Prologue
Twin cries could be heard in the castle that day, though they were not twins at all. One wail came from the Queen's chambers, while the other floated from a lower chamber altogether, amongst the servant's quarters. Yes, the queen and her own nursemaid, (and best friend) had birthed their children on the same day. The friends were cut from two different cloths, their children born of such different circumstance.
Snow and Rosalind had met when they were around 11 years old. Snow had gone out for a ride in the forest one day, she wanted to practice her archery while riding horseback, not something her lessons had covered so far. When she felt she was a safe enough distance away from civilization, she dismounted her horse and set about making several targets out of fallen branches. She was about to get back on her horse to make her first pass through when she heard a noise. A soft crying if she wasn't mistaken. She waited in silence to track the sound. Following in it's direction she came upon a girl no older than herself. She'd asked her what her name was and why she was crying. It turned out Rosalind had no father, and her mother had just passed. Ever the benevolent one, Snow took Rosalind back to the castle with her. She spoke to her father, begging him to let this orphaned girl come work for them, in the stables, the kitchen, the dungeons, anything. He agreed, on the condition that Rosalind would now be Snow's nursemaid, Snow would be responsible for their new employee. If there was any thievery, or delinquency she would have to relieve the girl herself. Snow agreed to the terms without question. She prided herself on being an excellent judge of character, and this time was no exception.
Though Rosalind technically served the crown, and Snow, the girls became fast friends, the line between royalty and commoner never having been established so far as Snow was concerned. They had much in common, spitfire personalities, kind hearts, a passion for adventure, and both had lost their mothers far too young. The girls grew up together, experienced everything together, the introduction of a new Queen and stepmother, the loss of Snow's father, which had a profound Rosalind, as he had saved her life as much as Snow had, the abandonment by the stepmother who couldn't get away from the arranged marriage and responsibility fast enough, once Snow's father had passed.
Thus, Snow found herself the youngest queen Misthaven had ever seen, only in age, 17, as she was wise beyond her years. She surrounded herself with a strong council, and the bravest of knights. Eventually she married, and Sir David Charming became her King. While Queen Snow was happily married to her true love, Rosalind was a free spirit when it came to love, she didn't want to tie herself down, nor did she care to answer to anyone.
Snow found herself headed toward familial bliss, while Rosalind Jones found herself entering parenthood out of wedlock. The two young women were starting new chapters in their lives, and like all else over the last 11 years, they would experience it together. They were determined to have their children grow up with the same opportunity of friendship they had fallen into, with the added benefit of having their mothers there to facilitate the bond.
Sometimes best laid plans do not always follow the exact path we want them to.
Chapter 1 -
6 years old
David and Snow were sitting outside with their little princess, along with Rosalind and Killian, who were sitting under the shade provided by the willow tree. It wasn't unusual to find the five of them together, much like a family. In fact, just like a family. Since the births of their children, Snow and Rosalind had become even closer. They'd grown up together of course, and become the best of friends, but since having the common bond of parenting, they'd become more like sisters. They shared every trial and tribulation their little ones put them through. They solicited advice from one another when they came to a bump in the road. Despite their different beginnings, their bond had become symbiotic. They had passed their closeness on to the children as well. Emma and Killian saw the friendship their mother's had and very much learned from it, becoming thick as thieves.
"She's turning six not sixteen, she doesn't need a ball," Charming stated, a little exasperation coming through in his tone. "Let's save something for when she's older, we will never be able to top ourselves if we start now."
"I am quite certain a little ball won't rot her, dear," she answered back, optimistic as always.
"Why can't we just get her something small, like a pony?" he questioned.
Snow just rolled her eyes at her husband's antics. "I'd like to do something for both her and Killian," she spoke in a hushed tone.
"I suppose this would be a fond memory for Killian to keep," He agreed to the idea immediately then, knowing this was something that would help his wife cope with the impending loss of her friend.
Snow looked across the garden to her friend sitting with her boy, lamenting the fact that this tight knit group they'd become wasn't going to last forever, or even for much longer. The doctors were unsure of Rosalind's condition, but they were sure that she was dying.
Just across the garden Killian sat by his mother's side under the willow tree, "I'm going to marry her one day," he stated as though it were already written in stone. He was looking right at the princess who was sitting with her mother next to the single middlemist bush of the garden.
"You can achieve anything you want if you work hard enough," Rosalind spoke affectionately to her loving boy.
"What's 'chieve mean?" he questioned with his inquisitive little voice.
"It means that if you work hard enough you can make anything happen," she explained.
" 'Kay mama. I'm going to 'chieve marrying Princess Emmaswan."
Her loving lad had called the princess "Emmaswan" since she could remember, though she couldn't remember why, a side effect of the remedies she was taking to help keep her comfortable through her illness.
"Why do you call her Emmaswan, could you tell me the story again?"
"I've already told you mama," he said as though she were the child.
"Aye, but I just love the story , be a good lad and tell me again," she improvised.
"Well," he started in enthusiastically, "me and Emmaswan, well she was only Emma back then, we were down by the pond one day, and we found this little baby bird, he was an ugly little thing. He had no mama, so she said she would be his mama. We would go every day and she made sure to clean him, and bring him bread crusts from Cook. We were so surprised when that ugly little thing started to really grow, because he growed up to be a swan! Since she was like his mama, I like to call her Emmaswan," he finished, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.
"Ah yes, that's right, such a lovely story, and you tell it so well," she cooed, pulling him into a hug. A single tear slid down her cheek, as she tried to push away all thoughts of not being able to hold her precious boy for much longer.
It had begun to weigh more heavily on Rosalind's mind that Snow was her savior in this world. Not only had Snow rescued her as a child, fought for her, and given her a place to call home, but now she was going to save her again by raising her son in her approaching absence. Rosalind looked across the garden to her best friend, who was already looking at her. She offered her a sad smile.
Back across the lawn a very pouty Emma was whining to her mother, "Why do I have to share everything with him? Even my birthday!"
"Emma! He's your best friend, and friends share," Snow didn't like this selfish phase that her daughter seemed to be going through, she attributed it to the age. "One day you won't mind sharing, like your father and I do."
"Ugh! I'm never getting married, just like Aunty Rosalind," she groused as though it were the most deplorable thought imaginable.
Snow just chuckled at her daughter's declaration. She picked a Middlemist flower, and stuck it behind Emma's ear, securing it with one of her own clips. "One day you'll meet someone special and change your mind," she said knowingly.
Emma just shook her head, "Can I please go play now, I want to go to the pond to see if our swan is there."
Snow nodded her approval, smiling that her daughter mustn't really mind sharing since she had called it "our" swan. Soon enough she would be sharing much more with Killian than anyone had ever thought.
Emma jumped up running to the other side of the garden, grabbing her friend's hand, "Come on Killy, let's go see if Henry is at the pond!"
Snow walked over to Rosalind after the children ran off to the pond, David following at a distance to keep an eye on them.
Rosalind looked to her friend, "I don't know what to do, or what to tell him. If I tell him I'm dying, it will overshadow every moment I have left with him," she struggled through the strangle hold her emotions had on her , making it hard to breathe, "if I don't tell him, will he forgive me when the time comes?"
Snow's eyes welled up at her friend's dilemma. Putting her hand on her friends, Snow gently told her, "I can't tell you what to do, and I won't even pretend to have the right answer, but know that I will support you in however you choose to handle this."
Snow and Rosalind decided to make the most of the time she had left. They threw a ball for the children's birthday, and David even brought ponies for the children to ride. In fact, both Killian and Emma received a pony as a gift. Emma named her pony Buttercup, and Killian named his Westley.
"Please don't go," he cried, laying in her arms.
Rosalind's condition had declined quickly in the two months since their birthday. It had been three days and she hadn't been able to leave the bed. She cursed not being able to see him through to the end of the year, just one more Christmas, but truth be told, no amount of time would've been enough.
She inhaled deeply in an attempt to keep her voice steady, "I don't want to go, it's just my time." It was one of the hardest things she'd ever attempted, to try and keep it together for him.
"You told me I could have anything I wanted if I tried hard enough right?'
She nodded in response unable to trust her voice.
"I want you to live," he begged.
"It doesn't work like that my love-"
"You lied to me!" he interrupted, then he ran from the room.
As soon as the door slammed shut, she lost all sense of preservation. She broke down into ugly sobs. Snow entered a moment later, she sat at the edge of the bed, and gathered her friend into a fierce hug.
"Please take care of him," Rosalind implored her friend, "help him to understand."
"Always," Snow whispered to her dying friend.
Emma found him down at their pond. She sat down next to him and put her arm around his shoulder. Although he tried mightily, he began to cry again.
"It's not fair, I've never had a dad, and now my mama is leaving me too."
She didn't know what to say to that.
"I can share mine," she tried.
"Do you think I did something wrong?" he whispered as another fat tear rolled down his cheek.
"No!" she exclaimed with certainty in her voice. Although she knew she couldn't let him believe that he had anything to do with his mother dying, she didn't know what else to say. "No, it's not your fault. Now please come back, please come be with us and your mama. Please Killy? Come back inside."
He slowly rose to his feet to follow her back into the castle.
Emma stopped when they reached Rosalind's room, and gave her friend a nod, signaling she would be right there if he needed her. Killian slipped into his mother's room to find her hugging Snow, tears running down both their faces.
Snow stood up and helped her friend into a comfortable position, then waved him over, gently patting the space she'd just been sitting in. "I'm going to check in on Emma, call me if you need anything," she said, taking her leave to give them a private moment
"I'm sorry, mama," he cried, "I'm sorry I made you sad," he slowly walked to her bed, and sat down where Snow had just been.
Rosalind wiped her tears away, "It's okay lovey, there is nothing to be sorry for, and I'm happy now that you're here," she smiled at her boy, even as her tears gathered again. She grabbed both his hands, "Killian, I need you to know that I'll miss you more than anything, and I'm sorry I can't stay here with you. I'll be watching over you, and even though you won't see me, remember that I'll always be here," she said laying her hand over his heart. Then she brought his hand to her heart, "And you will be here...I love you, Killian."
"I love you too, mama, I wish you could stay," he pleaded, his wide blue eyes looking up into hers, "or that I could go with you."
"Nonsense," she hugged him tightly,"you've much to do in this life still. And remember you can achieve anything if you work hard enough," she whispered. Sitting back she winked conspiratorially at him, remembering their conversation about the princess. He gave her one of his shy grins in return.
She yawned, causing Killian to yawn, "It's getting late my love, perhaps it is time for us to rest?"
He immediately curled up next to her on the bed, not even bothering to remove his shoes. "Sing me a song?" he asked.
She hugged him into her chest and held him, taking a deep breath she kept her tears at bay, and softly she began to sing to him, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…"
As she sang to him, he tried to commit everything to memory, her smile, her voice, her smell, her embrace. He let his tears fall silently down his face, listening as his mother sang to him.
She treasured this last moment with her son, "I love you, Killian."
"I love you too, mama" he murmured, snuggling further into her, and eventually falling asleep in her arms.