"Thank you, ladies and gentleman, that is the class," Madame called the next morning.
When the bows and curtsies were done with and everyone was gathering their things up, the director walked in and there was another round of bows and curtsies.
"Alright," Mr. Roux said, opening his notebook. "Good morning ladies and gentlemen. If I could have your attention for just a moment before you move to lunch. We have decided on the roles for the leads of The Doll Maker, new schedules will be put up after your lunch hour, be sure to see them. Now, listen carefully for your names. For the role of Dimenco: Lawrence, Benjamin, Alec and Jean-Claude."
The four who were called instantly huddled together, grinning like idiots, whispering to each other about the role of the villain.
"For the role of The Doll Queen. Susanna, Coretta, Nycole and Amelia."
Mai smiled at Susanna as she bounced in excitement. The Doll Queen was usually reserved solely for the most experienced dancers who needed to present an air of elegance, grace and world experience. Not just anyone could dance her. It was huge step in her dancing career.
"For the role of Vayle, The Doll Maker. Adrien, Leon, Daniel and Eliot."
Leon gripped Mai's wrist and gave her a reassuring squeeze, making her look up at him. He smiled at her. She mouthed congratulations though he had played the role several times over the years and everyone knew he'd get the role this year since Antonio had retired as a dancer and moved on to be a principal character actor.
"Here it comes," Leon whispered.
"Hmm," was Mai's reply as she looked at her nails.
"For the role of Indigo," Mr. Roux said, raising his voice to shush the groups that had their leading roles. "Marie-Anne, Natalia, Zedina, Marie-Cher and – provisionally – Princess Mai."
Mai looked up from her nails. "Eh?"
"Your Highness," Madame hissed, "That's no language for a lady."
"I was summoned to the palace this morning," Mr. Roux said, gently setting the silken bookmark in place and closing his notebook, "Called to His Majesty's private court where he asked me to make my case to have you as a lead. He wanted to know if I believed you good enough to carry the show and if my company and I would be willing to continue to hide your – and Prince Zet's – identities during our busiest time of year."
Mai stared at him and he turned his deep blue eyes on her.
"I told His Highness I thought it a crying shame to not let you live up to your full potential as a dancer and we could, without doubt, continue to shield you. I pressed the matter that you, when allowed, exhibit such a level of talent it's almost as if you were blessed and, if you weren't given the chance to try one of the company's hardest roles, you'll never struggle and never truly feel like you've danced. That seemed to convince His Majesty that you should be allowed to at least practice the role. Whether you do end up on stage for at least one of the performances remains to be seen. Make no mistake however; you shall be practising with principals, who have danced this role many times, if you cannot keep up with them, if I feel I gave your talent too much credit, I won't think twice about taking the role from you. You are a principal in name alone so far, I need you to prove you really deserve it."
Silence followed the speech and everyone looked at Mai.
After a moment, she smiled at the director.
"You needn't worry, Sir," she said, "I'm more than ready to take this role."
"Good," he said, turning to the doors. "Then you'll be happy to know you'll be learning the roles of The Swan Princess and The Sleeping Beauty. Let's see how you match up to our principals, Your Highness."
"What?" Mai said, startled, turning towards the doors and they closed behind him.
"Right, on to lunch then your rehearsals!" Madame called, clapping her hands and calling and end to the morning.
The rest of the day comprised with specialist rehearsals for all three ballets before Mai and Zet had to leave to make appearances in at court, followed by a state dinner with the top one hundred nobles, followed by card games with select ladies of the court followed by a turn around the snowy gardens that were lit up by thousands of torches lined up along every single path within the first half of the grounds, where people enjoyed a walk in the snow and a few too many chaperones misplaced their young charges.
It was one of the most private places to have a conversation despite the sheer number of people around. No one paid much attention when Mai, Joliette and Henrietta let out joint piercing squeals of delight before instantly composing themselves.
"I knew it, of course His Highness would find a way around it," Henrietta said as they started walking again, hands neatly clasped in front of their gowns, pictures of grace and elegance.
"You did not," Joliette said, frowning at her, "No one could know he'd go out of his way and call the director to meet him."
"I might have, you don't know that I didn't," Henrietta said.
"I know he wouldn't have told you something like that."
"Just because he doesn't confide such things in you."
"You over me? Hah!"
Mai walked on ahead, ignoring them, smiling when their paths crossed with Geneviève and her maids.
"Have you heard? Grandmama is arriving tonight," was the first thing Geneviève said.
"Considering we technically have over a dozen grandmothers between us all even if we don't know who they all are, narrow the options down for me," Mai said as Geneviève fell into step with her.
That just got an eye-roll from her sister.
"Grandmama Verna," she said.
Mai looked at her in surprise. "I had no idea she was back from her travelling," she said smiling, "I'm glad she's home. When will she get here?"
"I hear she's expected in less than an hour. It's why everyone was persuaded that a nice walk in the gardens would be the best way to finish the evening – while freezing one's tail off. The palace is racing to get things ready for her."
"Ohhhh, that makes sense," Mai said. "I was wondering why they so politely kicked everyone out."
"So everyone's panicking while she's already back on land and marching her way here. And you just know she would love an excuse to tell Papa how he's met her low expectations."
"She doesn't make it easy for him," Mai agreed.
"Well where's the fun in that?" Geneviève said.
"Agreed," Mai said, rolling her eyes.
It was an hour before they were allowed back into the palace, greeted with warm drinks and the attitude of there hadn't been a mass panic to make sure everything was all in perfect order and there was nothing to criticise.
Mai and her ladies had walked all the way to the lake by the time word got to them and they doubled their pace back, breathing on their hands to try and warm their fingertips.
As soon as they walked through the doors, they, along with the other royal children and attendants, were herded off and corralled in the throne room, lining up on either side of the plush red carpet that led to the throne where the king took his seat, The Honourable standing – six aside – on either side of the dais.
After them, Mai stood on the left hand side, closest to the throne and Etienne stood opposite – princesses on the left, princes on the right.
"Always such formalities," Mai muttered, rocking back on her heels to whisper back to Joliette and Henrietta who stood behind her.
"She scares His Majesty, " Joliette whispered back, smiling, "The formality is a shield."
"A shield of paper," Henrietta commented.
Joliette opened her mouth and the doors opened and everyone stood a little straighter.
Duchess Verna swept into the throne room as if she owned it. A handsome, tall woman whose age was impossible to guess, her expression ferociously stern as she glided forwards with elegance any dancer would kill for.
"Your Majesty," she said, curtsying, the move short and sharp.
"Lady Verna, how good to see you safe home again," Antoine said.
"Still alive I see, shame," was the Duchess's reply and Antoine gave her a wincing smile, "Won't you be so good as to hurry and pass over? I wish to see my grandson on that throne so I know that, while you ruined my daughter's chances at a reputable marriage, there has been some success."
Off to the side, Duchess Josephine rolled her eyes and Antoine settled back, crossing his long legs, smiling at Duchess Verna.
"Sadly, if for no other reason than to spite you, I'll be around for at least another sixty years," he said and Verna let out a dramatic sigh before spinning to look back down the hall at the two rows of grandchildren.
"Let's see now. One, two, three, four..."
She counted her way down the princesses – as she always did until she reached the end, never counting the princes.
"Ten, eleven, twelve," she finished, "Excellent,"
Then she smiled and turned towards Mai, taking her hands and pulling her into a tight hug.
"How are you my darlings, it's been so long," she said as Mai smiled and squeezed her back while the others swarmed forwards to greet her, each hugging her tightly. "I have gifts for everyone, you must all tell me about what you've been doing."
Everyone started talking at once, she managing to hear and react to everything, smiling and throwing compliments and endearments to everyone with ease as they all walked off to the private drawing room where – almost – all the gifts had been prepared, everything specially picked for the individual.
Dax was given a beautiful new bow.
Adalicia had been bought new books in a range of different languages.
Thiago had been bought new art supplies.
Zola had been purchased a new racing horse – which, for obvious reason, was not in the drawing room.
The Honourable Thirteen received gifts, as well as the king.
"Here, Your Highness, I believe this will suffice," Verna said, handing him his gift wrapped in velvet.
Cautiously, as if the hard object might in fact be a viper in disguised – not that he'd ever received a gift he did not like from her – he carefully unwrapped the gift and looked at it in surprise.
A soft smile formed across his face and he replaced the cover over the object.
"Thank you, Lady Verna, it is perfect," he said.
Verna gave him a nod, then pulled Mai aside and led her to the mannequin in the corner of the room.
"Now, my dear," she said, "First of all. This is your mother's gift."
She handed over a small glass box and Mai smiled as she looked at the stunning jade comb inside it.
"She would love it, but Grandmama, you really don't have to," she said.
"Nonsense, everyone gets a gift," Verna said, waving it off. "Now, for your gift. This gown was specially made for you according to my requirements."
"It's beautiful," Mai said, looking at the dress.
It was made of a searing red and stitched with gold that shone in the firelight, revealing patterns that portrayed dragons and clouds and mythical birds.
The bodice was tight though it seemed oddly flexible when Mai touched it and the off-the-shoulder sleeves had a lot of movement to them.
The main skirts were built out of dozens and dozens of layers of chiffons that pooled like water from the hip and shimmered with gold dust.
The train-layer was huge, billowing out from the back of the hips to reveal all the delicate stitching.
"It is beautiful, but ingenuous," Verna corrected.
Mai looked at her, confused and her grandmother held up a finger then walked to the dress.
"To sit in this gown is easy," she said, "The masses of fabric do not get in the way and the weight of the train is not a problem, agreed?"
"Agreed," Mai said, frowning.
"But, my dear, you are a dancer. So I decided you needed clothes that truly let you dance at a ball."
She reached for the train and, with a few quick movements, removed the train completely from the dress, removing the huge weight and the obstacle.
Mai stared.
"Of course, that is not all," Verna continued, enjoying herself as everyone came over to watch. "It's not so easy to move freely in a big skirt and cage. So there is no cage. The volume is simply the number of layers and – and this is my favourite part."
She took hold of a thin cord at the left hip and pulled.
The skirt drew upwards into puffy folds, revealing the mannequin stand beneath.
Mai gasped, instantly reaching for the second cord her grandmother showed her, pulling up so the right side lifted out of the way, securing the cord in a bow.
Two more lifted the back of the skirts and suddenly Mai had a gown she could dance in.
"Mother, it will show her legs," Josephine said, folding her arms.
"Oh it covers to below the knee, don't fuss. This family never got anywhere by doing things by the book," Verna said, shooting the king a meaningful look before looking at Mai. "What do you think?"
"You're right, it is ingenious," Mai said, throwing her arms around her and hugging tightly. "This is perfect! I'm going to wear this to the first ball."
"Excellent. Now, tell me all about these roles you've been given for the ballet."
"Mai," Josephine started but Lady Élodie touched her arm and stopped her, smiling as she shook her head.
That night, once everyone had retired to their rooms, Mai smoothed the skirts of her new dress and spun in front of the mirror, trying it out with her white dance shoes, then the black ones.
"Well it will certainly cause a stir," Henri said from where he lounged on the sofa, one knee drawn up so Joliette could use the leg as a backrest as she stretched across the sofa seats, a book lying open on her stomach as she watched.
"People do talk enough as it is," Joliette added.
"Well my ankles will be something new to gossip about," Mai said.
"You do have lovely ankles," Henri said and Joliette smacked his leg. "Ouch! What?"
"Shush. It's inappropriate for a man to discuss a lady's ankles."
"It is also inapposite for a man to be in the same room as a naked woman who is not his wife, and yet there's me attending to her dressing and bathing."
"Hush."
"Yes, Ma'am," was his reply in a tone that did not suggest obedience and Mai turned to them, now in her golden slippers, the heels sinking into the carpet.
"I think gold, yes?"
"Yes," was the unanimous reply.
"Excellent," Mai said and undressed.
Joliette and Henri carefully put the dress on its mannequin in a corner of the dressing room, releasing the cords and replacing the train while Mai changed into her nightdress.
Henri then did both hers and Joliette's hair before they bid her goodnight and blew out the candles, leaving for their own quarters.
No strange sensations bothered Mia that night and she slept soundly.
It wasn't until morning that she was bothered by something out of the usual – though it was more vexing then concerning as she couldn't understand how she or her ladies could have missed it.
"Is something wrong?" Henrietta asked as she walked in the next morning, twisting herself slightly to make the corset more comfortable, looking at Mai who was knelt on the floor beside a collection of her shoes.
"Not wrong, just somewhat vexing," she replied, turning to her and holding up a pair of blue shoes.
Henrietta took them, startled by the sight.
"How did we miss this?" Mai asked.
"I don't know. I'm terribly sorry. I would have sent them for repair if I'd known they were like this," Henrietta said, staring at the two shoes - for the soles of both were not only worn down, but were completely worn through.
~~~
Next up: Thursday
Art By: Google image
Sorry for the delay! I just had so much on with preparing a flat for rent that I just didn't have time and then I had people around and it just seems to get very busy lol. (The flat looks great now though. It went from a place with new wooden floors, two sofas and a couple of mattresses with a fully furnished flat in like five days... it as busy.
The giveaway is still on as well, if anyone is thinking of joining.
I realised, I should say, if you're under 16, do double check with your parents that they're ok with you entering just because I will need an address to send the giveaway and I know my mum would have been highly suspicious when I was younger lol (And remember to not ever give personal information away online if you don't feel comfortable or know who can access it! since we're on the topic of the internet lol)
I'm also changing the rule about the favourite like being mandatory (Sorry for the people who took the time to search out their favourite lines! ^^)
If you want to enter, the favourite line is optional.
I need your favourite character though - that relates to a little extra gift for the winner.
You have until the 27th to enter so head on over to Odds and Ends and enter the form in the comment's section.