"Hurry up Neal! We are going to be late mate!" Killian shouted while he ran toward a mountain.

"Wait up! You run very fast" his friend answered almost breathless from all the running he had to do trying to catch up.

"Nah, y`are too slow" Killian was already at the top of the mountain, where their secret hideout camping was. He stops running and took a sit near the big 500 years old oak tree.

"You know" he said seriously when Neal reached his side panting. " You need to do a bit of extra exercise, mate. How are you going to slay the dragon and win a princess heart, if you can't run".

" I don't need to slay a dragon for that!" Neal tried to say, still recovering his breath.

Killian this time turned looked at Neal, raising a brow he questioned "What do you mean?"

" My father already got me one" he said with a smile.

Killian was speechless, his face neutral. He couldn't believe how lucky his best friend was. Not for already having a princess to marry, but because Neal always got what he wanted and so much more. Killian couldn't help feeling a bit jealous sometimes. His friend was a prince, while he was a poor twelve year old living with only his mother. His father abandoned them when he turned six, leaving his mother and him to fend for themselves with no money and looking for food in the garbage.

He met Neal one morning when he was looking for food near one of the richest houses in the village. The prince was passing by in a fancy carriage while Killian struggled, trying to escape some guards that though he was stealing. Neal made the carriage driver stop and stepped out of it to help; he with a steady and strong posture demand the guards an explanation, and not finding a strong statement about the situation, he ordered the guards to let Killian go. The guards laugh at him, you see, Neal was only eight years of age. But Neal stood strong, and not seeing another option, he attacked the guards, throwing himself at one that held Killian. The boy got free and help the prince fight the horribly men. God, they were furious! But the kids ran far away to the big oak tree on the mountain; the guards not having the time to run after them, let them go. The kids at the mountain were breathless, laughing their asses off. Since that day they became the best of friend in the world. Not caring about their social difference or the royals objections.

"How come?" Killian asked after a long pause.

"Yeah, he told me two days ago. They are coming today, the princess and her parents; she a year younger than us"

"What for?" Killian asked in a curious tone. "Well, to meet her" his friend replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

The sun was setting down, the sky already turning deep orange. The boys stared at the sunset in silence for a while. That mountain was the only place they could just be Neal and Killian, not the prince and the pauper; the only place that was free of any responsibility, the only place they could talk about anything for hours, the only place they could be really happy for a while. But it also was the place where they could talk about serious stuff, where they arranged their fights. That, place for them, was heaven. And Killian loved it more than anything, not just because of all the things that place meant to them, but because he could see the entire ocean from there; and he wished for the day he could get into a ship and be free.

"Look!" Neal exclaimed, taking Killian out of his thoughts. "There`s the ship, let go to port and welcome them!"

"Oi ma friend! You are the one that has to go and receive them, Not me" "Please!" Neal whines "I don't want to be alone meting her"

"You are not going to be alone, King Rumple and Queen Belle are going to be there" Killian stand from where he was sitting and turn to his friend, crossing his arms in front of his chest .

"Yeah…my parents" "Please come with meee!" Neal begged, kneeling in front of Killian. Killian for sure, was enjoying the moment. Not every day a Prince knelt before you. "Ok…" he said raising his left eyebrow. "Please!" "I`ll go with you…dork… I bet your princess is going to be ugly" the boy then walked away laughing.

"Thak you very much"

Brushing Neal`s thanks he kept laughing and shouted "I`ll race you to the port"

"Oh no, agaaaiiin" Neal stopped walking, but started to run at the site of Killian running far ahead of him.

AT THE PORT

Neal was extremely tired of running but he composed himself when he saw his parent standing near the carriage, waiting for the ship to dock. "Hey dad, mom!" he said walking toward them; Killian following right behind a little bit shy but with pride. He knew the royals disliked him. Neal told him once, they thought of him a bad influence. But he knew better, they didn't want their son involved with a street rat.

"Hey sweetie" said the queen with a big smile. Killian laughed in silence. "You are going to love her Neal, she is going to stay with us for a month"

"Alright mother"

"Son, you have to keep her away of that boy, we don't want him to scare her of" King Rumple said referring to Killian. He knew the boy was listening. Killian just dropped his head down. Neal said nothing in response, he was a coward. He can't even stand up for me.Killian thought.

As Killian turned around to go, not wanting to hear more comments like that one and not wanting to disturb the royals, the ship was already on port and the guards were walking down the plank. Just as he raised his head to get a glimpse, he saw her. The Princess. The most beautiful creature he had ever seen in the entire world. Her hair was as bright as the sun; she was wearing a puffy pink dress. He was amazed, he could not hear the crowd's roars of joy, and he could not breathe or move. And then she looked directly at him, he noticed, woke up from his trance and just then he realized he could never have her. She wasn't meant to be his. She was meant to be with his best friend. That though broke his heart.

sorry for my spelling mistakes. english is not my native language.

Desclaimer : OUAT characters not mine.