(Child's POV)
Two years later, Missour Bernard announces We are doing a new Children's Ballet called The Nutcracker and they want us! All the girls cheer! I will have to compete with everyone it seemed, but they all wanted Marie, not the Nutcracker, I got the role then!
I burst into Papa's study excitedly, "can you teach me to sword fight, Papa? I need to fight the Rat King!"
"I guess you're going on eleven… Yes of course darling!" He pulls a sword and a dagger off the wall.
Lunging, swishing, blocking, swords clanking as we play, it's exhilarating! We finally fall, exhausted and laughing!
"You're very strong!" My cheeks glow with his praise.
In rehearsals, however, things don't go so well. "Georges stop being so rough! This isn't a battlefield! These are your friends!" Missour Bernard scolded.
I stop, looking down at my feet.
"It's all right Georges, we do stage fighting differently your Papa doesn't know that."
He pulls me out into the hall and shows me prime, seconde, tierce, quarte, quinte, and sixte.
"Prime, sixte, quarte, tierce, and quinte" Missour Bernard directs us. This is the best day of my life!
I go backstage to see Missour Gaillard. "I want a real Douglas Fur for the tree and real presents for all my friends!" I suggest calmly.
"I'm sure we can use our Christmas Bonuses for the presents, I'll convince Missour Barnard to use his as well," Missour Gaillard smiled.
Papa and I go out to cut our tree and the tree for The Nutcracker.
"It was generous of you to buy the girls presents" smiled Papa proudly.
"It's what Mama would do" I reminded him.
"You're right," he ruffled my hair.
Missour Bernard plays Herr Drosselmier Pirsilla plays Marie. It's nice to dance with her again! We spend most of the performance just sitting there holding hands, and watching other dancers, but I don't mind, I feel more like a boy than ever in my soldier's uniform!
Mama and Papa are there for our December 23rd performance. On Christmas Eve I go to our Catholic Church in my blue velvet fur-lined dress. On Christmas day, we take fruit and vegetable preserves to the Hospice des Orphelins where I was left as a baby, and have our Christmas feast of ham, rolls, potatoes, and asparagus for supper. We have hot cacao and fruit cake for dessert, the hot cocoa is my favorite. The next day Papa reads a review of my performance in Le Matin.
"The young Nutcracker appears to be a sexless little sprite named Genevieve, who performs as if she were a boy."
Papa looks at me. "Do you understand what Lerox is saying?"
I just smile.
(Papa's POV)
"Her position in the Bourgeoisie has been brought into question!" I try to keep my voice down.
"What do you mean dear?" asks Christine.
"How is she going to get married?" I ask
"She's ten I don't think we should even worry about that yet" My wife is oblivious!
"Gaston Leroux called her "sexless" like she isn't even human!" I exclaim.
"Genevieve didn't mind. She loved that!" Christine was calm.
"You and Erik encouraged it- this- thing- I don't know what-"
"Behavir" my wife finished for me.
"Erik still has a hold on you doesn't he?"
"No this was my Idea! I was the one who invited La Sorrelli, and she told me about Little James being Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake!" Christine was asserting herself!
"It was fine when it was understood she was a "She!" She can't be a ballerina anymore!" I asserted back.
"I'll be the one to tell her." My poor wife looked defeated.
Child's POV *
Mama comes into my room with the breakfast tray. "Darling… Papa wants you to quit the Ballet."
"Why?" I ask
"He wants his little girl back. What that review described confused him… He just doesn't come from the world I do."
"What is so confusing? I'm not a girl" I say.
"The Opera Is just pretend dear," explains Mama.
"What-Why?" now I'm confused.
I don't know" Mama Puts her arm around my shoulder.
I have to be a boy for real! If Travesty is only pretending to Papa…But how?