The Heart's Desire

Chapter 22

Down at the ports Emma was taking inventory of all the cargo.

She said to Baelfire, "You're not being much help."

"Let me daydream for just a moment. My greatest wish is about to come true." Baelfire said.

"Mine too. I can hardly believe it."

"This is your greatest wish?" Emma asked him.

"Yes. Traveling with you." Baelfire said.

"Really?"

"Yes. Ever since we were little and you tried to stowaway. Don't you remember?"

"Yes." She said remembering it very fondly.

"The truth is, I have an even greater wish." Baelfire said and kissed Emma's hands, "of marrying you."

Emma was completely caught off guard. To her Baelfire was a good friend. She never thought about marrying him before.

Then their conversation was interrupted by an unexpected voice.

"Sir, are you looking for a deck hand? I'm ready to sail right away." Walsh said.

"Walsh, what are you doing here? Do you no longer work for Lord Killian?" Emma asked him.

"No, I quit. Things are going badly there." He said.

"Badly how?" Emma asked concerned.

"The peasants have gone crazy, and took it out on me." Walsh said. "I also heard they were going to storm the château, and make the Lord pay."

Emma couldn't believe what she had heard. Killian could be cruel, but he didn't deserved to die. She knew what had to be done.

Emma walked up to her father and said, "Father, I'm not coming with you. I have to go back to Killian. I'm sorry."

"Emma, you owe him nothing." David said.

Emma kissed her father's cheek, and started to head towards the château.

"Emma. Emma." Baelfire called out to her, but she wouldn't respond. "What are you doing? You have to stop her." Baelfire said to David.

"You think I should?" David asked him.

"Fine, I'll stop her myself." Baelfire said, and began to chase after Emma.

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Back at the village the villagers became muderous.

The leader of the mob, Henry, stood on top of a carriage and said, "My friends, we have suffered because of him for long enough. It's time to take back what belongs to us. Everyone to the château."

The large mob began to make their way to the château. Screaming for obscenities and threats toward Lord Killian.

"Papa, papa, what are you all going to do?" Lucy asked her father.

"We want justice, Lucy, only justice." Henry said to his daughter. "You stay at home where it is safe."

Then Henry ran off to catch up with the rest of the mob. And soon Lucy was following right behind him.

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Soon the mob began to try to break down the front gates of the château. The servants try to stop them from breaking in, but it wouldn't be long before the mob broke in. The commotion could be heard from inside the château.

"Do you see that?" Gothel asked. "What should we do?"

"Let them in." Killian said looking at the mob outside the window.