[b]Ella fell back a little as Marken hugged her tight, her arms reaching up to wrap around his head as he kept her close. She was shocked that he would show such a vulnerable side of himself to her, and so quickly. Earlier, she was fairly certain that he wasn't going to be doing any more sharing with her. But as much as she'd like to be happy about Marken being closer to her, they still had the situation at hand. Ella knew what it was like to lose both parents, and wouldn't wish that experience on her very worst enemy.

"Idiot," Ella mumbled under her breath. Leaning down, Ella cupped Marken's cheeks and pressed her lips to his softly, sliding down to sit in his lap and hug him closer. Ella kissed the prince until he calmed and then parted, gently wiping his tears from the corners of his eyes. It was odd to see that men cried as well, especially one that Ella had forbidden herself from loving.

Would it be okay to love him now, and could she allow herself to become emotionally attached to Marken now that she knew he wasn't made of stone? It wasn't like she was going anywhere now. King George's decision was always absolute.

"We can't save your mother unless we act," Ella told Marken gently, "I'll do whatever you need me to if you need comforting, but try to remain optimistic and do as I say. Can you do that, Marken? Your mama needs you to be strong right now." [/b]