Chapter 23
Ella was puzzled and lost.
What was going on there and where was she?
She did not even know why she was taken to the Knights castle and for what reason. Everything that happened to her before she lost her consciousness doesn’t make any logic.
“Please close your eyes, Miss. We are to put some scented powder on them.” The maid whispered respectfully to which Ella complied as asked to. She didn’t knew why a group of maids were working on her to make her look beautiful.
The moment she woke up in the large deluxe bed in an unknown room, she was followed by maids who seemed so excited to serve her. She asked them why she was there but the maids just told her that they didn’t know anything. She was given food and a healthy drink as soon as she woke up. Once she was done eating, the maids rushed her to the bathroom and bathed her with scented herbs and oils.
Ella was getting nervous as time went on. Why was she being decked up was still a puzzle for her. She asked where the town head and other men were who brought her there but she was only answered with ‘you will know in awhile.’
“Lucy” Ella called out and Lucy who was working on her hair stopped what she was doing and looked at her with a polite smile.
“Why are you decorating me? Is this how I will be slaughtered? The witch’s solution for the disaster was to slaughter me after decorating me, isn’t it?” Ella asked softly looking at Lucy with questioning eyes. Lucy opened her mouth to assure her but closed it immediately as the Lord banned everyone to tell anything to Miss Ella.
Lucy could only smile at her, “You will know in a while, Miss. Rest assured, you will not be slaughtered.” She answered shortly and completed making Ella’s hair.
Once Ella’s face was made up, Lucy got a pretty pink evening gown adorned with flower works and crystal stones. The gown looked extraordinary.
“Miss, take off the robe we need to get you into this beautiful gown.” Lucy stated tugging on the loose knot of the Ella’s robe.
“But Lucy, this gown is for me? Why?” Ella stepped back a little and looked at the lavish gown. The more she was taken care of the more petrified she was getting.
She was never treated this nice by people and when all the ladies around were rushing to make her a good looking lady, she couldn’t understand what to take it as.
Ella was dressed in the pink gown and she looked stunning with her red locks tumbling down to her waist and her pale skin accentuated by the pink dress. Her lips were painted red matching her hair. She looked like a doll of desire.
“You look stunning, Miss. You will not be rested all the night.” The other maid giggled looking at the gorgeous looking Ella. All the maids were amazed by her beauty.
Ella did not get the meaning behind the maid’s statement and before she could dwell into it, Lucy ushered her out of the room towards a set of large staircase, taking her to a set of large double doors.
Ella thought of running away stealthily but from the moment she woke up, she was persistently accompanied by one or the other ladies. She did not get to spend even a moment alone without them.
Lucy pushed the double doors with strength revealing a big master bedroom decorated with scented candles and flowers. The room was faintly lit by the candles and the sweet smelling flower petals were covering the floor. The bed was totally another story. It was covered with white sheet and decorated by red rose petals.
It looked cozy and sensual.
“w-wh-what why are we here?” Ella stuttered looking at the decorated room. Her fears got worse and her hands shaking violently.
Why was she taken to such a room? Why were the maids smiling and giggling at her?
“Miss, you are to stay here until someone arrives.” Lucy explained shortly not giving any more details regarding it and ushered the other maids out closing the doors behind her.
Ella got hasty and tapped the door for someone to open it but the doors were locked from the outside and there was no one opening it. She was getting anxious by every passing moment. She knew why she was there and why the room was decorated and why she was having a companion.
No, it couldn’t be. She couldn’t!
How can the town head do this to her? Did he sell her to satisfy someone? No she cannot be there for another moment. She needs to look for a way to get away from there.
Ella looked around for something… something to break open the door but what can possibly open a heavy door without make a sound?
She found a window behind the bed and ran towards it. It was already night time and was pitch dark. The castle was surrounded by the woods so she could be able to hide in the bushes and escape safely but what is worrying her was the height. She was thirty feet above the ground on the third story of the castle.
How was she to get to the ground?
Running around the large room, she was trying to find something that could help her bring to the ground. After rummaging through the drawers, she found few fresh silk duvets.
This could help, she thought and started knotting the ends of the duvets to one another making it into a long cord.
She would successfully flee away and no one could trace her – she thought determinedly and tied one open end of the duvet to the headboard of the bed. Before she could start her escapade, she light reached the closed doors and placed her ear on them to hear if someone was arriving.
When she was satisfied with silence behind the doors, she walked to the window again and looked down to the unguarded and dark land.
Ella has a fear for height but she knew that it was not the time to step back, she should run away from there and if she needs to close her eyes and bring herself down by hanging on the channel then so be it.
With baited breath she closed her eyes heaving and shivering in fear. Holding the silky cloth in both of her hands tightly, Ella sat on the window sill and brought her legs to the outside.
What if she couldn’t hang on and fell down?
What if the cloth tear and she was thrown on the hard ground from above ten meters?
She would either break her limbs or die. It would be better if she was dead but if she end up alive with broken limbs, it would be another hell for her for the rest of her life.
With shaking hands, she wrapped the cloth around her hand and slowly got down from the window sill finding a pipe to put her leg on.
‘Do not look down. Do not look down’ Ella kept chanting to herself and closed her eyes before loosing the grip and the cloth slightly; enough to slide her down a little. A moment immediately, she again held the duvet tightly and saw that she only descended only half a foot.
A sob broke out of from her mouth. Oh dear, how was she to reach the land safely? She would certainly break her skeleton in the process.
She has lost her sense to escape this way!Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
Many moments later, Ella finally geared up courage to descend a little more. She loosened the grip again and slid down in a fast pace. Ella was panicked and caught the duvet tightly looking upwards to find herself halfway through her journey.
Ella breathed out harshly and leaned her head on the wall and closed her eyes in relief. Her hands lost strength but she held the duvet with her life. Her legs were dangling in air, searching for some kind of support.
“Running away, aren’t we?” She heard a familiar raspy whisper into her ear from behind. A pair of hands covered hers which were on the cloth and leg was wrapped around her waist pulling her into a warm body.
Ella gasped at the sudden voice coming from just behind her and feeling the familiar heat.
How – what – how was he there?
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