Chapter 7
It's only been a few days since she ran away from her childhood cottage, but Emma grows more anxious the longer she stays put in this place. It's still too close. Her aunts will try to find her. Her parents might even attempt to find her and force her to live in their castle. The thought of living as a prisoner to her crown gave her shivers and turned her blood cold. If they did come, she wouldn't go. They'd have to drag her against her will kicking and screaming, and she would too.
Killian has been great. He's introduced her to so many new things in the short amount of time they've been here; from bargaining at the market to clothes shopping. All of it has been incredibly helpful since she was only able to leave her home with nothing but a few items. He even introduced her to ale but Emma didn't much care for the beverage.
After the third day she lay in her bed at the inn. Even though she had anxiety about her aunts coming to find her she was having a wonderful time. Everything was so new and different. Her life before felt like a stark contrast to what it is now. She remembers mostly the loneliness and isolation, but here, people were around every corner. They even were friendly; smiling as she passed by or a courteous "good day." Refreshing, she thought after mostly talking to forest animals her whole life.
She then thought of her aunts again. They were great to talk to too growing up, but now that this secret has come out; that she's a princess, she can't bring herself to carry the same affections for them as she did before. She supposes she's always felt they were keeping something from her. They were her family, but they always seemed on guard whenever she asked about her real parents. They were secretive of course and promised to tell her more about them when she was older, but it ruined her trust in them, because obviously they didn't trust her with the truth.
But if she was being honest it was her parents she was mostly angry with. Why would they choose to send her away and not raise her themselves, only to be forced to go back to them when she was 21? It didn't make sense! Why toy with her life like that? Being raised with a false identity then quickly taken away with no warning. How did they think she was going to react?
She begins to relive the moment her aunts told her she was a princess. She recalls that they seemed happy for her. It baffled Emma that they could think that she'd be happy changing who she was. They said there was more; a curse was placed upon her as an infant. "Curious", she thought. Maleficent said her parents would explain more, but she wasn't interested. She was determined to find her own way. Live her life on her terms, to find her own happiness.
Laying there she realized her thoughts were nonstop; thinking about her aunts, her parents, and a supposed curse. These thoughts were keeping her far from sleep driving her mad. Before, when she had a hard time sleeping she would sneak away and sing to the forest animals or the swans at the lake to get things off her chest, but at the moment she didn't feel like singing. No, she felt like hitting something. She immediately thought of Killian.
She quickly got up from her bed and looked out her window. People were still out in the street below. Perhaps it wasn't too late. She quickly got dressed and made her way across the hall to Killian's room. She knocked softly waiting for a reply. Feeling impatient she knocks again, louder this time.
Finally she hears some movement behind the door and a hoarse voice cursing behind it. It sounds like he's waking from a deep sleep. She feels bad but waits for him to open his door anyway.
"Bloody hell! Hold on!" She hears behind Killian's door.
He finally opens it. His expression goes from annoyance to bliss in the mere seconds it takes to realize who it is.
"Swan," He Smiles. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
She looks at him with apprehension, unsure where to begin. Finally she blurts out, "I want to learn how to fight? Will you teach me?"
His eyes go wide and he blinks in disbelief at her request. "Uh- Swan, I would be delighted. Perhaps in the morning we'll purchase you a weapon and we'll start your first lesson tomorrow aye?"
It wasn't the answer she was hoping for. She supposes the old her would have caved and went along with his suggestion, but too much has happened these past few days. She's learned so much about herself and already her life in the cottage feels like a lifetime ago. She no longer feels like that girl who dreams of a better life and sings in the forest, with no friends and no one to talk to accept for the animals. She was beginning to feel like she was becoming who she was meant to be. She needed this.
"Please Killian." The look in her eyes and the plea in her voice was more than enough to pull him from his sleepy state and remember that ol' widow Lucas probably has an extra sword around that they could borrow.
"Alright Swan. A quick lesson and then we get some sleep yes?"
"Yes", she answered with a grateful smile that reached her eyes. She starts to put one foot in his door way when Killian puts his hand up.
"Whoa Swan. What're you doing?"
It's then dawned on her that he was half naked and her cheeks goes three shades of red. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude." She turns around to leave when she feels his hand on her arm.
"It's alright Swan. As delighted as I would be to have you come into my room…", he wiggles his eyebrows. "I think it'd be better if you met me downstairs. I'll get myself ready and find a weapon for you to use. I'm sure Widow Lucas has one lying around somewhere."
She looks deeply into his eyes feeling such gratitude towards him. "Thank you," She says with such sincerity.
"Of course Swan." His heart swells at the look in her eyes and the obvious pleasure he brought her just by obliging her simple request. He thinks to himself that he could definitely get use to this.
Once she's gone he quickly dresses and heads down stairs to find Widow Lucas, or 'Granny' as she's recently told him to call her.
He finds her behind the counter serving drinks to the late night patrons. He puts on the charm as he approaches her. She sees it from a mile away and rolls her eyes as he sits at the counter. But he can see the hint of a smile slightly perk up at the corner of her mouth, so he knows she secretly enjoys the flattery.
"-Ello Love. I'm in need of a sword. Preferably of the lighter end but I won't be too picky since I imagine you're limited on such things," he gives her a toothy grin.
"Is that a fact," She asks bobbing her hips. You're in luck. I just so happen to have this." She pulls a cutlass from behind the bar and places it on the counter in front of him. "Here. A customer brought it in as payment a while back. Keep it. I got enough weapons in this god forsaken place."
He lowers his gaze at the cutlass, and takes it out of its sheath. He rubs his thumb across the blade testing its sharpness and looking over any nicks it might have, hoping the balance of the blade wouldn't be too off. He makes a note to take to the nearest blacksmith later to have it redone and polished, but for now, it will definitely due.
Still looking it over he sees it is a fine blade. The bloke who had it before was either a thief and didn't know what he had or the owner of this sword was awfully desperate. Either way, he was glad for Granny's generosity.
He puts the sword back in its sheath and grins at Granny. He leans over the counter to plant a big sopping kiss on her cheek. "Thanks love. You're bloody amazing." He winks at her and storms out the door, hearing Granny chuckle behind him.
He sees Swan outside waiting for him by the fountain in the town square. He walks over to her eyeing the rest of the passer byes. For reasons he cannot explain, he's gotten a bit more protective over her. Something has been nagging him in his gut to keep his guard up, which is why he's so grateful she wants to learn how to fight.
"Well Swan, you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be. "
"Luckily it's a full moon tonight so we should be able to see well enough for a lesson. What do you say Swan? Shall we make a fighter out of you," Killian asks as he hands her the newly acquired blade from Granny.
She looks down at the blade in its sheath. Unsure how to hold it she simply grabs the weapon by its handle and lets the tip of the blade rest on the ground. "Lead the way Sire," She tells him.
Killian grabs her hand and leads to a clearing nearby where no one should bother them, and where the moon lights the area up nicely.
"Now, first thing Swan, you always want to keep your eye on your opponent. Eye contact is best. I find it's easier to read him that way."
"Or her," she corrects him with a grin.
He chuckles at that. Not because a woman fighting is funny. Oh no. He loves that Swan sees herself as an equal, whose unwilling let herself be a passive female. He knew another girl, long ago who was strong like that. But Swan wasn't just a girl. He could see her resolve growing stronger all the time. It was no wonder she craved to leave her home. She has such greatness and passion in her. A person like her needs to be free; to experience the world; to go after everything her heart desires. It's then Killian realizes that he desperately wants to do everything in his power to help her achieve that, if she'll let him.
Three hours of sparring and instruction Killian feels spent. Both are breathing hard with cheeks flushed. Killian can feel his sweat soaking in his clothes and he assumes the same is true for Swan. He tries to shake his mind of any thoughts of her body because it would be extremely difficult to stop. It was difficult enough keeping his thoughts clean during their sparing session.
Still slightly out of breath he says, "Well Swan, I think that's enough for today. What do you say we call it a night?"
"Oh," She responds, disappointed. "I suppose it is late. Can we do this tomorrow?"
Her face is full of hope and fire. How can he say no? "Aye Swan; tomorrow it is. His heart swells at the smile she gives him and the satisfaction all over her face. Yes he could definitely get used to making her happy. He could spend every day for the rest of his life putting that smile on her.
Emma started to feel how much she exerted herself from their lesson as soon as her head hit her pillow, but there was something extremely satisfying about this kind of tired. Her legs and shoulders ached, obviously not used to that kind of foot work and holding a weapon for that long, but her heart was singing and she felt more content than she's ever felt. For once she felt confident and hopeful for her future.
With no more thoughts to keep her occupied she laid in bed and fell right to sleep and had never slept better.
4
