Emma didn't know where they got the cloth or how, but two days later, she got up to find a white wedding dress waiting for her. It was a perfect fit. Emma was curious at how someone got her measurements right. No one admitted to making the dress though, Emma wondered if maybe it was a gift from Rumpelstiltskin. It was made of silk and lace and when Emma looked closely, she saw that small pearls were scattered throughout the dress.
Baelfire had agreed to a quick marriage, it wasn't like he'd ever be able to see a big royal one for himself.
But he refused at having a child; he didn't want the child born in the middle of war like he had been….and Emma didn't fight it. She didn't want to conceive until the war was done either. People might not fight as hard if she wasn't carrying an heir, Emma didn't know. But maybe they would fight for that hope that Emma and Baelfire were planning a future together.
She stood still as her mother and godmother pulled the dress on over her and threw her unruly hair over her shoulder to attend with later. Emma stared at the cracked mirror that had been a gift from one of the farmers nearby.
She was about to be married. She wasn't a little lost princess anymore. She wasn't a child, she was a woman…
A woman about to be married.
Emma wasn't scared like some brides on their wedding day would be. She was excited, she wanted to marry Baelfire. Emma didn't know what she would've done if her parents were like other parents and put her in an arranged marriage. She couldn't imagine being bound to someone she didn't love.
She was happy. But that didn't mean she wasn't nervous.
"What's it like?" Emma shifted, earning her mother's look as her mother tried to pin her dress in place, "Wedding nights and the like."
Her mother went bright red in the face, "It's….um…"
"It'll probably take some getting used to," Red told her simply, "Sometime there's pain with the pleasure. Especially for those inexperienced-."
"He's had three wives and 24 children in his life," Emma looked at her godmother, "I think he knows how it's done by now."
"Well if he doesn't have the deflowering process down by now, there's no hope for him."
Snow turned, "Red!"
Red shrugged, "Three wives; if he doesn't know how to be gentle to a wife their first night together then he's a brute or an idiot and I don't think he's either. Emma, you'll be fine. Well, if he's not scared of Emma's father."
"David hasn't even processed that Emma's about to be bedded; he's still working toward the fact that his little girl is getting married."
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Emma's father seemed to have realized that his daughter WAS about to be wedded and bedded because he was shooting deadly glares at Baelfire when they climbed up on deck. Red held onto Emma's train. Her mother helped her up the steep stairs.
Charming was by her side in an instant, "You look beautiful."
"Thank you, papa."
"If he hurts you….while you're with him or when you're alone with him on that mountain-."
"Papa."
"You'll always be welcome home," he whispered, "No matter what."
Emma kissed his cheek, "I love you, papa."
He hugged her tightly and presented her hand to Baelfire. His gave Baelfire a glare that told him all sorts of things that he could do to the now mortal son of the Dark One.
Killian made a gesture for Charming to step back and stand with Snow and opened his book. "My friends, we are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of committed marital love, and to add our best wishes to the words which shall unite Baelfire and Queen Emma in marriage."
Emma fought to not roll her eyes. He was reading straight from the book and he was hamming it up for all it was worth. He had made it very clear what he thought about marriage and its sanctity, he still happily flirted with her mother and any married woman he thought was attractive.
"The commitment that the two of you are about to make is the most important commitment that two people can make, you are about to create something new, the marriage relationship, an entity that never ends. As you stand here today, are you now prepared to begin this commitment to one another? Have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?"
Baelfire just stared, "Well, yeah. That's why we're here."
Killian narrowed his eyes, ", I would ask that you both remember to treat yourself and each other with dignity and respect; to remind yourself often of what brought you together today. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your marriage deserves. When frustration and difficulty assail your marriage – which will most likely happen stuck up on a mountain with nothing but the Dark One for company - focus on what still seems right between you, not only the part that seems wrong. This way, when clouds of trouble hide the sun in your lives and you lose sight of it for a moment, you can remember that the sun is still there. And if each of you will take responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight."
Yeah, he was really running with this.
"Baelfire, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife?"
"I will," he promised and gave Emma such a smile that her heart fluttered.
"Will you love and comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?"
"Of course I will."
Emma smiled and tightened her grip on his hand.
"Queen Emma, will you have this man to be your wedded husband?"
"I will," she promised.
"Will you love and comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," she promised.
"We will now exchange rings,"
Baelfire brought out the plain simple band for Emma. It'd been what she requested. A small simple band like his. Baelfire had protested, eh thought that since she was a queen and he was the son of the dark one, she should have a beautiful magnificent ring. But Emma refused, not while her people lived like this. Not while the food supplies were starting to run low and money was growing short.
Emma placed the ring that she carried on Baelfire's left hand. Baelfire took her hand and did the same. Emma closed her eyes and smiled at the feel of his hands touching hers. The band was cool against her finger but it felt like the weight of the world.
"By the power invested in me by owning a ship, I now pronounce you man and wife; you may now kiss your bride."
Baelfire cupped her face lovingly and kissed her. Emma grabbed him by his coat lapels and pulled him closer.
"Awful eager, that one," Hook muttered.
"Shut up, pirate," Charming said, "She's not that eager."
Charming turned and Killian wordlessly mimicked Charming's words behind his back before smiling at the crowd gathered on land to watch the wedding, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you; King Baelfire and Queen Emma."
"King?" Baelfire turned, "I'm not a-."
"Yes you are," Emma pulled him closer to her.
"But I thought that no one wanted the son of the Dark One on the throne."
"Everyone wanted me as Queen," Emma told him, "I wanted you as king, so what I say goes."
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"I just don't see why we can't spend the night in one of the rooms."
Emma stopped right outside the door to the captain's cabin and smiled as Baelfire wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the tip of her ear, "I'm not going to have my virtue taken in an inn. There's something unbecoming about that. Now a ship…now we're talking."
"I guess we'll have plenty of time to make love in a bed."
"Hm," Emma turned the key and opened the door, "And if we were in the room together, I think people would be coming up to tell us about their problems."
"I Hope not."
"Well it's what always happens when the civilians are here," she closed the door and locked it, "They think by telling me about their families and crops, I can do something but I can't. As unfortunate as it is, I have more important things to focus on."
"Like tonight."
"Like tonight," Emma wrapped her arms around him. HE gave her the happiest smile she'd ever seen him have.
"Married," he whispered, "I didn't think it'd happen again."
"Well aren't you glad it happened with me?" she teased.
"Yeah well," he playfully looked at the bed, "We'll see."
"Hey, I think I'm the one that has to be impressed, I'm the one that's the queen by birth."
Baelfire raised his eyebrows, "OH, is that how it's going to be?"
"I should think so."
"Huh," he tugged her hair and then grew serious, "You're alright with this?"
"I should think so, I've been looking to bed you since we first kissed," she teased.
He intertwined his fingers with hers, "I'll do my best to be good to you…gentle and everything."
"And I promise not to wear you out," Emma teased and put her hand against his face.
She was a married woman now…standing across from her husband.
There was fresh fruit on the desk. Some of the farmers had brought food and so did some of the scouts. They put together a banquet afterwards; Emma had graciously accepted the gifts and congratulations next to her husband.
Emma had worn a light blue dress after the wedding and gently she untied the laces and let it fall at her feet. Baelfire's eyes widened for a second and he shifted awkwardly, "You look beautiful."
Emma held her hand out, "Come here."
She helped him pull his shirt off and she ran her hand down his chest. He wasn't a large man; he wasn't incredibly tall or covered in muscles like Jefferson was (She snuck a peek when he was sparring shirtless outside once), but he was strong. His shoulders were sturdy and he still had muscles.
Emma sat on the bed and pulled him closer by his belt. Both her hands went to the buckle and she felt him gently taking down the pins holding her hair in place. Her long hair tumbled down her back in curls. Emma closed her eyes as he threaded his fingers through her hair.
"Come on," she yanked his pants from his hips, "WE don't have all the time in the world."
"And I was hoping to read you my poetry."
Emma rolled her eyes, "I've heard your poetry, and I'd rather be impressed by something else."
She pulled him on the bed with her.
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"Are you okay?"
Emma smiled in the lantern light as she and Baelfire lay on the cramped bed and stared at each other. He brushed her hair away from her face and stared at her in a way that she had never seen anyone stare at her before, "Yeah."
"I didn't hurt you?"
She shook her head. There had been a few…startling uncomfortable moments that had bordered on painful but he'd been incredibly gentle to her their first time together.
"You didn't hurt me."
He looked relieved, "You'll be sore in the morning."
"Probably," Emma ran her hands over the many scars on his torso that she'd kissed tonight, "Nothing I can't handle."
He gave her a passionate kiss and covered her up with the blanket, "Do you need anything?"
"No."
"I'm going to get something to eat," he gave her another playful kiss, "Don't go anywhere."
"Okay."
"Okay."
"But hurry back, I'm hardly done with you yet."
He took her hand and kissed the back of it, "As you wish, your majesty."
"You don't have to call me that," Emma buried herself in the covers, "you're king now too."
"Yeah, we should really sit down and talk about that," he looked at his beautiful wife dropping off to sleep. A king. Gods, he wasn't even sure how he should feel about that. He never thought that would ever come to happen."
"Later," Emma closed her eyes in exhaustion, "When we've worn each other out. I'm not done with you yet, husband."
He gave her a small fond smile and popped a grape in his mouth. She was exhausted, more people had gathered around her than him, and that took a toll on her.
Well nothing about running a kingdom or the war. Not tonight or tomorrow morning. They were going to be…normal. Not rightful King and Queen, not war comrades, just a husband and wife."
A piece of paper caught his eye; its corner was sticking out of the desk. He reached over and opened it, intent on tucking it in securely.
And then he froze when he saw that the paper with its corner was sticking out was a drawing of his mother.