Author's Note: I changed the ending of this particular one-shot and hope you guys enjoy it. To be honest, I liked this new ending than the original one. :) It's much lighter than the first one. Happy reading!

Emma was upset.

The one thing the eight-year-old hated more than long carriage rides were royal balls. Aunty Ella was holding a birthday party for Alexandra to celebrate her eighth birthday, and she invited her family to the occasion. Her parents were thrilled to say the least, excitedly planning the journey when they go the message. The ball meant a day's journey from their kingdom, gown fittings, socialization, and high heels. Although they weren't that high, anything other than Emma's worn out riding boots was a pain for her. She would rather have geography lessons with the governess, and that is saying something.

Because geography sucks.

"Do I really have to go?" Emma whined as she and Snow entered the fitting room later that afternoon. They were scheduled to have their measures taken for the ball gowns. "I could stay here and watch the castle, Mom." She gasped, "The people can even get a day off."

Snow rolled her eyes, trying to contain her smile. "Emma." She was as stubborn as her father. "We are going. I thought you wanted to see Alexandra again. Now's your chance, honey."

"I meant a sleepover or a picnic with her, not a ball where I have to wear tight dresses and heels," the princess frowned. Snow smiled a little while shaking her head. Emma's going to be a handful when she gets to her teenage years. "Please, Mom? I'll even mop the floors and clean my room."

"Well, you can do that when we get home," Snow answered patiently. Emma groaned, raising her arms as the seamstress took her measurements. "What color would you like, sweetheart?" her mother asked, going through the color swatches in her hand.

"I don't know. Red?" her daughter mumbled as she watched the seamstress work.

Snow smiled. "That sounds perfect." She picked a ruby red swatch for Emma and a glossy silver swatch for herself. "James will be having this as well," she told the maids who were assisting the seamstress who nodded to her order.

The door opened, revealing none other than the king himself. Charming looked handsome, stopping the entire female population of the room from working for a moment. The couple noticed it, making him give his wife a wink and a teasing smile. She can actually hear soft sighs, making her send her eyes heavenward.

"Hello to you, too," Charming chuckled as he snaked an arm around her waist and pecked her cheek lovingly. She looked to the side and saw the people start and continue what they were doing before they were interrupted. "I thought we were over the jealousy thing," he murmured in her ear.

"I'm not jealous," Snow answered quietly, keeping their conversation to themselves. Charming gave her a knowing smile and a chaste kiss before turning to his little princess.

Emma looked up happily at her father when the seamstress was done with her. "Daddy!" she grinned, raising her arms to be picked up. She was not used to seeing her father so early in the afternoon because of his busy schedule keeping him. The only time she sees him was on the evenings and when they had their training together.

Charming picked her up into his arms with an exaggerated groan with Snow looking at them with a loving smile on her lips. "You're getting heavy, kiddo. Is Mommy making you drink too much hot cocoa?" he joked as he placed her on his hip. Quite the contrary, Emma was light for her age.

Emma pouted at him before saying, "I miss you, Daddy."

"I miss you, too, baby." He turned his cheek to face her and said. "Give Papa a kiss." Emma giggled before giving him a peck on the cheek. "That's better."

Emma's happiness died down when she remembered the ball. "Daddy, I don't want to go to the ball. Mommy is making me go." She knew that she could convince her father more easily than her other. Unfortunately for the princess, her father was on her mother's side on this topic.

Snow sighed, making the father-daughter duo face her. "She's as stubborn as you are, Charming." She raised her arms as the seamstress stretched the tape measure across her.

"And her mother isn't," Charming shot back with a grin. He placed his daughter down and kneeled to her level. "We have to go, sweetheart. Don't you remember when Alexandra came here for your birthday? She would want to see you at her party this time."

"But I don't want to wear ball gowns," Emma complained. "They're tight and itchy."

Snow replied. "Well, we can get Freya to loosen it up a bit." She looked at the seamstress for her approval.

Freya nodded, placing the tape measure into her pocket with a smile. "Certainly, your highness. We can even make it a dress for you if you'd like. Something that ends on your knees how does that sound?"

Snow smiled when Emma brightened up at the suggestion. "We can pair it with the black slippers you really like," the mother offered, knowing that her daughter was close to being convinced.

Emma looked thoughtful for a moment before she asked her mother shyly. "Okay, but can you do my hair again, Mommy? Like the last time?"

Charming seized the moment and kneeled beside his daughter. "Can you do my hair, too, Mommy?"

Suddenly, Snow could imagine a little replica of Charming running around the castle. The thought made her smile falter a little, but she tried to keep her voice steady for Emma. "Of course, I will."

Emma felt beautiful.

They were in the guest chambers of Aunty Ella's castle. Snow was busy fixing her own hair after braiding Emma's hair into her daughter's favorite French braid, something that Eva taught her when she was younger. Emma was busy admiring the loose dress she was wearing that moved every time she did. The seamstress called it a shift dress. It was bright red, had no corset, and ended right on her knees.

The princess then decided then and there that she would make this kind of dress popular in the Enchanted Forest. Girls needed to breathe.

Charming, dressed in silver formal wear and regalia pinned on his white sash, entered the room just as Snow finished putting on her earrings. "Are we ready?" he grinned at how beautiful his wife looked as she did the finishing touches on her make-up and jewelry. She really was the fairest of them all.

"Daddy, you look handsome!" Emma rushed towards him, hugging him around his waist.

"Hey, kiddo. Let me see your dress," Charming said, making his daughter step back and give him a slow twirl. The dress swayed with every movement, making the little girl giggle. "I have to admit. It looks really nice," he commented, looking over at Snow for approval.

Snow gave him a small smile as she walked over and fixed his collar properly. She didn't like the dress at first, preferring the traditional, figure hugging gowns like the one she was wearing, but seeing her daughter look so happy for a ball made her change her mind. "And you," Charming murmured, wrapping his arm around her. "Are you planning to steal Ella's spotlight?" He smiled at her charmingly, giving her a sweet kiss. Emma was back in front of the mirror.

The queen was wearing a silver sheath gown with a bateau neckline with her hair cascading down her back in rich, luscious curls. She smiled before giving her husband another kiss, "You don't look so bad yourself." She pulled back and laughed a little, having to wipe off some of her lipstick from the side of his lips. "We have to go. The ball is about to start."

Snow felt contented.

The ball was in full swing. Guests were happily chatting with one another with flutes of wine in their hands, the music was playing softly in the background, and the ballroom was decorated with pink and white flowers. Snow sipped her drink quietly at the side as she watched Emma laugh as Charming twirled her around.

He was always so good with her. Sometimes, she envied how Emma felt more drawn to Charming when she felt happy, excited, or even sad. Snow had to admit that he had a way of making anyone feel better just through his words. It was his gift. Charming had admonished her on more than one occasion that Emma loved her just as much.

On the other hand, there was her precious Emma. Emma was and forever will be her happy ending. She was magic. Charming just chuckled when she apologized for having Emma as her new favorite person in the world rather than him. A parent's love was the kind that you go to the ends of the world if it meant your child's happiness. Ruth was right, she thought with a small smile.

"Hey," Cinderella appeared beside her with cheeks flushed from socializing with so many people. "What are you doing here all alone? Where are Emma and James?"

"They're dancing," Snow answered, pointing towards the direction of her family.

"That's adorable," Ella gushed, taking a glass of champagne from one of the passing trays.

"I know."

Emma's attention was suddenly diverted when Alexandra tapped her on the shoulder. The two girls squealed and hugged, catching the attention of the people around them. The two mothers laughed at the sight. "Now, that's adorable." Snow commented.

"I'll drink to that," Ella smiled as they clinked their glasses together.

As Snow sipped, she watched as a woman suddenly appeared in front of Charming, asking for a dance. Her husband gave her a friendly smile and complied, not wanting to be rude. Snow wanted to ignore it, telling herself mentally that it was nothing. Instead, she looked over at Emma who was already busy raiding the food area with Alexandra. She was suddenly struck with the memory of her and Ariel back in Eric's ball years ago.

"Snow," Ella called, making her come back to the present.

"Yes?" she asked, turning back to her friend.

"Are you okay?" Ella asked in concern. Some people were now calling for her, making her torn. "I have to –."

"No, go. It's okay." Snow gave her a tight hug. "I'm so happy to see you. Tell Thomas that we appreciate the invite." Ella grinned and nodded before leaving her, laughing as her other friends cheered when she came over. Snow smiled to herself before turning back to where her husband was standing.

The woman was clearly overstepping her boundaries, and Snow tried to hide her smile from Charming when he glanced over at her with a serious look on his face. Help me, he silently pleaded. She shrugged teasingly, pointing to her glass of champagne, telling him that she needed to finish her drink first. If looks could kill, she'd be dead by then.

Keeping herself from giggling, Snow placed her glass down on one of the tables and sauntered over to where Charming was. The woman was laughing loudly about something and trying to keep his arms around her when Snow cleared her throat to get their attention. Both of them turned to face her, and some of the other guests who were near them glanced over in interest.

"May I?" Snow smiled politely, gesturing towards Charming who grinned at her happily behind the woman's head. The woman turned to look at him, making him somber immediately to give her a normal smile. She curtseyed a little, her face clearly showing that she was annoyed by the interruption before she walked away from them. "Quite a catch you had there, Charming," Snow teased.

He chuckled, easily slipping his arms around his wife, and pulled her closer to him as they danced. Snow closed her eyes and leaned her temple against his chin, smiling contently as they swayed with the music. "No. You're the only woman I'm proud to have in my arms, Snow White."

"Charming, Charming," she murmured, causing him to chuckle again. They were quiet for a few moments with her noticing some of the women glancing over at them, specifically at him. She knew that her husband was very easy on the eyes, but did they have to be that obvious? She sighed a little, something that didn't escape Charming's notice.

"What's wrong?" he asked, pulling back slightly to look down at her. She was still looking at the women who had the decency to look away when they saw her looking. He looked back and understood immediately. "Snow, we've talked about this." He smiled down at her, a little amused. "You don't have to scare them, you know."

Snow's eyes glanced up at his before she settled back to dancing with him. "I'm just scared that one day," she said quietly, resting her chin on his shoulder. "One day you might think that you've made the wrong decision."

Charming tensed in her arms. "Is that what you think?"

"I don't know," Snow said, pulling back slightly to look at him. "Have you seen you? You're kind of handsome, and women notice handsome men."

"But have you seen you?" he countered. "There's a reason why they call you the fairest of them all, Snow." He laughed a little. "And come on, are you honestly doubting my feelings for you? After, what, ten years of being together? Come on. True love doesn't get any truer than us."

The side of her lips pulled up in a smile as she looked down shyly. "I'm sorry. I've been going haywire lately. I don't know where these feelings are coming from." She laughed a little, making him smile down at her. "I don't know. I just feel insecure whenever women throw themselves at you."

Charming placed a kiss on her forehead and pulled her closer. "The only woman I want throwing herself at me is you. No one else." Snow rolled her eyes at his innuendo and couldn't help but smile. "So, I was wondering if I could spare a few moments with you while Emma's occupied." His tone lowered as well as his hand down her back.

"Are you seriously suggesting sneaking out, Prince Charming?" Snow whispered in his ear, pulling his hand up to where it should be placed in public. "Quite the scandal if someone sees us."

He snorted, making her giggle. "It's easy," he told her quietly. "I'll go first, and you follow after. I'd rather not stay here after you've gone because who else is going to save me from all these women. I'm like a magnet."

"Humility becomes you, Charming."

"I try." Charming's grin caused her to smile back as well. "Shall we?"

Snow rolled her eyes, took his hand in hers, and proceeded to pull him towards the exit of the ballroom. "We're married. I highly doubt we have to be secretive at this point." Charming's laughter caused her to smile and made her bold enough to actually wave goodbye to the women who were openly staring at them.

"Did you just wave at them?" Charming laughed incredulously when they got out on the hallway.

Snow's smile turned sultry. "I may have. What are you going to do about it, Charming?" He grinned back at her and was about to kiss her when she pulled away abruptly, giggling as she started to run away. Charming looked at her in surprise before running after her, chasing her as she giggled down the hallway.

God, he loved her.

Author's Note: I couldn't stop smiling as I wrote the last part. I could totally picture them like that. :) Reviews make me happy!