Page 63 of Return of the Nutcracker Prince

She bit her lip.“Of course.”

Galiena patted her shoulder.“It’s alright to be nervous.I was shaking in my shoes when my mother abdicated.And I grew up here with the expectation of ruling one day.”That was a very different situation from Clara’s.

It had been a year packed full of training with Mother Gingerbread and the Sugar Plum Fairy, and now Galiena had declared her ready to rule her adopted homeland.

The coronation was to take place on Christmas Day, but Clara and Klaus had promised to attend the Stahlbaum Christmas Eve party with Godfather Ludwig.

“Are you sure it’s alright for us to leave, Galiena?”

The reigning Sugar Plum Fairy waved her off.“Everything is well in hand.Besides, you have to tell your parents the good news!”

Her heart fluttered in her chest just thinking about it.She hadn’t seen her parents since her second wedding.

Klaus knocked on the door to his mother’s study.“Darling, we should get ready.Uncle Ludwig will meet us at the carriage in an hour.”

“I’m coming!”She quickly hugged her mother-in-law.“We’ll be back tonight.”

“Have a great time, and give your parents my regards.”

“I will!”

Her husband strode alongside her as she hurried to their suite.“Trixie is waiting for us.”

“I can only imagine what she’s cooked up for me to wear.”Her favorite blue pixie had finished her Tinkerer training, focusing on clothing, and she loved to create fantastic gowns with her magic for her Sugar Plum Princess.Trixie had a flair for the dramatic, which was fine for the Realm of Dreams, but in the Realm of Waking Clara didn’t dare wear anything outlandish.

They met Rose coming down the stairs, chasing her little one.“Mama isn’t done yet!”

Clara grabbed onto the pup, and he squealed as she lifted him into the air.“Did you interrupt Mama’s cleaning again?”Rose was working as a maid part-time, and apprenticing under Cook the rest of the time.

“I’m sorry, Princess.”

“Don’t worry about it.How’s training?”

“I’m almost certified!”she squeaked with pride.Galiena and Farolf’s exchange program had been a tremendous success, and the thought of continuing it thrilled Clara.

“That’s great!You have a lovely night.We have to go home for my parents’ party.”

Rose waved at them and continued to admonish her son in their native tongue before carrying him back to where she had been hard at work.

Klaus ushered her into their apartment, where Trixie hovered in wait.“There you are!Just wait till you see what I did with the red gown!”Clara followed her, careful to avoid the pixie dust from her wings.

On the bed lay her crimson silk gown, the bertha now enhanced with tiny ruby jewels along the edge of the lace.She’d fashioned a broach of holly at the center, and tiny holly embroidery along the hem of the skirt.

“Trixie, this is gorgeous!It’s perfect!”

The pixie grinned.“I thought you’d like it.”

“You’re not allowed to change it now, I hope you realize.”

She somersaulted in mid-air, then landed on the ground and pulled her wings in.“Let’s get you changed.”

Klaus was more than happy to help Trixie remove her day dress.They added a couple of petticoats and slid the precious gown over her head.Then he dressed himself in his matching military style coat while Trixie used her magic on Clara’s hair.

Once their outerwear was in place, Klaus and Clara met Godfather Ludwig in the courtyard.The staff hitched two mares from the royal stables to a white carriage.Her godfather held the reins while a stable hand opened the door for them.

“On to the Stahlbaum house!”

Clara snuggled next to Klaus in the cozy carriage.While her parents knew Klaus was a prince, they still didn’t know where his country lay.Although they had tried to insist on visiting.

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