Charlotte loved her new kitten almost immediately. She cuddled him close to her chest, petted his ears, and would play hide and seek with him in the castle hallways.
"Ready or not, here I come Eli."
She carefully walked down that royal corridors, checking all the corners and behind the tapestries for where her precious kitten could have hidden himself. But he wasn't in either of those places. He had crept away through the crack made by the door that lead to Desdemona's room.
"Uh-oh." Charlotte thought when she glimpsed Eli's small grey tail from the crack. "Eli come back. You're not allowed in there."
She quickly went into the room and fetched Eli from behind the curtains. She would have left immediately but found herself distracted by the various changes that had been made to this room. First thing she noticed was that all the windows had been covered, covered as if a secret lay hidden in this room. But she had been in this room plenty of times and there was nothing to hide here. Was there?
Another thing she noticed was the large number of mirrors in the room. Some were big, some were small, some were long, and some were wide. There was one hanging an every wall and she counted about ten of them total in the entire room. Why were there so many mirrors in here? And why did have bad feeling about the biggest one?
That last change that caught her attention was that the portrait of her mother now lay upon the floor with the image slashed out while a portrait of Desdemona had taken it's place on the wall. Charlotte looked upon the ruined portrait in horror. In matters of her mother, pictures were very important to Charlotte because she had no memory of her and this one in particular had been her favorite. Her father had planned to move it to her room after the wedding but now it had been destroyed. Who would do something so horrible?
Charlotte reached out to see if she could salvage anything of the portrait but stopped when she felt a cold chill run up her spine.
"What are you doing in my chambers child?" An equally cold voice asked.
Charlotte turned and looked up to see that the owner of the voice had been her stepmother. There she stood with her serene unfeeling face and pencil style, cold eyes that stared down at the little princess.
"You are not permitted to enter this room." She said.
"What did you do to my mother's portrait?" Charlotte asked.
"I moved it." She said. "Did you really think I would want to spend everyday looking at a reminder of my husband's first wife?"
"But you didn't just move it. You ruined it."
"That was an accident. I drop it and it fell on a nail."
"I don't think a nail could have made such big tears."
"Are you accusing me of lying? Me? Your queen?"
"No stepmother. It's just..." The way she spoke and moved made the poor girl tremble. "It just that it doesn't seem very likely that a nail did this. The tears are so big and there's more than one so I-"
"Hold your tongue!" She snapped.
Charlotte was instantly silent.
"My, my, my, what an intrusive and accusatory girl you are. Entering my chambers without permission and accusing me of being dishonest. I expected things to be little difficult between us at first but I never thought that you would behave so spitefully toward me."
"But I wasn't-"
"I do not say you could speak. I ordered you to be silent. I am queen of this castle. Those who do not heed my wishes and instantly obey my command shall be banished from the kingdom."
Charlotte shuddered. Then suddenly, Desdemona seized her by the chin and took a moment to have a look at her. It was in such intensity that it frightened Charlotte very much.
"You are still just a child." She scoffed. "You are no threat to me."
She released Charlotte.
"But we'll have to do something about you, won't we?"
"Do what?"
"Again you speak when I have not allowed you to. I do believe a punishment is in order for such defiance."
Poor Charlotte was so afraid of the woman that she couldn't move.
"You know I've heard many stories of wench making dresses and coats from the hides of a cat." She glared at Eli who trembled in the girl's arms. "And I often wondered if that could actually be accomplished. Perhaps I should use your kitten as an experiment?"
"Truthfully your highness that would not work out well in your favor." Charlotte felt the gentle hands of Niffty being placed on her shoulders protectively. "This kitten was a royal gift from the king of Austria. To harm it would be an insult to his majesty."
Desdemona was further upset at the fact a servant was correcting her. But she chose to withhold her anger for now because much to her chargin, the servant was right. She couldn't risk insulting the king of Austria.
"Worry not your grace." Niffty said. "I will see to it that our princess never enters your chambers again."
"Be about your business then and leave me to mind."
Niffty quickly ushered Charlotte out of the queens chambers and back to her own.
"I've always been allowed in there." Charlotte told Niffty. "Papa said I was welcome to."
"I know dear." Niffty said. "But the chambers were not occupied then. They are now."
"She ruined Mother's portrait."
"What?"
"I found it slashed to pieces. She said it was an accident but I don't think that's true. I do not want to believe that she would do something so terrible but-"
"There, there, my lady." Niffty said holding the frightened girl. "I believe you and I shall tell your father what you have told me. I am certain that he will not stand for any disrespect to be shown to your mother's memory."
"I told Papa that I would treat her kindly but I am afraid of her. She looks at me so coldly."
"It's alright. I promise I won't let anything hurt you if it's in my power to prevent it. Now go on and get ready for bed. Your father will soon be here to tuck you in."
She helped Charlotte dress into her nightgown and gave her a storybook to read while she waited for her father to come. Niffty then made her way to the throne room and requested a private conversation with the king.
"I do not mean to speak ill of your new bride my lord." She told him. "But I believe that she has purposefully destroyed a portrait of our dearly departed queen."
"What?" The king said surprised. "Have you seen such actions?"
"No but the princess discovered the portrait tattered and in the queen's chambers. It was the one you plan to move to the princess's chambers."
"No." He looked deeply distressed. "Not that one. That was a personal favorite to all of us. Are you sure that Desdemona did it?"
"I didn't see her do it but on the day she moved into the castle I noticed a certain she looked at the portrait. She looked at it with contempt. Again I bear no ill will to her but I do believe she had intent."
"No. There must be some mistake. Desdemona couldn't have done that. She knows how much Evangeline meant to me and Charlotte, and having lost her first husband, the father of her child, she should understand very well how important the memory of a lost loved one is. Besides why would she destroy it on purpose?"
"I cannot say but to be perfectly honest your highness I do not trust her and I believe it would not be wise for the princess be left alone with her."
"Niffty you make it sound as if my wife would try to do my daughter harm."
"Pardon my skepticism and paranoia, but when I see the way she looks at our princess, I get a terrible feeling. Remember, I promised the first queen on her deathbed that I would look after her child and do what's best for her."
"Yes but that doesn't make you her mother." Percival said irritated. "Do not forget your place Niffty. I am the one who decides what is in her best interests."
"Forgive me, I meant no insult or disrespect. I know my position in the princess's life. I just worry for her."
"Niffty." He said, his voice now more gentle. "I know that you love and care for Charlotte like she is your own and I appreciate that more than you can understand. She needed you growing up. And I know that my first wife's passing was just as hard on you as it was for me and taking care of my daughter has helped you cope with that loss, but she is my daughter. Mine. Not yours. It is my job to do what is best for her."
"I know."
"And you know that in five more years, you won't be allowed to be with her every hour or everyday anymore."
"I know."
"I will speak to my wife about the portrait. We'll work this out."
"Thank you my lord."
"You are now dismissed til the morrow. Goodnight Niffty."
"Goodnight your highness."