right behind her. “Sleep well, dearest.”
They left the room, still giggling.
Thea undressed slowly. Suddenly, the energy of earlier was entirely gone. She gratefully got into bed, pulling the bedclothes up to her chin. A serving girl moved through, snuffing most of the candles that each girl had on a small chest near her bed. Everyone was tired, because there was no chatter. A slight murmur from the solarium began to lull her to sleep.
But sleep came at a cost. She could hear the sounds of Adelaide crying quietly in the bed next to hers, and Thea could feel the tears slide down her own face at her sister’s pain.
She finally fell asleep when the tears had dried on her cheeks.
***
The ceiling of the hall opened to the sky, or nearly so. There were so many candles and candelabra, and chandeliers that Thea marveled at the expense. Musicians played a cheerful tune, and Thea smiled at her partner. He was very lively, much as she herself felt.
All her sisters were here, all beautifully gowned, and each partnered with a handsome man. Everyone looked happy.
Then they were in the woods that sparkled and danced, and she knew they had to hurry, hurry, because—
Thea woke with a gasp, sitting up in her bed. She looked around wildly for a moment, still seeing the glittering woods. Her heart began to slow as she realized she was in her own chambers, and her sisters all slumbered around her.
This made three nights in a row that she’d dreamed of the hall and the woods. The dancing was new. As was the feeling of panic just before she woke.
She stilled. Even the thought of moving was frightening. She took a mental inventory of how she felt. Something was wrong with her foot. Fearfully, she pulled her feet from the bedclothes. The left foot appeared, with nothing wrong. When she pulled out her right foot, her mouth fell open. She was wearing her dancing slippers. She’d last worn them the night her father announced her betrothal. She brought her foot close to untie the ribbons that held the little shoe in place, and gasped.
The heel and toe were entirely worn away. Her gasp turned to a scream as she saw blood seeping from the place where her big toe had worn through the slipper. She screamed again and again, unable to grasp what had happened, how her foot came to be this way.
Her screams had all her sisters tumbling from bed, rushing to her.
“Thea! What is the matter?”
“Thea, are you hurt? What is amiss?”
Thea was unable to speak, although the comforting arms of her sisters around her shoulders calmed her screams. They all jumped as they heard the bang of the main doors to their chambers slam against the wall, and footsteps as someone ran to them. No one moved, no one spoke. Thea felt literally frozen with fear.
Archibald appeared in the doorway to the room.
“Princesses! What is amiss? Who is screaming?” He came in at a run and didn’t stop until he reached where they were all clustered around Thea’s bed.
“Look at her foot!” Thea couldn’t tell who had spoken, and then it was lost as they all began to speak at once.
“Your Highnesses, please!” Archibald’s voice rose over everyone else. “Please! Let me speak with your sister!”
Everyone stopped talking. Archibald knelt down in front of Thea, gently drawing her foot to him. He looked at the slipper, and carefully removed it from her foot.
“Thea? What has happened? Why do you wear your dancing slipper? Why is your foot bleeding?”
The silence was absolute as everyone waited for Thea’s response.
She opened her mouth, and no sound came out. She inhaled, and tried again. Nothing came out. She couldn’t make her thoughts stop swirling. Catrin’s words haunted her. “You have brought a curse upon yourself.” She had thought the engagement, and all of her sisters’ feelings were the curse, but clearly, Catrin was more hateful and insidious than that. This had to be part of the curse. Thea couldn’t figure out how, or why, or even
They left the room, still giggling.
Thea undressed slowly. Suddenly, the energy of earlier was entirely gone. She gratefully got into bed, pulling the bedclothes up to her chin. A serving girl moved through, snuffing most of the candles that each girl had on a small chest near her bed. Everyone was tired, because there was no chatter. A slight murmur from the solarium began to lull her to sleep.
But sleep came at a cost. She could hear the sounds of Adelaide crying quietly in the bed next to hers, and Thea could feel the tears slide down her own face at her sister’s pain.
She finally fell asleep when the tears had dried on her cheeks.
***
The ceiling of the hall opened to the sky, or nearly so. There were so many candles and candelabra, and chandeliers that Thea marveled at the expense. Musicians played a cheerful tune, and Thea smiled at her partner. He was very lively, much as she herself felt.
All her sisters were here, all beautifully gowned, and each partnered with a handsome man. Everyone looked happy.
Then they were in the woods that sparkled and danced, and she knew they had to hurry, hurry, because—
Thea woke with a gasp, sitting up in her bed. She looked around wildly for a moment, still seeing the glittering woods. Her heart began to slow as she realized she was in her own chambers, and her sisters all slumbered around her.
This made three nights in a row that she’d dreamed of the hall and the woods. The dancing was new. As was the feeling of panic just before she woke.
She stilled. Even the thought of moving was frightening. She took a mental inventory of how she felt. Something was wrong with her foot. Fearfully, she pulled her feet from the bedclothes. The left foot appeared, with nothing wrong. When she pulled out her right foot, her mouth fell open. She was wearing her dancing slippers. She’d last worn them the night her father announced her betrothal. She brought her foot close to untie the ribbons that held the little shoe in place, and gasped.
The heel and toe were entirely worn away. Her gasp turned to a scream as she saw blood seeping from the place where her big toe had worn through the slipper. She screamed again and again, unable to grasp what had happened, how her foot came to be this way.
Her screams had all her sisters tumbling from bed, rushing to her.
“Thea! What is the matter?”
“Thea, are you hurt? What is amiss?”
Thea was unable to speak, although the comforting arms of her sisters around her shoulders calmed her screams. They all jumped as they heard the bang of the main doors to their chambers slam against the wall, and footsteps as someone ran to them. No one moved, no one spoke. Thea felt literally frozen with fear.
Archibald appeared in the doorway to the room.
“Princesses! What is amiss? Who is screaming?” He came in at a run and didn’t stop until he reached where they were all clustered around Thea’s bed.
“Look at her foot!” Thea couldn’t tell who had spoken, and then it was lost as they all began to speak at once.
“Your Highnesses, please!” Archibald’s voice rose over everyone else. “Please! Let me speak with your sister!”
Everyone stopped talking. Archibald knelt down in front of Thea, gently drawing her foot to him. He looked at the slipper, and carefully removed it from her foot.
“Thea? What has happened? Why do you wear your dancing slipper? Why is your foot bleeding?”
The silence was absolute as everyone waited for Thea’s response.
She opened her mouth, and no sound came out. She inhaled, and tried again. Nothing came out. She couldn’t make her thoughts stop swirling. Catrin’s words haunted her. “You have brought a curse upon yourself.” She had thought the engagement, and all of her sisters’ feelings were the curse, but clearly, Catrin was more hateful and insidious than that. This had to be part of the curse. Thea couldn’t figure out how, or why, or even
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