Fate

Chapter 14

The next day, Ella was up early. She ate breakfast alone because no one was up yet. Eagerly, she wolfed down her bread and coffee, before going up to Vari’s study. She wanted to sing alone. She knew she could do it. Her feet brought her to a stop in front of the study. Ella took a deep breath, then timidly knocked on the door.

“Come in!” called Vari on the other side. Ella pushed the door open.

“Hi! I’m sorry to bother you so early in the morning but—”

“Good morning to you too, Ella.” Vari chuckled, “Have a seat.”

“Thank you. I wanted to say that, that, well… I want to sing. Alone.” Ella’s eyes shined with excitement. Vari’s eyebrows rose.

“I thought you were nervous about singing to a ‘proper’ audience?”

“So did I… Until last night. It was the single most incredible night of my life.”

“Well I’m going to have to see where I can fit you in the schedule then, right? I mean, I can’t just shove you in… Hmm,” Vari started to shuffle through some papers. Ella could hardly sit still. She was going to sing!

“What songs should I practice?”

“Hmm? Oh, talk to Sheila about those. She coordinates the performances to make sure that the several singers singing don’t sing the same songs.”

“Okay… Oh thank you Vari!!” Ella exclaimed. She wanted to hug him for all the good he’d done for her.


And so from then on, twice or thrice a week, Ella performed solo. As she predicted for herself, her heart sang out to the audience and demands for her grew. Vari’s clientele also swelled, which encouraged him to give Ella the ‘prime time’ of the evening.


Two months later, Ella was comfortably settled in, and accumulating more money that she had ever seen in her life. The banks had finally agreed to allow her to open an account. Then, there was that special night. Unbeknownst to all, it was Ella’s birthday that night. She was finally turning sixteen. She thought back when she told Sty she was nearly sixteen… a little white lie never hurt. That night, as Ella bowed for the final time, her eye caught a distinctive shadow. Her breath caught, and she nearly stumbled off the stage, instead of gracefully walking into the wings. Her heart beat crazily in her chest and her breath came in short gasps. She hardly heard the praise from her entertainers. She only rushed to the mess room to change and take her makeup off. Luckily, it was empty. She let herself collapse onto the chair. What was he doing here? Of all places, just when she was finally moving on, he comes back into her life. Ella covered her face with her hands, before staring into the mirror. She was a different person now.

There was a knock on the door, and Ella jumped up, not wanting to be caught in this state. Rinae walked in.

“Ella? There’s a young man who wants to talk to you.”

“Tell… tell him I’m unavailable please.”

“Do you know who he is?”

“Yes!” Ella snapped, “Just… Just tell him I can’t see him right now.”

“Okay,” Just as she shut the door, Rinae threw Ella a questioning look full of meaning. Ella hoped her face was a blank mask. She slowly counted to twenty before opening the door again and using the back staircase to make her way to her room. There at least, she could have uninterrupted peace, though her mind was in full turmoil. It could, of course, just be a coincidence. He was a noble after all, and could certainly afford the entrance fee. It was within his right to come here. But to ask for her after? Perhaps he only wanted to congratulate her on her performance, like any other entertainer, but Ella seriously doubted that. It wasn’t as though she was unknown. Goddess! Vari gave her the ‘prime time’! Sebastian had probably heard of her through his noble friends. Little would they have known that the two of them had almost been lovers.

Ella groaned, rolled over on the bed, and fell asleep.


The subsequent nights of her solo performances followed much the same way. After her final applause, Sebastian would come asking for her, and invariably, Ella refused. She couldn’t face him. Rinae, Sheila, and Vari were concerned about her, she knew. But to tell them would be digging into her past, something she had refused to do in her time at Al’y’Coré Moli. It was too painful, and it was a closed chapter of her life.

Her heart disagreed with her. Every time Sebastian came to call, her heart yearned at seeing him again, smelling his special scent, relishing his dark eyes. Every time he called, it was harder to refuse.


It was a month after her birthday that Ella finally gave in. She had performed particularly well that night, and was relishing her success by slipping out onto the dance floor to dance while a band played some quick-moving music. Through her fun, Ella didn’t realize anything, until someone tapped her on her shoulder. Someone smelling of ground coffee and vanilla, of riches, of promises, and of love.

“May I have the last dance, before the band retires?” His soft voice sent shivers through her body, as Ella turned and found herself practically in Sebastian’s arms. Her voice was robbed at her, but her body had the common sense to put her hand in his.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he said, before he swept her away.

Nothing had ever felt so right, dancing with this man. She twirled, danced away and danced back, her hair flying. She was disappointed when the song ended, and she knew her heart had never stopped loving him.

“I will not press you, though I know you to be a headstrong young woman. But please, will you do me the honor of stopping by my house on the morrow’s morning?”

“Yes, sir.” Simple as that, Sebastian kissed the back of her hand, before vanishing in the crowd. Ella stood stunned for a moment, before making her way up to her room, deliberately ignoring the excited whispers and calls of Sheila, Rinae, and some of the other girls.

Ella was in love. And she was going to see him tomorrow.


In the morning, Ella agonized over what to wear. She was a respected performer now, and being invited to a noble’s house was a privilege. Finally, she settled on a new dress she had bought. It was of cream silk with a purple bodice and overskirt which was slit at the front. Not wanting to talk to Rinae before leaving, she arranged her hair simply and slipped plain golden earrings into her recently pierced lobes. She put very little lip paint and kohl. Stepping into her shoes and shrugging her cloak on, Ella made her way to the front of the entertainment house unnoticed but by a cat. She hailed a hansom and gave him the address, puling he hood low over her face; she had no desire to be recognized. When the hansom stopped in front of the elaborate house, she hastily paid him, and attempted to quell her stomach. Luckily, or perhaps not, Ella hadn’t decided yet, but Sebastian was waiting outside the front gate. Gently taking her wrist, he pulled her to the side, where they would enter by the servants’ entrance. Memories unbidden rose to Ella’s mind, as she silently followed him. The kitchens were oddly deserted, Ella noticed, but didn’t dwell on it as Sebastian pulled her into a small drawing room she hadn’t seen before. The young man carefully closed and locked the door behind her. He walked around, checking the locks and drawing the curtains closed over the single window. Ella couldn’t take it anymore.

“Why all the secrecy?” she asked.

“My parents have taken Miranda out; I’ve claimed work at the University.”

“Oh,” Ella understood.

In an instant, he had crossed the room, and pushed the cloak to the floor, taking Ella’s face between his hands.

“Goddess, I’ve missed you,” he whispered, before kissing her softly but full of urgency.

“Sebastian…” Ella pulled back, “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I’m in love with you,” he tried to kiss her again.

“But you’re married.”

He sighed, “I know:”

“I should be going then,” she picked up her cloak and put it on, moving towards the door.

“Ella, please,” Sebastian lightly caught her wrist, “Stay.”

“Sebastian, we have different lives now. I can’t.”

He looked crestfallen. She was breaking his heart for the third time.

“Oh Seb,” She walked back and hugged him. He held her tightly, and she knew that nothing had changed, and nor would it ever.

“Don’t leave me,” he whispered in her ear. Ella pulled back so she could look at him in the eyes.

“Never,” she whispered before putting her hands on either side of his face and pulling it downwards for a kiss.


Ella left to go back to Al’y’Coré Moli just before lunchtime. Neither she nor Sebastian wanted to risk being caught by his parents and Miranda. As she made her way to her room, she was accosted by Rinae.

“So where were you all morning?”

“Oh… just out and about,” Ella replied vaguely.

“Uh-huh. With anyone special? Like that guy you danced with last night?” Ella blushed slightly.

“Oh honey,” Rinae enveloped her in a sweet-smelling hug.

“Rinae, don’t worry. I won’t get hurt. I—”

“Honey, I am worried. He’s a noble! His feelings aren’t true; he just wants to play around.”

Ella’s eyes turned to steel, “Don’t you be telling me what his feelings are. You know nothing of me, or of him.” She turned on her heel and marched into her room, shutting the door in Rinae’s face.

Ella dined in her room that night.