The prince and Ella converse

The prince led Ella up the stairs and Ella said. “My room is in the attic.”

“I see,” The prince said. “How long have your family treated you so poorly?”

Ella frowned. “My whole life I suppose. It wasn’t always bad though. When my father was around… they were actually rather pleasant to be around,” she said. “But I’m unsure if that was just a front or if they grieved in mysterious ways.”

“You really are pretty,” the prince said. “I hope you can come to my ball. I want to get to know you more.”

Ella smiled and then frowned. “They’ll probably stop me,” she said.

The prince sighed. “Well, hopefully they don’t.”