It took a couple of days until Killian spotted the barmaid he met the first night walk into the tavern in the mid-afternoon. They had been lying in wait across the street until she showed up. They all made their way to the tavern to question the barmaid.
As they came to the door, he heard Mr. Swan talking to her.
"What are you doing here girl? You were supposed to wait until I gave you word to come home," Mr. Swan exclaimed
"I got sick of waiting," Emma said.
The door to the tavern burst open. Killian and his two friends entered.
"Miss Emma Swan?" Killian asked.
"Yes?" Emma replied. Mr. Swan flinched looking as if he wished Emma didn't answer to her name.
"I'd like to have a conversation with you in private," Killian asked.
Robin and Will made a move to escort Mr. Swan out of the room.
"Now see here Mr. Jones, I won't leave you alone with my daughter," Mr. Swan said as he fought the hands of Will and Robin who was proceeding to take both arms and lift him out of the room.
"The one you told me you buried in the back field?" Killian replied to him coldly. Mr. Swan continued to make sounds of protest as he was taken away by the two men.
Killian looked at Emma. She looked like the same haggard-looking barmaid with gray skin and oversized clothing. Her manner was alarmed and her body was taut and poised to bolt.
"Why don't we have a seat?" Killian gestured to the chairs at the table.
"No, thanks. I'd rather stand," Emma said tightly with her arms crossed in front of her.
"Fine, I'll sit then," Killian sat in the chair in front of her. He could see she was weary of him so he wanted to make her feel at ease. "I am here to track down a woman who was found on the side of the road fifteen years ago. She was traveling with a baby who was almost three years old. A Mrs. Swan found her and tried to help her. She died anyway and left her baby in Mrs. Swan's hands. When Mrs. Swan buried her and reported the death, she took the baby to live with her. Does this story sound familiar?"
"Yes. That baby was me."
"So you know your parents are not biological?"
"I know they are not. Are you telling me you know who my real parents are?" Emma asked.
"Possibly. If you are who I think you are you should have a birthmark on your left wrist in the shape of a flower," Killian replied.
"I always thought it looked like a buttercup but you could have seen that at any time when I was serving," Emma said.
"Not when your cuff covers your wrist. Can I see it please?"
Emma rolled up her sleeve and showed Killian the birthmark.
"I have another question. Does anything strange happen when you are feeling extreme emotion? Fear? Anger?"
Emma looked uncomfortable at that question. "What do you mean strange?"
"Does anything ever happen that you can't explain? Like magic?"
Killian observed the change in her body language and there was a brief expression of panic cross her face.
Emma swallowed hard. "Of course not. There's no such thing as magic."
Despite her denial, her body stiffened. He realized his question hit a nerve.
"You are an open book, love. I mentioned the word magic and you look like you are wound tighter than a spring."
Emma let out a nervous laugh. "Maybe there have been some unexplained things."
"Then you are who I think you are," Killian remarked.
"And who do you think I am?" Emma questioned. Emma's voice tried to sound nonchalant but a little tremor belied her excitement.
"You are the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming and you are to marry the Crown Prince of Alleland."
Emma burst out laughing.
Killian let out a deep sigh. Hearing himself say it out loud didn't even sound plausible to his own ears.
"A prince, huh? Are you going to take me away so I can live in the lap of luxury for the rest of my days?" Emma said smiling.
"You will want for nothing and you will accompany us, Princess Emma, to Alleland."
"Were you boys bored one day and decided it would be funny to play an elaborate hoax on some poor unsuspecting girl? Well, you played your joke on the wrong girl," Emma argued.
"It's the truth. Now go upstairs so you can take what ever keepsakes you don't want to leave behind because you won't be coming back."
"Fine. I'll get my things," Emma turned around to go up the stairs.
Killian was uneasy. She accepted this a little too fast. He got up to follow her and saw her start to break into a run towards the door that led outside. She didn't realize that they locked it in case she decided to escape. She gasped when she tried to pull the door open and it wouldn't budge.
Killian's hands came down on the door on either side of her. She turned to face him. She was so close. He hadn't noticed before that her eyes were bluish-green.
"And where may you be going?" he said in a husky voice that caused her to shiver.
"Do you really expect me to believe you? To be believe that I'd marry some prince?"
"I must admit it does sound rather ludicrous at least to you but it is the truth."
"So who is this prince I'm supposed to marry?"
"Why me, of course. Crown Prince Killian, at your service, milady, or should I say, your highness," Killian said with a bow then quickly putting both hands back on either side of her as if he wanted to be as close as he could be to her.
"Of course, you'd be the one out of all of your friends to be the prince. Let me guess since you're the handsomest one, you figure the silly, stupid girls that would swallow your tale would be more willing to go along with your farce."
"You think I'm handsome, love?" he asked with a pleased smirk. He liked the fact that she found him pleasing to look at.
Emma looked like she wanted to wipe that smirk off his face. "I think you're the devil!"
"A rather handsome devil. Our mutual attraction for each other could make for an easier marriage."
"As if this whole thing will end in marriage."
"I wouldn't go to the trouble for just a farce."
"Yes, you'd probably go to the trouble to sell me at some slave auction."
Killian blinked in surprise. "Slave auction? You think I'm here to kidnap you to sell you at a slave auction? That is hardly the case, love. I'm against slavery."
"Just let me go."
"I couldn't do that, love," he said with a whisper. He stared at her then he noticed a light patch of pink skin in the middle her grayish pale face.
He felt like stroking her face as he wondered about that pink skin. He raised his hand to caress her cheek. A look of alarm came over Emma's face. She quickly raised her knee, hit his groin and pushed him away.
She darted across the tavern to the upstairs entrance. When Killian recovered, he ran up the stairs after her into her room. When he saw her starting to climb out the window, he panicked and dove to grab her. She was too quick. She shimmied across the porch roof and down the drain pipe.
Killian yelled for Will and Robin as he raced down the stairs to go outside. Will and Robin followed him and chased after the figure of Emma headed at a break neck speed for the woods.