After dinner Snow took Emma aside and asked for a brief word with her. Emma happily granted her request and they moved to another room while the rest of the family went into the drawing room to enjoy some after dinner tidbits.
"What is it, mama?" Emma asked.
Snow looked at her daughter and could see the shine of happiness in her eyes. Despite Emma's happiness, Snow grew increasingly worried.
"Emma, I could see that you're happy right now," Snow started.
"Well, I'm still worried about the rest of the trial," Emma cut in.
"Yes, the rest of the trial…" Snow looked down. She didn't know how to phrase her concerns. She seemed to lose her diplomacy when it came to Emma, so she just came out with it. "Emma, I'm concerned about the type of character that Killian is. I'm not sure he is suitable for you."
"What?" Emma was shocked. "He rescued me! He is a good man. You practically forced me to marry him!"
"We didn't force you, we just offered a suggestion to save him from a hanging and save your reputation. We were hoping that while he got a fair trial and was locked up, there would be enough time to see if you were without child and then if you didn't conceive then there would be a simple annulment. We didn't expect you to magic him into your bedroom," Snow spoke plainly.
"I can't believe this! You don't approve of my husband," Emma gasped.
"He's a pirate and a scoundrel. From the events of the trial…that Baroness…stealing from other ships…can't you see he is not a good man?"
"I know him and he loves me," Emma wanted to change her mother's mind. "It was circumstances that forced him into piracy."
"He made a choice and he made the wrong one," Snow stated. "What if he continues to make the wrong choices, Emma?"
"He never had anyone he loved who loved him to make good choices for," Emma reasoned. "Until now."
Snow frowned and looked disappointed.
Emma continued, "You were once a bandit and stole from people."
"That was for survival and I only stole from the people that could afford it," Snow defended herself.
"And it's not the same for Killian?" Emma felt her mother was being stubborn. "There have been no other kingdoms that have come forth to accuse him of piracy. He only stole from King George's kingdom to bring him down. He was standing up to him in memory of his brother."
"In memory of his brother or revenge?" Snow asked pointedly.
"Killian already knew he would have been ousted from the kingdom as soon as Liam succumbed to dreamshade. Taking the Jolly Roger was Killian and his crew's means of escape. King George is not a good man, he would have killed Killian had he stayed. You've said many times that he should have his crown taken away from him for his crimes."
"Emma, I raised you to be the strongest, most benevolent, most illustrious ruler that ever graced our kingdom and you want to throw it all away on this pirate! You need to think about your future."
"I want him to be in my future. I choose him above all," Emma said with finality. "You would do the same with father."
"Your father was a shepherd, he wasn't a pirate," Snow said. "If you were with someone who wasn't so dubious, we wouldn't be having this discussion."
"But I fell in love with a pirate, not some prince or knight. So what's the solution, mother? Am I to lose the crown?" Emma was glowering at the turn of the conversation and wanted to get to the point.
"I haven't decided yet," Snow said after long pause.
"So be it," Emma turned to leave the room. There was no point in arguing any further. They were at an impasse and neither woman was known for their flexibility. She halted when she heard her mother's voice.
"At least refrain from him being in your bed, until a suitable time where we can decide whether he could be trusted or not," Snow asked.
"That won't happen anytime soon, mother," Emma then continued out the door. She didn't want to hear any more of it. She just needed to be with Killian to get her mind off her disapproving mother.
Killian noticed as soon as she entered the room that his wife was upset.
"What's wrong, my love?" Killian pulled her aside. Whenever she was upset, so was he.
"My mother doesn't trust my judgement," Emma pretty much got to the heart of the conversation.
"Is it about me, love?" Killian had a look of sorrow in his eyes. He didn't want to cause a rift between her and her family.
Emma reluctantly nodded. Killian looked even more downcast.
"I don't deserve you. You're too good for me and they know that."
"It's not that, at least not completely. In their eyes, I'm always wrong or too emotional or whatever they think I'm feeling. She thinks she knows what's best and everything she does is right." Emma frowned when she thought back at all those times her mother brushed her off or told her she was wrong and she never apologized or gave her a nod when Emma turned out to be right.
"They're looking out for you, love. Not many parents would want their daughters with pirates."
"As long as we are together, it doesn't matter what anyone thinks," Emma spoke from the heart. "They'll just have to accept it."
"I'd be very circumspect if they didn't have their reservations about me, love," Killian said with a realization. The reason he had turned pirate was because of a corrupt monarch that he and his brother once trusted. He had never trusted royalty since, the only exception being Emma. He only used them in the past for his own gain.
Here was a monarch that had every right to be cautious considering Killian's unsavory reputation, a reputation that he cultivated carefully to work for him and to safeguard his place in the world. He should be uneasy in their presence, but he has grown rather fond of Prince Neal and has a grudging respect for Emma's father, Charming. The irony of it all wasn't lost on Killian. He would have to learn to accept them as they had to accept him.
If they had been planning to assail him, they would have done it already and certainly wouldn't have wed their daughter to him. Here was a monarch that he could pledge his allegiance to. He just needed to prove that he was worthy. He would still be wary though. He spent too many years being distrustful and on his guard to stop now.
He would do it all for Emma, the only person he wanted to please. She needed to be with her family which was why he was going through the whole courtroom drama. He needed to be a free man with no charges leveled against him. He needed to put the chains of his past behind him and become a man of honor that Emma deserved.
The next day they were in the courtroom again. King George finally had his chance to testify against Captain Jones.
As the litany of choice insults, libels and slurs spewed forth from King George's lips, Killian couldn't help but roll his eyes at the angry king.
"…Captain Jones decimated my naval fleet. He has cost my kingdom a veritable fortune in outfitting my ships in defense of his pirating ways. He stole from me my most prized ship, the Jewel of the Realm which he renamed the Jolly Roger…"
He went on and on. His face turning a darker shade of red as he recounted each loss he received at the hands of Killian Jones. Finally he stopped and was cross examined by Killian's defense team.
"King George, how did you come to acquire the Jewel of the Realm, renamed the Jolly Roger?" the defense counsel asked of King George.
"The Jewel of the Realm was a gift from another kingdom," King George stated.
"Objection!" a man in royal robes with a turban stood up and yelled.
The courtroom started buzzing and the judge beat down his gavel and boomed, "Order in the court!"
Killian's counselor stood up and said, "Your honor, the ownership of the ship, the Jewel of the Realm, also known as the Jolly Roger, has come into question. If it turns out King George never owned the ship then the case against Captain Killian Jones is void."
"Counselors, please approach the bench," the judge ordered.
The counselors spoke in whispered tones to the judge. Killian knew who the man in royal robes was and nodded his head towards him. The man nodded his head in response.
The counselors returned to their seats.
Killian's counselor stood up and said, "The defense calls Prince Dakkar of Bundelkund to the stand."
The man in royal robes who had objected to King George's claim stood up and took his seat next to the judge.
"Prince Dakkar, have you heard of the ship, the Jewel of the Realm?" Killian's counselor asked.
"Yes, it is a ship made out of enchanted wood that belonged to me until King George stole it in a most heinous way," Prince Dakkar stated.
"Do you have proof that the Jewel of the Realm was your property?"
"Yes, I have certified documents, purchase orders from the Enchanted Forest that proves I bought the magic wood from there, the building plans by the architect, and receipts from the builders that this ship was commissioned to be built by me."
He withdrew the packet of paperwork which the judge examined. The seals and receipts all looked legitimate.
"And you say King George stole your vessel?"
"Yes, it was at his port when the captain whom I put in charge of the Jewel was poisoned along with some of his crew. The other surviving crew members were hunted by knights of his kingdom and finally made it back to me with their report. These are their signed written accounts," Prince Dakkar produced more paperwork in the form of letters from the sailors that were hunted by King George's knights. "It would have been more honorable had King George's fleet commandeered it on the high seas but that is not in King George's nature."
"So does the Jewel of the Realm belong to you?" Killian's counselor asked.
"No, it belongs to Captain Killian Jones," Prince Dakkar stated. The courtroom buzzed again at this turn of events. "Captain Jones brought the ship to me and worked out an agreement to keep the Jewel in exchange for payment. He paid for the ship and I granted him ownership."
Dakkar produced another set of parchments to show title of ownership transferred to Captain Killian Jones.
"No further questions, your honor."
It was King George's counselor to cross examine the prince.
"Do you know how Captain Jones paid you back?"
Prince Dakkar grinned. "He boarded ships from King George's kingdom and used the loot to pay for the Jewel of the Realm. I happily granted ownership especially when I made a substantial profit."
"So you knew that Captain Killian Jones committed acts of piracy?"
"With my hearty approval. It still never made up for the lives that King George took. He has yet to pay for his crimes."
"Thank you. That is all."
After a short break, the trial resumed. It was time for Killian to take the stand. Emma was so worried for him. King George's counselor fired question after question at him. Most of which he answered in the negative until it came to the acts of piracy against King George. The counselor named the ships, captains and dates of when Killian had stolen from them on the high seas. Killian proudly claimed to the acts of piracy against King George.
"So you did steal from King George's kingdom?"
"Aye," Killian answered. The courtroom buzzed again.
When Killian's counselor questioned him, they made sure to Killian repeated the story of how his brother Captain Liam Jones died. Emma's heart broke for him when he told the story of his brother dying knowing how much it hurt him to recall the story again. She listened to his voice break and shake as he retold the story. She wanted to get up from her chair and hold him, but she couldn't. He affirmed that he used the goods he pirated from King George's to pay for the Jolly Roger. It made her nervous that he confessed this.
When he walked off the stand, she reached her hand out to him when he returned to his chair. He squeezed it and smiled. There was still a note of sadness in his eyes, but it slowly receded as he met her concerned gaze.
"I'll be fine, love," he whispered to her.
The counselors made their final closing arguments.
It was time for the jury to go into deliberation. Court was adjourned for the day.
Dinner that day was very tense, the conversation was stilted. Emma and Killian turned in early, partly because they were worn out by stress and partly because Emma didn't want to have another unpleasant conversation with her mother.
When Emma and Killian went to bed, Emma whispered into Killian's ear, "Take me to that place where it is just you and me."
"As you wish, my love," Killian said as his lips swooped down to capture hers and he brought her body under his.
The maelstrom of sensations that he so easily evoked with his kisses made it easy to forget about the impending decision by the jury. Concerns became nonexistent with such pleasure clamoring for notice. His hands were stirring new fires wherever they roamed. And they roamed all over, teasing, thrilling, causing shivers of delight on her neck, across her breasts, down her belly to what had become the center of her universe, that place aching for his touch.
At the precise moment she knew she could not bear any more, she felt the thickness of his manhood thrusting into her depths, resulting in an explosion that nearly did her in. The pleasure continued with each additional thrust until he reached his own earth shattering climax. Even then the aftermath kept her spellbound and so sensually langorous, there was no thought but to savor every last sensation.
Killian was also savoring the memory, memorizing the feel of her against him, listening to her sighs and whimpers of pleasure. In case he was proclaimed guilty of his crimes and he would be locked up or worse, hanged, he would at least have this warm memory of their time together. He would at least be able to get some semblance of sleep while she was in his arms, warm and safe.
The next day they were awaiting the verdict but none had come. Their nerves were stretched throughout the whole day. The same thing happened the next day and the day after.
Emma tried to think of it as a good sign that the jury was incapable of reaching a unanimous decision, but eventually the judge would order them to reach their final pronouncement.
Finally they received word that they did and Killian & Emma boarded a carriage to the courthouse with her parents and brother following. Emma was shaking with anxiety when she sat down and waited for the decision.
After the preliminary announcements, one elected person of the jury read the list of charges.
After each charge, the juror replied, "the jury hereby proclaims the defendant, Captain Killian Jones, not guilty."
Until it came to the charge of piracy against King George's kingdom, "The jury hereby proclaims the defendant, Captain Killian Jones, guilty."
Emma felt as if her heart was struck in her chest.
