Page 6 of Return of the Nutcracker Prince

“Mama…”

“You need to dance with your intended, my dear.Put the Nutcracker down.No one will bother him on the table there.”

As much as he wanted to stay right where he was, Klaus got his first proper look at Clara when she set him down behind her.She’d grown into a young woman with ripe curves that stole his breath.Her golden hair and chocolate brown eyes remained the same.And she looked at him so sadly...Goddess, how he longed to take her in his arms!

Then she took a deep breath and strode to her place on the dance floor with her head held high.Pride swelled within him; she was just as fierce as he remembered.

By the end of the song, Klaus was ready to use this Berengar as a dummy for his next training session with his saber.He held Clara so close she stiffened and kept putting distance between them.Her smile was nowhere to be seen, and as they passed him, he caught snippets of what her fiancé said to her.

“Women have no business reading.”

“Fat cows are good for carrying babies.”

“Women should be seen and not heard,” was his response when she tried to stand up for herself.

Klaus’s wooden skin crawled at hearing those words and watching Clara get more and more uncomfortable.When the swine said, “I can’t wait to breed you,” she dropped his hand like a hot poker.Thankfully, the song was over.She spun on her heel and sped away into a circle of women her age.They embraced as old friends, and Berengar, ignored, stalked away.

This was unacceptable!Clara’s parents clearly did not know how terrible this man was that they had promised their daughter to.Not to mention the Goddess had chosen her to be withhim.The mistletoe had spoken.

Uncle Ludwig, I beg you, take the next dance with Clara.Please don’t let her dance with that sorry excuse for a man again.In his Nutcracker form, Klaus had one method of communication, and it only worked with others from his realm.How Ludwig remained flesh in this realm was beyond Klaus’s comprehension, but his unclewasa rare male Dreamer with magic.

It would be my pleasure.He responded and started moving across the room towards her.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Klaus looked at the grandfather clock with the owl atop it.

He had three more hours left of this torture.Then he could explain everything, and ask her to return to the Land of Sweets with him once more.Klaus just knew she could save his kingdom, and in return, he could protect her from this Berengar.

Adelia and Francesca comforted Clara after the disaster that was her dance with Berengar von Galen.

“Why on earth would you dance with him?”Adelia asked her.

“Mother asked it of me.”She kept her back to the room, not ready to explain why.

“Well, it’s over now.”Francesca patted her shoulder.“Hopefully, your next dance partner will be more pleasant.”

But Clara didn’t want to dance anymore.She swallowed a groan when someone tapped her shoulder.Turning, she beheld Godfather Drosselmeyer in a deep bow with his hand extended.

“May I have this dance?”he asked as the musicians began a cotillion.

With a genuine, relieved smile, she placed her hand in his.“Of course, Godfather.”

The goofy Drosselmeyer knew how to make Clara laugh.He danced just slightly out of sync with the harpsichord, spinning too far, then landing with a mischievous grin that revealed he knew exactly what he was doing.Her godfather saved the Christmas Eve party for her by deflecting Berengar and making comments about his behavior close enough for the von Galens to overhear.Too bad her Papa was so set on her marrying the ratbag.

The hour grew late, and the guests departed.Adelia and Francesca left with their husbands, nannies, and children in tow.The von Galens’ farewell was stiff, with Berengar on his best behavior.

Exhausted, she retired to her bedroom, where Heidi waited to help her out of her gown.

“How was the party, Miss Clara?”Heidi asked as deft fingers opened the hooks at the back of the bodice and lifted the emerald silk over her head.

“It was perfectly lovely.Except for the news Mama and Papa gave me beforehand.”Dread weighted her limbs, and she sank onto her bed after her stays and petticoats came off.Heidi pulled her pearl circlet from her head and placed it in its velvet-lined box.Then she unpinned Clara’s hair so she could brush it for bed.

“What news?”

“I’m to be married next year,” she groaned.

Heidi gasped and jumped off the bed.“But that’s wonderful!Congratulations.Who’s the lucky groom?”

“Berengar von Galen.”

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