The Dancing Princesses

Genevieve

I wake up to my eldest sister standing over me, her crystal blue eyes urgent and frantic.

"What do you need, Lizzy?" I ask, sitting up and looking at her.

"Mother is missing." Lizette says.

I stare at her. Mother had gone on a trip to visit her parents in a small village, only a day's travel from the castle, where she rules as Queen Alayna. Lizette turns to leave.

"Hurry and dress. Father wishes to speak to us all." my eldest sister sweeps herself from the room, her red gown swishing after her.

I jump quite literally out of bed and rush about, preparing myself for breakfast. My lady's maid helps me into a sea green gown and piles my curly red hair on top of my head. She shoos me out and I race quite unladylike down the hall to the dining room. Father, Hadley, Evangeline, Kenzie, Sarah, Alexis, and Belle are already sitting down. I walk to my seat next to Isadora's empty place. She hasn't risen. Moments after I sit, Isadora rushes in, her pale face flushed. She sits silently and look across the table at Kenzie. Kenzie gives Isadora a reassuring smile. Izzy calms down. Kenzie always has that effect on her sisters, especially Izzy, who gets nervous and worried easily. Terezia and Juliet enter next, both looking attempting to look calm, but not quite achieving it.

Father looks at us, his face haggard and tired. His sweet brown eyes are full of concern and worry. I want to go comfort him, but I do not wish to leave my seat. I can hear some of my elder sisters whispering, but they are so quiet I cannot make out what they say. We wait in otherwise silence, until Lizzy comes in, Christina holding her hand. Lizzy sets Christina in her chair and moves gracefully to her own. Now that we have all assembled, Father clears his throat an breaks the silence.

"As I am sure Lizette has told you, your mother did not arrive at her parents' home this morning as expected. I have sent out troops to look for her and I beg you all not to panic. Her carriage may simply have gotten lost. Please, do not speak of her disappearance. As a precaution, I have had the castle doors sealed shut. No one is to leave or enter. You may visit the gardens, but only if you have a guard with you. Please understand I am only trying to keep you safe. Your mother with be found shortly, I am sure of it." Father says, looking at each of us in turn.

I swallow and stare at my plate. Suddenly the French toast isn't so appetizing. I am the first to stand and leave, sure my stomach won't hold down anything. Sarah follows and hurries to catch up to me. I'm not the only one who can't eat.

"Do you want to go to the gardens? I'm sure Father and everyone else are going to be freaking out. I want to get away from that for a little while." Sarah says, looking at me with clear and desperate brown eyes. I nod and she gives me a grateful smile.

Together we find a guard and have him accompany us on our walk. We walk to cobblestone path to our favorite place, the rose garden. A fountain sits in the center, with rose bushes surrounding it. A large oak stands in the back, directly behind the fountain. A bench sits under the tree. I sit down on the bench and Sarah joins me. The guard stands far enough away not to hear our conversation, but close enough the keep an eye on us. We sit in silence and I turn my attention to the roses. I search for the perfect rose. It isn't the biggest, but the smallest, with pale pink creeping onto its white petals. I study it carefully and decide it is the prettiest.

Sarah breaks the silence. "Do you think they'll find Mother?"

I look at her. "I thought you said we came here to escape that."

Sarah sighs. "I know. But I can't stop worrying about it. I want her to be safe, and I don't know if she's safe."

I wrap my arm around my younger sister. "It's going to be okay. They'll find her. I'm sure she'll be fine."

Sarah opens her mouth to reply when we hear Lizzy's voice. "Sarah! Genevieve! Come quick! They found Mother!"

Sarah gives me a look before hurrying back to the castle. I follow right behind. Lizzy takes us to Father's throne room, where we meet our other eight sisters. Belle is holding six year old Christina, who is looking very scared. Father is speaking softly to the captain of the guard, his face drawn and guarded. I know instantly by the look in his eyes something bad happened. I have come to know Father by his facial expressions, but mostly through his eyes. Father turns to us, his eyes full of sadness.

"My daughters, I have grave news. Your mother has been found." his voice breaks. "She has been found dead."

I hold back a scream of shock. Instead I gasp. Sarah grabs onto me for support. I hold back the sudden tears. I look at my other sisters. A few, such as Izzy and Terezia, are crying silently. Everyone else is shocked and seems to be holding back the same tears as I. Except Kenzie. She is taking the news the best. She's standing very still with her eyes closed. She's makes no movement and almost looks like a statue. How I wish I could take this like Kenzie, always the one who can handle most anything. I stare at Father, who has turned and is leaving the room. He will want time alone, as will most of us. The captain is standing speaking to another guard, who hands him a slip of a paper. The captain glances at it quickly and then strides over to Lizzy.

"Your Highness." the captain bows. "I have a note for you. It was found by the queen's body. It says only to give to you and your sisters."

Lizzy snatches the paper away from the guard and orders everyone to leave. Except her sisters.

"Lizzy," Hadley says, moving towards the silent princess.

Lizzy opens the folded paper and reads whatever is written. She bites her lip and then looks at us.

"What does it say?" Belle asks, tightening her grip on Christina.

'Dear lovely princesses of Elaria,
Since you are reading this, I assume you know of your dear mother's death. You can blame her for what I am about to tell you. Let me explain the story of her death. But you are sworn to secrecy. I have placed at curse on this paper. Anyone who hears what it says will be forbidden to speak to anyone about it, unless it is to another who knows what it reads. Your mother was traveling through my forest, having lost the road. Her guards stopped at my cottage to ask for directions. I gave them, but only if I would be received at the castle when I needed help. The queen refused, as she knew who I was and wished for her precious twelve daughters to be safe. Ha! How wrong she was! So, I told them the wrong directions. I was angry, see. I followed them and whispered a killing curse. They all died. And then in my revenge, I placed a curse over the twelve princesses. Here is your curse, dear girls. You are to dance every night, disappear to a secret world hidden deep in the gardens of the castle. But be warned. You cannot break this curse easily, especially the young princesses. You must find twelve princes and make them fall in love with you. Then they must dance with you for three nights. And they are never to hear your true name. After the curse breaks, you shall never find the world again. Nor the prince. He will die and you will never see him. But, there is another way. I shall not speak of it, for you must be more clever than I. Good luck, my dears. The curse has been placed. It starts tonight.' Lizzy finishes and looks at us.

I look at her in shock. A curse. We are cursed to dance. I always hated dancing.

"Lizzy, what are we going to do?" Sarah asks.

Lizzy replies,"We are going to break this curse. I do not wish for these princes to die. We shall find the other way."

"But how?" I exclaim.

Lizzy glares at me. "I don't know. We shall find out tonight. Go, and be gone. Do not speak of it, not to each other."

Lizzy walks gracefully from the room, letter in hand. Lizzy loved dancing, and she was beautiful when she danced. My other sisters left the room silently, one by one, until I was alone in Father's throne room. I couldn't bear to be alone in this room, the room where I learned of my Mother's death. And I learned of my curse. This room held a hatred. I leave swiftly and ordered a guard to follow me into the gardens. I walk by the rose garden and into a small clearing, unknown by my sisters, as it is hidden by the large oak tree and the rose bushes. I sink to ground and there I let the tears fall.