The Substitute Cinderella

Chapter 11 "Upside Down"

Ella was woken up from a nap caused by dehydration with the sound of the rusty tray's clink on the stone ground.

She slowly straightened. Coughing to brush of the dust that was all around where she slept and maybe inside of her. Her hair was all around the place, some parts of it felt sticky on her neck with the sweat of stress and sadness, the bottom of her dress was grey in dust as well because she had to sleep on hard ground.

But she had bigger problems. Instinctively she grabbed the cup on the tray to drink the water. Unfortunately, half bread was the only other thing on the tray as a food. She tried to eat that slowly too afraid she might not get any for a long time.

After eating, she saw the reflection of the moon and turned her eyes upwards. The light of the full moon was reaching her dungeon cell from the little window. With a little hope she checked to see if there were knights. There was one, fortunately sleeping soundly.

She got up from the ground  trying to make no sound and reached her arm upwards.
But it was too high for her to reach for she had nothing to step on and use as a ladder.

The faint light falling on her face still gave her hope but now mocked her at the same time by being unapproachable.

She sat down again her back against the wall. The knight stirred in his seat still lightly snoring.

She couldn't help but feeling bitter about her situation that had changed so quickly for the crimes she couldn't have even thought of committing.

Isabella had always been the one who conspired against the kingdom however she, a mere stranger, was the one who suffered from the Queen's hatred.

'Because she is a royal with a lot to offer. And an award worthy actress who can deceive anyone. But you, you're just Ella, and you have stolen the precious time of the king who could've spent the same time getting closer to Isabella.' She thought putting herself at the shoes of the queen who ordered her execution.

Unfortunately, Henry, the king who saved her from all kinds of danger she had to go through since she woke up, was nowhere to be seen this time.

And it killed her.

Was he looking for her? Was he concerned for her?

Maybe it was time to save herself this time. Because nobody was coming to protect her.

But Ella only looked desperately at the stone walls from behind the cold iron bars.

It was the Queen's order. She was basically a dead person.

Everything felt meaningless. She felt stuck and she literally was.

The only thing she had the chance to choose was being a good person, and she chose to be that as much as she could. However being born a 'royal' had never been something she had a choice to do

But she didn't regret. She was just Ella.

And because of that, she was being punished.

For the things she had nothing to do with.

She was not guilty.

***

Henry was standing at the gate of a dark circular room with a high ceiling, a room he had never seen before but still he knew he was in his palace.

He walked to the middle of the room with a non existent hesitation as if he was a hunter trying to catch his prey in the middle of the night. The feeling was familiar.

Soon after he saw the faint circular light on the black ground when he looked down on his feet with the abrupt heat that hit his body. He took one more step with the same determined mind.