Author's Note: Hopefully with the end of the school year now I will have more time to write. I hope to get back into posting at least one update a week, possibly two with how much time I can dedicate to writing.

Author's Note 2: Thank you to everyone that has reviewed, favorited, put this story on their alert list and who read the story. It means a lot. ;-) Know that after this chapter Swan Queen, Regina-Maleficent friendship, and Emma-Prince Steven friendship will take up a majority of the story with a Maleficent/Steven side pairing. Oh and can't forget Rumpelstiltskin. He'll pop in and out as he sees fit.

Chapter 10
'Rumors Abound'

-Five Days Later-

"This is crazy…" Steven hissed as he dismounted his horse and followed Emma to the stables. He let her pay the stable hand to look after both of their horses and followed silently as the Princess led him further into the village. They passed a black smith and a weapons forger on the way. He stood outside the shop, light on his feet and his senses peeled for any danger as he watched the villagers go about their daily routines.

Emma exited the shop quickly enough and had a bow and quiver over her shoulder. He didn't recognize the bow or the fletching's on the bow as part of the White Kingdom regalia. But then again, here he was, a Prince of the Primrose Kingdom wearing a pair of simple trousers, squires shirt and a cloak. His boots were even common place. It was disconcerting, but he understood the need for stealth.

Emma had come to him with the idea of infiltrating Regina's castle. He had been more than eager to help the Princess so long as it meant time away from his father and more time with his love. The King had all but lost his mind in the last two days. Phillip had pulled back the support of his soldiers from Alexandra's Kingdom as well as Red's Woods, leaving them defenseless against attack. Alexandra had to spread her troops thin to cover her kingdom as it was, now that the added support was non-existent she was scrambling to come up with a solution. Snow White and James had offered a small contingent of men to Alexandra to help while she found another way to protect her lands. It had become clear that no one could trust in King Phillip for support. Not while they remained divided on their stances for what should be done about the Evil Queen and Maleficent.

Before they left his mother had been adamant that if Phillip did not keep his word to Alexandra that she would do what she needed to do to ensure the continued protection of Alexandra and Cinderella's kingdom. Steven heard through the grape vine of the guards outpost they'd passed yesterday that Queen Aurora had separated her personal troops from the Primrose Kingdom and delegated with her General to continue to support the edges of Alexandra's land. Steven was proud of his mother for going against his father.

Steven wondered how long it would take for his father to realize that if did not calm himself he would lose his wife and with her he'd lose half of his wealth and all of his children. Not even Desmond would side with their father should their mother seek to release herself from the marriage. It was practically unheard of for a Queen to separate from a King unless death parted them. There however was always a time for a first.

If Aurora separated from Phillip it would be the King that needed assistance in defending his lands. Most of the troops from the Primrose Kingdom were loyal to Aurora, Desmond, and himself. The troops and guards from Thornreef Kingdom, his father's Kingdom, were few and far between. The money and support of the combined Kingdom which flew under the Primrose flag—as it was the larger of the two—when his parents married came from the Primrose Kingdom. The majority of their wealth came from the exports they gained from the copper, iron mills, and the abundance of spices and healing herbs grown in the North western part of their territory.

If Aurora declared herself free of her marriage then King Phillip would be in dire need of assistance. Perhaps he would learn his own lesson, especially when no one came to his aid.

"Where are we going?" Steven inquired as he followed a step behind Emma as she walked purposefully towards the center of the village.

He and Emma had separated from the Primrose caravan that held most of the royal guard and his family two days ago. Emma had let her steed run as it would and called out for help as if the horse had escaped her control. King Phillip had rolled his eyes at her uselessness and told Steven to go after her.

If Phillip had ever paid any attention to the successes of the children of other kingdoms, or even his own children's successes not Desmond's alone, he would have known that Emma was a professional rider. There was not a horse she had met that she could not rear and then ride. The White Kingdom was known for its snow white horses that made up their crest along with the white lily. If Phillip thought her better than a simple woman he would have known she was taught how to bring up horses that supplied many of the other Kingdom's armies at the tender age of five.

The ploy had been useful to separate them from the rest of the caravan and with Fairy Fauna adamant that he and Emma be left alone, no one had followed after them. This was meant to be their story afterall, or so the Fairy told. Emma knew just by the curious looks she had been receiving from Aurora during their two day travel with the Primrose family that the Queen was not as sure of her relationship with Steven as Phillip and Fairy Fauna seemed to be. Steven had realized early on in his travel with Emma that the Princess was not all she seemed. Far from it in fact. He often wondered how he could not have realized that, after all he had trained with her for two summers as a child. He knew of her skill and her strength. He also knew of her compassion and her intellect. What he had underestimated was her will and determination to be who she was, not who she was 'meant' to be.

"The Watering Hole." Emma called out over her shoulder smiling and greeting a young girl that ran up to her. Steven blanched at the establishment they were heading towards. He'd heard many stories about the misfortunes people faced while in the Watering Hole. How Emma had created and upheld a solid reputation among men who frequented that pub, well, Steven would rather not know.

Emma ignored his worry as she spoke with the girl. She ran her hand through the girl's hair and bent down to speak with her as Steven remained behind her, watching the scene curiously. The girl could be no older than six or seven and her mother was standing off to the side smiling at the interaction between Emma and her daughter. Steven saw the worry in the woman's eyes as he looked to him. He did his best to loosen his stance so he would not scare the woman. He did not want to bring unwanted attention to himself.

"Off you go…" Emma whispered as she lightly pushed at the smiling girl's shoulders. In her hands she held two lilies and a small coin sack attached to her thread belt. The girl's mother accepted the flower and the coin sack with a grateful bow of her head in Emma's direction and his.

He bowed his head in return before following Emma as she made her way through the village. There were two similar interactions with two other children but Steven didn't say a word during either. He simply stood where he was and watched. Steven had never seen a woman of Emma's status so willingly part with her coins. He had watched Emma last night as they camped out and made the Princess explain her plan twice more before he finally accepted how everything was going to go down. As they'd talked he'd watched as Emma put together four small sacks of coins, each holding three gold, five silver, and six bronze coins. As Emma smiled at the father of the small boy she'd given a lily and the coin sack to and made her way towards the Watering Hole Steven looked around, wondering where the fourth small child was to collect his or her money.

This area of the White Kingdom was known for its thievery and debauchery. Alexandra had refused to give aid to this very village after a particularly devastating natural event, calling it an act of righteousness. As if lightning striking during a dry season and lighting half of the village on fire was righteous. Steven heard that there had been a contingent of guards that left their posts to help contain the fire and help the people. Blue Fairy had even sent several water fairies to help put out the flames. He'd learned last night that Emma had led the guards that had left their posts to the village, in the same disguise she wore currently. The thick forest green cloak hid Emma's figure but apparently the embroidered lily on the back left shoulder marked her to the children who came eagerly over to her. It was a regular cloak, heavy and made of wool with that lily being the only distinguishing part of it.

The familiarity the children showed to Emma and Emma showed to each of them spoke of how often Emma made a habit of visiting the Watering Hole and this little village. He'd be sure to ask the Princess about this little secret of hers and why those children received money from her on her visits.

Until then he'd remain quiet. As he was supposed to. Shivering he followed Emma into the dimly lit pub. It was the middle of the afternoon but with the windows shrouded with some kind of dark fabric it seemed as if it was the middle of the evening inside the pub. They'd only been inside for a minute and three men had burped in his face, one had stomped down on his foot and another had tried to smack Emma's ass as she passed them by. Tried, as the moment Steven saw the hand descending towards Emma's backside he'd snatched it, squeezed, and bent it at an awkward angle until the man fell to his knees in pain.

Emma, who'd hardly looked at him since they'd moved into the village turned to him then, smiling. The hood of his matching green cloak was up to keep any of the fugitives here from recognizing his face from the posters that littered establishments like this one. He and his brother were prime targets for these thieves and body hunters. The head of a Primrose Prince would be a prize upon any villain's mantel.

Around them, the men that had tried to instigate Steven looked the hooded figure over, shrugged, and went back to their conversations, drinks, or games.

Patting Steven's shoulder, Emma pulled him along with her to the back of the pub to the bar. She took a seat and pointed to the stool beside hers. "That'll keep them from bothering you much."

The grin on Emma's face made Steven raise his brow, "You knew that was going to happen."

"I did…" Emma grinned, her eyes twinkling even in the dimly lit space. "You needed to prove yourself capable. Otherwise we'd have been stuck in the back of the place forever. It took me weeks to gain the respect I have now and even with it newcomers still have to be taught to keep their hands to themselves."

"So you come here, expecting for men to be so…grotesque?"

Emma laughed, unable to help herself. "Not all of the men here are degenerates, but yes. I've come to expect hands on parts of my body that they should not be. When it happens I simply add a kick between the legs and much the same technique you used."

"I do not understand you…" Steven shook his head, but the smile on his lips put Emma at ease. He was the first person she had ever brought here to the Watering Hole. He was the first person she had told about her little 'on the side' gig as a bounty hunter. Surprisingly at least to her, Steven wasn't surprised at all.

It had taken a bit of getting used to and she had a full day to convince him of how truthful she was being, but he had realized early on just how talented she was. He, unlike his father, could and would admit that Emma rivaled him in skill with a blade and surpassed him with the bow and arrow. Desmond wasn't even foolish enough to challenge Emma to a duel of any kind.

"Well, thankfully you do not have to understand me. You simply have to believe me and listen to me."

Steven snorted, "How father would love to know just how well I can take orders from you, a woman he now despises."

Emma didn't even flinch. She knew as well as Steven that King Phillip now had no respect for her. Her little stint to separate them from the Royal caravan hadn't helped. It wasn't like Phillip had any respect for her to begin with. He was just civil to her because she was Snow White and James' daughter.

Now that he knew just how 'unnatural' she was, he had no qualms about speaking out against her. He had nearly popped a blood vessel when Steven had come to him with his proposal to invite Emma to their Kingdom for a week. Snow White had been as equally surprised, but Steven and Emma alike had hinted to their parents that they might have been looking to strengthen their relationship. Fairy Fauna had nearly started crying at the idea of a wedding between the two young royals. Desmond was the oldest and expected to marry first, and Phillip had even tried to convince Emma of Desmond's aptitudes. Emma had been clear to her mother and both Phillip and Aurora that her interest was not in Desmond but in Steven.

It was an easy sell after Fairy Fauna started to press and prod Snow White and King Phillip to come to some agreement so that their children's relationship did not suffer. Currently it was this prodding that was beginning to weaken King Phillip's resolve to keep his troops from protecting Red's Wood and the Magical Kingdom. King Phillip might not be able to stand Emma personally, but he would welcome her into his family if it meant she came with the White and Grassland Kingdoms.

Aurora, on the other hand, was a different story. The Queen was skeptical about the reasons behind Steven wishing for Emma to join them in their Kingdom and Emma's shared interests, but had not interfered. She knew her son was up to something. He was scheming and whatever he was scheming had Emma's name written all over it. Until she sensed danger she'd let the two do as they pleased, but the 'for now' hung heavily in the air between both the Prince and Princess.

"Well, he cannot despise me for long. Not publically at least. How ever would that be seen at court? Hmm…if he were to begin to speak ill of his son's future wife…" Emma batted her eyelashes and tilted her head to the side comically.

"I dare say that it would cause a revolt." Steven grinned as Emma laughed. The Princess was truly beautiful with her eyes closed and mouth turned up in a smile as she shook with laughter at her own joke. If his heart did not already belong to another he might actually feel a bit regretful that their relationship was merely a cover, a sham.

Emma was a woman any man would be lucky to have as a wife but she was also not like most women of her station. She was not looking for the same qualities in a husband that other women her age were. She was not looking for a man to take care of her. Steven had seen, with his own two eyes, just how well Emma could take care of herself. What Emma was looking for he knew that he could be. He could be the man that saw Emma as a prize, as she was, not as she was meant to be. He could make her happy but she could not make him happy. Not when his heart already belonged to a woman twice his age. It belonged to the same woman who once lived to watch his mother and then his very family fall to ruins.

"Whose future wife now?" Mandy asked as she snuck up on her favorite female bounty hunter and her cloaked guest. By his height and build beneath the cloak Mandy knew it wasn't the wolf man. Especially since there was a lack of his four legged friend.

Mandy grinned as she looked to Emma with a telling smile. It was about time she saw Green with another man besides the Huntsman. She deserved to have a bit of fun of the romantic kind in her life.

No matter how Green insisted she need no man to make her life fun, Mandy always held out hope that she'd one day meet the man who could match Green. Not tame, because Green was not meant to be tamed, she was meant to be cultivated and watch blossom in her bloom.

"We heard that the White Princess and the Primrose Prince might be getting hitched…" Emma gossiped, leaning forward and whispering the news as if it truly was a secret.

Mandy gasped, her eyes widening, "Really now?" News of that sort usually traveled fast around these parts. Any form of marriage between the Kingdoms usually meant future plans to raise patrols and halt any illegal activity between the kingdoms. That would affect the business that most of her patrons made livings in.

These folks' ears were always to the grounds listening for word of new alliances while their eyes were always peeled for escape routes. This type of information, if credible (and coming from Green Mandy knew it was), would help many escape the clutches of the guards that might come looking around these parts to crack down on crime.

Emma merely nodded her head, her eyes lit with mirth as she spread the rumor. It would of course be a terrible heartbreak for all included, except Steven and herself, to know that such a rumor was just that. A rumor. There was no truth in the statement. She and Steven had no plans to marry. However, they needed a cover as Emma had no wish to tell anyone other than Steven (and perhaps Desmond) why she was spending so much time with the Primrose Prince at his castle. It certainly wasn't to keep the Prince close or learn of his desires for their future together. He had access to what she did not. Hopefully by the conclusion of their business together it would be fruitful on both ends.

"That's what I heard while making my way through the inner Kingdom. Looks like the caravan has already left with the happy couple. They're due to arrive at the Primrose Castle in a week's time. Looks like that ball the Princess held paid her off." Emma laughed, and Mandy shook her head good naturedly as she moved to fill the orders of the men at the other end of the bar.

Until the afternoon Mandy was the only one at the bar. She had two servers working the room already and she noticed one was a little too engrossed with one table of good looking men of the roguish type, to bring the food to her other tables. Humphing, the woman reminded herself to have a little chat with her employee.

After Mandy was out of earshot Steven leaned over to whisper into Emma's ear, "Is it wise to tell her something so…new? Won't she suspect?"

Emma looked at Steven with a raised brow, "Would anyone suspect me of being here? Of you being here with me?"

Steven cast a disparaging look around the pub and the characters inside it with them, "No, not in a millennia."

Emma pushed against his shoulder so he wasn't as close as he had been when she noticed Mandy trying to make her way back to them. "Then calm down and enjoy yourself while we're here."

"I'd hardly be able to find a way to enjoy myself here…" Steven seemed so sure of his answer that Emma didn't bother commenting on how he was about to enjoy his time here far more than he'd enjoyed the last four balls he'd attended, hers not included.

The spill was an accident but the man was already so drunk that when he tripped over the stool at the bar, Mandy telling him it was time to go home, he'd thrown out his arms during his fall, his pint of ale soaring through the air and right into the man beside him. That man was two stools over from Steven and before the Prince could utter a sound a full out brawl had taken up directly to his right.

"Be a gentleman, will you?" Emma asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes at Steven. "Give Mandy a hand, prove your worth a bit…" Emma advised with a grin as she turned to sit sideways in her chair and watch.

"Your doing?" Steven asked as he stood eying Emma suspiciously.

"Only if I have magic powers, which I do not." Emma quickly reminded. "So…go on. Do the hero thing. Kick some ass."

Steven wanted to comment on Emma's use of foul language when he was pushed practically on top of Emma, who merely laughed as she caught his shoulders and kept him upright. "Ohh…Steven, getting a little too into your role aren't you?" She teased with a wink.

Blushing, Steven growled beneath his breath as he pushed away from Emma and threw himself right into the brawl. He ducked under a wildly swinging arm and landed two good jabs to someone's ribs before Emma lost sight of him for a few minutes. The circle of men slowly thinned however.

Emma wished she'd been able to order her drink before the fight had started. Mandy, the life saver that she was came and put down a pint of mead in front of her and a bowl of smoked peanuts. Grabbing a handful of the snack the two women stared as the circle of six men became four and with a well-placed kick became three.

Steven would have a sore jaw come the morning and a few bruises on his ribs but he was easily handling himself enough to get the rest of the room's attention. Emma hadn't told Steven, but this was her plan all along. She had just planned on causing the brawl herself by flirting with the wrong man.

Steven, ever the gentleman would have pushed her aside to defend her honor. She was more than capable of defending herself but she needed Steven to work his way up. At the moment no one knew who he was. He was a nobody who'd come in with a somebody. To make this plan work to the full extent she needed Steven to have his own reputation separate from hers.

"Wow, so that's the man you were talking about I take it?" Mandy asked awed at how well the man could handle such a rowdy crowd of men, some twice his size. Steven hadn't even drawn his weapon.

"Yes, it is. He's very talented with his hands…" Emma winked at the barmaid as Mandy laughed, agreeing as she watched his closed fist connect with another man's jaw, dropping him like a load of bricks.

The last two men against Steven decided it was time to work together to take care of the newbie. They each drew small daggers from their hips. "Uhh…" Mandy looked a bit worried as she looked between Green and her friend. When the woman did nothing to assist the man she relaxed.

Mandy had written Green, just like she said she would about the open positions the Dark Queen—around these parts no one called her evil—was looking to be filled. One such position was a personal combat instructor. The listing had surprised Mandy and she'd heard many men were looking to take the position, but none of them would ever get it. Many of those interested were drunk, washed up guards from one Kingdom's army or the other. None had enough standing to even be a blip on the Dark Queen's radar.

Mandy wasn't surprised when Green had mentioned she knew a talented former High Guard that had left the light who might be interested in the job. Mandy had worried a bit. The title of former High Guard was sure to raise some flags for two separate reasons. The first being why he had left the job—was he not qualified? The second was his true allegiance. Did it lie with the Kingdom he'd left or would it lie with his new employer? Green vouched for him and that was enough for Mandy.

Mandy had sent word through her mirror that she had a possible candidate for the Queen's personal trainer. The Mirror had been curious and when Mandy let him know that the candidate would arrive within the next two days, he promised to keep his eyes peeled on her pub. Mandy knew, as she watched Steven twist the wrist of his first assailant while lashing out with his shin at the other's knee, the Mirror was watching. If the Mirror was watching Mandy knew the Dark Queen would be watching as well.

The three large shinning shields that she kept mounted up on the wall behind the barrels of ale and mead were there for two reasons. No matter when she had her back turned she could see out into her establishment to watch her customers and her employees and so the Mirror would always have eyes here. Her loyalty would always be with the Dark Queen. The woman had left her enough coin to purchase this pub and had kept her family housed, clothed and fed since she was a young woman. No ruler since Regina had ever been able to gain her trust and respect.

Steven glared down at the man crawling away from him. The rest of the men he'd 'handled' were being led out of the pub by some of the other patrons. Stepping over the legs of the last thug, Steven took the pint Emma was offering him. He finished it quickly and slammed it down on the table, a bit out a breath.

"Remind me to show you this good a time next time I take you somewhere," Emma laughed and punched Steven in the shoulder as she quickly handed him another pint that Mandy brought over.

"How about I just cover your tab?"

Steven eagerly took up the second pint, swallowed half of it before gasping out, "Deal."

Emma let Steven rest in his stool while she turned to Mandy. "So, when do we meet with her?" Emma asked Mandy as the bar keep kept her eyes on Steven, whose hood had surprisingly remained up.

"Why doesn't he show his face?" Mandy asked, curious.

"Not in these parts, Mandy. You know his former job."

Mandy knew that if he kept his hood up then he'd caused enough trouble with these men to be afraid to come here on what was considered their turf. Even Green seemed nervous. "He do that good of a job, why'd he leave?"

Steven had enough of letting Emma talk for him. He knew his cover. "I was tired of taking orders from the pompous elite." He growled out that part, hoping his contempt on the matter would help steer Mandy away from this line of questioning as her eyes turned to him. "Got into one too many fights with my superior officer. I ran into…Green here on my way. She and the wolf lover used to slip through on my watch all the time. We have a bit of a past you see…" He showed his grin but kept the rest of his face covered.

"You worked the border patrol?" No wonder he kept up his hood. Though if he was known to let those through on his watch he should have more friends in these parts.

Mandy looked over her shoulder up at the shields and saw the Mirror nod his head. Well, if he was okay with the story, she wouldn't question him.

"Tonight, two hours after dark, meet in the small clearing about a mile west of here. You know it?" Mandy asked, her voice low.

"I know it. By the brook." Emma felt her body fill with excitement. It'd worked.

"Yeah, there. Don't be late." Mandy put a small flat black stone on the bar. She grabbed Emma's hand as Emma went to pick up the stone. "I'm trusting you Green. Don't prove me wrong."

Emma met Mandy's eyes and felt her heart stutter inside her chest. She blinked twice, "I won't." She promised.

Mandy let her hand go and nodded before walking away.

Emma picked up the stone and stood up immediately. Steven wrapped his arm around her waist and led her from the pub. Anyone who'd just seen Steven handle himself against that group steered clear. There were a few wistful sighs by more than one man as they watched the two leave together. More than one disappointed they wouldn't get so see who was under that hood.

Once out the doors, Emma pulled up her hood and grinned, everything had gone according to plan.

"What'd she say?" Steven asked trying to keep up with Emma as she walked quickly through the village back to the stables where they kept their horses.

"We have three hours to set up. Come on. It'll take at least an hour to get there." Emma explained as Steven kept pace with her.

Mandy watched the two leave. She noticed movement in the corner of her eyes and saw above her that it was not the Mirror's face but rather the visage of the Dark Queen and she too was watching Steven and Emma leave. With the close of the door, Regina met her eyes before she too disappeared. Mandy hoped for all those involved that the Queen wasn't as angry as she seemed to be when she met with Green and her friend. If she was, may the spirits be with Green because she was toast.

End Chapter Ten

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Coming Next:

Has everything really worked out for Emma as she planned or will she find herself stuck in the spider's web? Or would it be more fitting to call it the Dragon's web?