The Swan and the Witch

Story Summary: Once upon a time, there was a castle with a curse upon it that belonged to a fearsome beast-sorceress. A young woman ends up trapped at the castle with its inhabitants. What will she discover about this strange place, it's odd residents, and it's even more mysterious mistress? Can she break the curse? Beauty and the Beast re-tell, Swan Queen

A/N: I know this has been done before, but I couldn't help but write my own. I hope it doesn't suck, first attempt at Swan Queen.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

-/-

Chapter One

Everyone knows the story of the Beast. A fearsome beast was trapped in a castle, deep in the forbidden woods because of a cruel temperament and unforgiving nature. Once a fair ruler who fell into violent and unjust ways only to be caged by the wise fairy who showed the ruler for who they truly were, cursing them to such a form until they could find someone to love and who loved them in return. The castle and its inhabitants imprisoned until such a love could grow and free them.

But the story isn't just about them. This is also the story of a woman, one who had no idea her story would ever be of any importance.

Nevertheless, once upon a time, a baby girl was left on the steps of an orphanage. It was a perfectly ordinary baby, but she would grow into an extraordinary woman. She was not an innocent and naïve young girl, as they so often are in these stories, for she had to grow up quickly due to her hard life. She knew what it was like to be hungry and cold, although not to starve or freeze. She knew what it was like not to have a permanent home, though she never left her city. She learned not to trust others easily and to rely on herself, but she was afforded just enough kindness to leave herself open to happiness. That is what saved her, and all of them, in the end.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The bell rang in a small shop as a young blonde woman entered.

"Emma!" the elderly clerk cried happily.

"Good morning!" the twenty-year-old replied with a kind smile for the man. "Got anything new?" She was already running her hand along a shelf crammed with books.

Geppetto shook his head, "Sorry, none since yesterday when you last came by."

Emma sighed, "Darn, I was really hoping…oh well. I'll just take," her hand hover over a few before she grinned triumphantly, "this one then."

"But you've already read that one at least two times!" he protested with a laugh.

Emma smiled sheepishly, "But it's one of my favorites. Far off places, dashing sword fights, mystery, traitors and treasure!" She gave him a cheeky grin, "What more could a girl want? Thanks again!" She waved as she left, already turning to the first page.

"You're welcome!" he called after her, shaking his head. What a strange girl.

Emma Swan continued down the street, running her other errands and barely avoiding knocking into the other villagers. However, she carefully weaved her way, picking up the supplies she needed. Her nose was buried in the book and so she missed the frowns and strange looks all the others gave her.

Even in the city she had come from, she was seen as a bit odd, but in this small town? She stuck out like a sore thumb and everyone could see it, none more so than the girl herself. The villagers were nice enough, content to whisper only and so she grew used to ignoring them.

One person was not content with whispers though. "Emma!" A loud voice boomed next to her, nearly making her trip.

She turned with a jerk. "Oh, Neal," she said. "What's up?"

The man in question smiled charmingly and then grabbed the book from her hands. Emma instantly narrowed her eyes, "Give me my book back. Right now." She knew he only did it to tease her, but it never failed to annoy her far more than he was aware. It was one of things he did that actually ticked her off.

Neal flipped through the pages idly, oblivious to her angry glare, "How do you read this crap? There aren't even any pictures!"

Emma rolled her eyes and snatched the book back, "Some of us don't need pictures." Because we're over the age of five, she added silently.

Neal rolled his own eyes, "Really, Emma, I don't know why you bother. With your looks, you don't need to know anything you might learn in a book. Book-learning will only drive men off. They'll think you think you're smarter or better than they are, if you read so much."

Emma scowled, Neal was usually tolerable and one of the few people here that actually tried to talk to her, at least until he said something that made her want to bash his head into something hard. She was pretty sure he was half-joking, but it was the half that actually believed his own crap that stopped them from being anything more than casual friends. "Oh, well I wouldn't want that."

She tried to continue going back to her home—alone—but he insisted on following her. He winked, "Exactly. A girl as pretty as you doesn't need to occupy herself with such worthless pursuits. Not when there are other things you could be doing," he grinned.

She elbowed him, "Really, Mr. Cassidy—that's what you're going with?"

He laughed and shrugged, "Whatever works."

"That actually works on some girls?" Emma asked incredulously.

Neal nodded, "Yup. Flattery is the number one way into a girls sk—heart."

Emma couldn't help but chuckle at that, "Right, her heart."

He shrugged as if to say 'what can you do'. Emma rolled her eyes and jostled him lightly with her shoulder. "You try not to steal anymore hearts—I gotta get back home."

"I make no promises!" he called after her, unable to stop himself from admiring her fine ass as she left. She offered up only a wave, nose back in her book.

Oh, yes. That Emma Swan was a strange one, he thought to himself. And that's why he had to have her. He was getting a bit older, time to stop messing with those silly girls and find himself a proper wife. And, strange habits like reading and preferring men's clothes, were not enough to take away from the fact that Emma was easily the prettiest, and therefore the best, woman in the village—the prettiest that was sensible wife and child raising material (not tumble in the hay material like his previous conquests).

Emma was the newest, shiniest thing in town and Neal was nothing if not easily distracted. And besides, she was the one thing he truly enjoyed most—a challenge. Neal was a hunter by trade, the very best for miles around, and nothing excited Neal more than a good hunt. The harder the challenge, the sweeter the victory, whether it be in the woods with a rifle or with a girl. All the other girls in town were either ugly or too easy, Emma was the only one that really resisted, but he knew if he just set his mind to it she would his, just like everything else in his life.

Neal Cassidy wanted the best, and he would have her.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Emma opened the door to the small cottage she shared with a creak. "I'm home!" she called, not looking up from her book as she set her basket down on the kitchen table.

A light laugh came from the other side of the room, "I'm right here, Emma—no need to shout."

Emma looked up from her book. A pretty brunette sat in the corner of the front room, plying her needle at some cloth. She smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, Mary Margaret." She rubbed the back of her neck with her hand. "Still used to having to shout for David."

"It's alright," Mary Margaret dismissed with a wave. Then she gave a wistful sigh, "I do hope he returns soon."

Emma nodded in sympathy, "It must be hard to be away from him so soon after getting married." David was away in the big city; a family member had died and he was mentioned in the will. He set out on the long journey on his own, leaving his new wife at home, in hopes of coming back with some more money to ease their living.

Mary Margaret sighed again, "It is, but I imagine it must be hard for you as well—how long have you been away from your brother before?"

Emma smiled. In truth, David was not her brother by blood. When she was thirteen, they had become family after she had saved his life. He was a shipbuilder, good for his only seventeen years, and she was a street child. She wasn't very trusting of him—everyone had left her in the end—but he stuck around, always offering her a place to stay when it was cold or a bit of food when she got particularly hungry. Over the years they grew very close.

Last year, a terrible sort of luck had befallen his employer and he was left without work. To make matters worse, with sailors being suspicious by nature, it had been decided that those who had worked for his old company carried bad luck too—making it impossible for him to get a new job. Eventually, he had decided to take what little he had and go to the countryside to a village where a very good friend of his deceased mother lived.

He had asked Emma to come with him and by then they had truly become siblings in spirit. She had agreed to come, as he needed someone a little less trusting to look out for him as she had over the years. She was excited to see new places and travel for once—on top of having made her own share of enemies in the city where her blunt attitude and independent nature often led to clashes with others.

When they arrived in the village, he soon found work as a carpenter while she took care of their home and animals. David was rather hopeless with caring for any animals besides Pongo, his dog. They were lucky to have been able to have not only a number of chickens and a cow, but also a pair of horses. Emma liked to tease him that she had really come to be with her horse (who technically belonged to David).

"It's never been this long since we first met, to be honest," Emma told her. "But he should be home any day now and we'll give him a big welcome."

Mary Margaret smiled at that, "Oh yes!" Then she looked shy for a moment, "May I confess something to you, Emma?"

Emma went over to sit by her, "Of course you can. You are my sister." Mary Margaret was the daughter of the friend who had known David's mother. She was about two years older than Emma.

She and David fell in love almost at first sight. Almost because when Mary Margaret had first seen him in the house, she thought he was a robber and attacked him with a frying pan. Eventually the whole situation as sorted out and the rest was history. They had married just over two months ago.

Mary Margaret smiled widely at that. "Yes, well. I wanted to wait for David to return, but I cannot contain myself much longer." Emma looked at her eagerly, wondering what news she could have. "I didn't find out until after he left, only a few days ago actually, but I'm pregnant!"

Emma stared at her in shock before wrapping her arms around her in a strong hug, "Really?"

Mary Margaret nodded happily. "Wow, that's awesome!" Emma stared at Mary Margaret's stomach, before looking back at her smiling face. "I'm going to have a niece or a nephew."

"Yup."

-/-

A/N: I know it starts out kinda slow, but I promise it'll pick up. Let me know what you think.