Killian's walking near the forest one day when he happens across a girl fighting some trolls. He goes to help but she tells him she's got it under control before he gets knocked out by a troll. When he comes to, she's gone.

He thinks about the feisty lass a lot when he's at sea. And it's months later, when he sails back into port and the royal family are at the docks waiting to greet them after a successful mission, that he sees her again. Standing right next to the Queen.

Princess Emma.

He wonders if she remembers him and gets his answer later that night at the ball held in his and his brother's honor.

He's standing at the edge of the ballroom, scanning it for her, when someone grabs his hand and starts pulling him out of the room. He spins around quick and it's her.

She leads him out into the gardens. "I've been thinking about you, Lieutenant."

"About whether I was dead or alive?"

"How is it you come across a damsel in distress and end up the one needing to be saved?" She smirks at him. "And I made sure you were breathing before I left you."

"Ah, seems I owe you my life, m'lady," he says as he kisses her hand. "Thank you."

The rest of the night is a blur of golden hair, bright green eyes, her laugh and her silver dress twirling in the moonlight. He thinks this must be what heaven is like.

And it's far too soon that the ball ends. But he heads back to his ship with her kiss on his lips and a promise of tomorrow in his ear.

—

For whatever reason, she deigns him worthy of her and they are inseparable from that night on.

They spend their time sailing, walking the castle gardens, trekking through the woods… she just can't stay in. He asks why she was fighting trolls the day he met her and she says because she craves adventure.

She tells him she wants to see the world and he promises he'll show it to her one day. He tells her his brother is all he's got and she tells him he has her, too, now.

And before he knows it, her father has got another mission for him and it'll take at least six months. He doesn't want to leave her but she says what's six months when they've got eternal love.

"Come back to me," she murmurs against his lips.

"Always," he promises.