"That was so hardcore," Elena said, once Elora had herded all of them back to the corridor.
"Not the words I'd use, but I agree," Annika said, leaning on the wall.
"Despite being in bed, her posture was that of a Queen," Dhiya added.
"And she sounded exactly like Charlotte," Mei said, shuddering at the mention of Edward's extremely scary mother.
"Oh my God, yes!" Laura exclaimed. "Like the way her eyes literally seemed to burn through you - that was exactly how Queen Consort Charlotte was".
"What did Katherine mean by the 'abuse victim' part?" Stella asked.
Elora took a deep breath before answering, "Once Ella's adoptive mother died, her husband, that is, Ella's adoptive father turned abusive. He refused to give her food and water, and hit her every day".
Everyone stared at her in shock.
"You should have seen her when she first arrived," Elora continued. "She had to wear clothes that covered every inch of her body due to the bruises that dotted every part of it. She was practically stick thin. That's probably the reason why she looks so dainty even now".
"It was scary to see her back then, and her eyes... They seemed to always shine with sorrow, but she smiled and laughed so much. She never let her past affect her future," Elena said, repeating the words Elora had heard her daughter once say.
"But she still remains so... positive?" Vienna asked in a hushed voice.
"She believes that we can either choose to dwell on our past, or walk towards our future," Elora said, remembering what her daughter had told her a long time back. "And she decided to move towards her future".
"I don't think I've met anyone like her," Annika said. "On the outside, she appears quiet and confident, but she's shy, hates praise. She seems like a person who could never get angry, but she does, and when that happens, even I got intimidated".
"She seems very different, from you and Edward, the way she deals things," Elizabeth said, "Not conventional, and completely unexpected. But I guess she got that from the way she was raised".
Adelaide, Lucian and Eric glanced at each other, and went into one of the rooms, bringing piles and piles of blankets and pillows, and throwing it on the ground haphazardly.
"What?" Lucian asked. "We need to sit somewhere".
The Queens gingerly sat on the blankets, and the guards stared at how peculiar the royals were.
"Are you alright?" Elora asked him hesitantly.
"Me? I'm fine. Perfectly fine," Lucian said, looking at everyone who gazed at him skeptically. "No, I'm not upset with Aurora. Katie deserved what she got, and she needed to hear that. All of you practically coddled her. And I would done the same thing as my cousin if she had given me a chance".
"Will she be fine?" Elizabeth asked worriedly, jerking her head towards Aurora's room.
"She's both mentally and physically tired. She'll cry it out, but she'll be fine," Adelaide said.
Little did they know that Aurora wasn't crying.
"Any wedding dates in your mind?" Johanna asked, changing the topic, looking at Eric and Adelaide.
The two of them glanced at each other before Adelaide answered, "We both want to wait till Aurora finishes her education, and takes on duties as the Crown Princess".
"Because that's when the two of us will truly start having to do more work. We don't wish to start a family, or have other distractions before that. And I don't want Addy to give her career up after her marriage," Eric continued.
"We'll have a long engagement, and start learning to have a long distance relationship, before we actually tie the knot," Adelaide ended.
"Hmmm," was all Johanna said.
"When are you planning on having the Ball, Elora?" Stella asked her.
"I don't know," Elora replied. "I was thinking maybe after Ella gets okay, we could keep it".
"That's what we wanted to tell you as well," Eric said, while Adelaide nodded.
They made a good couple - Adelaide's sarcasm contrasted well with Eric's practicality, and Eric's impatience made a good contrast with Adelaide's grace.
"So it definitely won't be soon?" Laura asked.
"It should be," a voice said, and everyone turned to see Ella leaning on the door heavily.
"Ella!" Elora cried out, rushing to her daughter. "You're supposed to rest".
"Well you know how well I do with rules," Ella said, letting her lead her to a mound of cushions.
Elora carefully helped her seat herself.
"The Ball should be on New Year's Eve," Ella said.
"That's like... three days from now," Eric said.
"We'll never have enough time to plan it," Elena added.
Elora and Ella looked at her with identical expressions.
"Right. Yes," Elena said, before explaining to the others, "The two of them can practically plan a ball in ten minutes".
"Really?" Annika asked, looking curious, as Elora dismissed all the guards.
"You just wait and watch," Elena muttered.
Ella faced Elora and asked, "I'm assuming the royal family will be in green?".
Elora nodded.
"I swear, those two are telepathic," Elena grumbled, while Vienna patted her back, mock comforting her.
"Gold decorations - we can reuse the baubles, and make sure they are suspended higher up in the air. Gold streamers, gold ribbons, gold ornaments on the trees - everything gold," Aurora said.
"Because we're welcoming a person into the royal family," Elora said, nodding at her daughter.
"Exactly".
"White roses and Baby's breath as the floral centerpieces on every table," Elora said.
"Right. I created an invite for Lucian and Kate long back - we can use that instead," Ella said, waving her hand, a screen shimmering and appearing with an elegant invite on it.
"We can use the same guest list as the Christmas Ball," Elora said.
"Waiters can carry champagnes and martinis, and we can have an open bar with more choice of drinks," Aurora said.
"And the food can be just as usual too," Elora said.
"Now all's that left is our dresses," Aurora said.
"I recall seeing a zip based sleeveless emerald dress in your closet - it will be easier for you to slip into it, and will go perfectly if you style your hair simply," Elora said.
"Yeah, I remember the dress too. Don't you have a dress in the same shade too?" Ella asked.
"Oh yes, I don't think I've worn it. You're talking about the one with the large flower on the right side, right?" Elora asked.
"Yeah. That'll go amazing with your emerald crown," she said. "I think Elanor and Elodie have a matching set of green dresses too. They'll be happy to wear it".
"It's in moments like these they completely forget the people around them," Eric said, shaking his head.
"Oh shut up," Ella said, before turning to Adelaide and saying, "I'm being your bridesmaid whether you like it or not".
"I don't want you to be my bridesmaid," Adelaide said, and Elora watched Ella's face lose it's happiness. "I want you to be my Maid of Honor".
Ella seemed stunned.
"But - Addison?" she said.
"Addison will be my bridesmaid, and Elanor and Elodie will be the flower girls," Adelaide said.
Ella squealed.
"Oh I can't wait for the wedding!" she said.
"It's happening after five years," Eric said.
"And before you can say anything, no. We're waiting, whether or not you like it. After all, we can't get married unless you find a date, can we?" Adelaide asked, winking at her.
"Atta girl," Queen Vienna said.
They all seemed to find Ella's blushing adorable.
"Mum!" she said, turning to Elora.
"Quit teasing my daughter!" Elora said, feeling an inexplicable happiness as Ella turned to her for support. "She's not allowed to date till she turns forty".
"Mum," Ella said, now groaning.
Everyone laughed.
Ella drew a screen out of nowhere and quickly began writing on it.
"I'm feeling super sleepy," she said. "I think I'm going back to bed. Addy, will you help me?".
Adelaide looked at her, confused.
"Adelaide, darling. Stop staring at your ring, and help Ella, will you?" Elora said, quickly going along with what her daughter was doing.
"Right. Yes. Sorry," Adelaide said, modulating her voice such that it sounded like she was embarrassed.
"All of you must be tired too," she said, addressing the Queens, yet looking at Lucian and gesturing to him to bring something. "Please don't stay here on my account. I'm sure your families must be worried".
Lucian came back, with a few devices in his hand.
None of them moved as they had read what Ella had written on the screen - We are being heard. Stay seated until the jammers are turned on.
Lucian placed the jammers on either extreme, and switched them on.
"Now we can truly speak," Ella said, pulling open other screens.