Free The Twelve Dancing Princesses (Faerie Tale Collection) by Jenni James Page A

eyes and imagined her sweet kisses again.
    Aleck must have dozed, because he awoke to movement in the room.
    The princesses were all up and whispering to themselves. Several of the chandeliers were lit, and the girls were clustered together in their long nightclothes.
    He quickly stood up, clutching the cloak around him, hoping none of them saw him. Casey pulled away from the group and he took a step toward her, wanting to see if she was awake, when all at once the faint sound of a harp could be heard.
    As soon as the music began, the girls started to waltz slowly by themselves. One-two-three, one-two-three movements, upon tiptoe. Each princess held her nightgown spread out in her hands as if she were wearing a grand ball gown.
    Suddenly the oldest sister spun around in a tight circle and dipped into a curtsy. The skirts of her night attire spread out upon the floor, and when she stood up, Aleck gasped.
    There she was in full evening wear, including jewels bedecking her hair.
    How was that possible? What had happened?
    Instantly the second eldest sister did the same thing: spun in a tight circle and curtsied. When she stood, she too was dressed to the hilt in a stunning gown fit for a ball.
    He watched as Casey stepped forward and did the same, looking more like a princess than he had ever seen her as she stood back up. Each of the sisters twirled and dipped and appeared wearing lavish gowns.
    They really were dancing each night! But did they go somewhere? Aleck clutched the cloak further around him and quickly walked toward Casey. He was eager to make sure he followed her, no matter what happened next.
    The harp music grew louder, and a few more string instruments joined in. He glanced around the room, but could not see where the sounds were coming from. When he looked back, the oldest two princesses were missing. And then Casey twirled in front of him and vanished before his eyes. Where did she go?
    The girls were all leaving and he could not make out how or what was happening. When the youngest spun toward him, he quickly grabbed the skirts of her gown and attempted to keep up, hoping she would take him with her. She tugged at the fabric as if to see what was wrong, but he did not let go.
    “What is this?” she said as she stopped altogether and looked in his direction.
    “What is wrong?” asked one of the other sisters.
    “It feels like my gown is caught upon something, but I cannot see what.”
    It was then that Aleck realized he could not only see the other sisters, but that he had somehow made it from the bedroom into a grand ballroom full of people. It had worked! He was here!
    He quickly released his hold on the skirts and stumbled backward, careful not to run into anyone. The room was so beautiful. The chandeliers gleamed, the marble floor shone with a perfect luster, and everyone was dressed in exquisite clothing, more exquisite than anything he had ever seen before. The room was full to brimming with men, women, and children.
    They must all be royalty. He noticed that the older people and the children were not dancing—they stood around the perimeter of the dancing hall. However, the twelve sisters were gathered in the center of the room with many other people their own age.
    The music grew louder, and Aleck stepped back to see if he could find the source of the melody. He could not make out any orchestra or the like, but was amazed at how the dance floor seemed to fade into an enchanted wilderness or forest of some kind. It was quite beautiful, with silver and golden trees, and both of them appeared to have tiny diamond fruit upon them. Never before had he ever seen anything so magical.
    He walked up to one of the silver trees and touched a leaf. It was indeed made of the most delicate, filigreed silver he had ever seen. Plucking a small cluster of leaves, he quickly placed it in the pocket of his nightshirt to show the king later.
    He wandered deeper into the enchanted gold and silver forest. The floor