A/N This was written for the Swan Queen week over on tumblr Day 3 prompt: Arranged marriage. This was supposed to be a simple One shot little fic, but it just grew and grew. So now it will probably be a four or five chapter story.

Massive thanks to Erin & Gilda for their awesome Beta work...again! Any mistakes left in are my own.

...

"So, let me be sure that I understand," Emma paced back and forth in front of her parents in the great hall. "You want me to marry someone that I've never even met, someone that I most certainly don't love...and you want me to do it for the sake of the kingdom?!"

"Emma..." her father began from his throne, his voice soft.

Emma waved him away with a swipe of her hand, her pace never slowing. "Do you even hear what you're asking of me?"

"Emma, please believe us...if we thought there was another way..." The queen's words trailed away to nothing as she caught eye of her husband. It was clear that their daughter was beyond hearing them.

Emma stopped walking and raked her fingers through her long blonde hair in frustration. She had known as soon as the herald had been sent to escort her from the stables that something was wrong.

Her parents had never summoned her in her whole life.

Not even the time that she had stolen the Duke of Claremont's carriage and taken it for a disastrous joyride through his fine summer gardens. A stunt that had earned her a two week stint in the palace kitchens under the careful eye of Granny, the royal cook. It had been years ago now, but Emma could still recite all the ingredients to the uncompromising woman's best recipes.

She had known in her gut that this felt wrong.

She dreaded to hear that perhaps one of her parents had taken ill, or that there was trouble in the kingdom...but this?

How was she supposed to respond to this?

"My whole life, all I've ever heard is stories of how the two of you risked everything to be together. For your True Love." Emma's voice felt strained, like the words were even too painful to say. "How can you sit there and tell me to sacrifice my chance at happiness 'for the greater good'?"

"Emma..." Snow tried again, her voice catching on her daughter's name. She was faltering. When the Blue fairy had come to them several weeks ago with news of a prophecy that foretold Emma's destiny, Snow hadn't wanted to believe it. She would do anything to shield her from it. But, the more of the prophecy that was revealed, the more Snow realized that was impossible. Fate had a path in mind for her daughter, and she was to be the one who set her on it.

But she was failing.

James squeezed his wife's hand once, beckoning her attention, and gave her a sad smile. If she couldn't be the one to do this then he would do it for her. Snow nodded almost imperceptibly, her hand tightening in her husband's in return.

James cleared his throat and settled more comfortably on his throne. He let the full weight of its significance surround him, the way that he did with all matters of state. The decisions he made in this chair had their consequences, all of them, and he felt the toll bear down on him every day . But that was the burden of a leader. That was who he had to be, today more than ever.

"This isn't the first time finding a suitable match has been discussed, Emma," James said calmly, a small twitch in his jaw the only outward sign of his inner turmoil.

Emma laughed humorlessly. "Oh, so we're discussing this now? Because I thought you had just told me that I'm getting married in five days!"

"An opportunity arose..."

"An opportunity?!" Emma gaped at her father as if she didn't recognize him, and he felt himself flinch under her stare.

"...and it was decided that it was one we simply couldn't pass up," he finished weakly, a definite tremble in his voice.

"What are you saying? Can you even hear yourself?" Emma ignored the sting of tears prickling at the back of her eyelids, making no attempt to hide the hurt coloring her tone. "This is my life we're talking about...my future!"

James had to force himself to look at her. "And the future of this kingdom. They are intertwined, Emma," James reminded quietly, "they always have been, no matter how much you have wished to avoid it."

"I don't understand. Why now? Why like this? Just give me some kind of reason, please?!"

James could no longer face her, couldn't bear to see the pain laid so plainly in front of him. Emma had always worn her heart on her sleeve, it killed him to watch it breaking. "It is already decided," he whispered hoarsely.

"James..."

James gathered all of his strength for the hardest thing he had ever had to do. "No, Snow..." James held up a hand and stood. "We have given Emma everything she has ever wanted. She has had the run of the palace, no, the Kingdom, her whole life," James sighed and gathered himself. "We have been patient, we have been lenient...but Emma is no longer a child who can spend her days shirking her responsibility. She has an obligation to this kingdom, to this family, that she can no longer run from. She will fulfil it," he held Emma's gaze. "Won't you?"

James watched his daughter as she stood before him, her chin raised defiantly, fists clenching and unclenching rhythmically by her sides, and he was overcome by the memory of a twelve year old Emma stood in almost exactly the same place, stubbornly arguing her right to train with the castle guard. She had been a wonder to behold, confident, headstrong, and James' heart had nearly burst from pride. How he wanted to return to the simple, uncomplicated relationship they had then, when he had simply been her father.

Emma knew that her lack of interest in getting married had caused problems for her parents. She wasn't naive, she knew that they had spent a significant amount of time and effort smoothing things over with the various nobles and dignitaries who had decided it was their business who she shared her life with. But her parents own story, true love overcoming all obstacles, had led her to believe that she would never have to endure anything as archaic as an arranged marriage.

How could she have been so wrong?

"Yes, father," Emma ground out between clenched teeth, her jaw aching from the pressure.

James nodded curtly. "They will be arriving tomorrow. I expect you to be there when they do, is that clear?"

"Perfectly," Emma hissed as she turned on her heel and fled from the room.

Snow rose from her chair and joined her husband, her hand tucking into the crook of his elbow as she drew level. "Have we done the right thing?" she asked wearily, the toll of the last few weeks telling in her voice.

"You heard The Blue Fairy's prophecy. This is the path we must take. All we can do is have trust in her destiny," James covered his wife's hand with his and bent his head to brush his lips against her forehead reassuringly. "Trust in Emma."

"What if she's right? What if we are risking her chance for happiness?...for love?"

"We have to have faith that love will find her. The way that it found us."

...

For someone still so young, Regina had long ago given up on pretending that her life was hers to live. She was, at best, a puppet in her mother's never ending climb to the top of the social hierarchy. Truth was she didn't like to think too long on what she could be at her worst.

She knew what others thought, knew the names the servants called her when they thought she couldn't hear them.

What did she care anyway?

By this time tomorrow all of her mother's scheming would come to an end. She would finally meet the princess. Her future wife.

What did it matter if the players changed when the game was still the same?

Her life was not her own.

But then, it never had been.

...

"Going somewhere?"

Emma grunted in surprise, her fingers tightening briefly around the shirt in her hand before she threw it into the small bag on the bed with a little extra force. "I'm going to get you a damn bell!" she groused, narrowing her eyes at the tall brunette leaning casually against the door frame of her room.

Ruby smirked from the doorway. "You've been saying that since we were ten."

"And one day I will." Emma stalked across the room and retrieved another item of clothing from her walk in closet, barely glancing at her oldest friend.

Ruby eyed the bag curiously. "Sooo...I take it went well with your parents?"

"They want me to get married!" Emma spat, spinning on her heel and making her way back to the bed.

Ruby chuckled, "That's not exactly new information, Em."

"Let me rephrase that...I'm getting married." Emma paused in her task long enough to finally find the courage to fully face her friend, half afraid that if she did that she would break down. Ruby knew her better than anyone. She had never been able to hide anything from her best friend.

"What?!" Ruby's shocked screech made Emma wince and Ruby had the good grace to look apologetic, lowering her voice as she continued, "when?"

"On Saturday."

"This Saturday?!" Ruby's voice rose again.

Emma rolled her eyes. "No, Saturday five years from now. Yes this Saturday! This Saturday, five days from now...Saturday!"

"Okay...okay," Ruby crossed the room and grabbed Emma by the wrist and pulled her into a hug. "It's going to be okay," she whispered soothingly into the blonde's hair.

"No, it's not," Emma argued quietly into her friend's shoulder, the words muffled by the soft, red fabric. "They arrive tomorrow."

"Why now? There must be some reason?" Ruby wasn't of noble birth, but she been raised in the castle after her mother had died. She spent her childhood alongside Emma, getting into scrapes, and generally causing trouble wherever they went. Ruby basked in the love that was always so present in the royal household. The king and queen adored their daughter, of that the tall brunette was sure, so she couldn't understand why they would do this. Not without at least talking it over.

"I asked. All they would say is that 'it's decided'. Like I'm some child that can't handle my own decisions." Emma sighed wearily, pulling herself from the embrace and slumping onto the edge of the bed.

"So, you decided to show how very grown up you are by running away?"

My parents have made it perfectly clear that I'm nothing more to them than a bargaining chip. Why should I stay?" Emma challenged, hurt coloring her voice.

Ruby chuckled, casually picking up Emma's cloak from the bed and passing it from hand to hand. "I haven't heard you be this dramatic since you accidentally locked yourself in that wardrobe in the nursery when you were small. How did it go again? *'Did no one even care enough to look for me?'" Ruby held up the back of one hand to her forehead and pretended to swoon.

"It was dark in there...and I was six." Emma muttered, reaching up to moodily snatch the garment from her friend's grasp. "That's hardly the same thing as being married off to the highest bidder for the sake of my parent's legacy!"

Ruby's grin faltered. "Is that really what you think?"

"You tell me," Emma mumbled. "For all their talk of 'True love' and 'destiny', they sure seem to have changed their tune when there's the kingdom to protect."

"Your parents love you," Ruby pointed out.

"Right. They just love the kingdom more."

"You know that's not true."

"I thought I did." Emma sighed, rising from her perch on the bed and resuming her packing.

"Where do you think you're going to go anyway?" Ruby asked as Emma maneuvered around her. "Planning on living off of those vital skills you've learnt as a princess? Going to get a job curtsying at the local tavern, or perhaps waving politely in the town square?"

"I can out fight half of the royal guard, I'm sure I can find something. I'll be a bounty hunter if I have to," Emma stuffed more of her clothes into the already full bag, shoving them down with a grunt.

Ruby's eyebrows raised. "You're the princess! No one in their right mind would dare defy the king by letting you run around the countryside after criminals," Ruby eyed the blonde carefully, weighing up the fallout from her next statement. "And like it or not your parents are right. You have an obligation to your people."

Emma pulled up, startled. "I'm really starting to hate that word. Obligation!" She glowered at her friend. "I thought you were supposed to be on my side?"

"I am. Always...you know that." Ruby stood by her side, fingers trailing down Emma's arm to grip her trembling hand. "That doesn't mean that I have to sit idly by and watch you make stupid decisions. I mean, seriously...who takes a ball gown with them when they're running away?"

"I.." Emma followed Ruby's gaze and gaped at the purple monstrosity she had been trying to shove carelessly into her bag. "I didn't even look at what I was packing," Emma laughed, a short bark, that was more a release of frustration than anything. She dropped onto the bed again, and Ruby followed, her hand never leaving Emma's as the blonde finally let the tears fall.

"God, I hated that dress. I didn't even want to go to that stupid ball." Emma said after a few minutes, one hand reaching up to swipe away a few remaining tears.

Ruby squeezed her hand. "I know, Em. And after you scowled at every prince who asked you to dance that night, so did everyone else."

Emma laughed, fully this time. "Well, you know what they say, 'you can take the princess to the ball, but you can't make her dance.'"

"Umm, no one says that."

"Well they should. Loudly too, so all those sniveling princes know to back off."

"So...what's the plan?" Ruby asked carefully.

Emma pinched the bridge of her nose. "I wish I knew."

"What would it hurt to stay one more day? At least meet the person you're supposed to marry before we run for the hills?"

"We?" Emma questioned with a smile.

Ruby shrugged. "What, like I'm going to let you go off out into the big bad world all alone? You wouldn't last five minutes."

"Out of the two of us which one spends their days sparring with the palace guards...and which one flirting with them?" Emma nudged their shoulders together.

"Fine! I'll flirt with the bad guys and you can knock them over the head while they're preoccupied. Deal?"

"It couldn't hurt," Emma sighed.

"Knocking them over the head? I'm pretty sure it will."

"No. I mean staying one more day." Emma replied quietly, her voice small and uncertain. "Couldn't hurt, right?"

"Right." Ruby agreed, giving Emma's hand a final squeeze before she stood up. "And look, if it's a total troll...I'll have the horses out back quicker than you can say 'whose that clip clopping across my bridge?"

"How do you manage to make everything sound dirty?" Emma couldn't help but smile.

"It's a skill." Ruby winked, picking up Emma's bag from the bed and taking it back to the closet.