Killian came to with a throbbing pain in the back of his head. His vision was blurry at first, he shut his eyes tightly then opened them again slowly gaining focus. He was still in the forest, the sun had set but it was light enough to make out the silhouettes of tents. The fire was just embers now. He suddenly became aware of a dull ache in his arms, they were tied behind his back, and he looked down and saw his ankles were also tied together. He was becoming more alert, the last thing he remembered he and David had found a camp...David! He twisted as far as he could to try and find the King. He was hunched over against a tree slightly behind Killian; he let out a groan and started to move.
"David!" Killian whispered. "Are you ok?"
"What happened? What the hell...who captured us?"
"I did!" A man stepped out from one of the tents. He was tall, with brown hair, and looked to be of noble birth.
"And you are?" Killian asked sarcastically.
"Prince Walsh!" David answered for him. "What are you doing? Untie me at once or I'll have you hanged for treason! This is my kingdom!"
"Forgive me your majesty; I'm only acting in your daughter's best interest..."
"Like hell you are!" Killian spat out, unable to hold his tongue.
Walsh walked towards him, towering over the pirate. "And who are you?" The Prince sneered.
Killian didn't answer.
"Very well, I'll guess." He looked Killian up and down, "If I didn't know better I'd say you're a pirate, am I right?"
Killian remained silent.
"Funny thing is..." Walsh circled him as he talked. "...the Princess was last seen with a pirate, one who took her away on his ship...and now you show up with the King...that seems an unlikely coincidence, don't you think?"
"Walsh, let us go!" David ordered.
"Not until this pirate tells me where my wife is!" His patience was wearing thin.
Killian looked him straight in the eye and spoke through a clenched jaw, "She's not your wife! You had your chance at her hand, and you ruined it the moment you forced yourself on her! I was doing her a service taking her away from an animal like you!"
Walsh crouched down on one knee and squared up to Killian, "Forced myself? Is that what she told you, pirate? She was begging me for it! It was written all over those big doe eyes pleading me to take her every way imaginable, she was playing hard to get, luring me in with her game of cat and mouse. Women are tricky like that...did you fall for it too, did she make you think she loved you? It's amusing isn't it? The idea of a Princess and a Pirate, a fairy tale if you like. Well let me tell you how this story ends", he leaned in so close that his lips were centimetres from Killian's ear, "I take what is rightfully mine, and I make love to her while you swing from the gallows, and the last sound you hear will be her screaming my name!
Back at the sorcerer's mansion Emma was In the middle of her training, she stood arm stretched out with a white flame burning from her hand, a flick of her wrist and she lit every candle in the room.
"Very good!" The blue fairy praised her. "Now let's move onto learning how to shift objects. I want you to concentrate on what you want to move and where you want to move it to, let's start with this chair, try moving it across the room to the window."
Emma narrowed her eyes and focuses on the chair, it shook slightly but didn't move, she tried again with the same result.
"Close your eyes Emma! Think about Killian, use the warmth you feel when you think about him to fuel your magic."
Emma closed her eyes; the chair shook on the spot again.
"Good, good, now focus harder on what you want to do" Blue encouraged her.
She took a deep breath and focused again. The chair slid effortlessly across the room. Blue smiled at her student, "Well done Emma! You're a natural!"
Walsh had left the two captives to go to his tent and rest, he had ways to make the pirate talk, tomorrow he would find out where Emma was.
Killian sat there trying to figure out his next move.
"Don't let him get to you!" David broke the silence. "He's delusional if he thinks Emma will ever be with him."
Killian looked straight ahead, "I made Emma a promise the first day we met to protect her from Walsh, and I always keep my word, I'll die before I tell him where she is."
David looked grim, "Let's hope it doesn't come to that!"
Killian gave a half smile, "I didn't know you cared!"
The King chuckled, "Emma would be devastated...and let's just say you're growing on me..."
Killian's smile grew and his eyes twinkled mischievously, "I have that effect on people you know!"
David rolled his eyes.
"So do you have a plan?"
Killian looked over to his Father-in-law, "Aye, I stay here!"
"What?" The King was confused, "Killian, we can figure out a way to escape...don't give up yet!"
"I know exactly how to escape, but if I go he will search this forest for me, we can't risk him finding Emma, I need to stay to distract him." Killian shuffled on the ground until he faced David. "Walsh is too scared to hurt you because you're the King, he already dislikes me for helping Emma escape, but he doesn't know the half of it! I'm going to tell him he can't marry her because I already did, he'll be so enraged he will put all his attention on hurting me, it gives Emma time, keeps the Heart of the Earth from getting any closer to the Dark One, and you a chance to escape and come back with soldiers."
David stared at his son-in-law, his bravery and selflessness had to be admired. "What's to stop him just killing you on the spot when he finds out?"
"When he was in front of me earlier I looked into his eyes, I saw a black soul that was all too familiar, he will want to take his time with me, to make me suffer...because that is what I would have done..."
David looked at Killian, whose head hung in shame, "Whatever kind of man you may have been doesn't matter, today you are a hero. I'm proud to have you as a son-in-law."
Killian's eyes opened wide with surprise, he'd never heard his own Father say he was proud of him, as much as he tried to please him! The man had sold him and his brother into slavery to save himself. Now all these years later he found himself with a King for a Father-in-law, and the man was proud of him. He shook his head in amazement; "Thank you" was all he could manage. He couldn't dwell on it; he had to focus on the task at hand. "David, feel around the tree trunk you're sitting against, and on the ground too, try and find something you can use to cut at your ropes."
"There's a broken part of the tree trunk here!" David whispered excitedly, "I'll start working on it!"
"When they take me away, make your escape, go straight to the castle for reinforcements, do not go anywhere near Emma's location, we need to buy her as much time as possible!"
Emma tossed and turned in her bed that night, she wondered where Killian and her Father were, and how long it would be until she saw her husband again. She'd learned so much already but she had a long way to go before she was in complete control of her magic and could use it to its full potential. She finally drifted off to sleep and while she lay there lightly breathing a rat scurried through her window, sniffing the air then scampering over to Emma's bed. It climbed up beside her and nibbled off some of her hair before hurrying back out of the window. It ran into the forest then disappeared in a whirlwind of black smoke revealing itself as its true form, Rumplestiltskin! Emma's light magic had led him straight to her! He let out an evil giggle as he slipped the hair into a glass vial, then transported himself back to his castle.
The sun rose and Walsh climbed out of his tent and stretched as he gave an exaggerated yawn. "Good morning!" He said wickedly, "How did you sleep?"
"Like a baby" Killian replied sarcastically, "What time do they serve breakfast around here?"
Walsh leaned down, "You think this is a joke pirate? We'll see if you're laughing once I'm through with you!" He looked at his guards, "Take him to my tent men!" He growled
"Walsh! Don't hurt him!" David shouted after them. His hands were free; he just had to wait for his moment to escape.
The guards threw Killian to the ground in Walsh's tent, there was a wooden post in the centre, and Walsh ordered his men to tie Killian to it. They hurled him against it and roughly pulled his arms back to tie him in place, pain shot through his arms and shoulders, "Carful boys, I have sensitive skin." Killian taunted them.
"That will be all men!" One of the guards kicked Killian in the ribs as he left the tent. He winced but tried his best not to show any sign of pain or discomfort. Walsh pulled up a chair and sat in front of him, smiling at Killian smugly, "So here we are pirate, why don't you save yourself a world of hurt and just tell me where my wife is!" He emphasised the last letter of the word "wife".
"I didn't realise you were married? I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting your Mrs...Though in the past men have been hesitant to let me near their wives, I can't imagine why..."
"STOP PLAYING GAMES PIRATE! She may not be my wife but she will be, it's only a matter of time, she belongs to me! Tell me where she is!" Walsh hissed the last few words; he had about all he could take of his prisoner's attitude.
"She won't be" Killian said quietly.
The Prince's eyes narrowed, "won't be what?"
"You're wife"
"And why is that?" He got right up in Killian's face, "because she loves you?"
Killian smiled, he had his attention now, he raised his eyebrows, "Well who could blame her really? I am charming!"
Walsh punched him; in a matter of seconds Killian felt the stinging pain throbbing in his cheekbone. He cracked his neck back in place and spat out some blood on the floor.
"Funny, I don't find you that charming! The Prince sneered, rising from his chair he walked over to a fire pit warming his tent, picking up the hot poker he returned to Killian holding it inches from his face. Beads of sweat began to pool on Killian's skin.
"How about we cut the crap and you tell me where Emma is!"
"I'll die first!"
"That can be arranged!"
A guard came running into the tent,
"Your Majesty, the King has escaped!"
Killian smiled.
Walsh let out a roar, "send the men after him, you stay here with me!"
The guard rushed out to give the men their orders then returned.
Walsh's eyes grew dark, "remove the Captain's shirt".
The guard obeyed, then stood behind Killian, hand on sword. Walsh picked up the hot poker again and approached the pirate. "This is going to hurt!" He promised.
Emma woke drenched in sweat; she'd had a dream that Killian was in danger. She got out of bed, splashed cold water on her face, put on a cloak and walked outside for some fresh air. She'd not been standing there long before she felt her mother's presence beside her.
"I'm scared Mom" Emma admitted.
Snow hugged her daughter, "It's ok to be scared, you just can't let it consume you."
Emma blinked back tears.
"What if he wins what if he casts his spell and I can't give Killian any children, what if he regrets marrying me?"
Snow turned her daughter round to face her, "If the Dark One casts his spell, and that's a big "if"! Killian will love you just as much as he loves you now. You're true love Emma! I've seen the way he looks at you; there is literally nothing you could do that would make him love you less. Has he even talked about children?" Her mother asked.
"No...I mean...we haven't really had time to talk about that kind of stuff, we got married so suddenly, I have no idea what his expectations or hopes are." She sighed, "I just wish I could see him, I wouldn't doubt myself as much of he was here..."
"There is a way you can see him!" The blue fairy said from behind them, "Follow me."
She led them into a large ballroom; a solid gold table sat in the corner and on it laid a mirror. "This mirror will show you whoever you ask it to." She handed it to Emma.
Emma held it up to her face, "Show me Captain Killian Jones!" She gasped as she saw her husband beaten and bloody tied up.
"No!" She whispered then before Snow or Blue could do anything she disappeared in a cloud of white smoke.