Shadows (Completed-Under Revision)

All the Right Moves

Dedicated to someone who thrives off fantasy...let your imagination run wild! Enjoy!

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Danica:

"Danica, honey, we have something to say to you." my mother said while grimacing.

I didn't really want to listen to them as they had been always performing royal duties and working during my childhood so that did not leave time for a very loving relationship with them. That's why I called Aunt Fleur my mom as she had practically raised me from... after the incident.

"Now that we can see you again, we have to have a serious talk with you about your future."

Great. My mother-the gracious diplomat as always. Not the mom I needed or wanted.

"What would you like to say to me?" I asked while attempting to speak eloquently.

"You are 16 and it is finally time for your debut into society as an eligible young lady."

I choked on my drink that I had just raised to my lips and started gagging on my own spit.

"For far too long, you have been away from the eyes of other nobles and royalty."

It seemed she wanted to go on, but I politely raised my glass and attempted to reason with what I thought she was about to say.

"You mean the prying eyes...of single aristocrats that wish to be wed soon." I stated.

"Danica, now listen to me, young girl. It is tradition for girls at your age to have their debut and implement themselves into society as..."

I interrupted her. "As chess pawns to be courted and wedded off to the highest bidder."

"DANICA! You are a lady after all. Behave yourself like one and do not talk back to your mother like that!" she yelled.

"First of off, I am not the one yelling, that is you, mother. Secondly, I do not wish for men to gawk at me in an expensive dress only for my parents to endow an engagement that best suits the court's interests." I told her without so much as a blink.

She seemed to relent after I said this, but when I heard a submissive sigh out of her, I knew she was doing her worst.

"Danica, we do this out of love...as parents, it has been extremely hard for us to have you be taken away from us and raised by a lady that practices witchcraft."

Her slight frown had me curious, what did she mean I had been taken away from them.

"What do you mean about me being taken away? Both of you chose to be busy and have Aunt Fleur take care of me during the meanwhile. It is your fault that I do not mean to listen to this utter nonsense." I said, hoping that all of it was true. Surely, my parents were just figureheads.

Right?

"Oh, darling, you do not know...do you?" she asked me and looked at me with pity.

"Aunt Fleur was the one who asked us to raise you. We gave her permission as she helped us with the curse and used her magic so that our relatives would not know of your...affliction."

"Your father was the one who agreed, I objected. Alas, he is the king after all, so his word is law, I am afraid."

All her statements so far had me uncertain of Aunt Fleur, but her next statement hit me the final blow.

"I wanted you to grow up like a normal princess. Who cares what you look like? Invisible or not, I still love you. It was Aunt Fleur who told us it would be unwise to keep you. That other curses had been done on other royals and that this one to be lifted had to be solved in a certain way. That the only way to free you from this curse was to raise you far away from your parents so the witch would not be able to come and find you." She cried out in authentic desperation.

"I wanted you for myself! What kind of mother abandons her child and lets her go? What kind of a godmother is Aunt Fleur that she would tell us..." By now, she was obviously sobbing.

"That the kingdom would fall apart if we did not grant her wishes...(she hiccupped) and that it would be better off if you did not know us for the curse to be lifted...and that she would be a good aunt to you...and keep you safe from all harm." She had collapsed on the couch during her talk and was now blabbering on and on about what my godmother...Aunt Fleur had said to my father to convince him that I needed to be raised away from my parents.

In a fit of rage I guess, I told my mother I agreed to her request.

"What?" she seemed confused now and had snot running out of her nose and bloodred eyes from all the crying.

"You want me to be paraded around like a princess should be and I'll do it. I'll do it because if it is a way to spend time with you, then I want to do it. I want a mom in my life, so I will debut in society and be a proper lady." I smiled at her and hoped that she would stop crying finally.

In her surprise, she stopped crying and looked at me for a second as if I had gone crazy.

"Are you alright, child? I thought you did not want to do it. If you do not want to do it, I will talk to your father and plead your case before him. He must realize that you are old enough to decide what you would like and..."

She did not get a chance to finish her sentence because I butted in.

"No. You are right. It is tradition for princesses to debut and it will be fun to be around people that are my age and your age as well. I need to interact with people more and this is one way to accomplish that."

I would come to regret this soon after.