Glass

Part Five

For a long moment, the two girls stared at each other. Terror blazed through Ella's being. Any moment now she would call her out-any moment now Ciela and her stepmother would dash over and drag her to the guards-any moment now she would be banished or killed or-or-

"I-I-I'm so-" Anemone's face was quickly turning into the shade of her dress. "It was an accident and-"

"What my sister means to say is," said Ciela, sweeping in behind her sister and placing her hands on Anemone's shoulders, "she apologizes for not watching where she was going. She must have been distracted." Ciela smiled as if indulging in a secret joke. Ella watched her face, but the amusement didn't seem to have anything to do with her or her identity. Could it be...?

"Yes! Yes. That is exactly what I was trying to say." Anemone puffed out a sigh of relief and smiled at her sister. "I'm terribly sorry. Lovely save, though. Lovely dress, too!"

With prim little curtsies in her direction, they turned immediately to a young man standing nearby. Ella jumped again; she hadn't noticed his approach. Or his presence. At all.

"Good evening," Ciela purred in the breathiest voice Ella had ever heard. Anemone said nothing-only giggled bashfully and hid her quickly-reddening face behind a ruddy hand.

The young man smiled and nodded back. "Ladies."

Smiling their most charming smiles, they straightened and hurried off.

Ella couldn't believe her luck as she watched them go. She felt like doing a little jig right then and there-for her stepsisters didn't recognize her!

Happily, she forked up a large bite of fruit and plopped it into her mouth.

"I hope the food satisfies you, milady?"

Ella very nearly choked on her fruit as she whirled to find the handsome boy still standing there. He smiled, the gesture crinkling the corners of his sapphire-blue eyes. A lock of thick, dark hair fell across his brow, and suddenly Ella found it hard to breathe for an entirely different reason.

His smile widened after a few moments of silence passed, and she realized that not only was she gawking but she had completely forgotten his question.

"P-pardon?" she stammered, suddenly realizing why Anemone had been so embarrassed when she'd tripped and Ciela had looked like a cat with a canary in her jaws-he had been standing right there!

Thankfully, he laughed good-naturedly. "The food. Is it good?" He helped himself to a chocolate-coated berry off her plate. "Haven't had the chance to try it myself yet."

"Oh-yes. Very good. The best I've had in a long, long time, actually."

"Really." He looked her over. Then he smiled that dazzling grin again and grabbed a plate for himself. "Well, with such a fair maiden's approval, it must taste like ambrosia."

Was there suddenly less air in here? Ella was certain someone had stolen it all. She leaned against the wall again and watched him as he selected food items from the table. To her horror, he took only a fraction of what she had piled on her plate, and she quickly hid a couple pastries and meats behind a cornucopia decoration on the table. Hopefully he didn't think she had stuffed it all in her mouth while he'd turned away...

The young man finished filling his plate-which was still emptier than hers, even after she'd hidden at least a third of it-and leaned against the wall next to her.

Silence lapsed between them. Ella desperately wished for something clever to say, but nothing was forthcoming, so she took a bite of a cream puff so she had an excuse not to speak.