Hello fans! Thank you so much for your patience! I have been away on business and am now sick with a cold However; the story of our two favorite lovers doesn't stop! This chapter is slightly longer too! Let me know your thoughts!
As always, unfortunately I don't own these wonderful characters!
Chapter Eight: The Ball
A ball. Captain Hook the most fearsome pirate in all the realms was being forced to go to a ball. A ball where everyone would be dressed up and acting proper. A ball where people would be…dancing. A ball where the whole kingdom would be looking upon him like he was a villain, black-hearted, and a terrible person…not that he cared.
"What the hell have I gotten myself into?" He muttered as he boarded his ship. Now he had to break the news to his crew. He was going to somehow have to convince his fifteen crew members that they had to not only go to a ball but…play nice. Obviously the king and queen didn't realize that it isn't in a pirate's nature to play nice. Sure his crew would enjoy the food and the obvious eye candy, but he had to somehow convince them to not go into the ball looking like pigs and acting like creeps. Saving the kingdom may be an easier task then this one.
"You're up early I see Captain," Smee commented greeting him aboard the deck.
"Yes, I had some business to attend to. Wake the rest of the crew and tell them we have a meeting in twenty minutes." Hook said to Smee and then turned to go to his Captain's quarters to figure out the precise wording he needed in order to convince the crew.
Emma was nervous. She didn't know why, she had no reason to be, but her insides were out of control. She had spent the last day and a half helping her mother throw together a last minute ball. Between deciding about food and decorations Emma barely had time to think. Now the ball was going to be underway in less than two hours and Emma finally had time to breathe. Her fiancé would be arriving any time now and the rest of the kingdom was soon to follow. The buzz through the streets of the famous Jolly Rodger pirates had the whole kingdom stirring with intrigue.
Emma stared at the red ball gown she was about to put on. It was a dark red color, strapless and floor length. It clung tightly to the upper half of her body and then pushed out at the waist. Emma had to admit the dress was gorgeous and she was excited to wear it. She took her time applying her makeup after her mother sent someone up to curl her hair. It had been a stressful week so far and Emma had a feeling that wasn't going to let up anytime soon, not as long as Hook was around.
Hook. She groaned inwardly at the thought of him, she would never actually admit how many times he had crossed her mind the past day and a half. She didn't know what it was about him, but he got under her skin and made her very edgy. She couldn't picture him dressed up at a formal ball (not that she had been trying or anything), the thought would have made her laugh if she wasn't so frazzled at the moment. He was unpredictable and Emma didn't like unpredictable, she liked being in control of every situation, just like she was with her engagement to Prince Neil. Prince Neil, now there was someone Emma should have been thinking about but hadn't. It was funny how Emma had uncontrollable thoughts about a person that shouldn't cross her mind, and she had no thoughts about a person who should.
"Emma honey," her mother said poking her head into Emma's room. "Prince Neil is running late so he will meet you downstairs at the ball." Emma nodded and also felt relieved for an unknown reason, she then instantly felt guilty about not looking forward to seeing her fiancé. Earlier this week she had convinced herself she was going to give him a better chance.
"Thanks Mom," she said smiling softly at her mother before her mother disappeared down the hallway to finish getting ready herself. Emma stared at herself in the mirror. She needed to get herself in control; she had no reason to be nervous or anxious. With determination in her eyes she turned towards her dress ready for the night to be over with already.
Hook felt ridiculous. He wore a red long sleeve shirt with black leather pants and a black leather vest. He had to drag his fanciest clothes out of the back of his closet. He looked in the mirror and admitted that he still looked like a pirate, but a very formal pirate. He didn't all together like the feeling. When the queen's messenger came to his ship providing the information about the time of the ball he was told that the queen specifically told him to dress appropriately and be on time. He even took the time to make sure his facial hair looked acceptable.
Convincing his men to attend the ball and look appropriate was actually easier than he had anticipated. The all looked forward to good food and free drinks. He had informed the queen's messenger that in order for the pirate's to attend and play nice they must be provided with top notch rum. He figured it was the least the kingdom could do for forcing them to dress up. Some of the men hadn't had anything formal enough to wear so Hook had to loan some of them some gold to go buy an appropriate outfit. He almost wanted to show up in a ridiculous captain hat just to piss the queen off; however he had agreed to play by the rules.
"This princess better help me with my revenge," he mumbled. If Emma didn't help him with his revenge after this night he was going to make sure there was hell to pay. He wondered what the princess would be wearing tonight, after that thought he immediately cursed himself for even thinking about it. She had crossed his mind a few times since their last encounter. He didn't know why but he enjoyed the fact that he could get under her skin. Making her blush was so easy for him and although he wouldn't admit it, he actually took great pleasure in it. He was going to make sure he got her to blush tonight in front of the whole kingdom just to provide himself with entertainment for the night. He knew how much blushing bothered her, he pegged her for a control freak, and therefore the fact that he could catch her off-guard with his comments gave him great satisfaction.
He walked onto the deck and felt the cool air immediately calm him. He didn't know why he was uptight at the moment. He wasn't nervous about facing the whole kingdom, like he had said so many times he really didn't care about what the people of this land thought of him. However, he didn't like being the center of attention at such a silly event. He had been to balls before, in his youth he had been to many, that was before the blackness had crept into his heart. He knew how to act at balls and he actually had been quite the dancer. In his younger days he had ladies lining up to dance with him. He smirked at the thought, knowing that the ball tonight would be quite different then the balls in his youth.
He looked at his men gathered in front of him. They still resembled pirates, and some of them looked extremely uncomfortable however they were presentable enough for the kingdom.
"Okay lads, remember to help yourself to food and drink but don't make utter asses out of yourselves. After all the king is going to pay you while we are docked here so we must attend to show the kingdom that we are not complete villains. Like I told you I have very important business to attend to that will help contribute to our future plans. If none of you agree to follow the rules or don't agree with this course of action speak up and we will have words." He spoke in a direct tone, but not quite harsh. He knew none of his men would step forward because they had respect for him and trusted his course of action. However, he always gave his men a choice and never forced them into doing much.
When no one spoke up he gave a nod towards the docks, he exited the ship with his men following, walking towards the direction of the castle and what was bound to be an interesting night.
A half hour later the ball was in full swing. Hook was standing off to the side by the balcony doors. He had a glass of rum in his hand that he was drinking slowly. He admitted that the rum was high quality, for which he was glad. His men had spent the first few minutes of the ball filling their plates with food and their hands with drinks. Hook had a small sample of the food and was impressed as well with the quality. It looked as though the king and queen knew how to pull off quite the party.
Based off the number of people in the ballroom he would have to assume most of the kingdom was there. He watched as the people mingled with each other, most with formality but some with affection. His crew stood around him and after eating were now staring at the eye candy around the room. Hook had to admit that there were many attractive females in the kingdom, he even noticed a great many giving him an appreciative look. None of them caught his attention though, he could easily take one back to his ship and have his way with them, something he did do when he felt the need, but he tried not to mix business with pleasure therefore he would make sure he didn't indulge in the women of the kingdom. The only woman he did need to have a conversation with he hadn't seen yet.
He had been looking for the princess, not for a personal reason but for business. He needed to make sure that she was going to hold up her end of the bargain. He noticed the patrons all turning towards the staircase on the far side of the room, he followed their gazes to see what was going on. He saw the king and queen descending down the stairs waving and smiling at their people. They were both in white and looked very comfortable with the attention and smiles they were receiving from every angle.
He then saw another person appear at the top of the steps and he swore his heart almost stopped. Princess Emma began her descent down the stairs, smiling like her parents but she didn't look altogether happy. However she was quite the vision. The red gown she had on accented all of her upper body. Her hair fell loosely around her face and Hook had to admit that she looked gorgeous. Every man in the room appeared to think the same thing for he heard them all murmur and give appreciative nods to one another. To an outsider it would appear that Emma was thrilled to be entering the ballroom, but Hook had learned to read people and he could see the smile was just a cover. She reached the bottom of the stairs and a man stepped forward holding out his arm. Emma gave him a small smile and linked her arm through his. At that moment a slow song began to play and Hook saw the pair go to the dance floor following the king and queen.
Both couples began to dance but Hook noticed a difference in the two pairs. The king and queen glided gracefully across the floor their gazes never leaving each other; each had a loving look on their faces. They moved across the dance floor as if they were one unit, not two individual people. Even though he was a pirate and had a dark heart, he could feel the love and appreciation flow from them all the way across the room.
The other couple however was not anywhere near as comfortable. Emma's hand rested on her partner's shoulder and side however their bodies were as far apart as possible. The steps they took together were correct but they were not sound, they did not flow together, if anything the vibe they gave off was awkward. Hook briefly wondered who this man was and why Emma would even be dancing with him if she clearly had no attraction to him. He could see they were having a soft conversation, but he could tell by her face and her body language that she was not interested in it.
The song ended and Hook saw the rest of the kingdom join the royal family on the dance floor for the next song. Even some of his pirates glanced around as if they were looking for someone to dance with; Hook blamed the rum on their behavior.
He knew now would be as good of time as any to have his important conversation with the princess. He knew she would soon be wrapped up in food or conversation. He hadn't planned on dancing tonight but if it helped him with his revenge he would have to make the sacrifice. It had absolutely nothing to do with how gorgeous Emma looked…nothing at all…
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE! Next chapter: Hook and Emma's first dance! Review and let me know what you think!
