The Great Pumpkin Chase

Chapter 5

The twins squealed as they tried in a vain attempt to elude their sister in a chase around the throne room. Cordelia had long since tired of the game, but her six year old twin sisters were running high on bellies full of pastry cream to slow down. 

Cordelia was going to have someone's neck for this little mistake. "Chase me Delia!" Franca shouted as she dove under the King's throne in a flurry of petticoats and ribbons. 

"You can't catch me!" Francine shouted from the far pillar by the window. They loved to play this game. Make their hunter divide attention between the two of the. They were far to young to have worked out this game, but the Charming Twins were anything but stupid. Delia was just the older sister in their world. 

Francine and Franca had a bottomless well of energy whereas Delia was already looking for an escape route. She loved her sisters, loved them dearly but she could only stand them in small doses. Maybe an hour a day at most, but today she was babysitting them the whole day. They were cute kids. Both of them were covered in blonde hair that wound down to their waists. Rosy cheeks and a pouty mouth were going to get them into a lot of trouble when their bodies filled out more. Cordelia could tell. She tried to keep her jealousy in check as she looked down at her girlish flat body. 

Though she was nearing her 18th birthday she still didn't look a day over twelve. It didn't help that she was only five feet tall. Her thick brown hair only made her liner body more pronounced. Her corsets always fell open on her chest, and stuffing it with her silk stockings didn't look natural. Cordelia wished upon a star every night before bed that she would wake up and look more like her mother and less like her father.  

Her mother was a total beauty. Hair that flowed like spun gold, hips that could rock a merchant ship to sleep and a face that could make a troll droll. Francine and Franca were pint sized versions of Queen Ella. Cordelia was a willowy version of her father. People told her she would grow into her beauty in time, but she was nearing her 18th birthday and nothing was blossoming. How long did it take beauty to grow? 

She sat down in her father's throne and rubbed her hand down the arm rest. It was lovingly polished and kept up. Though it had been nearly 16 years since her father had passed. She felt herself tearing up. Cordelia never liked to admit it but she had loved her father more than her mother. It didn't help that they looked alike. She thought that her mother resented their relationship. 

Cordelia shook her head to clear the thoughts of her father. It made her heart squeeze to think of him. She got up off of his throne and wandered over to the floor to ceiling windows. She watched a royal page running across the courtyard toward whatever business he was on. 

The entire palace was busy with the Guild powwow. It had an official name that Delia was supposed to have learned, but it was long and complicated and she just didn't bother to learn it. She would have a Lady Chamberlin to remind her of the name when the time came. Why bother with it now? She knew how it worked, that was good enough for her.

"Delia you aren't playing!" Her sister screeched. Cordelia cringed in spite of herself. She turned around and dashed toward her voice. Franca squealed and tore off towards the stairs that led to the upper balcony. Delia turned back around. She had no intention of chasing her up to the balcony. Her twin sisters knew the castle better than anyone, well not Delia of course. She had spent years learning every nook and cranny, but her sisters were coming close to uncovering most of the secrets of the Crystal Palace. So to chase them was to walk into a 3 hour trek through a palace that boasted a two mile long walk from the front door to the throne room. 

Delia had never been up into the upper balconies. They didn't lead anywhere so she never went up there. So she was not about to go exploring the balconies on the heels of one her little sisters. Six year olds were tiring enough without giving them a reason to up the antiy by running.