[b]As much as Ella wanted to accept all of Marken's flirting and offers of kindness, she found herself starting to sink into a pattern that was becoming hard to break. But she wasn't going to become Marken's actual wife, so she needed to be more careful. As much as she wished it, she would never have a real marriage with the prince, or be able to tell him she had feelings for him.

"Let us change our clothes and eat," Ella mumbled softly, changing the subject, "People will assume I have an ill reputation if we hide in your rooms all day." Standing, Ella finally calmed herself, though she wanted to go to Marken again.

Eventually, she was able to convince him to lead her to their rooms, the young woman quickly changing herself into a newer outfit to avoid the eventual fight about how the only exit in Ella's room went through to Marken's. How paranoid was he that she would sneak out? Or was this normal? [/b]