300 Years Later

They had many names or the girl that stood in front of Rumpelstiltskin in his entrance hall. They called her The Swan; they called her…the Queen's Bane like they called her mother before her. They called her the Lost Princess….those who believed Snow White to be dead called her the Queen.

"Emma," Rumpelstiltskin practically purred as he circled her, "What a lovely name."

She couldn't be more than sixteen or seventeen at most, but her eyes were older; there was exhaustion in those eyes. As if she was already tired of the world she found herself in. If that didn't indicate how burdened she was, her sloping shoulders certainly did. It wasn't the kind of tiredness like others had….that temporary fatigue due to them riding long distances…this was different. More permanent.

She cleaned up to see him. She must've stopped at the Inn down the mountain to rest, bathe and get ready to present herself. She wore a white dress with a bright red cloak and even that couldn't hide how underfed she was. Her blonde hair was washed and combed and now fell in curls down her back. The way she fidgeted, while he looked her over, he could tell she wasn't used to dressing up like this.

However, the minute he talked to her, she became very still and stared at him right in the eyes, "Thanks."

Most people hid their eyes when he was in the room. They thought he could steal their souls with just a glance. As if people needed him to take their souls when they practically gave them away to him for a pittance.

Remembering his place as a host, he summoned a table full of food, "May I interest you in some supper?"

Emma's eyes went longingly to the food that'd been presented. She gave a swallow and looked back at him, "No thank you."

"Oh dearie, don't tell me I waved my hand for nothing! Oh you don't think that this food is going to somehow contractually bind you to stay dearie. We aren't in that world dearie. Eating a pomegranate won't force you to stay when you want to go."

Emma still didn't move from her place but her eyes wondered to the food again, "I'll only eat after we've talked."

Ah yes, her mother and father never ate with enemies, which probably meant she adapted the same line of thinking, "What can I do for you, little one?"

Emma straightened, "I need your help….to get the throne back."

And there it was, "You are aware that this isn't the first time I've heard someone ask this."

"I know," Emma said

"I certainly heard it a lot Cora was defeating family after family to take over most of the world; would you like to know how many families she slaughtered?"

"Seventeen," Emma said.

"Seventeen!" he confirmed, "And each family sent someone to come find me and I refused to get involved in their little squabble, so what makes you different?"

Emma shrugged, "Our family is the only one that's still alive?"

Rumpelstiltskin stared at her for a second before he burst into laughter, "Quite the spirit, dearie

Emma gave a half smile, "Thank you."

"But me helping you just because you're lucky enough to be alive isn't enough. As much of an admirer as I am of chaos to liven things up, I really got bored of the last war. I'm not really looking forward to you throwing everyone headlong into another one. Especially if you have no idea what you're doing."

"And that's why I need you."

"Where are your parents, Emma? They had the right idea. Perhaps it would be better if you settled down in a village and gave a content life for yourself. I hear lost princesses can usually find a good husband."

"And what sort of life would that be?" she challenged, "Living on the run."

"I'm not a real big advocator of war, dearie, you're far too young to play with people's lives and you will get them killed."

"People will die anyway," Emma retorted, "That's why I'm doing this."

"As noble as that is, you're not going to help them by putting a target on their backs," he advised. He saw the defiance in her eyes, "As sad as I am to crush those dreams in your head…those 17 families had a lot more potential than you do as did the six other families that Regina defeated when she finished her mother's work. What can you offer me?"

If Emma was hurt by him crushing everything she wanted, she didn't show it, "What do you want?"

He glanced her over. He could sense that she was powerful…She was the product of several generations of true loves. She was brimming with untapped potential; he could sense it before she even made it to the gate. It was the only reason he hadn't turned her away, other than she had his curiosity

Well, Rumpelstiltskin supposed he could humor her. He couldn't very well send her back to her parents, he heard they'd been separated and thanks to a spell caused by the Blue Fairy, they couldn't be found by magical means.

"Very well, but only because I do like your spirit…..I have a son," he started, "For quite the few centuries, he and I haven't been on the best of talking terms."

"I'm sorry," she said simply.

"Get him to talk to me," Rumpelstiltskin said, "And I will give you the help you desire."

Emma blinked, "That's it?"

"Oh dearie," he gave her a sad mocking laugh, "I just gave you a very impossible job."

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73 Days Later

If this endeavor was successful, Emma wasn't sure she could pull off wearing a dress every day. She had barely been able to breathe when she stood in front of Rumpelstiltskin…all those undergarments and laces…

Breathing was a chore, moving was a chore. Emma never got used to it.

The brown leather pants, blue tunic and brown jerkin she usually wore were far more comfortable and allowed her the best range of movement. If she got this throne, she would be more than happy wearing that till the end of her days.

Emma wasn't an idiot. She knew that getting the throne would only be half the battle. Keeping it was the real challenge. There would be those that thought they could do better than she could…Regina would have loyal followers that would want her dead…

She wanted it for several reasons; first, people were dying. Regina had finished conquering the rest of the Enchanted Forest and now she was bored. She spent her time killing people in horrendous ways if the rumors were to be believed.

It was Regina. Emma believed the rumors.

Another reason was for her parents…wherever they were. They had been meant to fight in the war. However, her mother had gotten pregnant with her. Neither her mother nor her father wanted to risk getting killed and have her grow up with just one or neither of them so they pulled out and went into hiding. They didn't want her exposed to the war and the plotting. It was a nice idea, but it hadn't lasted. Regina and George (while he was alive) were nothing if not zealous in their need to see her father and mother humiliated and dead

Besides, their armies had been too small anyway. They had no hope of winning.

That's what her father said at least. Emma heard Grumpy say once that her parents were excellent strategists and they might've had a chance. But the risk was too great.

Emma sort of blamed herself after that. Like…if she hadn't been born then things might've been different.

Emma wanted her parents and their allies to go to sleep at night without the fear of waking up to Regina's assassins standing over their bed.

Emma felt her heart clench as she thought about her parents on the ride to the village. It'd been a year since she'd seen either of them. She didn't even know if they were alive. They didn't know if she was alive and that made it worse. She went to sleep many nights for that past year just imagining their grief. She'd been an only child. The stress of what Regina put them through every day made her mother go into several miscarriages growing up. It was another thing Emma hated Regina for.

And finally, the last part was selfish. Emma her birthright back. She could've been a princess, safe and secure in a castle….or as safe and secure as castles usually were…with her parents there and a number of siblings. She wanted to sleep in a feather bed and take a hot bath every night if she wanted to. She didn't want to know what hunger or exhaustion felt like. She wanted to ride without the fear of someone seeing her who knew her face. She wanted to be safe

But that didn't happen and now here she was with several names given to her that she hadn't earned yet and no one knew for sure if she was still alive.

That would change….if she could get this…Baelfire to talk to Rumpelstiltskin.

Rumpelstiltskin had told her much about where to find Baelfire. He told her to look in the southwest. He wasn't going to make this easy for her; she was going to have to earn his cooperation.

So Emma rode southwest and she went to every major village she could find. Looking at all the smaller ones would be endless. Those that lived in the smaller villages often came to the market in the larger ones to buy and sell. It would be easier to ask around there. It wouldn't be too hard. Anyone would notice the name Baelfire since the name was so old.

Finally, she had been told where to find him thanks to a spinner with a liking for silver coins (highway robbery) and she arrived the next day.

She walked into the tavern/inn and asked the barkeeper where she could find Baelfire.

"Over there," the barkeeper nodded.

Emma looked to a corner, expecting to see something twisted and inhuman like the father before him. She hadn't looked around when she entered the room, perhaps she missed it.

It was a bit of a shock to see him. She didn't expect him to look so normal….so young…

She watched Baelfire take a drink of…whatever it was that he was having. There were others in the room that were with friends…he was the only one alone, "That's him?"

"Indeed."

She looked back; this wasn't Rumpelstiltskin's son, it couldn't be!

"Um…" she threw a copper on the bar, "Two ale's please."

"Oh lass, he wouldn't make good company," the man told her, "As odd as it'll be to hear it, he's grieving."

"For what?"

"Just looking at him, you wouldn't know but he just buried his last surviving grandson last year," the man said, "It's the anniversary today."