A/N: Hi everyone :) A second chapter to this story, I hope you enjoy it... I don't really know how long is it going to be yet, sooo... Yeah.
Oh, yeah, disclaimer: I obviously yet sadly do NOT own OUAT.
She's back to wearing rags, Killian noticed.
"The show owner made me wear those damned clothes." She explained whan he asked about the absecne of her rather seductive attire. "He thought that the slutier I look, the better."
"Many men would agree when it comes to you, love." He pointed out. "Lass, about last night-"
"It was a one time thing, your Highness."
He nodded. "Good. You are a very beautiful woman and I value you highly as a warrior, but-"
"I am no fit to be a prince's lady, nor do I want such a life." She completed causually. He watched her curiously as she packed her few belongings.
"So, are we leaving?" she asked, her eyes running from him to the door and back again.
"No one to say goodbye to?"
"No. Your Highness." The title sounded unnatural coming from her mouth. She clearly wasn't used to adress people who were higher than her in the social scale properly. Her eyes explored him and he felt his pulse quickening. It was a feeling women rarely caused him to feel, and he wasn't completely sure he liked it. What was so special about her?
-xxx-
When they got to the small camp of knights near the border of the town it was near evening. Killian already had his men deal with the taxes, and they were ready to head home.
"This is Emma, mates, she'll be joining us as my guard." He introduced her.
"A woman?" spat out one of the knights, a man named Roberts. "What would she do, scream the threats away? You better take her back to the brothel you found her in, your highness, because-"
He didn't get to finish that sentence before she kicked his knee from behind, causing him to collaps on the ground, having his own sword pointed at his throat within seconds.
"You were saying…?" she growled silently.
"That's enough." Said Killian, but an amused smile tugged at his lips as she got up.
"Does anyone else have an original way to imply that I'm a whore?" she glared at the knights, tucking a lock of golden hair behind her ear. "I am a woman of honor. I do as I wish. I'm equal to you, I will not have men treat me as if I were beneath them because I am a woman." Her eyes roamed upon every single one of the men, dangerous, warning. "Was I clear enough?"
The men nodded, silent.
"I am done being men's property." She declared silently and held out her hand to help Roberts up. He took it, utterly surprised.
"I'm sorry, milady." He mumbled. She nodded.
As she turned to walk towards the horse she now owned, the prince grabbed her hand to stop her. "I've spent enough time trying to collect the remains of my honor, your majesty. I will not underestimate it again." She hissed and pulled her hand out of his grasp.
"I think you regained every last bit of it, now." He solemnly told her.
Her eyes widened in disgust. "By knocking the man down?"
"By helping him up afterwards." He said and turned to look for his horse, leaving her open mouthed and blinking.
You can win as many fights as you want, Emma, but bringing your opponent down will never say as much about you as helping them up afterwards.
Her father said those words. Those exact words.
She couldn't stop herself.
"Where did you hear these words?" She asked, hiding expertly the tears that gathered in her eyes at the memory of the man she adored the most.
He turned back to look at her, his brow raised curiously. "My mother is saying them every now and then. Why, if I may ask?"
"It's nothing, really. Keep going, I was just curious."
He observed her carefully. "I can tell you're lying, lass, but I can also tell you're not so eager to share this particular detail of your past with me, so I'm backing off, being a gentelman and all."
She didn't even smile at that, she was too deep in her thoughts to recognize the light tone the last part of the sentence was said in. He took adventage of the situation to examine her features more deeply. She was indeed a lovely creature, with her beautiful face and bright hair. It could be almost too easy to forget the fact of her being one of the most talented fencers he had ever met. Which brought him to face another issue.
Her fighting style was utterly royal, as if she was trained by a king.
This brought him to wonder how does an orphan (yes, he had noticed the way she stopped herself from revealing the fact of her parents' death to him in the previous night.) in her early twenties get such training.
Emma Swan was a mystery to him, a mystery from the appealing kind, from the ones that just beg to be revealed. But he has been down this road before. The familiar, overused road of finding someone you could potentially love and losing them. And he would never go down it again.
Never again.
-xxx-
They rode until thick darkness coated everything around them, then set their camp for the night.
Emma breathed in the cold night's air.
She was free.
After her mother died, she knew her father wouldn't be able to last long. He tried as hard as he could, for her, for the sake of his only child, but she knew his heart wouldn't last without the second half of it, that stopped beating. He died soon after, leaving her nothing but a silver ring with a green gem in it and the experience she gained in her 16 years. And the sword, of course. The sword was her way of remembering her father. She had spent her entire childhood practicing in a wooden one he crafted for her, admiring the real, metal sword from afar.
One day, she got into a fight where she got to try her skills in a real combat. Fortunately for her -or unfortunately, it depends on the way you looked at it- an owner of a small, unsuccessful theater watched her and recognized a good opportunity. She became his main show and he supplied her with food, clothes and shelter.
Until she turned eighteen everything was fine, give or take, but then the shows slowly began to get a growing sexual manner. The clothes became more revealing, the bows he demanded her to perform more seductive, and it felf as if she was disrespecting the memory of her father. But it was all over now, behind her, forgotten.
"I'm free, father." She whispered, her eyes fixed on the black night sky. "My path is mine to choose again."
She loved both her parents very much, but she has always felt closer to her father. Even closer after she had to help him keep himself alive for weeks. She drew comfort from pretending he could hear her, even if she knew it couldn't be true. The dead are gone, he used to tell her. And we have to respect them by accepting it.
"Hello, Thomas." She smiled slightly at his poor attempt to remain quiet behind her. He sighed.
"Am I that loud?"
"I'd say no, but you'll learn nothing from it."
She turned to look at him. "How old are you, Thomas?"
"Um.. Twenty two, milady." He bilnked.
"No, Thomas, your real age, if you please."
He rubbed his face with his palm. "I'll be seventeen in two months. Please don't tell the prince, I have-"
"I won't tell anyone, relax." She sighed. "Why would you want to be a guard anyway?"
He hesitated before he answered. "I have to feed my mother and sisters."
"No father?"
"No."
"Dead?"
"Left." His face was reflecting the full strengh of the betrayal he experienced for a moment.
"I think it's a very brave thing of you to do, if it helps." She offered.
"Thank you, milady."
"Why did you come here in the first place, Thomas?" she asked.
"I was actually wondering if you'd consider teaching me now, when we're stuck together anyway." He confessed, his fingers runinng through his bright hair nervously.
"I'd love that." She smiled. His eyes widened in surprise and delight.
"I'll go fetch my sword, then!" He called, visibly excited.
"You won't be needing it, for now," She chuckled.
"Oh." He blushed lightly. "I have to confess I like you much better this way, milady."
"How?" she laughed.
"When you're really you, not some girl with no self respect who dances around a stage to impress people she shouldn't care for their opinon."
"I happen to like myself this way better as well," She answered earnestly. "You are a very special young man, Thomas."
His blush darkened. She could barely even see it, in the dim light the fire provided.
"Bend your knees." She suddenly ordered him. He hurried to follow her command. "In most cases when you're on the floor you've lost the battle already. You mustn't let anyone knock you down." She circled him. "I am going to try."
He nodded, his jaw clenched.
She smiled to herself as she ran forward and collided with him with all the strengh she had. He fell down with a loud urgh.
"Don't worry, I didn't expect you to suceed."
"That's relaxing." He mutterd. She laughed.
"Let's try this again. Until you're stable enough on your feet for the sword." He used her streched arm to get up.
"Okay."
Two more times like the first ended up with him on the ground. "Are you sure you don't want to continue tomorrow or something?" She asked.
"No, I want to suceed. At least once. And I don't want you to take it easy on me. Bring me all you got."
This time when she crashed into him he managed to stay on his feet, and stopped her movment.
"Good!" She breathed. "Very good."
He smiled proudly.
"Go to sleep, Thomas, you did well." She assured him.
"Thank you, milady."
He walked away, looking back at her every couple of steps. So this is what having a sibling felt like, she mused.
"It's very nice of you to teach him." Said the prince's voice from behind her.
"He is a nice boy." She replied.
"It's a five days jorney back to my city. I believe a place for you to stay will be in order. I'll have that managed."
"Thank you, your majesty."
"It's Killian, lass."
"I won't call you that." She declared.
"Why not?"
"You're a prince, your majesty, I'm sure I don't need to remind you of that. I have to show respect fitting to the title."
"It's a sad thing, not to have people to call you by your own name."
"I'm sure there are many other things to help you get over this certain sadness, your highness."
"Wouldn't you like to know, Swan?"
"What gave you this impression, your majesty?"
He laughed as she wished him a pleasent night and walked away, then caught and mentally slapped himself. He was not going down this road again.
He promised it to himself.
Review? :3