Ruby left giving Carmine instruction to keep me in her sights. As soon as she was out of our sight, we looked at one another then raced out of the castle to see the commotion.

The little fur balls were bouncing everywhere causing panic. Fizzles were harmless, but if you keep provoking them, they only get more excited. And the more there are the more destruction they cause. Rose and I had gathered quite the impressive horde. One ran out of the bakery covered in flour. A few jumped up and down on a wagon until its wheels broke off. There was an increasing number of broken windows as they catapulted themselves with a line of hanging laundry. And that was just what my eyes could capture at first glance!

Villagers and patrolling knights tried swatting at them with mallets, swords and rakes swinging them with no clear purpose or direction. These attempts were in vain and only served to rile them up more. I heard a bloodcurdling scream from a lady who had a fizzle tangled in her hair. The more the woman and the fizzle struggled, the more entangled the little guy's feet became. It was enough to snap me out of my daze.

I called to Carmine for help, and she held the woman down while I tried to untangle the fizzle.

It was not going well.

Jade and Rose rode out and I enlisted their help to find a pair of shears. They were followed on foot by Cerise chasing after the twins, Violet and Lavender, and little Indigo.

Oh great.

"I tried to stop them," Cerise started breathless.

"What are so many fizzles doing in the village?" Lavender inquired.

They all looked at me. See what I mean?

"That is a great question. Let's circle back to it later! Help me round them up before they get hurt," I said.

Rose held the fizzle to stop it from squirming, while Cerise kept the woman calm. Making sure she had a firm grip on the woman's head, Carmine signaled me to snip. A few snips and the fizzle was free from his hairy prison. The lady was not happy with her new haircut, but I told her hair grows back. Did peasants really not know that?

With that taken care of, Jade took control. She directed us to gather up baskets, blankets and pots from the townspeople. We set up some traps then armed ourselves with brooms and shovels. We herded them towards the traps, instructing knights and peasants to do the same.

I felt accomplished as we all cheered when the last trap sprang and captured the remaining creatures. Is this what a triumphant victory felt like after war? It was a beautiful moment of togetherness. That lasted a good minute before everyone was suddenly on their knees and I turned to see my father, high on his horse and crown gleaming on his head. His eyes bore into mine until I slowly bowed.

I'm in so much trouble...

~~♡~~

Father has not stopped rubbing his temples since we sat down for a late dinner. We were not even sent upstairs to freshen up. I looked at my reflection in a silver goblet. Pins must have fallen. My hair was disheveled in a peculiar half pinned up manner. All my sisters, except for Ruby, Amber and Olive, were in the same dirty state.

Usually, dinner was a noisy affair with us all talking over each other, telling Father about our rather productive day, to the accompaniment of dishes clanging about. Then if there was time left in the evening, he would permit us to show him our new dance routine.

Dancing.

No matter how different our personalities were, dancing was a hobby we all shared and enjoyed. It was the one class that I regularly attended. It also was not taught by Mildred, which is a plus in my book. I was not on that lady's good side if such a side existed. We were practicing a new routine for the next festival. It was becoming a favorite set of mine. It had a lively beat and lots of weaving and twirling. I was so lost in my musings that I forgot the mood in the room for a moment.

"Father, may we dance after--ouch!" Jade kicked me from under the table.

What is wrong with you? She mouthed.

Oh right. This was not one of those nights. The table was silent, and tension filled the air. Father seemed to forgive or ignore my interruption to the silence. Maybe he was used to my careless mind.

I bit my lip. Even Amber was just eating silently reading the room. She sat poised at her mother's side. At that moment I was looking at her, she had stopped eating. She gently laid down her silverware, dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin, took a sip of her drink, smoothed back some curly strands of hair with her chubby hands, and then resumed eating. Aw how cute. But is she even human? If my mother had been around longer, would I be more like that?

My father cleared his throat then with a silent gesture, he ordered the servants and guards to leave the dining hall. "I consider myself a patient king. I do not think it's too much to expect my daughters to behave with grace and dignity after all the comforts and education I've provided you. But every day you continue to test me. Every single one of you." The Queen raised an eyebrow, clearing her throat. He amended, "Well, most of you. Amber is young and may yet be corrupted by her sisters' wild ways."

The Queen's rigid posture said, 'over my dead body'. But yeah, that's usually how it works, Stepmother. Somebody should tell her... though at this rate she will stay alive and raise Amber away from our 'terrible influence'. We are not really that bad! I may be but not my sisters! I opened my mouth to take all the blame, but Rose pinched my wrist from beside me.

"As you all are aware," my father continued, "I have gone through a whole lot of trouble to arrange marriages to the other kingdoms for you. Most of the princes haven't met you. They're not all going to be like Prince Jareth and just accept your ... uniqueness... not all of them had the luxury of growing up with you."

Prince Jareth, a true prince by the book, has everything a princess would dream of, a killer smile and a heart of gold. We have all known him since infancy. And I believe I'm correct in thinking every single one of us has had a crush on him, or at least a mild infatuation. He has this certain charm about him. You cannot help but to like him! Even Father's voice softened when he spoke of him. Jareth's neighboring kingdom, Valence, was a sister kingdom to our own. Their cultures and weather were the most alike. Hardly surprising given that Valence was once a part of Alderias.

Father would have given Ruby's hand and the crown to Prince Jareth if not for the fact the prince was to inherit the throne of Valence. Valence and Alderias cannot be ruled by the same monarch. It was a stipulation in the treaty when Valence declared independence so long ago. So instead of Ruby, Father has promised his second eldest daughter, Cerise, to Prince Jareth.

I zoned back in and Father was mid-speech.

Oh no. I have no idea what he is talking about! He had to talk about Prince Jareth! Stop it, Sienna! Pay attention! I scolded myself.

"... -rules and you will be fine. Be where you are supposed to be. Think before you speak or act. If you do not know if it is appropriate to say or do at that time, do not say it. Do not do it." He sighed, "I really should not have to explain such things to you girls. Most of you are too old for this. But you- you... oh how to put this... you are all just so... "

"Out of control hooligans?" Queen Amelia supplied.

"I was not going to say-"

"Willful ingrates?"

"Well, that is not exactly-"

"Spoiled, unruly, undisciplined-"

"Father!" Ruby stood starring daggers at Amelia.

"Enough! Ruby, sit. Amelia, hold your tongue," Father ordered.

Silence fell.

Father mumbled something I could not quite discern then spoke clearly. "It's my fault. I suppose. I indulged you all for too long. You are my problem. But if I can marry you off without your future husbands realizing what they're getting themselves into, I'm free. And you will all be happy queens. Everybody will benefit from these matches. I just ask that you each try to be the proper princesses I know you can be."

I glanced around. All my sisters looked unsure. Happy queens? Doubtful. Marry some guy and just pray that he likes you after your true personality is revealed? Oit of my periphery, I see Rose's grip tighten on her fork.

"Perhaps they need more precise rules?" Queen Amelia seemed to hint at something with an all-too-sweet smile. Whatever it was, she was going to enjoy, and we were going to hate.

Didn't he tell you to hold your tongue?

But instead of scolding her, he shifted in his seat sitting up straighter as if he was strengthening his resolve and defense.

"Very well. I suppose you were right... There needs to be clear boundaries. I will start with youngest. Indigo--"

"--you don't have to worry about me, Father! I'll be good. I attend all my lessons. Yes, I did accidentally get ink all over Mildred's lesson plans in arithmetic, but it was just an innocent prank gone wrong. Nothing more and nothing less. I did apologize after I was caught red handed or should I say black handed? Ha! I already received my punishment, so you need not bother-"

"Indigo! Silence! Do not interrupt people! It is rude. Especially a king and father--"

"But I didn't mean to. Oops sorry..."

Two words to describe Indigo: loud and talkative. But she could pick up any instrument and make the most beautiful music.

"Indigo, I want you to limit yourself to ten sentences a day. Use them wisely. No interrupting. No pranks. And no sailor language."

I watched her shoulders deflate. "Wait, starting now? Does this sentence count? Or this one? Wait, let's start over!"

"Let's just say you've already reached your daily limit... Now. Violet. You are to take your collections and store them away during the prince's visit. You are not to go collecting. As Mildred as told you time and again, princesses do not play with bugs."

"I'm not playing, I'm--"

"Don't talk back."

She crossed her arms and slouched back in her seat.

"Lavender. No painting."

"But painting is an acceptable hobby for a princess!" Lavender argued.

"Not the way you paint. You always end up with more paint on you than the canvas."

This was true, I thought spotting a dab of blue paint smeared along Lavender's arm. She must have missed it when she was washing up earlier.

"It's my process. In making art, I become art," She said cheekily. "How can I be without my passion? Maybe the Eldairian prince will be impressed with my painting. Discussing the finer points of abstractism could endear me to any potential suitors."

"Very well!" Father relented.

"What?" Violet interjected. "It's not fair! She can do her messy craft but I can't do my organized scientific study on arthropod phylum---"

"Violet! No bugs. Lavender. You will be limited to three colors. Perhaps that will offset the mess..."

"Thanks a lot," Lavender murmured to Violet.

"Next is Sienna." Father's gaze fell on me and I tried to make myself smaller. "Stay in the castle. Focus on your studies. You are by far the furthest behind. It's ridiculous."

"I can't help it..." I said, poking at my lamb chop with my fork.

"Yes, you can. No excuses. Honestly, there should be no time for you to create more problems with the amount of work you need to do. Rose, stay in the damn castle."

"You said a sailor word!" Indigo pointed.

"Do not point, Indigo," Ruby chided.

"That wasn't a rule." Indigo stuck out her tongue at her.

"That is now. And so is sticking out your tongue..." Father looked weary. "And I'm the king. I can say what I wish. Now, Rose---"

"Yes, I heard you."

"This is important, Rose. It's your fiancée coming."

"If he finds me lacking, perhaps he'll be so impressed with Indigo's up and coming transformation that your precious alliance will still be intact."

"Don't be so flippant. He was quite taken by the portrait sent of you and has expressed great interest in the introductions."

"Where is his portrait so that I may judge my own enthusiasm? What if the shape of his jaw or color of his eyes displeases me?"

"Wait! Portraits?" Saffron chimed in.

"Yes. I commissioned those portraits last spring of each of you to send to your suitors. What in the name of the Divine did you think those were for, Saffron?"

Saffron preened. "I thought I was the only one getting that done. And it was because of my extraordinary beauty."

Yeah, she was serious.

Father rolled his eyes. "Where was I?"

"Rose," the Queen offered.

"Ah yes. Stay in the castle and no matter what witty, sarcastic remark comes to mind, don't let it out."

Rose gave a complacent smile and dipped her head. "Yes, my magnanimous King. I shall be as silent as the painting he loves oh so much."

"Olive." He looked tired again. Another hopeless case. But honestly Olive never did anything with bad intentions or at least if she did, she was the cleverest of all to hide it.

"Yes, Father?" She looked to him with a nod, her eyes glistening.

"Just... stay in familiar areas in the castle. I am tired of saying that. Daughters, if I forbid one of you, it goes for all of you. Now--"

"---Hold up." Indigo spoke up and smiled meekly under Father's glower. "I'm confused. Was I suppose to be listening to their rules, too? Can we start over?"

"No, your sisters will fill you in later," he said, rubbing his temples. "As I was saying. Olive. Just move slowly. Jade will help you."

Jade huffed.

"Jade." Father's voice hardened. "If Olive gets hurt again because you weren't watching---"

"---I'm not a nursemaid!"

"No, you're not. But for this visit, it's best if you stay with Olive anyway so to prevent you from going outside and rolling around in the dirt."

"But I don't---"

"Jade..." His voice raised signaling that his patience was at its end.

She crossed her arms. Olive continued picking at her food like a nervous featherling.

"Saffron. Modesty is a virtue. Moving on. Carmine... you are a growing pain in the neck."

"Love you too, Daddy," Carmine smirked.

"But you aren't going to be my pain much longer," he finished, letting out a large breath.

Was this it? Was she to be sent to a nunnery? Ruby's eyes widened as she looked to Father.

"Your wedding date is set a year from now."

"Wait what?" Carmine stuttered. "So what? Are you going to send me to a nunnery for safe keeping?"

"No."

Queen Amelia looked disappointed. Ruby looked relieved. I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

"I cannot guarantee your virtue will be protected in the countryside. Your mind is far too deviant for those nuns to even comprehend."

"Is it to be a Chastity Belt then?" Carmine asked mockingly.

Saffron scoffed. "She'd welcome the challenge."

A few of us, me included, stifled giggles. Carmine beamed with a pride and there was definitely a fiery challenge in her eyes.

Usually this is when Father would turn red in the face then proceed to yell and curse then tell Ruby and Stepmother to deal with it. But shaming doesn't work on Carmine. Father must be wishing he could make the wedding tomorrow. Carmine has a deadline now, she'll be harder than ever to manage. I wondered why he would even tell her.

To my surprise, Father seemed to relax in the face of Carmine's indigence. He looked as if she truly wasn't his problem anymore.

"We will discuss your conditions in private, Carmine. Moving on to Cerise."

Cerise was Carmine's twin. As I mentioned before, twins were opposites. While Carmine was outgoing and quite the handful, Cerise was mild mannered and a bookworm.

Most of her rules consisted of her participating in the real world and not letting her younger sisters walk all over her. I did not think I walked all over her. It isn't my fault she's too sweet to really raise her voice.

I was confused. A princess could be too sweet? Too much of a pushover? Now I'm not sure if he even knows what kind of daughters he would like to have.

And we are supposed to follow everyone's rules. So, I cannot be lively like Indigo or curious like Violet or passionate like Lavender. I should not be witty like Rose or timid like Olive or competitive like Jade. I am not supposed to be confidant like Saffron or defiant like Carmine or even sweet like Cerise.

And.... I zoned out on Ruby's rule.

She probably didn't have any. She is practically the role model princess.

But I'm forgetting someone.

Oh that's right. I cannot be as troublesome as me.

What kind of prince would like these shells?

Author's note: Don't forget to vote and comment.