Author's Note: For those of you who follow me on Tumblr, sorry for the repetition. I realized today that I hadn't posted this little short multi-chapter story on here! My apologies! Anyways, I am a huge sucker for romantic comedies, and I'm young at heart- Princess Diaries is still one of my go-to movies.
I don't even own Princess Diaries, but how fantastic would it be to see Julie Andrews on Once?
Talks of possible princely suitors, ballgowns, weddings, and future royal duties had Emma's head spinning all day long, and she finally just couldn't take it anymore. Earlier, she quietly leaned over and begged her mother with soft whispered pleas to allow for her to be excused so she could rest her head for a bit. Thankfully, her pleas were heard and the other ladies of the court were had also grown tired and agreed to end the meeting early. Emma quickly made her escape and bound towards her room, barreling past the guards, before anyone could change their minds.
Before she plopped down onto her soft, cloud-like fluffy canopy bed, she reached over to her bookshelf before grabbing her favorite tale of all time, Rapunzel.
Whenever the duties of becoming a princess became too overwhelming that she could feel her fears begin to encroach upon her and the anxiety pile on top of her threatening to bury her, Emma found her solace in the magical worlds and tales of her books. Her bookshelf was filled to the brim with every classical story- of both princesses and knights, lands she had only heard of, and lands that existed purely for the spark of imagination/ She often would find ways to sneak away to the gardens or her father's library- a book in her hand- and hide away from the rest of the court to escape to the worlds and lives of the characters found in her novels. While she was no damsel locked away by a treacherous witch in a tower, she would read Rapunzel and sympathize with the protagonist. She sadly understood all too well- she often felt confined and trapped within the walls of the castle. The castle walls also symbolized the distance she felt from others- the duties and expectations thrust upon her to fulfill. Her mother was the fair Snow White and her father was the noble Charming. How could she ever live up to their name? Their legacy? Their kingship?
Besides being beloved by the people of the land, her mother and father were graced with finding true love in one another. They ruled the kingdom together- her mother's weaknesses were complimented by her father's strengths. His shortcomings were supported by her mother's strong points. They supported each other completely through the wars and dangers that threatened their home and always came out victorious. Her parents' love story could very well be written into a fairy tale itself.
As she found herself getting lost into the words that weaved themselves into the magical tale of Rapunzel and her prince, she's interrupted by a rapid knocking that's threatening to shake down her door. Before she could even put down her book, her friend, Elsa (the princess of the neighboring kingdom, Arendelle), flew straight into her room- her nightgown flitting past in the trace she had left behind.
Without Elsa, there's absolutely no way she would have survived the all day meeting with her mother and the ladies of the court. Her friend was only one of the two people who Emma confided to about her fears and hesitations with having the responsibility of one day ruling the county. Her heart was filled with gratitude that Elsa was there today to take some of the pressure off of her.
"Emma! Emma! Emma!" Elsa's excitement was only toned down by the fact that she had to keep her voice low so as not to alarm the king and queen, as well as the rest of the royal guard stationed around the castle, both inside and out. Emma quickly searched Elsa's face, looking for what seemed to prompt such a reaction from her friend.
Elsa grabbed the book right out of Emma's hand, quickly tossing it over to the other side of the bed, and ignoring Emma's protests to be gentle. She pulled Emma's hand, tugging her to the windows, facing the outside of the castle.
"Emma! You have to look outside your window! Romeo, over there is throwing pebbles at your window!"
Her shock caused her feet to push off the bed and she rushed to the bench facing her window to take in the sight of her best friend down below, tossing small rocks towards her closed bedroom window. She could faintly hear his soft whistles which mingled with the soft wind that accompanies nightfall, and she quickly unlatched the lock and pushed out the two French windows. She tucked her feet under herself as she sat on the ledge of the bench seat. The smile that tugged on her lips from Elsa's news has turned into a full on grin, as she stared to the outside from her seat. A dreamy sigh has threatened to bubble forward, breaking down the dam held by her lips- the romantic gesture was not lost on her. From behind her, she could hear Elsa giggling- her amusement quite evident.
Elsa and her were definitely romantics. They often found themselves sneaking away from royal dinners and hiding out in her father's library. Their gushing and giggling shared by the other over the different stories of the princes and princesses they read in their would sigh with happiness and contentment over the fairy tale endings and would hum in sweet satisfaction over the words and they all lived happily ever after.
Pulled out from her memories and the moment in front of her, she glanced over her shoulder to share her excitement with her friend. Elsa could see the twinkling in Emma's eyes, the luminous smile, the rosy cheeks and they both can only giggle- the scene taking place outside of Emma's bedroom seems to be like a moment plucked straight from one of their stories. Emma quickly focused her attention back to the straight-laced, ever serious and proper, lieutenant Killian Jones (who is so far from that right now), pacing back and forth outside her window, pausing every so often, only to throw another pebble towards the castle wall.
Who exactly was Killian Jones? He was the son of Bartholomew Jones, her father's most trusted man within the royal navy, also holding one of the positions within her father's court. He had two sons, Liam and Killian, who were her playmates from when she was a little girl- still wobbling on her new found balanced feet as she ran after them within the gardens. The two brothers were close with one another and their father (after having lost their mother to a terrible illness) and often tagged along with their father to the castle. Liam was a couple years older than her, often looking after her like an older brother would- protective over her as he was with his own brother. Killian, however, was the same age as her, and from their first meeting, the two developed a very close friendship. Besides Elsa, he was her best friend- her confidante, the only other person she felt comfortable enough to reveal her innermost fears and insecurities.
As young children, their father brought him and Liam over to be taught by the same governess within the castle. The two of them often would be given the same recess while the governess taught Liam his advanced courses. She would make him sit through tea parties with her dolls- teaching him all that she was taught regarding the proper etiquette of a tea party, and he begrudgingly participated. They would run around the courtyards, letting their imagination run free, pretending they were on an adventure as they played make-believe. They would deem the servants and her ladies in waiting as the enemies of their game and would run throughout the castle, laughing as they hid behind doors, crouched underneath tables- until they would be called back to their lessons.
She was never good at history- possibly her worst subject ever, but Killian seemed to have a natural knack to it. After their classes, he would often review their lessons with her-giving ridiculous names to the old rulers (the only way she was able to remember who was who), and finding ways to make the stories of the wars of the past seem somewhat interesting to her. He would laugh at her huffs of frustration and would gently remind her that the future queen of their country should have at least a minimal amount of interest in their history.
What they both shared was a love for literature. Her father offered his library collection to Killian to use whenever he wanted and he definitely took advantage of that. Killian's father often joked with the royal family that Killian had already read through all the books in their house- including the maritime textbooks from Bartholomew's days in the navy. Though Killian was more fond of historical fiction, she would pester him enough to get him to read some of her favorite fairy tales. He would roll his eyes at her excitement and she would shove the books under his nose and he would acquiesce and read them. Although he would tease her that she was asking such a hard task from him, she knew deep down that he loved it- he loved reading these tales. And no surprise to her or anyone, his favorite also happened to be Rapunzel.
Sitting next to him on the bench facing her mother's beloved roses, she turned to him, the book he returned to her in her hands. "Why is this one your favorite?"
He scratched the back of his ear, nervously, a sheepish smile starting to form. "Perhaps I enjoyed how resilient the prince was to find his princess-even after losing his sight, he was still able to locate her and reunite with her, because he recognized her voice."
He gazed at her, his eyes searching hers, "Tell me lass- why is this your favorite?"
His soft tone in asking her caught her off guard. There was a tenderness to his voice, one that shook her slightly in her soul- as if she was exposed to him. Her eyes grew wide in surprise- she never mentioned this being her favorite to him. She wanted him to read it without any bias- it was just a matter of coincidence that this happened to be his favorite.
"Wha-? I never said any such thing!"
He chuckled at her, fondness for the young woman sitting beside him traced his eyes, as he teased her. "You're something of an open book to me."
"Am I?" Her chin jutted forward, her eyes studied his gaze, as he mulled over his thoughts.
He listed on his fingers the reasons, as he pointed out to her. "Quite. Let's see, first, Rapunzel is trapped inside the castle. You too are trapped in such castle, never being allowed off the grounds, unless accompanied by one of the guards."
"Hmph. That's quite a stretch of a parallel you are making…"
"Ah, but you didn't let me finish." He tsked at her, his brow quirked up at her rushed dismissal. "You relate to her because you too feel entrapped within the castle walls- and I don't mean the physical castle walls. You, lass, are always rushing to get out of court meetings, finding reasons to avoid your princess lessons."
Her eyes softened with how perceptive her best friend actually was, especially in regards to her. "Am I that obvious?" Her voice quiet, with fear that perhaps she had let on too much of what she kept hidden inside her heart.
"Not to others, but like I said, love. Open book." He tilted his head, a knowing grin appearing on his face, as he challenged her to counter otherwise.
As they got older, their shared lessons grew fewer as she settled into a more active role with her princess duties. Her lessons were taken over by her mother, the queen, in addition to her sitting in on meetings of the court and the royal advisory. For Killian, he followed his father and his brother's footsteps, and studied and joined the royal navy. The day he announced such plans, both her father and his jumped to their feet and clapped him on the back- their happiness at his future pursuits evident to all. Liam couldn't have been more thrilled and cajoled his younger brother that his duties now insisted that he had to listen to Liam. Killian's eyes shone with excitement and happiness to be continuing the family name and honor. On the day that he was named a Cadet, Emma stood proudly beside her mother as she watched her best friend take the vow to protect their kingdom.
Today, Killian had risen the ranks and was now a Lieutenant serving under Liam, his Captain. Their dedication and loyalty to the crown made them two of the most respectable naval officers in all the land. However, tonight, she couldn't help but giggle at the sight of one of the crown's most trusted officers playfully lingering at the bottom of her window, a sly grin on his face (quite reminiscent of when he was a young boy causing mischief with her ), in contrast to his uniform that he still bore.
She was enjoying this view far too much that he stopped whistling and even from her seat, she could see him raise an eyebrow at her- playful and challenging at the same time.
"Killian," she whispered, resting on her elbows to lean out of her window. Her soft voice bore her surprise to find him here at the castle, let alone outside her bedroom. "What are you doing here?" She looked to see if any of the guards have caught on to her unexpected visitor and found him smirking up at her.
He cleared his throat, almost in an exaggerated manner, as he slightly bowed forward, in such a gesture as if he were about to greet her in front of the royal court.
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, with hair so fine. Come out your window, climb the vine." His tone laced with a dancing hint of mirth and playfulness.
Emma's gaze strayed behind her shoulder, only to find Elsa pretending to look elsewhere and trying to give them their privacy (but she knew Elsa well enough to know that the princess was listening and squealing internally). Her face developed into a huge grin, her favorite fairy tale coming to life. She played along, her voice tickled with delight and excitement.
"Dear sir, the fate you ask of me is not easy." She stifled her giggles from ruining such a moment.
Her response evoked a wink from him and he straightened up, returning to his usual stance, his hands in his pockets, his head tilted to the side- it all left her a little breathless. The moonlight casting a slight shadow over him, the quiet crickets from below, the stillness that accompanied the kingdom when night falls. She swiveled to face Elsa, who comes rushing forward to sit next to her on the bench.
"What does he want?" Elsa's voice rang of curiosity, as she watched Emma pull her dressing robe tighter around her body.
Emma's lips are pursed, barely able to contain her delight. "He wants me to climb down the vine!" The words leave her mouth in hurried whispers, her body tingling with anticipation for what the night has in store for her.
Elsa was usually the cool, calm, and collected of the two, but even she can't help let out a little gasp of awe. "How romantic!," she squealed. "Well, do you want to?"
The blood in her veins were pulsing with eagerness for her to climb down and meet Killian, but the ration part of her rears its ugly head. "It's a recipe for disaster, Elsa!" Her mind quickly trying to figure out a way for her to leave the castle that would result in the least amount of bad consequences.
Her quick planning shaken by Elsa grabbing her by the shoulder to have Emma face her.
"Emma, do something impulsive! You heard it all today- your time to rule is coming! When else will you have an opportunity to do something crazy? Something completely and hopelessly romantic?" Elsa pleaded with Emma- trying to make her see that this was the time for her to reach out and make herself happy- how many opportunities like this would she get?
Emma took a quick glance outside her window, finding Killian waiting for her- his smile bright for her, ever clear even in the night. His eyes sparkled with hope that she would respond to his request and she felt her heart skip a bit. This was probably not the last time she'll feel this way tonight and that thought left her a little breathless and flushed.
"-A stroll in the moonlight with the ever handsome Lieutenant Jones!" Elsa finished dramatically, her arms gesturing to what lay outside the window.
"You'll cover for me?" She looked expectantly at her friend, her fingers anxiously playing with the edge of her night robe. She's never snuck away from the castle (well, at least not this late at night). However, this adventure or whatever Killian has planned for her has her heart feeling light with happiness (and a bit of hope), and has allowed the inner romantic in her to swoon.
"Of course." She returned Elsa's encouraging smile with one of her own, and she quickly shrugged off her dressing robe, grabbing the shawl from the edge of her bed, which she threw down to Killian. She slipped into her riding boots (if she's going to climb down the vine, these boots will have to do) and hoisted one foot outside of the window to anchor it to one of the branches of the vine, as she readied herself to climb down.
As she's about two feet close to the ground, her foot slipped between the hard entwined vine branches and her balance has been shaken. She mentally braced herself, expecting to hit the ground hard- her eyes closed in anticipation, but it never came. Her fall was broken by Killian, who came rushing forward to quickly catch her. She fell on top of him, causing them to land on the ground, a soft grunt escaping his lips. She quickly ran her hands over his arms, his shoulders, and finally his face- ensuring that she hadn't caused too much damage.
"I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you?" Her voice sounded breathier than usual, probably because of her trying to keep quiet, but also because she was on top of Killian.
"What have I told you love- I'm a survivor?"
With a quick wink that prompted a half hearted eye roll from her, she pushed herself off him. She shyly bit her lip, and dusted herself off, before she took one final glance at her bedroom window. She found Elsa waving quite enthusiastically at both of them. A tug on her hair from the man standing next to her caused her to feel the blush coloring her cheeks once more (definitely the first of many times tonight). She reached over and grabbed Killian's extended hand, letting him lead her away from the castle walls.
AN: What did you think? Hook me up with a review and let me know :)