Hello everyone! Soooooo... Here's the big chapter! I can't wait for you to read it and I'm very excited to hear about your thoughts on what's happening here. I feel so grateful for your support, and I have so many things in plan for this story, it's far from being over! I hope you'll like what I have in store hehe!
Emma ran all the way to the castle, knowing that she was already late and that she couldn't get in trouble for not coming back on time. Not now, not as she was so close to finally bring her family together again after months of separation. Her exhaustion was completely forgotten at the marvelous idea that it was the last time she was making this journey without Killian by her side. They'd finally agreed on what their future would be. It didn't matter if they lived on the ocean, in a castle, or on the other side of the world. As long as they were together, everything would be fine. And they would never have to live apart ways again.
She'd missed him so damn much that this prospect of finally having him back was giving her wings. The fight they'd just gone through had upset her, she had to admit it, but they were fine now and she just couldn't wait to be back in his arms. They'd suffered too much already and they had to change that. And she simply wanted to get to the palace, so she could tell her employers that she'd finally taken the decision to bring the man she loved along with her. With a bit of luck, she would wake up on her birthday buried in his familiar embrace, and they wouldn't have to hide anymore. This was the best gift she could ever have wished for.
But, once again, as if she were cursed and could never live peacefully, nothing went as planned. Everything shifted once again, the change so incredibly unsettling that she suddenly found herself unsure of who she really was. This life that she was imagining beside Henry and Killian at the castle, taking care of the Princess and supporting the couple, crumbled before her eyes. And the immensity of the events left her completely and horribly helpless.
She reached her destination quite quickly. Caught in the happiness of finally having fixed things with Killian, she absently went to walk through the front gates, expecting the guards to greet her with their usual smiles and friendly words. She would sometimes stop to share a few banalities with them, but she wasn't planning to this time, since she had to get inside fast. She wasn't worried about anything, wasn't prepared to face any hardships, and what happened left her at a loss for words as she didn't know how she could react to the situation she now had to face.
She indeed almost ran into one of the guards and needed a second to realize that he was actually trying to stop her from entering the castle. Intrigued, she looked up to meet the familiar gaze of one of the older keepers of the palace, Frederic. He'd always been really nice to her, and she frowned when she saw the suspicious expression written on his face. It didn't make any sense to her, and she just couldn't grasp the reason why he was suddenly staring at her like she was a danger to the safety of her employers.
"Is everything okay?" She asked in a small voice, a crippling fear she couldn't quite get taking over her all of the sudden.
He didn't answer anything and he didn't move a muscle, looking down at her with his jaw clenched. She blinked, her heart racing and feeling a danger approaching, even though she had no clue of what all of this was about. After a moment, Frederic finally gestured to his colleague, Gabe, who immediately came to stand beside her without saying a word either.
Emma felt horribly threatened under the stares of these once friendly people that had turned so suspicious of her for something she just couldn't understand. Her first impulse was to take a step back because it felt like the only thing left to do. She so wanted to know what the hell was wrong with them. She didn't feel like she'd done anything wrong. They weren't actually behaving that way because she was a bit late, were they? That definitely seemed a bit excessive for the situation.
She stuttered a bit when she opened her mouth again, because she was feeling like something very bad was about to happen and it was horrifying not to know anything about it "Guys? What's going on?"
She only got silence in return. A thick, heavy quiet that made her want to run away, but she would never have done such a thing. Henry was inside, and whatever was happening, she had to get to him. It's as she was thinking about her son that the two men suddenly moved at the exact same time, taking her by surprise. They grabbed both her arms, as if to stop her from escaping something she knew nothing about, and squeezed so hard she winced in pain.
The violence of the gesture made her want to throw up. A flash blinded her for an awful second and her heart hammered against her ribs as images of her past were making their way to her again. Her teenage self, a still childlike face frozen in terror. Tall men mercilessly dragging her behind them through the forest, as she was praying for Neal to finally arrive and get her. He'd never come. Why did she have the horrifying feeling that she was reliving the exact same thing while she'd done nothing wrong, and why did she feel the sudden and urgent need to sob like her younger self had done in the same situation?
She tried to get away from the guards but failed, and she quickly gave up on that idea. It would have been an unfair fight since they were two against her, but that wouldn't have stopped her if she'd been alone. She knew how to defend herself and would probably have managed to escape. But she couldn't do that and, more importantly, she didn't want to. She wouldn't get out of this palace without her son by her side. He was more important than anything else.
And she wanted to understand, too. What was happening was confusing her beyond words. Everything had seemed fine when she'd left the castle barely a couple of hours before, so why were these people suddenly treating her like a criminal ? She had no idea of what was going on, but she was pretty sure that they were obeying an order given by the Queen. And she just wanted to know why she was now being dragged behind these two men while nothing at all had happened. Maybe she could talk with her employer and convince her that all of this was a big misunderstanding. Whatever she was accusing her of, she was probably innocent.
Still, she somehow guessed what this was all about even without any explanation coming from her wardens. There was only one reason why they would treat her that way, and she wasn't stupid. But she didn't want to accept this idea and admit that everything had just collapsed again. She would have crumbled right there, and she needed to stay strong. She needed to protect herself so she could deal with the situation, even if her past had caught up with her after all this time while she was least expecting it.
So she let the guards take her to the hallway, then urge her up the stairs. The few other employees they crossed path with looked at her with a hint of disappointment shinning in their gazes, and she felt a shiver running up her spine in apprehension. The entire way took place in a thick silence, the two men behaving like she was going to face her trial. Maybe it was the case, she thought. Maybe she was going to be judged by the King and Queen and would have to explain herself.
Gods, she really didn't want to do this.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Frederic opened her bedroom's door to push her in. Emma saw the royal couple standing in a corner, but didn't try to ask them what was going on and didn't even pay any attention to them at all. Her entire being was suddenly focused on her little boy, who was sitting on her bed and looking right at her. He seemed horribly worried and his eyes were reddened with the tears he'd shed. He wasn't held prisoner and didn't seem physically hurt, but he looked terrified. Despite his expression that deeply concerned her, she felt so relieved to see that he was okay and that nothing had happened to him at least.
After a second of silence, he jumped off the mattress and ran to her. She wanted to take him in her arms and promise him that everything was going to be okay, but the guards didn't let her do any of this. They held her a bit tighter to stop her from moving, and dragged her to the corner of the canopy bed, chaining her to one of the bronze bars before she'd had the chance to say anything. The steel bit her wrist but she couldn't have cared less, and she immediately moved to face her son again.
She didn't look at the keepers as they were leaving the room without saying a word and didn't bother to glance at Snow and David, even though she could feel their furious stares burning on her skin. The chains were holding her back and she struggled a bit, but she managed to spread her free arm wide to welcome her son into her embrace. The position was uncomfortable and the skin of her arm was burning, but Henry came to snuggle against her and, suddenly, he was the only thing that mattered in the world.
"Are you okay, kid?" She whispered to his ear, stroking his back as he was slightly shaking against her. "Are you hurt?"
He simply shook his head and she could tell how horribly scared he was. He must have been terrified, all alone there while the couple was waiting for her to come back, and she felt so guilty that he'd been on his own to face this situation. She'd trusted the Queen to take care of him while she was gone, but had very obviously been wrong. And she felt so angry all of the sudden, not because of her own situation, but because of what they'd done to Henry. No one hurt her little boy.
She kissed the top of her son's head and promised, even though she had no clue of what was going to come next. "It's alright, kiddo, I'm here, now. You're safe. You're okay." Feeling that her words were managing to calm him down a little, she added after a minute, pulling a little bit away to look at him. "What happened?"
"Oh, we're going to talk about that, all right." David said then and she shivered, finally looking up at him.
His voice was so cold she could barely recognize it. She was suddenly brought back to this moment when the couple had discovered that she was sneaking out of the castle at night, except that this time it seemed much worse, because the King was looking at her with so much anger she felt her heart skipping a beat. He took a step forward, closely followed by his wife. When Emma met Snow's gaze, her chest tightened and she felt like she was going to cry. The trust she'd once read in her eyes had been replaced by disappointment, contempt, almost. Whatever they knew about her, it probably wasn't pretty.
She stood straight again to face them despite how afraid she was of what was going to be said in the next few minutes, and she kept her arm wrapped around Henry's shoulders. She had to explain herself, because if the most important thing right now was to comfort her son, she also knew that she had to get them out of there. She couldn't be held prisoner, not after everything she'd done to keep her family safe.
"Henry, leave the room, please. You can go wait in the library while we talk" Snow ordered, her usually friendly tone all gone, making Henry stiffen in fear.
Emma suddenly realized that even if they were now treating her like a criminal, they obviously wanted to keep her son out of this mess. The affection they had for him hadn't changed at all, and she knew that they wouldn't hurt him. Still, she didn't want to let him go, and the way he was holding onto her told her that he was feeling the same way. She was scared that they would try to separate them forever, and she couldn't take that risk. So despite her dangerous situation, she said firmly, looking straight into Snow's eyes.
"No, he's staying with me."
"Don't discuss it." The Queen said in a harsh voice that Emma had never heard coming from her before. "You're not in a position to ask for anything, believe me."
"No" She still repeated, refusing to surrender. "Henry is staying right beside me, or I won't have a conversation with you. I won't let you separate us."
She kept on looking at the couple, as if defying them to argue with her. Snow sighed slightly, and she shared a glance with her husband for a minute. When she turned back to face her, Emma understood that she'd won and that they were allowing Henry to stay with her. She let out a relieved breath and ran her fingers through her son's hair to calm him down. At least, they were still together. Nothing would happen to him as long as she was there.
She was curious to know more though, so she insisted as the couple was still staring at her in silence, just wanting to be sure of what was happening in order to get ready to face whatever they were about to throw at her. "What's going on? Why am I chained to the bed?"
"Oh, I think you know quite well." David answered vaguely.
"Humor me." She replied, getting more and more nervous.
"What's happening is that you've lied to us since day one."
Snow had spat out the words and Emma blinked in surprise, feeling like she'd just been punched in the stomach. She knew she had to pretend that she wasn't understanding a word of what the Queen was saying, but this was too much for her. Despite the vague statement she'd received, she wasn't stupid and she'd got it.
They knew.
They knew and she was in danger. Her entire family was, because of her.
She did the best she could to keep calm, but she felt the colors leaving her face as she was suddenly getting dizzy. She couldn't believe this was happening, all while she'd been sure that she was finally safe. If they really were aware of what she'd done in her past, she was going to end up in a cell while she'd fought for months to avoid this possibility. She was going to be separated from her family, and this thought made her sick.
She wouldn't let them do such a thing, she decided as she'd forgotten how to breathe. She wouldn't let them destroy everything that she'd tried to build, all because a horrible mistake that she'd made almost one year prior to that moment. So she tried to look surprised and she shook her head, saying in a small voice. "I have no idea what you're talking about. This must all be a huge misunderstanding."
"Oh, is it, now? So, in your opinion, this is a misunderstanding too, Swan?"
David pronounced her real name with so much hate in his voice that she felt like she was going to fall over. Henry snuggled a bit closer to her, obviously terrified and, ignoring her own fears, she held him tight to try and show him that she was going to fix this. Because she wasn't going to let them take their future away. She knew what would happen if she failed to convince the couple that she was innocent. So she needed to find something, anything, to try and make them think that they were wrong about her.
But she suddenly noticed the parchment that David was holding in his clenched fist. She couldn't see what was written on it, but she already knew. Not giving her the time to say anything else, the King unrolled it with shaky movements and practically shoved it to her face. With her free hand, she took the piece of paper and read what was on it, tears instantly appearing in her eyes at how painful this all was.
Her portrait was drawn on the poster, her own eyes staring back at her. It was incredibly accurate, and getting her employers to believe that she wasn't the one represented on this paper was impossible, she already knew it. She read what was written in huge black letters then, the message horribly threatening : "Swan. Wanted for thefts and murder. Dangerous. Big reward. Alive or dead."
She could already guess what had happened without the couple having to tell her anything. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought about this possibility of a danger sooner, and she silently cursed herself for being so oblivious to what was really going on. So much for thinking that she was safe. Now all the fears that she'd ever had were becoming true and she was feeling like she was drowning.
One of the messengers that had traveled the Enchanted Forest to tell everyone about the search for the Princess, had most probably crossed path with one of these posters. Everyone knew her in the castle now, and they'd certainly recognized her right away. So they'd taken it to show the King and Queen and tell them all about who she really was. And now they knew she'd lied about everything. They knew that she was a murderer.
She tried to quickly decide what was the best thing to do on that moment, but her heart was pounding so fast she felt like she was going to faint. She couldn't lie to the couple again, it was only going to make them angrier. She needed to find a plan, to be able to get away from this. And, finally, she realized that she had an advantage : they didn't know everything yet.
They obviously weren't aware that Killian was wanted too, and that he was the man she was living with. They'd never seen him and didn't know who he was. If the worst had to happen and if she ended up getting locked up for the rest of her life, Henry could still run away from the castle and go join his father. They could leave together, take fake identities again and start over.
It was going to be incredibly hard, she knew it all too well. Being separated from them was going to drive her insane, and finding herself all alone in a cell, just like she was at seventeen, was probably going to test her sanity. But knowing that the two people she loved the most were safe and sound would help her get through this. She also knew that trying to convince her family to leave without her was going to be almost impossible, but this was their only chance. It was the best thing to do, for now. They needed to be alright, with or without her.
And if she wasn't sentenced to death or condemned to stay in her cell for the rest of eternity, she would find them, wherever they were. In one, two, five or ten years, they would end up being reunited again. It was the worst case scenario, anyway. She still hoped that she would manage to convince the couple that she wasn't dangerous. But at least, if they still didn't believe her, she had a plan for her family. And this thought helped her to pull herself together in order to continue this conversation and try to fix this mess.
She started to talk again and gave the paper roll back to David, looking straight at him to try and convince him that she was being sincere. "It's not what you think it is."
"So, you're not a thief?" He said in an almost mocking tone.
"I was, but..." She said, trying to defend herself, but he cut her off aggressively.
"And you didn't kill somebody?"
"I did, but it wasn't..."
"And what about the fact that you lied to us about your identity?"
"I did lie, but..."
"So everything that is written on this poster is true and you're a wanted murderer?"
"Listen to me, for God's sake!" She cried out, infuriated.
She knew that getting mad really wasn't a good idea given her situation, and yet she hadn't been able to hold herself back. She just wanted to explain what had really happened, to tell the entire truth now and hope for the best, and these questions he was asking her without waiting for an answer were making her furious. She wasn't a bad person, and they needed to understand that. She'd just made mistakes along the way, terrible ones, but all she wanted was for her family to be happy and safe. They would have done the same for each other and their daughter, she was so sure of it.
She took advantage of the stunned silence that followed her last words, as the couple was looking at her with wide eyes, obviously surprised that she'd dared to interrupt them. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down, because losing her temper wasn't the best way to convince them that she wasn't dangerous. She simply wanted to tell them everything, for real this time, so they wouldn't get the wrong idea about her. The steel of her chains was cutting deep into her skin, but she didn't care. She needed to get herself out of this nightmare.
"I've done everything that's written on this damn poster, but don't you think that I don't regret it. I've been forced to act that way, and you have no idea how much it's haunting me. The thefts were the only things I found in order to survive in the streets. I did get adopted for a few years, but I quickly found myself all alone, without a family to take care of me. I was just a child. I went to jail for this. And then, while I'd managed to get my life back on track, I lost my job in the tavern I was working in."
Emma was glad to notice that the couple was intently listening to her now, looking a bit overwhelmed by everything that she was finally confessing. She took the time to breathe a few times before continuing, knowing that talking about her past wasn't going to be an easy task after trying to bury it for so long. "I was unable to find another job because I'm a former beggar and thief and no one wanted me. So I had to steal again. It was that or we would have starved, and I couldn't let that happen. I'm a mom, and protecting my child is the most important thing. Surely, you can understand that."
The Queen nodded discreetly, and Emma drew the courage she was lacking to continue from this small encouraging gesture. "I wanted to start anew, move out somewhere else and earn money there, but for that I needed gold. I'm not proud of what I did, but I stole a bracelet to sell it to the black market and get what I needed in order to survive. I got caught, I tried to run, and I ended up killing a man that day."
Talking about this moment sent a shiver up her spine. This memory was going to haunt her forever and she was well aware of it. "It was an accident. He tried to hurt Henry's father and I needed to protect him. I couldn't let this man harm someone I love. I couldn't lose somebody else, and I acted without thinking about what I was doing. He died, and it haunts me every night ever since. If you think that I like what happened that day, you are so wrong. This man is dead because of me, but I just couldn't let him break my family. They're all I have."
The couple was still staring at her, their heads titled and waiting for her to finish. Summing up almost one year of her life so fast was feeling surreal, but she knew she didn't have time to linger on the details. She needed to persuade them that she wasn't a danger as fast as she possibly could. "So after that, to avoid getting separated from the people I love, I took a fake identity and we moved here. We started completely fresh. The job as the assistant was our best shot at a better life. We just wanted to have a chance to be happy."
A long silence followed her little speech. She was panting a bit, all those revelations making her dizzy because her mind was refusing to believe that this was happening. She'd been terrified at first, scared that something bad was going to happen, sad that the couple was now looking at her like she was a criminal, but not anymore. Now, she was just feeling numb and she patiently waited for the next part of their discussion without adding anything. This couldn't really get any worse, anyway.
Emma suddenly noticed that Snow's expression had softened a little bit. David's hadn't, though, and he was still looking at her with pure anger etched in his features, as if she were the worst person that he'd ever encountered and her story wasn't of any kind of importance to him. He just knew that she'd killed someone and didn't care about the rest, and she was aware that it wasn't going to be easy to safely get out of this entire situation. But she had to try, anyway. She couldn't let them separate her from those she loved.
Finally, he started again in a cold, severe tone "And how can you prove that all of this is true and that you're not lying to us once again? You've lied about everything up until now. Maybe you're just trying to hurt us, and that's why you came here in the first place, to gain our trust and betray us afterwards. Maybe you want to steal something, or even kill us for a reason I cannot understand. You've killed someone already. We know you're capable of it."
It hurt to witness him using her past against her so mercilessly, and she felt so angry all of the sudden, because hurting these people was inconceivable and she couldn't believe that he was doubting her. "I'm not here to hurt you! I just wanted to start anew as Leia Stark, because I didn't want my past to keep me from living a good life after everything I'd been through!"
"And how can we be sure that you're telling the truth?" He insisted, his arms folded and eyeing her warily.
"Well, because I'm working here for months and if I'd wanted to hurt you or steal something, I would have done it a long time ago. I never wanted to cause you any harm!"
"I don't know about that. I can't trust anything you say anymore. I think your place is in one of our cells." He spat out, and she felt her heart skipping a beat as Henry was holding her a little bit closer, terrified by the King's last statement.
"David!" Snow cried out then, interrupting their argument.
They all turned to look at her at the same time, surprised by the tone of her voice. She looked like she had something very important to tell her husband, because she was staring at him intensely, her green eyes shinning with determination. Emma was slowly feeling the trap closing around her. She knew that she was probably going to face a trial and get locked up for her crimes, but in some strange way, the Queen's intervention gave her hope. She didn't know why she was feeling that way, but she knew this moment could change her entire future.
David looked at his wife, shaking his head in confusion. She continued confidently without paying any attention to his stunned expression. "Don't you think that you're being a bit unfair to her?" Emma blinked in surprise at the words. She definitely hadn't expected this to happen. Was the Queen actually defending her after everything she'd done?
"Unfair?" The King repeated in disbelief. "Are you serious? Snow, she's a murderer!" The words banged in Emma's ears, making her want to throw up. She hated the fact that they were seeing her that way, and all the guilt she'd fought so hard to keep at bay was coming back to her at once.
"She did kill someone, but it's not like she wanted to do so. She did it to protect those she loves. Maybe we should just let her go. She has a family, David. I don't want to deprive a child of his mother."
"And what if she hurts someone else because we let her go free out there?" Her husband protested. "It'd be our entire fault!"
"You seem to forget that I've been a thief, too." Snow answered seriously.
Emma's mouth gaped open in surprise, and she needed a second to recall that she'd actually heard about the Queen's past before. Her story was Henry's favorite after all, and she could remember that in the tales her son had made her read to him so many times, Snow White had been forced to steal in order to survive as well. Maybe they weren't that different from each other, after all. They definitely shared some surprising things.
David looked at his wife, obviously touched by her statement. He didn't seem ready to give up on the idea of punishing Emma for her past though, and she guessed how mad he was at her. They'd been friends before, he'd trusted her, and all of that had faded away now. Nothing would ever be the same after this.
"But you didn't kill somebody!" the King objected after a second of silence.
"I didn't, you're right, but imagine this, David." The Queen tempered "Imagine that someone was about to hurt me. Would you hesitate to kill this person if it meant it could save my life?"
David's expression softened and the anger in his eyes was replaced by sadness at the image of his love being in danger. Emma was now feeling like she wasn't a part of the conversation anymore. They were both discussing about her fate like she wasn't even there, and she already knew she couldn't make them change their mind. She needed to let the Queen talk before she tried anything else. Snow truly seemed ready to let her go, and she prayed that she would manage to convince David too.
She wrapped her arm a little bit tighter around Henry, trying to comfort him as she could feel him shiver uncontrollably. He was terrified, the conversation was scaring him beyond words, and she just wished that she hadn't brought him into this mess. But she was going to make sure that he was okay, no matter what happened to her. She would protect him with her life.
"She did all of that to make sure that her loved ones were safe" Snow continued. "She's simply ready to do anything to protect her family, and if she's made a terrible mistake, I know I would probably have done the same thing if you'd been the one in danger. She's right when she says that she would have hurt us already if she'd wanted to. She's helped me a lot, David. She truly kept me sane during all those meetings to try and find our daughter. She's not a bad person, I'm so sure of it."
"And how can you know that she isn't lying again? She could be manipulating us to try and get what she wants."
Forgetting her desire to stay discreet and leave the couple to talk about her together, Emma opened her mouth to protest. She couldn't let them think that she was out there to kill people, what had happened had simply been an accident and it was haunting her every day, but she didn't want to hurt anyone. They had to understand that, she wouldn't let them believe otherwise.
But Snow suddenly turned to her and she grew quiet, knowing that something important was about to happen. The Queen was looking at her seriously, but she read no hate in her gaze. It was obvious that despite everything she'd done, she still had affection for her somehow, and she didn't want her to be left rotting in a cell for the rest of her life. Emma's employer then stepped forward to approach her, and she stood still for a second before finally starting to talk.
"I want you to tell us the entire truth, this time. Forget about all the lies you've created since you got here. You've said a bit already, but I want to know what really happened in your life. It's important."
"All right." Emma agreed, knowing all too well that coming clean was probably her only chance of getting out of this right now. She didn't want to lie anymore, anyway. She didn't have anything else to lose.
She took a deep breath, trying to muster the courage to come back to this dark past that seemed to follow her wherever she was trying to go. Talking about it was always painful, but the couple deserved to know. They looked pretty impatient, too. David seemed about to explode, ready to judge her at any mistake she would make. She stared at him for a second, then she finally began in a low voice.
"Everything started the same day the Dark Curse was cast, when birth parents I don't know anything about abandoned me in the middle of the woods."
And at last, she told them everything. She spent an eternity talking, reliving her entire life as she was speaking. Judy, Eric and his abuse, how she'd run away as a kid and had ended up begging for some coins in the dark streets of her village. The hunger, the cold, the fear. The job she'd found as a teenager and how she'd got fired, ending up stealing to survive because she had been so scared to starve out there.
She didn't say anything about Neal though, or about how he'd left her. Henry didn't know about him, he thought that he was dead, and now wasn't the time to tell him that his birth father was still alive somewhere out there. She'd already talked a little bit about him to the couple when she'd confessed Henry's existence, and they didn't need to know more. She just explained that she'd been locked up for a few months because of her thefts, and that she'd spent her entire pregnancy there, only being freed as she was about to give birth.
She glanced down at Henry as she was speaking, and Snow seemed to remember that the little boy didn't know anything about his father, because she didn't ask any questions. And Emma continued her tale, talking about having Henry, working at the tavern and meeting the man she loved. She didn't say Killian's real name once, knowing she needed to protect him so he wouldn't get caught as well. And then she admitted everything that had happened after she'd got fired. How they'd run away together, worked illegally, then had taken a chance in the palace. And she finally finished, her mouth dry and her breath short, not sure how to breathe anymore.
"That's why we decided to take new identities. Leia Stark gave me the chance to start anew. I never imagined I was going to get the job when I came here in the first place, so I lied because I thought it wouldn't have any consequences. I know you would never have chosen me if I'd told you that I was an orphan, a thief, a beggar. You would have been scared of me and would have thrown me in a cell. I just wanted to offer a decent future to Henry. I'm sorry if you're feeling betrayed because of this, now. I really never meant to cause you any harm. I promise that if you let me go, I'll disappear from your life and you'll never hear anything from me ever again."
The couple shared another glance after she'd stopped talking, but their expressions had progressively softened as they were hearing her tale. It was obvious to everyone that she couldn't have invented an entire life for herself given all the details she'd provided, and they knew that she was telling the truth, now. She felt like Snow could read in her soul that she was being completely sincere and wasn't a threat, but David still seemed a bit suspicious. He stared at her for a while without saying anything, as if trying to assess who she really was. Then, finally, he broke the thick silence that had filled in the room.
"All right, your story seems legitimate. You couldn't have created all of that. Maybe we could let you go. Maybe. At one condition."
"I'm listening." Emma answered, a bit mistrustful as she was feeling like he was trying to trick her.
"I want to know your real identity. It's the least you could do after lying for so long."
"It's written on the parchment." She said, a bit confused. "You've read it, right? My name is Swan."
"It's your first name that I want." He insisted firmly.
She took a deep breath before answering his request, feeling like she was exposing herself completely and all that was left to do now was pray that they would let her go. "My name is Emma." She said finally. "Emma Swan."
Against all odds, the atmosphere in the room completely transformed at her words. The couple went from suspicion to pure confusion, and Snow got so pale Emma thought that she was going to faint. She wanted to take a step forward to help her keep her balance, all those months spent by her side having developed a need to protect her, but the steel of her chains bit her skin once again and she gave up on the idea. She didn't understand what was happening at all, and felt so horribly lost. Why the hell were they looking at her like she was a ghost coming from their past?
Henry had pulled a little bit away from her to look at her employers intently. He seemed to be trying to read them, curious to know what was happening. He looked like he was somehow understanding the situation though, which still wasn't her case at all because the couple was speechless and she couldn't think of a reason why they would suddenly behave so strangely.
Finally, David started to talk again. His voice was weak and a bit shaky, so far from the tone he'd used to address her before. "Where did you say you were born again?"
"I didn't say anything, because I don't know." She answered, feeling a wave of anxiety taking over her. "My parents abandoned me in the woods when I was just a few hours old. I suppose I was born in the village I grew up in."
Snow gasped and grabbed her husband's hand as he was blinking furiously, as if trying to wake up from a dream. Tears had appeared in the Queen's eyes, but it wasn't from sadness, Emma could feel it. It was hope that was shinning in her gaze and she didn't know why all of this was happening all of the sudden. She herself felt the strange and urgent need to start crying as well. Her stomach was in knots, she felt so overwhelmed by these reactions she couldn't make sense of, and she said in a small voice. "What's going on?"
Henry moved beside her, making her look down at him while her heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to burst. She noted with surprise that her son didn't seem afraid at all anymore. He was actually staring at the couple with something resembling happiness and excitation written on his features. Mouth open, eyes wide, he seemed to know something that she couldn't understand just yet. She wanted to ask him what this was all about, but she didn't have the time to do so. David spoke and his voice was full of hope as well as he was still holding onto his wife's hand for dear life.
"Do you have any proof that Emma really is your name?"
"I don't get it..." She started, her mind blurred, but he didn't let her finish and repeated.
"Do you?"
"Yeah." She said then, her voice shaky but slowly coming back to reality. She did have something, her baby blanket with her name written on it. She couldn't understand why they were asking her for something so strange, but she felt like it was crucial, so she continued. "It's the only thing I have from my birth parents."
"Can you show it to us?"
Emma's mind was racing, trying to make sense of their words, but she still saw that as an opportunity to get rid of her chains. She wasn't going to go anywhere anyway, she wouldn't try to run away because she knew she couldn't leave the castle without getting caught in the process, but the cuffs were hurting her and she just wanted to be free again. "It's in the wooden chest." She said then. "Can you take my chains off?"
She was half expecting to face a denial, but David practically jumped to get a key out of his pocket and free her from the painful steel. She took a second to rub her injured wrist, eyeing the couple and wondering why the hell they now wanted to see her baby blanket. They'd been about to throw her in a cell a few minutes before, and now they were freeing her and asking her questions that she just couldn't understand.
She really wanted to know what was happening, but for a reason she couldn't quite get, she was also scared. She was feeling like everything was about to shift again at the way they were looking at her. And they seemed so stunned that she couldn't guess if her situation was improving somehow, or if she was in even more trouble than before. So to finally have some answers, she did what she was asked to do. Slowly, her legs quivering, she moved to reach the wooden chest that was placed against one of the walls of the room.
She'd been using it to put some of her personal items inside, away from prying eyes. She didn't really know why she'd decided to take her baby blanket with her when she'd started to work as the assistant, because she could as well have left it on the ship. But she'd always kept it close no matter what, and she'd felt the strange need to bring it along in this adventure that was working at the castle.
She'd only decided to act that way because she'd been absolutely certain that doing so was safe, too. No one was allowed to look into the wooden chest without her permission, or she wouldn't have taken the risk to have this blanket with her real name written all over it around. And it was coming into use, now. It was her only way to prove that Emma was her real name, and she damn well intended to show the couple that she wasn't lying this time.
She didn't have that many things hidden inside the chest, and she immediately found what she was looking for. She wrapped her hands around the white blanket, the only thing that had been by her side for her entire life. She'd held it close as she was freezing in the streets, dreaming of a better life where she didn't have to be scared anymore. She'd managed to take it with her in her cell as a teenager, hiding it from the guards who didn't care anyway, because she just couldn't leave it behind. And it'd been sitting in one of the Jolly Roger's closets for years, living every pain, heartbreaks, hardships, but also moments of pure bliss and laughter with her family. This little item was representing her entire life, and she absently ran her fingers over her name written in soft purple letters before finally turning to face the couple again.
She approached them, determined to prove that she was telling them the truth, but she saw their eyes looking down at the blanket and they both gasped at the exact same time. There was a long second of silence during which they watched the item in disbelief, making her frown in confusion. Finally, they looked up to stare at her like she had just brought them the moon, tears shinning deep in their gazes. She opened her mouth to ask them what this was all about, but didn't have the time to do so. Without notice and at her greatest surprise, they took her in their arms and held her tight against their chests.
"What… what are you doing?" Emma stuttered, as David's hand was coming up to cradle the back of her head in a protective gesture.
"It's you!" Snow sobbed without answering the question, holding her even closer as if she were scared that she was going to fade away "It's really you! You were there all along!"
It wasn't explaining anything and Emma felt tears appear in her eyes because she was just so lost. She was confused as to why they were looking so happy now, while they'd seemed to hate her a moment ago. But despite feeling almost sick, she acted without thinking and let the blanket fall on the floor to absently hug the couple too, simply because it felt like it was the right thing to do.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Henry approaching them and she threw him a questioning glance, trying to understand what the hell this was all about. Deep down she already knew, but she didn't want to believe it because this couldn't be happening. It didn't seem to be Henry's case though, as he looked absolutely certain that he knew the reason why the King and Queen seemed so happy. He had tears of joy in his eyes and was staring at his mom with the biggest grin on his face.
"Kid?" She asked, more than intrigued by his behavior.
"I was right! For all this time, I was right!" He just cried out.
"Right about what?" She said, feeling a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach because she could guess what he was about to say.
"You're the Lost Princess, mom!"
She shook her head, not wanting to accept this possibility. The floor was spinning beneath her feet and her heart skipped a long beat. She didn't want to hear about it, she didn't want to admit that what she was trying to deny so badly was actually real. Everything was making sense, but she couldn't believe it. She wasn't a princess. She didn't have parents. They'd abandoned her, they didn't want her and she would never know who they were. They couldn't be there right now, holding her. They couldn't be royals. This was all too insane to be true.
"Henry, no." She started, just wanting for the couple to agree with her and tell her son that he was wrong, but she got interrupted once again.
"Emma." Snow pulled a little bit away to look straight into her eyes. She was crying and got quiet for a second after saying her name, as if she'd waited for that moment for an eternity. "He's right."
"No, he's not! It's not possible!" Emma said in a high-pitched voice, but the obvious was starting to get hard to deny as the couple was looking at her like she was their long lost angel.
And it was all so logical, even if she was just realizing it now because she'd never wanted to believe Henry when he would tell her that she was the Princess. But it all made so much sense. The fact that she was born the day of the Dark Curse. Why the Princess still hadn't been found yet while they had been searching for months. The affection Snow had for her since the very beginning. How safe she felt when she was with her.
It couldn't all be a coincidence, and yet the fact that she was the person they were looking for still seemed impossible. She had to be dreaming, because this couldn't be her new reality. But the moment was too powerful to be a product of her imagination, the couple's tears were too real and as she came to that conclusion, she suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe anymore.
David was the one who broke the silence. His eyes were shinning and he was staring at her like he was trying to etch her face into his memory. "Emma, it's all real. This blanket, it's Granny who made it for you before you were born. We wrapped you in it when we placed you in the magical wardrobe. We didn't know where you were going, but we wanted you to know that we were there with you, always. We wanted you to know that we hadn't abandoned you."
"We didn't have a choice." Snow added, cupping Emma's face to press a kiss on her forehead, and she let her do it because she wasn't sure she was able to move anymore. "Leaving you is the hardest thing we've ever had to do. We would have wanted to give you everything, but we needed you to be safe from the Dark Curse. You were the Savior, the only one able to free us from the Dome. And here you are, now."
"I knew it!" Henry cried out, looking absolutely ecstatic. "You're the one who made the Dome disappear, Mom! Dad and you shared a true love kiss, for real! It broke the curse! You're the Savior and the Lost Princess, I knew it all along!"
The reality of the situation hit Emma all at once, and what she felt was far from what she'd once expected as a little girl, as she was dreaming about finally being reunited with her parents. She didn't feel any relief or happiness. She felt like she was drowning in her own distress. Her entire life seemed like a lie and she didn't know who she was anymore. Everything she knew about herself was crumbling. She wasn't an orphan. She wasn't unwanted. And she'd lived for four months with her birth parents without even knowing who they really were.
A huge sob shook her shoulders and a single tear rolled down her cheek as she was saying in a broken voice. "I've waited for this moment my entire life."
"I… I can't believe you're here." Snow stuttered, her hands still cupping Emma's cheeks in a tender and protective gesture. Her face was wet with tears and she was crying too "We're going to introduce you to everyone, all right? Everybody needs to know who you really are. I can't believe that it's really you. I can't believe you were with us all along. You found us, Emma."
"We were starting to think that we would never be reunited with you." David added, looking completely overwhelmed by this entire situation. "You're even more perfect than I could ever have imagined."
Emma felt the urgent and sudden need to run away from there as fast as possible. She didn't want to be introduced to anyone. She didn't want to admit that she really was the daughter they had been looking for. Her head was spinning and she realized that she needed to get out of there, she needed to listen to herself and take some time to think about all of this. She just couldn't fall in their arms and promise them that they would be a family. She'd spent way too long believing that her parents didn't want her, and she couldn't accept the fact that this was really happening, that she had parents and that Henry had been right since the beginning.
So she gently pulled away from the couple's embrace, ignoring the confusion in their eyes at her unexpected gesture, and she turned to Henry to place her hands on his shoulders "Kid, I have to go. But you stay right here, all right? You stay close to Snow and David, they'll take care of you. I'll be back soon."
"Where are you going?" He asked, and she could feel the couple's stares burning in her back, quietly asking her why they had to lose her again while they'd just finally found her after all this time.
"I'm going to get your father."
Killian would know how to react and what to do with these new information, she was sure of it. He would know what to say to make her feel like herself again, and she needed his strong arms to come back to reality. She needed to get to him, right now.
She briefly took her son in her arms and said, dropping a kiss to the top of his head: "I love you, kiddo."
"I love you, too." He answered, looking a bit worried by her behavior.
"I'll be back before you know it." She added gently and he nodded, biting his bottom lip in concern.
And then, without waiting for anything else, she jumped for the door, opened it hastily and barely even heard Snow and David telling the guards that were standing before the room to let her go. A few minutes before that, she was still chained to the bed and ready to get thrown in a cell. And now they were allowing her to go, because she was their daughter.
She was the Lost Princess. But this entire situation was too much for her to accept the obvious just yet.
She ran all the way to the Jolly Roger, stumbling over invisible obstacles, ignoring once again this exhaustion that she'd accumulated for so long but that didn't even seem to exist anymore after what she'd just learned about herself. She was feeling like she could crumble at any given moment. The last events had thoroughly shocked her, and she was feeling like simple things such as walking, talking, breathing or even living had become too overwhelming to deal with.
She couldn't believe in what had been revealed to her and she was scared of how she was going to react when she would accept the new information at last. The memory of the couple's embrace and of their eyes drowning in tears made her want to sob again. Henry was right since the beginning, and she needed to admit it or she was going to turn insane. She was the Lost Princess. And she'd been working with her parents without any of them knowing that what they were looking for was right under their noses.
And yet, she still couldn't feel anything positive. She just felt like wrapping herself in ten blankets, lying down in her bed in the captain's quarters and staying there until the end of time.
What she'd said to Snow hadn't been a lie, she'd dreamed about this moment her entire life. She'd waited for her mom to come find her, take her in her arms and tell her that she loved her and that she should never have abandoned her. She'd pictured this blurry figure repeating that she was the most precious thing in the entire world countless of times until she believed it. And she'd thought about her father too, to help her fall asleep in the dark streets of her former village at night. She'd seen him lift her up on his shoulders and bring her to the life she'd always wanted, teaching her how to ride a horse and sword fight. She'd hoped to finally find peace and love after all the pain.
But with time, she'd understood that she needed to let go of those dreams that were keeping her warm at night, because they would never become true and would only end up hurting her more than she already was. She'd accepted that she was just an orphan, unwanted even by her own parents. She'd learned to only trust herself and had put walls around her heart. She'd grown tougher, and she'd survived. And everything was coming apart now, because all that she'd ever thought real had been a lie. She didn't even know if she could rely on herself anymore.
She had parents who loved her and had desperately searched for her for months. They hadn't abandoned her willingly. They'd simply been stuck in time, unable to reach her. They would have wanted to know and raise her, to give her all the love in the world. And they'd cried when they'd finally found her, because they couldn't believe that she was real.
She was a Princess. Not a beggar, not an orphan, a thief or a murderer. A Princess.
To try and curb the panic that she was feeling taking over her, she whispered to herself as she was still running to escape the reality. "My name is Emma Swan. I'm almost 29 years old. Tomorrow is my birthday. Henry is my son. I live with Killian and him on the Jolly Roger. I found a home there with them. They're my entire world." She was stating simple facts, trying to convince herself that some things had stayed the same, that she was still herself and that no one could take that away from her, because she was feeling so helpless she just wanted to be in control of the situation again.
The bottom of her gown got caught in brambles, but she didn't stop and didn't pay attention to the fabric tearing on the way. She just wanted to finally get to Killian and tell him about the impossible. He was the only person she trusted to react calmly and manage to comfort her, to try and find solutions with her about what she was supposed to do. Because she had no idea of how she wanted to react to all of that. She didn't even know who she was anymore.
She didn't know if she had to stay at the castle, now. She wasn't sure that she wanted to know the couple as her parents, to live the life she had once been destined to lead and rule a kingdom she knew nothing about. Deep down, she wanted to run away, because she was terrified. She wanted to take Henry and Killian, forget about all of this, forget the castle and the King and Queen and pretend that nothing had ever happened. She was aware that this wasn't possible, though. Everything had changed and nothing would ever be the same. Because she wasn't an orphan and she felt like everything she'd ever believed to be true had been nothing but a lie.
She also knew that trying to ignore this was only going to cause more pain. She'd wanted parents for her entire life, she couldn't miss that chance now and she just couldn't do that to the couple. She knew them, they'd become her friends, and she couldn't abandon them while they'd spent months trying to find her. But her mind was so blurred by the fear that she couldn't really think clearly anymore. All that mattered right now was getting to Killian and let him hold her until she was sure that everything was going to be okay and that the world wasn't ending because of what she'd learned.
She was panting so hard she felt dizzy when she arrived at the harbor, and her heart was racing with all the emotions that were taking over her on this very important moment. She immediately saw Killian's figure leaning against the handrail, as he was waiting for her on deck. She'd promised that she would come back soon when she'd left him earlier, and he saw her right away. Despite the darkness, she could almost guess his smile. He was so far from expecting what she was about to tell him. He probably thought that she was running because she was simply happy to finally be able to introduce him to the couple, but this wasn't about that anymore. Everything had changed once again, and she felt horribly powerless.
She ran up the boarding ramp and immediately threw herself in his arms, so hard that he almost lost his balance. He hugged her back as he had no idea of what was going on, and she buried her face in the crook of his neck, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. He instantly realized that she was crying, and he started to run his fingers through her hair to calm her down. She could feel his heart beating fast in his chest at how worried he was to find her in such a deep state of distress.
"Emma? Love, what's wrong? Gods, you're shaking."
His hand went down to stroke her back in a soothing gesture that made her sigh in relief. She was finally feeling safe in his arms, and thought that maybe she wasn't going crazy after all. She didn't answer him though, and he said in a soft voice, knowing exactly what she needed to hear in order to feel better. "Shh, darling, I'm right here. I've got you. Breathe, it's going to be all right." He didn't know anything about what was truly going on, but his words helped her more than anything could ever have. Slowly, she managed to start breathing again as he was holding her, and she felt like he was right. Perhaps she could be okay again, after all.
She finally pulled away after a minute, knowing that she had to talk to him. He was doing his best to comfort her, but it was obvious that he also wanted to know and was worried about what was terrifying her so much. She searched for the familiar gorgeous blue of his eyes, and he gently cupped her face to wipe off her tears, asking in a very gentle tone.
"What happened, love? Why are you crying? Is Henry okay?"
"He's fine, but..." She blinked, feeling like saying everything out loud was going to make it real and she wasn't sure that she was ready for that yet. "I'm the Lost Princess." She finally said anyway, but she wasn't able to explain herself. She was still too shocked to do so.
Killian stared at her for a second, and she thought that he was going to place his hand on her forehead to make sure that she wasn't running a fever. This was surreal for him too, and he finally shook his head, saying in a low voice because he probably wasn't sure that he'd head her correctly..
"What do you mean?"
"I'm the Lost Princess!" She cried out, feeling sobs obstructing her throat once again. "Henry was right!"
"What makes you say that, Emma?" He asked gently. He was very obviously wondering if she wasn't joking, because he just couldn't believe it, and she blurted out, panting.
"They told me I was! The King and Queen, they know my name, and there's my baby blanket, and it's me! I'm the one they're looking for!"
She was vaguely aware that she wasn't making any sense at all and that Killian couldn't get a word of what she was saying since he didn't know what had happened in the castle, but she just couldn't do any better. She was too scared, and he seemed to notice it. He stroked her cheekbone with his thumb, in a soothing gesture that made her close her eyes as she was trying to catch her breath.
"Breathe, my love, it's okay." He murmured. "I'm so sorry, but I don't understand what you're trying to tell me."
She let go of a frustrated sigh because she knew she wouldn't be able to clearly explain what was going on right now. She was too confused herself, and she just wanted to feel him close, to make sure that not everything had changed and that at least one thing in her life was still real. So she took a step forward and smashed her mouth against his, seeking the comfort she needed so badly.
At first surprised, his hand found her hair again and he kissed her back as their embrace was gradually getting more demanding. Her lips parted to let him in and she glued her body to his, the familiar feeling of his arms around her making her moan in relief. She finally felt like she was herself again, and she didn't want it to stop.
He pulled away after a few more minutes, though. Her hand was spread underneath his leather coat now, trying to reach his skin, but he placed hook and hand on her shoulders to be able to look at her. Very kindly, he said, his voice strangled with worry and a bit of fear at what she'd just told him.
"Wait, darling, please. I'd like to understand. Can you tell me what happened?"
"Later." She said against his lips, her breath short and just wanting to be comforted right now, because he was the only thing that felt right. She could explain after, now she just needed to feel real again. "I promise. I'm the Lost Princess, but it's all that you need to know right now. For now, I just want you. I need you, Killian." She added in an almost pleading voice, and he didn't find it in him to protest.
She grabbed his collar to bring him even closer, and he didn't pull away this time, knowing that she needed this to feel better before she could tell him anything else. She wanted to know that nothing had changed and that she was still Emma Swan, no matter what had happened in this palace. She wouldn't lose herself because of this. What she'd learned was probably going to change her entire life, but she'd gone through much worse. And feeling her boyfriend against her was making her think that at least this would never change. They would always be head over heels in love with each other.
Impatient and shaky, she didn't take long to take off his coat, then his shirt, and he stood bare chest in front of her. Her hands ran down his stomach and she reached for his belt to get to her goal faster, not wanting to wait for a minute longer than necessary. He however stopped her again, his fingers tangled in her blond locks and panting a little bit as well.
"Don't you want to go inside?"
"It's dark." She said in a whisper. "We're alone. No one will see us."
She didn't wait for an answer and he didn't seem willing to argue with this decision anyway, because he tugged at her dress to encourage her to take it off. She finally got rid of his pants and looked at his figure enlightened by the dim light of the moon for a moment. He was gorgeous, and she breathed him in, finally feeling like she was alive again. He was there, he was real. That would never change.
They started to kiss again, more and more passionately until it became almost painful, and they sat down on the cold wood of the deck, his arms around her and leaning against the handrail for balance. She didn't feel like making things last any longer this time, she was more than ready to have him, and she straddled him, letting him invade her completely until they became one.
She let out a strangled gasp when he entered her, and she pushed her hips against him, fastening her pace again and just wanting to reach this place of absolute pleasure she was seeking so desperately. He was feeling so good it didn't take long for her to find it, and she dived into her orgasm, her nails digging into the skin of his back and his name escaping her lips as he was biting at the thin skin of her neck to help her fall into the wonderful abyss of their embrace.
She didn't feel like it was enough though, and he didn't either. He barely waited for her to come back to reality and he stood up as she was still quivering from the strength of her pleasure, lifting her up and her legs tightly wrapped around him. He kissed her all the way as he was bringing them to their room, and he laid her down on their bed, staying on top this time. He started their familiar dance again, but much more slowly than what they'd done a moment before. Her eyes locked with his as she was sighing in pure bliss, feeling so incredibly loved as he was murmuring gentle words to her ear.
They came together this time. A raspy cry escaped her lips again, and she forced herself to keep her eyes open to watch him as he was finally diving into his pleasure as well, his blue iris darkened by lust. And all while looking at him, her mind blurred by the amazing sensations he was making arise in her, she managed to forget what had happened back at the palace for a while. That was all she needed to find her feet again, and she just enjoyed the present time without worrying about her uncertain future, marveling at the sensation of the man she loved inside of her and at the beautiful sounds of their sighs ringing against the walls of their home.