The Nutcracker's Queen

Chapter 5

I gasp happily as the ballerina stepped out of the beautifully ornate wardrobe that was set up on the stage. A backdrop that delayed the Four Realms fell and a cardboard version of the castle was pulled up so that the ballerina stood in its doorway. She danced through it on pointe and I was mesmerised by how delicate she was all while balanced practically on the tips of her toes. I ignored the eyes watching me as I watched her.

"The ballet tells the story of the four realms and how your mother discovered our world." Sugar Plum explains to us in a bright whisper, drawing both mine and Clara's attention to her. As the ballerina danced towards the first realm, pop up flowers growing beneath her feet as she 'explored' the first realm. The Land of Flowers. Windmills, and trees, and what looked like miles of plantations for the ballerina to explore grew before our eyes.

"It's wonderful." I breathe out as I study each graceful movement of the ballerina playing Marie. Other ballerinas greeted 'Marie', all dressed flowered dresses. I look over at Phillip and he smiles at me. I smile back at him before quickly threading my fingers through his. I expected him to pull away at my boldness, but instead he simply adjusts his fingers in mine before returning his gaze to the ballet. I smother another grin as I too, return my gaze to the ballet.

Just as quickly as I had returned my gaze to the stage as 'Marie' began exiting the first realm and entering the second realm. "Now, the Land of Snowflakes." Sugar Plum tells us. Snowflakes formed under the feet of 'Marie' and all the other ballerinas with her on the blue and white set that represented the second realm. There were even strings of ice beads that sparkled every time they moved. The set of the second realm quickly changed into that of the third.

"And the Land of Sweets." Clara comments first before I can say anything. So, those were the four realms. First, flowers. Second, snowflakes. Third, sweets. Then there was the unspoken forth realm. The land of amusements. After the ballet we would be taken to three of the four realms, even though we had already been to the land of amusements. Dramatic music suddenly rang through as I finally caught sight of the representation of the fourth realm.

A man dressed as a mouse dove out of a bright red and orange tent decorated with the heads of there elephants. The kind that you would see at a circus. "Mice?" Clara whispered softly as I frowned. There was the smell again. "Cinnamon and nutmeg." I whisper, getting the attention of the regents, Clara, and Phillip. That was the smell the tent has, it was familiar. "Where do I know that damn smell?" I questioned under my breath and Phillip squeezed my hand.

"Now we're in the Fourth Realm." Sugar Plum says to us, breezing past my slight tangent over the smell that most people would identify as gingerbread. "Watch closely, you two. This is where our troubles began." And I frown at her words. I shook my head at the ridiculousness of the situation. But it was Ballet portrayed a much different story. A story that showed Mother Ginger and her mice in a very different light.

"With Mother Ginger and her mice?" Clara questioned as she watched the Ballet, glancing every so often at Sugar Plum. In an act of hatred or stress, Sugar Plum reached up and tore a piece of Fairy Floss out of her hair. She stuffed half of the chunk of Fairy Floss into her mouth. "Beastly woman." Sugar Plum hissed at the stage. "There's nothing motherly about her, even when she was pregnant." She adds before putting the rest of the sugar cloud into her mouth. 

Then just as suddenly as they had appeared, the mice vanished back into the tent on stage that represented the Fourth Realm. Then the stage went dark, with one singular light illuminating the ballerina who was portraying Marie. "Mother Ginger's the one who began this war. I hope you two will be the ones to finish it." Sugar Plum tells us and I look down at my hands, one of which is laced with Phillip's.

"What do you mean?" Clara asks Sugar Plum curiously as I remain silent, watching the end of the ballet as the castle that overlooked the Four Realms rises once again, the other three realms rolling into view. The Ballet ended in a bright flurry of music and before the lights were lit again, Phillip pulled his hand from mine. I understood why he did so though. I knew a thing or two about social standing and that my rank was far above his own as Captain.