A/N: For some reason, I spent an hour on a guest list. I married off people in the same generation as Snow, gave them babies, and hunted down names until I had a total of 30ish baby boy names fit for the Enchanted Forest. I now feel silly having done that...
~Available Sons~
Then began the show, as Emma called it. Regina went around to be with her son, coming in as if she had arrived in a carriage. "That's just how things are done." it was her mother's voice, the same line she had been told time and again at her protests.
Snow and David had been the first to enter the ballroom, taking their seats at the elevated thrones. They sat, listening and nodding to each as guests were let in with their introductions. When everyone had been introduced, Snow made a barely unintelligible speech about their daughter, and her new friend, causing Belle to smile sheepishly. They only got their information from a maid who was bent over the keyhole, trying to listen.
"These blasted doors are too thick, I can't hear anything!" Emma grumbled from her spot.
"Are they going to announce me, as well? I'm really coming out with you?"
"I believe they might."
And they did. Emma had to admit, seeing the joy on Belle's face was well worth whatever she had to go through tonight. It was nice to finally have a friend close enough to her own age. Emma, naturally, had to be the last to enter the ballroom. Knowing no names, few faces, and even less about dancing as she never allowed lessons unless with her father. Except a few times in her youth when Pinnochio had persuaded her to dance with him.
Her mind drifted off to a Pirate at a ball. What a humorous thing. Being available, he was counted among the men she would dance with. She stifled a groan at the thought, trying to remember the happiness on Belle's face, trying to make this night about someone other than herself.
Blue appeared in full size, right in time to scold her. "Thrilled at the prospect of meeting your match I see."
"Apologies, Blue. I don't mean to seem ungrateful."
"What would you rather be doing?" Almost anything. Most likely, riding her horse. Perhaps a long, hot bath. Reading a story. Reading a story in a long, hot bath. She kicked herself for not asking Belle about the book. "Too many options?" Blue gave her a knowing smile and pulled her into a hug.
"I suppose there are worse things than meeting 30 mostly handsome men my age."
"You haven't seen them, I take it. I believe I saw one, maybe two, questionable men, the rest just might haunt my dreams... in the best ways."
"Blue!" Emma laughed.
"Princess, it's almost time." Spoke the maid at the doors.
"I have a gift for you, Emma." Blue smiled coyly. "One I cannot wrap."
"I'm intrigued."
"I can make it so you will know your true love."
"How?"
"They're starting to announce you! Ten seconds!"
Blue whispered in her ear, waved her wand, and with a wink she disappeared.
"Princess Emma Swan!"
The doors opened onto the balcony, and Emma emerged to a crowd below, clapping in her honor. She was watching the red butterfly carefully, realizing it matched her dress perfectly. She minded her steps, smiling sweetly to the crowd. She was only mildly curious to see who it would land on. Maybe a little more than mildly.
The butterfly did not go straight to her true love as she had hoped, it fluttered a few yards in front of her as if it were waiting for her to catch up.
Emma waved properly for an appropriate amount of time before gripping the banister, making her way slowly as she was instructed. It all felt like an elaborate ploy. She felt like she was deceiving these men, their parents.
The first two available men she saw were the twins Godric and Giles, sons of Ella and Thomas. They were both fair haired, though one had a darker complexion. The butterfly did not land on either. The next available man she recognized was Cassian, second child of Philip and Aurora. Still, the butterfly did not stop.
Next was Roland, eyes much larger than they ought to be. Though she found him handsome, and interesting in his own way, she was glad the butterfly did not stop. Neither did it stop for the men she found herself most attracted to Scott, son of Merida and Thor, and Jorie, son of Lancelot and Mulan.
The last man she hoped for was Joaquin, son of Zorro & Elena, though knowing his father gave her pause. But he was the kind of man that had trouble in his eyes, and she knew adventure was in his future. She was only slightly disappointed when the butterfly didn't land on him either.
Her first dance was, of course, with her father, the King. It was neither lively, nor slow. A beautiful classic dance. A dance to symbolise the exchange from father to potential spouse.
"Smile genuinely and be kind to them." The King said. "Because whoever you choose tonight will court you, and then they will have to answer to me."
She laughed before that thought hit her. "Surely they don't all want to court me?"
"Why else would they be here?"
"Because they were invited?"
He chuckled. "No, Emma. It's an unspoken rule. Any available son who is invited is given a choice to come for the possibility of a courtship. But if they arrive and decide not to dance with you, it's like saying 'no thank you' or 'I'm just here for the wine'. But if they do dance with you, they're asking for permission from you to court them, since they already have mine through the invitation. Or Snow's permission," he sighed. "Through a verbal invitation."
"What if he's already married?"
"Like Pinnochio? He's here to show you support."
"Why has no one told me this?"
"We tried, you wouldn't listen."
She nodded, lips pressed together. "Yeah, that sounds like me."
All too soon, the dance with her father was over. As he moved to dance with Snow, he was immediately replaced by one available son after another. They started to dance with her by either waiting patiently for their turn, or cutting in to the turn before them. Either way, they had perfect timing, switching seamlessly as if they knew in what order to go in. She was reminded of a windup music box, where every man she danced with was just another gear playing its role.
She caught a glimpse of a man in the shadows, and she knew instantly that it was the Pirate Jones. Several other couples were joining together on the dance floor, and she was happy to see Belle had already been asked to the floor.
She saw her mother's disapproving look at her distraction, and she snapped her focus back to the man she was with, Joquin, her third dance not including her father. Her first two being Scott, and Cassian. Her next potential dance was Ben, who had an odd shaped nose. She didn't catch who his parents were. She was thinking of Blue's comment of one or two men not on par with the others' appearance. But appearance isn't everything. His personality just felt darker than she liked, and there wasn't enough of it for her to remember.
Names and faces started to blur with the twirls of the dances. Godric, Giles, Roland, Ajay, Hansel, Aidan, Blake, Marcus, Hugh, Flynt, the bastard son of a man named Blackbeard. Flynt was a welcome change from the perfect gentleman she had previously danced with. He turned out to be shy, only coming because his father had stolen an invite and forced him to. There was something very endearing about him. Perhaps because he was a pirate, so unlike the one she already knew.
Her next dance was with Chio. She was grateful for the break in suiters. She relaxed her dance, feeling more comfortable with her old friend.
"Thank you!"
"For what?"
"Saving me, even just for a moment, from another suitor."
"They can't all be that bad."
"They aren't, but this whole thing is ridiculous. Chio, how am I supposed to choose a partner for life from a few seconds of one dance out of dozens of men?"
"Perhaps by following Blue's butterfly?"
"How did you-"
"I pay attention to detail, young Swan." He gave her hand a squeeze. "But really, a dance can tell you a lot about a person. When it's the right person, things just click. They sizzle. You can feel it."
"Like bacon?"
He stifled a laugh. "You did not just compare your suitors to fried pig."
"I absolutely did."
She was sad when the dance with her friend was cut short by a cut in. Illogically mad at him, she was thankful the butterfly did not stop for Jed. Then her mind went blank as more names and faces were introduced. Jarvis, Ving, Conrad, Altair, Gideon, Warin, Adrian, Cary, Delbin, Gervase, Jesse, leaving only a handful of men patiently waiting their turn. Someone in that group had stepped on her toe, and someone else had managed to pinch her arm somehow. After Jesse, someone cut in, surprising her with the electricity in his touch.
"Captain!"
"Miss me?"
She rolled her eyes. "I saw you this morning."
"Aye, it's been too long."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night."
"Knowing you missed me this day does indeed help, thank you." He grinned and she wished it wasn't so damn charming.
Her eyes caught movement, and she realized the butterfly had stopped. Hook caught her gaze, glancing down to see where her eyes were leading
"Peculiar butterfly…" He muttered. "This thing has been circling you all night, love. I think you may have a stalker."
"You've been watching me all night? Who's the stalker?"
His eyebrow rose in a question as his face remained serious. "I've only watched enough to notice that you dance your best with people you're comfortable with." He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Like me."
"Cocky bastard." She muttered under her breath.
"Oh, I do love it when you're less than proper."
She tried looking anywhere else, glancing around at the crowd. She spotted Chio, who was arm in arm with his husband. And he was grinning at her. He raised a glass in her direction with a slight nod.
When she finally made eye contact with the pirate again, her breath hitched. She could see him, really see him, through the doors to his soul. What she found wasn't scary, it was warm, inviting, comfortable.
She felt like they were moving through time as it stood still. The electricity from his touch spread throughout her body. They were moving as they had been with the swords. Effortless. Sensing each other's movements.
"You simply must tell me where you've learned your vocabulary."
"Well, there is this one pirate who just won't leave me alone."
"You dare insinuate that I would mutter such words in your presence!" He mocked anger. "I am always-"
"A devilishly handsome gentleman?"
He grinned. "Oh, why thank you. I do enjoy having heard you admit to it."
She looked around the room again. "But with so many handsome men here, how am I to choose just one?"
He shrugged. "You could always have a harem."
She scoffed. "Seriously? What am I going to do with a harem?"
His grin widened. "Well, if you need pointers-"
"Let me know if you plan on being helpful anytime soon."
"Aren't I always?"
She groaned. "I can't believe this is how my parents expect me to choose a husband."
"Well, they are allowing you to choose. Most royal children don't get that privilege."
"Most royal children aren't the product of true love."
"True-" He looked over at her parents, grinning at each other, still dancing together. "Well, that's interesting."
"I wonder which lucky man will take my next dance."
"That would be… Jeremy, I believe. A firstborn prince. Son of Ariel and Eric."
She cocked her head at him. "What did you do? Memorize the guest list? And how could you know-"
He twirled her, cutting her off, and bringing her back to him a little too hard, making her stand much closer to him than before. His hand landed on the small of her back. "I merely listened when they were introduced."
"And you remember everyone?"
"Mostly. You can't be surprised."
She glanced at the butterfly, now on his chest, then finally made eye contact. "Surprised? No. I don't believe I am."
She saw the curiosity in his eyes, his mouth opening as if he were about to say something. If he had been, it was cut short when the song ended, ending his turn with it. That didn't stop him from dipping her, and she was grateful he hadn't let her fall, though it occurred to her that she never doubted he would catch her.
Killian effortlessly brought her back up before bowing, her hand in his. Never once losing eye contact, he kissed her fingers gingerly. He stood, backing away slowly as the next man arrived. He had been right, it was Jeremy. She glanced back over in time to see him disappear into the shadows he had claimed.
She was back in the throng of names and faces, she knew she couldn't possibly remember all of them, or even some accurately. Quentin was next, then Reynold, Luke, Neal, Savas who was the other non-looker, and finally, Dylan.
Dylan began his dance differently than any other. "I don't suppose you know how to dance?" He asked, causing her to smile.
"No, decidedly not."
"Darn. I was hoping you could lead. Wanna wing it?" He held up his hands, and she took them, happily. Despite his introduction, he actually wasn't bad at this.
