Yay the first time I've completed a chapter in less than two weeks.
Just wanted to mention I don't really own anything. Nope just me myself and my writing.
I especially don't own the film, or Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, or any of the classic novels I'll be mentioning from now on.
This is going to start launching ourselves for the main focus of the story.
Until She's Crowned
Chapter 12- Sense and Sensibility
Tuesday February 4, 2014
In the world of thespians are children who always dream of stars. They dream of being under the limelight, and having the whole world as an audience. And their special technique? Confidence.
So what should have Aurora, small shy Aurora, expected when she walked into her sixth period, her being against the crowd of lions who all echoed one after the other their roles, some happy, and some less than so. She had to wait patiently, her hands folded against her ash skirt, and hair pulled into a gentle ponytail.
As Aurora reached the cast list, it felt difficult to search for her name. Aurora Rose. Aurora Rose. Aurora Rose.
Where was it? It was noted Vanessa won over Juliet no doubt. She was perfect. She was confident. She looked further down and saw Alice had successfully made it as part of the backstage crew, but Aurora wasn't anywhere near that group either.
She had to raise her eyes up the slightest to find where she belonged.
UNDERSTUDIES
Terence Passer….Romeo Montague
Aurora Rose…..Juliet Capulet
"Aurora I don't get to play a role!" Alice bounced cheerfully, and the named girl understood why, oddly. Alice was forced into the drama class by her uptight mother who's trying to get Alice more interested in other arts besides writing for the newspaper. But Alice hated the theatre, because that would often mean reading without pictures.
But for Aurora was a different story. She enjoyed the theater. She liked the stories they told visually, and with the hope that she had that she would waltz onstage and end her performance with a bow was just too, too high to reach.
She took a glance at Vanessa who was proudly declaring how she was born for the role, and then to Gaston who was mimicking her notions just as loud. And then to Terence who was standing by humbly with Andy.
It was a competition for the leading roles with these actors.
"Aurora?"
"Hm?"
"You're Juliet's understudy! That's great!"
Aurora had to blink to comprehend Alice's congratulations. "How?" Her friend pulled her away from the list, and took her away from the excitement of the cast.
"Because," Alice started, with her messy hair framing her hollow face. " You can look at it this way. You were the second best for the role, and that's pretty high up if you ask me."
"Well,"
"And obviously you best fitted for the role if they didn't put you anywhere else except the backup for the lead role." Alice concluded, with her arms crossed and eyes wide.
Aurora thought silently. You mean backup for Vanessa. But she was still technically cast as the lead. She still had a chance. And she was still part of the cast.
The blonde nodded along, and finally a smile bloomed on her face. "Okay. Okay, but I'm not obviously as good as Vanessa if you couldn't tell by the arrangements."
"No, you're just as good as Vanessa, perhaps even better."
Aurora looked at her friend, and she shrugged. "Perhaps."
Now that she was looking at the main facts, it's all perfectly outlined. Her Godmother's tutoring begin at 4, and the practices only go until 3:30 after school. And her role isn't so big. She just has to memorize the lines and give a performance at Vanessa's level.
It was easy.
Soon enough the bell rang, and Diaval was waiting for her at 3:30 after the first practice meeting was given out.
"How do we do today, princess?" He asked as the princess was fastening her seatbelt. "No strange costumes I see."
The princess just nodded along a "I'm very good today Diaval, thank you for asking. I'm afraid no costume today since her highness has deemed it improper for the royal courts."
He was smiling through his coffee, she noticed through the rearview mirror. "Of course, very improper. Though not as much as referring her majesty as her highness, your highness."
Aurora felt a tinge of redness sprinkle her cheeks at her mess up. So much for a light joke. She should've known better. Diaval, definitely an ally.
"So, why the costume?" He proceeded as he was driving away from Walter Parks High School, and onto the main road. A few dark locks had fallen stray, and his tie was undone.
Aurora wanted to pretend she didn't hear him, but there would be many questions now. Why 3:30 from your school on the weekdays? And she didn't know a better answer than what she knew. "I'm in the school play." Aurora shook off.
Both had their eyes locked for a second, and his eyes brightened up in the gaze. "I always knew you were going to dance onstage one day." He spoke proudly to himself, and she wondered why.
"What production are you performing?"
"Romeo and Juliet"
Diaval didn't repeat anything from the few moments of excitement he held for her. Instead he wandered into the road.
Was it not his favorite?
"Di-"
"That's great Aurora, it's really fantastic. Uh, so what's your role?" He returned.
She was now afraid of disappointing him even more. He was just so happy for her, then everything was dropped. She started braiding a lock from her ponytail, and she recited what was on her mind when everyone else would pour their questions to her. "Well, I don't really have a role, but I'm there to fill in for Juliet's role." She explained.
"Oh, that's, that's," His eyes became transfixed on the road, almost as a means to ignore her, but he found the word that was lost from his tongue. "Wonderful." It was wonderful indeed.
He was pulled through that massive gate of thorns.
Right on time with the right clothes and a sense of greetings.
Before she went into her Godmother's office, she caught her reflection in a floor length mirror. Her olive blouse was tucked in, and she pulled at the wrinkles on her skirt. Definitely better than yesterday.
Stranger than yesterday as well, as she passed through the plain aging walls, every one person that she came across of stopped to give her a proper courtesy.
Princess Aurora, she had to remember. Princess Aurora. Aurora Rose is out of the picture here. You're Princess Aurora.
"You're right on time" Her Godmother's polished face was turned away, but Aurora could hear her.
Aunt Mallory was picking at her bookshelf, looking through the covers, and the girl saw that they were all science textbooks.
When the Queen stopped, an old grandfather clock was chiming. Four O'Clock in the afternoon.
"Good afternoon, Aurora" Her grace said, but didn't fall into neither a bow or curtsy that was expected of the teenage princess.
After greetings were exchanged, Aunt Mallory studied her niece's outfit, and a smiling shimmer in her eyes bloomed.
It must've been her skirt. The grey one was always the perfect choice for professional attire.
She was led to the gardens again, tea was set as well as all the foods.
Sitting down, Aurora knew not to run away. Her Godmother's staff were all in view, standing and sitting, in sync with her movements. Her godmother stood, and everyone followed vise versa.
It was interesting to see the interaction she had with them. She was polite but demanding, she was holding power.
So was Aurora supposed to do the same? Mallory was just so terrifying and elegant, something the teen couldn't possibly live up to.
Today she was taught the brief family history of the Moore house. They had strong ties to the royal families of the west, their trading partners were Arendelle, Corona, and America. There was a war not so long ago between Moreise and another nation called Ganancia, but she didn't venture any further than that.
But there was something missing. Mallory never said anymore, not about her life, nothing about her mother, so in a way, her aunt was still a missing piece of her life.
When the hour was up, she was rushed away by a phone call that interrupted all formal goodbyes.
Diaval drove her home, and the snow started to clear away.
She walked into her house as her auntie Fauna squealed unexpectedly from a soft pastel couch they've owned for years.
"My soulmate is Leonardo DiCaprio!" She was shaking happily. Her pale locks bounced with her.
It was one of those teen magazines Aurora had stowed away as a secret vice. She had already taken that questionnaire that made your answer based on unconventional things like what's your favorite ice cream flavor? Strawberry and she got Chris Evans.
After a few tears were brushed away, Fauna asked the endless string of questions everyone else had in mind. What did you get? Are you Juliet? What's your role?
Her association with Shakespeare's plays became nothing more than answering questions. Which was fine. Everything had to be answered.
She traced her fingers through the pages of one of her Godmother's books. A classic Jane Austen no doubt would be assigned to her sooner or later in the school year.
But Aurora enjoyed the feeling of holding something so rustic in her hands. Shining a light, she saw the cover. Sense and Sensibility. She recognized the title, one of Belle's recommendations. In the dusk of night, she held her flashlight to her heart, as she read the first sentence. "The family of Dashwood had been long settled in Sussex…" And she could have fallen asleep, counting one two three. But she didn't, instead, she read until the sun was starting to lift itself up from the sky, and she fell into a heavy slumber.
So she counted the sheep.
One, two, three.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
"Queen Elsa of Arendelle should be called by 'your grace' no less in my presence, Lord Milori of the Winter House should be known …"
"Lord Milori of the Winter House should be known…"
"Aurora" Aunt Mallory warned in a stern voice on the third day. Aurora felt herself drift away from the world, she felt herself losing herself to sleep, and it was just too powerful, especially after school and practice.
She just needed to sleep. Or resume to counting sheep, but she had to answer the question.
"Lord Milori should be known as…" Aurora whispered, trying to keep herself awake. As a Lord. Or grace. Nothing more.
And she closed her eyes, feeling the expensive wood slowly hit her cheek, and everything was forgotten.
"Diaval, Diaval she fell asleep!" Mallory sighed, as Aurora gave steady breaths, her hair had framed her like a honey halo.
Her Jane Austen copy was sitting beside her, and through a few gaps, pages must have already been marked.
Diaval was quick to pull the sleeping princess into her arms, "Okay, it's okay" he would reassure in a hushed voice, humming her to a further nap.
He had cradled Aurora in his arms, only something Mallory would find disgustingly cute.
She didn't want to move further, knowing she would have to plan farther than expected to get Aurora on track.
How to dine and move would have to be moved to next week, and of course everything this week had to be shifted.
She was running out of time, giving herself that sixteen year wait. The dinner was next month, the ball would be right after, and it was coming just so quick.
But Diaval wasn't worried about the ball. He had Aurora laid down on the grey loveseat.
But it was her time.
"What are you doing?" she demanded, and the circles around her eyes were hollow as the seconds passed.
The man shrugged, reaching for the teenager's bag. "She's tired, Mistress"
Tired. The girl wouldn't know tired.
He continued babbling to himself, letting the girl sleep. The book was being put away, but he didn't go any further much with her belongings.
"She must be tired these days, with school, these lessons, the school play," he murmured, but the words caught Mallory. School play.
"School play?"
"Yes, it's Romeo and Juliet."
She could almost snort. Ha! "That sappy Shakespeare tragedy?" That one production everyone would just bat their lashes while praising. "Why would she take part of that?"
Diaval ignored her offensive laughs. "Well I would say I'm quite proud of her." He was turned away like before. At the angle where she couldn't see his annoyance with her. "She was always quite the romantic anyways, it's very well suited for her."
He couldn't bring himself to mention Aurora's part in the scheme. No that would only give her more than enough things to ridicule.
"The romantic? What like the imaginary prince charming she made up in her mind at ten?"
Diaval could see the Queen rolling her eyes away, leaning on that cane of hers as she found more reasons to bash Aurora. But Aurora didn't deserve any of this. She had to rest, comfortably in her own home, away from the chaos. Away from this maddening woman who he couldn't face.
"Can you help me?"
Not a thing you would ask a Queen, your boss no less. But to a friend? Yes, in a few circumstances, they were friendly.
But not how Mallory saw it. They were friendly in terms of just acquaintances. That's where she wanted it to stop. Where it should.
At first, she had her eyebrows raised at Diaval, and she was warning him, herself. Inappropriate! But she knew he wanted to take that girl, that sleeping beauty to her little cottage in the woods. But she was only disturbing on the cushions, so she had to agree. Not for Diaval. No for her loveseat to be cleared.
Given, she couldn't actually do anything. Aurora was a terribly deep sleeper, so she wasn't going to wake up to move herself, Mallory would be breaking bones with pressured weight.
Diaval was carrying the princess away, Mallory was the leader, and her staff were standing still until she passed, no questions were allowed to be asked.
It was different that day for her. Never before had she opened the door for someone else. Never before have she waited on others to get comfortable. Yet Aurora was napping alongside her in the car, unknown to her, she just changed Mallory's heart by the tiniest bit.
It was so alien to to the work everyone else has done for her, even if it was small.
And seeing Aurora sleep so calmly when there were so many things going on in the world around her, made the tired Queen wonder. And she felt threatened by the new feelings she was getting.
There wasn't time for wonder. Not when she was running out of time.
Diaval reached that familiar house, the small one at the end of the road, tucked away from everything. The snow was clearing away now, she noticed.
The silhouette of the many trees painted a pretty picture of her own home. Not the castle, but the forest besides it, and all the trees that line the mountains.
Diaval's long coat moved just slightly with the wind, making him look dark, compared to the pastels Aurora was wearing.
"I think we should go the other way." Which translated to "I'd rather not see those three fools" or at least it did to Mallory when she voiced her thoughts.
Diaval almost stumbled at how earnest she sounded, but she played the leader again, leaving slight trails of her cane when she moved around the house.
Diaval felt he should have said "That will look suspicious," or "I'd rather not" but he didn't. According to her, that would be stepping out of line.
She examined the windows, and could tell that those three were off into their own worlds, Flora was in the kitchen, Fauna was nowhere in sight however, but the distant shouts said more than enough.
"We could always knock on the door like normal civilians." Diaval suggested.
"Mute!" She warned. "And since when are we normal civilians?" No just a Queen and her assistant trying to break into a house.
The backdoor was easily opened, and the warm house had probably dropped a few temperatures due to the still icy wind gusts.
Both had a sense of the navigation around the home, but Flora turned away from them made it easier. Mallory was pressed against the wall, lifting her cane to her chest to avoid a clatter, and Diaval had Aurora hanging on to him.
The Queen moved amongst the wall, feeling only the slightest pain, but they eventually turned to the next corner.
The loud shouts were more defined inside.
There was paint splatters covering the floor, and into further examination, they left a trail.
Standing in the living room were Fauna and Mary, a gameboard flipped over, as they screamed over the cheaters of the match. Nothing new in particular that Mallory hasn't seen before, but it was still enjoyable. Up the stairs, she knew was Aurora's room. She knew it by heart, knowing that their was a canopy decorated with wildflowers and old treasures, having stepped inside in a similar manner before.
Too dedicated to the argument, Mallory understood that it would be perfect for her to move upstairs and finally leave for her temporary home, but she saw a cat.
She didn't recall Aurora having a cat, but whatever it's purpose, it saw Mallory too.
It moved towards her, and it was fast. Diaval saw that cat as well, and it didn't look happy.
Cats are always so evil. But maybe that's why Mallory liked them. Diaval she didn't know, but he didn't particularly like dogs either. She reached for the wooden ramp, and tried pulling herself up, but the cat wouldn't let her have it. Instead it was ready to pounce, almost giving the most adorable growls she's ever heard from a creature.
Mallory practicality hopped upstairs with her dragged leg, and she knew her regular doctor wouldn't let her live it down. Diaval slow in the process, so she found Aurora's room first. It has obviously changed. There were pictures everywhere of everything, flowers, trees, people. Yet they were organized in lines of string, and everything was certainly more mature. Her bed was made with a violet comforter, and the canopy still hung around it by wildflowers.
The cat was at Diaval's feet, the poor man. Maybe that's why a smirk appeared on her face. It was almost reaching for something, it's paws all over his pants.
He settled her on her bed, and she sunk in.
He removed her bag, and left it by her bed, and a small clutter was made, and a camera fell.
The cat, Beauty written on her collar, joined Aurora in bed, napping by her halo of hair.
Mallory unconsciously picked up the camera. A nice pink shade, and looked heavy with memory. She wasn't exactly an expert, but she knew someone who was. Deciding to leave it alone, she placed it back in the bag.
Stepping back, she saw how comfortable Aurora was, sleeping. With her eyes closed, in everything in a peaceful silence, she admired Aurora for having something that Mallory didn't.
Wonder.
"Goodnight Beastie." The Queen whispered as Diaval was by the door, doing all he could do. He stood by the door and smiled.
Now they have to get out.
Thursday February 6, 2014
Dear Diary,
Yesterday, I wound up asleep, and then I woke up in my bed, then I started freaking out. But it was like so fascinating at the same time because what if I had teleportation powers.
But I decided it was just Diaval being nice. I wonder how Aunt Mallory took it though. I feel awful for just sleeping.
My godmother is so mysterious to me. She never openly talks, and I feel like she's hiding something from me. Anyways, I've realized how awake she is. Her life seems like it's run by a clock that strikes in March. She's been teaching me all the names and titles of all the other dignitaries, she's already mentioned plans for next week and it's just so confusing.
And I hope I find out more, not just the basic facts you uncover in a textbook.
I should be heading to school soon.
Until then,
Aurora Rose
2:57
During rehearsal, Aurora had already caught herself taking in the new novel, Jane Eyre. Everything seemed too difficult to understand, but yet every letter was translated into the perfect language for her.
Alice caught her too, but brushed it off, mentioning how Belle had finally roped her into her suggestions.
As Vanessa was acting as the perfect vixen, Aurora mimicked the choreography, the stage directions, all while holding on to those novels.
4:00
At her godmother's lessons, she took off where they were yesterday.
"Lord Milori of the Winter House should also be known as your grace or simply Lord." Aurora promised to commit it to heart.
Her godmother smiled so softly that one could miss it. The most mischievous, thrilling grin she'd received.
"Good, now, we must get through today's teaching. After yesterday's accident, I hope you won't pick up at that habit." Aurora wanted to say that was an attempt of a light joke, but sadly, with her, it wasn't.
"What do you know about public speaking?" And Aurora felt a shiver. Not her area of expertise, but she knew it couldn't be much harder than reciting a few lines on stage.
Friday February 7, 2014
3:01
Jane Eyre was great as the last one, and Aurora kept skimming through the pages carefully as they were stuck in the middle of Act 1.
"It is an honor that I dream not of." She could almost mouth, as Vanessa tried to recite the scene from memory. She flipped to the next page in her book.
Deep inside her mind, her mind wandered to her Godmother's lessons. She had given brief instructions on how to present before a crowd ( Be prepared, Project your confidence, Practice).
Performing without trembling was easy for her. Well, it was if everyone else was turned around, and she was denied the embarrassment of messing up or tripping. But there was that thrill that just made her stand in wonder. Wonder, she's always liked that word. It was such an enchanting phrase, one that could help long for such things as answers or true love.
As Aurora fell more distracted, drifting again, she hadn't realized she skipped over several paragraphs in her novel, but the eternity that was rehearsals.
They've already moved through the scene and onto the next, which disappointed Aurora. She wasn't planning on falling behind.
4:00
Her Godmother was standing by the door, her hands delicately wrapped around the her cane's handle. She had been waiting, for her niece most likely. She looked over Aurora's outfit of jeans and turtleneck, before silently letting her into her office.
In the pretend school Aunt Mallory had set up, she was the strict only means business type of teacher.
Her presentation skills had to be run over a few times until it reached approval (she had to be louder). Aurora noticed how these lessons were overlapping, and how her godmother would check look over the grandfather clock, reading the time over and over.
She felt at fault.
"Did you finish any of the books?" Mallory asked, struggling between a demand and an inquiry in her voice.
"I've read the Sense and Sensibility one," Aurora offered. The first book checked off had certainly kept her up. "I liked it. The characters were intriguing." She was slowing down her words, searching for the words to say.
"Yes, but what did you learn?" Now this was a demand.
Aurora payed attention. What did you learn? The Sense and the Sensibility in the story were idolized in the characters. "I'm the sensibility." Aurora said without thinking much.
Mallory paused. Nothing possibly about the themes or the lessons they could teach, what the sisters in the novel could teach. "The sensibility?" She challenged.
Aurora paused, not understanding how she could clarify. She's only identified so much with Marianne, the one who was so inclined to believe by her heart. "You know ," she dragged along. "Sensibility is just so pulled by attitude and emotion, it's about being sensitive." It's about the heart.
The Queen considered this. When she was younger, she'd convinced herself she was Marianne, but the role later became passed over to Leila. But she hadn't meant to discuss the characteristics, rather than the changes.
"Meanwhile, you could possibly be the sense."
"In what ways?"
"You just have so much realistic awareness about the world, that you only concentrate on work." Aurora tried lamely. "Or you just concentrate on the time."
Mallory was locked on her, with curiosity. That wonder. She was radiating it, she imagined a vibrant glow around her. And she was the sense. Perhaps. Was it her judgement or welfare? No, she was more entitled to the clock.
But having sense shouldn't mean sneaking into a house to avoid seeing people, No, that was the last time it would happen.
She listened to Aurora's words, as she discussed about her opinions so openly, Mallory almost regretted giving the girl a voice. But the more she listened to her speech, Mallory found herself proud.
Aurora spoke and spoke and spoke.
There was something in Mallory that wanted her to say something. Anything about her experiences with the story, Leila's, how they've both been victimized by the character.
How should would wait in a field of wildflowers, and just do that-wait, not caring for her time wasted.
But she just listened. That's the best thing she could do for that while, as she tried to settle her thoughts, tried weaving her logic to make sense again.
A glance at the clock, and she focused.
They've run out of time.
I tried to keep the common theme of wonder and time in this chapter. I also wanted to write a sillier scene with Diaval and Mal putting Aurora to bed, all while trying to not get caught. I hope I've amused you. And of course being protective of Aurora.
I've figured time would be best for Mal to struggle with, seeing how she's literally racing against it, trying to reach Aurora, as well as patiently waiting the curse out in the hopes of seeing Stefan broken in the movie.
Anyways thanks for your time, as always, you're not forced to review, but it's gladly appreciated.
Just thank you for everything.
