cold cruelties. “After tonight? Yes, Henry. I think I just might be.”
The subjects slowly began to rise. Murmurs splintered out as the king broke his anger to greet his guests with polite handshakes and nods, keeping Guadalupe close at his heels. The music picked back up, and a few couples began dancing.
Rory rubbed her temples. “At what point do we pull the fire alarm so Henry and Ella can have a moment alone? This is far too much controversy in their first hour of being publicly together.”
Cordray glanced at the two, who were holding each other, ignoring the questions the reporters shouted at them. “She looks too happy to be bothered by scandal. Smart girl.”
Adam and Belle moved to stand beside them. “They look so sweet together,” Belle mused with a wistful smile on her face.
Adam shook his head, narrowing his eyes. “Why can’t we get married yet? I swear, if Henry gets married before me…”
“We’ll get married soon enough. I’m just glad I got to see it all. Look how much they love each other. It’s like no one else in the world exists.” When a few cameras turned to snap photos of Adam and Belle, she buried her face into his sternum, hiding in the shelter his body provided.
Adam smirked at her shyness and tucked his finger under her chin, drawing up her face so he could brush a light kiss to her lips, giving them yet another picture-perfect pose. “Can’t let Henry upstage us.”
Belle squeezed Adam’s side, relishing in his slight squirm at her tickle.
Rory watched her two best friends fawn over the women who’d captured their hearts. “You and Henry are such saps now. I love it.”
Ella and Henry gazed at each other, reveling in the freedom that came with some serious limitations. Every moment would be photographed and scrutinized. Each brush of their hands would be gossiped about. Still, even in the throng of party-goers, Ella and Henry saw only each other.
“Tell me a story, Henry,” she said quietly, her arms looping over his shoulders so she could tease the hair at the nape of his neck.
Henry led them in a slow sway to the violins that encouraged romance and happily-ever-afters. His lips brushed against her ear, sending the thrill of a shiver through her body. “Once upon a time…”
* * *
The End.
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Ugly Girl
Winning and Total Loss
Judah’s laugh was music to my ears as he high-fived me, our pool sticks clanking together. “That was an awesome shot. We should’ve bet more,” he said, eyeing the pile of twenties on the ledge that were weighted by a cube of chalk.
The atmosphere in the noisy bar was just starting to hit its sweet spot, with the blaring music enticing the college crowd to remember everything that was good about being young and away from home. We frequently came here after I finished a soccer game, yet somehow there were always a couple guys drunk enough to challenge us, even though we were undefeated at pool.
“Is it mean to take their money like this?” I asked, tilting my head at my best friend’s dark curly hair that was slightly sticking up in the back. Neither of us looked in the mirror all that often, but relied on each other to either comb out the quirks, or decide if they should be left to add to our slightly off-center personalities.
Judah guffawed. “Don’t you dare start with that pesky conscience tonight, Rosie Avalon. They were sober-ish when we started playing.” Judah scrutinized the pool table, and I could practically feel him bisecting right angles and saying nonsense words like “hypotenuse” in his head. Gotta love him. He took his shot and sank the ball, beaming that we were still on top of our game of round robin. We laughed as we did our obnoxious Cabbage Patch dance, the brown curls of my ponytail swishing in time with my pool stick. The guys on my soccer team chuckled at our usual antics, but a few people on the fringes gave us weird looks.
Me. They gave me weird looks. Not that I could blame them. I had scoliosis, which resulted in a pretty sizeable hump on my back. Pair that with my lazy left eye, and I was ripe for receiving at least one grimace a day. One of my stellar nicknames in high school had been Baby Got Too Much Back. The other one was Crater Face, due to the painful acne that never went away. Judah was my other half because he’d never once looked at me like I was the ugly girl, and I’d never teased him about being super into Star Trek, spending his entire life at the top of the curve, or being Jewish. (I mean, come on, people. It’s the twenty-first century already. You’d think the anti-Semitic comments would’ve died out before we were born, but there were always a few jaggoffs whose mission in life was to derail the evolution of the species.) I’d learned to accept the girl in the mirror and not hold back my personality. Just because I wasn’t a blonde cheerleader didn’t mean I was about to sit on the sidelines and sulk my whole life.
Beauty's Cursed Prince Page 29
