Ella

She ran her thumb over the engraved initials on the pick he'd left behind. How would she go about finding the man it belonged to?

A knock at her bedroom door startled her. After the guitar man vanished she went back to the ball. Not willingly, more like by force, as her father's guards found her. She danced with countless princes, none were the man whom she had kissed. His lips were perfect and warm and nothing like she'd ever felt before.

"Yes?"

"It's Gus."

"Come in."

Gus stepped inside. He wore a frown on his face. "Have you chosen your companion yet?"

There were three men waiting downstairs for her. She had to choose one, but none of them were who she wanted. She didn't respond, only kept her attention on the pick in her hands.

"Princess?"

"If I asked you for a favor, would you do it without question?" she asked, her eyes never leaving the pick.

"Well- I don't - I shouldn't, but for you, anything."

***

Cole

He was shoveling horse manure. That was his punishment. When he finished his daily work he'd be shunned to the basement and brought bread and water for meals. He was being taught a lesson and treated like a prisoner in his own home.

The horses had returned. They played a trick on him. He had been contemplating how he would escape this torture.

"Come on stable boy, shovel faster!" Andy sneered.

"Yeah. Faster." Drew shoved him into a large heaping pile.

He knew better than to fight back, if he did his punishment would be worse than shoveling manure. He tried to imagine he was back at the castle with Ella. She was different than he had expected. He wished that he would have done things differently and stayed, it would have been better than this.

When he finished for the day Drew and Andy escorted him to the basement. At least there was running water and he was able to clean off the stench. He threw away the clothes out the small basement window, and grabbed a fresh pair. His new plan was to wait this punishment out, then escape the first chance he got. He'd take his mom's guitar and go far away. Only he no longer had the pick. He must have dropped it. He felt broken.

Through the window muffled voices trickled in.

"What would the princess be doing in town?" Andy asked.

"I heard she was looking for a man she met at the ball," Drew responded.

Cole gripped the small ledge that the window rested on and tried to listen some more.

"I'll show her what a real prince is like," Andy chuckled.

"You could never be a prince, me on the other hand, she'd fall for my charm in an instant."

"You want to bet on it? I bet that you can't make her forget the man she's searching for."

"You're on!" Andy responded.

He had to get out of this basement, she had no idea what she would walk into if she were to come here, but he didn't want to find out. If he could get out, he could stop her from coming and being tortured by these jerks. Now if only there was a way out.