Disney Princess
By: 1000th Ghost
Emily stared out the attic window.
It was all she ever did, really. Well, she did other things too - she got taunted by the ghosts screaming the "I do!" that she would never get to hear or say, she kept her arms outstretched incase George happened to walk by so she could push him out said window, she pined and pined and...and pined for George and searched the darkness with her candle, her glowing heart forever beating for him. Yes, okay, but while doing this, all she ever did was stare out the attic window.
There was the graveyard and the star-and-ghost-filled night sky, but beyond that she could see the comings and goings of those who were outside of the Mansion. The majority of these were small children who either were ecstatic, tired, or crying and their parents who seemed to want to give in to the same emotions. Everywhere were Mouse hats and Mouse balloons. Sometimes the Mouse himself would walk by, or maybe a dog or a duck.
But, as expansive as this Mouse's influence seemed to be, the real star of the park, the real hero worship belonged to the Princesses.
Oh, there were lots of them. They had sparkling, poufy gowns and beautiful hair and gentle, sweet faces. They flitted about in their elegant way, each with their own castle and prince and fairytale.
Emily's eyes narrowed.
And what about her? Was she not part of the Disney franchise? Did she not have a glittering, white gown and lovely, golden curls and kind features? Did she not live in a grand manor? And as for a prince, well, her fairytale was the best of all for it was still ongoing, still waiting for its happy ending.
Someday my prince will come
Emily liked Snow White. She reminded her a bit of herself. She was simple and sweet, and everyone loved her. Emily had never had to learn to cook or clean - there were servants to take care of things like that - but she admired the way that Snow White ungrudgingly handled all domestic chores. It was very feminine of her. Yes, Emily felt that she and Snow White could have been good friends. Snow White held steadfastly to the belief that her prince was going to come...all she had to do was wait. Snow White even got a kiss in a coffin! Unfortunately, she had had one too many "Scary Adventures", and she never ventured near enough to the Mansion to even know about Emily.
No matter how your heart is grieving
Cinderella, Emily supposed, was something of the leader of the Princesses. She was not the prettiest (that was Belle), and she did not have the best voice (that was Ariel). She spent most of her fairytale in rags. But her story was the clear favorite, the classic. Her prince was simply named "Prince Charming", and her happily ever after was the most satisfactory and ideal. She had a stronger resolve than Emily, who would have promptly slipped into a heap of crying insanity if, after her parents died, a wicked stepmother had taken over her life instead of George! Cinderella's Castle was too far to be seen except for one pointed spire if she squinted. But at one point, Cinderella had been the girl who slept in the attic, and if she had gotten out, then surely Emily could do the same.
The gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam
Sleeping Beauty had never been dead or in a coffin, but she might as well have been. She slept for a hundred years waiting for her prince, a far time longer than Emily had been waiting! It was either encouraging or the complete opposite - it could be done, but how dreadful to wait! It was easier for Aurora: Emily was not in an oblivious slumber as she had been. Aurora was stupidly unaware of danger and had wandered onto the Mansion's grounds on occasion. But there were no berries to pick there, and she would soon grow bored and go back to Prince Phillip.
Look at this stuff. Isn't it neat?
Ariel. Ariel had actually been in the attic. Several times. It was rather annoying. Ariel had never grown out of her obsession with human collectibles, and the Mansion's attic was the smorgasbord. If Ariel had twenty thingamabobs, Emily had a hundred. Well, if there was anything to be learned from the Little Mermaid, it was to never trust those involved with dark magic, be they fortune tellers or sea witches. Ariel had a baby girl. Sometimes when she was rummaging through the attics treasures, Emily's eyes would fall on the green, wicker baby buggy that stood near her. But it made her sad, so she did not dwell on it.
True that he's no Prince Charming
Belle was used to gloomy castles with scary, lurking things, and she too had been in the Mansion. She liked the ballroom, and she and the Beast would sometimes go dancing among the ghosts if they needed a change of scenery from their own grand ballroom. Emily was fairly sure that Belle thought there was a curse that needed breaking and maybe did not realize that the things around her were even ghosts. Belle might understand Emily's plight - her prince hadn't exactly been charming, but with enough love, she had changed him into her perfect husband. Of course, Belle would probably try to tell her that pushing George out the window was not the best way to show love, but Emily was not sure that she would have the capacity to listen.
An endless, diamond sky
Jasmine wore pants and married a street rat. How on earth was she considered a Princess when Emily wasn't?!
Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon?
The howl of George's dog from the graveyard jolted her out of her thoughts. Pocahontas would probably tame and befriend it. Pocahontas stood up for her love against all odds, even death. But Pocahontas married someone else! No dedication, no perseverance. Emily shook her head. Not very Princess-y at all.
I will never pass for a perfect bride
Mulan was not a princess at all! The closest she had come to royalty was hugging the emperor. If there had been a rule saying the Princesses had to be actual princesses, Emily would have understood why she had been excluded, for as rich and influential as George was, he was not royalty. But apparently real titles had nothing to do with official Princess status, and if Mulan, who spent her whole "fairytale" pretending to be a man, was made out to be one, then Emily should have been counted one twice.
And then, and then, a wonderful beyond wonderful miracle occurred, and she and George were together and happy again. She did not spend much time in the attic anymore (truth be told, she spent most of her time in "Master Gracey's Bedchamber"...they had much to catch up on. she also had an adorable little girl she could finally be a mother to), but now there were even more windows she could look out of, and new Princesses began to arrive.
This old town can slow you down
Tiana was from good old New Orleans and walked past the Mansion almost every day on the way to her restaurant. She knew all too well the dangers of fortune tellers and voodoo - they had almost destroyed her life (they had succeeded in destroying Emily's). Emily could not understand at all how she would rather be the owner of a restaurant than get married - could not understand at all - but their common background brought them together anyway.
All those days watching from the windows
Rapunzel's Tower was right next to The Haunted Mansion, and the only time Emily ever ventured to the attic anymore was to wave to Rapunzel in her tower. Rapunzel would wave back, but that was as far as their friendship could get. Each was trapped, but Emily was trapped with her groom, so it was okay. And a certain Flynn Rider had been climbing Rapunzel's hair as of late, so Rapunzel's happily ever after would undoubtedly come sooner or later.
Merida's happily ever after would never come. Merida did not believe in happily ever afters. Merida did not believe in love. Merida did not believe in marriage. Merida did not believe in everything that Emily stood for. She was a disgusting disgrace to womankind in general and certainly did not deserve a coveted Princess spot.
It gets a little lonely, all these empty rooms, just watching the hours tick by
A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I'm the queen
Anna and Elsa were not Princesses yet, but they were the next ones scheduled. They were sisters and had apparently both spent their fair share of time secluded and lonely. Emily was sure she would get along with them...and was only slightly jealous that Elsa would take the "thirteenth" spot.
Thirteen Princesses and one girl who got left out of the club despite her beauty, grace, and back-story.
"But," George said, picking her up in his arms and beginning to carry her up the stairs, "you are the fairest of them all. You deserved your Prince Charming more than any of them. And you had the best happy ending."
Emily beamed, and he leaned down and kissed her.
"You're my Princess."
The End