AN: This AU's been stuck in my head for so long, I decided to write it down. Sorry if there's any grammar mistakes. Anyway, enjoy!

(I do not own the characters.)

And would you, if you could, turn that mighty clock back,

to that long, fateful night, now think carefully, - -

Would you do the whole thing all over again, knowing what you know now, knowing what you knew then?

And he smiled, like the old Pumpkin King that I knew,

then turned and asked softly of me, "Wouldn't you?"

Chapter 1

A horse is running, fast. Its hoofs smash the ground heavily, and its rider is determined, devoted. Someone with a clear destiny on mind. The rider has a dirty armor with scratches and marks from many battles, an armor that used to look like it was made from expensive silver. It had clearly seen its days, but the rider didn't want to change it into new, simply fixed it by himself and keep it. It had a certain meaning to the rider, almost. The sword was hidden in a sword belt on his waist, but by the looks of it, it wasn't the fanciest sword either, but it was good enough for a knight. The rider had put his shield behind his back, of which paint was old and crinkle, the looks starting to peel off.

The brave knight rides through thick forests, dark paths, crosses dangerous streams, those things didn't even count to the list of the most dangerous things the knight had done in his life. But this time, he had a real purpose and destination. As the rider approaches the distant kingdom, you could almost see a smile on the riders face, yet so little were revealed underneath his helmet. You could barely see a tiny chin, a wizened lips of the lack of water, but after that it was covered by the heavy helmet.

The horse slowed down as the kingdom approached, the upper city's gates opening in front of the rider. The citizens of the kingdom watched curiously the newcomer who they clearly hadn't seen before. There was no recognizable seal or marking on the armor neither the shield. There was even low whispering among the people, but the rider didn't seem to mind them. The mysterious knight passed the market street and houses, then spotting the huge royal castle, at the end of the lane.

The knight's helmet tilted a bit as the rider arrived to the back yard of the castle, to the training field. It was time. There was a training going on, practice of a combat battle. A few of the knights around the two fighters turned to look at the knight riding horse with confused eyes, tightening their grips of their swords. The rider, without saying a word, took off the glove, and threw it to the ground as a gesture of challenging one of them into a battle. The horse neighed loudly, the two knights stopped their training.

"Who is this?"

"What is his business here?"

The questions flew among the royal knights with their shiny armors. The only one who didn't say anything, was one of the tallest knights with the most shining armor and with a golden cape that flew almost majestically behind his back. He was wearing a helmet as well, showing almost all of his face. By the smug smile on his face and pompous eyes, it was obvious who he was: A Prince. He leaned down to the thrown glove, and once one of his knights noticed his doings, trying to stop him. "Your Highness, don't!"

"Back off, Sir William," he snaps back at him and picks up the glove anyway, despite the other knights objections. "I accept your challenge, Rider.", he says to the rider, keeping the glove in his hands. He looks at the rider with searching eyes, trying to find any bearing or symbol of knighthood, finding none. The rider hops off the horse fluently, barely making any sound as the rider steps down the ground lightly.

"Combat. Alone", the rider growls demands with strange voice.

"Agreed."

"No, wait, Sire. I'm not sure - "

"Shut it, I say. Look -, " The prince didn't have to look long at his challenger to notice he wasn't from a wealth family nor noble. He turns to his worried knight, whispering, "I can handle this. "

That was, of course, what the Prince thought. He got his knights to leave, not fully, but a little further to the castle's walls. Without any further minutes, the rider took his sword from his sword belt, as did the Prince, and the combat began.

The rider strikes the blade to him, surprising him with quick movements, but the Prince dodges his strikes. The rider strikes back, steel clanking. They both move around quickly in the field, the challenger being fast at trying to hit him down and trying to find his weakness. Surprising him was the advantage for the rider, and he did surprise the Prince with fast reflexes and hard strikes. The rider learned quickly his weakness. The prince panted, tired, because he had been training all evening. The rider took the advantage of it, striking the sword to him now harder than before, and then in a flow, something kicks his feet and the prince falls, the sword dropping to the ground as well. He groans as his head hits the hard ground, thinking only that he had to get up quickly, to continue the battle. He was too late to even think about it, his head dizzy, when he felt the cold steel on his neck.

The prince blinked couple times, raising his arms to give up, but as he could see a little clearer, he was blown away.

In the battle's rush movements, in a quick move, the helmet had dropped, not even the rider noticed it. The Prince's eyes gazed in amazement, his mouth opening:

"You're a..," He stutters, as he saw that his challenger, the rider, was actually a girl. Not much younger than the Prince, she was maybe seventeen or eighteen. His eyes were struck by her beauty: bright green eyes, light freckles, blonde long hair; that sunlight stroke a hint of golden, her lips red as blood. "A girl", he says in a breath awe. The beautiful warrior stands up with pride, swaying her long hair to her back with a smooth move. She smiles prickly, and she says, in a corrective matter, "A woman."

The prince mutters something, still stunned by her beauty and strength. She raises the sword to him, close his neck again. "A knight", she adds with a confident smile, the cold tip of the sword slightly brushes his jaw.

"A woman knight?" Now that's - " He chuckles, but it stops when she points the sword to his jaw, the blade going a bit under his skin, making the prince gasp for air. She looks down at him, despicable in her eyes, "Is that supposed to insult me?"

"I don't believe we have met," the Prince introduces himself, grinning, even she still had the sword upon his throat. "I'm Prince - "

"I know exactly who you are, prince Killian Jones", she sneers, despised by his very name, feeling bad taste in her mouth just saying his name out loud.

"So, you've heard of me," he gloats. "And, let me guess: you have come here wanting to prove yourself, is that it?" Killian asks, in a way trying to distract her, flashing a smile. His hand tries to reach for his own sword, but she had quick reflex: she catches his hand, twisting it, making the prince groan in pain.

"I don't need to prove myself to anyone", the beautiful warrior smiles, liking what she saw.

"Ahh! Stop, stop!" He groans in pain, as she keeps twisting his arm more, tighter. "Stop! Ahh!"

"Make me", she grins darkly.

"What? Ah!"

"Say..," she whispers, leaning to him, their eyes meeting for an instant, her grip tightening. "...please."

He gulps, having no other choice. "Please... Please, let me go."

She smiles satisfied, straightening her back. "It wasn't so hard, now, was it?" She says, letting go of his hand, and the Prince breathes heavily.

There did not go much time, seconds, the guards had seen the situation. The beautiful warrior didn't see, but heard, the guards shouting at her. She grunted, struggling, when they got the grab of her. The guards asked the Prince if he was all right, already begin to drag the woman who attacked him. He walked to her, stopping the guards at the castle's stairs.

"Wait," The prince demands and nods at the guards to stop. "What is your name, lady?"

"I'm no lady," she spits the disgusting words to him.

Killian laughs. He could see she was spicy. "I have noticed. But, tell me your name. "

"Does it make a difference?"

"Who put you up to this, lady?"

"No one," she replies. "Except me."

"Huh", he huffs, looking at her. Really looking at her, in her armor. He didn't want to admit it, but she was skillful fighter, she was even more talented than most of his knights. And that he found out in one battle only. Killian had no idea who she was or might be, but he could read her very well: honorable, stubborn, confident, a willing heart. The takings of a knight, and she was hell of a sword handler.

"Take her to the dungeons", Killian orders, the guards nodding and agreeing with him. She struggles all the way down, trying to let them go, until they throw her to the cold cell.

"You won't get away with this!" She shouts as the cage clanks closed, guards leaving her to the darkness alone.

She was freed the following day. She waited in the cell patiently, no one coming to see her until the first light of the day. It was some of the King's minions, telling she was freed by The King's command, and could leave. The young woman nodded, and walked out the castle, avoiding looks.

"You're what I'd call an open book, love,", a voice says as she walked down the castle's stairs down to the market. There he was, devilishly handsome Prince Killian with a wolfish grin on his face, leaning against the castle's wall. As if he was waiting for her.

"Oh?" She sighs, pacing pass him, ignoring the prince completely. He, on the other hand, rushes in front of her way and stops her.

"I can be quite perspective, and I'd say you're here for some reason," the prince concludes. "for instance, wanting to prove yourself."

"Prove myself?"

"Yes, that you can fight a great Prince."

She chuckles, rolling her eyes. "I don't need prove to that."

"Well, that is rude, don't you think?"

"You're not as great as you think, or let people to think."

"Oi!"

She tries to get away him, which she succeeds for a second, then he runs back to her and stops her, again. She became annoyed with this royal.

"Aren't you quite confident for a woman?"

She stops, eyes squeezing, breathing heavily for his view observation. The word 'for a woman' made her stomach twist, his mean words hurting her a little, but she had a wall up for that. And it made her want to prove herself more, prove how tough and how brave knight she was.

"Aren't you quite nosy for a man?" She punches back, her jaw flinching from anger that grew inside of her. Killian only laughs for her edgy reply, liking her attitude already, how she was far more different than all the other women he had met. How confident she was, how arrogant, how knightly-like. How much material there was inside of her.

"You're not like all the other women", he says with a curious smile.

"I'm no ordinary woman," she agrees cockily, grinning, her dimples showing. "So why don't you run back to your castle, little prince, and leave me alone."

Killian is speechless for the first time by her words, simply staring at her. He was fascinated by her the moment he met her. The beautiful fighter walks away from him, the prince watching her with eyes of amazement. There was something about her. And he didn't even know her name, she was the stranger, woman who had just beaten him, the first woman who had ever beaten him. Him, of all people. And Killian would find out who she was.

"I do love a challenge." Emma hears the prince muttering after her, sounding like he said it to himself. And there comes a pleasant blink of a smile to her face.

Review? :)