A Talk- Dialogue

By Anna

Once upon a time in Kingdom not so far away there lived King Marcus. He was considerably fat because he enjoyed eating whatever his beloved wife and Queen, Susanna, would cook for him. He was a very funny man and always enjoyed cracking jokes. He had three beautiful daughters. The names bequeathed upon them were Natalie, Belle, and Jacqueline. Each daughter had their own special talent. Natalie was the best artist, very poetic, and a great musician in the kingdom. She could paint the most outstanding pictures, write the most emotional poems, and play the sweetest music. Her twin, Belle, was almost the opposite. She liked music as her sister did, but would have preferred to be performing it in plays. She'd rather express her feelings through action than by words and would help out anyone and everyone. Their little sister, Jacqueline, was four years younger and at the age of eleven she was the most beautiful little girl. She was very bright. She could read many books at a time and retain much information. She was also the athlete of the family and enjoyed dueling every now and then.
According to the law of the Kingdom any girl at the age of sixteen must be married. King Marcus worried over this law for a long time for his oldest daughters were to be sixteen soon enough. He feared changing the law for it was simply too old to do so. He decided he would just have to talk to his girls about it. He began with Natalie because she was the eldest of the two.
"Go and call upon my daughter, Natalie, for me," ordered the King to his head messenger. "I wish to speak to her. And if she asks why I call upon her, tell her it is of the uttermost importance."
The messenger left thereafter immediately with nothing but a small gesture towards the King to assure him he had heard.

The sound of knocks were hear upon Princess Natalie's door whilst the messengers says, "Oh, Princess Natalie! Please go to your father for he calls upon you."
"Why must I?" questioned Natalie. "I don't feel like it. I'm working on by far my greatest work of art."
"You must, my Princess," says the messenger, "for it is of the uttermost importance that the King speaks to you. C'mon now. Don't keep him waiting." He leaves quickly without another word.
"Oh, alright. I shall go and see what father wants of me." says Natalie even though she would rather have finished her artwork.
"There you are, my dear," said the King upon seeing his daughter. "I would like to have a little chat. I hope that's all right, but even if it isn't, I'm saying it anyway."
A little uncomfortable with her father giving her a talk, Natalie fidgeted a great deal after he had said these words. She simply replied, "If you must, Father."
"Indeed, I must say this," said King Marcus with some hesitation. "For you, my dear, are fifteen and soon enough you shall be sixteen, which as you know is the age for you to find a rightful husband. A girl cannot live a life without a man. She needs him to be there for her and take care of her. I know you have gone against anyone who has ever brought up the idea of marriage to you, but I must remind you that you need to get married. Why, with your great talents, I'm sure you'll easily find the perfect husband."
"Also, if I may remind you, it is important that you find the man of your dreams and be engaged by the time you are sixteen or else I will have to choose a man for you. So, choose wisely. You are stuck with them until death do you part."
Ignoring most of what her father was telling her she says, "Father, I do understand. You do know me well enough that I have never wished to marry. I would rather paint my feelings on a canvas, write those same feelings in poems, or play the sounds of feeling, but, alas, I must marry. It is my duty to you, Father. All I do ask is that you try and find a way out of it! I really do not wish to marry. "
"Well," says the King as he paces back and forth thinking, "you don't have to marry as soon as you're sixteen if you wish to be the heir to this throne. You will still get married when that time comes, but till then you are free. For the warning, you might be busy once you are Queen which might take away some free time that you have now. So, if you do choose this option, that will be the outcome."
With a heavy sigh, she agrees to her father's words. "Now may I go, Father? Please."
"Yes, my dear, you may go but please send for your sister, Belle, I wish to speak to her as well."
"Yes, Father," says Natalie who was naturally relieved to be away from such a discussion with her father. She hurried along the corridors to find her sister and when she did, as usual, she just opened her sister's door without even a knock.
"Ahh!" screams Belle. "You scared the dragon's fire out of me!"
Laughing, Natalie asks, "The dragon's fire out of you, eh?"
"Yes, the dragon's fire!"
"You are so weird, Belle. Really. You are."
"Why, thank you, my love. Now may I ask of as to why you are here?"
"Can't a sister visit her other sister?"
"A sister could, but knowing you, you are here for something or another."
"Haha You know me too well. I'm supposed to tell you to go see father. He would like a word with you."
"I see. Well, I better be going right away. I wouldn't want to keep him waiting. Adieu, Natalie"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Farewell."
Belle rushed off towards her father. She was really curious as to what her father would say to her, but at the same time she was on full alert.
As she arrived in the great dining hall where her father is most of the day, her father greets her saying, "Ah, there you are, Belle. You took no time at all to get here, now did you?"
"I was quick indeed. Natalie told me you needed to talk to me. What do want to talk about?"
Hesitating a bit, He said," Why, of your future, my dear. You are now fifteen and as you should know the age in which you must marry is Sixteen. I know you, of all my daughters, will easily marry. I want you to remember that you have till you are Sixteen to choose a husband for yourself or else I will choose one for you. Your sister, Natalie, has decided to that she will be the rightful heir to this throne. She does not really wish to marry, but she and you must be married. It's the law."
"Alright, Father. I have heard your words and am relieved this is all you wanted to say to me. I will advise you though to take a deep breath and calm yourself. You are too stressed from trying to tell us this. Well, it is indeed the hour of rest so I must bid you adieu, Father. I love you," Belle said, whilst upon kissing his head and giving him a hug."
"Okay, my dear. I love you, too."
Without further ado, Belle left her father tired and still very agitated from having to talk to his girls about such a thing. He sighed in relief when he had finally realized this was over with, but then he remembered something! His little girl, Jacqueline, will soon be fifteen. Now he sighed with discontentment and worry. How will he ever tell his littlest that she must marry?