Chapter I ("The Invitation")

Prince Charming, now known as King David, was sitting at the table pouring over some maps as his 24-year-old daughter Emma, the crown princess, approached him. She cleared her throat. "Excuse me? Daddy?"

Charming turned his head toward Emma. "Yeah Emma?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he answered slowly as his attention turned back to the maps he had been studying.

Emma rolled her eyes. "May I have your FULL attention, please?" she tried her best to hide her sudden irritance.

"Yeah, sure. I'm sorry," he turned back toward her and gave her his full attention. "Okay. Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no! Nothing like that. I just wanted to ask you something." she answered.

"Sure. Go ahead."

"Well … I heard that Princess Rapunzel is going to hold a frying pan demonstration in her parents' kingdom of Corona next month…" she paused.

"Yes…? Charming crossed his arms.

"I was actually invited … I would really like to go, I was planning on taking Ava and I was wondering, well, hoping actually, that you could take us and come along?" she knew her father didn't really enjoy going to Corona, but she was hoping he'd reconsider and accompany his daughters on their trip. It could be like a little vacation. Sort of.

Charming was quiet for a moment. "Baelfire isn't going?" he asked.

"That's the thing… I thought maybe he could stay here with Henry and the girls while I sort of have a little vacation with my sister. I've been so busy lately that I haven't really spent much time with her. And I know you don't really like us travelling alone so that's why I'm asking you to come along as well. Plus it'd be fun if it were just you, me, and Ava - kinda like old times. I already talked it over with Bae; he's fine with me going…"

Charming looked at his daughter. He could tell by her face that she really wanted to go and he was rather touched that she had asked him to go with her, but he couldn't take them. He took a deep breath before replying. "I can't, Emma."

Emma looked down at the floor and tried to conceal her disappointment. She held back a disappointed sigh. "Okay." she turned to walk away until Charming stopped her. She turned to face her father.

"I really can't, Emma. I have duties to attend to then, I'll be gone. Otherwise, of course I'd go with you and Ava." he said as he stood up from his chair.

"You sure you're not just saying that because you hate Corona?" she asked.

"Of course not! I'd love to go on a trip with my two daughters. I'd much rather do that than what I have to do. But I can't. This needs to be done. And I NEVER said that I hated Corona. It's just … not my first choice to visit."

"Does that mean we can't go?" Emma asked. "Because … I kinda really wanted to. I mean, I know the sword is and of course always will be my number one weapon of choice, but it can't hurt to learn frying pan skills, right?" she added with a giggle. As she said all that out loud, it did sound kind of silly.

Charming chuckled at what she had just said. "I didn't say you couldn't go," he said. "I think it will be good for you two to go. But I'm going to suggest something first…"

"Yeah… and what's that?" she asked.

"That Baelfire goes with you?" he answered.

"Well, I mean, he can… but what about Henry and the girls? And what if you need him with you on your trip?" She held back a smile. It would be rather nice to have him with her on this trip.

"No. I'll take Finn with me instead. Baelfire can go with you. Besides, I feel he'll take better care of you two than any of my other trusted guards. And your mother will take care of your children, don't worry."

"But isn't she going with you?" Emma didn't want to inconvenience her parents in any way. They did have a kingdom to run after all.

"Sadly, no. Not this time anyway, so she'll be thrilled to watch our grandchildren." he answered.

This was all working out perfectly! Sure, she was going to Corona with her sister, and had originally wanted Charming to accompany them, but he couldn't go and Baelfire could, making this her first ever trip to another kingdom with her husband. She was excited. "Are you sure about all this?" she asked excitedly. "We'll be gone six weeks… possibly longer, depending on potential weather conditions…"

"Sure I'm sure. It'll be fine," he reassured her with a smile. "Well, I'll have to talk to your mother about it first but I think she'll be okay with everything. So yes. You and Ava may go to Corona."

Emma jumped up and hugged Charming. "Thank you!" she said happily.

Charming smiled and hugged her back. "Just be careful though, okay? And you still need an escort of guards! And Baelfire will be part of the escort party - that means he'll be on duty."

"For what?" They turned around to see Ava standing in the doorway. Emma excitedly ran to her 17-year-old sister. "We get to go to Corona for Princess Rapunzel's frying pan demonstration and then we get to stay at their castle!"

"As in you and me?" Ava pointed to Emma and herself as she asked.

"Yeah! Well, and Bae too, but yes! You and me! It'll be like a little vacation!" she answered excitedly.

"Baelfire's going too?" she asked. Emma was sure she heard some annoyance in her tone. For some reason, her sister never really liked Baelfire. She didn't know why and it annoyed her greatly.

"Yes."

"Yay," Ava replied in a sarcastic tone.

"Oh but Ava! It'll be fun!"

"Not if Baelfire's going," she argued.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Well, because he is part of the escort, he'll be OUTSIDE the carriage, whereas you and I will be INSIDE the carriage. Okay? The actual travelling part will be just you and me."

Ava just looked at her.

"Oh, c'mon Ava! It's gonna be so much fun! It'll be like old times! Don't you want to go? Please?"

Ava thought for a moment before she answered. This trip did sound like fun, and it wasn't every day that Emma asked her to accompany her on a journey. Ever since Emma had met Baelfire, had gotten married and had children, she really didn't spend time with her much anymore. She supposed it could be fun and the more she thought of it, the more it sounded like fun. She looked at Emma and noticed she was staring at her and eagerly awaiting an answer. "Alright," she finally answered. "I'll go with you."

Emma smiled wide and almost giggled in delight. This was going to be so much fun!

Later that night Baelfire and Emma went through their usual nightly routine of reading to and tucking in their young children for bed. Afterwards they themselves readied for bed; Emma being the last to crawl into bed. After blowing out her lantern, she got under the covers and snuggled into her husband. "Remember when I said that Princess Rapunzel invited me to her kingdom, and I said I was going to ask Daddy if he could go with me?" she asked as she traced little circles on his chest.

"Yes," Baelfire answered sleepily.

"Well… the thing is, he said no, he can't go."

"He did? Well what are you going to do? You can't go alone!" There was concern in his voice and he suddenly didn't sound sleepy anymore.

"Relax!" Emma exclaimed quietly. "You didn't let me finish! He said he can't go because he has royal duties to attend to then but he said that YOU get to go instead!" Excitement filled her tone as she finished her sentence.

"He did? But won't he need me then? I mean, usually he brings me along on his journeys."

"I said that to him! He said he'll take Finn instead so you can go. You can talk to Daddy yourself if you don't believe me -"

"I believe you." Baelfire interrupted her. Of course he believed her, but he would still talk to Charming in the morning and hear the plan from him.

"Yeah well I hope so," she teased then switched to a serious expression. "You can go though, right? I mean, I know you'll be on duty most of the time but you'll have down time, and it will be so much fun." She snuggled in even closer and draped her leg across his waist. "My own personal guard…" she added in a seductive whisper.

Baelfire turned his head to kiss her lips. "If you keep that up I won't be able to go…"

Emma kissed him back. "Oh? But guards are supposed to be able to work through all sorts of distractions - at least a DECENT guard is able to anyway…" she replied as she giggled at her own jab causing Bae to laugh a little as well. He didn't necessarily find her recent joke that humorous, but he always thought that Emma's giggle was absolutely adorable therefore he couldn't help but laugh whenever she did. Her happiness made him happy. She kissed him again, this time her lips clung to his a little longer before she pulled away. "So that's a yes then?" She asked hopefully.

"Yes, of course it's a yes." He answered with a sleepy smile. He barely finished his answer as Emma uttered a quiet squeal of delight. She eagerly took his face in her hands to press a grateful and sloppy kiss on his cheek. "I'm so excited!" she exclaimed as she finally broke loose. "Our first journey to another kingdom together as husband and wife!"

"And guard and princess," he reminded her. "Remember, I'll still be on duty."

"Uh huh… but if the crown princess thinks that you need some time off, and she orders you to do so, you know you'll have to listen, right…?"

"Well of course. I would never want to disappoint or disobey the crown princess of all people…" he lovingly stroked her blonde hair as he answered her.

Emma blissfully closed her eyes at his gentle touch. She loved the way he stroked her hair; it was one of her favorite sensations in the world. "Mm… no you don't," as the words left her mouth she sounded as if she were entering a trance. "Bad things might happen if you do…"

Bae sleepily smiled at her remark and Emma scooted closer so as to affectionately rub her nose against his. "I love you, so much Em…" he lazily kissed her lips.

"And I love you too," as he kissed her she lazily dragged her fingers upward to rake her fingers through his hair. His hair, his gorgeous, soft, fluffy brown hair that she found impossible to keep her fingers out of, especially when she was kissing him. It was just long enough for her to barely tangle it around her fingers and that's what she was doing while he kissed her. She sighed in bliss before he finally pulled away and rolled over to his back. "Good night, my handsome prince." she said as she snuggled in and rested her head onto his shoulder. He didn't reply to her and Emma noticed that his breathing started to become rhythmic - a sure sign that he had just dozed off. She inhaled deeply as she switched to her favorite position for sleep and closed her eyes. As she lay there waiting to fall asleep she kept thinking of their upcoming journey and the more she thought about it, the more excited about their trip she became.