Once Upon a Time

If only the bedtime stories and the promises that sweet dreams made were enough to keep little girls asleep. Perhaps it would have been easier for her to stay put had sleeping not been so boring. The small, tawny and white princess tossed and turned as she tried to get comfortable atop the pea that she was absolutely certain lay just below the bedding. Her silvery blue gaze fluttered open as she was met with the fire glow that battled the darkness of night by dancing in patterns along the ceiling rafters. With a near-silent huff, Talyssa sat up while stifling a yawn as she stretched. Unfortunately, sleep was boring.  And while Lyssie had come to know the purpose of the crib that their father had built was to help keep her and her siblings contained- or safe rather. She was absolutely certain that she could climb out, explore the castle a bit, and be back in bed before Momma or Daddy noticed. Cautiously assuring herself that everyone else was still asleep, she slowly lifted herself to her paws, while her attention glued to the other sleeping forms around her. Deciding she was safe to move, she quickly glanced around where she had been laying and gently grabbed the small, white, fleece blankey that she had claimed as her own. And with a clear set determination to her otherwise gentle leer, she hooked her paws over the rim of the playpen, and as quietly as she could, hoisted herself up and over to the other side.

Once out in her parent's room, she did her absolute best to move as silently as possible. It was a perfect plan in her mind. The execution however, was a little rocky. Her blankey betrayed her. As she clasped one corner of it tightly in her jaws, its tail brushed the floor between her paws. And in the first couple strides of her freedom, she accidentally stepped on it, causing a brief fumble. Thankfully the rug underfoot muffled most of the noise, and after a few moments frozen in place, she moved to continue her escapade. This time, however, she dipped her nose below her fleece and scooped the extra over her shoulder to prevent it from dragging the ground and causing another mishap. Drawing close to the double doors, she gently wedged her nose in the crack and pushed it open just wide enough for her to slip out. And from there, the girl felt she was home free.

Immediately outside her parents door, she was met with an immediate corner. It was dark, but not entirely. Candlelight was placed periodically along to light the path, not to mention the occasional ajar door leaking light from the fireplaces within. She took her first careful steps, moving to the center of the hall to get a better look of what lay before her and then to her left. However, the hallways extended to her left had doors lining its outside wall. While the hallway directly in front was just a single door at the end … and perhaps another left-hand turn just before it. It was hard for her to focus that far away. But since all paths lead left, she decided that’s where she would head. Talyssa set off- her security blanket rolling off her shoulders and back to the floor as she dragged it along. On her way to the descending stairway, one of the more open doors caught her attention. The girl casually altered her path as she slowly crept to its threshold. Peeking inside, she could tell right away that it was a smaller room than what her parents had, though the small hearth inside burned just as bright. But before she could take notice of any further details in the room, her attention flashed to the occupant’s bed as a deep rumbling snore sounded through its quarters. A giggle caught in her throat and she immediately slapped an ivory-gloved paw to her lips. Luckily, judging by the even, but very loud breathing, she had not disturbed whoever it was she had been spying on. Quickly making her way down the hallway, she was brought to a right turn. Slowly peeking around the corner, she saw an empty corridor with a larger opening containing staircases at the center. One set going up, and the other set going down. With her curiosity heightened, she padded her way across the threshold.

Reaching the stairs in good time. A rather plush red carpet runner lined each step. She hesitated looking down, as she hadn’t anticipated there being that many. However, she wasn’t going to allow the apprehension of heights to stop her. One step at a time, she carefully made her way down to the first floor- stopping a couple of times to examine the view from her vantage point along the way. The bottom floor was arranged a lot like the second floor. However, it was far more open. As she reached the ground, she found herself looking at a grand set of doors- or the front door she seemed to recall. But she was absolutely certain that she didn’t want to go outside. Then she would really be in trouble. She also noticed a set of stone stairs going down to another level. But it seemed cold and musty down there and felt that not even her blankey could protect her. So, she decided she would continue working her way to the heart of the castle.

Talyssa found her way into the great hall. Long wooden tables and chairs aligned in evenly spaced rows filled the room. Yet, her silver-blue gaze was immediately drawn to the smaller table on a raised platform that held two larger more ornate chairs. Like a moth to a flame, she was drawn to them. The young girl hauled herself up on the platform, and gleefully crossed to the decorated thrones that had caught her attention. As she got closer, she pressed her nose into the fabric, deeply inhaling the familiar scents. The special chairs smelled like Momma and Daddy. That was all the information she needed. Lyssie hauled herself up on Artorias’ throne and pulled herself up to the table. Looking over all the other tables in the feasting hall that were cast in shadows by the firelight that brightened the room. For the first time, she really noticed the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the exterior wall … however, it was nearly too dark for her to see anything outside. If she tried hard enough though, she could vaguely hear the whisper of the western sea’s tide in the distance. But really what commanded the attention of the great hall was the great hearth with a fire built in it- much larger than the one in her parent’s room. Lyssa gingerly worked her way down off Artorias’ throne, and back to the ground off the platform. With her sights set on the massive hearth, she found her way to a rug near its foundation. Tucking herself in close as the warmth sunk into her tiny frame. The heat was comforting, making her eyes heavy as she momentarily lost herself in the flickering light. The child yawned, causing her to drop her fleece, but she quickly shook her head to ward off the sleepiness that threatened to take her. Grabbing her blanket once more, she turned over her shoulder, heading down one of the first-floor wings.

Eventually, Talyssa made it to a smaller room, but had much more seemingly comfortable furniture in it. It was filled with spicy and bitter scents. But rather than investigating those, her attention immediately settled on a patterned chaise in front of one of the windows near the smaller fireplace of this room. Making her way through the lounge, she quickly pulled herself up, and plopped herself down. Nestling herself against the armrest. The little Carpathius girl tossed her beloved cover over her back and tucked it from her hip to her elbow. Once satisfied, she gently rested her chin on her paws- silver-blue gaze settling on the golden autumn plains just outside. As she yawned, she convinced herself that she would just close her eyes for a moment before sneaking back into her parents room … she just needed a little rest …

-End thread-

1383 / 800 words