Catharina

Chapter 1

The maids adjusted and fluffed up my gown as I stared into the large mirror. It was a beautiful dress; a creamy light yellow that went to my toes. On the chest, the yellow fabric went down into a 'V', white fabric filling in the part that wasn't yellow. Matching yellow ribbons went over the white and in the back of my dress they tied together.

"You look lovely my dear," my mother, Queen Clarion said, stepping into the room. I smiled. "Thank you ladies," I said, waving off the maids. They stood up, bowed before me, then scurried over to the wall. I turned around and stepped off the pedestal before I embraced my mother. "I'm so excited. My first real ball!" I exclaimed.

"You will be the most beautiful bride when the time arrives," Mother told me. I smiled and turned around to see my reflection. "Will Prince George be there?" I asked.

"I do not know, my dear. I am positive your father invited them." She smiled at me. "Then again, I made sure to invite all the eligible men in the kingdom." I gasped. "Mother!"

"What? I want to see my blood be married off to only the finest throughout the lands."

"And what on earth would you do with your other daughters?" I asked making my way over to the divider.

I removed the dress and handed it over to one of the maids, before another helped me change back into my previous gown. I stepped out of the divider and over to the mirror again to pull out the pins and materials that had made my hair into an up-do. My long dark brown hair fell down to the end of my shoulder blades.

"Clarissa and Annalise will find their groom when the time arrives, maybe even at your coming out party," Mother hinted. I shook my head at my mother as I smiled. "You are absolutely mad, Mother."

"And you wonder why your father married me," Mother gushed. I smiled. She took my hand and led me out of the room and down the hall. "I have everything in order, my dear; food, the wine, music, everything shall be set for this extravagant night," Mother explained.

I placed a single hand on my abdomen. "I feel uneasy, as if this night will change me," I said.

"Of course it will!" Mother cheered she paused and took both of my hands, "After tonight, you will no longer be just a princess of Adelidon, you shall be available to have a hand in marriage. No longer so innocent, but a lady."

"Justice shall serve you one day for such gossip of your daughter," I replied.

"A daughter that will one day be queen," Mother told me. She kissed the top of my head before leading the way again.

After lunch, I went out to my garden where the bushes were all set in shapes before it lead to the maze. I trimmed a rose from it's bush and began cutting the thorns. My garden was one of my favorite places. I felt free, not kept in a castle or to have all the weight of running a kingdom on my shoulders, I felt like one of the villagers who could go where they pleased. So many times I had dreamed of running away and seeing the world. However, I could never do such a thing and abandon my family and the kingdom.

I closed my eyes and lifted the rose to my nose. The natural fragrance filled my nose earning a smile on my lips. A small and beautiful tune filled my ears.

I turned around and gently placed the rose on a brick before I walked over to a cherry blossom tree, whose petals had fallen from the autumn weather. On one of the branches, a small finch stood. I smiled. "Hello," I said. It looked over at me then whistled the same tune. "You're quite the beautiful bird you are," I said. It whistled again and I replied, copying the same tune.

We went back and forth a couple of times before somewhere afar, the tune whistled. I looked at the finch who replied to the other bird with a different tune. It looked back at me as if asking for permission to depart. I smiled. "It's alright," I whispered. The finch opened it's wings before taking flight.

I followed the bird with my eyes until it disappeared out of sight. "Princess Catharina! You must get inside and get ready for your party!" a maid called from the doorway that led out to the garden. I nodded, looked back up into the sky, before I lifted the skirt of my dress a little ways and scurried inside the castle.

"We have finished Princess Catharina," a maid said. I nodded and smiled. I looked at my reflection to see a beauty. As if someone opened a clam and appeared a polished pearl.

Who was this girl?

"Catharina! My love you are absolutely stunning!" Mother gasped. My two younger sisters stood behind her in matching dresses of different colors. Annalise had a teal, Clarissa a green. I smiled at them. "They have transformed me!" I beamed. I stepped off the pedestal and ran to them, my sisters hugging me tightly as my mother had tears staining her face.

"I hope those are happy tears, Mother," I said. She nodded before a maid handed her a handkerchief. She wiped her tears. "My precious daughters, you are all I ever hoped for in children," Mother beamed, Three beautiful girls, three different personalities, how much I have been blessed."

"Mother please, I want to get to the party," Annalise, the youngest of my sisters complained. She was fifteen, Clarissa was sixteen. "Alright, alright, we shall be going then," Mother sighed. I smiled, took my sisters' hands and ushered them out of the room, Mother following behind.

"I now present, Princess Catharina of Adelidon!" The French doors flew open and I stepped through them and up to the balcony. I made sure to keep my face firm but gentle as I looked down to the crowd of guests. I nodded at them before walking to the staircase, my only fear was of falling.

I glided my hand down the railing as I proceeded down the staircase. All eyes were on me. All eyes that could easily watch me trip over the skirt of my dress, or my shoe, or even the stair.

Somehow I made it to the bottom. I began walking to the thrones were my parents and sisters were standing. I could tell my sisters couldn't contain their excitement as their faced turned into smiles that even a joker couldn't even place on their faces.

I stood in between Mother and Clarissa before the crowd bowed and we sat down. Immediately, the orchestra erupted into sound and couples took over the dance floor.

"Do you think you'll find your prince?" Clarissa whispered beside me.

"I do not know. Only a true gentleman would be brave enough to approach such a royal and such a future bride if he chooses to ask for an opportunity as of now to dance, and only then would I decide if he will or could be my groom," I answered in a whisper. Clarissa giggled beside me.

I looked back into the crowd, my eyes searching for the handsomest men.