"I'll never forgive you..Never. Ever."
"Emma, please."
Emma shook her head with her eyes remained closed. "I'll never forgive you. Never. Ever."
Cold and naked, Emma sits curled up on the far side of the bed. Her pale legs are folded close to her chest, embraced by her arms. Graham stands beside her, despite her desperation to keep distance from him. One of his hands reached out to her head, stroking down her long brown hair.
"You are still of great importance to me, Emma – with magic or not. This is not the end."
She squeezed her eyes tighter until tears fell down her cheeks. A lump grew in her throat that was hard to swallow. Before she could scream out the loudest cry, she buried her face on her knees.
All Graham could do was watch his woman cry of deep sadness he was responsible for. He stepped aback from her but his eyes remained to watch her weep.
"You can hate what I have done. But you will always return to me, Emma. This changes nothing."
~ Two different servants looked after the room and took care of Emma. Graham made this arrangement to reduce any suspicion of why Emma's hair instantly turned brown. Both women are mute and their ages are near the middle of the century. By seeing the sight of the room and a distressed young woman, they instantly knew of what had occurred the other night.
One servant began to remove the sheets from the bed as the other covered Emma's nakedness with a clean towel and helped her to stand. At this point, Emma too remained quiet as the servant helped her into a warm scented bath to wash all the evidence of what Graham had done tirelessly last night.
The bed was made with freshly cleaned sheets by the time Emma was finished with her bath. She wanted so badly to sit in the water longer. She still felt unclean and dirty. But the servants urged her to rise for her to change into proper attire.
As they dressed her in front of a large tall mirror, Emma's focus from her reflection only went to her hair. She grew so used to seeing her hair in its natural blonde. Looking at the woman in front of her now, there stood a stranger with long curls of brown that will take time to feel familiar.
She ran a hand through her new locks of hair. All was touched by the color of brown except a small strand of hair on her right side.
One of the women took her hand away from her hair. Emma looked at her by surprise. She watched her open her hand and lay the bottle of sedative Rodger had given her onto her palm. The woman closed her fingers and lowered her gaze a slight to get Emma's attention.
Emma raised her eyes to the woman. A sense of hope shook her as the woman gave her a simple nod, despite not having a voice, the nod was enough for her to read the determination behind those eyes.
Again Emma returned to examine herself in the mirror with the bottle clenched in her hand. The other woman stepped behind Emma, and lowered Emma's pearl necklace over her head down to her neck.
She is aware the woman she sees before her eyes was completely different – close to a stranger. With familiar things dear to her, she is reminded herself as the true Emma that was she before she was brought here.
She hid the vial deep into her bosom. And returned her gaze back to her reflection.
"It's not over."
~ By the time the two women took their exit, Emma also followed them out the door. As she expected, the deaf guard forced her to pause by a gesture of his hand. She paused on her tracks and lifted her head bravely to look up to his eyes. The look of her eyes reads the exhaustion from the dark colors underneath and the remaining pain despite her attempting to hold strong.
Emma took a deep breath and let it out slowly while still holding his gaze. "I'm going out. I know you cannot hear me, but you can understand me. I'm not asking anyone for a request or orders. I wish to be outside and breathe the air that what is left so little in that damn room. You can tell Graham if you want. I don't care. I. Am. Going. Out."
The deaf guard slowly lowered his hand. To test to see if he will stop her, she walked forward and found that he did not stop her, instead followed her from behind.
~ Emma reached outside the castle. But she was not alone with her guard. A large group of soldiers are in training dressed outside of their armed uniforms. A few knights are in combat practice with steel swords while their squires stood aside polishing their armor for the next battle.
It did not take too long for her to draw attention to the men. Many of the soldiers stared at Emma with desiring eyes. However, they did not call out for her attention or approached her, they all knew who she was and who she belonged to. The squire boys were the only ones who did not know of Emma's status. Out of everyone, they made it more obvious of taking interest in her.
Emma walked quickly away from the soldiers until she reached the spot where she came to the last time Graham let her out. The castle is caged with tall steel gates and each four corners lies tall towers where trained archers stand watch day to night. The one area where nobody uses for training or parking their horses is a small spot where she can see her room from the outside. There is a small field of grass and a tall tree that blocks most of the hot sunshine away when she is in her room.
By the sight of that fresh grass, Emma did not walk, instead she lifted handfuls of the skirt of her dress and ran to it. The deaf guard always kept his distance from Emma but this was the first time he gave her more of a distance than normal. His feet did not reach the grass. He turned his back away from Emma; planted his two feet on the soot of the ground and kept watch.
For a moment, Emma took attention to the guard. She was surprised by his actions of giving her the appropriate space, and even going as far to trust her. She was unsure of why he was like this. Perhaps, even though he could not hear what happened the other night, he still knows.
"Looks like my warning was not enough for you, now was it, deary?"
The voice was instantly familiar. Emma turned her heels to see Rumplestilsken sitting playfully on the trunk of the tree. She opened her lips to speak but he laid a finger over his lips to silence her.
"Do not speak. I cast a spell for nobody except you to be able to see and hear me. So to others, you look as if you are speaking to a tree – for once more mad looking than I. Compared to how they treat you now, the way they treat the mad is far worse."
He leaped off the tree and perfectly landed on his feet. He laid one of his hand on her back and have her back turned.
"That is better." He lowered his hand. "Facing away from them will do good. Now. You may speak."
"I can't stand that monster. I lost it all. I lost my gift…except this."
She dug her hand in her hair and presented her single braid on her hand. Rumplestilsken smiled at the sight of her hair.
"Well, aren't you lucky, little princess. Even now, there is some luck left in you, indeed. I have been holding my anger till now, but you have broken it."
"Why were you angry?"
In a quick movement, he faced her and grabbed hold of her shoulders. She winced from his touch. His hands touched the bruises Graham gave her the other night. He ignored the way she winced and looked deeply into her eyes.
"Listen very carefully. If it wasn't for that small strand of magic you have left, it means Pan has not won completely. At least, just not yet."
"You're confusing me."
"I mean by all sincerity to seal your lips until I am finished because what Pan is planning is dire."
Emma sealed her lips and simply nodded.
"After last night, the power you once had since birth belongs to Pan. He has the power to heal and maintain his youth forever. He no longer has to remain in Neverland to achieve that. You may think Pan simply flies up in air and lives an immortal life, but he is far more powerful that he had never shown you. With your magic, he can heal Neverland completely and seek out all magic that he can get his hands on. That puts me in danger. That puts anybody with magic in danger."
This time, Emma shared the relief Rumplestilsken feels now.
"B-But you said it's not too late. I have many questions but I get the main point - we're fucked."
He nodded. "That is the simplest way to put it."
"You told me before what I had to do. I have to bring back somebody I love back to life. I..I don't remember my past but there is only one person I have ever loved for the first time and that is Killian. But I'm trying to figure out if it is love…or if I just care about him. I really don't know very much, let alone why I feel the way I do."
"This is not the time to pluck petals of daises and wonder if he loves me or if he loves me not. You have to give it a shot anyhow, at all cost. And I will make sure of it."
Panic returned to Emma instantly. This time, her hands were around Rumpltestilsten.
"What do you mean by that? Listen, I don't want any harm to anybody, let alone, have Pan ruin others' lives. But I will not allow you to touch Killian. Over my dead body."
"Without my help, you ought to be dead sooner than you think. But do not worry, I do not have to do anything to your loverboy when that monster who took you in his bed can do it for me."
Emma released him. "Killian won't come back for awhile. He's too far away, whether he knows what's going on in this village or not, it'll take him weeks."
"It doesn't have to be weeks when it can be minutes instead. I will personally bring your lover, along with his ship here. It won't be long until he will be attacked and taken to jail. By then, do everything you can to turn the heart of the sheriff. Lie to him, deceive him by softening your heart until you can convince him to visit Killian."
"Why should I do that? What if I get caught?"
"That is the point. You must get caught of the relationship you both share. It will only speed the process for Killian to get killed by your beloved monster. I will be certain to take care of the disposal of his body. You can rescue him then. Until then, we will see if he is your true love or not."
She shook her head. "N-No, knowing Graham he will probably skin the man alive, burn him o-or, shit, I don't know, do something much much worse."
The thought of Killian getting killed brought chills to Emma's body. She already witnessed having him whipped by her own hands, and see the torment in his eyes when he was left helpless while thinking of his brother who was left to rot, and hearing his soldiers get killed one by one by a group of little boys. But at least then, she had her powers to heal him, compared to now she is uncertain if the little power she has left is enough to heal a person to escape death.
"…Isn't there another way to stop Pan?"
"Yes. There is another way. But do not consider it, princess."
Her eyes held his gaze at this moment. "Tell me anyway. I need to know. I don't want Killian to die, Stilsken."
"You have to die."
Her knees felt weak. She almost fell down to her knees but she held tight to Rumplestilsken's arms. The smile vanished from Rumplestilsken's lips. His arms gently wrapped around her waist to help her stand steady. Being a parent, he could strongly sense the shock and pain from Emma by the sight of her.
"Now now. It is out of the question. By ending your life, it will only take away your powers from Pan, but the other powers he possesses will remain with him. He will still be capable to harm others. The cost of your suicide will be worthless. And you may not know it now, but you are much valuable than you think."
"What the hell is this spell he cast on me? I'm so confused. What are the rules that I'm breaking, really, that put me here?"
"The spell is a bit complicated to understand at first. He shot the spell straight to your heart, so your feelings to a mate you dedicate to is very essential. The same reason he shot an arrow to the Wolf's. The more you break the trust and loyalty you made to your first true love, the more your gift will instantly disappear."
"…This was his plan all along...Throwing me out wasn't good enough. He had to get this far with me."
"Regardless, Emma, we must get through with the plan. Not just for your sake, but for all of us. I do not plan on getting burned from existence."
~ Word traveled fast of Emma's unknown existence in the castle to Graham. Despite Emma's guard allowing her to break the rules, he had her brought back to her room before Graham joined them.
Emma never was given opportunity nor any reason to determine how she felt toward her nameless deaf guard, other than resentment that he was just one of Graham's obedient minions. The minute Graham opened the door, the door remained open long enough for her to see her guard get dragged away by two other men. Immediately, she sensed great guilt for being responsible for whatever punishment awaits him.
Graham's eyes passionately gazed at her. They were filled with alarming anger. Slowly he shut the door without needing to turn around. Emma sat herself down on the bed and lowered her eyes to her hands that rested on top of her lap.
She watched the shadow of his feet coming closer to her presence. By only a few inches away from her, his feet planted still on the floor. His hands reached for her shoulders. At first, he gently stroked from the crook of her neck to her shoulders until the gentleness was immediately replaced with aggression. He firmly gripped tightly to each of her shoulders. This did not register any reaction from her. She remained emotionless and cool.
"I do not give chances to anybody. You are the first I have been generous to. But it can change for you to be the last person I will ever do that to, here from now."
She remained quiet.
"Your disobedience costs deep consequences to those who allow you to succeed in your misbehavior. Expect a different guard who will keep watch outside our door. You have proven to me I have no further use for a man with no hearing."
Hearing this, Emma desired to speak, to protest against the thought of removing her original guard from his position, or worst of all, beg Graham not to kill him. But learning of Graham's character, he is not one who changes his mind so easily. Her begging might only encourage him to go further with his decision. She could only hope there will be some miraculous way he will be spared.
His hands moved to the top of her head. With one hand, he grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her head back for her to look up to his face. She did so. He tightened his hold and yanked her head back once more. But even that failed to register any reaction out of her.
"Has my kiss taken your tongue as well, Emma? Knowing you, I am rather surprised you say little after what you have caused to your guard. Shall I make orders for your maidservants to follow his same fate."
"I simply went for a walk outside where any of your men would have taken me back here if I tried to leave. To me, I don't understand why you have to keep me here at all times. Birds can die if you just leave them in their cage. What you give between the bars is never going to be enough to have the bird live the way you want to."
"Birds can be trained to abide by the master. I am deeply disappointed you continue to reject my generosity. Are you awfully curious about what it is like to be in a dungeon? Your friend is already on his way there. I will not reject the idea for you two to spend more time together."
A pounding knock started at the door. Graham growled from the interruption and released Emma's hair instantly.
"What is it now?!" He shouted.
"Sir, the captain is here for you!" The soldier shouted.
Emma recognized the voice. It was Rodger.
So, Rodger is my replacement?
Graham's eyes returned to look down on me. "Send him back! I am in no need of him!"
From the other side of the door, both of them can hear Peter is upset of this news. A loud thump started from the door. Graham turned his heels when he heard a falling of a body and a loud groan from outside the room. The door burst open and Peter marched toward Graham who is far angrier than before.
Peter breathlessly fell to one knee and bowed his head low to Graham.
"Forgive me, sire. But this cannot be – "
"Raise your head." Graham cut his words short.
Peter raised his head and met by an unexpected blow to the cheek. The blow was so harsh he was pushed aside to the other room. Emma watched him quickly get himself back in the same position as before. She felt a sense of satisfaction to see this man she can label as one of the rudest man she had ever came across without a second thought.
"I am no longer your sheriff. I am your General. You are in no position to go against my words."
"There is urgent news, sire. If it takes thousands of blows for you to listen to me, I shall receive them."
"What is this bloody news then?"
Peter's eyes lowered to the ground. Emma can see his hands clench into fists. But they both know there is nothing both of them can do except endure Graham's wrath.
"A round of pirates were discovered. Our men found stolen goods on their ship. I believe they are the same thieves who have stolen from the Four Brothers of Henderson."
Emma immediately rose to her feet. The news almost broke her composure, but a thought came to her mind to stop herself.
Killian is back..already? Damn you, Stilsken.
"That is all you wanted to tell me? I don't see how this is in any way urgent. Your performance today is astoundingly disappointing to me."
"That is not all. There is a witness who claims she has witnessed an act of magic."
Both Emma and Graham both reacted in surprise of the news.
"These pirates did not arrive by natural causes. They appeared within thin air. There is someone on that boat that has committed an act of some powerful magic. We are in need of you to put this to an end."
