Sorry for the long wait on this one guys, between school work and loss of creativity it was hard to finish this, but I got it done :)
And for those thinking Graham will magically become a prince and work his way into the tourney, I'm sorry, but Graham is Graham, nothing royal about him.
I don't own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters
Emma was in a fog when her handmaidens came to wake her the next morning. She had barely gotten any sleep the night before; tossing and turning with thoughts of Graham leaving again, leaving all because of her.
"Come on Princess, time to wake up. We must get you ready for today's events." One of her handmaidens urged.
They forced her out of her bed and into a form fitting cream and periwinkle chiffon dress. Her hair was done up in a bun with diamond flower clips scattered through her locks. She didn't feel like herself in her body. They were tugging and pulling her in different directions, but she didn't really feel any of it. She was in a constant zombie like trance as she made her way to field where the joust was to be held.
The air outside was crisp with anticipation; the sound of horses whinnying and armor clashing made Emma cringe. She didn't want this. She didn't want any of it, but it wasn't her choice. It was what her parents wanted.
She met her parents with a weak smile, both of them beaming back at her.
"Are you ready for today sweetheart?" Her father asked eagerly.
"As ready as I will ever be." She muttered under her breath. She gave her father a firm nod and both of her parents turned away from her to face the field.
"Please rise for King James, Queen Snow, and Princess Emma." The knight announced to the crowd.
As Emma made her way to her throne with her parents, she felt like all eyes were on her. She avoided eye contact with every one of the onlookers and took her seat proudly, sitting with her back straight and chin held high. A harsh wind blew through the air, whipping the flags back and forth viciously. She watched as her father slowing rose from his throne and made his way closer to the edge of the high rise.
"Welcome to the first event in the tourney for my daughters hand. Let the joust begin." He announced.
As he returned to his seat, Emma saw two horses guided onto the field on opposite sides. Banners followed behind them; one yellow and black with a boar and the other purple and gold with a lion. The first match would be Prince Edmund against Prince Baxter of House Everest.
The Everest's lived at the east edge of the kingdom, right along the border line. They were known for their trading with other kingdoms and collections of rare and unique artifacts. There were rumors that they had obtained dragon eggs, but that was merely hearsay.
Prince Baxter's coiffed blonde hair stayed in place as he climbed onto his horse. He sat tall and ready before pulling on his helmet and gripping his lance. On the other end, Prince Edmund struggled with mounting his horse. His foot had gotten tangled and it seemed as if he couldn't pull himself up. His squire came to his aid, pain in his expression as he lifted the prince in the air and shoved him onto his saddle. The horse sagged at the addition of Prince Edmund's weight and all the while Emma was quietly giggling at the situation playing out in front of her.
She knew who would win this match before it even started. Prince Edmund could barely sit still on his horse and the hand that gripped his lance was shaking. Both of the horses shot forward at once at lightning speed. As the space between the two princes grew shorter, Prince Baxter lowered his lance, ready to strike. Prince Edmund bounced as the horse galloped, causing him to have no hold on his lance. He never locked into striking position and was knocked from his horse as Prince Baxter's lance met his shield head on.
Emma cringed at the sound of wood smacking into metal. Prince Edmund was knocked from his horse, his belly jiggled as he smacked hard into the ground. Prince Baxter turned around to see what had happened to his opponent, ripping his helmet off, his hair had lost its coif, and pumped his lance in the air victoriously when he saw the prince on the ground. Prince Edmund rolled back and forth, trying to get to his feet and soon his squire came to his aid, struggling to lift him from the ground.
"The winner of the match, Prince Baxter of House Everest." The knight announced as held the princes' arm in the air. Baxter beamed victoriously at Emma as Prince Edmund sulked back to his tent.
The next match was between Prince Cedric and Prince Gaven. They both sat on their horses and held their lances with the same amount of confidence which made it difficult for Emma to predict who would win. They both lined up at either sides of the tilt and shot off towards each other at top speed. They were locked in position, Cedric slightly ahead of Gaven, the former's lance piercing into Prince Gaven's armor, and it splintered into pieces upon impact. Gaven wavered slightly on his saddle, but was able to stay on.
As Prince Gaven recovered from the blow bestowed upon him by his opponent, Prince Cedric was handed a new lance by his squire.
They positioned themselves by the tilt once again and were off. They grew closer and their lances were locked into position. Emma watched as Prince Gaven's lance found Cedric's helmet. A crunch cut through the air at contact and Emma gasped. There was a sizeable dent in Prince Cedric's helmet and when he lifted it from his head his nose was bleeding, possibly broken. But he didn't seem shaken and put his helmet back on to prepare for the third round.
As they charged at one another for the last time and their lances locked into position, Prince Cedric struck Prince Gaven in the chest, causing him to fall from his horse. Prince Cedric was announced the winner while Prince Gaven stormed off angrily.
The next few matches were much of the same. Oooh's and ahhh's came from the crowd when each strike was made. Some matches went by where no prince was unhorsed, but some were unhorsed by the second strike. The joust had lost Emma's attention by the 4th match. She was more focused on the book she was secretly reading than whose lance struck whom.
Her attention was only redirected when Prince Dempsey's name was announced. He was matched against the scrawny, rail thin Prince Fredrick. Poor Prince Fredrick, he looked no more than the age of 13 with curly red hair and freckles cascading along his face. He stood no chance, Emma knew. He would be destroyed.
As they got to their positions, Prince Fredrick could barely hold his lance upright. Prince Dempsey's horse took off first, startling Prince Fredrick, causing his horse to burst forward under no control by its rider, lance falling from his grasp. He was too concerned with his fallen lance to see Prince Dempsey coming right for him, his lance breaking, splinters lodging themselves in Prince Fredrick's arm. Blood gushed from between his fingers as he clutched the wound in agony. She thought for sure the he would yield, but his squire handed him his fallen lance and he tried putting on a brave face as he put his helmet back on and repositioned himself.
When they were both set to make another pass, Prince Dempsey charged with even more verbosity and determination than the last. He stormed forward like a lion about to pounce on its prey. Emma didn't want to watch, but she couldn't look away, it would be un-lady like of her to do so. Prince's Dempsey's lance hit Prince Fredrick square in the center of his helmet, the metal smashed almost to oblivion. When they had reached the other ends, Prince Fredrick removed his helmet, reveling blood continuously flowing from his mouth and nose.
The poor boy could handle no more of this, Emma thought. She wanted to call it off, declare Prince Dempsey the winner by default, but she knew it wouldn't be over until the final pass was made. It pained her to watch as Prince Dempsey barreled towards him and forcefully launched Prince Fredrick off of his horse. His body lay on the ground, unmoving.
Emma rose from her chair and slowly made her way to the edge of the high rise to get a better view. He just lay there, motionless. She couldn't tell if he was breathing due to his armor, but then she heard him shouting.
"I can't move my legs!" He screamed in panic. "Someone help me! I can't move my legs!"
His squire came to his side and cradled his limp body in his arms. Emma's attention was ripped from the horrid scene in front of her eyes by a roaring laughter. She whipped her head in the direction from which the sound came and found Prince Dempsey standing arrogantly and laughing with his squire. She squinted her eyes at him in disgust, but he only winked at her when he was announced the winner.
Emma's hands balled into fists. It wasn't right, what Prince Dempsey had done, and she wasn't going to stand for it. She quickly turned around to face her parents, a serious expression on her face.
"You can't possibly allow this?" She asked in disbelief. "He just paralyzed a man. Shouldn't he be disqualified?"
"Casualties happen in a joust Emma, it's the way the game works." Her father responded.
She looked to her mother for support, but Snow showed no signs of arguing. Emma huffed in defeat and returned to her seat, crossing her arms over her chest in frustration. She couldn't understand how her father would let a man get away with paralyzing another. She thought he was more just than that. And her mother not agreeing with her, she thought she would be more sympathetic and understanding. The suitor situation seemed to have gotten in the way of their common sense.
During her rant, the two princes of the next match had already gotten suited and mounted, with lances in hand. It was Prince Blake of House Evans, represented by the green and white stag, and Prince Carlisle of House Barnaby, represented by the red and gold stallion.
Emma looked on unamused as the princes traded blows, the last hit landing on Prince Carlisle's shield, and Prince Blake was announced the winner. That meant that one of the last princes to joust would be Prince Brindley, but who would he be up against. For the life of her Emma couldn't remember the other prince.
Her eyes were drawn to Prince Brindley when he emerged onto the field behind the black and white banners, the wolf looking more intimidating in this current situation. He came striding proudly on his grey, speckled stallion. His black hair was smoothed down perfectly and his misty eyes glimmered with excitement. When his eyes found hers his face broke out into a smile that made her breath catch. When his eyes left hers and looked across the field his pupils widened in shock and he gulped nervously. When she followed his gaze and saw what he was looking at she understood why.
His opponent had just stepped onto the field behind the banner of black and gold dragon. It was Prince Reece of House Barrett or as he was commonly known, The Beast. He towered over everyone being nearly 7 feet tall and muscle had built on top of muscle, making him a bulging monster. She looked back at Prince Brindley expecting to see him scrambling with nerves to get his helmet on and hold his lance, but was surprised when he sat poised and confident on his horse.
When both Princes were at the ready on either side of the tilt, Emma pulled her knees to her chest and brought her nails to her mouth, nervously nibbling as each second passed. When their horses bolted forward, Emma's hands and feet snapped back down, her nails digging into the wood of her chair. As they drew closer, without realizing it, Emma drew closer and closer to the edge of her seat. Her eyes never left Prince Brindley. He rode strong and powerful, but it was nothing compared to the power of Prince Reece. It was like he had some sort of force around him that made everything gravitate towards him and Prince Brindley was being pulled in against his will. When they collided it was Prince Brindley's lance meeting with Prince Reece's shield and the latter's lance meeting with the Prince Brindley's chest near his shoulder. Prince Brindley tilted slightly in his saddle, causing to Emma to hover in her seat, but his grip was firm and he didn't fall. Emma released the breath she had been holding and returned to her seat. She looked around to make sure no one had seen her almost freak out and luckily everyone was too consumed with the match to pay any attention to her.
She looked in Prince Brindley's direction again and saw him rolling his shoulder uncomfortably and worry shot through her. Was he hurt and if he was how badly? She hoped his injury wasn't too serious and judging by the fact that he could still comfortably grip his lance it wasn't too grave.
Emma took a deep breath to try and calm her nerves, but her heart only beat faster when the princes were at the ready once again. Emma chewed her lip as she watched them charge towards each other again. She couldn't watch this. She refused to see Brindley pummeled by The Beast right before her eyes. She covered her eyes with her hands, but couldn't fight her curiosity and peeked through her fingers. Through her limited vision she was able to see Brindley's lance hitting Reece square in the chest and Reece's lance barely missing Brindley's helmet.
"Yes!"
Emma screamed as she shot up from her throne. She was grinning widely down at Prince Brindley as she clapped excitedly. She was coming down from her adrenaline high when she noticed her parents staring at her. She immediately stopped and cleared her throat as she smoothed out her dress and hair before sitting back down and collecting her composure. A proud smile was still present on her face.
She knew it wasn't over yet. There was still one more pass that he could very well lose. He could still be unhorsed or bludgeoned to death, but she had to have hope. He wouldn't lose, he couldn't lose.
They raced towards each other for the last time. Emma bit down on her lip intently as she watched. They finally traded blows; Reece to Brindley's shield and Brindley to Reece's chest. Emma couldn't believe it, he had won. Prince Brindley had beaten The Beast. Emma's heart swelled with pride as she watched Prince Brindley remove his helmet and climb down from his horse. He was now standing in front of the high rise, arm being held in the air by a knight.
"The winner of the match, Prince Brindley of House Alastair."
When his eyes met hers she instantly felt flustered and heat rose in her cheeks. He gave her a smile and she only grew hotter. She grabbed the fan that lay in her lap and waved it feverishly to calm herself.
Soon the rest of the princes joined Prince Brindley in the center of the field, facing the high rise. Emma's father rose from his throne and made his way to the edge.
"Congratulations. You few men have shown your strength and determination and were victorious in the joust. You will all move on to show your accuracy and patience in the next event, archery."
Prince Dempsey scoffed and rolled his eyes at the announcement of the next event, Emma noticed in disgust.
"You are also invited to the castle once again tonight."
She would have to sit through another dinner with the princes? Would this be happening after every event of the day? Well, at least some of the less entertaining ones had been eliminated today, she marginalized.
She followed her parents down the steps of the high rise and once she was on the ground she risked a glance back at the field to see if Prince Brindley was still standing there. He was and he was looking right at her. She quickly turned away from him, suddenly feeling shy, but looked right back and he was still staring. She gave him a smile, but he was ushered away by his squire before he was able to see it.
With the absence of Prince Brindley she had a perfect view of the forest where she thought she saw a figure standing in the shadows, but the second she blinked it was gone. There was no way Graham had watched the match. For one thing it would have been too risky for him to be so out in the open, but then there was the fact that this was a tourney for her hand. There was no way he would want to watch that. Unfortunately, her denial didn't keep the inkling feeling away.
Emma's mind was somewhere else while her handmaidens were dressing her. Had Graham really been there, in the forest? Emma was touched by the fact that he hadn't really left, but that didn't mean that he had forgiven her or that he would still come visit her tonight. She hoped he would.
She was shaken from her thoughts with a tug from her handmaiden as she tightened the corset. She looked down in bewilderment at the dress they had put her in. The voluminous yellow gown was much fancier than what she had expected. The gold embroidery along the bodice matched the embroidery on the sleeves and hem.
"Why are you putting me in this grand dress? We're just having supper, just like the other night. I demand something simpler."
"M'lady," One of her handmaidens stood from the ground where she had been fixing Emma's hem. She was averting Emma's gaze obviously afraid of directly addressing her. "I take it your parents have not informed you of the importance of tonight?"
Of course her parents had forgotten to inform her about what was going on tonight. Emma rolled her eyes in annoyance. "No, they have not informed me, so if you don't mind explaining I would like to know." Emma snapped.
The handmaiden flinched at her insistence and averted her gaze again. "A ball is being held here as a celebration of the beginning of the tourney." She stuttered.
Emma felt a mixture of both nervousness and fury. Why had her parents never mentioned this to her? She'd only been to a few balls in her lifetime and most of the time she was able to sneak away and read rather than go through having to dance with someone. She wasn't an awful dancer, she was actually quite agile on her feet, she just didn't enjoy the intimacy of it. She'd have to participate in this one though, there was no escaping it.
They left her hair down in loose curls and placed a golden tiara on her head. She rarely wore it, only on occasions like this, but when she did it changed her; made her feel more confident in herself. The crown was a weave of golden vines with flowers made of a combination of diamonds and pearls strategically placed through it. It weighed just enough so that you knew it was there, but it wasn't overbearing.
Her makeup was a little more extravagant this time around, adding a romantic red lip. When they were finished she turned to look at her reflection in the mirror and it was almost as if the corset had been tugged tighter because she lost her breath. The girl in mirror staring back at her was a girl she didn't know. This girl was more beautiful than Emma. The dress molded to her body perfectly. The color brought out the light in her eyes and her face was striking and captivating. This is what a Princess looked like and it was Emma.
She had never felt like she fit the mold of what a princess really was. She liked to keep to herself rather than interact with others. She would rather spend her days wandering through the forest than learning proper etiquette. But seeing this version of herself reflected back at her made her think twice about her actions. This poised princess in the mirror was who she was fated to be. It was who she was raised to be and expected to become. She needed to stop running from her destiny and accept it. The sooner she did the easier this all would be.
She couldn't help thinking about Graham as she stared at her reflection. What would he think of her if he saw her like this? He knew she was a princess, but he had never seen her like this. She knew it wouldn't really change what he thought about her, what he truly felt about her, but it may solidify the fact that she was nothing like him. She was a princess and he was nothing more than….what? A wolf boy? A huntsman, she supposed. Her looking like this would show him that they could never be together.
"Princess, don't cry. You're ruining your makeup."
She broke eye contact with her reflection and saw several tears fall down her cheeks, washing her makeup away. She sniffled and took in a few ragged breaths as her handmaiden blotted her tears away with a cloth. She retouched Emma's makeup and stepped aside to reveal her once more.
"No more crying. If I have to retouch it again you'll be late. A Princess is never late."
Emma nodded. She couldn't think about how she couldn't be with Graham. It hurt too much. She had to focus on the sliver of hope she had that he would come back tonight. She would only allow herself to think about being with him and how happy it made her feel. It was the only way she would get through this.
She knew they were waiting for her. She could hear the faint sound of voices down stairs and the roaring laugh that could have only belonged to her father. She lightly bounced up and down in anticipation, waiting to be announced. She thought she would be more nervous than this. Usually her palms would be sweating and her knees would be wobbling, but she was completely still. She was ready for this.
"Presenting, Princess Emma."
She took a deep breath after the knight announced her name and began to descend the stairs. She stood as straight as possible and held her chin high as she took each step one at a time. Soon, the entire room came into view with all eyes on her. She hadn't expected for there to be so many people, perhaps more people had received invitations. The seven Princes that won their matches today stood in the front of the crowd, all dressed in their best clothes. Her father and mother stood just to the left of the bottom of the stairs, beaming brightly at her.
Her father stepped towards her when she reached the bottom of the stairs and held out his hand for her to take. She took it, smiling at him first and then to the crowed when her father turned to present her. She met eyes with each prince, skipping over Prince Dempsey, and when she landed on Prince Brindley she gave him a wider smile and she could feel the blush on her cheeks. She took a deep breath and let it all soak in.
"Once again I would like to welcome you all to this wonderful occasion." Her father started. "Each prince will have a chance to dance with my daughter, the rest of you are welcome to join in as well as indulge in the delicious food and wine that has been provided." He said gesturing to the table on the other side of the room. "Let the party begin."
The orchestra began to play and the room was filled with the soft notes of violins and the chattering of people. Emma had expected her father to release her hand in favor of her mother's instead, but he guided her to the dance floor, twirling her and then placing a hand at her waist, beginning to glide around the room.
Emma looked around as several more guests began dancing around them. She returned to look at her father, who was staring down at her, his eyes gleaming with what looked like tears.
"Emma, my darling daughter, Emma,"
Oh boy. She knew that tone. It was the "you're growing into such a beautiful woman" speech. It was something she heard from him on each and every birthday she had since she was 12 and it never failed to embarrass her.
"Father," She whined through gritted teeth.
She looked around to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation. Luckily, they were too engrossed with concentrating on dancing to be paying any attention to her and her uncomfortable situation.
"I know I say this a lot, but Emma, you've grown into such a beautiful woman." He said trying to keep is voice straight. "I know this isn't exactly what you wanted, but I want you to understand that I'm doing what's best for you. Having someone to love and support you in life is something that is special and rare and that's what I wish for you."
His expression was that of pure sincerity and she knew she couldn't be mad at him for this. If it wasn't for Graham she probably would find love through this tourney and she would be thankful for her father setting it up, but Graham was always at the back of her mind through this whole thing, preventing her from fully appreciating her father's efforts. She had found what her father had wanted her to have, but he would never know.
A lump had formed in her throat that she couldn't swallow to form words for a response so she just leaned her head forward to rest it on her father's chest. She felt him press an affectionate kiss to the top of her head. She only lifted her head when she felt someone tap her shoulder.
"I hope I'm not interrupting," She looked to her right and there was Prince Cedric looking as if he had been dipped in gold. His doublet was completely gold with green emerald embellishments, his sleeves as well as he pants were white and golden boots covered his feet. "But I was wondering if I could have this dance with Princess Emma?"
Her father almost looked reluctant to hand her over, handing over his baby girl, his only child due to fears of the Evil Queen, but he nodded and stepped away, taking Emma's hand and placing it in Cedric's, giving him a smile. The prince bowed before her, his nose nearly touching his knee, and she curtsied. When he stood back up he brought their hands up, fingers entwining, and placed his other hand on her waist, guiding her across the floor.
When she looked up at his face she saw his purple and green bruised nose, courtesy of Prince Gaven in their match earlier today. It looked swollen and painful. She couldn't stop staring.
"He got me good did he not?" He tilted his head, giving her a smirk.
Her eyes quickly darted from his nose and rose to his eyes trying to make it seem like she hadn't been staring, but it was too late. She had already been caught.
"I'm sorry, it just looks so painful. Is it broken?"
"Thankfully, no, but that doesn't mean it hurts any less." He chuckled.
She tried laughing along, but it felt and sounded forced.
"I wear it proudly as a badge of honor."
"As you should." She agreed giving him a weak smile.
They continued to waltz around the room. She congratulated him on his victory and he thanked her, saying it was an honor to joust for her. She felt horrible for not reacting the way most woman would if a man of his stature had said that to them. Her heart didn't swoon and she didn't blush. The statement meant nothing to her. She was lying to him with each compliment and smile that she gave.
Her regretful thoughts were soon interrupted by someone dressed in royal purple stepping into her peripheral vision.
"I believe you have coveted her long enough, Cedric."
Prince Baxter stood beside Prince Cedric, dressed in a deep violet with white trousers and black boots. The gold sash across his shirt was pinned at his waist by a giant green emerald broach. His blonde hair was possibly more coiffed than it had been this morning.
"I suppose I have." He agreed.
He stepped back and brought her hand to his lips, giving her fingers a kiss before nodding and leaving. This gave Prince Baxter the chance to swoop in and take his position. They quickly picked up the dance once again and began moving to the music. They were stuck in an awkward silence as they went through the steps.
"I feel as if I have cheated in a way." He said breaking the silence.
"I'm sorry, I'm not sure I quite understand." Emma said shaking her head.
"Matching me with Prince Edmund." He clarified. "He could barely stay mounted on his horse in the first place. Knocking him off didn't take much. I feel like I wasn't able to show my true potential." His head hung low in defeat.
"I wouldn't say you cheated. I would put it more as you got lucky."
His head lifted back up, obviously comforted by her redefinition.
"Besides, you'll have a chance to prove yourself tomorrow." She added.
"You're right. I can't dwell on today. I have to look forward to tomorrow."
His movements became lighter and happier. Emma was glad she could lift his spirits. Soon they were separated when yet another prince came for a chance to dance. She couldn't remember his name, but he was dressed in an atrocious orange and green ensemble that clashed with his mopy brown hair and pale blue eyes. He was also a horrendous dancer, stepping on her toes and almost dropping her every time he tried to lift her. The next prince was no better. He was far too short to be a desired dance partner, about eye level with her breasts which just made things even more uncomfortable. She was practically leading him the entire time. She looked around the room and people were snickering and pointing in her direction, obviously finding the situation quite comical.
"To save the Princess from anymore embarrassment, may I cut in?"
She knew who that snake like voice belonged to. Prince Dempsey stood towering above the dwarfish prince that was dancing with Emma. He was dressed in a sky blue doublet and white trousers with white boots. His ice blonde hair was slicked back making his pointed nose look even sharper.
She wanted to tell him no. She wouldn't mind dancing with the imp prince if it meant she wouldn't have to dance with him, but she couldn't refuse him. She had to at least dance with him for a few counts, that wouldn't be too bad would it?
The short prince stepped aside, allowing Dempsey to slink in. His left hand instantly found her waist, right gripping her other hand tight, and he forcefully pulled her towards him so that she flush against him. His eyes darted to the top of her breasts that were peeking out of the top of her dress and licked his lips.
"If we weren't in such a public place I would say you were trying to tease me with those." He whispered huskily in her ear. His tongue barely darted out to lick her earlobe making Emma cringe. His hand that had been placed on her waist had slowly made its way lower and gave her bottom a hard grope.
She wanted to get away, she needed to get away. Her throat tightened with fear and tears sprung to her eyes. The corset was completely constricting her from breathing and her heartbeat had tripled in rhythm. She tired pulling away in a panic, but his hold on her only grew tighter.
"Oh no, Princess," He sneered. "I fought for you today. I earned this dance with you and I'm going to make it as pleasurable for myself as possible."
He leaned into the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply, letting out a satisfied sigh.
"You smell absolutely delectable."
She couldn't take it anymore. Her chest had tightened too much; she was going to pass out. Using all of her might, she was finally able to escape from his grasp and ran straight for the balcony, out of sight from the rest of the guests. She slammed into the cool marble railing, gripping it tightly for support. She inhaled the fresh air of the cold night, eyes closed and head lifted to the sky.
She took several more deep breaths to calm herself down and her eyes slowly opened to the stars shining brightly in the night sky. She rubbed her arms up and down, not really sure if the action was because she was cold or she was trying to scrub herself free of the dirty feeling Prince Dempsey had left on her.
Had anyone seen what he had done to her or more rather, what he had tried to do to her? Did they see her storm out? Everyone at the party seemed completely consumed with themselves that they probably hadn't even noticed. She could still feel his hands on her. She could still feel his hot breath on her neck, his tongue in her ear. She shivered at the unsettling sensation.
She hated him, she truly did. But what would happen if he won the tourney and her hand? His actions tonight were only a preview of what her life would be like with him and if he won she couldn't run from them. She'd have to follow through as she was expected to, but the pain would still be there. She refused to think about it. It was just making things worse and she wouldn't allow it.
"Is everything alright Princess?"
She jumped in fright when his voice broke the calm silence that had surrounded her. She slowly turned to find Prince Brindley standing in the archway. He was dressed in white again with black pants. His soot black hair was coiffed, not as extremely as Prince Baxter's, which Emma found more appealing. A black sash was draped across his doublet, pinned at the waist by a giant diamond broach. He looked quite dashing with light from the moon hitting him the way it did.
"I'm quite alright, just needed to get some fresh air."
He gave her a look as if he didn't believe a word she had said. He stepped on to the balcony and made his way towards her until they were face to face, only inches separating them. She could feel him reading her.
"Are you sure?" He asked in disbelief. "I had seen you dancing with Prince Dempsey and only turned my head for a second and when I looked back you were gone. I barely saw you slip through the doorway to the balcony."
Should she tell him what Prince Dempsey had done? Is she did, how would he react? Certainly not positively, she knew, and she didn't want him to confront Dempsey and make a scene.
"I'm fine. The room just became too much for me." She assured him.
His hand ghosted over her arm until he reached her hand, her entire body began to tingle. He clasped her hand lightly and ran his thumb over her knuckles.
"In that case, may I have this dance my lady?"
He gave her a hopeful smile that made Emma forget her entire altercation with Prince Dempsey.
"Yes, you may."
She released a flustered giggle as he bowed to her and she gave him a quick curtsey. When they stood to face each other again, he took her hand and entwined their fingers while he placed his other hand on her waist. He took a step forward and as custom she stepped back, setting the tempo for their dance. The music didn't reach the balcony so they were dancing to their own music. Their eyes were focused on each other, never blinking, even as he spun her in a circle. He only brought her back to him for a second before he dipped her, holding her above the ground. The electricity between them was buzzing in the air and it drew them closer. When he brought her back up their noses were right against each other and they were breathing shallow breaths. Emma zeroed in on his lips as he licked them nervously. She was overcome with the desire to find out how they felt on her own.
Their moment was broken when a gasp came from the doorway. Emma's head snapped in that direction and there was Arianna looking as if she had stumbled upon something private.
"Oh my," She said sounding flustered. She turned as if she was going to go back, but stopped. "I just came to find you. I had no idea you were with someone." She said eying Brindley up and down. "Sorry to interrupt. I will leave you now."
Emma stuttered, trying to catch Arianna before she left to tell her she hadn't interrupted anything, but it was too late. The moment between her and Brindley had been broken. Whatever was going to happen between them would not be rekindled. What would have happened if Arianna hadn't interrupted them? Emma forced the thought from her mind.
"We should go back in now. People will start to notice your absence if they haven't already." Brindley said breaking the silence.
He held out his arm for her to take. She placed her hand over his and they strode back inside as if nothing had happened on the balcony. As they made their way through the room all eyes were on them. People around them whispered to one another as they passed. When Prince Dempsey came into view Emma tensed and Prince Brindley seemed to since it. He guided them away from him and towards the food table.
Emma hadn't realized how hungry she was until the fruit tarts came into view. Her mouth salivated at the sight. She stuffed three into her mouth at once. Her eyes closed and she moaned with satisfaction with each swallow. When she opened her eyes she found Prince Brindley smiling at her and instantly felt embarrassed by her glutinous display.
"I take it you were hungry?" Prince Brindley joked.
"Quite." Her voice was muffled by the fruit tart that was still in her mouth.
She spent the rest of the party at the food table eating everything in sight and avoided dancing with Prince Blake when he came for her, stating she was just too tired, and more importantly she avoided Prince Dempsey at all costs. At one point she had wanted to find Arianna so she could explain what she had thought she had seen on the balcony, but she was nowhere to be found.
Prince Brindley stayed by her side the entire time, laughing and enjoying meaningless conversations about who knows what. Emma was slowly discovering how much she enjoyed Prince Brindley's company. Their fun only ceased when Emma's father announced that the ball had come to an end.
"I would like to thank you all for joining us tonight. I hope you enjoyed yourselves." Her father said as he, Snow, and Emma stood at the bottom of the steps in front of their guests. They responded with hoots and hollers of agreement. "Tomorrow is the archery part of the tourney and by the end of the event we will have two Princes that will move onto the final event the next day. I hope you all get a nice night of rest. Goodnight to you all."
He then took Snow's hand and they headed up the stairs. Emma quickly followed behind them only sparing a glance back at the crowd, instantly finding Brindley and giving him a smile. She saw him smile back and quickly turned back, hiding her blush.
She felt like she was on a cloud as she made her way to her room. She twirled in circles over and over with her eyes closed, imagining that she was dancing with Prince Brindley again. She only stopped when she entered her room and found Graham sitting on her bed. She quickly shut the door behind her and turned towards him. Her wide eyes met his, his expression of pure wonderment as he took her all in.
"Emma," He slowly rose from her bed and made his way towards her, completely hypnotized by her. He stopped a few feet in front of her, still trying to take in how much of a princess she looked like. "You look beautiful."
She couldn't even take time to appreciate his compliment. She was still stuck on the fact that he came back. He was here.
"I can't believe you came."
"Did you ever doubt I would?" He chuckled. He gave her his signature smile and her shock melted away. Pure happiness replaced it. She threw her arms around his neck, pulling him close. He wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her around the room, burying his face in her hair.
When he lowered her to the floor he rested his forehead on hers. He looked down at her dress again.
"Where are you coming from dressed like that?" He asked.
"We held a ball here tonight to celebrate the tourney."
"So I take it there was some dancing?"
Emma nodded her head and waited for his reaction. Would be grow angry with jealousy knowing that she had danced with all of those princes? What she hadn't expected was him bowing to her and bringing her hand to his lips.
"May I have this dance my lady?"
"Why of course you may." She said while giving him a slight curtsey.
They didn't move much due to the limited space. He held her close to his body, much like Prince Dempsey had, but she didn't feel trapped against her will. With Graham she felt safe, as if there was no one else in the world that mattered but him.
"You're actually pretty good at this." Emma observed as Graham gracefully executed some of the steps.
Before he could respond there was a knock at the door and they froze in panic.
"That would have to be my handmaidens come to undress me. You have to hide." She told him
He scrambled towards her closet, but she grabbed his arm, stopping him mid step. She shook her head and pointed him in the direction of her bed. He would have to hide under it.
"Princess, is everything alright?" One of the handmaidens asked through the door.
"Everything's fine!" She yelled as she shoved Graham under her bed. "Just give me a second!"
Once Graham was covered and out of sight, Emma opened the door and let her handmaidens in. The first thing they removed was the crown. When it was removed it was like the spell that had been cast on her had ceased and she was back to being her normal self. They quickly started undressing her, untying the corset, finally allowing Emma to really breathe. She was stripped down to her extremely thin slip. She was only in the slip for a few seconds before they put on her nightgown. They washed her face until it was free of makeup and brushed her hair until it lay straight with minimal curls.
"Is there anything else we can do for you m'lady."
"No, that will be all thank you."
The handmaiden nodded, collected the water bowl and cloths, and left the room. Emma waited until she was sure no one would be coming back before speaking again.
"You can come out now." Emma told Graham.
He rolled out from under the bed and stood in front of her. She thought that he would look at her differently now that she wasn't in her true princess wear, but his eyes were no different. He still looked at her with the same wonderment.
"So," He started. "You seemed pretty entertained by the joust today."
So it had been Graham she had seen at the edge of the forest. Emma felt a jumble of different emotions; scared, elated, confused.
"How did you know today was the joust?" She asked as if she hadn't already seen him.
"I hadn't wanted to see any of it. I hadn't wanted to know what they were doing, but in the end my curiosity got the best of me. I watched the last match from the edge of the forest."
That meant he had seen Prince Brindley's match, the only one she had shown any excitement towards, but he didn't know that.
"I guess jousting just really brings out that side in me." She joked.
"Who would have thought?"
They stood there for several minutes, her head resting on his chest, basking in the silence.
"You'd have done better than all of them." Emma said.
His chest moved up and down with laughter. She lifted her head and looked up at him, her brow furrowed.
"Please, I don't even know how to control a horse much less get on one." He admitted.
"Oh it's not that hard." She assured him. "You just grab the horse by the reigns," She demonstrated by grabbing the collar of his chemise. "And guide it by moving the reigns in the direction that you want to go." She said with a playful smirk as she executed the steps by pushing him towards the bed until he fell on top of it and pulled her with him.
"That seems pretty simple, but what happens when you have a horse that is being difficult."
He surprised her by gripping her sides and flipping them so that he was hovering above her, a devilish smirk on his face.
"Then you need to regain control, force the horse to obey you."
She rolled them over so that she was on top of him again, straddling his waist. The playful tension between them was too much for Graham to handle. He brought his hand behind Emma's neck and pulled her too him, his mouth meeting hers in urgency. Emma moaned as his tongue entered her mouth, brushing against hers. She didn't fight him when he switched their positions again so that he was on top. His mouth left hers, both catching their breath, and skirted his lips across her jaw.
"I couldn't stay away." His lips moved against her earlobe, his voice filled with lust. "I can't force myself to stay away from you Emma. I love you."
Tears fell from her eyes at his confession of love and she released a loud wanton moan when he attached his mouth to her neck, sucking hard. When he was finished, he ran his tongue over the spot soothingly. He kissed his way back up her neck until he reached her lips, giving them a few loving pecks.
"I love you too." She said breathlessly as she stared into his deep blue eyes.
He plopped down beside her and she turned on her side, propping up an elbow and resting her head on her fist. The light from the candle flame illuminated his silhouette. He looked more rugged than the princes she had danced with tonight. He looked like he had really lived life, struggled through it by overcoming obstacles. He didn't just sit on a throne and bark orders at others to do his bidding. He did it himself and that's why she loved him.
"So what's tomorrow's event?"
He sounded like he didn't even want to know and of course Emma knew why.
"It's archery actually."
"Something I can actually do." He pulled at the strings of his chemise, disappointment clearly written on his face.
She scooted closer to him, nestling under his chin and placed her hand on his chest, soothingly rubbing it back and forth.
"You would do better than all of them."
"But I'm not a prince, so it doesn't matter."
She wanted to see Prince Dempsey's face when Graham hit the bulls-eye on his first shot and every shot after that, but it would be something that she could only imagine in her mind.
"Good," She said as she pushed herself up on his chest. "I don't want you to be a prince. I love you just the way you are."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I don't want to marry a prince. I want to marry you."
"Emma,"
"No, don't say anything." She placed her finger on his lips to stop him from what she expected to be a long speech of why he couldn't be with her, why he didn't deserve her. It was her that didn't deserve him, she wanted to say.
"Just stay with me." She whispered into his chest.
She felt him stroking her hair over and over again, soothing her with the repetition until she drifted to sleep. The next morning when she woke she'd question if she dreamt him kissing her head and whispering goodnight with a promise of seeing her tomorrow or if it was real.
I hope it won't take as long to update next time, but I'm not promising anything. Who do you think will be the two princes that will move on to the final event?
