Mixed up relations- part 4
Tigger asked for a oneshot ofa 4th instalment following on from Ch2056 "Mixed up relations- part 3" where…read and see.
Heysnow: if you need that sequel, you might want to consider including both of the things I repeatedly ask for with people giving sequel requests ;).
For the 3rd day in a row I post this in the hopes that it is FINALLY fixed. I have been posting every day of May as planned, however, an error on the site has meant nobody is getting notifications. If you haven't read the chapters from previous days, please feel free to go back and do so. Especially if you requested something!
Emma sat so still against the stair that she was hardly moving. Even her breaths were shallow. She had her right ear firmly pressed against the door to her parents' study. Even thinking that was still a little odd. Clearly, by the sounds of their discussion, it was still a little odd to them. Or at least, to Snow.
"I'm sick of hiding it, Snow! She's our daughter too! She has the right to be known as such. It changes the whole order to the throne. Emma has the right to be next after you…"
"Charming, I know all this. It's just not that simple letting the whole kingdom know. It's not like the majority are just going to accept it." Emma heard one of them- probably Snow- begin to pace back and forth.
"So what? It's not like they have a choice in what happens. Not in this case. We rule our people fairly, but if any of them have a problem with Emma being our daughter, they can leave." Emma's heart was pounding in her chest. Didn't her mom want her as a daughter anymore? Emma had thought that's what both of them wanted when they told her they were her real parents. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe it would be better if she went back to treating them like siblings. Maybe they were too embarrassed for anyone to find out.
Snow and Charming both noticed a change with Emma over the next few days. She was back to being more reserved. Like she had been before they saved her from Rumplestiltskin. They were both concerned. Why the sudden step back? They had been doing so well up until that point. Emma had even called them mom or dad once or twice. She had been confiding in them more and more about how all this was making her feel. Now, nothing. Snow and Charming took the joint decision to discuss this with Emma. They didn't want to just brush it under the carpet and hoped it all went away. There had been too much of that already. They went up to her room together when they knew she was on a break from her tuition.
"Hey Em." Snow greeted her with a smile. "Can we come in?" Emma looked up. She shrugged.
"Sure, Snow." She said, going back to her doodles. Snow and Charming looked at each other, concerned. There was definitely something wrong.
"We were just wondering if you were ok, Em?" Charming asked her. "Only, you seem to have become a bit…quiet, lately." Emma shrugged again. "Emma." Charming prompted her. "Tell us what's wrong, please. There's been enough secrets between us to last a lifetime."
"Isn't this what you want?" Emma asked quietly. "Don't you want me to just go back to being the little sister so nobody finds out about the royal scandal?" Snow and Charming were both confused. Why would Emma think that? They both went over and sat on either side of her desk.
"Emma, why would we want that?" Snow asked, hurt. "We never wanted you to have that role in the first place." She reminded her.
"I heard you both arguing a few days ago." Emma admitted. "You don't want the kingdom to know that I'm really your daughter." Snow and Charming had no idea Emma had heard any of that conversation.
"And you think that's because we're embarrassed about you?" Charming asked for clarification. Emma shrugged.
"Snow is." Emma murmured quietly. Snow's heart broke. Emma had only heard her fears over the public knowing.
"Emma, not wanting the people to know the truth has nothing to do being embarrassed about you being our daughter. I would scream it from the tallest tower of the palace if I could. The problem is, it's going to have implications. I don't care about the ones for me, and I'm sure your father doesn't care about the ones for him. We care about how this is going to affect you." Snow said honestly. Emma had never really thought about it that way. "When they find out, there's going to be some nasty things said about the King and Queen. People are going to have things to say about you." Snow pointed out. "I don't want you to have to put up with that. None of this was ever your fault." Now Emma understood. She couldn't deny that she felt better knowing this wasn't because her mother was embarrassed by her.
"I can cope." Emma assured her. "I'd rather they knew. I know they'll have things to say, but at least people will know. We won't have to hide it any longer. I don't want to live a lie anymore." Emma told her.
"She's got a point, Snow." Charming added. "We'll protect her from anyone who says anything cruel. Emma has the right to live a life where people know who she is. I want people to know she's my daughter, and that I'm incredibly proud to call her that." Emma blushed. Snow looked deeply at both of them before slowly nodding.
"I know you're both right, I just wish we could do this in a way that was painless for you." Snow explained. Yes, she and Charming would do their best to shield Emma from all the hurtful comments, but they couldn't keep them all out. At least the truth would be out. At least they could call her their daughter wherever they went.
