Once Upon A Rose: The Guardian Of The Savior

✨Chapter 02: Family Reunion...Sort Of - Part 2✨

"My gosh, look at you all grown up." I said as I entered the apartment behind Henry. "I haven't seen you since you were a baby, and I have to say, you look just as beautiful now as you did back then."

Emma started protesting. "Whoa! Hey...kids? Kids?"

I snorted. "Shouldn't I be the one calling you that, dear? I am your aunt, after all."

Emma looked at me weirdly. "I'm sorry...my aunt? I don't have an aunt, and I don't have a son, either. Where are your parents?"

I leaned my back against the counter and faced Emma with my hands in my pockets. "Look, Emma, we know this must be a little strange, but it's all true. Go ahead and ask her, Henry."

"Ten years ago, did you give up a baby for adoption?" Emma froze in shock and stared at Henry in recognition. "That was me."

I gave her a small smile. "I know you obviously won't remember because you were just a baby, but I was there by your mother's side when she gave birth to you. Your mother is my little sister."

I walked forward a little and stood right in front of her, though I had to look up because she was taller than me like most people are. "I know you're probably thinking that I'm insane, but I'm not. Today is your birthday, isn't it? I didn't even need to look at your records or anything to know that. In fact, I didn't even look at it once."

Emma's mouth opened and closed, not knowing what to say. "...Give me a minute." She turned around and walked into a room, leaving me with Henry.

"Do you have any juice?" Henry asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "Manners?"

"Please?" He asked. I went to Emma's fridge and opened it to find some juice before handing it over to him. He made sure to say thank you after I gave it to him. "Never mind. Found some."

I smiled and gave him a thumbs up. "That's what I wanted to hear. Never forget your manners. If you don't use your manners, I'll just have to be an annoying great aunt and remind you every day just so you can remember to always be polite. Using your manners goes a long way, kiddo."

"Did you have to be reminded everyday about using your manners when you were living in the castle with grandma?" Henry asked curiously.

I chuckled and shook my head. "Not everyday. As you know, I was raised by Granny. She taught me how to be polite and use my manners when talking to everybody, humans and animals. I was taught the exact same thing when I lived in the castle, but between you and me, it wasn't very entertaining at all. It was one of the many things I had to do because I am the eldest, and also a Princess, making me the heir to the thrown."

"What the book doesn't tell you is that I refused to become Queen. I begged and pleaded your great grandfather into letting Snow White become the heir instead."

Henry looked a little confused. "Why didn't you want to become Queen? Don't all Princesses dream of becoming one someday?"

"Not this one." I closed my eyes and sighed before opening them and placing a hand over my necklace. It was a small acorn inside a small glass jar with a light brown cork on the top to seal it. "The royal life isn't for me. It never was. I would have no choice but to marry a Prince of father's choosing because I turned down every single marriage proposal. That's one of the reasons why I'm known to be the rebellious one out of Snow and I. I followed both my heart and mind every time, just as Granny taught me to."

"You know, when I was your age, I met a boy who was the same age as me. I was living with Ruby and Granny at the time. They went out to get some food from the local village, and I wanted to stay behind and clean the cottage. A boy tried to sneak in and steal some food, but I caught him red handed. No pun intended, by the way."