The Nutcracker's Queen

Chapter 1

Do you believe in magic? If your answer is no then stop reading now. You might find that your views will be challenged. But to all of those who do believe, come in closer. You might find something that will touch your heart. My name is (y/n) and I am an orphan, taken in by a magnificent engineer I have come to know as Drosselmeyer. I have met his 2 nieces and single nephew and they are as sweet as him.

But this isn't about how I came to know the Stahlbaum children. This is about Christmas when I disappeared. It was the first Christmas we were having without my adopted older sister Marie but I knew it was special. I knew it was because I could feel something calling out to me. No, not something. Someone. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. First, this happened.

I sit with the two youngest Stahlbaum children. The youngest was a boy by the name of Fritz and he was the only Stahlbaum boy. The middle child was Clara and she was the youngest Stahlbaum girl. We all lay on the floor, on our stomachs, watching a mouse scurred towards the cheese that I had placed on the floor. "Clara, Fritz. Please don't." I beg of the two children. Clara shook her head and lit the mechanism to the little contraption.

"This is how we'll do it." Clara tells Fritz as the contraption started moving. It was a hot air balloon that rose to knock a little wooden figure. The figure hits a metal ball which collides with a toy monkey which then pivots onto a set up bellows. The bellows lets out a gust of air which blows a long boat causing it to hit a set of books. It then knocks over a piece of wood which is connected to a string connected to a spindle.

This spindle then gave us Newton's third law of Physics. That every action has an equal or opposite reaction. The spindle spins out a thread connected to something else that causes a wooden bunny on a unicycle to start moving. The unicycle hits something I can't quite see and the next thing I know the poor mouse has a trap around it. I rush over to pick up the poor creature when the door to the attic opens.

I catch the mouse before placing it gently on the ground. It looks up at me once more before scurrying off. "Up and down I've been looking for you rascals." The cook of the Stahlbaum manor tells the three of us. Fritz tries to explain that we were up here to catch mice but Cook was not having it. Soon we were all scurrying down the stairs like mice ourselves. Places to go people to see right?

We had a lot to do this evening as we were heading to Drosselmeyer's house soon, due to the fact that it was Christmas eve. Soon the oldest Stalhbaum sister, Louise, was running up the stairs to meet us. "I've been looking all over for you. Look at the state of you." Louise says, brushing some dust from Fritz's jumper. He tried to explain to her that we were trying to catch a mouse but she didn't seem to be having it.

Soon, we all joined Mr Stahlbaum in the parlour. He seemed delighted to see me. He treated me like another daughter and so did Marie. She loved me very much even though we weren't related by blood but by adoption. We all looked at the tree that he had set up. This causes my eyes to go sad. Marie was my favorite part of Christmas. However, no one had ever gotten me what I wanted. Maybe because no one truly knew what I wanted.

I stand by the piano by Clara. "That's not how Marie did it." I say, almost absentmindedly as I pull an ornament from my dress pocket. It was a little ballerina, balanced on her pointes. "It just needs some of Marie." I tell him, hanging up the small ballerina. I remember Marie telling me once Christmas as she gave me some new Pointe shoes that I will make the most beautiful ballerina some day.

No one could quite meet my eyes as I placed the ballerina on the tree. "Now, children and (y/n), I have some presents for you." Mr Stahlbaum says. I did carry the Stahlbaum name only. My (s/c) skin was sprayed with dark freckles and at times my hair would be more ginger coloured than my normal (h/c) locks. "But, it's not Christmas Day." Louise says to Mr Stahlbaum and instantly my stomach drops.

"They're from Marie aren't they?" I question softly. Mr Stahlbaum nods. "She asked me to give them to you on Christmas eve." He says before handing out presents. I waited for everyone to open presents before I opened mine. Fritz got some new soldiers, Louise got Marie's favorite dress and Clara got an egg that I recognised as Marie's, though I didn't know what was in it. And finally, I take a breath and open the case.

My heart stops. It was a tiara. A silver thing decorated with jewels of sapphire, orange opals, pink diamonds and crystal clear diamonds. This thing must have been worth a fortune. As I lift it from the case, the jaws of all the Stahlbaums drop. "Is that a tiara?" Louise asks and tries to snatch it from me and when I pull it away, Louise scowls. "I'm the eldest. I should get that!" She shouts and I pick up a note that has my name on it.

Dearest sister, Remember that you will find a reason to wear this more than just for Christmas. Love Marie. The note read and I smiled. Putting the tiara and back in its case before rushing upstairs to get changed. Soon, I'm wearing an Ice blue dress that trailed behind me while I walked, white flowers and snowflakes decorating my waist and my bust, the sleeves just falling off of my shoulders. I wore some plain white heels that simply added to the look.

Finally, I placed the tiara on top of my head. Princess. That was the first word that came into my mind as I saw myself. I knock on Clara's door and when she calls for me to come in I open the door to find both ready to go. "Come on. Did you figure it out, Clara?" I ask her to gesture to the egg. She nods. Apparently, it was a Pin Tumbler lock and can't be opened without a key. But it did have a 'D' for Drosselmeyer.

Soon we were all in the carriage, myself being sat between Clara and Fritz. "Ugh, Fritz. You're getting crumbs on my dress." I complain to him and Fritz pulls away slightly so crumbs were no longer dropping onto my dress. After all, Fritz knew how long it took for me to make this dress. Ruining it would be a mistake. I look over at Clara who's watching a family pull a fresh cut Fir tree to their home.

I take one of Clara's hands in mine and squeeze slightly as I smile at her. The crown looked heavy in the box but once it had been placed on my head it was weightless. My dress, the crown, the love from my sister, they were just some of the reasons Louise hated me. Her mother loved me as a sister and somewhat like a daughter, she favored me a little more than her eldest child but never more than her middle or youngest.

Louise could sew, but she would never sew her own dress. She always acted as though she was above it all. And I think that was the problem for Louise that it had never been for Clara, Clara didn't care about me in the same way Louise did. Clara loved me, Louise didn't. Louise could love someone she hated and she hated me because her mother loved me. "I want one dance with you, Louise. And you, Clara." Mr. Stahlbaum informed the girls.

I look out the window once more as we arrive at Drosselmeyer manor. When we entered a coat man took our cloaks but froze when he saw the tiara upon my head. I grin as Clara tucks the egg into a pocket that I had placed onto her dress. I had added that same feature to my own dress. Fritz was admiring the coat rack and I smiled as we entered the main room. "The Stahlbaum family. Benjamin, Louise, Fritz and Clara." I hear Mr. Stahlbaum tell the man.

I took Clara's hand and we started to make our way across the ballroom. I take ahold of both of Clara's hands and we mock waltz across the room, the two of us giggling as we did so. We danced until we reached the other side of the room. Soon, we found the stairwell down to the workshop. We walk together through the candle-lit room of splendor. This was always my favorite room when I wasn't with the Stahlbaum's.

"Godfather?" I hear Clara call for Drosselmeyer. An owl screeches and flies over our heads and I smile. Clara greets the bird and I hear a slight movement, my eyes quickly finding Drosselmeyer's figure. When Clara turns her back, Drosselmeyer quickly sneaks over and leans on the counter. "He sees everything. Which can be a great help to an old man." He says before catching sight of the tiara on my head.

I removed it and attach it to my dress in a way that hides it. As Clara discusses her gift from Marie with him. I look about but all I can think about is Marie and why she gave me a silly tiara. But it wasn't silly. Nothing about Marie was silly, so it must mean something. More than just Christmas to wear it? What other holidays would require a tiara. It's not like I was a princess. That was when the bell tolls.

Gift giving time.