Once Upon a Ball

Part II

Resting her chin on her husband's arm, Snow let out a long sigh. "But she's only doing it for the kingdom. She doesn't love Jeremy. And I want our daughter to have a chance for a love like ours Charming." Snow looked up just as her husband leant down to kiss her long and slow.

"Me too," He replied when he pulled away, his forehead against hers.

-!-!-

It seemed the whole kingdom was dressing up for the wedding. This marriage... wasn't just the two royals, it was also the two kingdoms. And everyone knew it, henceforth the wedding party was nothing like those before it. Almost like a huge propaganda or maybe it was that the royal counsel knew that the Princess needed to see her people supporting her, the wedding party was not in the castle, but just inside the courtyard of the walls so the people could attend this magnificent event. It was after all for them, whether they knew it or not.

Lights were strewn from tower to tower, the lights all with a tint of blue, courtesy of the Blue Fairy herself. On a platform, the wedding procession was decorated with banners of both royal families and flowers the color of both crests decorated the area. The orchestra was on a separate platform, just above and to the side of the dance floors.

"Commoners. So vulgar," An aristocrat scoffed as she glanced over at the commoners all waiting for a glimpse of their Princess and soon to be Prince. Picking up the front of her skirt, she tried to walk up the stairs to the platform for the royal party but almost tripped because of the edge of her gown. She was caught however by a dashing man in all black, except for the hint of red peaking under his coat.

"Milady, you must watch your step." He said with a dashing smile that temporarily dazzled her so that she did not see another lad pass her by, taking her jeweled pouch with him.

"I," The lady said, still mesmerized by his deep blue eyes, endless as the ocean. "Why, thank you sir." She said, straightening herself up at last. "I must inquire but have you no-"

"No date milady, I am sorry but you're not quite to my standards." He said, still polite as ever despite his insult. "Beauty only skin deep blinds the fools milady and I like to not think myself a fool." He said once more before leaving the woman sputtering, he having heard her comment of the people that had gathered to celebrate their princess. "I have much higher standards." He whispered to himself before glancing up at the west tower that he learned from his connections, was where the Princess stayed.

Though as he entered the rather more informal ball/wedding, he wasn't sure to laugh or not while strolling in, undeteted once more but this time with his crew. At that thought, he couldn't help grinning, glancing up again at the tower. Seeing a shadow, he wondered if it was the princess and just when she would grace them, namely him with her presense. He was a patient man, to an extent but he had no qualms scaling towers unnoticed if he had too... but he and his crew had already made plans and he knew just how dissappointed they would be if he veered from them.

-!-!-

A gown of the deepest and purest gold draped the Princess' figure, moving like molten gold as she walked. Her hair was curled at the ends as the sides were pinned with intricate white barrettes. But still loose enough that as she walked, her curled ends floated behind her.

"Beautiful." Johanna said, trying not to weep as she followed her princess. "I can't believe that I lived to this day... I just... Princess?" She asked as her normally talkative princess was anything but.

"I'm doing the right thing, right Johanna?" She asked, looking back at Johanna as the two stopped just behind the doors, her solider guards silent as they grabbed the handle of the doors, ready to open and present the princess to her prince and kingdom when she said so.

"Princess," Johanna said stricken, her lips slightly parting at the vulnerable look on her Princess' face.

As if she knew what Johanna was thinking, Emma wiped the expression off her face. "I'm ready." She told the guards before Johanna could say anymore.

As the doors opened Princess Emma stepped out of the shadows. Cheers deafened the courtyard meanwhile Emma could see that standing in the middle of the dance floor as couples surrounded him, was Prince Jeremy, his dark blonde hair shining slightly blue under the lights and his kind green eyes, looking at her like as if she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

A single snap was all the signal the pirates all in gentlemen disguise needed before they braced themselves.

Swallowing her true feelings, Emma began to descend to her Prince but as she did so, the couples began to dance to the women's shocks before she too found herself swept up into a dance herself by a dark haired stranger before she could make it to Jeremy, to her and everyone's shock.

"Miss me Princess?"

Not so much a stranger it seemed as Emma stared up at ocean blue eyes, while the man with the same eyes twirled her in the midst.

"Emma?" She heard Jeremy call out her name as he was blocked by the dancing couples from getting to her.

Emma though was too busy studying her dance partner's face that was now no longer obstructed by a black and silver mask. So she could see just how handsome the damned pirate whose masked picture she had been using as target practice, really was. Even the single scar on his cheek did nothing to take away from his handsomeness.

"Emma!" Her parents' cries joined Jeremy's this time.

One second she was staring as a poisoned tinted arrow headed towards her, the second she was watching as a hook deflected said arrow before all chaos broke because it seemed that two parties had the idea to crash her wedding. Captain Hook's crew and King George.