Hi everyone, this is my first Captain Swan fanfic. I do not own the characters of the show (unfortunately).

Oh, I like reviews! *wink wink*

Chapter 1

At the age of 21, there was no denying that Emma Swan was more beautiful than ever. Her golden curls cascaded down her back, just to reach the small of her waist and her cream colored skin was as delicate as porcelain. She had plump, pink lips and there was a healthy blush on her cheeks. Her childish body had became that of a woman in the past years. The last bits of baby fat had been replaced by a slim waist and a flat stomach. However, her full bosom had remained untouched by the changes.

But it were her eyes that made every man weak in the knees and filled every woman with envy. Those endless pools of green were a perfect reflection of her mood. And oh, was she a capricious woman. One day her eyes would be of a light green color, like young grass at the beginning of spring, and then she could fill a whole room with laughter and joy. But other moments, those emerald eyes could burn you alive. More than once, grown, courageous men had shivered of fear when she gave them that stare. But there was one constant. You could always read a high level of pride and intelligence in them.

It was around 19:30 on a hot wednesday evening in summer, and Emma was sitting in front of the mirror in her bedroom. Her hair was still damp from the bath she just had taken and the fabric of her silk bathrobe was getting wet. A cool breeze blew through the open windows, carrying the scent of the ocean with it. The sky was already painted red by the evening sun. If it wasn't for the encounter that had been planned, it would've been a lovely evening, which would have been spend with a book and a glass of sweet red wine. But there were certain urgent matters that needed her attention as the Duchess of the Western Islands. Emma sighed and took a sip of the glass of whiskey that was standing next to her. She liked the taste of the golden liquid and the way it burnt it's way down her throat. Although she knew it wasn't very ladylike of her to drink whiskey, she couldn't care less. Glass still in her hand, Emma was just heading towards the small private balcony of her room, when she heard a soft knock on her door.

„Yes, come in!" She answered in a clear voice that spoke with authority.

A petit woman with long raven black hair entered the room and made a small curtsey before addressing her.

„Milady, I've been sent to help you getting dressed."

Emma nodded and motioned the woman to come forward. She went back to her seat in front of the mirror and downed the rest of her glass before setting it aside. The woman started to comb her curls with a soft brush and was just starting to put some pins in it, when Emma decided that she was in for some small talk to lighten the mood, as she felt the nervousness of the girl.

„Are you new here? I don't seem to remember you." she asked the woman, not unfriendly. She hadn't recognized the woman when she had studied her face in the reflection of the mirror. Emma wasn't like other highborn girls. She actually enjoyed to talk to her staff and, if it was possible, she liked to be on friendly bases with them. Some of them had known her from the day she was born and were the closest thing to family she had.

The small woman gave her a friendly smile and answered her in a soft voice.

„Yes milady, I've arrived at Storybrooke House only four days ago. I'm a distant relative of Miss Aurora."

Emma nodded in understanding. „Take the pins with the sapphires, please. They are in the second drawer.".

As the woman was finishing her hair updo, she continued: „I hope you were well received by the other staff members. How do you like your room? If there is anything you need, please let me know. Tortuga should be a home to you as much as it is to me."

Tortuga. The heart of the Caribbean. Meeting point of world's most notorious pirates. Capital of the Western Islands, Dukedom of England.

And the place Emma had called home as long as she could remember.

„Everyone has been very kind to me, milady. And my room is more than comfortable. Thank you for your concern.", the woman answered, just as she was putting the last pin in her hair. Emma turned her head to take a closer look at the result. It was a simple hair updo, nothing to fancy. Just perfect for the evening to come. Her blonde curls were piled up on top of her head, with just a few locks hanging loosely around her face. The blue gems matched perfectly with the golden color of her curls.

„I'd like to wear the royal blue gown with the corset. Would you please bring it to me, Miss…?" Emma turned her head to the woman, realizing she hadn't asked for her name.

„Blanchard. Mary Margaret Blanchard, milady."

Emma gave her another smile in an attempt to calm Mary Margaret's nerves. „Miss Blanchard. The dress should be in the nearest closet in my dressing room. It's the second door left at the end of the hall."

Mary Margaret nodded in understanding and asked if she needed anything else, which she didn't, before leaving the room. Emma turned back to the mirror and started to apply her make up. A bit of rouge to give her cheeks a rosy glow and a small amount of black kohl around her eyes. Just as she was putting on some red lipstick, her trademark, Mary Margaret entered the room with the gown.

It was one of the most beautiful pieces of clothing she owned. Handcrafted, made of the finest silk and finished with diamonds and pearls. A dress fit for a queen. Emma let her fingers trail over the material and had to blink a few times to prevent the tears from falling. The gown had been a gift from her father, the late Duke. It was especially made for her to wear on the ball that would have celebrated her eighteenth birthday. Unfortunately, destiny decided to take her parents away from her a few weeks before she officially became an adult. Emma had never worn the dress, not able to deal with the emotions that came with it.

As Mary Margaret was helping with the silver ribbons of the corset of the gown, Emma was thinking of the upcoming rendez-vous. She couldn't take any risks this evening. Everything she had worked for the last four years was at stake and she wasn't planning on giving it up so easily.

She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't hear the soft knock on her door, the second one that evening. It was only when Mister Nolan, her butler, started to speak that she came back to reality.

"Your guest has arrived, milady." he stated, before leaving the room with a small bow.

Emma took one last look in the mirror, straightened her back and put a seducing smile on her face before turning around to leave the safe walls of her bedroom.

„Now, let's meet our Captain, shall we?"