For the next few days Courtney and Louisa try to get along with each other, but it doesn't really work. When Monday arrived, Rose, Trista and Aria were ready to head home for the balloon festivals. The festivities would last all week and balloons would float into the sky every night starting at sunset. Rose was looking forward to the ballet show that she would see and the annual picnic on a hot air balloon with her mom. Trista couldn't wait to get home and help her mom make some fabulous dresses at her mom's store. Aria couldn't wait to go to the concert with her mom.

Unfortunately, this left Courtney and Louisa at school by themselves because Courtney's father had important issues to deal with and needed Treville's help, so he couldn't escort her back to the palace. Louisa's mother was away on a mission and her grandmother was visiting friends, so Louisa wouldn't see any family if she went home. So Courtney and Louisa are the only two girls to stay at Princess Charm School over the holidays. Not wanting to have any unnecessary interaction, the two girls stay in separate rooms.

After a few hours of silence Courtney got bored, so she decided to go into the room Louisa was in. "I'm a little bored. Want to do something?"She asks.

"Think you can beat me in a fencing match?"Louisa asks.

"You're on."Courtney replies.

For the next five minutes, the only sound you can hear is the sound of clanging of swords. In the end, Louisa won the battle. "You're not bad considering that you're a princess and I guess I'm sorry about what I said when we first met."

"Thank you. I think," Courtney replied. "My dad taught me how to fence. He said it was for my protection and it's all right you were probably spooked between the resemblance between us."

"You and your dad must be close," Louisa guesses.

"Yeah. He's like my best friend," Courtney smiles.

"What about your mom?" Louisa asks curiously.

"I don't have a mom. I mean I've had one once, but apparently after my parents divorced she died. But I know she was really pretty because my dad had an old picture of her in his desk and he caught me looking at it all the time so he gave it to me." Courtney states.

"Oh. I'm so sorry. I didn't know."Louisa apologizes, not wanting to hurt Courtney's feelings again.

"No, no. It's all right. Besides how could you have known until you asked? I'm used to telling people about it."

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I have never met my dad because he left my mom when I was a baby."

"Surprisingly enough, that doesn't make me feel any better but thanks for trying." Courtney chuckled. "Although I have to say that it kind of sucks that nobody's staying together anymore these days."

"So true." Louisa sighs. The silence between the girls was interrupted by the sound of Courtney's growling stomach."Do you want to go into town to find something to eat?" Louisa suggests.

"I don't know if I can hold out that long. Hold on a sec," Courtney leans her sword against the couch and went towards her trunk to get something."I know that it's here somewhere….ah, here we go." Courtney pulls out a bag full of Fritos. "Shannon, my lady-in-waiting wouldn't let me leave the castle without these."

"Oh my gosh, I love those things!" Louisa exclaims.

I practically consider them to be a basic food group. But my dad doesn't think it's healthy, he says it ruins your complexion." Courtney laughs.

"Hey would you happen to … you know what, never mind," Louisa starts.

"What is it?" Courtney asks.

"Nothing really," Louisa replies.

"Come on, you know that you want to tell me," Courtney coaxes.

"Okay fine. Well whenever I'm at home, I eat these with chocolate syrup," Louisa said giving up.

"Really?" Courtney asks looking shocked.

"Yeah. I know it's weird," Louisa states.

"Yeah. It's so weird. But it's only because I like to do the same thing at the castle!" Courtney confides as she rummages in her trunk for a few more minutes and pulls out a bottle of chocolate syrup.

"No way! Most people think it's totally gross, but I think it's a delicacy that should be shared with everyone. At least that's what I tell my mom." Louisa laughs.

"You want some?" Courtney offered.

"Of course," Louisa takes some, pours the chocolate syrup and hands the bottle back to Courtney. "Thank you," Louisa said as she eats her favorite snack."It's funny because on my birthday, my mom will always humor me and eat an entire bag of these with me to prove that she can handle it when I know she thinks it's really gross," Louisa says as she pops another chip into her mouth.

"That sounds like a lot of fun!" Courtney giggles.

"Trust me it is, and that's one reason that I look forward to my birthday on May 30th so much." Louisa replies.

After hearing this, Courtney went into a coughing frenzy, having choked on her last chip. "Did you say your birthday's on May 30th? And you're turning 10?"

"Um, yeah. Why?" Louisa asks.

"Because that's my birthday too and I'm also turning 10!" Courtney exclaims.

"Okay..." Louisa says and breathes in an attempt to calm herself down."This is getting too weird."

"Tell me about it," Courtney agrees as she pulls on her locket.

"Hey. What are you playing with?" Louisa asks.

"It's just my locket," Courtney says, holding up a golden heart locket with a C on it. Louisa stares at the necklace for several seconds before putting her hands through her hair.

"This can't be happening," Louisa practically whines.

"What's wrong?" Courtney asks and was soon answered when Louisa pulls out an identical locket to her own except hers had an 'L' instead of a 'C'. Seeing this causes Courtney to play with her locket even more.

Without warning, Louisa shoots up off the bed and looks at Courtney with a confidant smile, "You know what, this is probably just a coincidence."Louisa states. Courtney looks at her as if she were crazy and was about to say so when Louisa holds up her hand, signaling to let her finish. "I mean come on, people share the same birthday all the time and maybe my mom got this necklace at the same place you got yours."

"The only problem is that I had this since I was a baby," Courtney explains.

"I was really hoping that you weren't going to say that," Louisa said after a groan.

"Well it's the truth. I'm sorry it disappoints you," Courtney shrugs.

"I need something to chew on. Do you have gum?" Louisa asks.

"Gum?" Courtney says sounding confused.

"Yeah, the thing you chew and blow bubbles with," Louisa describes, knowing that Courtney knew what she was talking about.

"Can you stop thinking about your stomach at a time like this!" Courtney demands.

"At a time like what?" Louisa asks.

"Don't you realize what's happening?! Don't you find it odd that we both look so much alike and have the same birthday and..." Courtney stops abruptly.

"Oh man, this is beyond coincidence, this is beyond imagination! I only have a mom," Louisa starts.

"I only have a dad. You've never seen your dad and I've never seen my mom. You have one old picture of your dad, I have one old picture of my mom but at least yours is probably a whole picture," Courtney rants. Louisa drifts over to her desk. "Mine's a pathetic little thing, ripped right down the middle... What are you rummaging in your desk for?"

Louisa turns, holding a photo to her chest. "This. It's the picture of my dad. And it's ripped, too."

"Right down the middle?" Courtney asks.

Louisa nods, nervously, "Right down the middle."

Courtney rushes to her trunk, wildly tossing out her things. She pulls out a small box, opens it and carefully takes out her ripped photograph. She walks to Louisa, holding it to her chest.

"This is so freaky. Okay. On the count of three, we'll show them to each other, okay?" Louisa says.

"One... two... "Courtney and Louisa both say.

"Three!" Louisa says.

They both put their part of the photo together, when placed next to each other they fit perfectly, forming one complete photo. Tears sprang out of Louisa and Courtney's eyes as they look at the full picture for the first time.

In the photo, Corinne and Louis sit closely together at a table that was lit up with candles. Behind them are their friends and some of the musketeers, all of them smiling cheerfully. Louis gazes into Corinne's eyes lovingly with his hands wrapped around her as he pulls her towards him. Their lips were parted, but it looks like they were about to kiss and the photographer caught them at a bad time. Marie, their grandmother could also be seen smiling proudly in the background with a glass full of wine in her hand.

"That's my mom..." Louisa starts.

"And that's my dad..." Courtney finishes.

The girls stare at the photo, then at each other. A strange formality settles on them. They both reach for their lockets.

"You know what, I'm not so hungry anymore." Courtney says slowly.

"But if my mom is your mom and your dad is my dad... and we're both born on May 30th, then you and I are... like... sisters," Louisa says slowly.

"Sisters?! Louisa, we're twins!" Courtney exclaims.

Frozen in her place, Courtney laughs untill tears come to her eyes. Louisa's eyes fill up and soon tears streak her cheeks. They put their arms around each other and embrace while sobbing. They pull apart, look at each other, smile, and then begin to laugh.


I know that I took forever in updating, but I was having trouble with capturing all the emotions that Courtney and Louisa would be feeling and this is the longest chapter that I've written so far. I'm not sure if I captured their feelings properly, but I hope that I did and that you like this fantastic reviews were wonderful, they were what inspired me to continue witting this chapter. Make sure to keep telling me how you think I'm doing.

In case you are wondering, a lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a court royal or feudal, attending on a queen (either if she is the queen regent or the queen consort), a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family in 'good society,' but who was of lower rank than the woman on whom she attended. Although she may or may not have received compensation for the service she rendered, a lady-in-waiting was considered more of a companion to her misstress than a servant .

Cheerio,

Lasting Violet