The Forgotten Mirror

Chapter One - Talia

Violins filled the air, skirts swished against the marble floor, laughter and chatter could be heard throughout the palace. For the first time in three years, a ball was being held in the king's palace.

I had witnessed a ball when I was sixteen, for my coming-of-age. It was wonderful and my first time at a ball. Gentlemen asked me to dance all night long (only because I was the princess royale) and just enjoyed each other's company. I talked to the other ladies and gossiped about the most attractive gentleman and the worst dress. And when I went to my room at the end of the night, my sisters asked me all about it and they were ecstatic for their coming-of-age balls.

But then four months later, my mother died from consumption. It had come unexpectedly and we didn't even know it was consumption until it was too far along. My father, the king of Elysia, decided we have three years of mourning, meaning no clocks, no colored dresses except black, no open curtains, no outside contact, no balls.

My sisters and I cried for days. Mother was dead and couldn't help us get ready for the next balls to come. Eden and Juliet would never be able to have their coming-of-age balls. We wouldn't be able to dance for three years. We coped and went along with it, obeying the mourning laws and never once going against them.

After three years devoted to mourning, we were finally able to hold balls again, and this one was for Annalise, the youngest of the four of us, because she was finally of age to attend a ball and to be married. The young gentlemen could court her properly without having to wait three years, which had happened with Eden, Juliet and I.

I glanced over at Annalise.

She had on a gorgeous pink dress and her wavy, blonde hair tumbled down just a bit past her shoulders. Her sea-green eyes focused on the doors that led to the ballroom. Her face showed her nervousness, but it still looked as pretty as always. She mumbled on about if she knew the dances well enough or if she would make a fool out of herself.

I smiled and turned to look at Juliet.

Her emerald green eyes were turned down and eyed the one small, loose bead on her dress that matched her eyes. She started to fiddle with it to get it loose, her caramel brown hair falling down into her face. After a few seconds of fiddling, she got it loose. She carefully set it down on a nearby table. She tucked the string from the bead against the dress so it didn't stick out.

My attention flew over to Eden.

She was pacing up and down the small hallway and muttering to herself under her breath. Her ice blue eyes were down on the floor, watching where she walked. Her bright red dress swished around her and her slightly curly black hair flew behind her as she paced.

We all eyed the door as it opened to reveal Sir Gallough, our father's most trusted adviser. "You all need to compose yourselves and be ready for the doors to open in two minutes exactly." He grumbled and then closed the door again.

I looked the girls over to make sure they were all presentable. I smiled at them. "You all look beautiful." I started. "All of the gentlemen will want to dance with you. They haven't seen the other three princesses dance yet and they will surely want to see it. You have no need to worry about that. And no one will have your dresses." I smiled wider. "Now, we don't have much time. So, let's get in order." I stood in front of the door since I was the first to go in, being the oldest.

I heard their skirts swishing behind me as they got in line from oldest to youngest.

All of the sudden, the doors had flew open to reveal the guests in their suits and ball gowns. They all stared at the doors to where my sisters and I were standing in a line. The shock on their faces was evident, since they hadn't seen us in three years.