Summary: Letters to a beloved sister.
Dear Calpernia,
Has it been a week already? It feels like so much longer… I miss you so much. It's so lonely around here.
Mom won't stop crying. She's already sent half a dozen letters of her own. Dad's been putting on a smile but I know he's been crying, too.
Mom's been telling me to be nice to the spiders, even though they're scary. She says they'll bring you back. Well, she… pretty much breaks down whenever she sees a spider. She saw one during dinner and sobbed into her soup for an hour.
I've tried speaking to them myself, but they just stare at me, kinda creepily.
This isn't fair. It's all that awful prince's fault. I knew he was bad from the start… I wish I could've done something. Well… he's dead now, so… but still! I hate him so much…
Please come back, Cal. I can't stand it here. Everyone's so miserable… I miss you.
~Seeing you (hopefully) soon, Charlotte.
…
Dear Cal,
Why haven't you replied to any of our letters? We've sent you so many. Is it just hard to get letters down there? Or are you still angry?
I guess that makes sense… Mom did kick you out. But she's really sorry, so please, come back, Cal! She keeps crying…
What's it like down in that creepy forest, anyway? Dad says a witch lives around there. Have you met her? Is she nice? Did she put another curse on you?
Since you're not here anymore, that means I'm crown princess. But… I don't really wanna be crown princess. It's too much responsibility. You're the one who had all the training and boring meetings and whatever.
Mom and Dad haven't really put much pressure on me to do much. The opposite, in fact; they've been coddling me. Mom's always asking if I'm feeling okay, and Dad's been getting me lots of presents. They're probably worried I'm gonna turn into a spider too.
Well, honestly… I'm definitely not okay, and no amount of presents is gonna make me feel better. I just want to see you again, Cal… so please please please come back!
~Crying a lot, Chuck.
…
Cal,
You're still angry, huh… I tried to ask the spiders how you're doing, but they still just keep staring blankly at me. I'm starting to wonder if you told them to ignore me…
Today, I had to go to a boring meeting that you would've gone to. I didn't want to go. But Mom says 'we need to make sure things in this kingdom are sailing smoothly'.
All the nobles and important people were so weird about you. They know you were banished but they don't know the whole story. So they just sat there, pat my shoulder, saying 'sorry for your loss' like you're dead or something.
I can't stand all those people… they're so fake. How do you deal with them, Cal? I felt like I was gonna lose it at any second.
Mom and Dad were gentle. Dad told me to take a deep breath. 'It's a necessary evil' he told me. I thought about what you would do. You'd smile and push through it, like nothing ever bothered you, because you're strong, but me, I'm weak, so I broke down and cried in front of everyone.
Now I'm alone all over again. Mom and Dad said I did great, but I know they're just trying to make me feel better.
I tried to think of some of the things you'd say to comfort me, but it just made me miss you even more.
~Lonely as always, Char.
…
Calllll,
You're not dead, right?! Mom says you can't be because of all your spending… What's all the money for?! Mom says it's like she's paying for 30 people at once…
Maybe you've made a bunch of new friends down there. Is it the possum witch and her army of magic possums?
I really wanna go down there and see what's happening… but Dad says that forest is haunted. Ugh, Mom and Dad are so protective nowadays. Whenever I leave the palace, I have to take a few guards no matter what. I swear, it's not as if were-spider curses just grow out of the ground…
Well… guess what! I've been making a few new friends as well! At school, mainly. It was scary, but I tried thinking of what you would do, and it actually helped! I've got to hang out with some people I've never spoken to before. It's the first time in ages I've befriended someone other than a bunch of spiders!
Now that you're gone, I feel like I have to step into your shoes, do some of the stuff you used to do. I guess that means being more confident… I'm proud of myself. It's been hard, it's been painful, but I feel like I'm getting better.
If only you were here to see it all…
~Thank you, Chuck.
…
Cal! Guess what!
Mom has a plan! She knows how to get you back here as crown princess!
She heard about some curse-curing crystal or whatever, and she's aiming for that. However, she's got a backup plan as well. It's… a bit unconventional, but it'll definitely work! You gotta come back and find out for yourself, Cal!
I can't believe it! We're finally gonna be a family again!
I'm so excited. Please please please, come back, Cal! We're gonna cure you!
~Excitedly, Charlotte.
…
Ugh… okay, fine. I get it. You're STILL upset.
But we've apologised so many times! Why won't you just come home already?! Or at least send a letter back!
Right, right… I'm being impatient. I'm sorry, Cal. Dad says you need more time. Although, he's got something planned as well. I don't think you'll be able to stay in that forest much longer.
So many things have changed around here… I'm not nearly as anxious as I used to be. Well, at least I hope I'm not… my friends say I've gotten better.
But I still miss you, Cal. That hasn't changed. The spiders say you're alive, or at least, that's what I think they're saying. They still like giving me the silent treatment.
Whatever's down there in that forest, I hope it's worth it. Because… well, there's not much time left now. Dad doesn't want to rush you, but please, Cal, come home! I know you don't want to listen, but this time, you gotta!
It'll be worth coming back, I swear! Like I said, we've got a cure for your curse!
Please… not before the forest gets torn down…
~Chuck.