AU: No curse Enchanted Forest, Prince Emmett meets a Huntswoman and they get off on… Probably not the best foot. Originally a one-shot but I have gotten a request (from the original requester) to continue the verse, which is why it is not over in my miscellaneous one-shots collection.
Obviously, I don't own any of the characters, and I'm too lazy to get my usual disclaimer about what I would do differently, but yeah. I'm just playing around here.
He isn't supposed to sneak out of the castle.
He definitely isn't supposed to sneak out of the castle, go to a tavern in the middle of nowhere, and get in a bar fight when he sees some men picking on a girl, about his own age, curly brown hair and dark blue eyes, dressed all in furs with a wolf at her side.
And all of that considered, it really shouldn't be the surprise it is when after the fight, she winds up with her knife pressed to his throat.
"I can handle myself, nobleman," she growls at him, eyes dark and angry, "I didn't need your help." She has a strange brogue, he's not familiar with the region it's from, but it suits her, somehow, somehow he can't identify.
"I'm sorry, I saw men going after a lady, I had to intervene," he apologizes. He'd thought it was the right thing to do.
"I'm no lady, nobleman, and you'll only have made things worse. Do you know what they'll think of me now that one like you has come to my rescue?" she is very angry, he sees that.
"I- Uh- No?" Emmett offers, incredibly nervous.
"They'll think that the reason you defended me is because I can be bought, if one offers the right price."
He gulps against the knife, wondering just how big a mistake he made.
"Just because I defended you- They'll think of you as a common whore?"
She laughs mirthlessly, but pulls the blade away somewhat.
"No," she says, "Those tavern girls are common whores. Me? They'll think of me as a mongrel bitch with higher standards than she can afford."
"Let me make it up to you," he offers, "Come to the castle. With your skills, you could become a member of the royal guard easily- Queen Snow would allow it, I'm certain."
The knife is pressed closer again, and he thinks he must have said something wrong, even though he was, once again, only trying to help.
"The castle is nothing but a cage," she says, "I will not be a pet. Not for anyone."
"Tell me, then, tell me what to do to make this up to you."
Her eyes narrow, and he sees suspicion in them before she finally puts the knife away.
"Petition Queen Snow and King James, get them to outlaw the hunting of wolves," she says, inclining her head curtly.
"Consider it done," he nods.
She walks away, towards the forest, her wolf companion at her heels after a snap of her fingers, and he as he turns back towards the castle, towards home, already planning how to bring up the law she wants to his parents, he wonders if he'll ever see her again.