Luke's Diner, Friday, 12/19
Ella was at the diner early that day, in a peculiarly thoughtful mood. Classes were over for the year, and she'd be home for her break soon.
She stood at the counter, wiping it again and again as her thoughts enveloped her.
The baby who Ella had once been yelped, frightened by the strange new woman holding her. "Noisy little thing, isn't she?," the fairy Lucinda commented as she bounced the swaddled child in her arms. Then, as Ella's mother and Mandy held their breath, she added, "Well, I'll make it pleasant for the people around her. Ella, you will have a beautiful singing voice."
Instantly the baby's cry turned into a lovely aria. "Is that all, Lucinda?" Mandy asked through gritted teeth.
"Oh, I suppose it will do," Lucinda said airily and with a look of deep satisfaction, handing the baby back to her mother. "I'm off! Thank you so for having me."
And then she vanished, as the baby kept singing.
"...a beautiful voice?" Lady Eleanor said, incredulous. "Oh, that's useful."
Mandy gave her a killing look. "It could be much worse. I heard Lady Frances's baby up in Jenn got the gift of obedience the other week, can you imagine?"
Both women shuddered.
For the next 14 years, Ella grew much as she had with the curse in place, never knowing what she had been spared. She played, walked in the woods, grew to love Mandy, and learned to ride and to speak every language anyone would teach her. And, because a singing voice wasn't much help against illness or life's other slings and arrows, her mother still died, and her father still promptly became involved with a woman who was only too happy to ship Ella off to finishing school. At the school, she was the star of singing classes, but little use at dancing or embroidery, or the thousand other worthless components of being a lady. When her new stepsisters went home, she was ready to go with them.
Through it all, she wrote letters to Prince Charmant, whom she had become friends with after her mother's loss. She scrawled silly letters, serious letters, letters that recounted her trials and triumphs to him. She fell deeply in love with him, and, when he came to see her after her return from school, she was not surprised by his request.
"Marry me when I'm done with my duties in Ayorthia," the prince implored. "I know we are young, but that just means we've more of life to experience together."
And Ella, unconstrained by any curse, was only too happy to sing out her answer that she would.
When Ella came to again, she realized she'd been wiping the counter for so long that it was almost wearing thin. She shook off her own silliness and went to fix a mug of tea.
Specials
New England Clam Chowder
Chicken Caesar Salad
Peppermint Cheesecake
She stood at the counter, wiping it again and again as her thoughts enveloped her.
The baby who Ella had once been yelped, frightened by the strange new woman holding her. "Noisy little thing, isn't she?," the fairy Lucinda commented as she bounced the swaddled child in her arms. Then, as Ella's mother and Mandy held their breath, she added, "Well, I'll make it pleasant for the people around her. Ella, you will have a beautiful singing voice."
Instantly the baby's cry turned into a lovely aria. "Is that all, Lucinda?" Mandy asked through gritted teeth.
"Oh, I suppose it will do," Lucinda said airily and with a look of deep satisfaction, handing the baby back to her mother. "I'm off! Thank you so for having me."
And then she vanished, as the baby kept singing.
"...a beautiful voice?" Lady Eleanor said, incredulous. "Oh, that's useful."
Mandy gave her a killing look. "It could be much worse. I heard Lady Frances's baby up in Jenn got the gift of obedience the other week, can you imagine?"
Both women shuddered.
For the next 14 years, Ella grew much as she had with the curse in place, never knowing what she had been spared. She played, walked in the woods, grew to love Mandy, and learned to ride and to speak every language anyone would teach her. And, because a singing voice wasn't much help against illness or life's other slings and arrows, her mother still died, and her father still promptly became involved with a woman who was only too happy to ship Ella off to finishing school. At the school, she was the star of singing classes, but little use at dancing or embroidery, or the thousand other worthless components of being a lady. When her new stepsisters went home, she was ready to go with them.
Through it all, she wrote letters to Prince Charmant, whom she had become friends with after her mother's loss. She scrawled silly letters, serious letters, letters that recounted her trials and triumphs to him. She fell deeply in love with him, and, when he came to see her after her return from school, she was not surprised by his request.
"Marry me when I'm done with my duties in Ayorthia," the prince implored. "I know we are young, but that just means we've more of life to experience together."
And Ella, unconstrained by any curse, was only too happy to sing out her answer that she would.
When Ella came to again, she realized she'd been wiping the counter for so long that it was almost wearing thin. She shook off her own silliness and went to fix a mug of tea.
Specials
New England Clam Chowder
Chicken Caesar Salad
Peppermint Cheesecake