Captain Swan AU Week Day 1: Alternate Version
AN: So I've tried to write for CS before and it's never really worked out, but I love writing AUs and since it's AU week I figured I'd give it another go. Since Day 1 is an alternate version of CS, I decided to go with good old fashioned Lieutenant Duckling. I wrote a little story that's sorta kinda based on the Taylor Swift Song "Speak Now" and made a manip to go with it so I hope you like it :)
Speak Now
Princess Emma rushed around her room like a mad woman as she ran back and forth between her wardrobe and her mirror, trying to pick something to wear. Eventually she settled on one of her favorite gowns and tossed it onto her bed, then ran to her vanity and quickly brushed through her tangled hair.
She couldn't believe she had slept in today of all days and now she was almost certainly going to be late if she didn't hurry.
By the time her maid had arrived to help her dress she was already attempting to put the gown on by herself.
"My lady, what in the world are you doing?" she laughed as she came over to help her.
"I overslept," Emma told her breathlessly.
"And might I ask what it is you're late for?"
Emma allowed the older girl to take over, freeing her hands so that she could arrange her hair in a sloppy braid.
"Lieutenant Jones is returning home today and I don't want to miss his arrival," she explained.
"I see," the maid said as she yanked her corset tighter.
"Well, he's actually a captain now," Emma corrected herself. "He received a promotion once his brother married Queen Elsa. I haven't seen him since his brother's wedding."
"Well then you best not be late," the maid told her.
"Thank you," Emma said gratefully before dashing out the door and down the corridor.
xxx
Captain Killian Jones peered through his telescope in anticipation as his ship sailed towards his home, the kingdom of Misthaven, or as it was better known the Enchanted Forest. He could see the small village where they would be making port and he felt his heart leap with excitement. He hadn't been home in months, and he was looking forward to being back, but more than anything he was looking forward to seeing Emma again.
Misthaven's Princess was one of Killian's closest and dearest friends. He had met her at a ball shortly after joining the Navy and, as luck would have it, they'd clicked instantly. They ended up spending quite a bit of time together when neither of them had any pressing duties to fulfill. However, after Misthaven forged an alliance with the kingdom of Arendelle, Killian and his brother were given orders and shipped off to defend their allies against an attack from the Southern Isles.
Killian's visits home became less and less frequent, not only due to the growing threat of the Southern Isles conquest, but also due to his brother's engagement to Arendelle's ruler, Queen Elsa. As the Navy's Admiral, Liam spent plenty of time strategizing and going over battle plans with the Queen, causing the two to grow quite close and eventually fall in love. They soon married and Liam became Arendelle's new King.
It was because of this that Killian had been unable to return home for the past six months. His brother was in need of his assistance to help him not only settle into his new role as King but also sort out who would take his place as Admiral. Now that everything was settled though, he was finally allowed to go home, but only for a couple weeks. He needed to return to Arendelle soon so he could begin making preparations for his own wedding.
Killian grimaced as he was reminded of the true purpose of his homecoming. As excited as he was to see Emma, he was truly dreading having to inform her of what would normally be good news. However, when a man had to tell the woman he was in love with that he was marrying another, it became somewhat less joyous.
It was true that at some point over the many years they had known each other, Killian had fallen hopelessly in love with his best friend. He had always envisioned building up the courage to ask her parents for her hand and, if they even allowed it, taking Emma as his wife. Sadly those dreams dissolved when his brother had come to him with the proposition that he marry Elsa's younger sister, Princess Anna. Not wanting to disappoint him, Killian had reluctantly agreed and everything was arranged. All that was left was for him to tell Emma, then return to Arendelle to make the final preparations. The wedding was in two months.
As the ship sailed into port, Killian caught himself straightening his jacket and dusting off his white pants. He wanted to look his best despite having been at sea for two weeks. As soon as the anchor had been lowered he did one final inspection of his ship, then bid his men farewell before hustling off the ship and onto the docks.
It appeared as though multiple ships had made port this morning, so hordes of people were scrambling here and there, making it nearly impossible for him to search for Emma. She always came to meet him when he came home, so he knew she was here, he just needed to find her.
As he spun himself in circles, hoping he would eventually catch a glimpse of her, he heard someone call out.
"Killian?"
The sound of her voice over the bustle of the crowd brought a smile to his face as he turned around, eyes scanning dozens of faces until they landed on her. She was standing not but a few paces away from him and it only took a few strides to close the gap between them.
"Princess," he greeted her with a quick bow before she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
"It's so good to see you!" she exclaimed.
He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist, reveling in her warmth. God, he had missed her.
When she finally pulled away he noticed that she had dirt on her nose and cheek and her golden hair was in a messy braid that fell down her left shoulder. He looked down and saw that her dress also had splotches of dirt soiled into it and her shoes were caked in mud. Despite her current condition, Emma couldn't have looked more radiant, however the sight was quite amusing.
"What happened to you?" Killian asked with a laugh as he used his thumb to wipe some of the dirt from her cheek.
"Oh, you wouldn't believe the morning I've had," she sighed, linking arms with him and guiding him down the crowded docks.
He listened intently as she told him of her adventurous morning which consisted of her oversleeping, the carriage she was taking to meet him losing a wheel, and her getting thrown from her horse when she insisted on riding the rest of the way.
"You were thrown?" he frowned. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she assured him. "Just a little bruised is all."
"You should have waited for them to fix the carriage. You could have been hurt," he chided.
"Like I was going to miss you coming into port," she rolled her eyes. "You worry too much."
"And you worry too little," he replied. "That's why I worry for the both of us."
They continued their comfortable banter until they reached Emma's horse, which she had tied to a fence post on the outskirts of the seaside village.
"Unfortunately, in my haste to get her in time I didn't think to bring a horse for you," she told him sheepishly.
"That's quite alright," he smiled. "I can walk."
"Don't be ridiculous, I'm not going to make you walk," she giggled. "You're going to ride with me. And don't bother arguing because you know you won't win."
He sighed in defeat, knowing she was right, then mounted the white horse before offer her his hand and helping her climb on in front of him.
Once they were both settled Emma took the reigns and legged the horse forward, steering it onto the trail that would take them to the palace.
"So," she said, "how are things in Arendelle?"
"Things are great," he told her. "Liam and Elsa couldn't be happier, and Liam has taken quite nicely to his new role as King."
"Oh, I don't doubt it. He's always been a natural leader."
"That he has," Killian agreed.
"It's been quite a while since their wedding, hasn't it?" Emma said thoughtfully.
"Six months," he informed her.
"Has it really been only six months since I last saw you?" she asked. "It feels like longer."
"Believe me, I counted the days," he replied without thinking, feeling himself blush when Emma laughed.
"Did you really?" she asked teasingly.
"Well of course," he said smoothly. "I missed you."
She sighed and leaned back into him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"I missed you too."
After a moment of content silence, Killian curiously began asking about her and what she'd been up to during his absence.
Emma replied by telling him of her lessons her mother had been giving her to teach her about being a good ruler. She told him of her younger brother's mischievous schemes, her latest visits to their kingdoms outer villages, and the recent balls she had attended. Killian felt a twinge of jealously when she spoke of potential suitors her parents had been introducing her to lately.
"They're all so dull," Emma told him, making him smile. "All any of them ever wanted to talk about was politics."
"You hate politics," Killian laughed.
"Yes, but unfortunately they didn't know that. I had to pretend to be interested just to be polite," she huffed. "It was torture."
He laughed again as her obvious disinterest in her suitors caused his jealousy to subside. He shouldn't be jealous at all, given that he was now engaged to be married, but he simply couldn't help it.
"You have to tell her," a nagging voice in the back of his mind reminded him.
He sighed, knowing that the longer he put it off, the harder it would be. He cleared his throat, stuttering when he spoke.
"Uh, Emma," he began.
"Yes?" she replied, looking at him over her shoulder with a wide smile and sparkling eyes that momentarily captivated him. She looked so beautiful, so happy, that he couldn't bear to ruin this moment with the news of his engagement.
"What do you say we gallop the rest of the way?" he asked instead, giving her a challenging smirk.
Emma beamed at him before tightening the reigns.
"Hold on," she told him as she legged the horse forward into a fast gallop.
Killian tightened his grip around her waist as they gained speed. He felt slightly guilty for losing his courage a moment ago, but he quickly pushed it out of his mind. He would be here for two weeks, leaving him plenty of time. He would just tell her later.
xxx
Throughout the week following his arrival, Killian and Emma were sure to spend every moment they could with each other. Emma would usually provide them with an activity, such as going for a ride or taking a walk through the palace gardens. One day they even decided to take a carriage to one of the lower villages and spent the afternoon conversing with the citizens and exploring different shops.
Killian was having the time of his life, and he knew it was all because of Emma. He was so head over heels for her that he still hadn't been able to bring himself to tell her that he would be getting married in less than two months. He hadn't even told her that he would be returning to Arendelle next week. It wasn't fair for him to keep such secrets from her, and he knew he needed to tell her soon, he was just waiting for the right moment.
That moment finally presented itself one evening after supper as they were strolling through the halls of the palace.
"You know, we're throwing our annual ball in two weeks in order to celebrate this year's harvest," Emma told him. "Everyone in the kingdom has been invited, and Mother and Father said that we're going to have fireworks this year. It's going to be amazing!"
"I'm sure it will be," he sighed. "Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend such a celebration."
"Why not?" she asked, a hint of disappointment coloring her voice.
"I'm afraid I haven't been very upfront with you, Emma," he admitted.
They stopped walking and she turned to face him.
"What do you mean?"
"I have to return to Arendelle next week," he told her.
"Next week?" she exclaimed. "But you've only just got here. Why do you have to return so soon?"
Killian's mouth ran dry as he looked down at his hands, unsure of how to proceed.
"I, uh…" he stuttered. "I have some news."
"Okay," Emma looked at him expectantly.
"I'm engaged," he blurted out.
Her eyes grew wide with shock and her mouth opened as if she was about to say something, but nothing came out.
"O-oh," she eventually managed.
They stood there in an uncomfortable silence for what seemed like forever before she spoke again.
"Who is she?"
"You wouldn't happen to remember Princess Anna, Queen Elsa's younger sister?" he asked, scratching his head nervously.
"Yes of course," Emma nodded. "You're marrying her?"
"I am," he nodded.
"Wow, that's…" she paused for a moment before a smile spread across her face. "That's so wonderful."
Killian felt his heart sink at her sincerity.
"I'm so happy for you," she beamed as she pulled him into a warm embrace.
"Thank you," he said softly, trying hard to hide his heartbreak. Perhaps this would make things easier now that it was evident his feelings were one-sided.
Despite his feelings, Killian managed to smile when Emma pulled away from him.
"We'll absolutely have to celebrate before you leave," she told him. "When's the wedding?"
"In a little less than two months," he informed her.
"Wow, that soon?" she shook her head.
"Your family should be receiving an invitation in the coming weeks."
"We'll be sure to look out for it," she told him.
Another brief silence ensued before Emma yawned, deciding it was time for her to turn in.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she told him. "Goodnight, Captain."
"Goodnight, Princess," he replied, bowing to her before watching her gracefully walk down the hall, taking the remnants of his heart with her.
xxx
As soon as Emma was out of Killian's sight, she lifted her gown and ran until she reached her room. She threw the door open and closed it behind her, leaning her back against it as she tried to catch her breath.
"I'm engaged," his words echoed through her mind, taunting her.
She couldn't believe it. Killian, her Killian, was getting married to the Princess of Arendelle.
Suddenly Emma could picture it. Killian, all dressed up in his Navy uniform, standing at the altar hand-in-hand with Anna, swearing his love to her. The image was enough to shatter her already broken heart. Her eyes filled with tears that quickly spilled over as she sank to the ground. She buried her face in her arms and felt her entire body shake whenever she repressed a sob.
Emma should have known that Killian would eventually find love, but she had always imagined him finding it with her. She had been in love with him for years now, but he had been none the wiser. Perhaps she had been too subtle, or he truly only ever saw her as a friend?
Whether or not Killian ever thought of her romantically didn't really matter though, at least not anymore. What did matter was the fact that the man she loved was marrying someone else, and she was going to have to sit by and watch.
xxx
7 weeks later…
Killian stood in front of the mirror and stared at his reflection. He adjusted his collar for what felt like the hundredth time before he began nervously fiddling with one of his buttons. As soon as he had returned to Arendelle, time had flown by and now the day of the wedding was here.
He was nervous to say the least, but not because of what one may think. He wasn't afraid of tripping when he walked down the isle or messing up his vows. He was afraid of seeing Emma again.
During his second week back home, Emma had been so happy for him, insisting that he tell her parents himself the good news and wanting to throw an entire ball to celebrate. Despite her excitement, though, she also seemed to distance herself from him. She stopped asking him to go for rides and would retire to her room directly after dinner instead of staying up late to talk with him. When he asked her if she was alright, she told him she was simply tired, so he didn't press the matter. Whatever was going on she clearly didn't want to talk about it. Or perhaps her excitement truly had worn her out. Either way, her spending less time with him hurt him more than he'd care to admit. Although he supposed he should get used to it, given that he probably would rarely see her now that his main responsibility would be to Arendelle and his soon-to-be wife.
Killian winced at the thought of only getting to see Emma once or twice a year. Despite his feelings, she was still his best friend, and not getting to spend as much time with her as he usually does was going to be difficult.
A sudden knock on the door made Killian jump, yanking him from his thoughts.
"Come in," he said.
"Hey little brother," Liam said with a cheeky grin as he came inside.
"Younger brother," Killian corrected him under his breath.
"So, how are you feeling?" Liam asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Nervous," Killian answered truthfully.
"Don't worry, that'll pass soon," his brother told him. "I remember on my wedding day, I was floating on a cloud. Nothing felt real. And then I looked up and saw Elsa walking down the isle, and it was like she grounded me."
"How romantic," Killian said teasingly, ducking as Liam attempted to punch his shoulder.
"I'm trying to help you relax," he chided. "Anyway, I just came to tell you good luck, and that the ceremony is going to start in about 15 minutes."
"Alright," Killian nodded.
With one final pat on the shoulder, Liam left and he was alone again. His solitude didn't last long, however, because soon enough there was yet another knock on his door.
"Come in," he said once more, turning around as the door opened.
His stomach flipped when he watched Emma elegantly step inside and shut the door behind her.
"Emma," he breathed. "Hi."
"Hi," she said back, taking a few steps towards him. "You look so handsome."
"Thank you," he smiled.
"Your collar is a bit crooked though," she informed him as she reached up and straightened it for him. "There."
"What are you doing back here?" he asked.
"Well, I wasn't about to let my best friend get married without wishing him good luck," she said matter-of-factly.
"I see, thank you," he nodded before Emma suddenly threw her arms around him, catching him off guard. He quickly collected himself, though, and hugged her back. When she eventually pulled away he could see that her eyes were brimming with tears.
"I suppose I should go now," she told him, her voice cracking slightly. "Goodbye, Killian."
He watched as she rushed towards the door and he knew that he couldn't let her leave. She had to know how he truly felt. He needed to tell her the truth.
"Emma," he called after her.
She froze, her hand resting on the doorknob, refusing to turn around and look at him. He slowly walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"I have a confession to make," he nearly whispered.
He saw her turn her head just enough so that he knew she was listening, then waited for him to continue.
"I don't want to marry Anna," he told her, swallowing hard as Emma slowly turned around to face him.
"I don't want you to either," she whispered back, a tear escaping her eye and sliding down her cheek.
Killian reached up and tenderly wiped it away with his thumb, then cupped her face in his hands and pulled her towards him.
When their lips met it was like an explosion as all the years of his internalized love for her came pouring out of him in a single impulsive moment that he wished would never end. Emma ran her hands up his chest until her arms encircled his neck. She pulled him closer to her and he drew his hands away from her, wrapping one around her waist while the other cradled the back of her head as he pushed her back against the door. Her lips felt soft against his and he would occasionally taste the saltiness of her tears, which were now flowing freely, when they slid down her face.
When they pulled away from each other they had both been rendered breathless. Killian pressed his forehead against hers as his hands cupped her face once more, his thumbs gently wiping away her tears, which were still falling.
It was in that moment that he knew there was no way he was going to be able to do this. He couldn't marry Anna. Not when he was so hopelessly in love with the woman right in front of him.
"Killian," Emma suddenly whispered, looking up at him from beneath her lashes. "I lo-"
She was interrupted by a loud knock that made them both jump away from the door in surprise.
"Killian, are you still in here?" Liam asked as he pushed the door open, pausing when he saw Emma. "Oh, Princess, what are you doing here?"
"Just wishing the groom good luck," she said before quickly curtseying and excusing herself.
Killian watched her leave, wanting nothing more than to go after her. He almost did until Liam put his arm around his shoulder and began guiding him from the room.
"Are you ready?" Liam asked as he walked him to the doors that led to the great hall.
"Actually, Liam, there's something I need to tell you," he said.
"Whatever it is, it can wait," Liam assured him. "Now smile, you're about to get married!"
Killian was about to protest when suddenly the doors opened and music began playing.
"Bloody hell," he thought, smiling as all his wedding guests stood and turned to watch him.
Instinctively, he began walking, smiling all the while as he neared the altar. While he walked he scanned the crowd in search of Emma, feeling disappointed when he was unable to locate her.
When he eventually reached the end of the isle, he took his place in front of the altar and resumed his search until finally he saw her. She was sitting near the very back, away from her parents who were seated more towards the front. They locked eyes and, even though she was quite far away from him, he could practically feel her pleading with him.
"Please, don't do this," her eyes screamed at him. "Don't marry her."
Just then, the music morphed into the wedding march and Killian's attention was redirected from Emma to Anna as she began making her way down the isle with Elsa. He hadn't even noticed that his brother had come to stand beside him and gave him a nervous smile as Anna drew closer.
Killian would be lying if he claimed Anna didn't look beautiful. Her mother's gown suited her nicely, although it was a tad too long. She would occasionally step on the hem and stumble, relying on Elsa's grip to steady her and prevent her from falling. Eventually, though, she made it to the altar in one piece. She handed Elsa her bouquet and came to stand in front of him, giving him a small, sheepish smile. Killian smiled back and took her hands in his as the chaplain began the ceremony.
The chaplain's words didn't even register with Killian as he continued glancing at Emma out of the corner of his eye. At one point during the service when he went to peek at Emma, he saw that her chair was empty. Feeling panicked after seeing that she was no longer there, he turned his head slightly and saw her rushing out of the great hall. She was leaving.
"No!" he wanted to call after her. "Please don't go!"
But she was already gone, and Killian suddenly felt more determined than ever to put a stop to this wedding. He just didn't know how.
xxx
As soon as Emma was out of the great hall and away from the crowd, she finally felt as if she could breathe. She took multiple deep, calming breaths as she tried to come to terms with the fact that Killian was likely going to go through with this. She couldn't blame him for doing so, though. He likely felt pressured by his brother and by the Kingdom of Arendelle to take Anna as his wife. That didn't mean she was going to let him.
She had to think quickly. Soon enough they would say their vows and that would be it. She'll have lost him forever.
No, she wouldn't let that happen. She would put a stop to this, but how? She couldn't just interrupt their wedding. It would be an embarrassment, not only to her parents but to her Kingdom. So what could she do?
"I could object," she whispered as an idea dawned on her.
There was a moment in every wedding where those who were present were given the opportunity to speak against the union of whoever was getting married. Granted, she'd never seen someone object to someone's marriage and she wasn't really sure what would happen, but it was the only chance she had to stop Killian from marrying the wrong person and she wasn't going to lose it.
Determined, she went back to the door and poked her head out. The chaplain was still rambling and they clearly hadn't said their vows yet, so she knew she wasn't too late.
Emma stood there and waited, listening until finally the moment came.
"If anyone objects to the union of Killian and Anna, speak now, or forever hold your peace."
The entire hall was silent. Emma's stomach was in knots and her hands were sweating as she gathered all her courage and shoved through the doors.
"Wait, stop!"
xxx
The entire hall collectively gasped at Anna's exclamation as she pulled her hands out of Killian's and moved away from him.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, "but I can't do this."
Killian felt as though an enormous weight had been lifted off his chest as the guests began to murmur quietly amongst themselves.
"Anna? What are you talking about, what's wrong?" Elsa asked.
"I'm sorry Elsa, but I don't love him," Anna admitted, giving him an apologetic smile. "I'm in love with someone else."
"If you don't love Killian, then why would you agree to marry him?" Elsa wondered.
"Because I didn't want to disappoint you," Anna told her. "You were so excited by the idea of me marrying Liam's brother that I couldn't say no."
"Oh, Anna, I never wanted you to feel like I was pressuring you to marry someone if you didn't want to. I just want you to be happy," Elsa told her. "And if you love someone else, then they're the one you should be marrying today."
"Thank you," Anna beamed at her sister before enveloping her in a loving hug.
Killian watched the whole exchange and smiled as Anna broke away from Elsa's embrace and turned to face him.
"Sorry about all of this," she said awkwardly.
"No apology necessary," he assured her. "Now go, be with the man you truly love."
Anna grinned and kissed him on the cheek before lifting up her gown and running down the isle, darting up to a blonde man Killian recognized as none other than Arendelle's ice master and nearly tackling him to the ground.
Many of the guests began to cheer and he was suddenly reminded that Emma, the only guest he truly cared about, had walked out of the ceremony. He had to go find her.
"Well, you don't seem too upset by this turn of events," Liam said, stopping him in his tracks. "You never did wish to marry Anna, did you?"
"No, I didn't," Killian admitted.
"Let me guess, you didn't want to disappoint me?" he asked teasingly.
"You guessed it," Killian affirmed.
"I'm sorry, Killian," Liam apologized.
"It's alright, I shouldn't have let you bully me into it," Killian smirked.
"Oh, is that what I did?" Liam laughed. "You know I'm a King now. I could have you hanged for such an accusation."
They both laughed and Liam placed his hand on Killian's shoulder.
"Now, I think it's about time you were with the one you love," he said, gesturing towards the doors.
Killian looked up and couldn't help but grin when saw Emma standing at the end of the isle smiling back at him.
"Go," Liam said, giving him a shove.
That was all the prompting he needed before he was racing down the isle towards her. She began running towards him as well, jumping into his arms once they were close enough. He lifted her up off the ground and spun her around before setting her back down and cupping her face in his hands.
"I was going to object," she told him breathlessly. "I wasn't going to let you marry her."
Killian beamed as he leaned down to kiss her, earning the cheers and whistles of their guests.
"I love you," he told her once he pulled away.
Emma smiled, her eyes filled with joyful tears as she placed her hand on his cheek and replied with those four words he had only ever dreamed of her saying to him.
"I love you too."
FIN
Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know what you thought!