I am so sorry this took me so long to update. ok the kind of person who needa to w super into a story to keep up with it. hopefully thatll be changing. in this chapter, you'll see that this story is not about Henry's rescue. it was going to be but I changed my mind. Pan will still play a role in this and it'll all come together. just you wait! (: I am also in the market for a beta ao if anyone is interested, message me!
"That's packing light? We aren't taking some plane to Hawaii and you need to fit it all in a carry-on darling. I mean pack survival necessities: provisions, water, matches, knives. Necessities"
"Well you haven't exactly given me any sort of insight as go where we are going. I need to know our means of travel, the type of terrain we'll be in, the kind of people we'll be dealing with. Knowing all of that would help me to pack to the best of my ability. However someone is being very reluctant and won't tell me where the hell we're going." Killian had said we'd be leaving at dawn, but he was being very nit-picky about Emma's choices in packing. First she didn't pack enough, then she didn't pack the proper attire, and now she packed too much. "Why don't you just pack for me?"
"Will we leave earlier if we do?" he retorted impatiently.
"Probably since you're the only one of us who actually knows what we're doing!" her voice grew louder with every word. And he quickly grabbed a backpack and started filling it.
"We both know exactly what we are doing: saving your son. Now we shouldn't be arguing. That'll only waste time and we'll need to really be able to trust each other fully on this expedition. We need to have each other's backs and be on our guard at all times. there will be creature you cannot imagine. people with powers eying your imagination. None of them are good. they will all be out to get us. trust no one but me. if I say to trust someone, do so. otherwise, don't trust a soul, no matter what they tell you. This will not be easy. In fact," he stopped packing and turned around, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking her dead in the eye. "this very well may be the hardest thing you've ever done. And I do mean that. I know how hard it was leaving Neal. I know you've had a rough life all alone. You haven't told me much about it but I know. I know you. I've been there. I've gone through it all and some of it I've gone through with you. This will be the hardest thing you've ever done. Do you still want to do this?"
they hadn't talked about Neal or Milah in quite a while. On a normal day it would all be too much. Bringing up Neal, her past, losing henry, Killian's eyes boring into hers- have his eyes always been that blue?- normally it all would've been enough for her walls to shoot up and for her to shut down. But today was not a normal day. Today nothing but determination ran through her veins. Without breaking eye contact, she said: "I want my son back, and anyone who isn't going to help me find him can get out of my way." With that Killian smirked and threw Emma her red leather jacket.
"Atta girl. You ready?" he zipped up the backpack and buckled the buckles on them. He handed her the backpack when she was done and slung his own back pack over her shoulders, snapping the buckle around his ribs to secure it. Seeing him do this, Emma did the same. He reached his hand a pocket inside his leather jacket and pulled out a black suede bag tied shut with gold drawstrings. "Remember when I said we need to trust each other fully?" she nodded and he reached out for her hand. "This is one of those times. You need to trust me, follow me, and don't let go of me. Understand?" cautiously she nodded again and grabbed his hand. He dumped the small bag upside down and a small crystal bean fell out of it. As soon as it landed, a burst of wind fell through the room and a purple mist started swirling around on the floor, creating a black hole of nothingness in its center. "READY?" he shouted above the noise. "NOT REALLY, NO." she shouted back but her grip on his hand increased and all he had to do was tug a bit and she was jumping into the pool of purple and black alongside him. And then, everything went black,
When Emma woke up, she was laying a plush mattress on an extravagant bed, wrapped in a thick soft bed comforter. She saw a man with tousled brown hair lying in a chair across the room asleep. The man looked incredibly familiar but she couldn't help but feel scared and endangered. She went to sit up in an attempt to silently sneak out, but that plan failed all around due to a sharp pain in her legs and dizziness. The pain caused her to let out a whimper, thus waking the man across from her. When he saw her awake, a smile spread across his face and he jumped over to the bed. "Oh Emma I'm so glad you're awake. The doctors said you might now awake after your fall and you had me very worried."
"Who-who are you? Where am I? Who is Emma?"
"Oh boy… The doctors said this might happen "
"said what might happen? what the hell is going on?"
"Emma you've... you seem to have lost your memories. you don't remember living here or anything, but you're the princess of this realm. I'm you're husband and we wed to join our kingdoms." he have her a weak smile before continuing, "I don't really know where to begin. any questions you have I'll be more than happy to answer." the entire time he was speaking, she had a horrid feeling in her gut. she felt her lie detector blaring, warning her to be wary of every word that grazed his lips.
"um... okay. so we're married?" she questioned, receiving a nod for an answer. "how long have we been married?"
"about 6 years. we were supposed to marry when you reached the age of twenty but that clearly wasn't in the cards." he gave a small chuckle at a joke she was clueless to.
"what do you mean it wasn't in the cards?"
"well we've been betrothed since we were very young. one summer my father and I came to visit your kingdom. one night we had some fun in the stables and... well... you were with child. my child. so the wedding was held a couple years early. His name is Henry. He's missed you like crazy." her lie detector ceased to blare the alarm when he spoke of the child.
"wow... so I'm a princess is some kingdom married to a man whose name I don't even know and I have a kid with him and I don't even know who I am? what a lovely set up I have here."
"oh my I forgot my manners. it's odd not being on such familiar terms with you dearie. My christened name is Baelfire. however I prefer to go by my middle name, Neal. it's what everyone calls me so I expect you to do the same." she raised an eyebrow at him, but remained silent. the idea of him ordering her didn't sit well with her. the idea of this lying excuse of a man being superior to her infuriated her. instead of giving him a piece of her mind, she smartly stayed quiet, at least until she could figure out the truth. "well I should go. I have some political matters to attend to. I shall send someone up to fetch you for dinner in a few hours. I took the liberty of selecting a dress I expect you to be in for dinner. Rest well Emma my dear." with that he left her alone. after taking a minute to ponder the false information she was given, she moved to the open window. her room was a short ways up the tower. maybe only two or three stories high. she strode to the wardrobe to change, dismissing Neal's scandalous taste in dresses. she slipped on a pair of brown leather trousers, a white tunic with a wide brown belt, tall riding boots, and a dark red cloak. Much more comfortable than any of the dresses she had seen.
she snuck out of her room to explore the castle she apparently resided in. the halls were all dark and the lanterns that adorned the walls were lit by eery flames. the flames glowed an unnaturally violet hue creating shadows that have the illusion of moving by themselves. This castle was not where she belonged. this whole place was a lie. a horrifying, depressingly beautiful lie. she knew she needed to leave. there wasn't much she knew, but this she was certain: the sooner she can escape the clutches of this cursed place the better. there was one thing stopping her. She couldn't leave her son. Emma didn't even know the boy, yet the connection she felt with him was the only true thing she knew. the prospect of this child was the only happy light she could see. she trusted her (maternal) instincts to guide her to him and sure enough, they did.
the small freckled boy, who couldn't have been a day over seven years old, was sitting in the middle of the room four doors down from her own with a pirate ship in one pudgy hand, and a pirate figurine in the other. when the boy looked up, he smiled the most brilliant smile in all the land. he dropped his wooden toys and ran into her arms. "Mother! you're awake! I missed you." the feeling of him in her arms felt too right for this place. surely this kind of happiness didn't belong here.
she glanced around the room and picked up a satchel, filling it with and extra set of clothes. "Henry I need you to go put on your boots and grab your cloak. we are going to be going somewhere and you mustn't tell anyone what's going on. can you do that?"
"of course Mum! it'll be like an adventure! like in my stories!" she sent him a sad smile. oh what it must be like to have such a young, innocent mind.
"exactly like you're stories. now go do as I say." she continued to pack and when they both finished, they went back into her room to climb out the window to freedom. "Henry cling to my back okay? I need you to close your eyes, hold on, and trust me okay?" "of course mother." he did as he was told and she scaled the wall with minimal difficulties. and thus they began their trek to the village and their freedom.
next chapter we'll see some more Killian. don't worry he's not gone (: please leave a review!