All morning long, Charlotte stood perfectly still, holding her pose like a statue, placing her hands over her heart. She smiled lightly as the sun poured into the window and she yearned to be out in the garden instead of being painted in one.
“Don’t move,” ordered the artist, as he brushed the rose on her cheeks, blended it back and forth into her skin tones, “I have almost finished my masterpiece of your highnesses’ birthday portrait.”
Birthday! The thought of celebrating her birthday made Princess Charlotte leap deep inside her, however, she held her composure as Mommy taught her, and patiently waited to be released from this artistic prison.
Back in her room, Charlotte swooned over her new gown. The bright purple matched her bouncing personality and the golden trim, her bouncing curls. Embroidered stars glistened the tulle, and three purple roses buttoned up the front.
After trying it on to get ready for her birthday ball, she sat down for a moment to catch her breath. She counted the layers up and down the dress. “I will make all these layers twirl wildly tonight,” she thought. “That will make up for me being a statue all morning!”
“Now Charlotte, I told you, that you may try on your new ballgown, but you can’t wear it till this evening,” Queen Mommy said as she saw Charlotte not budging to change out of the tailored gown. “You mustn’t stay in the dress, or you might stain it, or rip it, and then what will you wear to dance with daddy?”
Dance with Daddy! Charlotte’s favorite part of her birthday. She danced with daddy all the time, but for her special day, everyone else watched her and daddy have a dance all by themselves.
Charlotte crept down the palace steps, and out to the garden. Guests would be arriving soon, but she needed just a moment in her favorite place. There she could practice her twirling and get all the layers shook up and ready for her big moment.
“This is the spot,” she said to herself, as she peered into the crystal-clear pond. The crocus’ reflected in the moonlight upon the water, and as she etched closer to the pond, she saw her own reflection coming into view.
“Now to twirl with the grace of a princess!”
Back and forth, she held her head high, working up to that glorious twirl. Out of the corner of her eye she watched her reflection sway in perfect time with her, then on one foot she pushed herself in a three sixty twirl, came down to a stop, as the skirt of her dress continued to flow around her waist.
“What a twirl! I can’t wait for Daddy to see me do it!”
She didn’t want to admit it, but sleep was invading her eyes. Princess Charlotte sat on a chair watching her guests who weren’t tired and continued to dance the night away. But she had her moment. She opened the night with a courtesy to her father, as he bowed low and took her hand in his.
Dancing with Daddy was like walking on air! What a night of wonder! She did her magnificent twirl, not once, or twice, but three times, and each time, the crowds ooo’s got louder and longer! As always, Princess Charlotte was the Belle of the ball.
As she sat watching Daddy hold Mommy in his arms as they swayed across the dance floor, grateful for this moment to celebrate, she caught a curl with her finger, and began to twirl it, as if she was still dancing her beautiful, birthday ballgown.
She felt herself dozing off, her head slipping down, when a firm set of arms lifted her up allowing her head to rest on a shoulder. “Daddy’s taking me to bed,” she thought with a half-smile of the comfort that awaited her. She patted his back as a “thank you, and I love you” as the existed the ballroom and headed up the stairs to sleep off the excitement of another wonderful birthday.
