[Disclaimer]

I don't own OUAT.

[A/N]

For my wife. You're my happy ending. I love you

Chapter 1

Every adventure requires a first step

(The Cheshire Cat)

I can hear the drunken laughter of voices from the big hall downstairs through the walls of my room.

The music is loud. It echoes in my ears and makes my bare feet want to move rhythmically on the cold stone floor.

I love dancing. There is no way though I would consider joining my parents and

friends in their celebration tonight.

There is no reason for me to be joyful. My heart is filled with heavy bitterness.

With a blink of my eyelashes, I blow out the torch near the window. Then I ignite the flame a moment later and smile proudly.

I'm not supposed to use magic. They claim it's dangerous and can lead me to the side of darkness.

Still I can't stop testing out these skills in the privacy of my chambers.

One more week, I think, rubbing the cold toes of my feet together. Just one more week is left.

Like everyone, I've looked forward to becoming of age for a long time. That was until my father, King James, proclaimed a few months back that I'm to be wed on my eighteenth birthday.

I don't know what the rushing is all about. It's like my parents are frightened I might overnight turn into a grey-haired old maid.

Mother has been on father's side in this from the beginning. They have made me meet countless of suitors. I have danced endless waltz with red-faced, sweating younglings.

The option of marrying into our family is appealing to many of them. They aren't interested in Emma, the person; just Emma the princess.

Oh, how much easier my life could have turned out, had I been born a peasant girl instead.

My fate has been decided. I am to marry the man my father has chosen for me. They expect me to share the rest of my life with a stranger and smile about it.

The thought makes me shiver. The thought of having to share my bed with him repulses me even more.

But what can I do?

I get up from the bed and walk over to the window to take deep breaths of nightly air. My mind is racing. I've been raised all my life to believe that destiny can be changed at any moment.

My own parents are the best example for this to be true.

Before I was born, the Evil Queen threatened our kingdom with a terrible curse. It was never cast upon us. Nobody knows why her plan didn't succeed. Some say her powers weren't big enough. Others claim that the sacrifice requested for the curse was too painful. My teacher, Sir Jiminy, claims that in the end the Queen's conscious might have held her back.

No matter what her motives have been. The Evil Queen has confined herself within the walls of her own castle. Nobody is allowed to cross the boarders of her kingdom. It is said that the sun never touches the surface of the earth there.

A knock on my door makes me turn around.

"Come in," I command.

The kitchen girl who is carrying a heavy tray is about my size. Her hair is red and sweaty. The plain linen dress has stains at the sides where she wiped her hands. The apron was probably crisp white a long time ago.

She makes an awkward attempt to curtsy.

"Your highness,"

"Place the tray next to the bed." I tell her. My stomach feels knotted. I won't be able to eat a single bite. The aroma of fresh baked bread fills my nose. Maybe I will try to eat a little bit of that.

"Good night, your highness."

The kitchen girl curtsies again and when she's almost out the door, I call her back.

Her voice trembles a bit when she speaks again.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, your highness?"

I nod my head, then I walk slowly around her and look her over. We are the same height and figure, only her bosom seems a bit more developed than mine. A plan forms in my head. The words are out of my mouth before I can rethink them.

"I need your dress. Take it off."

"What?" The girl's red face matches her flaming hair. "Why would you need this old rag?"

"It's none of your concern."

I get a couple of silver coin from my jewel case and hold them for her to see.

"For the dress…and your silence," I whisper.

Her hand is warm when I press the coins into it without waiting for her response.

"Now, take the dress off and put it in my closet."

She reddens a bit more. Then, she undoes the top part of her dress and peels herself out of it. Her nipples are rosy and hard. I can feel a strange tugging in the depth of my belly.

My curious eyes move to the patch of darker reddish hair between her thighs. I wonder, if it's soft or coarse.

The thought brings heat into my cheeks. What the hell am I thinking?

"Hurry up," I snap at the naked girl, tossing one of my older dresses at her. "Not a word about this to anyone. Are we clear about that?"

She nods eagerly. Her hands are shaking when she puts on my dress that makes her breasts spill out like ripe melons. Again, my insides clench. I have experienced this sensation before when I dared to touch myself underneath the covers. Why is looking at the girl make me feel this way?

"Good night, your highness."

The girl practically runs out of my bed chamber, slamming the door behind her.

I look at the filthy dress on the floor. The material is rough when I pick it up. It smells like kitchen and sweat. I wrinkle my nose. I have never before worn something that wasn't of a soft fabric and new as a fresh born morning.

I am not used to dressing myself on my own, so it takes me a while to take off my night gown and get the girl's dress on. After securing the apron around my waist, I comb my hair and braid it.

My heart is beating faster in my chest now. I write a note for my parents, explaining to them that I can't fulfil their wish to get married.

I take mother's ring and a few other jewelry pieces that I stuff into a leather bag. The ring I will keep as a memory. The other stuff I plan on selling when I run out of silver coins.

The decision has been made. I will run away from my parents kingdom before the sun will rise again.

xxx

My feet are covered in blisters and bleeding after walking for three days. I never had to walk on foot anywhere before in my life. It's dreadfully exhausting.

Now, I know why we only travel by carriage. The pain in my ankles is throbbing but I force myself to keep going. Mechanically, I place one foot in front of the other. The forest ground is uneven. I fall down a lot. Branches tangle my hair and there is dirt on my face. By the time it gets dark, I have eaten the entire bread I took with me. My stomach rumbles. I am not used to being hungry.

I pluck some berries but I hesitate to eat them. What if these are poisonous? I don't want to accidentally end my life.

After reaching the shore of a small lake, I curl up under a nearby tree and fall into a restless sleep.

Burning thirst wakes me up. I blink into bright sunlight and realize it must already be after noon.

I place my aching feet into the cold water of the lake and try to drink as much water as I manage to swallow. A pair of swans with their offspring comes close enough for me to pet their heads. They take off quickly when they notice I have no bread crumbs to feed them with.

I feel like crying. Running away isn't near as exciting as I imagined it to be like. It means being hungry and dirty and in pain. I miss my parents painfully but I know I don't want to go back. I don't know where to instead either.

After walking for days, I thought I must have reached the sea by now. I plan on getting on a ship that will bring me as far away from the Enchanted Forest as possible.

That is, if I am walking in the right direction and haven't lost my way.

The sound of horse hooves makes me jump from my cozy place by the lake. I can't risk being found by my parents' guard. I run off into the forest and climb up a tree to hide in it's branches. I breathe against the sleeve of my dress to suffocate the noise.

There are voices. I see black uniformed men marching up around the lake. Two of them are coming closer to my hideaway.

These people don't belong to my parents guard. I must have entered another kingdom somewhere. Where exactly am I?

"Your majesty, we killed the swans."

I see a trail of blood splattered on the dry forest floor. One of the guards is carrying the biggest swan over his shoulder.

In our kingdom swans are considered holy animals. It is punished by death to harm one of these precious birds.

A wave of anger boils up inside me. It pains me to see something beautiful being destroyed.

"Look, your majesty, we found another little bird up in the tree."

The guard that points up to my hide-out in the tree laughs loudly. He and a second guard with a masked face shake the tree. I lose my balance and fall down into a pile of dried leaves.

"What am I to do with something worthless like this?"