Break the Rules, Break the Walls

Chapter Five

Prince Charles was the only thing on Emma's mind as she got ready for bed that night. Part of her thoughts were of how charming and handsome and mysterious he was, how much she'd wished she'd gotten to know him better. The other part was weary of him and his strange knowledge of where her bedroom was (it definitely wasn't visible from the front of the castle). This was the small voice in her head that told her he was a bad idea, that he could be dangerous.

But Emma dismissed that voice. Or at least, she tried.

Emma stood in front of her mirror once more, lost in thought, after she had changed into her nightgown. The clean white cotton was shorter than she usually wore, it came to just below her knees, and gathered at her waist showing a bit of her curves. Emma's golden hair glowed in the lamplight and showed just how pale her ivory skin really was.

As Emma stared at her reflection she couldn't help but recall the way she could still feel Charles's arms around her waist as they danced earlier that evening, or his large hand wrapped around her smaller one, and she especially couldn't forget the feeling of his lips against her hand or his breathe dancing over her skin.

Despite the warmer night, she shivered, but not in a unpleasant way. She almost enjoyed the pleasure tingles that continued up and down her spine, no other man had ever made her feel even close to how she felt now, but she also couldn't ignore the cold prickles on the nape of her neck as she made sure that her balcony doors were shut tight before retiring for the night.

As the blonde blew out her lamps and crawled in between her sheets, she told herself that she wouldn't sit around moping, waiting for a letter that may or may not come from the beautiful blue eyed man. Perhaps she could practice her sword fighting with her father tomorrow in order to get rid of this jittery energy she had had all night, Emma thought as the enchanting, yet merciless land of sleep and dreams overtook her. She fell asleep so quickly she forgot to turn out the last lamp.

******

Clink! Plink plink...

Clink! Plink plink...

Emma was startled awake by strange noises coming from outside her balcony doors. The faint glow of the forgotten lamp, like a lost firefly, stabbed into her bloodshot green eyes. A sudden grip of fear choked her.

Clink! Plink plink...

Emma's head snapped to the glass doors, just in time to catch sight of a barley visible shape being hurled her room. The princess stood and slowly crept toward the doors.

Clink! Plink plink...

As Emma slowly eased the handle down another object hit the glass. She watched in confusion and slight relief as she watched as nothing more than a small stone tapped the door and then bounced onto the marble balcony. Someone was throwing rocks at her window.

Emma then threw both doors wide and rushed to the edge of the outcropping to find none other than Prince Charles with a handful of pebbles and a devilish smirk.

"Charles?" Emma hissed as she leaned over the edge of the balcony.

"The one and only." He chuckled quietly back.

"What are you doing here?!" Emma exclaimed. "I thought you said you were leaving on your ship tonight."

"I had to see you again!" Charles called quietly up at her. "May I come up?"

Emma hesitated as she stared down at him, still in his light brown tailcoat and dark vest and pants from the ball, the moonlight glinting faintly off of his many military medals that decorated his chest. Blue eyes dark like the twilight sky.