[b]Ella felt a little disembodied by Regina's words, quietly taking in what she said. Was it really so simple that all she had to do was treat Marken like a normal person? And here she thought Marken only found her attractive this whole time.

"I suppose that makes sense," Ella admitted as she looked down at her food, "But in all honesty, the fact that Marken is royalty won't make him a better father to my children, or a better husband. I still have to keep things like that in mind when I meet anyone interested in being my partner."

Which was true. It didn’t matter how powerful Marken was, any man she chose to be her husband would treat their children well. It just killed her that she found a man who was seemingly perfect for her, but after tonight, she’d be alone again. And it had to be tonight. She could feel her resolve slowly deteriorating into nothing.[/b]