Kitty sat in front of her night stand, admiring herself. She looked beautiful as she always does; she had done her make up, had put on her glimmering princess style dress, diamond jewelry - or what is left of her collection - and the most comfortable high heels thanks to Guy Ponton ( an inspiring shoe designers, a new friend of Kitty's).
Oh, if this clock would've just turn already! She thought impatiently as she walked back and forth in her apartment; nervous and excited at the same time. It was after all a very big event she was going to - historical even!
Kitty peered at the clock on the wall for a hundred times and yet she still have 30 minutes to spare before her designated driver would picked her up. Why is it when one is waiting for something the clock seems to crawl slower than usual? She mumbled to herself.
At last she couldn't wait any longer that she decided to wait in the lobby instead. There, at least would be Pierre; a security guard/receptionist at her building to keep her company, to talk to her, to get her mind off of things.
"Ah, madmoiselle James! Que jolie!" said Pierre admiringly as Kitty stepped out of the elevator.
"Pierre, thank you," she said smiling shyly.
"You are early," said he in a thick French accent. "Your driver hasn't arrived yet."
"I know! I'm just anxious, I couldn't wait."
"Understandable," Pierre smiled while nodding his head.
Pierre looked at Kitty admiringly, then took her hands and held it tight. "Oh, madmoiselle, I'm so proud of you!"
"Thank you, Pierre," Kitty said again. There were a lot of things she wished to say like how much she wanted her parents to be with her this very night or how much she wanted that one person to sit among the people that would attend this very important ceremony but, all of the feelings and wishes she felt seemed to have swelled her heart, leaving her speechless.
The phone in the back office of Pierre's rang. The old guy gave Kitty's hand another squeezed before he disappeared into the room to picked up the phone. Kitty looked around her, trying to decide what to do while waiting beside pacing back and forth some more when she caught a sight of a news headline:
EXCLUSIVE! The wedding of the century
Prince Robert Windsor of England with Lady Edith Backbroke.
Yes, this news have been in circle for months now and tomorrow is finally the big day for Robert. Kitty smiled, especially when she read a line that said: 'after the fiasco with a Drizzela of a ballerina 3 years ago, Prince Robert finally found his Cinderella, the real Princess to be his wife'.
A year ago if Kitty would've read that line, she probably would get angry and sank into a deep state of depression. Remembering all that she had done and lost and how Robert betrayed her. How the people of England hated her, ridiculed her, antagonizing her - It all had hurt her. However, wound and broken heart healed as time goes by especially when love wasn't involved in the first place. Now, she smiled and wish Robert every happiness.
She had never has that chance to become the Queen of England - it has never been in her grasp no matter how crazy Robert felt towards her. She knew that, she understood that and she was at last at peace with it.
Quickly Kitty scanned for the page numbers on the magazine. It wasn't Robert that she had intended to read about. He was of course on the front page as he is the future King of England but there was someone's picture in the corner there, with his own news that Kitty was surprised to find and impatient to read.
Success Profile: The Giant of Wall Street
Bradley Carson - From Janitor to CEO
There was a photo of him smiling so brightly with a red headed woman beside him and their adorable twins - girls - with their big honey golden eyes, kissable little dimple, and hair as red as the fire.
Kitty caressed the photo of Brad. How proud she felt of him. Kitty always knew that Brad would be something; a successful person. He is a hard working and kind person, loyal too. Mrs. Carson would be so proud! Oh, look at his life now with his beautiful wife and children. The little girls looked a lot like their mother except for the eyes that are the color of honey just like their father's - their smile were Brad's as well.
She remembered how that smile was always meant for her - always! She felt sharp piercing pain in her heart; regrets, love lost and broken heart that haven't been healed were like a dagger for her. Truthfully, she wasn't so sure that she could ever love another like she loved Brad. To say he was the one that got away would be an understatement.
She had lost a great love and even a greater friend and lover just because her foolishness! Greed and silly ambition had blinded her, making her unable to see the reality and what was really matter. It was all her fault, no one else to blame.
Tears clouded Kitty's green eyes. She tried to held it back but her pain was just too much to bear that 2 streams of tears flowed freely from her big eyes. For a moment she forgot about her excitement tonight, for that moment she was desolated.
"Madmoiselle, your car is here," the voice of her driver surprised her.
"Oh, pardon!" said Kitty as she carefully dried her eyes with a piece of tissue from her purse.
Kitty put the tear stained magazine back on the desk and left, not knowing that that the very day the magazine came out, 2 other people have thought of her.
Robert sat in his study for 15 minutes longer than he usually did, thinking about Kitty when he read in the same magazine - there, on the other corner - a news of an English Ballerina who would be crown as Prima Ballerina Assoluta at the Palais Garnier.
He thought about what his life would be had he went ahead and marry Kitty. She was a very challenging and engaging girl, so enticing that Robert couldn't bear to not see her back then. His life before was overwhelmingly dull and heavy with burden but since he had known Kitty, he had learned to enjoy himself especially when they would be together, making love at the end of the day.
Edith was an okay girl in his opinion. She was a safe choice. Her family have held the Earldom of Warwickshire for hundred of years with the original estate, entailment and everything! She was the epitome of traditional English culture and the best choice for a future Queen.
Sometimes Robert would sailed back to his old memories with Kitty and thought: would I be happy, abdicating from the throne, going into exile probably in Paris - just like my uncle David - living a whole new life with Kitty. Would I be happy?
Robert shook his head and sneered at himself. No, I wouldn't be happy, he thought again as he closed the magazine and left his study. Edith is my future, he mumbled.
It was early in the morning in New York when Brad caught sight of the magazine that have left on his desk by his secretary. It has Robert's face with a plain looking brunette on the cover next to it was his own smiling face in the right corner. On the opposite side though was a face he had longed to see, printed on the left corner.
New Prima Ballerina Assoluta to be crowned today!
Miss Penelope James making a history!
Read the title underneath Kitty's picture taken when she was dancing as the Swan Queen. She was still as beautiful as he had remembered her. Brad had missed Kitty as she had missed him. He was ashamed to have felt that way what with his lovely wife and children - he shouldn't have missed Kitty! Yet, he did.
To have hold her once more would be enough for him. She was his great love, the one that was missing from him. Sometimes he thought he had acted unwisely and too hasty to leave her and went to America. Even more so when he got his wife impregnated just three months after their first date.
Vivian was kind and loving and he knew in his heart that he loves her. He would do anything for her and their children. He wouldn't trade them for anything. However, despite his big love for his family, there were times when he thought fondly of Kitty, intended to reached out to her - their friendship, if anything, worth preserving even if the love couldn't have been salvaged.
But he also knew that it would be wrong to do that, it would hurt his family, Vivian's heart and for sure his as well. All he could do now was to longed for Kitty, remembering her once in a while, missing her in silence.
Vivian is the love of his life, Brad thought as he put the magazine on the bottom drawer on his desk.
***
The road to Palais Garnier shone bright with golden lights as the car that carried Kitty drove closer to the historical building where she would be crowned as Prima Ballerina Assoluta. From afar she could see the top tower of Palais Garnier and her heart thumped like a drum; nervous and anxious to arrived.
Looking at the building that got closer as the seconds ticked by, Kitty couldn't help but remembering the day she stepped foot on the grand staircase of Palais Garnier, the place Paris Opera Ballet have called home for so many years.
Kitty had sold everything that she owned, have changed her ticket that was supposed to be for New York to Paris and have left everything that she knew and love in England. People hated her there anyway, so really there was never any reason for her to stay.
In Paris, Kitty meant to start again. She called on Madame Dupont - the director of Paris Opera Ballet - tirelessly, waiting for her day and night, rain or shine or snow, pursuing her for a chance to auditioned.
It has been known that no one could get into Paris Opera Ballet without being an alumni of the school. They simply wouldn't take anyone that hasn't graduated from Paris Ballet School. Even if one was an alumni, it doesn't guarantee that one would be selected and even if one got selected, it doesn't mean that one would be made into a principal dancer. There were many ballet dancers before who had left the company just because they hadn't been made principal dancers even though they have danced for years under Paris Opera Ballet.
Only the best of the best will be acknowledged by the company and only the best views would even be looked at by adame Dupont.
It was foolish to go around, pursuing madame Dupont when Kitty clearly didn't have the chance from the start. However, no one has the kind of desperation and the sense of nothing to lose like Kitty. Even if madame Dupont mocked her or laughed in her face after she saw Kitty dance but at least for her, she was given a chance to show madame of her skills and passion. It was either Paris or Russia and Kitty prayed it would just be Paris.
America was never on the option now, she couldn't bear knowing that she would be living near Brad and couldn't be with him. She would rather braved the cold, rigid air of Russia than to be reminded of her broken heart by just being in New York.
Madame Dupont had seen Kitty danced many times before in Royal Opera House when they were doing a show - it usually a summer show that madame frequented. She had thought Kitty was talented but still flawed in some other parts. In madame's opinion, Kitty danced freely, graceful and flirtatiously; perfect for the part of the ugly step sisters or even the black swan but, she was flawed on classical side of the choreography. She was too playful for say: white swan or Cinderella or Aurora.
Nevertheless, Kitty had impressed upon madame Dupont that she had remembered her when she got Kitty's letter to ask for an audition. The scandal also helped refresh madame's memory of her. She had sneered and laughed at the letter and threw it on the garbage can.
But the golden haired girl never stopped bothering her, dancing on the steps of Palais Garnier while waiting for madame to came out. Eventually, she grew tired of her and decided to gave her a chance just to proved a point to Kitty that despite her effort, she was simply not good enough for Paris Opera Ballet.
"My time is really precious, miss James. I would only stay if you show me your best," said Madame before giving her a piece of rectangular paper with date and time of her audition printed on it with golden ink.
Next Tuesday
10 PM
That was all that is written in that small piece of paper but it was enough to lift up Kitty's spirit and sealed her determination.
Kitty remembered how he had danced her very best that night. How she had felt a pang in her heart when she stood on the center stage of Palais Garnier. The light shone on her once again, the red velvet ceiling, the gold paint inside the theater had brought warm memories of her and Brad. She danced for Madame Dupont, holding on to every pain and longing she felt for Brad that night.
She had chosen the Fouete 32 spins of the black swan dance to show Madame her skills. It was the hardest move in ballet; she was sure that she could do it even though she couldn't reached 32 spins at practice. However, steel determination and untired effort pushed her to her limits that she could finished the 32 spins right in front of madame Dupont.
Afterwards Madame Dupont just stood up and said to her:
"I will call you with my decision," she said coldly before leaving.
Kitty cried so hard after she left. She just broke down, kneeling down and cried out loud on the stage. She didn't know why but the urge to cry was very strong that she was sobbing. She had cried for half an hour before the night janitor told her to leave.
5 days went away, no news from Madame Dupont. Kitty had almost lost all of her hope. She was on the point of packing all of her stuff to leave for Russia when finally on the 7th day, Madame Dupont came knocking at her door.
"I have risked everything for accepting you, miss James. I will not have you disappoint me. No more mocking about with men, no more of that sugar baby nonsense with you! I want to see you straight and focus all the time. Can you do that for me?" Madame Dupont looked straight, eyes piercing into the very soul of Kitty's.
"Yes, madame!" Kitty answered with great determination. "I promise."
"I will see you tonight at practice."
There were many protestations from fellow dancers and students of Madame's decision to accept Kitty. They all thought that Prince Robert had anything to do with it. They accused madame Dupont of favoritism and unfairness.
However, after seeing how hard, how demanding and how cold Madame Dupont towards Kitty to the point of rudeness that those who had protested could only pitty the 'pauvre petite chaton' (the poor little kitten).
None of them know that all the demands and rudeness of madame Dupont were nothing like the pain and regrets that tortured Kitty day by day. Madame's demanding attitude and coldness was actually a welcomed distraction and motivation that fueled Kitty everyday. She was as determined to succeed as madame Dupont's determination to keep her good name intact after this unusual decision, doubted by many - never before in the history of Paris Opera Ballet - of accepting an ex-Royal Opera Ballet dancer.
Eventually, all hard works and steel determination paid off big times when Kitty was made principal ballerina in just a year of dancing under the Paris Opera Ballet's flag. She went on to danced all around the world with them; England, Russia, New York, Switzerland, Australia and many more.
Kitty was started to get recognized not because of the scandal but because of the art; the gracefulness and the luxury of it that she showed people. Pretty soon, offered flowed in for her from well-known ballet companies around the world but she stayed in Paris because of her love and gratitude for madame Dupont.
3 years later today, she was surprised when madame Dupont nominated her for Prima Ballerina Assoluta and even more shocking when for the very first time in history of ballet, all other companies agreed to crowned her 'The Prima Ballerina Assoluta', recognized by all ballet companies around the world.
Tonight, was the very first crowning ceremony for 'The Prima Ballerina Assoluta'. A title that used to be given by one company for their own, now being given to one special ballerina, agreed to by all. A history, and Kitty was the one making it.
Tears of joy flowed from Kitty's green eyes as she stepped out of the car, towards her dream that she had held fast from her childhood.
The End