The Royal Scandal | Prince William |

Opening Night

https://youtu.be/iQid-In9wZQ

This is the link to the Mad Scene from Giselle which Jaclyn performs in this chapter. Please do watch it, it's absolutely heartbreaking to watch, but beautiful at the same time. Giselle finds out her peasant lover is really a duke betrothed to a princess, that's the easiest way to explain it lol.

-----

May 22, 2001

Her family being with her made things easier, in the days leading up to opening night they made sure she ate balanced meals, trapped her in bed, and relieved a lot her anxieties. It was like she was a child all over again, but she needed the reminder every once in a while.

She took them sightseeing, to her favorite places to eat, and shared her everyday life with them. She would lead them through a museum or cathedral and spew off facts like she were a real tour guide, and more often than not other people would join them.

It also meant she shared the paparazzi and the tabloids stories, but the great thing was her grandparents were such unorthodox people, and so not english, they turned it into a game. Every time they saw a camera aimed at them who ever saw it had to kiss someone on the cheek. It brought her cheer, and it made for some funny photos.

Jaclyn smiled down at her pointe shoes remembering the day she had had with her family. Maybe it wasn't the best mindset to have before she stepped onstage, but it brought her joy and that was what mattered.

Natania finished her variation to thunderous applause everyone in awe of how she could defy the laws of nature with her turns and balances. Then Jaclyn made her way on stage puzzled by how she could top that.

The music started and Jaclyn found herself moving through the number. Relying on her muscle memory to get through the number. There was a knowledge coming up through her soul and not just long extended legs that made the younger dancers drool backstage.

There were people watching her, important people, but she didn't even find herself bothered by that. She had done so much from getting high marks on all her exams to getting her bachelor of arts diploma. She could do this too.

She extended out in her turns and waltz's, but condensed when it was necessary.

Too soon the dance was over, and Jaclyn was hit with the rush of wanting to do it all over again.

-----

The music crescendoed and Jaclyn threw herself between Thomas and the dancer playing Bathilde. Giselle had just found out that her love Albrecht was really a duke and betrothed to the princess even though he had promised himself to her.

It felt good, allowing herself to publicly lose it. All through the third act, through her variation and her acting scenes, she had been longing for this moment. To shove Bathilde away like she were Jecca, it was almost therapeutic.

She performed the gestures putting words out that were never actually said, and slowly she descended into madness. Finally, Jackie felt like she could do the mad scene. In a sense she was still young for such a complex role, but that youthful naiveness gave light to how slowly she grew more and more stressed.

For Jaclyn it teetered on the edge of what she was close too, and thankfully she wasn't Giselle. The poor girl she was acting as had nothing else, but a weak heart that could not handle the excursion of her lovers lie.

Jaclyn reached for the ceiling seeing beyond the roof. Even as Thomas slid into her she only had her eyes up envisioning something beautiful, something better for the poor girl she was portraying.