TWISTED

16: Incriminating

Princess Charity locked herself up in her room and refused to show up at lunch or at dinner. Concerned, Ella sent Ismat up with a tray of food. Ismat returned to Ella's room bearing a bitter expression.

Presently, Ella was seated in a dark-red sofa and Ismat hovered close-by, hands locked behind her dull peach dress dotted with green flowers. 

"Did she accept it?" Ella asked eagerly.

Ismat nodded. "Yes, but after yelling at me to stay away from her. Has she gone mad?"

Ella cringed. That definitely did not sound like something Charity would do.

"It seems so." Ella muttered. She needed to talk to Arthur  but later.

"Poor thing, I wouldn't blame her. Maybe she's still suffering from the shock of 'That Day'."

"I guess so." Ella replied absent-mindedly, fiddling with the ends of  her hair.

Ismat noticed and prodded Ella with her finger. "You sound far-away, what's wrong?"

Ella let out a shaky breath when her eyes landed on Ismat's pale blue ones. Maybe what she really needed was someone to talk to and confide in. Maybe, that's what the Princess needed too.

"Let's have a ladies' night." Ella blurted out.

Ismat scratched her head in shock. "Er...what?"

Ella sprung out from the sofa  like she had been stung by an ant. "You, me, Charity. Maybe that's what she really needs. Maybe she isn't mad as we suspected." She spoke with fervour.

But Ismat did not match the excitement on Ella's face.

"But, me? Why do I have to? I'm a mere servant-"

Ella grinned. "Nonsense! You're going to be there. Tomorrow night, same place-" she gestured at her room. "-if you try to escape, I'll hunt you down."

Ismat snickered, a smile filling her face. "Very well then." Her gaze strayed to the wall clock on the wall. "Ella, I must go attend to some duties. I will see you later."

Ella reached out and clasped Ismat 's hands in a friendly lock. "Take good care of yourself Izzy."

Ismat smiles at  the nickname. "And you too, El."

When Ismat had gone back to her work. Ella sank back into the sofa with a self-satisfying sigh. It felt so good to talk to someone of her age and gender, someone she could confide in. Though they met three days ago, it felt like Ella had known Ismat all her life.

Ismat had a good heart, Ella could feel it whenever the girl was around her and she wished they would become friends.

Friend.

That was a luxury Ella never had growing up. She had no friends except the horses in the stables and the pretty ducks at the backyard, if those counted.

After Ella's father died, her mother was scared of loosing her only child and so, Ella was confined to the walls of their mansion.

That didn't mean Ella grew up miserable. On the contrary, she found a lot of things to keep herself occupied. Like the piano lessons she attended  every Saturday and Sundays, and the needlework  lessons too, then much time in the stables playing with the horses and in the evening, feeding the fishes and the ducks.

Ella forced her thoughts to a corner and decided to visit the princess in her room. Hopefully, she wasn't grumpy anymore.

Charity's room was five doors away from hers. When Ella got there, she knocked softly and opened without waiting for Princess Charity's permission, not minding that the princess may have a thousand darts ready to skewer anyone who dared trespass.