Celine

Chapter 9: The Beast

Celine's POV
"Mother," I heard Elise whisper, her slight fingers trained on the door. "May we come in, mother?"

Silent.

Exactly what it had been for the past three days, "I told you it was hopeless, now, stop wasting your time and go get ready for your date with Nathan, Elise," I sigh as she shakes her head, walking away from me.

"Maybe you're right," she rubs her hands together, walking down the winding hallway to her room. "We've got more important thing to attend to, do we not?"

"Yes," I giggle as I step into her grand room. "We do, we must arrange you for you Prince Charming, darling."

Elise and I sometimes liked to pretend we were princesses in a large castle. Yes, we were royalty in reality, but it was always far from what we had dreamed of. Being royalty is something I would give up any-day, mostly because perfection is something I had always lacked greatly.

I swirl around in one of Elise's elegant ball gowns, flopping on her pink, soft four-poster bed. Unlike mine, Elise's room was something out of a princess fairytale journal. It was massive, the slivery-purple walls accentuated her pink comforters. A large white vanity stood to the left along with her computer desk.

Her bathroom was directly opposite the bed, while her closet was right next to it, them being the size of my whole room itself, "Elise, are you done yet, Nathan should be here any minute."

A muffled sound of agreement sounded out from her closet, "Um, I'm almost done, but the dress is not zipping up, Celine."

Rolling my eyes, I nearly stumble in her tall heels while bunching my dress to my ankles, I skip into her closet, "Oh, that's the problem," I say, tapping my chin as she struggled to zip her dress up, but it really couldn't be done as her stomach took half the space.

"Instead of laughing," she snapped, sweating running down the side of her head. "Why don't you help me?"

"Because," I snort louder as the zip breaks off completely. "It's much funnier to watch."

Straightening at her sharp glare, I quickly walk over to her and suggest the deal breaker question, "How about we change the dress?" I giggle as her face morphs into confusion, "But I like this one," she argued, collapsing on her little chair.

"Yes, but it'll probably kill your baby."

"Oh," she agrees as a knock sounds on the door. "I'll go get it, just a second."

"No," I say quickly, already on my way to the door. "I'll get it, you just sit here and get another dress, OK?"

Opening the door, I smile at the maid behind it, "Milady, Nathan is here for your sister," she informs, giving me a little bow.

"Thanks," I tell her, closing the door while residing the urge to curse the cows.

"What was it?" Elise asks as I am determined to tell the truth this time, a new kid.

"It was the maid," I gulp, gently pulling up the now stuck zip on her dress. "She came for the laundry." Well, way to go with the truth. But, in my defense, I think it's only common sense to not make a pregnant Elise angry, only common sense.

"Well, did you give it to her?" she inquires, giving me one of her confess-now looks, which I ignored.

Finding a dress that could fit both Elise and her stomach was not an easy task, but in the end, I finally gave up, "Look, I'm going to find your Prince Charming," I tell her, walking out of her room. After letting the word 'fat', accidentally slip out of my mouth, Elise hadn't stopped wailing ever since.