Twelve Curses

I

The sparkling light of the early morning sun stirred Wanda from her sleep. Her face scrunched and she moaned, she rolled on her side away from the light and was careful not to stretch her arms as to wake herself up further.

She heard the bustling maids in the castle halls, she was unable to drown out the distant noise and sat up slowly in a groggy trance.

Her wavy red hair was knotted and tangled in her slumber, so much so she couldn't run her fingers through it.

She batted her eyes, slowly taking in her room before ringing the bell for her maids.

Seven came rushing to aid. Two opened the massive royal red curtains and let the rest of the light shine in. Another two helped her out of bed while one carefully slipped her cushy wool slippers onto her small feet. Another was by her side the moment she stood up to dress her in a warm robe on her way to her bathing room.

A servant ran her a warm bath while another chose her clothes, as she waited and watched them one tried desperately to undo her tangled hair without causing her any pain.

Wanda didn't mind being pampered and cared for so early in the morning but once she was energetic enough to act on her own she would always do so. Whether it was within royal conduct or not.

A kitchen aid brought her a tray of food on a silver platter. She didn't often eat with her family, at least not when her father, King Ender was away with the army. There wasn't a war to fight but there was still plenty of other dangers outside the kingdom walls, ones the citizens were too sheltered to have even heard of.

A maid undressed Wanda as she stepped carefully into the warm bath. The tub was the size of a small pond. Wanda found it a bit unnecessarily large for a girl of her age.

Twelve. She was twelve today but soon she'd be Thirteen. Soon she'd be named an heir of the throne. The youngest of twelve sisters she didn't stand a chance to ever wear her kingdom's crown but with a proper title, she could be wed off to another kingdom to further ensure their alliance remained stable.

Wanda lived in the Golden Kingdom, one of the wealthiest and most well off of twenty-four. Her bloodline was not mixed much with other lines, her parents, Ender and Hella were first cousins, both born with the last name Golden, like their kingdom.

When Wanda finished bathing, the fitted her in a soft robe as they dried and braided her wild hair. She finished eating her food, a warm freshly made biscuit, a bit a gravy sauce on the side, and a small plate of salad.

She wasn't a fan of the lettuce or "leafy food" as she'd call it. Her face scrunched at the sight of it every time and she was scolded for making an improper face.

She rolled her eyes, her hand covering them so as not to be seen in fear of being reprimanded. She disguised the action as a yawn and fiddled with her hands while the kitchen aid came to take her silver platter and scraps of food away.

The remaining maids fitted Wanda into a green and golden, sparkling dress with a corset that did nothing for her underdeveloped figure but stiffens her back straight up. She'd learned to live with the struggle of bending over, sitting and even just walking in tight clothes. Ever since she began to mature, only months ago, she'd been fretted over twice as much and the discipline only became worse as her responsibilities were soon to increase.

Wanda was but a child, not even a teen but the possibility of marriage and children wasn't far in the horizon as she'd already heard rumors and discussions among the staff.

She asked the maids not to gossip to her. She didn't bond with the maids, they disappeared and were replaced far too often for her to even learn their names.