Emily's cheek stung from the slap. "Where is King Peter?" the black witch demanded.
"I don't know who your talking about!" Emily insisted, "I know of no King Peter."
"Your hiding something from me princess, and if you don't want a months worth without food you'll tell me now!" she barked.
Emily was crying now. She never wanted her father now more than ever. "I know of no King Peter. I was hardly in this land I didn't even know existed until now." she said.
The witch slapped her again. "You know good and well what land your in Precious Princess Emily." she said, "You must be the daughter of King Peter the magnificent, for you're the spittin image of him."
"I don't live here. I live in England! Just me and my father! No one else! No mother! I live beside my uncle! I don't live in whatever this land is called!" she shouted.
With that she received another slap. "You will not raise your voice to me!" the witch shouted once more. And with that she turned and stormed from the cell.
Emily hadn't cried since the morning of her mother's funeral. She could remember the night she died so clearly. And that was amazing seeing as she was only three at the time. She thought about it:
She was asleep. She was awakened by someone crying. She out of her small bed and silently and sleepily walked into the next room.
She had seen her father. His face in his hands. Her mother wasn't on the sick bed anymore.
"Daddy, where's mommy" she asked. He had lifted her on his lap. His face was red and he had tear streaks running down his face.
"Emmy, sweetheart, you know how mommy was sick with pneumonia?" he had asked gently.
She had nodded. "Well, god decided he wanted to take mommy up to heaven with him"
She had contemplated this for a moment. "Can I go visit her?" she had asked with only the innocence a young child could bring into the question. This had hit Peter hard.
"No I don't think so." he said, "But she did tell me to tell you that she loved you more than life itself. And she wanted you to be safe and happy. She also wanted you to know that she would be watching over you. He carried her to the window. See that bright star up there? She said that would be her watching you. And every time you look at that star to feel safe."
She understood, "But why did God want Mommy with him?"
"Because he has a plan for all of us and we all will see each other again someday." he replied.
Peter sat back down in the rocking chair hugging Emily to him. He gently rocked her back and forth until she fell asleep. He carried her to her bedroom and tucked her in. He had sat there all night watching her sleep.
She stopped thinking about that night. Her eyes filled with tears again. She could see through a small window in the wall. It was starting to get dark. She could see one bright star in the sky. "I love you Mommy," she whispered