Her Glass Heart [SwanQueen]

Chapter Five: Sept 16, 2017 - Emma

"Emma, darling, we've talked about this. We don't want you leaving. The south isn't a safe place for you. Especially not right now, they just lost their king."

"Mother, I'm nearly twenty years old. I'm sure I can manage on my own for a few weeks," Emma insisted. "The south is plenty safe and sounds like a beautiful place, from what I've heard. Besides, I'm sure its queen is perfectly capable of keeping her people in order without the king around."

"You've never even left the castle grounds; how do you expect to navigate unaccompanied around a strange place? Things are different there." Snow's voice was firm, but it still held the soft undertones that were always present in her tone in an attempt to prevent an argument with her stubborn daughter.

"But like you said, Mom, I've never even left these castle grounds. Isn't it time I changed that, especially if I'm meant to be queen someday myself?"

"I'm sorry, Emma. My answer is no."

Emma didn't bother to continue arguing. She huffed, then let out a groan of notable frustration as she stomped back toward her room.

She slammed the bedroom door then regretted it immediately. If she wanted her parents to take her seriously and see her as an adult capable of leaving the northern realm, she couldn't be stomping around and slamming doors like a child prone to tantrums.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror in her bedroom, her long, blonde curls perfectly framing her pale, porcelain skin. She brought her hand to her cheek, imagining what she may look like if she could successfully venture off to the south one day and let her skin be kissed by the warm sunshine there.

Would a dusting of freckles fall on her rosy cheeks? Would her blonde locks lighten even more?

She sighed when she realized it would probably be a long time before she'd ever find out, if that day ever came at all, and she needed to just admit defeat and go appreciate the snowflakes that continued to steadily fall outside her bedroom window, as they did every night without fail.