Sometimes the most monumentous days start no differently than the rest, and so it was on this day at the royal palace. Snow and Charming had taken to the library, as was their daily habit, to enjoy some morning reading. Sitting with their backs to the massive oak bookcases, they had settled side by side in lounge chairs, enjoying each others' quiet company. Merely twenty minutes into their respite, a knock came at the door, disrupting their peaceful morning routine.
"Your Highnesses?" a voice sounded, the door sliding open a crack to reveal a royal messenger. "There is a visitor here to see you."
Snow's focus remained on her book as she replied. "We're otherwise engaged at the moment. Please let them know they'll need an appointment."
There was a pause before the servant answered. "He says it is urgent."
"Then you may pass a message on to one of our advisors. They can handle it."
"The visitor demands to speak directly with you. He said that I should tell you his name is..." The messenger hesitated, dread filling his eyes before he gulped and continued in a whisper, "Rumplestiltskin."
The princess' eyes lifted from her reading at this. "Please show him to the parlor. We'll be down momentarily." Her reply was delivered in a well-practiced calm, perfected after ruling through two decades of crises, and she was careful not to visibly react despite the concern that had sprung up and twisted her stomach into knots. Certainly she understood the servant's dread, as the princess had never known a visit of Rumplestiltskin's to foretell any sort of pleasantness, and even her persistent optimism did not allow the possibility that this visit might be any different.
The servant gave a nod and allowed the door to the library to swing shut as he retreated. Once the door was firmly closed, Snow's gaze shifted to her husband. "Rumplestiltskin... What do you think that he wants?"
Charming locked eyes with her, no hint of a smile visible and Snow knew instantly that he was in agreement with her about the severity of the situation. "I have an idea," he said in a low voice, "but I certainly hope that I'm wrong."
Though it had been over a decade since they'd discussed the deal that they had made with the sorcerer, they were both well-aware of the stakes as Emma's birthday neared. Once their daughter became old enough to understand such things, Charming had convinced Snow there was no use in fretting over what they couldn't control, and as such they came to an agreement to put it out of their minds and live their lives without the constant dread of the visit they knew would one day come. Though both hoped that they were wrong, the timing of the sorcerer's arrival left them hard-pressed to find another reason for his sudden appearance.
"She comes of age tomorrow..." Snow said quietly, and as her husband held her gaze, he could see the fear seeping into her eyes.
"I know," the prince replied, mirroring her concern. "Let's just hope he doesn't."
Rumplestiltskin sat in a high backed chair near the fireplace, dark woods and rich fabrics surrounding him as he waited in the parlor that the royals reserved for entertaining their most important guests. He fidgeted idly with his fingers, eager to get the show underway. His eyes lit upon the doorway as he heard approaching footsteps, watching with mild amusement as the prince swept into the room, finding his assertive demeanor ironic in light of the impending conversation.
Charming's eyes showed no light as they landed on his long-time adversary. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"
"Ah, the Prince has arrived," came the reply, the elder man expertly avoiding the question.
"We did not have a choice, now did we?" replied Snow as she entered mere steps behind her husband.
"I suppose not," Rumplestiltskin conceded. "I do pride myself on being a rather commanding presence. As for the subject matter of my visit - I do believe tomorrow is the princess' birthday, is it not?"
"It is," replied her mother. "She'll be of age." A pause and then, "Is that to what we owe this visit?"
The sorcerer smiled, feigning innocence as a contrast to his words. "Well, dearie... what do you think?" He paused before continuing, watching the royal couple lock eyes in lieu of responding. "I do believe we had a deal."
The prince broke his wife's gaze to step towards Rumplestiltskin. "You cannot seriously mean to collect on that!"
"Yes well... generally if I make a deal, then I do indeed do mean to collect on it," he replied with a giggle. "As it happens, I do believe I was promised your daughter's hand in marriage." Seeing the rage rise in the prince's eyes, he held a hand up in defense, ducking his head slightly as he amended his statement. "All right, all right, rather I was promised the choice of to whom your daughter's hand would be given... certainly I have no need for it myself."
"And have you made such a choice?" Charming asked, his eyes growing wide.
"Indeed I have."
"Emma will never agree to it," he replied defiantly, squaring his shoulders as he readied for the battle ahead.
"Has she been left unaware of our agreement?!" the sorcerer exclaimed, his displeasure clear.
Despite her best efforts, Snow blushed a bit under the admonishment. "Yes, we-"
"We never saw it fit to tell her," Charming interrupted before Snow resumed pleading her case.
"We believed you'd relent-"
Rumpelstiltskin let out a high-pitched giggle, fairly dancing in his place in excitement. "You expected me to relent on a deal? My, we really have not seen much of each other lately, have we."
"We expected that you could not possibly be so cruel as to expect a mere child to marry a stranger," snapped the prince.
"But that is how it is done in this land, is not not? Marriages for political alliance, marriages for financial gain - or have we forgotten dear Abigail already?"
"Yet Abigail and I both ultimately married our true loves," the prince fired back.
"Ah, yet dear Princess Emma will not be so lucky. Perhaps love will follow the marriage?"
"Doubtful."
"Well if your daughter refuses to make good on the deal..." Rumplestiltskin trailed off, punctuating his statement with a giggle to highlight the threat that had been evident in his voice.
"Our daughter will do what is in the best interests of the kingdom," Charming replied.
"Is there something that can be offered to you in exchange for leaving this decision in Emma's hands?" Snow asked, speaking softly in hopes that she might appeal to the sorcerer's penchant for bargaining.
"Of course," he replied, a dangerous glint in his eye. "I'd gladly take your heads on a platter."
"You'd sooner punish a mere child than allow us to amend the deal?" Charming replied, stepping towards Rumplestiltskin as his temper flared again.
The Dark One rose to his feet and stared back, unblinking. "This deal was not at an insignificant price. You've had eighteen years with your daughter that you would not have had otherwise. Or have you forgotten the consequence of the Dark Curse?"
"But you were able to avoid the curse - it is no longer a threat," the prince growled.
"But all magic comes with a price, dearie, and the magic I employed in subverting the curse was not insignificant."
"So the price..."
"Remains Emma's hand, or your lives. Your choice!"
Snow and Charming exchanged a glance, decades of shared decisions lending the ability to communicate without words as they silently agreed upon what they needed to do. "Colleen?" Snow called, stepping into the hall to hail the servant. "Can you call Emma in, please?"
"Certainly, m'lady," the maid agreed.
Several minutes ticked past with the room's occupants in silent deadlock until the young princess appeared in the room. She scooted in through the rear door, the one which that backed up to the family's quarters, rather than the main one used by those who might be arriving to seek the counsel of the royal family. "Yes Mama? Daddy?"
"Emma..." Snow began, "We would like you to meet an... acquaintance of ours. Rumplestiltskin."
"Pleased to meet you, sir," she replied demurely, cautiously, as the man's reputation preceded him.
"Emma, Rumplestiltskin has come to collect on a debt we owe him, payment for a service he provided to us many years ago."
"A debt?"
"Indeed."
Emma looked between her parents, puzzled at her inclusion in this discussion. "What sort of debt? Is there something that you need from me in particular? Cannot this debt be repaid with gold, with livestock..."
"It is not that sort of debt, dear Emma." Snow faltered, pausing in her explanation as she debated the least damaging way to reveal the situation to her beloved daughter. "Many years ago, your father and I were faced with a desperate, impossible choice. In order to save you, in order to save the kingdom, we made a promise that Rumplestiltskin could arrange your marriage."
Emma stared at them, speechless, several moments ticking past before she was able to manage even the simplest of replies. "You... what?"
"Please don't be angry, Emma. Just hear your mother out," her father asked, pleading.
Her father's pleas had exactly the opposite effect as he'd hoped, as Emma's temper came charging in with abandon. "You promised me away in marriage, never consulted me on the matter, and you want me to not be angry?"
"The alternative-"
"The alternative should have been to advise me that you'd bartered away my life!"
"Emma, we didn't-"
"Didn't you?" She cut her father off once again. "I am quite certain that we are standing here with this strange man insisting he arrange my marriage, are we not?"
Her parents did not argue or affirm, but simply dropped their gazes as Emma turned to address their guest. "Have you chosen a suitor for me already?" she asked. "I'm not yet of age!"
"But in a day's time, you will be," he responded, an air of smugness surrounding him.
"You didn't answer my question," she replied, anger bubbling over as she advanced towards the sorcerer.
"Well of course I have," he replied flippantly. "Why else would I be here, if not to collect on the deal?"
Emma willed away her nerves and drew on her anger as she replied through clenched teeth. "And who, pray tell, have you arranged for me to marry?"
"Nothing but the finest for you, dear princess - I have decided are you to marry my son!" he exclaimed with a flourish.
Snow and Charming gaped at this, astonished not only at Rumplestiltskin's choice but the familial revelation it contained. Emma, meanwhile, was too angry at the entire concept to form words, narrowing her eyes and gritting her teeth as she struggled to pull in a breath and ease it out slowly - an attempt to keep her temper in check. It was Snow who regained her composure first, addressing him with the only thought she could formulate into a coherent sentence. "I didn't know you had a son."
"Most don't," he replied with annoyance. "I've had a life outside of being the Dark One, you know."
Emma finally regained her voice and began lashing out once again. "I have heard tales of your dealings, Dark One, and I can only imagine the horrors you've passed on to a child. I cannot imagine any leverage causing me to concede that union."
"Not even your parents' lives?"
"You wouldn't," she said, glowering.
"Ah ah, it's in the contract, dearie," he replied, producing it from thin air and watching her horrified expression with amusement as it unfurled in front of her. "My terms were quite clear."
She locked eyes with him in defiance, searching for any sign of a bluff but she found none. Without releasing his gaze, she spoke again through clenched jaw, "There must be another way."
"Well dearie, I've provided you with two, I don't see any use wasting my energy in finding a third."
She closed her eyes and drew a breath in through her nose, mind running wild as she searched for a way out of the situation. Stalling for time, she steadied herself as she pushed the breath back out and forced her eyes open, asking, "Why don't you tell me about your son, then."
"Bae was... lost to me for a time. He has returned but seems unhappy with his lot in life. I suspect that providing him with a wife will improve his disposition."
"You expect wedding him to a perfect stranger will make him content with his situation? Certainly you must be kidding. "
"On the contrary, Princess," he sneered. "'Kidding' is not a thing that I do. Bae is lonely, in need of companionship, and you'll do nicely."
Emma cast a glance at her parents, hoping that they would send her a signal or come to her rescue in some manner, but instead she found them looking back at her with apologies in their eyes. In that moment she had the horrifying realization that her parents had resigned themselves to following through with the arrangement they'd made so long ago, leaving her in this fight on her own. Involuntarily, she gave a hard swallow before shifting her eyes back to meet the inhuman ones that were staring her down. Scrambling to keep her footing in the conversation, she tried yet another tack. "Am I at least permitted to meet this person I'm expected to marry?"
"Certainly," the sorcerer replied, his reaction to her request surprisingly reasonable and without snark. "Baelfire," he called, "Please come meet your bride!"
Emma saw a boy of about her age reluctantly round the corner, presumably having been asked by his father to wait in the hall. She regarded him warily; at first blush there did not appear to be anything untoward about him, though you never could tell. He was a touch taller than her, wavy brown hair, dressed in respectable clothing with his nerves plastered all over his face. His eyes met hers and he tossed her a shy smile, receiving little more than a scowl for his efforts.
"Hello," the boy greeted her cordially. "I'm Baelfire. Bae, if you will. Pleased to meet you."
"Truly wish I could say the same, sir," Emma replied curtly.
Bae opened his mouth and closed it a couple of times, unsure how to deal with such rudeness coming from the blonde standing in front of him. Finally he settled on an apology. "I'm terribly sorry, princess, to have upset you so."
"You're sorry for upsetting me? What sort of reaction did you expect, marching into my home and demanding my hand in marriage?"
"Don't pay Emma any mind," Snow interjected, finally finding her voice in her desperation to save the meeting. "She's just in a bit of shock. We all are, to be honest. I'm sure you can understand."
"Certainly, m'lady," he replied with a bow. "Unfortunately I've found that my father tends to have that effect on people."
"Please, call me Snow. It seems we're to be family, no need for formalities."
Bae merely nodded, deference to the royal leaders a long-instilled habit. Emma, for her part, sneered at the conversation and - despite her earlier revelation - attempted to appeal to her parents once more. "Am I truly expected to marry this boy? I don't even know him! For all I know, he could be a deviant!"
He bristled a bit at this, the gracious shell fading slightly as he fed off of her impertinent attitude. "I could be a deviant? With all due respect, m'lady, am I to assume that you are pure of heart simply because you are a princess? Which is it that you object to, the fact that I am merely a spinner's son, or the son of the Dark One?"
Emma's eyes grew wide, unaccustomed to having someone match her sharp tongue. Before she could fire back another barb, her father stepped forward and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "Perhaps this discussion would best be shelved for the moment, to allow our young people their rest. We can reconvene in a while, after some supper?"
"Yes, it seems that would be wise," Rumplestiltskin agreed.
"You and your son are welcome to visit the garden, and I will have Colleen make up a chamber for you to relax in. Supper will be in ninety minutes," the prince offered.
"Thank you, sir," Bae replied.
Once they reached the garden, Bae again attempted to appeal to his father. "Papa, truly there must be a way around this, something not requiring me to marry this girl!"
"Baelfire," his father growled, "We have been over this. The deal must be fulfilled. Nobody breaks deals with me!"
"PAPA!" he hollered back. "This is absurd! You heard her in there - she is utterly spoiled, she has a terrible temper - and furthermore she dreads the idea of being wed to a stranger! What kind of life do you think we will have together?"
"A life where you will be respected, where you can be prince of this land instead of being the disrespected son of a cowardly spinner, or feared because you are the son of the Dark One."
"But I do not want to be a prince!" he protested. "And I do not want to marry a girl who does not want to marry me!"
Rumplestiltskin let his son's protests roll off of his back, shrugging his shoulders as he continued to press his point. "Ah, but Bae, princeship is what you deserve, and as your father it's my job to make sure you get what you deserve out of life."
"But I do not want it, Papa. I do not want that marriage and I do not want that life!" He stepped towards his father, placing a hand on his arm as he dropped his voice. "Please - let's return home to your castle and leave this family to their devices."
"Bae," he replied, a threat brewing just below his eerily calm surface, "We will not depart without the deal being fulfilled. You will marry the princess, and she will be accompanying us when we return home."
"Papa!"
"Enough!" Rumplestiltskin roared, causing Bae to jump back in shock at the sudden swing in his attitude. "You will see this through and in time, you will see that I have done this for you."
"I shall never, never see that. You have not committed this atrocity for me - it has been done only for the benefit you seek for yourself."
"Emma," Snow began, pleading with her daughter as she watched her pacing furiously in the parlor.
"What?" Emma replied, visibly seething.
"Just let us explain-"
At that, Emma's anger boiled over. "Explain that you sold me away like some sort of cattle, that you expect me to marry a total stranger, that my choice in the matter is not a choice at all? Explain how not for a moment did you jump to my defense? Explain how for eighteen years you never once mentioned this was to be my fate?"
"This was to save you, Emma, from a fate far worse. To save our kingdom, to save-"
"Well," she said bitterly, cutting her mother off, "Now it is to save yourselves."
"Emma," Snow said softly as she advanced towards her daughter, placing a hand on her arm, pleading evident in her tone of voice. "Emma, please. You have to understand the position we were in."
"What I understand is the position that I am now in. In less than a day, I will be ripped from my life, married to someone who is not only a stranger but the son of the Dark One, and carted away to someone else's home to live as they will for me. I don't know what worse fate you were saving me from, but I am hard pressed to imagine a fate worse than that."
With that, Emma turned on her heel and fled the room, ignoring the cries of her parents as they echoed behind her as she dashed down the hall.
Keep your chin up, breathe deep, don't cry, Emma - don't cry! - chin up, breathe, don't cry, chin up, breathe, don't cry, she repeated to herself, over and over, the words in her head chanting to the rhythm of her hurried steps as she walked as quickly as she could without arousing the suspicion of the staff. She ducked into a side corridor, years of using the castle as her own personal maze and playground finally proving themselves useful as she took a circuitous route to her chamber in hopes of eluding her mother's pursuit. Emma knew that Snow would be on her heels, trying to smooth the situation over as she always did - and usually she was successful. But this time was different, Emma knew, not some tiff about social engagements or her responsibilities as a member of the royal family. As she rounded the final corner to her chamber, she checked to ensure the hallway was clear before darting down it and into the room she'd had since she was a tiny child, swinging the heavy door shut behind her and sliding the lock into place.
Finally assured of being alone, she curled onto her bed and allowed herself the luxury of a few stray tears escaping from the corners of her eyes and sliding onto her pillow. Being a strong-willed child of strong-willed parents, arguing with them was something that was not foreign to her - but the one thing they'd always offered to her was honesty, and she'd grown up feeling that she could trust them implicitly. Finding out that they'd kept this secret from her for her entire life was a betrayal of enormous magnitude, making her question the very foundation of that relationship. Shattered was the only word that came to mind, as if her entire world had crumbled in the course of a single conversation, and she wasn't sure how the pieces could ever be restructured into what they'd been before.
It wasn't the fact that she'd have an arranged marriage that bothered her, per se. Certainly, she was raised understanding that she had responsibilities to the kingdom and to the royal line, but she'd also been raised knowing that her parents had married for love and that they'd had the same hopes for her. She'd expected that should a different situation arise, should a political marriage become necessary, she'd at least have some time to become acquainted with her betrothed before the wedding date - at a minimum, to be able to ensure that he was not entirely boorish or ill-tempered. The fact that such an arrangement had never been a possibility, to know that her parents had known it would never happen and yet they had not seen fit to prepare her for the eventuality of what was to come ate at her very soul.
Those thoughts swirled around and around until another one rose to take its place, this one the full weight of what her next days were to be. This would be her last night in her home - the place she'd lived her entire life - and tomorrow would bring a new and terrifying frontier. She'd be spirited away to live with strangers, utterly alone and at their mercy, and that thought was almost paralyzing. She'd go, without question, to spare her parents' lives, but the reality of the situation brought a fresh round of tears to her eyes.
A knock at the door startled Emma from her thoughts, though it shouldn't have been particularly surprising - she'd known her mother would find her sooner rather than later. "Go away," she called, voice muffled by the bedding that surrounded her face but still audible through the door.
"Emma-"
"Go away!" she yelled, lifting her head and fighting back the sobs that rose suddenly and threatened to burst forth at the sound of her mother's voice. After all, what was one to do when the person most able to provide them comfort was a primary source of their heartache?
"Emma, please-"
"GO AWAY!" she screamed, sitting up as her emotions finally burst forth and she dissolved into sobs, the gravity of the situation sinking in. Emma was vaguely aware of her mother's quiet cries through the door before she heard the sound of her footsteps retreating, but she couldn't bring herself to rise and stop her. Instead she resumed her tightly curled position on top of her duvet, arms clutching the pillow that was absorbing her tears as she cried out her frustration, fear and the feelings of betrayal that dwarfed it all.
It wasn't long after that encounter that the appointed time for dinner arose, and the prince and princess entered the dining hall with heavy hearts. Snow had taken a few minutes to freshen up after her crying jag, determined to present a strong front to their visitors.
"Where is the princess?" Rumplestiltskin asked, clearly deriving some sort of twisted pleasure from watching the small family crumble.
"She won't be joining us this evening," Snow replied, chin lifted as she dared the sorcerer to defy her.
"You'll allow her to sulk in her room instead of getting to know her betrothed?" he needled.
"You leave her alone," Charming interjected. "You may decide her fate tomorrow, but tonight she is still our daughter and we will parent as her we see fit. Emma needs some space to process all that has happened and we shall allow her to have it."
Rumplestiltskin stared him down for a long moment before finally producing a curt nod. "Very well," he replied. "Baelfire, have a seat, please."
The boy did as was requested. The prince seated himself at the head of the table, as was customary, with his wife to his right. Across from her was their daughter's young suitor, wide-eyed and uncertain as he sat trapped between his own father and the one he was slated to acquire. The table stretched on down beyond them, far too large for a party of this size, but Snow and Charming had agreed that dining in the nook where the family typically took their meals was out of the question. The intrusion on the family's safe space was simply too much to endure at the moment.
"Bae, is it?" the prince asked, addressing the young man as dinner was placed before the foursome.
Bae nodded, eyes trained respectfully on the prince. "Short for Baelfire."
"A most unusual name," the prince replied, searching for things to discuss with the boy as he attempted to evaluate him, to determine if he was a threat to his daughter before allowing the union to occur.
"My mother chose it," Bae replied.
"And where is she?" Snow asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Dead," came the reply, delivered coarsely as only Rumplestiltskin could. Bae shot a glare at him, causing Snow and Charming to exchange a look as they wondered about the background of the strained father-son relationship.
"I'm so sorry," Snow replied, eyes fixed on Bae as she tried to glean more information about him. "I, too, lost my mother at a young age."
Bae nodded, accepting her condolences. "It was just Papa and I growing up, until-" He cut himself off, glancing up at his father and giving a shake of his head. "Well, I suppose it doesn't much matter now."
"We'd like to get to know you, Bae," Charming offered again. "You'll be marrying our daughter, which means you'll be family. And family is the most important thing to Snow and I." Bae nodded again, indicating his understanding even as he remained quiet. The prince continued with his line of questioning by asking, "What can you tell us about yourself? Do you have a trade? Hobbies, interests..."
Bae furrowed his brow as he considered. "I draw a bit, I enjoy reading..." He sent a bitter look towards his father. "I don't get out much, to be honest."
"Bae's a lovely boy," Rumplestiltskin offered up. "I think you'll find Emma to be quite happy with him. The arrangement was for her to marry a good man, and Bae is just that. He won't hurt your daughter, of that you have my word - for what little it's worth. He's a far better son than I deserve."
Snow and Charming exchanged another glance, neither responding to the endorsement. Bae sat uncomfortably as they turned their focus back onto him, intending to resume their interrogation, when instead the dining room door opened. The table went silent, all eyes falling on the young bride-to-be as she entered the hall.
Wordlessly, Emma's eyes darted about the table, finding Bae in her normal spot. Three times she circled the group with her eyes, trying to decide which seating position was the least threatening before finally settling on the seat next to her mother. Barely a minute after she was seated, a plate was surreptitiously placed in front of her and she began to eat quietly, failing to offer a greeting or acknowledgement to any of her tablemates. Finally, Rumplestiltskin was the one to break the silence, eyes fixed on the table's newest arrival.
"Any requests for your wedding, then? I think noon will do nicely as a start time."
Emma slowly looked up at him as she lowered her fork, drawing her shoulders back and folding her hands into her lap. Was this man out of his mind? "Are you truly asking me if I have requests for the wedding I am being forced into?"
"Well I thought that perhaps you'd enjoy having a say in some aspects of the ceremony, but it appears I was mistaken." Looking at his son, he continued. "Bae? Any suggestions?"
Bae merely stared back, his usual emotion of incredulousness at his father's actions rising to the surface, and blinked as Rumplestiltskin shifted his focus once again, this time landing on the prince and princess to his right. "I trust that you have someone on staff authorized to perform weddings, do you not?"
"We do," Snow replied quietly.
"Very well then. We will convene in the great hall at noon. Ensure that Emma has her trunk packed beforehand, we'll begin the journey home directly after the ceremony."
"You'll do no such thing," Charming growled, nearly knocking his chair over as he jumped to his feet.
Rumplestiltskin lounged back in his chair. "Calm yourself! I've already told you, no harm will come to your daughter. Did you really think she'd continue to live at home, stay here with Mommy and Daddy, after being married? You know just as well as I do that it's customary in this land for brides to go with their grooms, and Emma will be doing exactly that." Observing the prince's still-stormy disposition and flaring nostrils, the sorcerer continued. "It's not me that she is marrying, and it's not me she will be coming with. I have no plans to interfere in this relationship, and I am not spiriting your daughter away, merely taking her with her husband to their new home. Surely you can appreciate that this is an expected effect of a marriage!"
"He's right, Charming," Snow offered, to the surprise of all present. "If she's to marry this boy, she needs to go with him. Her place will be by his side."
Her husband blinked at her, and she looked around the table to find four sets of eyes fixated on her. "You're in support of this?" he asked.
"If we've no choice but to let the wedding proceed, the best thing we can do is let Emma try to forge a life with him."
"Even your wife is in agreement," Rumplestiltskin addressed the angry father. "Settle down and finish your supper." As he found his seat, the sorcerer continued. "Bae and I are finished here, we'll leave the three of you to eat your meals in peace. We'll see you tomorrow at noon."
Much later, after the sun had set, she'd seen to the comfort of their guests and checked on their daughter, Snow crawled into bed next to her husband. She could tell by his breathing that he'd not yet fallen asleep, and she laid her head on his shoulder, pressing a comforting kiss to his cheek before he broke the silence.
"Do you think we did the right thing?" he asked, voice soft and contemplative.
She thought for a minute, considering the best way to answer the question she'd asked herself countless times that day. "I don't think we were left with a choice. We made this decision long ago, Charming, we have to trust that it was the right one."
The pillowcase crackled as the prince shook his head, shrouded in self-doubt. "Do you really think it was, though? To allow her to be carted off to that monster's home... it just feels like we've traded our daughter's life for our own, or for the well-being of our kingdom. The burden we've put on her is enormous." He sighed. "I just want Emma to be happy."
"Charming..." Snow matched his sigh, struggling to express the multitude of feelings she had on the subject. "I want the same for her, you know that I do. I just don't know that second guessing ourselves is the best way to help her achieve that. It's impossible to know what her life would have looked like if we'd made a different decision. As terrible as things look right now... if we hadn't made this deal, there's no telling how she'd be, where she'd be, on the eve of her 18th birthday. Perhaps it would be a better situation than this, but the possibility exists that it would be worse. She would have grown up in a foreign land without us, without anyone. What type of person would she be? What type of life would she lead? We have no way of knowing if the choices she'd be forced to make in that life might be worse than the choices that have been made in this one. I have to have faith that we've done the best we could by her, given her her best chance. And right now that means standing by her, supporting her however we can as she sets off on this new chapter."
"How do we do that, though? She won't be here for us to support her."
She rolled over to look at him, catching his gaze in the dim moonlight as she sent him a gentle smile. "She'll still be around, she'll still come to visit us. It won't be the same, and I worry for her happiness, but I don't think this Bae will hurt her. Rumplestiltskin is a complicated man, but he's given his word that he won't interfere after the marriage. I have to believe that to be true. We've no option but to let her go, and I can't live in fear for her. She'll always be our little girl, but the time has come to let her live out her life as we've raised her to do."
"We didn't prepare her for this, though. She's been raised to rule a kingdom, not to play hostage to a deranged sorcerer."
"And she shall rule the kingdom, dear, some day. Give them some time to settle in and we can talk about those expectations once things have normalized again."
He sighed once more. "I thought these times were behind us, that we were living our happily ever after."
"And I have faith that we shall yet. Emma will find her way in this, of that I am certain."
A/N - Thanks for the great reception to this story - it is (obviously) quite a bit different than Bent, but I am really enjoying it and I hope you all do, too! Please be patient with me; the first few updates will be a bit slower in posting but you have my word that I won't abandon ship and it should pick up after that!
Continued thanks to textbookone for serving as my faithful beta. You know I couldn't do it without you! :)