Twelve Dancing Princesses-3 #Retelling

She went to her mother, to ask why they were cursed

Her mother replied with lips pursed

“Long back when the kingdom was ruled by your great grandfather,

Witches caused a great massacre

Fighting with them wasn’t helping,

A negotiation was made, that never nears an ending

Each night each daughter of ours would go for a tourney

Designed by witches, along with the head witch Ernie

How can it can be broken no one knows

It’s just passed down the generation after the wedding vows”

As you already know when the daughter is 12

She must bear the curse, it comes on her shelf”

Claire wasn’t the typical princess you know

She would break the curse, she took a vow

What she couldn’t understand was what the witches did gain

From their playing the tourney like a game

Yes, daughters could die but that’s so very rare

It wouldn’t fill all their stomachs, it’d be bare

There was something fishy in the whole of this

Like she had thought, something was amiss

It was night again, they had to go

Without knowing what awaited them, rain or snow

They crossed the lake, on the swans

And in front of them was a huge lawn

“You’d be given enchanted swords,

That straight away goes for a kill, neither accords

You have to fight each other till the time ends

You may as well recall all your friends”

Faces paled, hands shook

They gave each other pained looks

The time started, so did the swords

None of them could speak a word

The youngest one was the most scared

Claire headed there her sword could counterattack the sword which dared

To attack her most vulnerable sister

And make the deed very sinister

Swords clashed sisters injured each other

Claire was focused to not harm another

They not only had to protect themselves

But also not kill their own relatives

The time ended at last

But what injuries it had cast

Claire had a broken ankle

While one had scratches ample

Many had a deep gash

But thank god no casualties were caused

They returned, Claire was limping

Moreover with this she had to compete another night

I know it’s not fair, but it’s a curse right?

As she lay on her bed, a thought hit anew

How would she do it? What would she do?