Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time.
with all the king's horses and all the king's men
"Now presenting Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Emma, first in line to the throne of the Enchanted Forest, and her son Prince Henry."
Emma and Henry silently approached King Arthur, expressions of nervousness on both of their faces. This was their first royal ball as actual representatives of their royal family, their first time actually being considered royalty. Snow, David, and an eleven-month-old Prince Neal had stayed at their castle, helping to rebuild and restore all that the kingdom had lost over the 30 cursed years away. Emma and Henry had been asked by a desperate Snow White to attend the ball thrown by King Arthur of Camelot and to act as representatives of their kingdom. They needed to make good impressions, because some kingdoms had begun regarding the Enchanted Forest as a weak neighbor that they could invade and conquer easily. Emma and Henry needed to look as confident as possible so that no wars would be started and so that the Enchanted Forest could gain back their allies and begin to rebuild and restrengthen their kingdom.
King Arthur of Camelot was not what they expected. Emma had pictured a middle-aged man, not ancient but not young, with a heavy scowl permanently etched onto his face, his glory years far behind him. Henry expected a senile old man, drool dripping out of his mouth and Excalibur a sword that had long ago given up on its master. Both were wrong. Instead, King Arthur looked to be around his mid-20's or early 30's. He had an infectious grin, dirty blonde hair, and dark blue eyes. He welcomed them very excitedly with handshakes and a joke that made Henry laugh and Emma smile. He kept asking about Storybrooke and the 'realm of no magic.' He personally introduced them to all of his lords and the visiting royals that were attending the ball.
Emma kept a close eye on Henry the entire night. She trusted her son and knew that he was a wise old man in a young teenage body, but she also knew what hormones could do to kids. Henry spent the whole night talking and dancing with a pretty dark-haired girl from a small kingdom called Lendala, located quite a far distance away from Camelot and the Enchanted Forest. She was the youngest of six children, the only girl, and was very shy with everyone except Henry. Her son introduced the girl to Emma as Princess Sophronia, but all during the night Emma heard Henry call her Sophie. They had hit it off, and Henry invited her to come visit the Enchanted Forest whenever she wanted. Emma introduced herself to Sophie's father, King Reginald, and began talking of their children's interest in each other. They both shared knowing looks whenever Henry and Sophie smiled shyly at each other. Reginald proposed an alliance between their two kingdoms, and hinted at an arranged marriage between their two children. Emma told Reginald that Henry would be allowed to choose his own bride when the time was right, but that an alliance was a brilliant idea and a great way to keep Henry and Sophie close to each other. Their secretaries began drawing up basic outlines, and Emma promised Reginald that they would talk later about the details.
Her face flushed and her feet sore, Emma left the ballroom for some fresh air. She leaned against a cool stone pillar, trying to not get overheated. Her gold-colored ballgown felt as though it weighed hundreds of pounds. She closed her eyes and rested, tired from all of the dancing and talking that she had done. The ball was only half over and Emma was already exhausted. As she resigned herself to return to the ball, Emma heard a crash and a sob of pain nearby. She rushed to the closed door that she thought held the person who was in pain and knocked loudly and quickly.
"Is everything all right?" Emma asked loudly, her hands already pushing the heavy door open. She made her way into the small room that looked like a maid's chambers and searched through the dark to find the person who cried out. On the small cot in the corner, a lump under the covers gave away the location of the person. Emma cautiously made her way over and slowly moved the white sheets off the bed to look at the person underneath. A heavily pregnant girl in a maid outfit lay on the bed, eyes closed, looking like she had passed out. Emma shook her awake, watching as the disoriented young girl looked around the room wildly.
The girl grabbed her stomach and whimpered in pain. "Who are you?" the girl asked, her voice breathy and weak. She peered at Emma through the darkness.
"I'm Emma, and I'm here to help. Have you gone into labor?" Emma looked at the wet spot on the sheets, believing it to be where the maid's water broke.
The maid gasped and tried to sit up. "Your Highness!" She tilted her head to show respect but then groaned as another contraction swept through her.
Emma began rubbing soothing circles on the girl's enlarged stomach. "Do you need me to get the father? The doctor? A midwife?" Emma began nervously rattling off questions.
The girl's bottom lip began to tremble and tears began to leak out of her eyes. "The midwife has gone into town to help the innkeeper's wife give birth, and the doctor was called out to a boat accident near the river."
Emma looked at the girl understandingly. "The father isn't likely to show up, is he?"
The girl groaned in pain at another contraction. "Arthur's too busy with his fancy ball to come help out a poor maid like me," the girl spit out bitterly. She then noticed her mistake as she stared wide-eyed at a shocked Emma.
Emma looked down at the girl's stomach. "Arthur as in King Arthur? The host of tonight's ball?"
The girl's eyes grew wide in fear. "Please don't judge me or tell anyone. Arthur knows I'm pregnant but has never talked to me about it. He's the only man I've ever been with. My parents cast me out, all of the servants judge me, and I don't know what I'm going to do with my baby after I have it. I can't support myself and a baby." She began to sob earnestly, her resolve to stay strong in front of Emma shattered.
Emma looked at the lost girl and saw herself, pregnant with Henry in a jail cell. "What's your name, sweetheart?"
The girl shuddered. "Maria Laken, Your Highness. I'm 19 and was born and raised her in Camelot." Her body began to convulse from the pains of the contractions, which were growing closer to each other.
Emma risked a glance down the girl's body, noticing her opened legs. She sighed and closed her eyes to calm herself. "You need to start pushing, Maria. Hold onto the sides of the cot and I'll talk you through this. Don't worry, I'm right here." Emma made her way to the end of the small cot and pushed the girls legs open wider. "On three, I need you to push, okay? One... two... three." Maria screamed as she did her first push. Emma could see the baby's head beginning to emerge. "There you go, Maria. Another push on three. One... two... three." A butler and three other maids burst into the room when Maria finished her second push. The young girl rested back on the bed, trying to catch her breath.
Emma turned to look at the new arrivals. "Hello, I'm Princess Emma of the Enchanted Forest and I need your help to safely deliver this baby." The servants looked scared and confused, but then made their way over to the cot. Emma only used her title so that the servants would obey her and help out the young woman. The butler held Maria's hand, two maids kept Maria's legs apart, and another maid was standing behind Emma with scissors in her hand ready to cut the umbilical cord.
Maria began to push again, squeezing the butler's hand tightly. The head was finally out. She rested between each push, growing more exhausted as time went on. A few more pushes later, and the baby was finally out. The maid quickly cut the umbilical cord and wrapped the baby in a blanket. She handed the bloody baby to Emma and began to treat Maria. Emma cooed to the screaming baby, using the blanket to wipe off the blood and everything else covering the newborn.
"It's a girl," Emma said to a crying Maria, who held out her hands to take the baby. Emma gently rested the baby in Maria's arms and made her way out of the room quickly as the servants gathered around Maria to look at the new addition. Emma used her fury to propel her forward and called to the man who announced her entrance when she arrived.
"Sir, call for King Arthur immediately. Tell him Princess Emma needs him and that it's an emergency." The servant scampered off quickly and whispered into the king's ear. Arthur made his way over to a furious Emma quickly and pulled her into the hallway she had just been occupying.
"Is everything okay, Princess Emma?" the king asked quickly, glancing around as if for dangerous bandits or a fire.
"Tell me, Your Majesty," Emma began coolly, "do you have any heirs?" She searched his eyes for any signs of fear.
His eyes widened and he shrunk away from her threatening tone. "No, Your Highness. Why do you ask?" She scowled when her lying radar kicked on.
"Because," Emma growled, "I just helped one of your maids, a Maria Laken, give birth on a small cot in a maid's chambers. Her and her daughter are being tended to by servants, and I thought that the father of the baby deserved to know."
King Arthur looked around wildly. "Maria gave birth? Is she doing okay? Is the baby healthy?"
Emma smirked. "So you admit to being the father then? If you refuse to take responsibility for your child and leave Maria and the baby to starve and live in poverty, let me tell you right now that I'll take them off your useless hands. I'll take them to the Enchanted Forest where you'll never be allowed to see or speak to them ever again, no matter how much you beg, even if the girl is your only heir. Do you understand?" Emma stared into King Arthur's scared eyes.
"My subjects would never accept my daughter as a rightful heir. I'm not married to her mother, and she's the daughter of one of my maids." King Arthur looked deeply saddened and stared at the ground dejectedly.
"I was not married to my son Henry's father. He is deceased now, and I never married him. Henry is still second in line to the throne. No matter the situation around his birth, he is my son. He was raised by another woman for the first ten years of his life, and I have never forgiven myself for letting him go. Now that I have him, I refuse to let anyone take him away from me. That little girl in there needs her father. She is your blood, and it is your duty as her father to provide and care for her. She is the rightful princess of Camelot, and let me tell you now that if you let that little girl walk out of your life, you'll never forgive yourself. You'll have missed out on what might be the best thing that could ever happen to you. You are their king, so make your subjects accept her." Emma caught her breath after her long-winded speech.
The king had tears in his eyes as he stared at the closed wooden door containing his newborn daughter. He took in a deep breath. "She will be the most spoiled princess in all of the lands, I assure you. Thank you, Your Highness, for making me a better father and for helping Maria when I did not. I will spend the rest of my life making it up to them." He kissed the back of Emma's hand before making a mad dash to the door and entering the small room.
The servants dutifully left the room. One of the maids made their way over to Emma and informed her that Maria was asking for her. Emma nodded at the smiling girl and made her way back to Maria and her newborn daughter.
Emma entered the small room once again, looking at Maria, redressed and sitting on a bed with fresh, clean sheets, who was holding her daughter in her arms. Arthur sat next to them, staring reverently at the small baby girl, holding out his finger for her to hold.
She didn't want to disrupt the family moment, but Maria looked up and saw her standing there. She beckoned Emma over and wrapped her right arm tightly around Emma in a one-armed hug, trying not to jostle the baby. Maria smiled and whispered, "Thank you for helping me deliver my daughter safe and sound. You really put things into a new perspective for me and convinced Arthur to come meet her and accept her as his. You've changed all of our lives by your act of kindness, and I was wondering if you would give us the great honor of naming our daughter after you? Princess Emmeline Laken of Camelot has a lovely ring to it and we were wondering if you'd mind us naming her that?"
Tears welled up in her eyes and she blinked them away. She usually was not an emotional person, but she'd never had anyone name anything after her before, especially not a baby. "Princess Emmeline sounds wonderful, Maria. I'd be honored to be her namesake."
King Arthur lightly placed his hand on Emma's shoulder. "Would you accept our invitation to her naming ceremony tomorrow? We'll give you and Henry the best guest rooms in the castle, you can stay overnight. We'd really appreciate it if you decided to stay."
Emma smirked when she pictured Henry's reaction. He'd only stay if a certain girl was invited... "Only if the royal family of Lendala is invited as well. My son Henry and the princess of Lendala, Sophronia, have hit it off and I couldn't tear them away from each other."
Arthur and Maria smiled at each other, remembering young love. "Deal, Your Highness."
Emma left the room as silently as she went in because she saw how tired Maria was and she wanted to let the girl rest. Arthur accompanied her back to the ballroom and quieted the room for 'a big announcement.' He clinked a knife against his champagne glass. "I'd like to thank all of you for coming tonight and for being a great group of friends and allies. An amazing thing has happened tonight while we were dancing our cares away. My heir, Camelot's new princess, was born this very night. Princess Emma of the Enchanted Forest helped deliver the baby safely since the midwife and doctor were unavailable. Camelot is now in the Enchanted Forest's debt." He tipped his head towards a blushing Emma, who was standing next to a shocked Henry. "So let's all give a big round of applause for Her Royal Highness, Princess Emma!" The room exploded as everyone cheered and clapped for the embarrassed princess.
Young servers came over to inform Emma and Henry that their possessions from their carriage were loaded into their rooms for the night and Emma was handed a paper, their invitation for tomorrow's naming ceremony. Henry's eyes followed to where the servers approached Princess Sophronia and King Reginald. When they were handed an invitation as well, the two teenagers smiled at each other. Emma put her hand on Henry's shoulder, pulling him away from his staring contest with Sophie.
"Henry, care to dance with your mother? You've been so busy with Princess Sophronia that you haven't given the woman who birthed you the time of day!" Emma smirked at Henry's blushing cheeks. Henry took Emma's hand and lead her to the dance floor, beginning a simple waltz.
Emma woke up to the sound of birdsong, light shining through the large windows of her guest room. She heard Henry moving around in his adjoined room, probably getting dressed for today's naming ceremony. Emma smirked at knowing she was the only one so far who knew Princess Emmeline's name. She left her warm, comfy bed and shoved her feet in her silk slippers. As Emma pulled out the forest green gown she had chosen to wear to the naming ceremony, she heard trumpets from outside. Looking out the window, she noticed the joyous faces of all of Camelot's subjects. They must have heard the news of the birth of an heir. Emma smiled, glad that Arthur was wrong about them rejecting Emmeline.
A maid came in to help Emma get dressed in her large gown, and she smiled at the maid when she realized it was one of the girls who had helped Maria give birth. Henry came in when he was done putting on his trousers and his undershirt and coat. Emma brushed his hair so that it would stop getting into his eyes.
"So, tell me about Princess Sophronia. Her father hinted at an arranged marriage, but I told him that it would be your choice when and whom you married." Emma looked confused at Henry's suddenly stricken face.
"Oh no! Mom, you have to accept the arranged marriage to Sophie! If not, she'll be forced to marry a gross, old lord that's almost three times her age. Since Lendala is such a small country, barely any suitors have come for Sophie. She's doomed if I don't marry her. Please Mom, find her father and accept the arranged marriage!" Henry began panting and looked like he was about to have a panic attack.
Emma grabbed his chin and pulled it up so that Henry would look into her eyes. "I'll take care of it, baby. I'll be right back." Emma dashed out the door, calling for the maid who had just left. "Please," Emma begged the maid, "go find King Reginald of Lendala and ask him to meet me in the entrance hall as soon as possible. Tell him it's an emergency!" The maid nodded and scurried off down the hallway, while Emma rushed down to the entrance hall to meet the king.
When Reginald entered the hall with Sophronia on his heels, Emma let out a deep breath that she didn't know she'd been holding. "King Reginald, Henry and I have thought more about your arranged marriage proposal between Henry and Sophronia." Sophie gasped and Reginald had a thoughtful look on his face. "We accept the proposal and ask that the princess be introduced to the Enchanted Forest's court and subjects as soon as possible, as Henry shall be expected to be introduced to Lendala's court and subjects. Henry and I agreed that it's a great way to make our existing alliance stronger. Do you agree?"
Sophie looked up at her father pleadingly, and Reginald looked down at her thoughtfully. "If Sophronia marries your son Prince Henry, she will one day rule as Queen Sophronia of the Enchanted Forest, is that correct?"
Emma smiled calmly. "Yes, that is correct. Henry is second in line to the throne, right after me."
Reginald looked around thoughtfully. "And what of Henry's father. I've never heard mentions of him."
Emma kept a mask of indifference on her face. "He is deceased, killed by Zelena, the Wicked Witch of the West, in the realm of no magic, Storybrooke. We miss him every day."
Reginald bowed his head toward Emma. "I'm very sorry for your loss, Princess Emma. We also accept the proposal. Shall I have my secretaries write up a contract and send it ahead to your parents to look over?"
Emma smirked at the king. "Rumpelstiltskin will also look over the contract with my parents to decide whether or not it is truly fair. But yes, that sounds like a wonderful plan." Emma held out her hand to shake Reginald's, before giddily returning to her and Henry's suite. When she entered Henry's room, he was pacing and hadn't noticed her return. When the door slammed closed, Henry looked up and ran over to his mother.
"What happened? Is everything okay? Did he accept the proposal? Is Sophie still marrying the old guy?" Henry kept asking question after question, interrupting Emma when she tried to answer.
Emma smiled patiently down at Henry. "Looks like you're no longer single, kid. You're now engaged to Princess Sophronia of Lendala. The contract is being written up, which all three of your grandparents will be looking over so we're not taken advantage of. Now go put your shoes on and button up your jacket. It's time for the naming ceremony."
Henry rushed around the room, fixing last minute details about his outfit. As Henry and Emma walked arm-in-arm through the castle, they heard the sounds of loud chattering and many clinking glasses. They entered the redecorated ballroom and took their seats at a table reserved for them near the front. All of Camelot's subjects were crowded into the large ballroom, along with the invited royal guests. Maria was sitting in a throne to the right of Arthur, looking nervous. Arthur held Emmeline, who was wrapped in a pink blanket and gurgling happily.
When Arthur stood up from his throne, the room went silent. "Thank you honored guests and subjects for coming to this exciting last minute celebration. I want to introduce to you my fiancee and the mother of my child, Miss Maria Louise Laken." He gestured to the pale-looking Maria, sitting down on the throne fit for a queen. The people cheered and clapped, but Emma noticed some of the royals looking uneasy about her lack of a title and about them being unmarried. "And, what we've all been waiting for. I present to you my firstborn daughter, the future queen of Camelot, Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Emmeline Sofia Marie Laken." He pulled the blanket away from her face, allowing everyone in the room to see her. They all cheered and hollered, excited to meet the new royal. Champagne was poured, the people danced, and Henry and Sophie talked during the entire party.
When Emma and Henry's carriage pulled up to the front of the castle to take them back home, King Arthur and the future Queen Maria, who was holding Princess Emmeline, walked them out. Arthur grabbed Emma's hand and shook it heavily. "We can never thank you enough. If the Enchanted Forest is ever in danger, do not be afraid to ask for help from my knights. We will gladly come to your kingdom's rescue." Arthur turned to a silent Henry before bowing low to the young prince. "And I hear congratulations are in order for you, Prince Henry. May you marriage to Princess Sophronia be a happy and successful endeavor."
Emma smiled down at a flabbergasted Henry. Henry shakily smiled up at the king before bowing as well. "And the same to you and Miss Maria, Your Highness."
Emma waved to Camelot's royal family as the carriage pulled away. She turned to face her son and smiled at him. "Not the ball you were imagining, huh?"
Henry shook his head before craning his neck to look at the receding castle in the distance. "No, not at all." He cuddled into Emma's side before yawning largely. "It was way better." Emma ran her fingers through his hair, humming quietly. He fell asleep quickly, the excitement of the past two days wearing off.
Emma kissed her son on the forehead. "Sleep well, Henry," she whispered to her snoring son, before resting her head on the top of his and falling into a deep sleep.
Emma was shaken out of her nap when the carriage hit a large bump. She rubbed her eyes with one hand, keeping her other arm wrapped around her sleeping son. She craned her neck out the window, looking up at their castle. A few minutes later, Emma shook Henry awake, telling him that they arrived home. They were greeted by Emma's parents and baby Neal on the front steps. Snow looked giddy when she saw them.
"Was the ball amazing? Did everything go okay?" David bit his lap to stop the laughter from spilling out due to his wife's excitement.
Emma rolled her eyes at her mother's excitement. "Yes, Mom. We now have alliances with the kingdoms of Camelot and Lendala. Oh, and I helped King Arthur's fiancee give birth and Henry is now engaged to Lendala's Princess Sophronia."
Both Snow and David's jaws dropped. David's eyes darted from his daughter to his grandson. "You helped deliver Arthur's firstborn child?"
Emma nodded and giggled at the confused faces of her parents. "Did you not get the contract from King Reginald? It was sent out early this morning."
Snow nodded. "Yes, it arrived earlier. Rumpelstiltskin is looking it over, making sure there's no backdoor loopholes that robs us of our kingdom or castle or anything else. On Henry's 18th birthday, he shall be wed. He still has many years to allow him to still be a kid."
David smiled down at a blushing Henry. "A certain pirate ship has just pulled into port if you want to go say hello."
Henry smiled brightly. "Killian's back!" Henry screamed, before rushing down to the port into the open arms of the Enchanted Forest's Navy captain. Emma smiled at her two boys before making her way over to them.
Killian's bright blue eyes met Emma's green ones. He untangled his arms from around Henry and ran over to pick Emma up and spin her around. He kissed her hungrily, still holding her up. He rested his forehead against hers, both catching their breaths.
"I missed you, love," he whispered.
She kissed him on the cheek. "I missed you too. You'll never believe what happened at King Arthur's ball last night."
Killian smirked. "Did you save his kingdom from another evil witch?"
Emma smiled. "No, not quite. I helped a maid who was pregnant with Arthur's kid give birth, Princess Emmeline was named after me, and then Henry got engaged to Princess Sophronia of Lendala."
Killian looked down at a grossed out Henry. "Oi, Henry, you're off the market for good? You've only just become a teenager!"
Henry blushed and looked at the ground. "I'm not getting married until I'm 18, Killian."
Killian wrapped his arm around Henry and steered the two royals toward the castle. "Let's go eat. Dried jerky gets quiet tiring after eating it for long periods of time. I want Granny to make me one of her famous egg sandwiches and a glass of rum."
Emma grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together. "Maybe next time you can attend a ball with me, Captain Jones."
Killian threw his head back and laughed. "I'm not royalty, love."
Emma smirked at him. "In two months you will be, future Prince Killian of the Enchanted Forest. You are going to be the husband of a princess. Or did you forget?"
His eyes widened when he looked down at his and Emma's engagement rings. "Bloody hell!"
Emma and Henry laughed at his shocked expression, before dragging him into the castle for some much needed food made by Granny.
A/N- I just couldn't stop picturing Emma and Henry after they returned to the Enchanted Forest. And I just had to throw in some Captain Swan at the end! Hope you enjoyed the one-shot! Review and tell me what you thought!