Author's Note: I joke that I "run on props" but seriously, this fic got some awesome reviews, so this one gets the update.
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"What the hell are you talking about?" I exclaimed, pulling away from the man and woman embracing me. "Who the hell are you? What the hell are you doing? Let go of me!"
The royal couple complied immediately, and the queen looked like I'd slapped her.
"Emma, please," she started to say, but the man put his hand on her shoulder.
"Give her some time, Snow," he said softly.
Snow?
"Snow White?" I blurted out. "This is ridiculous. Snow White is—"
I cut myself off, scowling and unconsciously taking a step closer to Killian. He was still kneeling, and when I glanced at him, his expression was a mask of surprise. I thought I saw fear in his eyes, too.
"Your Majesties," Liam said, rising to his feet and stepping forward. "Do you know this woman?"
The king and queen looked at one another and had some sort of freaky mind-meld conversation or something.
"She's our daughter," the man said, echoing what the woman had previously stated.
The most disturbing thing was my truth detector didn't ping. He seriously thought he was my father.
"I've never seen you before in my life," I said, my voice oddly shaking. "And there's just no way in hell you're my parents. Look at you! You're my age!"
"You did see us," the woman (who I could not bring myself to call 'Snow White') said in a soft, hurt tone. "If only for a few hours. We had to send you away just moments after you were born in order to give your your bes—"
"I'm not a fairy tale character!" I said, interrupting the woman. "I'm not a lost princess. Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds? I mean, there are bad movie plots and then there are bad movie plots. This is some D-level nonsense."
The assembled cast of fairy tale land stared at me in various degrees of shock and confusion.
"Emma," Killian said gently after a moment. He took my hand in his and rose to his feet. "Love, perhaps we should find a room to which to retire."
Liam cleared his throat.
"The Dark One is after this woman," the elder Jones brother said to the royals. "He called her the Harbinger."
"Yes," the queen said, nodding. "She is. She was supposed to be the Savior, but when the curse misfired, things shifted. Now she's the Harbinger of Resolution."
"What the hell does that mean?" I asked.
Killian was rubbing my arms in what I assumed he thought to be a soothing way. It just made me miss my jacket more.
The queen looked at me, her expression fond, though there was still pain in her eyes.
"The blue fairy says—" she started to say, but I cut her off.
"The blue fairy?" I echoed incredulously. I shook my head, grimacing in denial. "I can't do this."
I turned to Killian.
"Get me out of here," I said with a hint of desperation. "Please."
He nodded grimly and let go of my arms. He turned to face the royals.
"If your majesties would forgive us," he said, "my wife is tired—"
"Wife?" The king interrupted. He blinked at Killian and then at me and then frowned at Killian. "You married my daughter?"
Killian flinched, but then he squared his shoulders.
"I married this woman," Killian said evenly. "Whomever else she may be or not be, she is my wife. And I will see her to a room now so she might rest. Your Majesty."
He tacked on the title after a tiny hesitation and then bowed. The queen looked at Killian with a surprised expression. The king studied Killian and stroked his chin.
"Of course," the king said after a beat. He inclined his head to Killian and then snapped his fingers. A butler appeared, and the kind turned to address him.. "Take this man and… his wife to the blue room."
"Of course, your majesty," the servant said, bowing.
Then Killian and I were being led away from the main hall as everyone in the room stared at our backsides. Or our backs. Or something. I could feel their eyes on us. I didn't like it.
The butler acquired a lamp and led us up a flight of stairs and then down a hallway to a wide set of carved doors. Then our guide opened the doors and asked us to wait for a moment as he entered the room and lit the lamps that flanked the large bed. I couldn't see too many details in the dark room, but it was big and seemed lavishly decorated.
Killian thanked the butler as the older man excused himself from the room. I mumbled something after him, too, though even I wasn't sure what I was trying to say.
Once the door clicked shut and we were completely alone, Killian came to stand in front of me, one hand rising to my cheek.
"Are you all right, lass?" he asked me, searching my eyes.
"I don't even know," I said honestly. "I'm sort of wondering when I'm going to wake up."
I started to shrug, and then I realized how that comment might sound to him. He was part of this world that made no sense to me. If I did wake up at home with Neal or in Scotland at a bed and breakfast, how could I ever rationalize Killian? There was no way I could have made him up, even in my strangest and most wonderful dreams.
"I'm sorry," I murmured as he was just starting to frown. "I know you're real. Just… everything else is insane."
"I can hardly protest being your lighthouse, love," he said with a sad smile, "but if this world is so disconcerting, I will do anything I can to see you back to your own… and to you other husband. If that is what you want."
"I don't know," I told him, meeting his eyes and keeping our promise to tell the truth. "I don't know what I want or what's best. This isn't my world."
He nodded and then searched my face for a moment before speaking.
"Unless it is," he said carefully. He slowly raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" I asked, suddenly feeling an itch between my shoulderblades.
"I don't know much of what happened to the king and queen's child," Killian said. "But I know the queen was pregnant before the curse. Liam knows more than do I."
"No," I said, shaking my head in denial. "I can't believe they're my parents. They're too young. And they did what? Sent me to my world by magic to avoid the curse? How the hell is that better than staying here? Who could do that to a baby? I was found on the side of the road, not even a day old, Killian. I was abandoned."
I pulled away from his touch as I became more agitated. I turned away from him and started pacing, shaking my head and clenching my fists.
"I've no answers for you, Emma," Killian said softly. "But I'm here for you. Would you like some dinner? I could call for a maid or footman..?"
"No," I said in a gentler tone. He hadn't done anything wrong. I shouldn't take my frustration out on him. I sighed and went to look out the window down at the courtyard and the distant black expanse of the ocean.
After a few minutes, he came to stand beside me.
"Our father abandoned us, as well," he said softly. "I wouldn't wish that pain on anyone, least of all you. I'm sorry, Emma."
I sighed. I understood what Killian was doing, but I didn't really want to commiserate just then. I'd rather punch something. Or go to bed. I decided on the later.
"I think I just need some sleep right now," I said, trying to sound gentler than I felt. "Okay?"
"Of course," he said. He smiled at me and held my eyes for a moment before he turned away and went to start getting ready for bed himself. "Perhaps things will be brighter in the morning."
"Maybe," I said, though I shook my head.
It seemed unlikely.