Looks Can Be Deceiving
Chapter Two: A Champion, A Storyteller, A Knight, A Warrior, and A Princess Walk Into A Bar
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: Ha-HA! Emma finally meets her princess.
August squinted his eyes, pursed his lips, and crinkled his nose. The action did nothing to relieve the horrendous itching at his nose. He pouted at the metal cuffs clasped around his wrists, glaring pathetically at the chain that connected the cuffs to the similar ones around his ankles. In a vain attempt to distract himself from the incessant itching, he turned his attention toward his similarly bound companion. "So… How did you get picked to be our personal guard dog? You draw the short sword?"
His surly companion, a knight by the name of Sir Kay, had been appointed the task of assisting the Champion in her quest to find the princess. "Have you completely disregarded our current circumstances, you brainless-"
"No talking!" The command was paired with a harsh shove to the angered knight's back. Causing Sir Kay to send a scathing glare at a broadly grinning August.
The itching at his nose had disappeared during his amusing exchange with the knight. He and Emma had made it a point to annoy Sir Kay every chance they got. It'd almost become a competition of who could annoy him the most. At the thought of Emma, his musings shifted to how he'd ended up captured by slavers with a grumpy knight and no idea of her whereabouts.
A FEW DAYS AGO
Her horse, a white stallion gifted to her by the King himself, picked up its steady gait and Emma's hands tightened around its reigns. She freaking hated riding horses. Ever since she'd been thrown from one when she was a child, compliments of her and August's youthful hijinks, she could barely stand to be near a horse. Yet alone riding one. But the King had insisted and his helpful little knights had all but forced her atop the beast. Hence, Emma feeling and looking like she might yak at any given moment.
Her cloudy grey eyes drifted from the smattering of trees all around them to the man next to her. She rolled her eyes, a scowl mixing horribly with her queasy expression, when she found August with a journal in one hand and a quill in the other. "Have I told you lately how much I hate you?"
August didn't even to bother looking away from his journal, his quill scribbling against parchment. "Yes. But you can tell me again if it'll make you feel better."
Emma glared at the distracted, taunting response. The only reason he didn't care about the situation his scheming landed them in was because it apparently conquered the writer's block he claimed to have. Oh, yeah, and Emma being married into the royal family meant a never ending supply of coin. The thought had her huffing petulantly. "I hate you."
August didn't even bother to acknowledge the statement. Instead bringing the end of his quill thoughtfully to his chin. "Do you think we'll come across a dragon?"
Emma fixed him with an exasperated expression. "Are we ever going to address the fact that I'm engaged?"
Ignoring the question completely, August continued along with his thought. "It would really add to your heroic image if-"
"I'm betrothed to the freaking princess, August."
"You were to slay a dragon."
Emma glared at the man, more than a hint of a growl in her words. "Your stupid idea got me engaged to the future queen! Holy-"
"It's pretty much a requirement for all heroes."
"Shit!" Emma was quickly approaching a panic attack as the severity of the statement hit her. "I'm going to be her queen!"
August scribbled something into his journal. "Queen Consort, technically."
Emma's scowl gave way to pure incredulity. "How are you so okay with this?"
"How are you not?" He finally stopped scribbling at his journal to look at her, utter bewilderment invading his handsome features. "We'll always have a roof over our heads, never go hungry again, and own the finest clothing in the land. We'll never have to worry about anything ever again." He paused, his signature grin pairing mischievously with the sudden twinkle in his blue eyes. "Well, maybe you will have to worry about producing an heir but-"
Emma groaned loudly at the teasing comment and buried her face in the soft mane of her horse. "I really, really hate you."
"Stop being such a baby, Emma. Princess Regina is said to be the fairest in all the lands."
"As exciting as this most trivial conversation has been," Both August and Emma startled at the interruption. Their gazes turning toward their King appointed traveling companion. Sir Kay, or Sir Helpful as Emma had woefully dubbed him, fixed them with a haughty stare. It was clear in the way the red headed knight looked at them, as though they were dirt beneath his boots, exactly what he thought of them. "We should focus our attentions on finding the princess."
Emma arched a brow at August who shrugged back at her. When Sir Helpful continued to drone on and on about what they should be doing, Emma and August shared a look. Part irritation, part amusement, and a healthy dose of scheming.
"The only reason we are stopping at this wretched place is to rest our horses and collect information on Princess Regina's whereabouts"
August and Emma were barely paying attention to the stuffy night. They were far too focused on the promise of a stiff drink, on the sound of the ruckus coming from within the tavern. They'd been riding for days, searching for the missing princess and finding jack squat. A drink, entertainment, and the possibility of a real bed to sleep in were in order.
"Are you two listening to me?"
Emma rolled her eyes while August spared a forced grin. His voice laced with sarcasm. "Of course. What else could we possibly do in a tavern."
The knight didn't seem to pick up on the sarcasm. At all. If the way he shot them a smug grin and pushed forward leaving the pair to follow his lead was any indication. "Come along then."
"Can't we just ditch him?" Emma whispered while eyeing the tavern door the knight had disappeared through.
"Tempting." August conceded. "But then who would amuse us?"
Emma sighed. August did have a good point.
The two of them walked into the tavern, immediately heading for the bar and ordering two large servings of ale. By the time Sir Kay stumbled upon them both Emma and August were halfway through their fourth mug of ale and sufficiently intoxicated.
Enraged, the knight grabbed them both by the backs of their shirts. Pulling the two scoundrels away from the bar and turning them to face his wrath. "What are you two sluggards doing? You are meant to be the King's Champion! We're meant to find the princess not sit around drinking ale!"
Emma only rolled her eyes, throwing a dismissive gesture in Sir Helpful's general direction while turned back to the bar. At which point she began to chug her ale in an extremely unladylike manner.
August chuckled boisterously, finding immense joy in the angry expression upon the knight's face. He shoved his half empty tankard in Sir Kay's hands and clapped the boorish knight on the back. "One drink Sir Knight! Then we'll be on our way!"
Unbeknownst to the three traveling companions, a cloaked figure sitting inconspicuously in a darkened corner of the tavern was watching them intently. The mention of a princess and the Dark Kingdom insignia on the knight's breastplate had the figure's undivided attention.
Along with the attention of the figure's companion. A slender warrior with a stoic demeanor and a gruff, suspicious voice. "It seems we've come across trouble."
The figure's gaze never left the trio as it spoke. Voice velvety smooth, seductive, and quite clearly female. "They might very well be the solution to our little... problem."
A nearly noticeable frown broke through the warrior's stoic mask. He didn't like the implication in her tone one bit. "I highly doubt a Dark Kingdom knight, the King's Champion, and an ill mannered girl will be easily baited into-"
"Tsk, tsk, dear." The woman grinned wickedly beneath the hood of her cloak. "Haven't you heard? Heroes always fall for the bait."
The warrior leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms over his armor covered chest. "And what better bait than a damsel in distress?"
"Precisely." She mirrored the warrior's action and leaned back in her chair. Her calculating stare remaining on the oblivious trio. In order to proceed with her plan, she needed to find the weak link between the three of them.
The warrior continued to watch the blistering fools at the bar. Taking particular notice of how the ill mannered girl traveling with the King's Champion and the Dark Kingdom knight had coerced both men, boys really, into a drinking game. "What makes you think these... supposed heroes won't become a problem if they realize who this particular happens to be?"
The cloaked woman only chuckled, tone acquiring a lilting almost biting amusement. "Don't worry, Ping. The buffoons will get you your Rose back and throwing those pathetic love struck gazes at you when she thinks you aren't paying attention."
"It is my sworn duty to protect her. Nothing more." The dark flush flaring across Ping's cheeks betrayed his statement.
"Do keep telling yourself that, dear."
His cheeks faded to a soft pink, the irate glare in dark eyes aimed at his companion. "What makes you think they won't become a problem if they realize who you are, Princess?"
Without waiting for a response, the warrior stormed away. Needing a reprieve from his companion's constant taunting.
Emma stumbled her way out of the tavern. Her vision was a little blurry and her feet didn't seem to want to work properly but she needed some air. She couldn't stand a minute more of listening to August and Sir Kay argue. They managed to get the knight drunk only for Emma to find she liked him much better sober. At least when he was sober he wasn't joining August in teasing her about unwittingly getting herself a fiancée.
"You wouldn't," The blonde hiccupped. Her blurry gaze landing on the pretty white horse the King gave her. "Wouldn't make fun of me. Right, Horsey?"
The horse only snorted at her.
To Emma, the snort sounded like laughter and she glared at the beast. Pointing her finger accusingly at him. "The King gave you to me you traitor."
The accusation received a long, rumbling neigh from the horse and Emma pouted at him.
"Fine. What-" She hiccupped again. "Ever. See who feeds you apples now."
In response, the horse nudged her lightly with his nose. Emitting another heckling, laughing, neigh when the action had his blonde master falling on her butt.
Regina watched the scene unfold with a bemused smile upon her face. Ping had assumed the young brown haired man in dire need of a shave was the King's Champion. Regina could imagine how shocked the warrior would be to find the ill mannered girl was the Champion instead. Her musing subsided and she resumed her plotting. She pulled her hood back, dark brown eyes never straying from the drunken blonde as she edged closer. She managed to creep up less than a few feet away from the unsuspecting woman and briefly wondered how in the world someone so oblivious could have won a tournament filled with undoubtedly skilled warriors. Regina was close enough that she could stab the blonde in the back without her noticing. She shook the thought from her head and focused on the drawl of her voice, taking extra care to inflect a healthy dose of allure into her words.
"Are you alright, dear?"
Emma released a girly shriek at the sound of the voice. Leaping to her feet and whirling around with wide, horrified green eyes to find a gorgeous brunette staring back at her. She was struck stupid by the sight. By the shiny silken waves of dark hair curling around the woman's beautiful face. There was a spark of mischief in dark eyes, eyes Emma felt like she was falling into. And those lips full and plump and painted such a shocking shade of red. Her gaze traveled lower, over the brunette's figure, and she frowned at the thick cloak hiding what was sure to be a treat from Emma's hungry stare.
It was obvious to Regina what was going through the blonde's mind. She'd seen the look enough times to know Emma was appreciating her beauty. It took a while for Regina to understand the concept of sex appeal and the fact that she had it before she was able to confidently use it to her advantage. It appeared the other woman was also drooling a bit and the sight of it had Regina chuckling.
The sound of the beautiful stranger's sultry laugh snapped Emma out of her daze. It took a few tries before she could get her furiously thudding heart down to a pace that didn't make her feel as though it would leap from her throat once she attempted speech. "I, uh, no, I mean yea I'm, um... just a little clumsy at the moment."
Regina grinned coyly at the stuttering woman. It seemed this girl would fall into her little trap much easier than expected.
Emma tried to suppress her growing flush, a hand running nervously through her long blonde hair. She forced her awkward goofy grin into a confident, some would say cocky but what would they know, smirk. "I'm Emma. And this guy," She reached blindly for the horses muzzle. Completely miscalculating her reach and unknowingly patting the post he was tied too. She was far too intoxicated and distracted by the beauty before her to even notice. "Is my horse."
The brunette tried her hardest to keep the poisonous hiss from her voice upon hearing Emma claim the horse as hers. She couldn't understand what her father hoped to gain by gifting his Champion with her favorite horse. Despite her efforts, Regina could mask the hint of bite to her tone. "Your horse is female."
"Oh." The blonde blinked in confusion. Her gaze shifting from the mysterious beauty to her pretty white horse. The horse neighed at her, a response Emma classified as taunting. She had the childish urge to stick her tongue out at the beast before she remembered her present company. Emma emitted a small, forced chuckle. Desperately trying to save face in front the brunette. "Good to know."
Regina resisted desire to roll her eyes at the blonde's clear idiocy. The plan was to seduce the Champion and coerce the girl into doing her bidding. Not deliver the clear verbal smack down the blonde was in dire need of. She had to play this right. She had to simultaneously get the woman off her trail and convince her to help with her little problem. "What brings you to a place like this?"
"Uh, funny story actually. Well, not that funny. I, um," This woman was gorgeous and her voice. God. Emma had never heard anything so enticing. It was velvet and sweet and smooth and playful and it made her head gooey. Turned her insides to flames, sent her pulse racing. She couldn't retain her confident demeanor around this dark haired beauty. "I'm looking for someone."
"Oh?" Regina took a stealthy step closer. The blonde's reaction was palatable. She could do this. She could trick this woman who had such a blatant attraction to her. This supposed Champion would bend to her will, would lose at a game she didn't know she was playing. If her father thought this gullible girl, so quick to fluster in the presence of beauty, would be able to capture her and take her back to the confines of the Dark Kingdom castle he was sorely mistaken. "It seems we have that in common."
The brunette was standing really close to Emma. Like, she could reach out and tuck that errant dark lock behind her ear close. She could smell the mysterious beauty's intoxicating perfume kind of close. She could lean forward and KISS her close. The thoughts swirl, festered, and exploded inside of her. Emma had to fight to clear the dust the explosion left from her mind. She had to speak. Say something back, you idiot. "I figured a beautiful woman such as yourself wasn't in a place like this for the entertainment."
Regina fought off the wicked grin threatening her lips. Hook, line, and sinker. It was time to reel this farce of a CHAMPION in. She set her expression into one of worry and helplessness. Her brown eyes wide and sad. Lips pressed into a trembling frown. "My friend and I have been searching for his fiancée. She was taken by slavers. I fear for his broken heart and his love's life."
The immensely sobered and righteously indignant look blazing in the blonde's eyes... Regina was momentarily distracted by the color. She couldn't tell if they were green or blue. Either way the look in her eyes told Regina the Champion would fall into her trap even before the words left the blonde's mouth. "I can help you."
"You can?"
Emma only had the wits about her to nod stupidly. Drawn in by this captivating woman's wide, expressive brown eyes. She couldn't help but feel there was something beyond the surface, beyond what she was seeing. Something hidden, lurking, buried beneath that dark gaze.
"But you're so," Regina sent her a coy smile, lashes fluttering. Distracting the other woman as she gravitated closer. "Pretty." Regina breathed the words into the dampening space between them. Delighting in the way the blonde's dazed demeanor worsened. "How would such a pretty girl help against slavers?"
Emma was too distracted by the seductiveness to be bothered by the beauty's insinuation that she was a simple girl and too pretty to know a sword from a dagger. There was that voice at the back of her mind, the one filled with cocky swagger, which forced its way into the crackling air between them. "Looks can be deceiving."
Regina nearly smirked at the blonde's statement. The truth of it was simply amusing. She couldn't taper down the throaty, amused laugh that escaped her or the playful almost challenging words at the tip of her tongue. "Is that so?"
Emma raised her chin and placed her hands on her hips in a show of confidence and bravado. She had to assure the brunette that she could help. She wanted to help her any way she could. "My traveling companions and I will help you track these slavers."
At the display Regina moved even closer and closer still. Until Emma found her lower back against the post her horse was tied to. Dark brown eyes drawing Emma in completely. The brunette's wicked amusement nearly reached its peak as she watched those blue green eyes shift to her full red painted lips. "How can I ever find a way to express my gratitude."
The blonde swallowed loudly at the suggestive comment. Her head going even fuzzier. She could think of more than a few ways.
"Mills?" The gruff voice interrupted their exchange. A dark haired man fitted in full armor, a long cape, and a stoic expression appearing before them. His dark, unreadable gaze shifted coolly between Emma and Regina. Took in their strange closeness and the annoyed glare Regina was throwing his way. It seemed the bossy little princess in hiding had decided to go along with the plan he wasn't completely on board with. "There you are. It's time for us to go."
Regina had taken up the name Mills not long after she ran away. She couldn't very well introduce herself as Regina when a princess of the same name was missing. Before her mother became Queen she was a millers daughter with the surname of Mills. Regina thought it fitting. Mills' adventures were widely known throughout the lands. Had her mother connected that the elusive Mills and the missing Princess Regina were one in the same it wouldn't be so difficult to find her runaway daughter. Then again, her mother would never believe for a single moment that Regina would be traipsing about the lands, living the life of a fugitive.
"Ping," She addressed the displeased warrior, saccharine sweet voice not matching the wicked look in her eyes. "This lovely woman has offered to help us rescue Rose."
A hint of a frown tugged at Ping's lips, his dark brows narrowing and nostrils flaring slightly at the information. Emma noticed the upset look on the warrior's face. She assumed it had to do with the mention of his missing fiancée and stepped forward. Determination set in her vibrant green eyes. "I swear I will do everything in my power to help you find your fiancée. You have my word."
'Foolish girl.' Regina could only smirk as Emma vowed to help. Her plans were coming along very nicely.
PRESENT DAY
Ping watched on stoically as the slavers shoved August and Sir Kay into a shared cage. He took in to the mirthful expression across August's face and the murderous one upon the knight's. Though the warrior's features remained blank, a hint of worry crept into his voice. "Are you certain we should have withheld our plans from the knight?"
Emma smirked with obvious pleasure at the sour look on the knight's face. When it was suggested that a portion of their party be captured so they could locate the slaver camp and infiltrate it from within, she immediately offered the knight up. Sir Helpful was just asking for it with his snide comments and his clear dislike of being ordered under her command. "You think he would've willingly went along with it?"
Regina scoffed, throwing Emma an amused look before settling Ping with a pointed brow. "The boy in knight's clothing would have volunteered Emma and I as captives."
Ping glanced between Emma and Regina, taking note of their mirrored expressions set somewhere between irritation and mirth. "Yes, I can see that conversation would have ended terribly for the knight."
They continued to watch the slavers camp. Taking mental note of the layout and scouring the camp for Rose's location. Ping spotted her almost instantly, a hint of a frown tugging at his lips at the sight of her. He pointed to the cage his fiancée was trapped within. The cage his fiancée was cuffed, gagged, and pouting within.
"There's my..." He had to fight the urge to scowl at Regina as he forced the word from his throat like bile. "Fiancée."
Emma turned her gaze to the caged woman Ping was pointing at. Her green eyes took in the petite brunette clothed in a dress befitting nobility and widened considerably. Rose's hands were cuffed together and her mouth gagged tightly with what looked to be a shrewd piece of torn fabric. What had Emma quirking a brow, an unsettled feeling stirring in her gut, was what the caged woman was doing. She looked to be alternating between angrily pacing the cage, banging on the metal bars with her cuffs, gesturing wildly at whoever passed, and trying to speak past the cloth tied around her mouth. Emma forced a smile, her gaze never leaving the seemingly crazed and now frantically gesturing brunette. She was pretty sure slavers didn't usually GAG their captives.
"She's, um... cute." In a rabid squirrel stuck in a cage sort of way but Emma knew better than to say that about someone's fiancée. Her manners weren't that lacking.
The warrior only managed a tight lipped half grimace, the closest thing to a smile Emma had ever seen on his face. "Rose is really something."
Regina had to fight to keep her amusement at bay, stifling the merciless cackles struggling to leave her. She forced her attention back to the task at hand. The Champion had kept her promise to help them find Rose and it was now time for Regina to collect what she'd really been searching for. "What now, Emma?"
"Now," Emma stood and unsheathed her sword, offering her companions a bright grin. "We save Ping's fiancée."