"Excuse me! Excuse me!"
Killian Jones was helping his brother tie down their ship at port when someone called for attention. He turned to find a figure running down the docks, towards their ship. Liam addressed this new arrival while Killian finished knotting a rope to The Jewel of the Realm.
"Yes? Is there anything I can help you with?" Liam politely asked. The figure was wearing a huge cloak with a hood that partially obscured their face, but Killian could swear the voice sounded feminine. He was proven correct when the hood slipped back a bit to reveal the girl's face. She looked to be about thirteen, maybe fourteen, a few years younger than Killian himself. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked to be breathing heavily, had she been running the entire way to the docks? Strands of her long blonde hair were falling into her face.
"I need passage on a ship," she reached into her skirts underneath the cloak. "I can pay." She glanced between Killian and Liam before handing a cloth bag to the elder brother. Liam took the bag, a bit flabbergasted by the situation, and looked inside. He paled.
"Miss, I can't accept this. There has to be about twenty gold pieces in here." Killian quickly hurried to squeeze against his brother's side, desperate to confirm his brother's statement. True to Liam's word, about twenty gold pieces glimmered inside the cloth bag. Liam quickly closed the parcel and handed it back to the strange girl.
"Mind if I ask where you acquired this, Miss…?" She snatched back the bag and shoved it under her cloak. Killian saw her shift her eyes around nervously before stammering,
"Th-The fee also buys your complete discretion. Don't worry about how I got it; I just need a way from this kingdom." Killian and Liam shared a look. Killian finally spoke.
"At least give us a name, and return here tomorrow at dawn. We can take you where you need to be." The girl let out a relieved sigh, and nodded as she pulled her hood back over her face. As she turned to leave the docks, she glanced back at Killian.
"Emma." she stated with a wink. Killian felt his cheeks begin to warm, and he looked away to check that the ship was secure. Liam smirked at his brother, and thanked Emma. He promised to have the ship ready to go by day break tomorrow. She nodded and fled. Liam turned back to his brother and threw his arm around the boy's shoulders.
"That was certainly something, ay Killian? Not everyday you meet a young beauty interested in traveling the seas." Killian shrugged his brother off and began walking down the docks.
"I'm more curious about the fact that she was willing to throw twenty gold pieces at us. We're not a means of vacation, Liam. We don't take passengers aboard our ship. It's just us and our crew." Liam smiled at his younger brother.
"Never fear Killian. Our services as a battle ship have not been needed for many years, since Queen Snow and King Charming assumed power. We have time for a little adventuring now and then. And besides, I saw the way the redness hit your cheeks. You're practically a schoolboy in her presence." Killian stood up to his full height and glared at his brother.
"I am not! I'm merely curious about her identity and where she came to have so much gold in her possession. Don't you find this entire situation strange? This girl shows up out of nowhere with her pockets lined with gold, wishing to flee the kingdom? She could be a criminal, Liam!" Liam said nothing. Killian watched the sly look in his eye flash as he smiled serenely.
"Do you propose to investigate her identity?" Killian shifted and hesitated. Finally, he nodded and took off down the deck.
"I'll see you later brother!" Liam laughed as he watched the figure of his sibling disappear into the town. "This will certainly be interesting…"
Killian arrived on the outskirts of the marketplace, desperate to find where the girl -Emma- had run off to. He debated whether or not to check the bazaar or the woods. Preferring not to get lost before he could discover who she was, he chose to explore the bazaar. Hopefully, she'd be curious enough to see what the peddlers had to offer.
Killian was describing Emma to the seventh merchant before he found someone who thought the description was familiar..
"Ah yes, the girl with the cloak. She was very sweet. Didn't say much, but I like to think of myself as a good judge of character. She was looking at my necklaces." Killian saw the necklaces the old woman was pointing towards. It was very beautiful; he understood why it would capture her interest. The ornament was in the shape of a bird, a beautiful golden swan, and was connected to a silver and gold linked chain. Killian was shaken from his musings when the merchant snapped her wrinkled fingers.
"I see it's enamored you as well. It's said to be forged completely by magic, and that it contains incredible magical properties. I'll give you a deal, because I like to think of myself as a good judge of character. I'll let you have this for a mere fraction of what it's worth. Give it to your beloved when you find her." Killian flushed.
"No! She's not, it's… I'm just looking…" But the old woman had it wrapped up and placed it in a small bag of purple felt before he could formulate a clear response. Something in Killian compelled him to take it, and he retrieved some coins from his jacket pocket. The old woman grinned maniacally as she took the coins from his hand in exchange for the necklace.
"A-ha! Told you, I did. Good judge of character I am, yes sir. Have a wonderful day Lieutenant. Good luck finding your girl" Killian blankly nodded and put the necklace in a secret pocket behind the lapels of his coat. Confused, he walked off to continue his search.
The old woman threw the coins into a box and chuckled quietly to herself.
"Good luck young Killian Jones…"
Emma left the old woman's tent in a daze. There was just something about that swan pendant… She hadn't realized how out of it she was until she bumped into someone. Quickly, she adjusted her hood and apologized.
"Sorry, sorry." Emma wiped the dirt of her skirts as she glanced up -and froze. She recognized the man that ran into her.
"No I'm sorry Miss, I was distracted. You haven't by any wild chance seen the princess of this land have you?" Graham Humbert, Snow White's long-time friend and second-hand man, was standing before Emma. When she was unable to answer, he looked at her curiously.
"Miss? I hope I haven't knocked into you too hard. My apologies." He reached to remove her hood, and Emma flinched away. Coughing a few times to mask her voice, Emma tried to think on her feet.
"I-I haven't seen anyone my lord. Please excuse me; I need to help my brother. He's ill at home." Graham smiled fondly at the girl. He patted her tense shoulder and nodded.
"Of course. I wish you the best of luck, young lass. Carry on." Emma nodded and fled. Graham continued asking around the bazaar for the lost princess. As soon as she was out of earshot, Emma exhaled and sat on a nearby bench.
That was a close one, she thought. Graham must have been really worried, otherwise he would have been focused enough to smell that it was me… Emma wondered whether this whole idea was even worth the stress and worry it would cause her parents and the castle workers. She breathed deeply to calm herself. I just want at least one big adventure. I deserve that much, don't I? Mother and Father got to do all sorts of dangerous things when they were my age. It's only fair if I get to have a little fun before I'm forced into being a princess. She thought the word "princess" with the same amount of disgust any other person might say "plague." Emma was in no way satisfied to live a life in which everything is handed to her and nothing is ever exciting. Emma wanted to run, gallop, chase, explore, hide, fight, and live. Being locked up in a castle, forever above everyone else, is not the kind of life she wants to lead.
"Hey!" A hand came down on her shoulder, grabbing her. Emma shrieked and sprung to her feet in alarm. She desperately tried to pull the hand off of her shoulder, while another arm swung around to hold her waist and lifted her off the ground. She kicked and flailed.
"Emma. Emma! Calm down, I didn't mean to startle you." Emma stopped struggling and twisted to face her supposed attacker. It was the boy from the docks -the younger one.
"Let go of me!" Killian released her and she fell to the ground with a huff. Haughtily, she picked her skirts off the ground and made a big point of brushing off the dirt and righting her vest and cloak. As Killian finished adjusting his own vest and coat, Emma gazed at him appreciatively.
"Why did you grab me?" She asked with her hands on her hips, pouting face exposed when her hood fell away in the struggle. Killian stepped closer, his arms crossed and eyebrows drawn together tightly.
"I want to know who you are." Emma's eyes widened in shock.
"Why? What's there to know?" She asked defensively. Killian pointed to her side.
"You show up out of nowhere with twenty gold pieces, and expect us to sail you out of the kingdom, no questions asked. Surely you realize how suspiciously you act?" Emma gulped and took a couple small steps back. Apparently, she wasn't as subtle as she hoped. When Killian made to grab her arm once again, Emma slapped him away.
"I just need to get away all right? I didn't steal anything, I promise. Not that it's any of your business, but I need to have an adventure before my eighteenth birthday. Haven't you ever wanted to see what's out there?" Emma realized she said way more than she meant to tell this boy. She found she didn't mind all that much. He was just worried about his safety. If it was her, she wouldn't let any suspicious characters into her home either.
"I… I can sympathize with you. It's just my brother and I, and I was worried you might be dangerous. I am deeply sorry for misjudging you Emma." Emma blushed at the sincerity she detected in his words. Ducking her head, she spoke softly.
"Thank you for understanding. I hope you'll still let me on your ship. I-I still have all the gold, I swear I haven't spent it." Killian remembered the swan necklace in his pocket.
"Ah, actually. I, uh, this may seem unusual," Killian began to reach into his coat. "But I got-"
"Emma? Emma!" a voice called out, halting Killian's movement and causing Emma to tense. Graham had walked out of the bazaar. Emma, with her hood still down from the short scuffle, was completely exposed and easily recognizable. She grimaced and turned back to Killian to grab the hand still frozen above his pocket.
"We need to go!" Emma fled, this time with Killian following close on her heels. Graham hesitated before chasing after them.
"Emma, wait! Your mother and father are worried sick about you!" Emma ignored him and kept running. She and Killian weaved in and out of the crowd, through the market place and towards the pier. Killian was lost to this conversation.
Was that a member of the royal guard? What did he want with Emma? Killian was burning with questions, but it wasn't exactly the best time for an interview. He made a mental reminder to ask her when they made it back to the Jewel of the Realm. If we ever do make it back, he thought worriedly.
Emma led Killian through back allies that even he wasn't aware of. The faint calls of the royal guard grew even fainter with every sharp turn they took through the town. Emma and Killian reached the docks within ten minutes with the speed at which they were running. Emma made sure to gather up her distinctive golden locks and tug her hood safely back over her head and face. Killian spotted his brother tying down the sails on deck.
"Liam!" he shouted as they approached. Liam secured the sails and leaned on the railing of his ship.
"Well, if it isn't my esteemed younger brother," Killian led Emma up the steps and onto the deck. "And I see you've confronted our passenger." Emma and Killian shared a glance.
"Tell me Killian, what have you been up to today?"