Anonymous review replies:

Guest said: Leopold? That's the one name we know the kid wouldn't have. Lmao you must be a Charming hater.

I've already answered this review twice. At least make the effort of coming up with something original

Guest said: I love this story! You're an awesome writer :)

Awwww, thank you sweetheart! :3

Chapter Ten

With Princess Amelia as their guide, Emma, Leo, Liam and Killian explored everything the Eastern Kingdom had to offer. Emma bought a brooch for her mother and a necklace for Melody. Gifts for her return. They had explored the towns and villages near the castle, walked barefoot along the beach (where the sand was softer than along the coast of their kingdom), gone to see the last beanstalk, scaled a cliff face and had a picnic atop it.

Then, before they knew it, the last night of their visit to the Eastern Kingdom had arrived. With it, came the ball.

A tailor in the market town by the coast had made Emma a dress of sea-green. It was sleeveless, didn't quite touch the floor, and was altogether lovely. The crew of The Jewel, of course, all wore their uniforms, and Leo had brought an outfit with him, at the insistence of his mother. Mia wore a baby blue dress that brought out her eyes splendidly.

Mia was the true princess between the two of them, but Emma didn't mind what others thought. She was not going to be the sort of queen who sat in her castle and only dealt with her people when it was absolutely necessary. No, she wasn't Regina. She would act like the commoner she sometimes wished she was.

Had she been the daughter of Philip and Aurora, would she have been allowed to do what she'd done in her childhood? Surely, if she were Mia, she would have pestered Mulan to teach her how to parry until she'd given in, or, failing that, Leo would have showed her. She would have learnt how to horse ride on principle, but she would've had to act like a proper princess even from a young age. She didn't think she could've done that.

Again, she was reminded how fortunate she was to have the parents that she did.

She was escorted to the ballroom by both Liam and Killian, both of her arms linked with one of theirs. The king and queen walked before them, and Leo, his arm looped through Amelia's, followed behind them.

For the first time, she saw the men that she walked between as they were to be, her future husband, and her future brother-in-law and close ally. That would make her and Melody sisters by marriage, as well as allies. The closest of bonds between their kingdoms.

She was starting to accept the idea that she would marry Killian. Perhaps she could even love him.

The five of them stood back as Philip and Aurora made the necessary announcements. With everyone's eyes on them, Killian presented the ring he had bought to Emma, and they were congratulated. They danced, together and with some of the other guests. The first had asked Killian's permission to dance with Emma, and he had merely laughed.

"Why are you asking me? I don't want to dance with you!"

Their goal was to congratulate her, to ask after her parents, and other polite questions. Snow and Charming were beloved by almost all, with their grace in how they ruled, and their taking back the kingdom and freeing their people of Regina. Emma was not as loveable, but she was fair. She hoped that she would rule well, when the time came. Killian would have to learn to rule, too, a whole new set of skills. He would be taught by her own father, she assumed, perhaps with Leo's help. Their father had been plucked from a simple life as a shepherd to become a prince, giving him some sort of experience.

Towards the end of the night, Emma sat at the foot of the staircase beside her brother, a flute of champagne in her hand.

"Hey sis!" Leo beamed a little too brightly. She frowned.

"Are you drunk?"

"No!" he exclaimed, a hiccup ruining the proclamation. "… Yes."

"Well, if you're extremely lucky, and you buy me something pretty for my birthday, perhaps I won't tell our parents," she took a sip of her drink. "Depends on how generous I'm feeling, really."

He mumbled something unintelligible in return.

Mia, who had obviously had something to drink as well, despite her only being seventeen years of age, grabbed Emma's hand (the champagne was hastily set down) without a word and dragged her to the dance floor. They twirled each other around, giggling like fools and attracting the attention (and some fond smiles) of the other guests.

Suddenly, the ball drew to a close, and she returned to her chambers, escorted by Killian. He'd started to do that every night since they had talked, and he always kissed her goodnight, and it always left her feeling strange.

The feeling wasn't strange any longer, however. She felt it several times every day. When Killian smiled at her; the genuine smile and not the smirk. When he talked, sometimes. When he kissed her. When their eyes merely met.

She wasn't sure what to make of it.

Emma was dragged from her sleep by an incessant knocking on her chamber door.

"Princess!" called Liam through the door. "Waken up! We have to be at the ship in less than an hour!"

Reluctantly, she threw back the thick blankets that had covered her as she slept, cocooning her in warmth, and made her way barefoot to the door.

"Good morning to you too," she grumbled to the Captain, who was in full uniform, his sword attached to his hip.

"Emma," he gave her a knowing look. "You're needed at breakfast. Come on."

"You're the Captain. Surely we could wait for you."

"I know you didn't sleep well, but we're on a tight schedule. You don't want to spend your birthday on the ship, do you?"

The princess sighed. "Fine. Give me ten minutes."

She revived a little over breakfast, listening to the conversation but not making herself part of it. Coffee was, as usual, her parting gift, and it certainly made her less sleepy.

Emma returned to The Jewel of the Realm the way she had left it, sharing a horse with Killian (who had decided that she might fall from her steed if she rode alone, and that it was the chivalrous thing to do), and accompanied by all three royals (four, she supposed, if she counted her brother) and a handful of palace guards.

Mia hugged her tightly. "Send a bird my way every once in a while, okay?"

"I will," she replied, returning the embrace. "I promise."

She stood back to allow the others to say their goodbyes to the younger princess. Leo and Killian bowed to her, not knowing her all that well, but Leo hugged her, kissing her cheek as he withdrew. Emma raised an eyebrow at her brother, and he gave his head the tiniest of shakes. 'Not now,' it meant.

"I'm sure we'll be invited to your wedding," Mia added, glancing to Emma.

"I'm sure you will."

"See you soon, then."

She said farewell to the king and queen, and had a small package of coffee beans placed into her hand.

"Consider it an early wedding gift," Phillip smiled. She curtseyed to him, his wife and daughter, before turning to the ship. She had been tired, but now it felt as though her skin was buzzing. The sea breeze – a strong one, as they approached the winter months – tickled her face. She needed something to do.

She went to her cabin to change into more practical clothes, before re-joining the majority of the crew above deck.

"Princess," Liam appeared at her side. "You appear better rested."

"Yes, thank you, Captain," she smiled, twisting the ring on her finger round and round. "The ball put me out of sorts, I'm afraid. But the sea air seems to be doing me good."

"You would not be opposed to … a challenge, then?"

Her eyes narrowed, interested. "What do you speak of, Captain?"

His smile became a smirk, reminiscent of Killian's. "Swordplay, perhaps?"

Franz, who had been sweeping the deck near them, straightened, his jaw dropping. "Swordplay?"

"That's no challenge for a lady!" Emma exclaimed, in mock outrage.

"Forgive my misstep, your highness. Franz, you may leave us."

The sub-lieutenant bowed quickly and returned to his duties. Emma burst out laughing as soon as he had gone from earshot.

"Come," said Liam, beaming at her. "Choose your metal."

She followed the elder Jones brother to where he had laid out a selection of swords – from light cutlasses to broadswords, all glinting impressively in the sunlight. Emma chose for herself a cutlass with a sturdy handle and a deathly blade.

"Excellent choice, your highness," Liam smiled at her. She wondered why he was addressing her as such today, but did not question it.

"And you?" she asked instead.

Liam rested a hand on the sword that hung at his hip. It was an old sword, but still as capable of slaughtering a man as it had been when it was first struck. It had belonged to his and Killian's father, she knew. One of the few tokens they had to remember him by.

Emma nodded. "Of course. Shall we parry, then?"

"We shall."

The two of them, the princess and the captain, moved to the centre of the ship, the better to be seen by the rest of the crew. Their reactions were mainly of shock when the pair began to parry, dancing expertly on their feet as they circled each other. The two of them, and of course their respective brothers, had been taught by both the king and a selection of the palace guards, which made their training superior to most others'.

The sea breeze and the thrill of swordplay had woken her up more than she could have hoped, and she advanced an attack on Liam, pushing him to the edge of the ship. He tried, unsuccessfully, to force her back, and eventually admitted defeat.

"Touché," he surrendered. Emma curtseyed, returning her sword to where it had come from.

A rather shy-looking Michael approached her.

"Sailor," she smiled at him. "What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to commend your swordplay, your highness," he told her. "And to congratulate you on your engagement. The captain and lieutenant will be missed, to be sure."

"They won't be leaving for a while, Michael," she replied, smile still in place. She'd forgotten that all of the crew had been at the ball, and that they now of course knew of her engagement. "Don't worry."

"I – I should return to my duties."

"I think I've shocked the crew enough for today," Emma smiled. "I'll see you later."

The door to Leo's cabin was open, so Emma tapped on the doorframe. He smiled a little too widely. "Hey, Em."

"Mind if I come in?"

"Not at all," he gestured to the space beside him where he was sitting on the bed.

"What's going on with you and Mia?"

Leo grimaced. "You don't like to beat around the bush, do you? She's nice … I like her. I'm looking forward to seeing her again."

"And that's it?"

"That's it."

Emma nodded, somehow knowing that she wouldn't get any more information from him – at least not then. She had made it to the doorway before her brother called after her.

"I will … see her again, won't I?"

"What?"

"At the wedding. You're not going to call this engagement off, right?"

Emma allowed a long sigh to escape as she leaned her head against the cool wood. "I don't know, Leo. I don't know."