To Have and To Hold
Chapter Eleven: Welcome to Camelot
Emma groaned as she rolled onto her side. Her hands immediately wrapped around her small baby bump as she pulled her knees to her chest. She inhaled sharply, breathing in the smell of grass and wood. She slowly opened her eyes, pushing herself to her knees, her arms shaking in the effort to keep herself up. Her arms threatened to give out within a moment's notice.
"Neal," she whispered only to start at her own voice.
It was light than it was before; more youthful, even. She looked down and stared at the dress she was wearing. It was an ivory color, with its sleeves flowing down just past her wrists. The dress ended past her feet, making her pull her dress up to look at her dark brown walking boots that came up to her mid-calf. It bunched up under her breast, thankfully covering the small swell of her stomach. At least no one would be able to tell that she was pregnant. Over the top of the dress was a teal colored cloak. She reached up and felt the cloth that was wrapped around her head like a headband, keeping the majority of her hair out of her face.
"Henry?" she whispered, almost frantically.
"Emma?"
Emma turned suddenly, hearing the rustling of the bushed behind her. She quickly tried to conjure a spell but nearly whimpered when it didn't work. She grabbed the nearest thing she could use as a weapon: a rock.
Within seconds, the rustling stopped and a young man stepped out of the shadows. He looked around seventeen years old. His hair was dark and fell in curls over his face and down the back of his neck. His eyes were dark but warm and very familiar. He was wearing dark clothing: a pair of trousers with riding boots, a dark green shirt and a deep brown jacket. In his arms was a child of about two years old, staring at Emma with wide eyes.
"Da," the child said, patting the young boy's cheek and pointed to Emma happily.
"Yea," the boy replied with a smile. "I see her, Henry. She's pretty, isn't she?"
The child—Henry?—giggled suddenly. He nodded enthusiastically. Emma slowly lowered the rock, staring in disbelief at the young man.
"Neal?" she whispered, not believing her eyes.
Neal(?) smiled at her. "Hey Emma."
"What the hell? Why do you look so young?"
Neal grimaced. "Backlash. When your magic collided with Morgana's, it sent a magical backlash back at both parties. Somehow, it de-aged not only you but myself and Henry as well."
Emma blinked in surprise. "De-aged?!"
Neal—or was it Baelfire now—laughed before walking forward. "You're probably about fifteen now. I'm not really sure. I didn't meet you until you were seventeen and the change is almost shocking."
Emma stopped suddenly, her mouth partially open. She shut it quickly. "How do I know this isn't a trick?"
Baelfire raised an eyebrow before he grinned, a carefree smile that Emma knew belonged only to Neal. She bit her lip, wanting definite proof that he was who he said he was.
"Ask me anything, Emma," Baelfire smiled as he adjusted a squirming Henry.
"What did you say the first time we met? The whole thing."
Bae grinned. "'Impressive. But you could have just asked me for the keys'," he replied easily.
Emma dropped the rock and scrambled to her feet, throwing her arms around the two most important people in her life. Henry laughed, tugging lightly at his mother's hair. Emma sighed in relief as Bae wrapped an arm around her, holding her close. She pulled back and stared into his warm brown eyes. She looked to Henry.
"Why did Henry get de-aged?"
Bae shrugged. "I'm guessing because he was holding onto you." He looked at his toddler son, who was watching him with intelligent eyes. "I think he is aware what is going on. He can't communicate well because of the age his body is at but his mind is still that of a twelve year olds.
Emma sighed suddenly. "Is he going to be alright?"
Henry simple gave Emma a look of disbelief, one that had her laughing. "I take it back," she giggled. "I think he is enjoying himself."
Henry nodded happily, burying his face into his father's jacket. Emma looked around.
"Where is everyone?"
"I don't know," Bae replied hesitantly. "I came to just past those bushes," he gestured to the place he had appeared from. He suddenly looked apprehensive. "Is the baby alright?"
Emma froze. "I don't know," she replied honestly. "I can't access my magic."
Bae frowned. He reached into his jacket and pulled out the familiar looking dagger. A look of panic crossed his face as he stared at it. "It's blank," he whispered, showing her the clean dagger.
"What the hell?" Emma whispered quietly.
Bae looked around. "We have to get to a village or something. I don't even know where we are."
"Do you think we're in the Enchanted Forest?" Emma asked quietly.
Bae looked lost. "I don't know," he whispered, pulling Henry close.
He looked towards the sky suddenly, scanning the area with expert eyes. He quickly spotted something and pointed it out to Emma.
"There's smoke coming from that direction. There should be a village over there."
"Or it could be a brush fire," Emma suggested, taking Henry as he reached out to her.
Bae shook his head. "It's too small. The smoke from a brush fire would be bigger and black."
Emma raised an eyebrow. Bae turned to her and grinned. "You forget I lived on Neverland for about three hundred years. You get used to telling what the difference is between a regular and a set fire. Those are fires that people use to cook with."
Emma nodded, completely trusting his judgement. She pressed herself against his side. "Let's go then."
Bae nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulder after he tucked the dagger away. The two quickly set off, making their way towards what they hoped was a friendly crowd. The pair walked for what felt like hours when, in reality, it had only been half an hour.
"There it is," Bae whispered quietly, looking in the direction of a small, worn down village.
"Do you think we can find everyone?" Emma asked, gripping his hand gently.
"Right now, I'm more worried about finding you a midwife or a doctor to check on the baby," Bae replied honestly. He continued walking until he came across an elderly gentleman. "Excuse me, sir."
The man turned. "Can I help you lad?" he whispered, his voice worn and cracking with age.
"I was looking for a mid-wife. My wife here," he gestured to Emma, who smiled politely, "is pregnant. We've been traveling for quite some time, longer than our doctor recommended she should."
The elder man raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you listen to your doctor's orders, then?"
Bae felt his temper flare but managed to keep a lid on it. "Our home was attacked. We didn't have a choice but to flee."
The man nodded. "I apologize if I came across as rude. It wasn't my intention." He turned to look at the village. "Keep going straight through the village until you come to a little hut at the edge. The lady of the house, Hunith, used to be a mid-wife. She had retired but she should still be able to help you." He turned back to the pair. "Where are you headed?"
Emma and Bae shared a look. "We're not sure," Emma replied honestly. They still had no idea what world they were in."
The man nodded. "This is Ealdor," he explained. "Our town is located at the edge of King Arthur's kingdom."
Emma's eyes widened as she realized where they had ended up. "I didn't realize we were this close to Camelot," she said as she looked at Bae. At least they knew where to head after they had the baby checked on.
The man nodded. "If you are heading to Camelot, Hunith is just the one you need to speak to. Her son works for the King."
Bae raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Aye," the man confirmed. He sighed. "I must be off. I still have me cattle to take care of. The best of luck to you both."
Emma nodded her thanks and looked down at Henry, who had been watching the exchange with interest. "So," she whispered, "we're in Arthur's realm."
"It would appear so," Bae replied as he took her hand and lead her towards Hunith's house. They arrived shortly as a middle aged woman stepped out to meet them.
"Those are some fine clothes," the woman smiled. "Where do the three of you venture from?"
Bae smiled. "We've come a long way. We were hoping you could help us. My wife is pregnant and we are worried about the child. We had to escape from our home when we were attacked and couldn't heed the doctor's orders."
Hunith motioned them in quickly. She took ahold of Emma's arm and pulled her forward. Emma quickly handed Henry to Bae and laid down on the table as instructed. Hunith walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a bag, opening it quickly. She pulled out what looked like an old fashion stethoscope and turned to Bae.
"I'm going to have to ask the young lady to lift her dress so I can get a better look as to what's going on. You said the two of you were married?" she questioned.
Bae nodded. Hunith smiled. "Then I won't mind if you stay in her. You can hold her hand if you like." She turned to Emma. "I'm going to have to do a thorough exam to make sure nothing's wrong. Have you experienced any pain?"
Emma shook her head. "I haven't. We were just worried."
Hunith nodded before walking around and lifting Emma's dress. Bae maneuvered Henry around to where he wasn't able to see what was going on. It suited the twelve/two year old just fine, since he could now see both of his parents. Hunith set to work, quickly checking to see if Emma was bleeding. When she seemed satisfied, she moved to listen to the baby's heartbeat. Bae felt panic raise in him as the woman became quiet for a moment or two. She looked up at the couple and smiled.
"The baby is just fine," she replied.
Bae let out a sigh of relief that he had been holding in since Emma had first mentioned the baby. Emma laid her head back, closing her eyes as tears began to form in the corners. She pushed them back and grasped Bae's hand, smiling at him as Henry started giggling.
"What do we owe you?" Baelfire asked as he gave Emma's hand a squeeze in return.
Hunith waved him off, adjusting Emma's dress and helping her sit up. "All I ask is that you get that baby here safely. The child has a very strong heartbeat."
"Could we ask you for another favor?" Emma asked.
Hunith raised an eyebrow and nodded.
"We meet an elderly man earlier. He didn't tell us his name but he did say your son works for King Arthur in Camelot," Emma said as Henry climbed in her lap, placing his small hands on her baby bump. "Could you tell us how to get there?"
Hunith raised an eyebrow. "I can do better. I can take you there. I was planning on visiting my son anyways. I haven't heard from him in a while."
"Who is your son?" Bae asked, curious.
Hunith smiled. "He's King Arthur's servant. His name is Merlin."
Emma and Bae shared a look that caught Hunith's attention. She frowned. "Do you know my son?"
Emma nodded. "We meet him about three months ago." Emma turned to look at the older woman. "He mentioned his mother but he never told us your name. We're a little surprised is all."
Hunith looked a little suspicious, so Bae quickly made up his mind. "You might want to sit down," he said. He looked over at Emma. "This story might take a while."
Hunith sat and Emma and Bae preceded to tell her their story, starting with the tale of a humble spinner and his son.
~REGINAMILLS~
Arthur paced back and forth in front of his throne. His wife and queen was sitting in her chair, a look of calm and poise gracing her features; the exact opposite of what Arthur felt at the current moment. Snow White and Prince Charming were standing off to the side as Regina watched Arthur with interest. Belle and Rumpelstiltskin were quietly discussing what to do about finding Neal. The Dark One wasn't the only one missing when the group had journeyed over to Camelot. Emma and Henry, they assumed, were with Neal. Killian Jones, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found.
"Where could they have gone?" Snow asked quietly.
Merlin shook his head. "Camelot is huge. There is no telling where they ended up at."
Arthur stopped pacing. "I'll send scouts out to different corners of the kingdom," he said, his voice like stone. "We'll find them."
"And what of Morgana?" Regina questioned. "We are exactly where she wanted to be. Now she can find… whoever it is you refuse to tell us about."
"I think you should tell them," Merlin said to Arthur, who shot him a glare in turn.
"Stay out of this, Merlin," Arthur warned. "This has nothing to do with you."
Merlin raised an eyebrow. "It has everything to do with me. Morgana has been trying to kill me for years now and I certainly don't want to see what happens when she gets her hands on the Dark One, especially since we are back in Camelot."
Gwen placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder. The King jumped, not even sure how long she had been standing there. "Merlin is your friend, Arthur. You and I both know that you would have died years ago if not for him. The least you could do is tell him how the whole thing started and with whom it began with."
Arthur sighed slowly through his nose. He walked up the small dais that lead to his throne before he slumped heavily into it. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "Where do I even begin?" he whispered quietly.
"From the beginning," Regina offered. "Who is he?"
"Shouldn't we wait for Emma, Neal, Henry, and Hook to get here first?" Snow asked rocking her sleeping son in her arms.
Regina shook her head. "We can have the scouts that are looking for them look for this person at the same time. As soon as we find either of them, which ever we find first, we can focus on finding the other. Kill two birds with one stone." Regina paused. "Metaphorically, of course."
Belle stepped forward. "I agree with Regina." She looked around at the shocked looks she was getting. "What? The faster we find Emma and Bae, the sooner they are safe from Morgana."
Arthur stood suddenly, walking down the steps again. "What did you say?" he asked, confusion dripping from his voice as he walked over to the Beauty.
Belle stepped back in surprise. "I agree with Regina?" she repeated in confusion.
"Not that," Arthur said, waving her off. "The names. What were the names you said?"
Belle frowned. "Emma and Bae. Neal," she clarified. She looked back at Rumple and frowned. The pair shared a look before Belle looked back at Arthur. "It's a nickname."
Arthur's shoulders dropped suddenly. Gwen was biting her lip and Gaius looked troubled.
"How in the Seven Hells do you get Bae out of Neal?" one of the knights asked. If Belle remembered correctly, his name was Sir Gwaine (the Sir part was mandatory, according to Merlin).
"You don't," Rumpelstiltskin replied. "'Neal Cassidy' is an alias my son created when he arrived in the Land Without Magic."
"Didn't he get it from a former thief, just changing the spelling?" Robin asked while Regina shook her head.
"Henry said that his Dad told him the name Neal was given to him when he ended up in the foster system. Cassidy was the name of the elderly woman that took him in before she passed away from cancer," Regina supplied.
"How is that relevant to the conversation?" Gwaine whined.
"You asked," Belle pointed out.
"What is Neal's real name then?" another knight—Percival—asked.
Rumpelstiltskin hobbled forward, standing next to his true love. "Baelfire," he said simply. "My son's name is Baelfire."
KILLIAN'HOOK'JONES!
Emma and Bae had just finished their tale when Hunith's door flew open. The same elderly man from before was leaning up against it, breathing heavily.
"Bill?!" Hunith said in surprise. "What on Earth?"
Bill sighed heavily. "There is some strange lad that just arrived into town. He is causing quite a bit of a ruckus with Old Maid Helen. He has a bit of a temper, swinging around his hook and shouting about finding someone named Swan."
Emma groaned, burying her face in her hands. Bae jump snickered and stood up, playing pass the toddler with Henry again. "I'll calm him down." He grinned suddenly. "He is going to be in for a big shock, seeing me like this."
"Give him a good knocking for me," Emma replied, bouncing Henry on her knee. He reached over and patted her cheek, making her stop. He gave her a funny look. "What is it Henry?" she asked.
He pointed to the door. "'Ook," he tried to say.
"You want to go see Hook?" Emma asked. Henry laughed in response. Emma stood up. "Alright then. I can give him that knocking."
Bae laughed and quickly followed old man Bill out the door and down a little ways. Sure enough, there was Killian Jones, arguing with an older woman who looked ready to hit him with the frying pan she held in her hand.
"Killian," Bae stopped and shouted.
Hook swirled around, his eyes scanning the crowd before they came to rest on the one face he never thought he would see again. Hook's face suddenly paled. "Baelfire?"
"Stop terrorizing the poor woman," Bae replied with a smile. "She looks ready to knock you out." He looked back at Emma. "Make that two women."
"How in the world?" Hook asked, walking forward, his gaze shifting from the younger Emma holding a two year old Henry to the seventeen year old face of Baelfire.
"Backlash," Bae replied simply. He turned to Hunith. "Could we trouble you again? We need to speak about a private matter."
Hunith smiled. "Of course. Follow me. While you four talk, I'll be getting things ready for the trip. We'll leave in a few hours."
They made their way back to Hunith's house. The lady of the home gave them some water before walking out of the door, saying she would be in the back if they needed her.
Hook turned to Bae. "Backlash?" he echoed.
Bae nodded. He pulled the Kris dagger out of his jacket and showed the blank side to the pirate. Hook's eyes widened as he took the dagger from Baelfire, examining it closely.
"When Morgana and Emma's spells collided, the backlash hit the three of use, reverting us back in age. There also seems to be a block on our magicks," he explained quickly.
"How did you end up close to us?" Emma asked. "Have you seen the others?"
Hook shook his head to the second question. "I suspect they all ended up together. As far as how I ended up with you four, I grabbed the back of Baelfire's jacket before Emma's spell hit Morgana's."
Emma nodded. "Neal and I ended up a few feet from each other."
"So," Hook began, looking at Henry. "Can the lad understand us?"
Henry nodded quickly. Hook raised an eyebrow.
"It's a similar case to ours," Bae explained quietly. "Our bodies changed but our minds stayed the same." He grinned down at his son. "I think he is enjoying the idea of sitting in his mom's lap all the time."
The three laughed as Henry pouted. Bae quickly took him from Emma and held him close. "Just messing with you buddy," he whispered. Henry grinned and hugged him around the next.
"Da," he responded softly.
"So what know?" Killian questioned, leaning his stool back to where his back was pressed against the wall.
"Hunith, Merlin's mother, has offered to take us to Camelot," Emma explained. "We're leaving as soon as she finished packing."
"Done," the older woman replied as she walked into the room, wiping her hands together.
"So we can go now?" Emma asked hopefully, wanting to get back to her family.
"Not quite yet, lass," Hunith replied. "I want you to rest for a few hours. I have a couple of things these men can help me with while you sleep." She didn't give Emma a chance to reply as she pulled her arms and lead her to the bed in the back, patting the pillow softly. "You can use my bed."
Henry squirmed in his father's arms before Bae sat him down. He quickly ran to Emma, who laughed and put him in the bed with her. "Do you want to take a nap with me, Henry?"
Henry yawned in response, laying his head on Emma's chest as his little hands gently rubbed her swollen stomach. Emma gave Bae a smile before she laid down. Hunith pulled a curtain in front of the bed, cutting off the light from the sun.
"Follow me, you two. I have just the job for you," she smiled.
The pirate and thief shared a look before they snickered. They quickly followed the woman out the door.
~BAELFIRE/NEALCASSIDY~
Morgana glared down at the fireplace of the little hovel she had been living in. She hated staying there, hated every minute of it. At night, she could hear his screams, tormented and tortured as the memories of the past came back to haunt her. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to look at the hooks that hung down from the ceiling, the place where she had tied Merlin up. The place that witch had keep him, day in and day out for three weeks.
When Morgana had first found the place, she was tempted to burn it to the ground. That was before finding the different spell books and potions that dated back to the very beginnings of the Old Religion. The witch had been a Priestess before she went mad, serving directly under Nimue. She had probably been a very powerful woman before her mind had snapped, sending her over the edge. It was her fault that he had suffered for months after he was kidnapped.
Morgana quickly shook the memory away, biting her lip until it bleed. She drew in a shaking breath, pushing back the flood of memories and feelings that were associated with the young man from twenty years ago. She stood quickly, reaching for a vial of crimson liquid that was sitting innocently on one of the shelves. She studied it, wrinkling her nose at the blood, remembering the way the woman had spoken about getting the blood. She had bleed him, multiple times, the diary had read. Each in a different, more horrible way from the time before.
Morgana quickly reached for a map, laying it out for her to see. She opened the vial and carefully dipped a pure white crystal into it. She whispered a spell, her eyes flashing gold as the crystal turned blood red, soaking up the blood from the vial. She pulled the crystal out and dangled it above the map. She chanted another spell. With another flash of gold eyes, the crystal circled the map. Once. Twice. Thrice. Before it came to stop on the little village of Ealdor.
Morgana raised an eyebrow and watched as the crystal slowly inched its way down the little path that lead away from Merlin's home village. Morgana pressed her lips, knowing exactly where he was heading. She grabbed her black cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. It was time to return to Camelot.
SNOWWHITE/MARYMARGRET!
"Baelfire," Arthur whispered, shell-shocked. "Your…Neal…" He swallowed. "Neal's real name is Baelfire?"
Belle nodded, confused. "It is."
Arthur turned and slowly made his way back to his throne. When he eventually got there, he slumped down in the seat and pressed the heel of his palms to his burning eyes. Gwen looked as if she were about to pass out. Gaius looked as if he had solved a puzzle and wasn't very happy with the results.
"Shit," Arthur cursed.
Merlin raised an eyebrow, surprised to hear such a word coming from his King.
"Am I missing something here?" Regina asked, clearly pissed off.
Arthur silently turned to Merlin. "Could you play a memory for me?" he asked. "Using your magic?"
Merlin nodded, a little surprised. Even though Arthur had known about Merlin's magic for years, he rarely asked him to use it. "Just think of the memory from start to finish," he replied as he hovered a hand in front of Arthur's face.
Within moments, a small glass orb appeared in Merlin's hand, a tiny scene playing across its surface. Merlin chucked the orb against the wall opposite to everyone. Regina jumped, not expecting to be able to feel the magic that radiated from the spell. Her magic didn't work in this realm.
The group watched as a scene appeared. It was the courtyards of the castle, the training grounds for the knights. Belle blinked as a youthful looking Arthur strutted out onto the training field, his hand resting on the sword at his hips. A smirk graced his face as he looked at the terrified faces of the men before him. Behind him, Sir Leon rolled his eyes at the Prince's antics.
"Alright ladies," the then Prince Arthur said, arrogance rolling off of him in waves. "It's time to begin your first official day of training. I don't expect any of you to be able to hold your own, especially against me."
The bystanders heard a snort and looked over to see a pretty young woman reading a book and rolling her eyes. Her dark black hair fell gracefully down her back as he bright green eyes seemed to glow from the ivory color of her dress. "Shouldn't it be the other way, Arthur?" she asked.
Arthur glared at the woman. "No one asked you opinion, Morgana," he hissed.
Regina felt her mouth drop to the ground. "That's Morgana?"
"We said she had changed a lot," Gwen replied, looking at her younger self that was standing behind Morgana.
The younger Morgana rolled her eyes, a smile on her face as she succeeded in annoying Arthur. She shut her book and turned to watch the group. "Prove me wrong then. I have a feeling that you are going to get your behind handed to you at some point today."
Prince Arthur rolled his eyes. "These…boys," he glanced at the trainees, "are no match for me. I've been trained from birth to kill."
"You were using that line even then?" Merlin whispered, causing King Arthur to swat him upside the head.
Morgana simply raised an eyebrow. She gesture for Arthur to continue, a challenging grin gracing her face. Prince Arthur huffed and continue on with the training session. Within minutes, the trainees were on their asses, their swords scattered across the ground. The younger Arthur wore a bored expression as the trainee he was facing continued to repeatedly drop his sword. Arthur rolled his eyes and swung his sword, knocking the blade out of the trainee's hand. The official Knights in the background jeered and laughed, clearly entertained by the session.
"You were a bit of an ass," Snow said, startling everyone by her choice of words.
"A bit?" Arthur questioned. "I would have to say, looking back on it, that I was more than a bit of an ass. I'm about to get it handed to me, by the way," he replied as he gesture to the screen.
In the memory, the younger Arthur brought the sword down towards the defenseless trainee, not seeming to care that he didn't have a shield. The bystanders bit back their cries of surprise, remembering what King Arthur had just said. Belle flinched as she saw the blade descend, biting her lip as she imagined it hitting the defenseless boy.
Needless to say, the group was shocked when another sword caught his, stopping the blade mid swing. Prince Arthur looked stunned as he stared at the hooded figure that had blocked his strike. Before he could even react, the hooded figure twirled his wrist, twisting Arthur's blade in his, sending it to the ground. His leg shot out, kicking the Prince of Camelot in the chest, knocking him to the ground. Within seconds, the hooded figure was surrounded by ten of the knights. He simple tilted his head to the side, clearly watching them.
One of the knights, a barley looking man, ran forward, letting out a shout as he thundered towards the person. Snow gasped as the hooded figure stayed in his place. That it, until the very last second, when he dropped down on one knee and effortlessly kicked the man in the shins. The knight howled and the hooded figure danced around him, knocking him in the back of the head with the butt of his sword.
The rest of the nine knight swarmed him. It didn't seem to faze him, however. He simple ducked and weaved his way through the knights, effectively taking out every single one until there was only one standing. The man gulped and held up his sword.
"You got lucky," he shouted. "Besides the Prince, I am the best swords fighter in all of Camelot!" he boasted loudly.
The hooded figure pulled out of a fighting stance and observed the man before him. He tilted his head again. "If he is the best, I would hate to see what you can do," a youthful voice replied, causing the man's face to turn red.
Belle felt her True Love freeze beside her. She looked over and frowned at how pale Rumple had gotten. She tried to get his attention for a moment before she gave up and turned back to the memory.
"I will take you down with one swing of my sword," the man bellowed, his eyes bloodshot and steam seemed to be pouring out of his ears.
"I can take you down with less," the hooded figure replied, clearly smirking.
He then dropped the sword, his hands disappearing behind his back. The knight's face turned an even deeper shade of red. He shouted and charged, running full speed at the young man. He was definitely smirking this time. Within seconds, he pulled a bow out from behind his back, notched the arrow, and let it fly. The arrow hit the sword right in the center of the blade, shattering it to little pieces. The young man wasted no time on his little victory, however, as he kicked the sword he had dropped moments before into the air, twirled it in his hand to get a better grip, and spun, letting the blade come to rest under the chin of an older man.
The man raised an eyebrow. He was very well dressed in reds and gold; the colors of royalty. Everyone could tell that this was Arthur's father: the former King Uther Pendragon. His golden crown rested upon his head as he curiously watched the young man before him.
"Impressive," Uther commented, pushing the blade out from under his chin with his index finger. "Where did you learn to fight like that, boy? Was your family in the military at one point? Your father a knight, perhaps."
The hooded figure let the sword dip until the blade touched the ground. "My father was in the army, once upon a time. He couldn't teach me anything, however. He was discharged due to an injury."
Uther nodded and turned to Arthur. "That's the fighting level you need to be at." He turned back to the young man. "How old are you boy?"
"Fifteen, sire," he replied with a slight bow.
Uther nodded. His eyes gleamed with interest. "And are you of nobility, young man?"
The fifteen year old shook his head. "No, Your Highness. My father was but a simple spinner."
Uther frowned, clearly disappointed. "No matter. You never did answer where you learned to fight like that."
The young man stiffened suddenly. "I lived on an island with a group of boys, sire," he replied after a moment or two of silence. "It was kill or be killed. There was one boy running the whole place. He was a tyrant, really. He seemed to have it out for me. I learned to fight so that I could survive."
Prince Arthur, who had gotten to his feet and was now standing beside his father, watched him in interest. "Could you teach me how to do that?" he asked, his eyes bright with excitement. "The disarming move?"
The young man stared for a moment, clearly thrown at the lack of hostility from the person he had sent to the ground. "Uh, sure," he replied eventually.
Morgana walked forward, a wide grin on her face. "I told you that you would get your ass handed to you," she said gleefully, her eyes sparkling with humor.
Prince Arthur rolled his eyes good naturedly. He turned back to the hooded figure. "This is my father's ward, the Lady Morgana," he introduced as Morgana gave a curtsy.
The hooded figure bowed. "My lady," he replied politely.
"And I am Prince Arthur," Arthur continued, holding his hand out to the young man.
The young man stared at the hand for a moment before he reached up and pulled his hood back. The young man was very handsome, with his curl, dark hair and warm brown eyes. His eyes seemed to reflect more than just his fifteen years of age. Regina inhaled sharply, staring at the very same eyes that Henry had inherited, eyes that used to look up at her with love and affection. Eyes that had been passed from Rumpelstiltskin to Neal and, finally, to Henry.
"Nice to meet you, Arthur," he replied, grasping the Prince's hand. "My name is Baelfire. Call me Bae."
