The Heart's Desire

Chapter 16

As the tempestuous night passed, Alice stayed by Emma's side all night. By morning the storm had passed, and Emma began to stir in bed.

When she woke up, she was confused about her surroundings. This was not her tiny bedroom, she soon realized she was in Killian's bed chamber.

"What am I doing here?" Emma asked.

Alice quickly got up from the chair where she slept and moved to Emma's side.

"Don't get up! You probably still have a fever." Alice said.

Emma asked again, "What am I doing here?"

"You tried to runaway. You lost consciousness, and uncle Killian found you. And brought you here to take care of you."

"Killian?" Emma asked. She didn't understand why he would care for her, after the cruel joke he played on her.

"Yes. He was very, very, very, very worried about you." Alice said cheerfully.

"I don't remember a thing." Emma said.

"Probably for the best. Last night you were on the verge... of... a...um." Alice began to check Emma's forehead, and was pleasantly surprised that there appeared to be no sign of her ever having a fever. "It's incredible your fever is practically gone."

Suddenly the door began to creak open. Killian walked into the room, and stopped halfway when he saw Emma was awake.

He went by her side, and asked, "How do you feel?"

"Better." Emma simply said.

"Better than you at least. You look like you just saw a ghost." Alice said to her uncle.

"Leave is alone." Killian said to Alice.

"I'll check on you later." Alice said.

Killian sat down next to Emma and said. "I thought I was going to lose you."

"I'm sure it wouldn't be hard, to find someone else for your games." Emma said.

"I'm sorry."

"Why? You had fun didn't you? At my expense." Emma said in a calm, angry voice.

"You are right, but I didn't. I understand your anger at that idiotic bet. Even though, I shouldn't have made it, if it wasn't for that I wouldn't know you now. I wouldn't be so happy to see you well again." Killian said grabbing Emma's hand.

"That's enough." Emma said pulling her hand away from him.

"Alright, only one last thing. Make a wish anything you desire, and I'll fulfill it." Killian said. Emma couldn't bare to look at him any longer. She couldn't risk believing anything he said anymore.

"If you can't believe my words, than at least believe in that." Killian said and then left the room.

Emma wasn't sure what she could believe in anymore.

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"Have you done, what I ask?" Gothel asked, as soon as she entered Alice's laboratory.

"What was that?" Alice asked, trying to remember the many things her mother asked of her.

"Make a perfume for me. For my wedding day, it's in two weeks. I'm about to realize my life's dream. And you don't seem to care at all." Gothel said.

Alice had very few memories of her father, Liam. But she knew that he was a good man, so why would he married someone like her mother. Rumor was Gothel became pregnant Alice, before being married to Liam. The two of them, had a very quick courtship.

"Forgive me, I've been busy. I'm still waiting for inspiration." Alice said.

"I want something ...intense and sensual. Something that can seduce and bewitch" Gothel said.

"Perfume alone, can't do that. I wouldn't want you to have any illusions." Alice said.

"It's no longer an illusion." Gothel said in a stern tone.

"You didn't think that last time, and we both know how that ended up." Alice said in her own stern tone.

"I asked you to make me a perfume, not to give me a lecture."

"For me both go hand in hand." Alice said.

"There's no one who loves Killian as much as I do. Not Milah, not Emma. Someday he'll understand that, and he will love me. Then he'll love me back." Gothel said and stormed out of the laboratory.

As Alice watched her mother leave, she hoped that things wouldn't end the same way they did last time. One person could handle only so much guilt.

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My Sweet Emma,

Since you've gone back to the château, I've been missing you more than ever.

I wonder all the time, why you would go back there, once the Lord let you leave. However regrets are pointless, to free you is to pay to the last coin, of my debt.

So I will double my efforts even if cost me my life.

Your loving father,

David

As Emma finished reading the letter, she couldn't stand the thought of her father working himself to the brink of death.

She knew what had to be done.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Killian walked into the greenhouse, where he found her. He had been working on what to say to her for days. And he didn't know how she would react, but it was something that had to be done.

"You're thinking what I'm thinking aren't you?" Gothel asked him.

"That would surprise me." Killian said.

"It would be glorious to have the reception here in the greenhouse. Don't you think?" She said.

"Reception?" Killian asked confused.

"For our wedding." Gothel said in a joyous tone.

"I need to talk to you." Killian said.

"You're right, to countrified. The ballroom would be much better." Gothel said.

"Not that. You should know that..." Killian was cut off when he heard someone else come into the greenhouse. He turned around and saw that it was Emma.

"Excuse me, I've decided what to ask you for." Emma said softly.

"Let's talk about it, alone." Killian said.

"There's no need. It's nothing that can't be said in front of your betrothed." She said.

"As you wish."

"My wish is that you cancel my father's debt." She said.

"That way I no longer have an excuse to keep you here. If that's what you want, very well." Killian said.

"Thank you." Emma said as she curtsied to him and left the greenhouse.

"What a venal nature. She could've had you, but preferred money. So it's decided we'll have the reception in the ballroom." Gothel said.

"There's not going to be any reception. There's not going to be any wedding." Killian said sternly.

"You gave me your word." Gothel said shocked.

"You actually thought, I keep it." He said unemotionally.

"You did with Emma." She said.

"Yes, and much good that did. Or so it seems." Killian said.

At that moment Gothel felt completely destroyed from the inside out. She ran to her room as fast as she could. She saw the wedding dress on the mannequin in the middle of the room. Mocking her. She began to tear it to shreds. When she was done, all she could do was collapse on her bed and cry her eyes out, as her heart screamed in pain.