Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time.


Chapter I: Guests

Emma Swan always felt most comfortable on her own, since that was just how she was most of her life. There was a huge crowd at Granny's that late afternoon, as everyone celebrated the Witch's defeat, but Emma sat alone.

She sat on one of the tall stools at the counter, sipping a mug of coffee. She watched as her parents were showing off her new baby brother. Lines soon formed for a chance to hold the new "prince". Henry was holding his uncle for the moment and it was a precious sight. It did not last long though, as Emma's still unnamed brother was passed to yet another eager face. Killian Jones was sitting in a booth in the corner of the diner all alone, watching the people around him with a smile. But there was something else that Emma saw in his eyes, the want for happiness, as all the residents around him felt. Emma and Killian's eyes met for a second, but then Emma looks away. She considers joining him for a moment, but then she hears a noise outside, and as sheriff of the town, decides to investigate. She gets up from her stool and heads for the glass door. She opens it, and steps outside, trying to slip away from the festivities as quietly as possible.

Her plan to be discreet evidently did not work out so well, as Killian noticed her taking her leave, and followed her out the door.


Emma follows the noise up to the familiar barn on the hill. Upon looking up, she also noticed a stream of light coming from the roof of the barn.

"What the heck?" she whispered silently to herself.

She approaches the door, which was shut with a board across, and opens it slowly.

Inside was a green swirling portal to who knows where.

She went to close the door, but the portal was slowly pulling her inside, along with the remains of leftover straw and tools which had not already been pulled in.

"Help!" she screams, as she can not fight the power pulling her.

Meanwhile, Killian reaches the top of the hill and sees the same sight Emma did moments ago. He then hears Emma scream.

"Emma?!" Killian yells.

He runs to the slightly ajar door and swings it open.

He sees Emma about to fall into a portal.

"I am not losing her." He thought to himself.

He ran towards her, grabbed both her hands in his, and pulled with all his might to get her to safety.

"Hold on, Swan, I will get you out of here." Killian says. But the force of the portal was too strong. She was slipping out of his fingers.

"Killian, it's too strong." Emma says, with worry in her voice.

"I will not let go." Killian says in a serious tone.

"I know." Emma says silently.

The pair share a worried look before Emma's hands slip out of Killian's grasp and she falls into the green portal, to another land, place or time.

Killian, without one thought, jumps right in after her. He would never want to be apart from her, and would not want to leave her all alone.

"I will not be stuck here in Storybrooke trying to find a way to get her home. I will not leave her alone. I will go with her and try to find a way back, alongside her-my love." were Killian's last thoughts before he too plummeted into the abyss…


Emma is woken up early by one of her chambermaids, and informed that it is a little past six in the morning. Emma reluctantly gets out of bed and yawns.

"I have been informed that there will be some naval officers visiting the castle later on today. The King is throwing a celebration ball in honor of their presence. I have been told that you are to dress up formally for the ball tomorrow night, since there will be many suitors attending." Mary the chambermaid tells Emma, as she lays out her dress for the day. This one is a dark blue, and flows straight down.

"Is it just me, or does Leopold really want to get rid of me? He is always throwing balls and inviting young men in high positions over. He must really want me to marry." I say with a sigh.

"He loves you like his own daughter, Miss, and only wants the best for you, and for you to be happy. I can tell." Mary replies.

Emma sighs, but then looks up and smiles at Mary. "Thanks." she says.

Mary nods, smiles back and then leaves the room.

Emma walks over to the vanity in her room and sits down.

King Leopold had taken Emma in as a child, when her parents died and she was left an orphan. Apparently, her parents were royalty, so Emma was technically a princess. Emma loved Leopold as her own father, and Princess Ava was like a mother to her, though she was not much older than her. Now, being 28, Emma had been pushed at every prince known to man. She had had many a proposal, but I had never loved any of the men. I had almost given up on trying to find True Love, like her parents apparently had.

Later that same day, Emma was summoned from the garden in which she was walking.

The navy captain and lieutenant had arrived.


Emma took my place standing in between King Leopold and Princess Ava, to greet the guests when they came in.

The Captain was tall, and had brown curly hair. He looked to be in his thirties or so.

Another man, who was slightly shorter and younger, followed.

This man wore the same naval uniform as the latter, but seemed slightly of lesser importance. He had the same brown hair and grayish eyes, a slightly unshaven beard, and a slight mustache.

They both came towards the trio of royalty, with wide smiles on their faces.

"Your Highness." the captain says, referring to Leopold, and bows slightly. The shorter commander does the same.

"No need for that, Captain. Welcome to my kingdom, and my home." King Leopold says.

"Thank you, Sir. I am Captain Liam Jones. This is my brother, Lieutenant Killian Jones." he says, pointing to the shorter man beside him.

"This is Princess Ava, and my adopted daughter, Princess Emma Swan." King Leopold replies.

The two take turns kissing Ava's hand, and then Emma's.

As Lieutenant Jones does so, he looks up at Emma and smiles.

"His smile is somewhat beautiful-wait, what I am thinking?" Emma thinks to herself, then she quickly shrugs off those thoughts.

The party is escorted to the dining hall, which was brilliantly adorned with gold and silver, and had a long table in the sits down on the right of Leopold, who is sitting at the head, as he always does.

Killian, who is behind me, helps push my chair closer to the table.

"Thanks." I say.

He nods as a way of saying "you're welcome", and then sits in the chair right next to me.

As the Captain falls into conversation with Leopold, probably about business, Killian tries to make conversation with me.

"This is quite the palace you live in." he says, looking all around the room, and up at the ceiling which was covered in frescoes.

"Yes it is, I was very fortunate to have found refuge at such a place, with a great king living under it." she looks towards the talking Leopold: "He was so generous to take m in, practically a nobody, and care for me." Emma finishes, looking down at her lap. She usually did not disclose such personal information to strangers, but she felt that she could trust this man-somehow.

The lieutenant nods in recognition, and seems to pity her. As he glances sideways at her, Emma detects a sad and familiar look in his eyes-the one only an orphan or lost child would have.

He was just like her. Emma knew it at once, just by one look into his hurting eyes.

He was a very mysterious man.


I hope you liked this first chapter! By the way, this was re-writen, and I plan to edit and improve the other chapters as well. Please re-read the improved version of this story, as it is so much better then the previous. Let me know what you think!

~readinglover120