Title: Pirate's Treasure
Fandom: Once Upon A Time
Pairings: Emma Swan/Killian Jones (Captain Hook)
Rating: PG-13 this chapter.
Warnings: This is an AU story. You will recognize most of the characters but this story deals nothing with the curse. Mild Sexual Imagery in this chapter. No Captain Swan interaction in this chapter.
Summary: Emma Swan is a Princess who craves adventure, danger, and passion. Killian Jones is just the pirate to satisfy her desires.
A/N: A huge thank you to allisoniskiller and to outlinedsilver over on Tumblr for their helpful suggestions and corrections. I own nothing. All characters belong to ABC/Disney. Please review or like.
Chapter 1: A Princess's Life Is No Fairytale
Emma Swan was not your ordinary princess. She cared nothing for ball gowns and parties, preferring her riding boots and sword fighting lessons. She spoke her mind, especially against the unfair treatment of women in her kingdom, letting villagers and royalty alike know that a women's worth was not measured by how young she married or how many children she bore. Her opinions often caused her parents to apologize profusely to their guests and she was no longer allowed outside the castle without her tutor, lest she start an uprising.
It was not fair, she often thought, that the men were allowed to fight in battle and travel the kingdom alone while the women were tied to their wifely duties.
"Why should the men have the right to adventure and the women are expected to stay home?" she had asked her tutor, Archie, one afternoon during her history lesson.
"Because men are stronger and better fighters than women, Your Highness," he had answered with a gentle smile.
Her tutor was forced to eat his words moments later when she kicked him off his feet, a furious glint in her eyes.
Emma Swan craved adventure. She craved to be part of a world filled with danger, excitement…and passion.
Oh yes, passion. While Emma was of the sound belief that she could take care of herself and did not need a man to fight her battles, she often longed for a man's touch. Her dreams were plagued with visions of a faceless man pressed against her body, his strong and clever hands caressing her most secret places while his lips nipped at her smooth skin. She would wake, breathless and writhing with her fingers pressed between her legs.
She sat now in her bed chamber, thinking about the erotic book she had hidden under her mattress. She had gone into the market with Archie one summer's day and had seen the book on the bookseller's cart. While Archie perused an ancient tome on magical remedies, she quickly bought it and hid it underneath her cloak. That night she lay in bed and studied the pages, horrified and intrigued at the graphic images and descriptions of lover's uniting.
The chamber doors opened suddenly, breaking her out of her reverie. She blushed faintly as her mother and father, King James and Queen Snow, walked into her room. She rose from her chair as the royal guards bowed out of the room, closing her doors behind them.
"Mother, father," she addressed them formally as she crossed the room towards them. "Is everything alright?"
The Queen took her daughter's hands in hers and squeezed them gently. "Everything is fine Emma. In fact, it is better than fine."
Emma glanced at her father curiously. He smiled brightly and added, "A royal messenger from King George's kingdom arrived early this morning. He has informed me that his King wishes to make an alliance with us."
"An alliance," Emma repeated with a puzzled expression.
"It is no secret that while our kingdom is the wealthiest in all the realm our royal army is…well lacking in numbers. We are vulnerable to our enemies. King George's army is three times our size. He has agreed to help us if the need should arise."
"And what does King George get in exchange?" Emma asked, fearing her father's answer.
King James and his wife looked at one another, their eyes carrying on a silent conversation as Emma waited nervously. The Queen turned to look at her daughter and smiled encouragingly.
"The King has heard of your great beauty. He has requested for your hand in marriage and your father has agreed," the Queen replied gently, as though to lessen the blow.
The blood rushed out of Emma's head and she began to sway. Her mother gasped as her father reached out quickly to guide her to a chair. She swallowed back the fresh wave of nausea that threatened to bubble up and glared up at her parents.
"You…arranged my marriage," she spat out. "You arranged my marriage to man I have never met!"
"It's a good match," her mother defended.
"Why is it a good match? You know nothing of this King other than he has a strong army!" Emma jumped up from her chair and pushed her parents aside.
"Uniting with King George's kingdom will be beneficial to all Emma," he father replied calmly.
"Except for me," she said in quiet desperation. "Will King George let me ride horses and continue with my sword fighting lessons? Will he appreciate that I speak my mind and respect my opinions?"
The King sighed tiredly and stepped closer to his daughter. "Emma, you are no longer a child. You have responsibilities to your kingdom…to your people. Your marriage to King George will ensure our safety."
A lone tear rolled down her cheek as she looked into her father's imploring eyes. Slowly she bowed her head in silent recognition of her fate. Her father wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.
"Your mother and I are very proud of you Emma," he whispered into her golden hair. He patted her back somewhat awkwardly, stepped back and marched out of the room, leaving mother and daughter alone.
Emma turned slowly to stare out the window, unable to look at her mother.
"Emma, please believe me when I say your father would not have agreed to the proposal if he did not think King George would treat you kindly," Queen Snow said beseechingly.
Emma nodded curtly, still refusing to look at her.
The Queen let out a quiet breath. "It seems you wish me to go so I shall." She turned and walked to the doors, pausing before opening them. "The wedding will be in a seven days. Tomorrow the royal herald will announce the news and there will be a week of festivities. The night before the wedding there shall be a ball in honor of you and King George. We have such a short time left together Emma. Please don't spend it hating your father and me."
As the doors closed a shuddering cry broke out of Emma. The sun began to set, casting a golden hue across the kingdom, and she sank to the cold floor, sobbing at the cruel hand fate had dealt her.
A princess's life is no fairytale.