After the Endings - The Twelve Dancing Princesses

Chapter One

Time flies by and Sunny could not believe that it had been three months since her eldest sister, Marigold, had married the soldier, Faris, who had saved them, though he didn't know it, from the evil witch who had cursed them.

Their mother, so happy to be able to have children had had twelve, all girls, and named them all after flowers. And so that was how Sunny came to be named after a sunflower. Her sisters teased her mercilessly about it as they knew Sunny hated it and wished to be called Sunny instead. From eldest to youngest it went Marigold, Peony, Lily, Violet, Daisy, Iris, Rose, Jasmine, Poppy, Dahlia, Tulip, Sunflower.

Princess Sunflower despised her name and preferred to be called Sunny, anytime someone questioned the origin of her name she tended to imply her mother had gone crazy when she was born which often caused her father to swiftly remove her from the conversation. In all other aspects, however, Sunny was the most obedient of the sisters.

A hand closed around Sunny's arm, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked up and saw her elder sister Rose watching her. Rose was the seventh daughter and, since they were all born one year apart, therefore five years older than Sunny who was sixteen.

"Are you alright, Sunny?" Rose asked, being protective of her younger sister.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Sunny replied innocently.

Rose narrowed her eyes and let Sunny's arm go.

"Alright then, Father has important news to announce and has asked us all to come to his office," She hesitated and then added, "everyone except Marigold."

At this Sunny's eyes snapped up to meet Rose's, which were tired and serious, Rose was almost certain of their father's intentions. She sighed and looked down at Sunny as she lifted Sunny's chin with her hand to look into her little sister's eyes as Rose was quite a bit taller than her.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure it's nothing. But if you are not well you may stay in your room and I shall tell father," Sunny nodded and tried to pull away but Rose held firm. "Sunny. If you are hiding something, please tell me. I will not judge... much," she amended, "but I will help you. I can see the weight you carry, let me carry it with you." And though the line was cheesy, Rose meant it, she didn't know what had happened on the last night they had danced but Sunny hadn't returned the same. As Sunny looked into Rose's eyes she saw the pain in them as Rose worried for her younger sister.

"There is nothing, sister," Sunny said as she pulled away from Rose, "Let us go see father, we mustn't be late. You know how grumpy he gets."

As Sunny walked away she thought about the last time she had danced with the witch's son, what had happened, what she had taken and if it was going to curse them all again.

~~~

Hello everyone!

Please comment and vote and let me know what you think! This is my first story on wattpad so I'm kind of nervous about posting it.

C