"Like this?"
"No it's not curved lines. Nice in straight. Here try again."
"What about now?"
"That's better. Try once more."
After Alison had calmed down, she decided to teach Emily how to write her own name. It was difficult at first, but Emily quickly caught on. Alison, deciding not to teach her complicated cursive, wrote a simple capital "E" on the parchment with a quill. She handed Emily the quill and told her to copy it, watching on as Emily tried to copy it.
When she finally got it, Ali wrote a lower case "m" on the parchment, then handed the quill back to Emily. She couldn't bring her eyes off of Emily, who was sitting rather close to her, but she didn't mind. She liked observing Emily as she chewed her bottom lip in concentration while she tried to write her name. She couldn't tear her eyes away until Emily looked up at her.
"Did I do it?" Emily asked. Alison, finally able to look away, turned her attention down to the parchment between them. Next to Alison's "m" was an equally perfect "m".
"Yes. That was really good." Alison said, impressed by Emily's success. They continued doing this, until they made it to "y".
"So who's this Ben Coogan?" Alison asked curiously, glancing at Emily out of the corner of her eye.
"Oh Ben? He was just my fiancé. Nothing special." Emily said casually.
"How is that no big deal? You were going to be married to him and have his children. That's a pretty big deal." Alison said, shocked by Emily's casual response.
"Well yeah but I never really knew Ben before we were engaged and even when I got to know him, I didn't really like him like a wife would love a husband. But I just accepted the fact I was going to have to learn to love him and have his children." Emily explained. "Is this good?"
She pointed to the "y" on the parchment. Alison, thinking over what Emily said, instructed her to write the full name on the parchment. "I really don't want to get married to Noel." Alison said simply, absentmindedly playing at her own hair.
"Then find a way not to." Emily said casually.
"I don't think I can. I guess I'm going to have to do what you did and learn to accept it. But thinking about having his children sickens me." Alison said, shuddering at the thought.
"At least they'll be beautiful children." Emily said. Alison's eyes shot from the parchment to Emily. Did she just indirectly call her beautiful?
Emily looked as if nothing had happened, she was still staring at the parchment in deep concentration. For once in her life, The Killer Queen felt heat rise to her cheeks as Emily's indirect comment affected her more than any of her suitors straight forward ones. Alison knew she was beautiful, she knew others thought she was beautiful, but someone about knowing that Emily thought that she was beautiful made her almost want to smile. Almost.
"I think I did it. Does this look right?" Emily asked. Alison looked back down at Emily's full name written down on the parchment. It was good for a first time, but Alison could see some slight mistakes. Like how her "y" sort of looked like an "x". Normally Alison would've been quick to tell someone how stupid and worthless they were, but she couldn't bring herself to do it with Emily.
"It's a good start." Alison said, noticing a new kindness to her voice that confused even her. "I think that's enough for today, though." She closed the ink bottle and brought the parchment over to the window to be dried. Once that was done, she turned back around to see Emily watching her and Alison saw the warmth and comfort in her chocolate brown eyes.
Alison sat back down on her bed and put her hands in her lap. "Come and sit." she ordered, patting the space next to her. Emily rose to her feet and made her way to Alison's bed, sitting down at the very edge.
"I don't bite." Alison said, patting the space next to her a little harder. Emily scooted closer and closer to where Alison wanted her to be and when she finally made it, Alison looked at her curiously.
"Tell me your life story, Emily." Alison said, her hands going to Emily's hand, making Emily's head facing away from her. "I've always wanted to braid someone else's hair." she added, when she caught sight of Emily's confused look in the mirror.
Alison began braiding Emily's hair, wanting to hear every detail of Emily's life. Emily told her about how she was born in November and that she was an only child. Her mother was a baker and she began working with her when her father never came back from The Battle of Rosewood. Ben Coogan's father was apparently the butcher and they set up an arranged marriage because Ben was smitten for Emily and Emily's mom wanted to make sure her daughter never starved. In fact, Emily and Ben were supposed to get married next week, and when she learned she was coming to serve Alison, Ben was crushed.
Alison probably should've felt sorry for Ben, but she didn't. But she could relate, she probably would be beyond angry if Emily left her. As she listened to Emily, she became more and more intrigued by her life story. Sure, she knew many secrets, but hearing something from someone that wasn't in secret form was nice. Emily, although she didn't have the best life, obviously had a mother who was looking out for her, that's why she set up her marring Ben, because he would always be able to provide food. What were her parents' reasons for having her marrying Noel? To keep the alliance between Ravenswood and Rosewood strong. That way there would be no wars against one another since both were very powerful kingdoms.
"Your mother seems so nice." Alison said absent-mindedly, as she finished braiding Emily's hair.
"Yeah we were really close..."
As if she was knocked in the chest, something powerful washed over her. It infested her body, causing her to almost profusely apologize to Emily. Alison never felt guilt for another person, like she was experiencing now. She wanted to cry, she felt horrible now for ripping Emily away from her mother, who now had no one.
"Your highness?" Emily asked, snapping her fingers.
"Oh, I'm sorry I was just..." Alison tried to find the right words as Emily waited for a response. "I want to see Rosewood's kingdom. It's people. I want to see what life was like for you." Emily looked shocked at Alison's sudden request. Never did she ever think a princess would want to go and associate with the common folk.
"I don't think that's a good idea, my queen. People will recognize you." Emily said tentatively.
"That's why we disguise me and give me a fake name." Alison said casually. "We can change my hair color by putting a wig on, put dirt on my face, give me different clothes. It will be great."
"And your name?"
"We'll think of something. We will leave tomorrow at 12pm sharp, make sure I'm doing nothing with Noel that afternoon." Alison commanded, excited with her own plan.
"I will, your majesty." Emily said, bowing.
Alison smirked, thinking about how good her plan was.
"Our wedding will be in three months." Noel said, breaking the silence of dinner. They hadn't spoken to each other the whole time, the only sound being heard was the clinking of plates and utensils.
Alison looked up from her plate to meet Noel's eyes. He was staring at her, chewing his food, like a freak no less. When Alison didn't answer, he rolled his eyes, "Look I'm sorry about before. I don't know why I did that."
Alison nodded and finished her soup, "I'm not enthused by this marriage thing, but just so you know, I will never love you like you want me to. And I may have your children, but our intimate times will have none of the emotion that you will have."
Noel snorted and took a spoonful of his soup to hide his laughter, "I didn't expect you to."
"Oh really?" Alison asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. Everyone knows you're incapable of loving someone." Noel said.
Alison wanted to slap him, and she almost did. No one had ever told her she was incapable of showing affection of loving someone, much less told her A LOT of people thought that. She could feel her outraged expression begin to surface on her face and her eyes shot to Emily, who had been standing silently next to her the whole time. Emily looked indifferent as if she agreed with Noel. She stood up, and did something just as satisfying as slapping Noel across the face. She picked up her wine goblet and threw the contents of it into his face. The red liquid got all over his clothes, definitely making stains that wouldn't come out.
"What the fuck are you thinking?!" Noel yelled, standing up and flicking the red droplets off of him on his fingers. Alison smirked as she watched him, royalty never swore. It was a sign of being a common folk and was majorly frowned upon.
"Watch your mouth Prince Noel. You don't want the people to hear their future king's dirty mouth." Alison said smirking.
Noel glared at her as Alison turned and strutted out of the dining hall, knowing that Emily was following not too far behind. The Killer Queen smirked the whole way to her room, going over the event in her head.
"Do you really think this is a good idea, Queen Alison?" Emily asked, fitting the dark brown wig over Alison's head.
"Of course." Alison said, removing the lipstick and makeup from her face. "The people of Rosewood only have seen me with red lipstick and blonde hair. With this brown wig and dirt on my face, people won't be able to recognize me."
Emily shrugged, it seemed logical enough. She finished fitting the wig on Alison's head and helped her into her dirty common folk clothes. She watched Alison as she cringed from the presence of dirty clothes on her body. "That's going to take some getting used to." she mumbled, as Emily tied the dress in the back.
"I don't think that's what you're going to have to worry about," Emily said, holding up a bowl full of mud. "I'm going to have to put this on your face."
Alison groaned but nodded for Emily to begin. She cringed even more as the feeling of wet dirt on her face and skin. But she convinced herself to ignore the sensation, after all it was her idea. When Emily finished, she put dirt on her own face and arms, looking like the same girl that first came to her a few days ago. Her dirty clothes clung to her body, finding Alison staring at her again.
"See how you look." Emily said, motioning to the mirror. Alison walked over to the mirror and looked at her reflection of both she and Emily. Alison was surprised at her appearance. She could only barely recognize herself through the drying dirt and brown wig.
"Say hello to Vivan Darkbloom." Alison said simply.
"Where did you get that name?" Emily asked.
"I just spent a lot of time thinking." Alison said, turning towards the door to her bedroom, pulling up her hood to hide her face. "Come on, let's go before anyone notices."
When they appeared on the street, no one even glanced at Alison as they made their way through the crowd. Everyone was busy buying and trading things, the others that were whispering in huddled circles were talking about Queen Alison's recent engagement to Prince Noel of Ravenswood.
"What would you like to do?" Emily asked, watching Alison as she looked at all the shops set up. Alison's eyes darted from one to another, locking on one with glass things sitting on a table. An elderly woman was sitting behind the table, watching people as they passed by. Alison approached the table and stared at the glass ball filled with what looked like water and a clay figure of her castle.
"What's this?" she asked, trying to not sound so commanding and cruel.
"A snow globe, dear." the woman said, her fragile hand reaching out and to pick it up. She held it securely in her hands before she shook it, causing bits of white to swirl around inside like snow. Transfixed at the hand painted design that was holding the snow globe, Alison reached out and took the snow globe from the elderly woman.
"How much?" she asked.
"Oh honey, it's a fair amount. One of the last that I hand made, I don't have the energy to make them anymore. Usually the higher class buys my snow globes." The woman said.
"How much?" Alison asked again, a little more forcefully this time. Emily cleared her throat uncomfortably next to her, but Alison paid no attention.
"130 gold." The woman sighed.
Alison reached into her pocket and pulled out a leather pouch, filled with gold. She pulled out the correct amount and set it on the table. The woman stared wide eyed at Alison as she took the snow globe from her and stored it in her satchel that she had slung over her arm.
"Th-thank you." the woman said, still staring at Alison. "You remind me of someone, someone very beautiful. You have a slight resemblance to the queen did you know?"
"People have told me that before yes, but I can assure you that I am not her. My name is Vivian Darkbloom." Alison said, closing her bag and nodding at the woman.
"Well Vivan, don't let people confuse you as the queen."
"I won't. Thank you." Alison said, for probably the first time in ten years. The words sounded foreign as she spoke them, causing her to frown. Before the woman could see her, she turned and walked away with Emily close behind.
"That was close." Emily whispered as they navigated themselves through the people.
"Can we go see your mother?" Alison asked.
"I don't know... She's kind of a far ways out away from the crowd. A little ways into the woods, do you think you can walk that far?"
"I may be taken everywhere by a horse, but I can walk long distances. Don't be fooled." Alison said, as she followed Emily towards a pathway with a sign that said "Field's Bakery."
They walked down the long path, the sound of the town square fading away and instead replaced by the chirping of the birds. The closer they walked down the path, the more the overwhelming aroma of baking bread filled their noses. The shack finally came into view, the chimney spewing out smoke and it looked warm and inviting. When they reached the door, Emily took a deep breath as she reached for the doorknob of the shack. She turned it and opened the door.
They both entered the warm shack which made Alison sigh as the wonderful smell of bread filled her nose even more. She looked around the empty shack, someone had been there recently, and she tried to peak around to the back door which she could hear voices coming from.
There were footsteps from the back room and someone came out into the room that Alison and Emily were standing in. But it wasn't Emily's mom, it was a man. Alison almost groaned when she realized who it was, the curly brown hair still could be seen even though he had some signs of white flour in it. His eyes flickered first from Alison, who he obviously didn't recognize, to Emily, his face lighting up.
"Emily! You're back!" he said, almost jumping. He ran out from behind the counter and ran over to Emily, grabbing her by her waist and arm, pulling her in for a searing kiss.