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(This chapter was updated 2/6/2016)

Kit awoke to the sun streaming through his window, and the pleasant, musical voice of a young woman bidding him to get his "lazy rump out of bed, there's so much to do today!" He slowly opened his eyes to see Ella energetically bustling around his room, grabbing his most casual riding clothes out of his wardrobe, tossing his boots over to the door, filling the water basin, and quietly humming as she went. Confused, he wondered why on earth Blake, his valet, had allowed her into his bedchambers, alone.

And then he remembered. His valet wasn't there, nor were the maids, the chefs, the gardeners, the stable boys, or anyone else, for that matter. Maybe a few guards here or there, but that was all.

That morning happened to be Spring Feast, the remnants of an old pagan holiday celebrated by everyone in the kingdom on the Spring Equinox. Kit would have no royal business today, as nearly all commerce and business was put on hold. The entire household had the day off, and many of them made their way to the village in search of entertainment, or back home to spend it with their families. Even though most of the kingdom's businesses were not open, it was common that small festivals would be held in the village squares throughout the land, with everyone in the area coming to celebrate. A maypole was erected, people brought food to share, and musicians and dancers and traveling entertainers of all kinds came to perform, and there were games and dancing and contests. Even Prudence and Rupert went out for some fun on days like this. In fact, most of the household had left the previous night.

This meant that Ella and Kit were practically the only souls in the whole palace, and it seemed that Ella had plans for how they were to spend their leisure day. Seeing that he was finally sitting up, though still foggy-eyed and confused, she strided over him, planted a soft kiss on his cheek, and handed him his clothes and a hairbrush.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?" she said eagerly. "Breakfast is ready downstairs, I'll expect you down there before it gets cold. It's a beautiful day and we're not going to waste a second!" And with that, she practically skipped out of the room, gently shutting the door behind her.

Kit was still a little groggy, and very disoriented by this change of routine. As he dressed he wondered what on earth Ella could possibly have planned when there was no one there to help her. Usually on Spring Feast, and any other holiday where the household took leave, Kit would have to fend for himself, and usually ate some scraps out of the pantry of anything that he did not have to cook himself… a hot meal was out of the question, for he'd never learned to cook anything past a simple sandwich. He would spend his leisure day with his dogs, in the library, or perhaps with his father. Sometimes he would go and spend some time in the village, though he usually felt a bit like an outsider. It pained him that this was the first holiday without his father there, but at least he was not alone. He had Ella, who had now begun singing, and her voice softly carried up the stairs.

He quickly dressed himself, washed his face and combed his hair, reflecting that it was odd to him to have to do all this himself. And why not, when practically every other man in the kingdom did it every day. Even Ella was used to getting herself ready, as she and Dorothy had already had mild arguments when Ella insisted on brushing her own hair, or when Dorothy insisted that, yes, it was her job to clean Ella's chambers, and that the queen-to-be should let her do it.

Kit, on the other hand, had grown up never having to worry about these things. He had always had people to do everything for him, and it was days like this that opened his eyes to the fact that, apart from his family name and his responsibility to rule, there was very little that was actually special about him. He was just an ordinary man.

When he arrived in the kitchens, the scent of food overtook him and made his mouth water. Ella was pulling fresh pastries and bread out of the oven, there was hot coffee that had just been brewed, and it seemed she was cooking omelettes on the stove. There was a basket on the counter with all kinds of food surrounding it, and a set of five plates, waiting to be filled.

"...above me… Oh sing sweet… Kit, there you are!" She said when she saw him. She set the baking tray down, covered it with a towel to keep the pastries hot, then flipped the omelettes, before running up to Kit and hugging him tightly. He returned the gesture, spinning her around in a circle in the process. Ella let out a surprised giggle.

"Good morning, Mr. Kit!" she said, smiling.

"Good morning to you. How long have you been awake? And what is all this?" he asked as she headed back over to the food.

"Breakfast, you dolt! And lunch, as well. I'm preparing a picnic." She walked back over to the food and began loading up all the plates with the omelettes, pouring the beverages, and setting three of the meals on small trays, while covering the other two. Kit watched her intently. "I've been up for…" she thought for a moment, "about two hours. I slept in a bit today." Somehow he felt guilty for having slept in so late, and then the guilt went away because it was not even nine in the morning on a national holiday.

"Who are these for?" he asked, gesturing to the extra trays. The pleasant smile on Ella's face dropped only slightly, but enough for Kit to notice.

"They're for the girls, and my stepmother," she said quickly, as if it was obvious and there was no need to discuss it further. "They're not used to fending for themselves… I'm surprised they've lasted this long without me."

It had been three days since the Tremaines had been removed from Ella's estate. All three of the women had been made to share a small suite of rooms in the guest wing, where they would be kept far away from Ella but very nearby to the Guard's Barracks. Sentries were kept outside the windows and doors of their suite, night and day, in case they should try anything, and they were chaperoned wherever they went. Their shouting and bickering could constantly be heard on that end of the palace, and the servants had begun a lottery system of drawn straws and lost bets to determine who would have to serve them on a daily basis. And, now knowing what Ella must have had to deal with over the years, the entire household took pity on her and was much warmer and friendlier to her all of the sudden than they previously had been.

Kit had made the decision that their punishment would be left up to Ella, for this was her battle, not his. She would not talk much about them, even still, but he could sense that in confronting them and dispensing justice in her own way, it would be a source of healing for her. But she would do it the right way. Yes, Kit knew that Ella would have to save herself, though he had not thought that cooking them breakfast in bed was the right course of action. And before he could stop himself, he spoke.

"So you're back to serving them? Do you really think they deserve your kindness?" She stopped what she was doing and looked up at him.

"No one is undeserving of an act of kindness," she said, firmly but gently. She leaned her hands on the counter. Kit nodded and smiled softly.

"Right you are," he said, resting his hand on hers. "You astonish me every day, do you know that?" She smiled.

"I know," she said, teasingly. And with that, she began to take all three of the trays into her arms, setting one one her head. Kit's eyes widened and he rushed to her side.

"What on Earth are you doing?" he asked, taking the tray off her head. "At least let me help you with that."

"I'm more than capable," she said, rather indignantly, but shrugged. "As you wish. Follow me, and please pick up that plate of fish while you're at it."

Kit did as told, using his other hand to pick up a small plate of what looked like sardines. He followed her back up to the second story, marvelling at how well she was able to balance the trays, before she suddenly stopped halfway up the stairs.

"Um.. could you get that for me?" she said, shyly, nodding to the floor. It seemed that she'd lost a shoe. Kit chuckled a bit and bent to move the shoe back into her reach.

"This seems familiar," he said, smiling. Ella smiled back, but turned back around.

"Come on, let's get this to them before it gets cold." And so they promptly made their way over to the guest hall, and up to the suite. The guard at post saw them, and looked at them with unmasked astonishment. Ella ignored the poor guard's face and smiled warmly.

"Good morning, and happy Feast Day. Could you please knock on the door? My hands are full at the moment," Ella said, sweetly.

"Of course, my lady… Your Majesty…" he said, nodding to Kit, before knocking on the door. They heard a sharp "Enter!" and the guard opened the door for them.

The suite was an absolute mess. Not from dirt, for the housemaids prided themselves on keeping an impeccably clean palace. But it was incredibly untidy, with brightly colored articles of clothing strewn about on the floor, hair things and jewelry littering the vanities and tables, shoes thrown about in the oddest of places.

Anastasia and Drizella could be seen on the far end of the room, lounging on the sofa in their dressing gowns.

Over the past few days Kit had learned, since he could still not very well distinguish between the two girls on looks alone, that Anastasia generally wore pink and blue, and Drizella mostly wore green or yellow. It helped tremendously, as he found himself constantly confusing the two. Ella swore they were not twins, and that Drizella was the elder, but Kit did not really believe her.

The two girls stood up when they saw them at the door, and Lucifer, who had been stretched out on Anastasia's lap, let out a bit of a growl at being disturbed, but quickly went back to sleep. The sisters walked over to them.

"Look sister, we're being served by the King himself," Anastasia said in astonishment, looking straight at him and Ella but clearly addressing Drizella. Her tone did not hold much malice, only surprise. Her sister responded in kind, just as curious as she.

"Do you think he cooked it himself?"

"Oh, I doubt it. It smells like Ella's cooking. I'd know it anywhere." Kit wondered if this was the habit of these girls, talking to each other about someone else as if they weren't there.

"Good morning, Anastasia, Drizella. Where's your mother?" Ella replied, smoothly ignoring their remarks.

"Still dressing," Drizella said, yawning. "It is still rather early, you know."

"Come now," Ella said, finding a table on which to set the trays. "It's nearly nine o'clock. I'm used to waking up a whole three hours earlier than this. I swear to you both, it will not kill you to see the sunrise now and again."

Kit admired Ella's newfound confidence, as she had been finding her own voice quite quickly in her time at the palace. From the looks on the girls' faces, he didn't imagine that they were used to Ella speaking up so. It was interesting, for the Ella that he knew would boldly speak up for what she believed in, yet these girls seemed to think she was some meek little door mouse. It seemed she acted like two different people: one strong and confident and downright regal, the other passive and small.

But wasn't that exactly what he did? He knew that he became a completely different person around Ella than when he was conducting business, and different still when relaxing with friends or even how he had acted around his father.

"I have something to tell you all," Ella said. "I don't wish to intrude upon your holiday, but we will have to wait until your mother joins us. What I have to say can't wait."

"Suit yourself," Drizella said, in a rather indifferent tone. She motioned to the sofa nearby. "Have a seat if you'd like."

"Thank you," Ella said, before taking Kit's hand and leading him over to sit with her. Kit had found the whole exchange rather awkward and forced, and kept his mouth shut, not sure that it was really his place to speak at present. The three women did not seem hostile towards each other, but there was an undeniable tension. He supposed, maybe they didn't know what to say to each other. He could sense that none of them really wanted to fight, but they had no idea how to be friends, either.

Anastasia yawned and went to the trays to pour some coffee, before calling Lucifer over to eat his fish. As if on cue, the Lady Tremaine opened the French doors to her bedchamber and strided out, with more poise and presence than any woman Kit had met before.

"Why, Ella," she said with gritted teeth, upon seeing that she had company. "What brings you to our little suite this lovely morning?" She completely ignored Kit, which was fine by him. As much as he was used to being in the spotlight, quietly watching events unfold around him suited him. He really wanted no part in this, and had only remained because it was obvious from the tight grip on his right hand that his beloved needed him there. If his only use right now was as a hand to hold, he was more than willing to oblige.

"Madame," Ella said, rather coolly. She stood up then, and addressed the whole room. "I need to speak with all of you. It will only take a few moments." The girls walked back over to where their mother was, each stuffing a pastry into their mouths.

"By all means, proceed," the lady said, and, taking a deep breath, Ella begun.

"As I've said before, you will have to repay your debt to the crown, one way or another, and that it's not my concern how, but His Majesty's. But as for you two," she said, addressing Anastasia and Drizella, " I know just how you will repay your debt to me."

The girls looked wary, and huddled closer together, obviously awaiting a terrible fate, surely one much worse than anything Kit could imagine Ella could bestow. Would she marry them off to old, evil men? Would she force them to become scullery maids in a cruel reversal of roles? Would she banish them from the kingdom forever?

"You two will become my new Ladies-in-Waiting."

You could actually feel the absolute shock in the room. Kit, for his part, was shocked as well, though he held his tongue and tried to give no indication of surprise. If he pretended he was in on this decision perhaps it would seem less insane.

"Drizella, I'm not sure I heard her correctly," Anastasia said.

"Nor I, sister," responded Drizella.

"But she must be joking!"

"I don't know Ella to be much of a joker."

"But she can't mean-"

"But I think she does."

"She looks serious."

"Yes, but-"

"Enough!" Lady Tremaine snapped, getting over her shock enough to speak to her daughters. "Will both of you cease this instant and let the girl finish!" There was silence again, as no one wanted to cross a woman clearly at the end of her rope. Ella spoke again.

"I believe that the best way for you to pay me back for your years of cruelty... is to serve as my Ladies in Waiting. I know that you have little experience with hard labor, and I won't force you into that kind of work. But I do want you to learn a little humility, and I think this is the right course. And, with this position, it will make it easier for me to help you secure advantageous marriages in the future. You both start work tomorrow, and you'll need to report to Mariaclara first thing in the morning."

The girls nodded absently, still in shock. It was obvious that they could not decide whether this sentence was a blessing or a curse. Their mother simply looked Ella straight in the eyes for the first time that morning, and said, quietly, "Thank you." Ella nodded in response.

"We won't keep you any longer," she said, making her way back to the doors. Kit followed her after giving a very small nod to the very shocked Tremaines. "Enjoy the rest of your day!" Ella called, and closed the door behind them.

When the two had made it back down to the kitchen, Ella closed the door and leaned her forehead against it for a moment.

"Are you alright?" Kit asked. Ella didn't respond at first. She was very still, and Kit wondered if she really wasn't alright. Suddenly, she turned around, with a bright smile on her face.

"Perfectly well, thank you. And now that that's settled, we can enjoy our day together," Ella said cheerily. Without another word, she took Kit's hand and led him to the table, where breakfast was waiting for them, still relatively warm.

"And what of our visitors?" Kit asked as they ate, trying to remember his years of etiquette lessons as he demolished the plate of food before him. It seemed he didn't realize how hungry he was. Ella seemed less energetic than he was now, and slowly chewed the small portion she had given herself. It still concerned Kit that she did not eat much, but she was getting better and for now, that was good enough for him.

"I'm sure they'll be spending the day in the village. The guards have all volunteered to take shifts watching them while they're there as well."

"Very well," he said. They finished eating in a comfortable silence, before packing up the remainder of the items into the picnic basket and heading out to the stables.

"And just where is it that we're headed?" Kit asked as they arrived at the stables to find their horses, enjoying the oats left for them by the stable hands that morning.

"I thought we might spend the day out at my house," Ella said brightly. "It's a lovely ride through the forest to get there, and I'd like to check on the condition of the estate, and make certain there are no major repairs to be made."

After saddling their horses the pair set out, Ella leading the way down the road. While they ran into an occasional traveler now and then the journey was mostly quiet, as most people were headed towards the village rather than away from it. This gave Kit and Ella plenty of time to talk alone.

And they were very alone, Kit noted. More alone than they had been since Ella's arrival at the palace. For propriety's sake, the pair had been chaperoned by guards, Rupert and Prudence, Mariaclara… anyone that could spare the time. All the time- save the few moments they could find to sneak off together before they got caught. He knew for a fact that it would be frowned upon for them both to be completely unchaperoned, but something told him that was exactly the reason why she had chosen today of all days to make this little trip. It seemed his intended was not quite such a goody two-shoes after all.

Eventually they made it to the edge of the forest, where Ella's house sat. They rode up to it, and, once the horses were settled in the stables, Ella led Kit into the house, basket in hand.

"I'm going to tell you a story," she said as they approached massive wooden doors. "But I want you to promise me, that no matter how fantastic and unlikely it may seem, that you'll not think I'm a liar. I'm going to tell you the absolute truth." Kit nodded, motioning for her to proceed. Ella nodded back, took a deep breath, and began.

"Once upon a time, there was a girl called Ella."