Thank for the support, guys! I'm sorry I haven't answered your reviews, but it's that or writing :P
Mulan informed the King of Emma's stunt and its consequences. The soldier had ridden to the castle bringing the news as soon as she and her wife had stabilized the knight's health. The King didn't take the aggression lightly, nor did David, but the ruler forbade David to do something about it because of his status as the heir to the throne. The king told his son that revenge was not the solution.
Thoroughly discussed with his most loyal advisors, the King decided to let Emma rest under Mulan's care, far away from the eyes of other soldiers who might be harder to control than David. Emma had scoffed at the decree, knowing that her uncle's move had more economical reasons than peacekeeping. But, other than that, she didn't really care.
After the flame of her romance with Regina had fizzled out, Emma was left with nothing but ashes. A great deal of her time was spent sitting outside in the rocking chair that Mulan and Ruby had on their porch, gazing out in the distance and playing with the Star Tear that she now wore around her neck.
The times when she wasn't looking out at the horizon, Emma was working on her sword fighting techniques. Her practices with Mulan were the only escape she had from reality. She didn't have nightmares, but her hosts often heard the several nights where she would cry herself to sleep.
Mulan and Ruby were worried about their friend. Emma was with them in body, but her mind was realms away. The married couple had started to wonder when would be the day where they would see a smile on Emma's face.
Time passed. And days turned into weeks, weeks into months. Even the wounds from the whip lashes faded away to healed scars before they saw a tiny smile on Emma's face.
The Swans kept Emma informed with the Kingdom's news by sending a messenger every seventh day. David sometimes visited her, too, but the ever-growing rumors of the Dark One's return kept him away for longer than he wanted to be.
Most of the time, the news was banal; most reports were of gossip and repetitive hearsay of the Dark One's return. If Regina had wed, no one in the kingdom had heard anything about it. In fact, no one had heard from Regina since the night of Emma's attack.
One day, Victor and Jefferson, two of Emma's cousins, came by the cottage unannounced. Emma had heard their gallop during her daily workout and stiffened up. She prepared to defend herself if needed. When she realized who the visitors were, she dropped her sword and ran to up to them. She missed them terribly.
"Emma!" Victor was the first one to jump from his horse and embrace her in a crushing hug, "How have I missed you!"
"Not enough to visit," Emma managed to say as he released her.
"That's not fair, Em," Jefferson said, hugging her as well, "Uncle has had us riding all over the whole kingdom. I've barely seen my wife and little Grace."
"Why do people start these rumors? Do they like living in fear?" Emma threw her hands in the air.
"Because, behind every rumor, there's a sliver of truth," Victor pointed out.
Emma paled a tone at her cousin's statement, "Are you saying…?"
"Why don't we sit? We have some news for you."
The interior of Mulan and Ruby's house was not large, but they all fit comfortably around the fireplace. Jefferson let the sounds of the crackling firewood fill the room for a moment before he broke the silence.
"So, which news do you want to hear first? The bad, the worse, or the worst?"
"Did Regina marry?" Emma asked, because, by now, everyone knew about the failed romance between the Swan knight and the Mills Heir. Some people had even sang and written songs and poems of the tragic romance.
"Uh… not that we know of, Emma," Victor shook his head, "But, I don't think Cora would have allowed a small wedding. She would have gone for the lavish and extravagant wedding"
"So…" Jefferson tapped his knees with his fingers, "What will it be?"
"Start with the worst."
"The rumors about the Dark One are real. Trustworthy soldiers have spotted him lurking around in areas in both Mills' territories and ours. We're preparing for war."
"Baby Hercules and all the gods!" Ruby exclaimed and covered her mouth. They had grown up with tales and the histories of the last war.
"I hope I will deliver the final blow with my sword going through that savage's gut," Emma gritted out.
Her father had died in the last battle against the Dark One. He sacrificed himself for the kingdoms. Emma had been just a baby when it all happened, but she learned about the heroic act through stories from her mother and people who served with her father.
The Dark One had grabbed her father, hoping to use him as a human shield against the other soldiers. Without other options available, her father decided to plunge his sword into his gut, while piercing the Dark One's front, and slicing their stomachs horizontally.
Emma came into not just his sword, but also his courage.
"What else?"
"David is getting married," Victor blurted and Jefferson glared at him for his lack of tact, "To Snow White. The wedding is in two days' time."
Emma let out a barely inaudible "oh" before she stood up and walked towards the kitchen. She was glad to see dirty dishes in the sink and busied herself with cleaning the dirty dishes. It wasn't common to have a sink full of dishes since Ruby did the dishwashing chore, but Emma was glad for the distraction. She learned a while ago that washing dishes calmed her.
"Are you angry?" she heard Ruby ask.
"No," Emma replied, "I mean, if roles were reversed and I was in the same situation, I'd do the same. The houses will be united and the army against the Dark One will be stronger. It is logical."
"If it's logical, then, why are you scrubbing that plate to oblivion? Is there more to it?"
"I just can't help but wonder why he is good enough for them and I am not?" the blonde confessed with tears running down her cheeks, "Is it because I'm not the heir? Or because I'm not a man?" The dish slipped from her hands and broke into pieces when it shattered in the sink. "Why am I not enough?"
"You are, Emma," Ruby took Emma's hands and guided her away from the broken plate, "You are the bravest, strongest, most loyal person I've ever met. And, if the Mills couldn't see that, well, screw them. It's their loss."
"I loved her so much," Emma said between sobs, "I really thought she was the one."
"I know, Em," the brunette said as she pulled Emma into a hug and brushed her hair away. "I know."
It took a while for Emma to calm down. When she settled down, she returned to the living room, where Victor and Jefferson were still waiting for her to give her the last bit of the bad news.
"What else did you need to tell me?"
Victor nervously scratched his neck, "You're not going to like this one."
"I didn't like the other parts of the news. C'mon! Out with it, Victor!" Emma arched an eyebrow.
"Regina arrived this morning for the wedding."
Notes: though technically not the same, Emma's father's death was inspired by the Seppuku ritual which was performed by the Samurai.