A few weeks later...
They were moments away from Emma's kingdom, and life was anything but calm. Every day was a fight to convince the Princess of Misthaven everything was fine back home and that Henry was merely a boy who was known to exaggerate. Even though that was far from the truth, Killian never dared to reveal all he knew. The captain was more scared than anything of what Emma would do when they reached Misthaven if she knew the truth. Would she confront her parents about the baby? Rumplestiltskin's deal? Her inevitable fate? Would she run to the Kingdom of Ambrosia and try to handle it herself? There was no telling what could happen, and even if he wanted to tell her everything, this was Snow and David's secret. This was their problem they dragged him into. It was their job to act like parents and tell her. They may be a very loved king and queen, but above all, they were parents to a strong-willed daughter who was now more suspicious than ever.
He would surely be in for an earful once Emma found out he knew, and there was no saying how that would affect their relationship, but all Killian knew was that he couldn't wait for it to all be over. You'd think he'd be dreading that moment. He may lose Emma forever. Whether it be to the fearful King of Ambrosia or because she no longer wanted to see him after the truth came out, but at least she would know everything. All those long conversations and those unshakeable feelings would be explained. All the whispering and prolonged stays would have better meaning.
Emma's way smarter than people gives her credit for. She is more than capable of figuring out the truth, and she's come close many times. She caught him on several occasions trying to write a letter to her parents to let them know they were on their way home. Luckily he was able to play it off as something else. Not to mention that making port to send the letter was a challenge in itself as she insisted on no unnecessary stops. The only thing that stops her is she's too god damn trusting. She trusts Killian to be upfront with her. To not treat her like a helpless princess. She truth her parents to bring her up to be an amazing queen. To keep her safe. She trusted Neal to be her best friend. The person whos suppose to always have your best interest at heart...
A lifetime of trust would soon be gone in a moment. It wasn't fair. If anyone deserved to live a long and happy life, it was Emma. She cared about everyone she met. She listened to everyone, tried her best to look at life through other people's eyes. She saw things in people that no one else even bothered to look for. She was the kindest person you could ever meet, but could also kick ass if needed too.
It wasn't fair that some tyrant wanted to kill Emma just for her magic. It wasn't fair her parents promised their second-born child over to the same imp knowing good and well their daughter would sacrifice herself for the baby. It wasn't fair that the one person Killian loved was fated to die regardless of which path she took. Whether she gave Rumple her magic or sacrificed herself to save her sibling, it ended the same way.
Every day the captain would steer his ship back to Misthaven and think of all the god awful things he wanted to say to Snow and David. How could they be so stupid and not tell Emma any of this? How could they treat her as nothing more than an object? This was their damn child. At the time, their only child. How could they sit in front of her every day and not feel an ounce of guilt? And this new baby one the way, had their fate sealed way before they were even conceived. They sentenced their baby to a life of torture with the King of Abrosia like it was nothing. Even if the King and Queen of Misthaven planned on never having another child, it was carless to promise their second-born over to someone like Rumplestiltskin...
It was now early evening and Killian sat at his desk in his dimly lit cabin, observing his maps. There were ways to make the trip quicker, there were ways to make the trip longer. Which path was worth it? He found it difficult to focus with all the thoughts running through his head. Sleep wasn't even an option anymore. Long days lead to even longer nights. He signed as he pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, hoping for some relief. "Killian?" A soft voice called out.
The captain looked up and saw his princess with damp hair and his signature black blouse that fit her like a dress. She was a vision of pure beauty as she leaned against the door frame, "Yes, love?"
"When do you suppose we will reach Misthaven?" She asked looking down.
Emma asked this question every night. It was a justifiable question. Some sailing days were better than others and the course was always changing depending on the weather. The captain knew she was growing impatient, as was he. "Soon, Swan." He said, looking back down at his map, hoping the conversation would end.
She let out a breath of frustration. That was the same answer she got every night. What did "soon" even mean? A few days, weeks, months? Every time she took a glance at his maps they always seemed to change. "Okay." She responded as she crossed her arms, "I'm retiring for the night." She announced, turning around to head to bed.
"Emma?" He called out instinctively.
As she turned, he could see how puffy her eyes looked in the dimly lit cabin. They were both frustrated and exhausted. Neither of them waited for the other to come to bed, nor woke when the other one did. Meals together were now a rare occasion and the only time they spoke was before bed when she would ask how much longer. "What?" She asked with slight irritation in her voice as she turned back around and crossed her arms.
Her tone took him by surprise. Was she mad at him? If she was, she had every right to be. She just didn't know it yet. "I just wanted to say I love you." He said, avoiding eye contact.
Guilt washed over the princess. Her frustration was no reason to lash out at him. "I apologize for my tone." She said as she walked over to him. He was quick to allow her to sit on his lap as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her wet hair to his cheek, "I love you too." She paused, "I just wish I knew what was happening back home."
Killian inhaled the calming smell of roses on her freshly washed hair. "I wish I knew too." He kissed the side of her head, "I promise I'm doing everything I can to get you home."
Emma looked into his eyes and saw a mixture of emotions. Tiredness, sadness, fear. She knew he was taking her home, but it felt so dragged out. Unexpected stops when they needed no supplies, constantly changing their course, avoiding her when she tried to ask about it. It was all too odd, "Do you promise?"
"Aye." He responded with a shaky breath, "I promise."
Was it a lie? The truth? Not even he could tell the difference anymore.
She sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder, "Do you think the baby will be a boy or girl?" She asked, changing the topic.
The captain chuckled, "Your father's probably hoping for a son."
The princess smiled. It was true her dad always wondered what it would be like to have a son. Someone to go hunting with, someone to duel with, someone to be a complete child with. Now Charming never once complained about not having a son, and Emma made sure to participate in all the events her father liked, but she knew having a son was a secret wish of his. "I bet you're right." She agreed, "I think my mother would like a son too."
"And what do you want?" He asked as he played with a strand of her hair.
She paused for a long moment. She never thought about what she wanted. All she wanted was to be home with her parents. "I don't know." She admitted, "I guess as long as the baby is healthy and safe that's all that matters."
Damn, she had a way to subconsciously test his honor. He could tell her right now that she and the child were far from safe. He could tell her everything and there wouldn't be a thing she could do. They were already on their way to Misthaven, what more was there to do? But he inhaled a deep breath and enjoyed their quiet moment alone. Soon there would be none, and he had a good feeling this might be the last time he was to hold her this close. He closed his eyes and relaxed his body, "Aye, love. I'm sure that's all they want as well."
The princess finally relaxed in the captain's embrace and the two hugged for a long time. She couldn't make the Jolly Roger faster even if she wanted to. The ship was going full speed, and Emma found a spell that allowed the ship to go a little faster than usual. She told herself she should be glad she's on the fastest ship in all the realms and not just a regular ship that would take twice as long.
Emma often used a spell to check on her family through a mirror and they seemed fine, but she still couldn't shake this feeling that something was wrong. Wouldn't her parents tell her if they were expecting a baby? They knew she wouldn't be jealous. Hell, she was a grown woman. It's not like she was a child and they didn't know how she would react. She always wanted a sibling. She'll admit the timing is a little odd, nearly a two-decade difference, but it was a minor detail. If anything it was a clear sign it was an accident. Perhaps they were embarrassed and didn't want to tell her?
It didn't matter. The baby was coming either way. She was more so upset that she had to find out from Henry. It wasn't right that the news came from him. And above all, she found it odd that they were heading to the summer palace until further notice. They hadn't been there since Emma was maybe four or five. The last time they visited was when they told her she had to start taking lessons on how to be a proper princess and soon-to-be queen. She remembered it as her last moment of fun.
Sure, her life was grand and one many people dreamed of, but all she could remember from her childhood was being in lectures with her mother and training with her father. Always in school, always handling some weaponry with her father in the blazing sun. Always learning about stuff she didn't really care about. Even her servants would correct her when they saw her acting unladylike. And god forbid she and Neal went to play outside and she ripped her dress or got it dirty.
Nonetheless, she couldn't imagine her life any different. She was more than glad her lifetime of lessons came to an end and she spent some time in Arendelle with her friends. It was nice to learn about her magic but also still be able to have fun at the same time. And now she got to see the world, which is something she always dreamed of since she had to read so much about far-off lands...
Her life was far from perfect, but it was certainly perfect for her. And soon she would be home to welcome the new family member and hopefully give them a childhood worth remembering.
Not much action or dialog in this chapter, but I wanted to give a calm before the storm and just a refresher on everything happening!
Recap:
Rumple's threat- Ultimately Rumple wants Emma's magic because he is a power-hungry man and doesn't want anyone to be more powerful than him. However, by taking her magic, he plans to kill her. Emma is someone with great power (She was born out of true love) and the more she learns to control it and practices, it'll only become stronger. Rumple arranged for his son (Neal / Baelfire) to marry Emma. Neal genuinely loved Emma but didn't know of the plan until later in their relationship. Once it was revealed he ended the relationship with the princess to protect her and her parents in return made a deal that if they were to have another child, that child would belong to Rumplestiltskin (The child would most likely also have magic). Emma remains clueless about this deal. If she did know, she would give up her magic because she knows how happy her parents would be if they could have more children, not caring about her death.
Snow's pregnancy- Snow is now around 7-8 months pregnant. They still have some time to sort everything out and think of a plan, but there is only so much everyone can do before the arrival. Rumple is only making it more difficult for everyone because he is determined to either have Emma or the baby. The point of making their trip back to Misthaven longer than needed is to provide Snow and David time to reconcile with King Rumple and honestly because they are scared for Emma to find out about this secret. If Emma does find out, she will learn everyone knew this secret but her. She will learn everyone she thought she could trust has lied to her for her entire life, including her best friends. Even if it was for good intentions, it will still hurt. Pretty much everyone but a handful of people knows of this plan and wants to keep Emma safe.
People who know of Emma's fate- Rumple, Neal, Snow, David, Regina, Robin, Elsa, August (pretty much all of Snow and David's friends... The Dwarfs, Ganny, Red, Ariel, etc.)
Henry is the only other person NOT aware of her fate at this point. (Anna and Kristoff don't know either, but their storyline has passed. Possibly Belle doesn't know either, I haven't decided yet).
Killian's dilemma- For over a year now Killian has known everything and struggles with how to handle the situation's he's put in. He always wanted to protect Emma but feels that this is her parent's fault, and he very well can't keep her from them. Even though he feels Emma has a right to know, he never tells her. It's a mixture of being scared of what she would do when she finds out, what will happen to their relationship, and also the mindset that this isn't his secret to share. He 100% believes Snow and David need to tell her, especially because the baby is almost here. Beforehand, when she was an only child, the threat lingered but she was safe because of the deal. The deal was that if Snow and David had a second child, the child would go to Rumplestiltskin. Now with a baby on the way, he knows Emma would sacrifice herself. This is also a reason he keeps this secret. However, after lying for so long, even he has a hard time differentiating the truth from a lie. He would never admit it, but he's starting to see why it was so easy for everyone to lie to Emma. She's just so trusting of everyone she knows and he's lied so much it doesn't bother him anymore. Every once and a while a wave of guilt comes, but then he remembers the promise he made and the consequences if he breaks it.
Thank you for reading! Next stop, Misthaven! ;)