Cursed

She sat on their small, simple bed getting her hair done by Jane their servant while Mary her little twin sister looked through their wardrobe for an outfit to wear to the ball tonight.
The room was small and pretty much bare only a small, simple bed, a small table and the wardrobe to fill it. Elisabeth was silent and the room was quite except for the sound of the wooden comb brushing through her long, wavy reddish hair, and the birds singing their summer tune. Mary stood in front of the wardrobe with a frustrated look on her face as she looked through their few dresses; finally she dropped onto the bed next to Elisabeth and sighed deeply.
“I don’t know what to wear…what do I wear?”  Mary said.
“My dear sister, why don’t you wear the white one with the pretty buttons,” Elisabeth said.
Mary buried her face in her small hands while her brown eyes filled with tears.
“It’s not fancy enough. We are going to meet the Prince and I want to look my best.”
Elisabeth sighed, her heart went out to her little sister who was the romantic type and wanted to marry a real prince. Just then the door creaked open; their mama peered around the corner.
“Can I come in?” She asked.
“Yes mama, of course you can,” Mary said.
She sat up and quickly wiped her tears away. Mama walked over to the bed and revealed a beautiful blue silk dress. Mary’s face went from sad to happy in two seconds; she leaped off the bed and squealed in pure delight.  She wrapped her arms around her mama’s thick waist and a smile lit up mama’s weathered face.
“Oh mama, it is beautiful, more beautiful than any dress I have ever seen.”
The dress was indeed beautiful, a bright sky blue silk fabric made up the body of the dress. Tiny pearls were stitched across the neckline and the bottom; the waist had a white ribbon which tied in the back. The skirt flowed from the waist into a perfect dancing dress because of its full skirt.
Mama kissed Mary on the check and then left the room. Mary danced around the room; her wishes had finally come true.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” She said.
Mary ran her thin fingers over the dress and brought it before Elisabeth. She took it in her hands feeling the smooth fabric.
“It is quite beautiful sister,” she said.
She smiled to herself; once again Mary had gotten what she wanted without seeming rude or spoiled. Who know how long mama had worked on the dress and the price she had paid for the fabric, probably nothing cheap.
“There you hair is done,” Jane the servant said.
Elisabeth got off the bed and looked into the polished glass; she liked the way that her hair looked. It was pulled up in a tight bun, away from her long neck with a thin strip of white cloth around the bun.
“I really like it, Jane, you did a really good job,” she said.
Jane blushed; for a servant hardly ever got complimented you just did your work and hoped that you got paid.
“Thank you Miss Elisabeth,” she said.
She bowed slightly then went and helped Mary into her dress. While she was pulling the light dress over Mary’s small head, Elisabeth was looking out of the window.
“Are you happy that you get to meet the Prince tonight?” Mary asked.
“I guess, in a way I am since it will be something that I will probably ever get to do again,” she said.
“That is true, I know I’m excited.”
Elisabeth smiled and gave Mary a look of ‘of course you’re happy.’ Mary smiled brightly.
“I know that it really isn’t your thing sis but mama wants you to go,” Mary said.
Please tell me whether you want him or not, Mary thought.
“Yes, that it true but I will find it interesting in a way I guess. Not in the way that you and mama will find it interesting.”
Mary sighed; Jane had finished putting on the dress with its many buttons and was now working on her hair. Elisabeth turned from the window; she had grown tired of watching the birds flying about with so much freedom which she craved.
“Ouch that hurt Jane,” Mary said.
Mary jerked away from Jane who was standing behind her with the wooden brush.
“I’m sorry Miss Mary but you have a lot of tangles.”
“Then be more careful,” Mary snapped.
“Yes, Miss Mary,” Jane said.
She resumed brushing Mary thin brown hair. Elisabeth was now sitting on the bed once more and was putting on her red shoes which were starting to show wear but they didn’t have enough money to go out and buy new ones.
“What about the Prince, are you excided to meet him?” Mary asked.
“In a way sure I am.  It’s not every day that you get to meet royalty. What about you sis, what do you think about the prince?”
What was she going on for, Elisabeth wondered, she knows that I don’t care very much about going and the prince yet she keeps asking me these silly questions?
“I am so excited; to meet a real prince will be something that I will replay over and over throughout my life.”
“I know you will.”
Elisabeth moved from the bed to the small table and removed the thin white bonnet and placed it on her head, she was now ready to go to the ball.
“I’m finished so I am going to go wait for you in the main room,” Elisabeth said.
“All right,” Mary said.
Mary was very unhappy that Elisabeth had failed to tell her if she wanted the prince. This conversation was far from over.
Elisabeth then left the room with her worn shoes making shuffling sounds on the hard floor and the white bonnet swing with each short step.