The Nutcracker King by Eustacia Tan EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Author: Eustacia Tan
- Language: English
- Genre: Dark Fantasy Horror
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 2 MB
- Price: Free
Nightly Dances
Marie
“Mother, must I go to the dinner tonight?” Marie stared at her closet and
shook her head in dismay. She didn’t want to wear any of her formal
dresses.
Behind her, Mother sighed, shaking her head fondly at her youngest
child. She had hoped for her second daughter to be a good, quiet girl, but
she did not expect Marie to be such a homebody. “We’ve already accepted
the invitation on your behalf. Besides, Councillor Drosselmeier has been
invited as well, you’ve always enjoyed your godfather’s company, have you
not? And Fritz promised to come this time, he’s even bringing a friend.”
Ah, there it was. Mother wanted Marie to settle down like her elder
sister Luise, which was why they made sure she was regularly invited to
small dinner parties. But Marie had no desire to go to these parties. The
young men her age were invariably Fritz’s friends: all loud, boisterous and
not at all prince-like. Marie would much rather go to bed early to wait for
the Nutcracker. The nightly balls at his kingdom were much more fun.
“Marie, darling?”
Turning to face her mother, Marie faked a smile. “As long as it ends
early. What should I wear, the blue or the violet?”
“GOOD EVENING.”
“Good evening, Demoiselle Stahlbaum. I am Heinrich Schmidt.” Fritz’s
friend bowed politely.
Marie curtsied in return. “Good evening, Herr Schmidt. Please call me
Marie.”
Herr Schmidt smiled warmly at her as he took his seat next to hers. “In
that case, please call me Heinrich.”
A few hours later, Marie had decided that this dinner party wasn’t so
bad after all. The company of this Herr Heinrich was strangely enjoyable.
Unlike most of Fritz’s friends, he was quiet and did not demand that Marie
engage in conversation.
They sat together quietly until the main course, when Godfather
Drosselmeier came over.
“Marie! How are your dolls? How is the Nutcracker? Has the Mouse
King threatened you recently?”
Her godfather boomed in an unnaturally loud voice. His face was
flushed, and Marie felt the heat rising to her cheeks as well. Before she
could reply, Godfather Drosselmeier had staggered back to his seat.
Marie kept her eyes on her sauerbraten as Fritz snickered. She could
feel her cheeks heating up.
“It’s ok,” Herr Heinrich spoke quietly. “I have heard that Councillor
Drosselmeier has taken to such… habits recently.”
“Such habits?” Marie asked. Godfather Drosselemeir had always been
strange, but Marie had never seen a change in how he treated her or the
clocks he so tenderly mended.
“Drinking, Demoiselle Marie. It has been going on for some time,
although it was only in the past year or so that his work has been affected. It
has not yet affected the clocks under his care, and we must thank God for
small mercies such as that.”
“Thank you for telling me.” Marie gave him a small smile.
“Heinrich!” Fritz popped up behind them. “I see you’re finally talking.
Don’t you bully my little sister, she’s quieter than you, if such a thing were
possible.”
Herr Heinrich smiled faintly, and his golden hair gleamed in the light.
“Don’t worry, Fritz. I was just making conversation.
For More Read Download This Book
EPUB