It was three days before Christmas and nearly the whole town had gathered in the Town Hall to listen to the Annual Christmas Music Competition.
"And that was Taylor Hanson!" the announcer man shouted "Playing Silent Night on the Violin!"
The crowd clapped and cheered loudly as the girl curtsied, then resumed her seat.
"Now, we have a new contestant today." The announcer said, looking at his note cards "And also a very young contestant. Welcome Miss Victoria Chamberlain!"
From the front row stood a five year old girl. Her golden hair was pulled into two puppy-dog earls that hung in ringlets around her face. Her bright red dress was trimmed with sparkling white lace and a green bow in the collar and a wide green ribbon wrapped around her waist. She walked up the steps onto the stage.
Several people were mumbling about how cute she was, and starting to look down at their programs to see who was next.
Victoria scanned the crowd quickly, searching for a face. When she didn't see it, she walked over to the piano that was sitting off to the side of the stage and pulled herself up onto the bench.
That caused for another round of "Ah! She's so cute!"
When she finally got herself up, she rearranged her skirt, and scanned the crowd one more time. Then, with a sigh, she faced the piano.
The people were starting to read their programs again. But when her hands touched the keys, all heads came up as the music to Carol of the Bells wafted through the building.
The small girl's hands began to fly across the keys as she played the song. Every inch of the piano keyboard was used as she ran her small fingers up and down the keys.
Many people stood up so they could see her hands better, and were amazed as she continued her song.
When she got done, the whole building fell into a hushed amazement. Then all at once, everyone stood to their feet clapping and cheering wildly.
Victoria slid off of the bench, walked to the edge of the stage and curtsied.
"Little Miss Victoria!" The announcer, Mr. Jameston said as he walked to her "Where did you learn to play?"
"I taught myself." The girl answered truthfully.
The whole crowd gasped in shock.
"You taught yourself?" Mr. Jameston shook his head amazed "You're the Duke's daughter, right?"
"Yes."
"Where is your father? He must be proud of you." Jameston scanned the crowd, but Victoria tugged on his jacket.
"He's not here." She clasped her small hands behind her back "He said he had a surprise for me, and would be back in time for the competition. But he must be running late."
"Oh." This was awkward "Well… why don't you go sit back down and we'll let the judges choose a winner."
"Okay." The girl jumped off of the stage and returned to her seat.
"And… The judges have made their decision!" Jameston shouted a couple of minutes later "And the winner is… " everyone held their breath while Jameston put them through a torturing wait "Miss Victoria Chamberlain!"
The small girl squealed happily then ran up onto the stage to receive her trophy.
"Here you are, Sweetheart." Jameston said as he handed the large golden trophy to her.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" the girl cried.
"Congratulations little Angel!" a voice shouted from the back.
"Daddy!" Victoria squealed as she, once again, jumped from the stage and ran to her father.
Duke Stefan Chamberlain grabbed his little girl and threw her into the air before carrying her back up to the stage "Sorry I'm late. How are you, Jameston?"
"Just fine." The other man nodded.
"I have a surprise for you." The Duke said, turning his daughter to face the back door "You now have a new mother."
The back doors swung open and a gust of freezing air blew through the room carrying snow and ice in with it.
Victoria's eyes widened and her eyebrows raised as a woman stepped through the doors. Her jet black hair was pulled up into a large bun on the top of her head. She had dark brown eyes and really pale skin. She was actually quite beautiful. But her beauty stopped there. From where she was standing, Victoria could see the greed of the woman. How had her father missed it?
"Hello, Darling." The woman said as she breezed up the aisle.
Victoria took an uncertain step back.
"It's alright." Stefan said, nudging her forward "And, these are your new siblings."
If it were possible, Victoria's eyebrows would have risen straight off her head. behind the woman came seven kinds, four girls three boys, that were right around her age.
"Miss Francesca's husband dies, leaving her with her seven children." Stefan said "We got married this morning."
"Um… daddy." Victoria said quietly "I thought you didn't believe in charity."
Her father laughed "I didn't marry her because I felt bad for her." he said "She'll make a wonderful mother for you." Then he introduced the children to her. All of them had the dark brown eyes of their mother. the first one was Roberta. She was 7 with black hair.
Then came a set of triplet boys who were 6, Edmund (black hair), Charles (dark Brown hair.), and Xavier (light brown hair.)
Then a set of triplet girls who were 5. Vanessa (light brown), Ella (dark Brown), and Bianca (Black).
"Merry Christmas Darling!" Stefan said to the little girl who was just staring at the clan before her "We're all going to be so happy!"
At her side, Victoria's fingers started twitching. If they had been on the piano, they would have been playing the Taps. This had to be a nightmare!
For the next two days, Victoria tried to accept her new family for her father's sake. But whenever he wasn't looking, the other seven would start picking on her and calling her names. But she never said anything to her father about it. She just wanted him to be happy.
On the morning of Christmas, Victoria threw back her covers and smiled. Today was Christmas! A time when everyone was happy and cheerful! A time for miracles! Maybe her new family would even accept her a little.
She slid her feet into in her small pink slippers, then quickly ran down the steps, only to skid to a stop outside of the parlor.
Her stepmother was standing in the doorway, waiting for the child to appear "It's about time you got up."
Victoria tilted her head to look into the parlor "Where's Daddy?"
"Daddy?" Francesca scoffed "Girl, your 'Daddy' is dead!"
"What!?" the child took a step back "N-no. He can't be!"
"He had a heart-attack during the night." the woman said "Why do you think he married me? Because he knew he had a weak heart and wouldn't last much longer!" she smiled satisfied "And I convinced him to marry me. So now the money, the house, and everything in in belong to me!"
"D-daddy's D-dead?" Victoria whispered as a tear ran down her face.
"Yes." Her stepmother rolled her eyes "I told you that already."
With a sob, Victoria ran back up the stairs to her room and threw herself onto the bed "Daddy." she cried "Daddy!"
Ten minutes later, her bedroom door opened and her stepmother, along with her step siblings, came in the door.
"I want this room, Mommy." Roberta said.
"Then it is yours." Francesca said "You girl," she pointed to Victoria "Out."
"But this is my room." The child said.
"Not anymore." Her stepmother snapped "You own nothing anymore. Now, you're a poor little orphan who doesn't own a penny!"
The rest of the kids began to laugh "Vicky's an orphan. Vicky's an orphan."
Francesca walked over to Victoria's closet and one by one, began to throw her dresses into the fireplace.
"What are you doing?!" Victoria cried.
"And these go too." The woman said as she began to grab the girl's toys and books and throw them into the fire too.
"Please stop!" Victoria jumped off of her bed and grabbed her stepmother's arm "Stop!"
"Get away from me you little brat!" Francesca snapped and she shoved the five year old away from her "That should go too." she reached up onto a shelf and pulled down the golden trophy that Victoria had won at the competition and abruptly threw it into the fireplace.
Tears were streaming down the child's face as she watched the trophy start melting away.
"Ah. And one more thing." Francesca walked over to the large double french doors that led to a balcony that was attached to the bedroom, and swung the doors open. Then she set her gaze on something that was on the other side of the room.
Victoria followed her gaze and gasped "Oh no. Please! Please don't!"
Francesca didn't answer as she walked towards the large white grad piano with odl trim that was set in the room.
The Duke had put that piano in the room when Victoria was born, because her mother loved music. That was also the piano that the child had taught herself to play on.
The stepmother walked over to the piano and began to roll it across the pollished wood floor towards the balcony. The wheels on the legs of the piano making it quite easy.
"Stop!" Victoria cried as she once again grabbed onto her stepmother's arm "Please!"
But Francesca simply pushed her away and continued to push the piano as hard and fast as she could.
Victoria watched in horror as the piano was pushed out onto the balcony, smashed through the railing, then fell. A second later, the sound of the piano crashing to the ground was heard.
"Well, that's done." Francesca said "Come children. Let's leave the orphan to her last happy moments." then with a laugh, she left the room, her children following behind.
Victoria slowly walked out onto the balcony and looked down the five stories to where her piano was laying in pieces "Daddy." she sobbed and she sank to the ground and buried her face in her hands "Why did you leave me?" she felt her small heart breaking into a million pieces, just like her beloved Piano... and there was no way to fix it.