Once Upon A Time Collection: Sleeping Beauty

Chapter Three

"Five more minutes." Emerson swatted at his face as he felt something- almost like a feather -tickling his face. "Stop it." The dark haired boy tried turning over only to find he could not. He opened his mouth in a wide yawn- instantly regretting it -as he choked on a long piece of hair.

He opened his eyes and removed his mother's long dark curly hair from his mouth. "Gross mother." Emerson sat up and stretched lazily. Looking around curiously at the unfamiliar room. Then looking on either side of himself to see his slumbering parents. He let out a whimper as the events of last year came rushing back to him.

"Happy eleventh birthday to me." Emerson sang sarcastically into the deathly silent air. Speaking of dead things. He looked to his parents and grew concerned as they appeared to not be breathing. He watched as they just laid there, unmoving and seemingly peacefully asleep. The eleven year old bent his head down and listened for his father's heart beat. Doing the same for his mother and singing in relief once he found them.

"What am I gonna do mama?" Emerson let only one tear drop. Only allowing himself but a second to sink into self pity. "Okay father. This might hurt." Emerson brought his hand up and then harshly swung it back down on his father's cheek. He made an ooo sound as the slap resonated through the entire chamber. "Sorry." Emerson hoped he would be replying to his awake and angry father, however he just sat there and watched as the King's cheek grew a red hand print. His breathing had not even stuttered.

Emerson watched his parents for a couple more moments before he decided he needed to do something. He needed to fortify the castle, eat, find out how many people stayed, and maybe raid the wine cellar.

The eleven year old tucked in his parents and left them with each a kiss on their cheek- not feeling at all childish for his clingy actions. He stared at the wall for a moment. Trying his best to remember where to hidden door was. Once inside the room it was almost impossible to see the door to get out. Emerson ran his hand over the wall, breathing a sigh of relief once he found a dip in the stone. He lightly presses, and the door popped open. Swinging out into the throne room.

Emerson looked around, sighing again as he realized how much dust and cobwebs had collected. "Yuck." The preteen decided to collect all the people he could find and bring them to beds. After all the palace had some hundred rooms. Certainly he could fit every one. Walking down an open corridor Emerson made his way to his room. Dry blood and snot was not really his favorite style. He skipped down the hall, stopping once her saw a very familiar woman passed out along the wall.

"Oh Felicity. You are too good of a woman." Emerson fixed his tutors position to a more comfortable one before making a mental note of where he found her. Continuing on his mission he made three more rights and two staircase runs before he made it to his room. Well really it was his wing of the castle. But he felt saying that made him sound stuck up. He slammed open his doors and stared in distaste at all the dust.

"Unacceptable!" He rolled up his nonexistent sleeves and went to the maid's quarters. Grabbing everything he would need he cleaned up his bed chambers, then his bathing pool, his study, and lastly his living quarter. "That should do it." With a nod Emerson left the cleaning supplies where they are and grabbed casual clothes from his dresser. Picking out a plain blue blouse and grey trousers he went to his bathing chambers.

He went about his usual bathing routine, thankful that the aqueducts were still working. After cleaning every last part of himself and washing his hair thoroughly he dried himself off. Emerson pulled on his trousers and stored his dagger in his waistband as usual. Before replacing his shirt he studied his torso. Tracing every thin, slightly raised pink scar. "How unfortunate." Emerson tried joking with himself as he pulled on his blue blouse.