A/N: Thank you to ModulusOfElasticity for reviewing, your feedback was highly appreciated! I'm glad that you liked the little introduction to Alice/Porcelain's story and the adventures that await her ( in all their chaotic glory!) I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!
THE BEGINNING OF OUR TALE . . .
Episode Zero: Once Upon a Time . . .
alternatively . . . ❝MANY DECADES BEFORE THE DARK CURSE❞
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PRINCESS PORCELAIN; SEASON ONE
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A BABY SWADDLED in pale pink blankets, only hours old rests in King Edmund's arms. He gazes at the wrinkly thing with a fond expression although the baby is not his, he can not bring himself to hate the little thing. He knew since their marriage had been arranged that his wife, Queen Carolina, that she had never loved him but he never expected her to have an affair with a lowly pirate but here sat the lowly pirate in front of his throne and in his arms, King Edmund held the product of their affair.
"Please, your highness . . . I know, I — I have committed the worst crime imaginable but I — I beg of you . . . Please, do not harm the child." The pirate that calls himself, Killian Jones pleads, "I will do anything, I will answer for my crimes in anyway that you see fit just please . . . Please, not my baby, not my child."
"I will not harm the child." Edmund says, that thought never crossed his mind, not even once. Killian Jones breathes out, his body relaxing as he comes to gaze upon the swaddled baby in the king's grasp, he reaches out for the bundle and the guards surrounding the king surge forward but Edmund tells them to stand down.
"You have yet to see her, ( "Her?" ), yes . . . It's a girl, a little princess. Carolina has yet to hold her, refused to even look at her. Here, you may hold her." King Edmund says, holding the baby out for Killian to hold. Killian takes ahold of the baby without hesitation, he stares down at the little girl with the softest expression a pirate could have.
He holds the baby ever so delicately that for a moment, King Edmund forgets that Killian Jones is a rough and no good pirate. Killian Jones coos at the baby, holding her close to his chest "My little girl, oh I am so sorry for what I've done to you . . . I'm so sorry that you'll never know who I am because I'll be dead but I want you to know that I'd love you so, so much and you are worth so much more than all that gold I've stolen —"
"Take her." King Edmund says, "Carolina . . . She has proven in the past few months that she wants nothing to do with that child and you in the last few minutes have proven to me that you are a good soul. You may have done some terrible deeds in the past but I believe you can change, you will be good for this child as she will be good for you, Killian Jones, I am not going to punish you and I am not going to take your daughter from you. So, take her, give her a good life, Killian Jones."
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PRINCESS PORCELAIN; SEASON ONE
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SMEE STRUGGLES TO hold little Alice back as Milah and Killian enter the ship but he knows he must especially after seeing the frightened look on both their faces, the three year old swats at Smee's arm wanted to be let go so she can greet her parents "Mama! Papa!" Alice calls out giddily, trying to reach for them.
Killian looks up, his pained grimace turning into a dark, hardened look and Smee knows that means he has to bring Alice below deck, he starts to but Alice lets out a piercing shriek of "NO! NO! NO!" and the crew goes hauntingly silent, it takes Smee a moment to realise that it's because Milah and Killian are accompanied by the Dark One, who's attention is now on little Alice.
"Milah, what happened?" Thomas asks, coming to their captain's aid
"Fetch some water." Milah says.
"Get the Captain water!" Roman shouts to another crew member
"And get me that prisoner from below deck along with the booty he carried. Now!" Milah adds,
"Bring up the prisoner!" Roman shouts again.
"Well, well, seems like you finally found the family you could never have with me." The Dark One says tauntingly, keeping his beady little eyes trained on Alice.
Dustin comes up from up from below deck with the prisoner in tow, grumbling "All right, get your sorry arse up there."
Milah shows the Dark One the magic bean and he reaches for it but she tosses it to Killian.
"You asked to see it, and now you have." Killian says.
"Do we have a deal? Can we go our separate ways?" Milah queries, looking concerned as she stares down the Dark One.
"Do you mean, do I forgive you? Can I move on? Perhaps. Perhaps. I can see you are truly in love." The Dark One says dramatically.
"Thank you." Milah says softly, moving towards Killian.
Just one question." The Dark One says and for some reason, Smee's heart drops into his stomach, he holds little Alice close to him and even she must sense something is wrong because she had stopped shrieking for her parents.
"What do you want to know?"
"How could you leave Bae? Do you know what it was like walking home that night —?"
"Rumple —" Milah says softly, guilt clouding her features.
"— Knowing I had to tell our son —"
"Please."
"That his mother was dead?"
"I was wrong to lie to you. I was the coward. I knew that." Milah says timidly, there's sorrow in her voice as she genuinely regrets leaving her son behind like that.
"You left him! You abandoned him!" The Dark One says angrily, pointing at her.
"And there's not a day that goes by that I don't feel sorry for that." Milah says, raising her voice as she steps forward.
"Sorry isn't enough!" The Dark One say angrily then he pauses and in a much calmer voice he says: "You let him go."
"I let my misery cloud my judgment." Milah admits solemnly.
"Why were you so miserable?" The Dark One questions.
"Because I never loved you." Milah says firmly as she glares at the Dark One, and in one sudden movement, he sticks his hand into her chest to pull her heart out.
"Milah! No!" Killian shouts, he tries to stop him but the Dark One flings him against the mast with his magic, Killian frees himself in time to catch Milah as she falls down. Milah reaches up to touch Killian's face, tenderly.
"I love you." Milah says weakly just as the Dark One crushes her heart into dust and she dies.
"No. You may be more powerful now, demon, but you're no less a coward." Killian mumbles, not looking away from Milah's limp body.
"I'll have what I came for now."
"You'll have to kill me first!" Killian snarls, getting up to fight the Dark One.
"Ah-ah! I'm afraid that's not in the cards for you, sonny boy." The Dark One says condescendingly as he uses Killian's own sword to cut off his left hand and Killian falls to the ground in pain.
"I want you alive because I want you to suffer like I did." The Dark One says, he snaps his fingers and Alice disappears right out of Smee's tight grasp and reappears in the Dark One's hold. Killian falters in his act of attacking the Dark One with a hook, "I will take everything away from you like you did to me."
Immediately, Killian falters and he hold out his unharmed hand "No, please, not her . . . Not my daughter, here! The bean take it, I don't care just don't hurt my daughter."
The Dark One thinks for a moment, he loosen his grip on Alice and reaches out for the bean. Quick as lightning, he grabs it from Killian.
"Give me my daughter, give her to me now!" Killian snarls but The Dark One doesn't move a muscle, there's a moment of silence where everyone holds their breath and nobody moves a muscle afraid of what the Dark One might do to the Captain's beloved daughter.
And then the Dark One grins maliciously at "Uh, uh, uh, Sonny Boy, you should've made a deal first and then he disappears with Alice in a cloud purple smoke.
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PRINCESS PORCELAIN; SEASON ONE
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AUTHOR'S NOTE
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I wrote this prologue in like two hours and it actually turned out good! I'm so excited to finally be bringing Porcelain's story back, I first came up with her back when I was around eleven, the second season of OUAT wasn't even out yet and I started her story at the HEIGHT of my Marianas Trench obsession so it was really cringey and I romanticised things that I shouldn't have ( I ain't doing that now because GROWTH, I know better now! ) and I tried to make Baelfire into Matt Webb,,, yeah I was THAT lame but like nobody knew who Baelfire was going be yet so I saw my chance and I took it baby! Don't worry I won't do that now! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the prologue, thanks for reading! Please let me know what you thought of it!