I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters.
She felt the wet moss squish between her toes. Her arms had grown tired of holding her bunched up dress, so now it dragged along the forest floor getting dirtier and dirtier with every step she took.
She stepped on a fallen branch and it snapped under her weight, sending a flock of startled birds flying, which in case startled her. She was always on edge when she entered the forest. Her father had warned her many times not to go into the forest alone, which of course is why she was here now. Her parents were always restricting her from going anywhere that the Evil Queen Regina could find her, but Emma found it quite irritating. The Queen had made no threat since being banished. In fact, they had heard nothing from her or about her since. That didn't make her parents any less weary though. At 10 years old she still had to have a guard escort her to and from her bed chamber as well as anywhere else in the kingdom.
The forest seemed to grow darker as she went further in, but Emma wasn't scared, or at least that's what she wanted to believe. It also had grown colder causing her to shiver violently. She had discarded her winter cloak near the beginning of the forest. It was hanging on a low branch. She had hoped that at least keeping that clean would not raise suspicion.
All of a sudden she heard the padding of feet from her right, a whole lot of feet by the sounds of it. It was like a stampede. Her eyes widened and her breathing stopped. Had her father been right? Had Regina somehow found her in the forest?
She scrambled to the nearest tree and began to climb. The bark cut into her hands and she lost her footing a couple of times, but her grip was tight. Once she felt she was high enough up, she perched herself on a sturdy branch and awaited the sight of the queen's black carriage. Her mind drifted to what would happen if Regina did capture her. Would Regina kill her? No, she would use her to lure out her parents. Then she would finally have the chance to kill her mother and who knows what she would do with her father, probably kill him as well. Then she would use Emma as her own personal slave. Emma shuddered at the thought.
The pounding grew closer, but then she heard something unexpected; a howl and then a whole series of howls in response. It wasn't the evil queen. It was a pack of wolves. A sea of white and grey flooded through the woods. Emma smiled at the sight. It wasn't that she was happy to see them, they were by far one of the most vicious creatures in the kingdom, she was just relieved it wasn't the evil queen.
As the wolves grew more scattered Emma knew it was safe to come down, but as she descended she saw something peculiar. A boy was on all fours scampering at the back of the pack. He looked to be about her age, maybe older, brown hair, and stained clothes the seemed to barely fit. Hadn't anybody told this boy it wasn't safe to play with wolves?
She hadn't meant to follow him further into the forest and risk getting lost, it was her curiosity. It was hard keeping up with them. She didn't know how the boy did it especially on all fours. She was gasping for air and clutching her ribs by the time they had come to a halt at what looked like a den. She peeked from behind a tree that was shielding her from their view. Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion when the boy actually entered the den behind them. That boy would certainly be eaten, she thought. She wasn't going to let that happen.
She moved from behind the tree and slowly made her way towards the den. As she drew closer to the entrance she was accosted by a horrible stench. The smell of rotting flesh stung in her nose. She could almost feel the bile rising in her throat. She collapsed to the ground violently dry heaving. Once the feeling of nausea subsided she picked herself up, dusted herself off, and took a deep breath before attempting to enter the wolf's den for a second time.
She tried to ignore the growing stench as she traveled further in. Unfortunately she could not ignore the escalating sound of snarling and snapping coming from the wolves further in the den. Was she too late? Had the boy already been eaten? If she didn't get out in time was she going to be next? Her heart started beating faster and it was almost as if the den had grown hotter, but it didn't stop her from moving forward.
The scene she stumbled upon would probably haunt her dreams for many nights to come. The wolves were huddled together, shoving each other to get a better position on their kill. Entrails flew through the air and blood was splattered on the walls. Before she knew it a gasp had left her throat. She tried to stop it from leaving her mouth by covering it with both of her hands, but she was too late. The feasting immediately ceased and one by one the wolves turned in her direction, muzzles scrunching and snarling. Their eyes were dark with hunger as they slowly approached her. As they left the corpse abandoned and forgotten behind them, Emma was able to see that they weren't actually feasting on the boy she had seen, but a deer. She instantly felt relieved, like she was able to breathe again, but it only lasted a second. The wolves were drawing closer and there was no escape. She knew she couldn't outrun them.
A wave of regret washed over her. She should have listened to her father's warning. She wondered how they were going to find her. They would probably send one of their guards to escort her to dinner and when the guard returned to tell them she was not there they would search the grounds. Someone would find her coat and shoes by the beginning of the forest and her father would know that she had disobeyed him. How long would it take for them to find her; days, weeks? Would they even recognize her or would she just be a pile of bones among the many others in this den? Even though it would be all her fault for not listening, her father would blame himself and that thought made tears fall from her eyes.
She could feel the hot breath of a wolf brush against her fingers. They were so close that they could probably smell the blood pumping through her veins. She wouldn't be much of a meal to them, more of a snack really.
She opened her eyes for a split second to see that the wolves were at least 5 feet in front of her, drooling tremendously. She quickly snapped them shut again. She wasn't going to watch them devour her. She didn't want to know when it would happen.
She may not have wanted to know when it was going to happen, but she was sure it would have happened by this point. She risked opening her eyes again and before her the wolves stood frozen in place. She didn't understand why they had stopped until she saw the boy she had come to save crouched in front of her. He began growling and barking, like he was telling them to back away and that she wasn't their next meal. At first she thought they weren't going to listen, that they were now going to eat both of them, but surprisingly they started slowly backing away until they had returned to the deer corpse and resumed their meal.
She didn't know how long she had been holding her breath, but she finally let it out. Her heartbeat slowly returned to normal, but her hands hadn't stopped shaking. The blood seemed to rush to her head which made her feel faint, but she wasn't about to fall over in the midst of these hungry wolves. She fanned herself to calm her nerves and closed her eyes to collect herself. When she opened them again she was face to face with the boy who had just saved her life. His was the same height as her so she was looking straight into his blue eyes. He had a heap of brown curls on top of his head and was scarily thin, almost gangly even. How had such a weak little boy stared down a pack of murderous wolves?
"Thank you for saving me." She said breaking the silence. She crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed her arms nervously.
He gave her no answer in response and turned around to walk towards the deer corpse that was almost void of any meat. The rest of the wolves had had their fill and were now sleeping in the corner. She watched as he slowly made his way towards the mangled deer and crouched in front of it. She looked on in complete horror as his face moved closer and he sank his teeth into some meat that was left on the ribs. As he yanked a piece off, blood trickled down his chin. The nausea she thought had disappeared crept up again. It didn't look like it was affecting him in the same way as he dove back in for another bite. That's when it suddenly hit her. This boy wasn't just playing wolf for a day, he actually thought he was one. How had this happened? Had he been abandoned by his parents in the woods and somehow the wolves had accepted him into their pack? Her heart broke for him as his face grew redder with blood as he continued to rip into the dead animal.
She wasn't going to watch this anymore. He would surely die if he continued living like this and if she could do something to save him she would.
He had finished eating and wiped his face clean with his sleeve. He crawled over to the rest of the wolves and fell asleep near a little pup as white as snow. It actually made Emma smile to see how adorable they looked. She shook herself from the moment and looked towards the entrance of the den. Panic shot through her when she noticed the sun was setting. She hadn't expected to be out this late and she wasn't sure if she was going to get back before dark.
She walked as quietly as she could out of the den as to not wake the wolves, but once she was out she sprinted for the castle. When she reached the end of the forest she slipped on her shoes and pulled her coat back on. As she approached the castle she checked to make sure no guard was in sight. Once she knew it was clear she started scaling the wall, climbing towards the window she had left open to her room. The moment her feet touched the floor of her room she heard a knock at the door. She flung her shoes off her feet and leaped on to her bed, situating herself to make it look like she had been there the entire time.
"Come in." She answered, trying to keep her voice from showing how nervous she was.
She smoothed down her dress one more time before the guard had fully entered her room and bowed to her.
"Dinner is ready m'lady. I have come to escort you." He said.
She slowly slid out of bed until she was on her feet. Thankfully her shoes hadn't flown too far in her rush to get them off so she was easily able to slip them on.
"Right, shall we go then?"
The guard looked at her strangely. For a second she was worried he could tell where she had been. Was her hair disheveled? Could there be blood on her face? Curse her curiosity!
"Yes, but if you don't mind me asking Princess, why do you have your coat on?" He asked.
She let out a sigh of relief and her nerves went with it. "I got cold." She lied.
The guard let out a laugh deep from his belly that echoed through the room. "Why of course you got cold, your window is open." He strode over to the window and forcefully shut it, latching it closed.
She gave him a shy smile. "Well you know how I like to listen to the birds while I'm reading. I must have forgotten that I had left it open." She said innocently.
"I'm sure you won't need your coat at dinner m'lady. The castle is plenty warm." He informed her.
"Right," She said, her voice starting to shake.
If she took off her coat in front of him he would surely see the stains on the bottom of her dress and know she had gone out alone.
"If you would just wait outside of my door I will come out when I have changed." She ordered.
"But you're just removing your coat m'lady." He argued.
Her hands balled into fits and she felt the heat rising in her cheeks. "It may just be my coat, but I would feel more comfortable if you would wait outside and that's an order. Would you like me to tell my father that you disobeyed me?" She said, cocking an eyebrow and placing her hands on her hips.
She could tell the guard knew he had crossed a line and smiled triumphantly.
"There will be no need for that Princess. I will wait outside for you as you have ordered." He then bowed to her and left the room so she could change.
She left her dress in a heap on the floor and scoured her closet for a dress to wear to dinner. Her scowl grew more and more as each dress she passed seemed uglier than the last. That was the case until one dress caught her eye. It was a beautiful deep blue with diamond accents around the neckline, sleeves, and hemline. It made her think of the boy that had saved her life tonight. It matched his eyes perfectly. She would wear it tonight for him, as a thank you. No one would know why, it would just be for her, like her own little secret and knowing that made her smile.
She slipped on the dress and checked herself in the mirror to make sure everything was in place. As she stared at herself in the mirror she noticed that she looked kind of pale. Her body must still be in shock she thought. She hoped her parents wouldn't notice her pale complexion and worry.
Once she felt she was ready she opened the door and walked out into the hallway. The guard was standing outside of her door just like she had ordered.
"I must say, you look stunning m'lady." He complimented her as he held out his arm for her to take. "Shall we go?"
"We shall." She said as she took his arm and they walked towards the dining hall.
She had thought of the idea last night during dinner. Her plate was still full once her parents had finished. She hadn't felt that hungry with the visions of the bloody deer corpse that kept flashing in her mind. As the servants were taking their plates away, Emma eyed all the delicious food she had left untouched. Her mind drifted to the boy in the forest and what he had for dinner that night. He wasn't eating a four course meal with peppered chicken, roasted potatoes, steamed green beans, and spice cake. She couldn't even fathom eating raw meat when she had all of this food in front of her.
"Emma, you didn't even touch your food. Is everything alright?" Her father asked sounding concerned.
"Everything is alright. I'm just not very hungry." She answered. She averted his gaze and stared down at her hands in her lap.
"Are you feeling ill?" Her mother asked. Snow reached over to feel Emma's forehead, but she jerked away.
"No, I just-I," She was stumbling over her words. She had to think of something quick. "I was snacking on cookies up in my room so I'm not very hungry right now." She fibbed. She was probably starving, but she couldn't force herself to eat one bite.
"Emma, you know how I feel about you snacking on sweets before dinner." Her father scolded her.
"I know father. I'm sorry. It will never happen again, I promise." She apologized.
She had gone to bed that night on an empty stomach, but it hadn't bothered her. Not when she couldn't stop thinking about what she was planning on doing the next day.
She had snuck into the kitchen the next morning and stuffed a basket full of lemon cakes, freshly baked bread, dried meat, and a few apples. She had lowered it from her window with her bed sheet and then climbed down the wall of the castle. She did the same thing as the day before; hung her coat on a tree near the entrance of the forest and left her shoes there as well.
She thought that once she had entered the forest she would know exactly where to go to get back to the den, but as she walked further in she found herself completely lost. Nothing looked familiar. She crossed a creek that she hadn't remembered coming across the other day. She felt like she was going in circles and that she wasn't even coming close to where the den actually was.
Hours must have passed. The sun had grown higher in the sky than when she had entered the forest. Hopefully no one had noticed her absence.
She had grown more frustrated as the hours passed. So much so that she had thrown the basket to the ground and flung herself to the earth, weeping in defeat. This was such a stupid idea, she thought. Who was she to think that she could help anyone? Now she was lost in the woods with no knowledge of how to find her way out. Her father would have to send a search party to find her and once she was returned to the castle she would probably be locked away until she was married off. This all made her cry harder.
Her whaling was interrupted by howling far off in the distance. Her head shot up in shock. She quickly picked herself up, wiped the tears from her eyes, grabbed her basket, and headed in the direction she heard the howl come from. She didn't know if she was even headed in the correct direction. It just felt right to her. Before she knew it she had arrived at the clearing and there was the den right in front of her.
What was she supposed to do now? Should she wait until they arrived and just hand it to him? Would he even take it from her if she did? They could also already be in the den with another kill. Did that mean she was too late? She certainly wasn't going to go in there again. Maybe she should leave it at the entrance of the den and just hope that he found it.
She decided that leaving the basket there would be the best option and took a step towards it, but she was cut off by a wolf rushing past her. She jumped back in fright as the rest of the wolves ran past her. She stood as still as possible and waited for all of them to pass. She was confused when she didn't see the boy at the end. Was it possible that he had been somewhere in the middle and she had just missed him? She assumed that was the case and once the wolves were all inside of the den she made her way towards the entrance so she could leave the basket there.
She had just placed the basket on the ground when she heard someone come up behind her. She slowly turned around and saw him, the boy that had saved her last night, charging towards her on all fours. In a split second he was on two feet and standing right in front of her. She stood frozen in place as he looked over her. When their eyes met she didn't feel frightened anymore, she actually felt completely comfortable with him. She felt it was safe enough for her to move without him feeling threatened, so she stepped aside to reveal the basket on the ground. He looked down at it and then back at her. He seemed timid, like he was looking for permission from her to inspect the basket. She gave him a nod of reassurance and she was glad to see the recognition in his eyes. He crouched down and began sniffing the basket. When he had determined the basket was safe he opened the lid.
When he looked up at her the expression on his face was something she couldn't describe. It was like he had never experienced generosity like this, like he had never experienced such selflessness and he looked thankful. She was afraid that he would refuse the food and try to give it back to her so she gave him another nod signaling to him that it was okay for him to eat it.
He was tentative at first. Every time he would barely put his hand in the basket he would jerk it back. He did it a couple more times until he finally pulled out a lemon cake. It started off with just a nibble, but then it was like he had transformed right before her eyes. His pupils grew darker and his bites got larger. It was like nothing she had ever witnessed before. Once he had finished the cake he returned to the basket, stuffed both hands in and they came back out with everything she had packed in there, minus the apples, she noted. She watched as he scarfed it all down, licking his fingers clean.
When he was finished he sat there staring at her with his wide blue eyes. She wasn't sure what to do. She wanted to say something, but she found she couldn't form the words. She gave him a shy smile, but his expression didn't change. She hadn't expected anything from him and she wasn't offended that he wasn't groveling at her feet. She had accepted that this was as far as their interaction would go, so she inched forward and picked the basket up. She felt the apples roll inside of it. She had been so captivated by his animalistic state of hunger that she had completely forgotten that he hadn't eaten the apples.
She shook her head and giggled softly. Of course he hadn't eaten the apples. She thought of just leaving them in there and returning them to the kitchen, but then she changed her mind. The things she had brought for him weren't that nutritious. The apples were probably the healthiest items in the basket. She reached inside, grabbed the apples, and placed them on the ground in front of him. She wasn't going to force him to eat them and by the disgusted look on his face it didn't look to promising, but she wasn't going to deprive him from a source of nutrition.
He still hadn't moved. He was still sitting on the ground staring at her. She felt it was time to leave so she started to slowly back away. When she was far enough away from him she turned her back towards him and made her way back towards the castle.
Later that night her father would comment on how happy she looked. She would come up with some lie to tell him like she read a good book today, but she wouldn't tell him that the smile that had been permanently placed on her face all day had been because a boy in the woods. Her parents also wouldn't see that the smile didn't disappear once she had fallen asleep.
The next day she decided she was going to bring him food again. She liked the way it made her feel to see the indescribable look on his face. The second time she picked different things to take like spice cake and rosemary bread. One thing she didn't change was the apples. If he had ended up eating the apples she had left then now there would be more for him. If not, maybe her bringing more would show him that they were important.
Finding the den a third time was a little bit easier, when she went to place the basket down in the same spot as yesterday she found the apples in exactly the same place she had left them. She ignored them and found a nice area to sit and wait. It was far enough away that the wolves wouldn't feel threatened, but close enough that she could still see the basket. Now all that was left to do was wait.
She was shaken from sleep by the sound of howling. She didn't know when she had fallen asleep, but when she ran a hand through her hair and leaves and twigs came out she determined it had been a while. She jumped when the wolves burst through the trees and waited to see the boy find the basket. When he appeared in the clearing she rose to a sitting position and watched as he approached it. He looked around, looking for her she realized, but when he didn't see her he returned to the basket. He wasn't as reserved this time. He obviously knew what it was. He looked surprised to find she had different items in the basket, but tossed the apples to the side once again.
She watched as he devoured the food with as much eagerness as the day before, eating every last bite. She never saw an apple reach his mouth though which disappointed her. He got up from the ground and she took that as a signal that he was finished, but something she hadn't expected happened. He bent down, picked up the basket, and to her astonishment, started walking towards her. She hadn't realized he had noticed her. They had never made eye contact. He must have just sensed that she was there.
She rose to her feet when he had reached her and he offered her the basket. She gave him a smile and when she took it from his hand she felt the roll of the apples in the basket once again. She gave him a stern look, reached in the basket, pulled out the apples, and did the same thing that she had done the day before. Maybe now he would get the message. She gave him another sweet smile and walked back to the castle.
It becomes a regular thing for them. She continues to bring him food, not every day, she doesn't want to raise suspicion, but she brings food as frequently as possible. To her amusement the pile of apples grows larger each visit.
Even though she feels more comfortable around him as the weeks go by she doesn't push it. She's not sure how he feels and she doesn't want to frighten him. 2 weeks after she started bringing food to him he allows her to sit next to him. She enjoys watching him enjoy the food. It's like he appreciates each bite and it always makes her smile. He has never smiled though, not even once.
It had been 3 days since she had last visited him. This time when she arrived he was waiting for her which she found quite odd. There was something different about the atmosphere around them, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was.
They sat in silence while he ate. She started pulling grass from the ground, a nervous habit she had picked up to fill the time as she waited for him to finish.
"Do you pity me?"
She halted mid tug. Her eyes widened in shock. When she looked up she saw him rolling an apple in his hands. He wasn't looking at her. He was concentrating on the apple.
They were the first words he had ever spoken to her. She was thrown by his accent, but she actually found it fitting.
She wanted to answer him, but the words died in her throat.
"I can tell you do." He continued. "When you smile I can see it. There's always something hidden behind it; a sadness. You feel sorry for me." It was like he was spitting his words at her.
She wanted to argue with him, but she knew he was right. A drop of water landed on her dress. At first she was confused, but when she reached up and touched her cheek she realized it was from her; she had started crying. Now that she was crying there was no way she would be able to answer him.
"Well you shouldn't." He said causing her to look at him through teary eyes.
Her feeling of sadness left when those words left his mouth and were replaced with anger. How rude of him to tell her how to feel. It was her right to feel however she wanted and no one was allowed to tell her otherwise. She was the princess after all, but then again he didn't know that. She had to remember that.
"And why is that?" She was finally able say. Her voice didn't come out as confident as she had wanted, but she didn't care.
She wiped the tears from her eyes and when she looked at him again he was looking straight at her. His stare was intense. It reminded her of the look her father would get sometimes when he was angry with her, but his stare didn't scare her like her father's did, it intrigued her.
He left her gaze and looked up at the sky. "Because I've never felt more free than when I'm running with my pack."
My pack. She could feel the emotion in his voice when he said it. It was like they meant everything to him, like they were his family and she believed him. They both fell silent and she took this time to collect her composure. Once she had calmed down she felt the need to speak again.
"If you don't mind me asking, how did they end up being your pack?" She asked.
She hoped he hadn't been offended by her nosiness. This was the first time he had ever spoken to her and she was instantly filled with the need to know everything about him.
"They saved my life." He answered. He had dropped the apple by this point. His arms were resting on his bent knees, his forehead rested on his clasped hands and he was looking at the ground. She watched him for several minutes. His shoulders were tense, his hands were gripped together tightly, but when he exhaled his body relaxed. He met her gaze again and she noticed a change in his demeanor. She could tell he was about to share something very personal with her and she repositioned herself to show him that she was ready to listen.
"My father was an angry man. I can't remember a time when he wasn't angry." His voice started to shake and that made her want to reach out and comfort him, but she was afraid that might be too intimate so she kept her composure and continued to listen to his story.
"When he would come home at night he would be even angrier than when he had left. He also came home smelling horrible. Just thinking about it makes me sick." He paused for a moment and she feared that he had actually just made himself ill, but then he continued. "He would take his anger out on my mother, throwing her across the room, slapping her until she bled. And when he was finished with her, if he hadn't passed out by that point, he would move on to me."
His confession made her stomach turn and she could feel the tears starting to form in her eyes, but she had to hold them back.
"One night was worse than all the others. It was storming outside. My father had come home very late, but as always my mother had waited up for him. She had put me to bed earlier, but the thunder from the storm had woken me and I was scared. When I had gone into the kitchen to find her my father had just come home. I had never seen so much anger in a man. He charged towards my mother and gripped her neck with both of his hands. He started strangling her and I did nothing to stop him. I was so scared. I didn't know what to do and by the time I had finally mustered up the courage to yell at him my mother's body had fallen lifeless in the chair."
Emma's heart felt like it had broken in half when he told her this, but what she feared was what he had yet to tell her.
"When he was finished with my mother I knew I was next. He could never walk that well when he came home so I knew that if I ran from him he wouldn't be able to catch me. So I ran right past him, out the front door and into the storm, but it was raining so hard that I could barely see anything. Somehow I had ended up in the woods, but I could hear my father yelling my name so I knew I couldn't stop. Unfortunately, since I couldn't see, I stepped right into a hole in the ground and my foot got stuck. I pulled and pulled and pulled, but my leg wouldn't come free. As I struggled, my father's voice grew closer and closer. Before I knew it he was right in front of me. I begged and begged for him not to hurt me, but he didn't listen. I thought it was all over until I saw a wolf leap in front of me and latch on to his neck. The wolf brought my father to the ground, thrashed its head and ripped my father's throat out."
Emma's heart had never beaten so fast. Her father never let her listen to his battle stories. "A young lady does not need to hear stories like these. They are far too dark and frightening." When he would tell her this she always felt like he was just being over protective, but now she understood why.
"I just sat there stunned, looking at my father's motionless body. The sight was gruesome, but I couldn't force myself to look away. Once I had recovered from shock I was able to free my foot. I tried to stand, but my legs were shaking uncontrollably. The wolf must have seen me struggling because it padded over and took the collar of my shirt in its mouth to help me stand. It must have felt it had done what it had come there to do because it started walking away. I didn't want it to leave because if it did-if it did,"
His emotions had finally caught up with him and he broke down in tears. His whole body moved as he sobbed heavily. Emma couldn't stop herself. She placed her hand on his shoulder and gripped it tightly. He lifted his head to look at her and she saw the pain in his eyes. She let him cry. It was almost as if he had never allowed himself to cry about it before.
When his sobbing stopped she knew he had to finish his story so she waited patiently for him to continue."I knew if the wolf had left me there I would have been completely alone. So I chased after it and gripped on to its fur as it led me to the rest of the pack. I must say they weren't to welcoming at first," he said with a chuckle "but after a while they accepted me as one of them. They became my new family and for once in my life I wasn't scared."
She didn't know what to say. What do you say to someone that has been through that experience? She had nothing to compare it to. Her father loved her and her mother and he would never hurt either of them. Now she understood why he didn't want her to pity him. It was odd to admit, but living with the wolves was probably the best thing for him.
"I'm so sorry." She was finally able to say. "I wish I could tell you that I know how you feel, but I can't."
She hadn't realized that her hand was still tightly gripping his shoulder until he shrugged. She instantly jerked her hand away and crossed her arms over her chest.
"It's okay. No one should ever know what that's like." He said.
She looked at him and he must have sensed her stare because he lifted his head to meet her gaze.
"But I want you to know that I don't pity you. In fact, I think I'm jealous of you." She admitted.
His brow furrowed in confusion. "Jealous? Of me? What are on earth do I have that someone could be jealous of?" He asked in disbelief.
"It's like what you said. You've never felt freer than when you are running with your pack. I've never felt free. I have eyes on me at all times and I can never go anywhere by myself. I feel like a caged bird that has had its wings clipped." She confessed.
"You sound like a princess or something." He chuckled.
She kept quiet, waiting for the realization to hit him. When she saw his eyes widen she knew it had.
"That means you must be Princess Emma." He realized.
He scrambled to his feet and she rose to hers slowly. When they were both standing, he slowing bowed to her. She hadn't expected that from him.
"You don't need to bow to me." She said.
When he returned to a standing position he gave her a slight smile. "I'm afraid it is customary my Princess. I have no choice." He smirked.
The exchange felt so wrong. Usually when people bowed to her she didn't find it so odd, but with him it was. After the story he had just told her she didn't feel like he had to bow to anyone.
She hadn't realized it, but it had grown dark outside. His story must have taken longer than she thought and she had been so captivated by it that she had lost track of time. She chewed her lip in irritation. She didn't want to just leave him like this, but if she didn't get back in time someone would notice that she was missing.
"I'm sorry to leave you like this, but I'm afraid it is time for me to go, less I really want to become a caged bird." She brushed the grass from her skirt, but it was still pretty stained. The cleaning maids were bound to have caught on by now, but to her knowledge they hadn't said anything to anyone. She'd have to do something special for them as a thank you.
"Will you be back tomorrow?" He asked. She noticed how hopeful he sounded and it warmed her heart.
"If you would like me to, I can." She confirmed.
"If you can, could you bring lemon cakes? I quite like those." He said while looking down and rocking on his heels. An action she found out of character for him, but adorable none the less.
When he looked up she gave him a smile and a nod and she walked away. She was in mid stride when she was interrupted by a crunch. She turned around to see he had taken a bite of an apple. She placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side.
"Judging by the large pile of apples I had assumed you didn't like them." She mocked.
He finished chewing a chunk and swallowed. "Well, since you keep bringing them they must be important. So if the Princess demands then you must obey." He took another bite and gave her a wink.
She rolled her eyes and started walking away, but she was interrupted yet again.
"My name is Graham by the way. You never asked, but I thought you should know." He said.
Graham. She liked that name. It certainly fit him.
"And just so you know, it's not in a packs nature to stay in one place for too long. I expect we'll be moving along in a couple of days. I never know where we will go next. I'm not sure how far it will be, but I promise you, I will come back." He said sincerely.
She froze. He was leaving? But they had just had a real conversation for the first time. She wasn't ready to let him go. But he had promised that he would come back and he sounded sincere which made her feel a little better.
"How will I know when you've gone?" She asked.
"I'll think of something." He said with a wink.
She gave him a smile and turned around to walk away again.
"Goodnight Princess Emma!" He exclaimed.
She rolled her eyes in annoyance and didn't even bother turning around.
"Goodnight Graham!" She yelled back.
3 days later when she came back to the den, a lone apple was lying on the ground in front of the entrance. That was the signal. He was gone. She had just seen him yesterday and now he could be a million miles away.
She felt empty. Like a part of her was missing. Is this what it was going to feel like every time he left? What if he never returned like he had promised? She didn't want to be empty for the rest of her life so she had to keep hope that he would in fact return. No matter how long it took, she would wait for him.
I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I'm so excited for this story I can't even begin to tell you :)