A/N: I'm sorry it took me a bit longer than usual to publish this next part, but my job has been a bit more demanding than usual. I hope you enjoy this installment and know that every follow, fav or review is much appreciated and means a lot to me.
The atmosphere on the ship is rather gloomy when Killian comes to his senses the next morning, the heavy clouds coating the skies making everything just a bit more somber. The crew is silent as he clambers up on deck, and they're quick to scramble out of his way once they see him.
Killian frowns and sweeps his gaze across the deck in search of his first mate. He finds Jamison by the helm and when their eyes lock, the man swallows then lowers his eyes. It makes Killian instantly alert and more than a bit worried that something might have happened to the princess the night before. In five long strides he's by the helm, coat billowing ominously behind him. He stops in front of Jamison, barking in distress: "Did something happen to the princess?"
Jamison looks up startled at the question. "What? No! She's still in your quarters, unharmed."
It takes a few seconds for the meaning of the words to sink into Killian's mind and when it does, he bursts into nervous laughter. "Then by the gods, why are you all so glum?"
"I didn't get to speak with her, Sir. Henry was the only one to see and talk to her." Jamison explains.
Killian frowns again. He would have preferred it if Jamison were the first to talk to the Princess, for him to be the one to explain things to her, and make as good a first impression as possible given the circumstances. It's not that he doesn't trust Henry, he does - until recently, the boy had been the only one on his ship he'd trusted implicitly. Although he'd started to re-evaluate his life and priorities after being cursed and recent events had earned Jamison a place amongst his trusted crewmates. The only thing that worries Killian about the fact that Henry talked to the princess is that the young lad has a tendency to let his mouth run away with him.
"And?" Killian can't help but ask, seeing that Jamison isn't willing to share more.
"Henry told her about the curse; she wouldn't let me in afterwards to explain more." Jamison continues.
"Well, it's not how I imagined things would go, but it's not exactly the end of the world. Cheer up, mate!" Killian says a bit more lively than before, slapping the man across the back. It's not what he would have wanted, but it's certainly not that bad.
Killian can instantly feel the change in the crew's demeanor and the air of gloom permeating his ship, dissipate. A tiny part of him feels insulted and upset that his crew would be so afraid of him, after everything they've been through, but he's in too much of a good mood for having the princess on board (and actually being bloody right about her), to let it bother him. Another thing that's changed due to the curse - a long time ago he would have welcomed fear in his crew; now, he wants to change it.
"Go get some rest, Peter. I'll take it from here." With a wave of his hand and a small, encouraging smile, he dismisses his first mate, relieving him of command. It has been this way for close to 2 years now and both men are accustomed to it: Killian would navigate by day and set out the next batch of orders, while Jamison would lead them by night, watching over the crew and their cursed captain.
About an hour later, after he checks and double-checks their position, and studies the marks left by Jamison on the charts, Killian is finally satisfied that they have managed to put quite the distance between them and the Misthaven kingdom. I suppose it's time to see how the princess is fairing; or rather, the hawk, Killian thinks, letting out a heavy sigh. He's postponed the meeting as long as possible, but he hasn't made it to captain by putting off unpleasant things indefinitely.
After relinquishing the helm to one of the sailors, he struts along the deck towards his quarters. It's a short walk, but by the time he makes it to his cabin, he's a nervous wreck and that only makes him even more uneasy. Killian knows he won't actually meet the princess, but he can't help it. She's here, and she's real, and bloody hell, she's his true love.
He opens the door slowly and peers carefully inside. He doesn't know what to expect, but the state his room is in, isn't it. His books are in disarray, the maps are down on the floor; everything a mess he had never before seen aboard his ship, much less his quarters.
And that's when he notices her; or rather, the hawk. She's perched on the windowsill, breathing heavily, feathers in disarray, and a haggard look in her predatory eyes. For a moment their gazes lock and the bird makes a wailing sound. His eyes widen in realization.
"Bloody hell, I am such an idiot!" Killian mutters under his breath then walks with a determined step towards the back of the room, only slowing down when he's in front of her. Carefully, he lifts his hand towards her, but the hawk is so tired she can't even muster a movement. All she does is trace his progress with tired, yet keen and suspicious eyes.
"Easy", he says trying to keep his voice as soothing as possible, while he's close to touching her. His fingers brush the bird's head and she moves to bite him. She's slow though and Killian's expecting this, so he's quick to draw his hand out of reach.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize…" he begins, maintaining a pacifying tone of voice, and leans in to touch her again. The bird doesn't move this time, but it studies him carefully. He doubts she's conscious (after all, he has no memories of his experiences when in wolf form), but her eyes betray the intelligence there and it's easy to imagine she can hear him and understand him. She's a magnificent predator of the day, much like his animal counterpart is during the night.
"I'm so sorry…I'll make it up to you", he promises, while he leans towards her some more and opens the window. He draws his hand away just as slowly, without any sudden movements, and never breaking eye contact. He takes a few steps back slowly then, careful not to spook her.
With a shriek, the hawk spreads its wings and flies through the porthole. He can't see her from his position, but he can hear her shrieks up above. She sounds happy, as much as a hawk can sound happy, so he smiles to himself. "There you go, love…"
A few seconds later, Henry bursts through the door, in obvious distress. "Captain, the princess! She's flown away!"
"It's alright, Henry. She'll come back", he says, winking at his cabin boy. The lad looks unconvinced, so he adds "Hawks need ground beneath them, for when they tire. She won't fly far, but she needs her freedom."
Henry nods then, satisfied with this answer. The captain turns his eyes towards the horizon and, for a second, he seems lost in thoughts. Feeling the need to add something, but not knowing what, he blurts the first thing that comes to mind. "She's beautiful!"
Killian turns to look at the boy, confusion marring his features. "What?"
"The princess, sir. I have never seen anyone like her. She's so beautiful! She has long, blonde hair that outshines the sun any day, I'm sure of it, skin so white and beautiful, green eyes!"
Killian chuckles at the boy's exuberant description. "I didn't know you had the heart of a poet, my boy", he says jokingly, but there's a wistfulness to his words that he can't dissimulate. Henry might be an impressionable lad, but he's sure there must be some truth to his words and for a few seconds, Killian feels like he would give anything just to get a glimpse of her.
Henry smiles, a soft blush creeping up his cheeks. He's unsure how to reply to this or if his captain even expects an answer. Killian seems far away again, so he takes his leave and heads up on deck to finish his chores.
The sun is finally peeking out of the clouds and for a few seconds the light is too blinding. Once he gets used to the light, he scours the skies for the hawk, just to reassure himself she's still there. The bird is nowhere in sight and his heart falters for a bit. Don't be gone; please, don't be gone, he can't help but pray.
But then his eyes land on the crow's nest, up on the main mast, and that's where he finds her. She's perched up high, head a bit down as if she were studying all of them. He heaves a relieved sigh - the captain was right yet again, the hawk is still around and it doesn't seem like she's going anywhere. Humming under his breath and with a small bounce in his step, he heads towards the galley.
The rest of the day passes by uneventfully. The sun shines brightly all afternoon and the winds are favorable, so they make good time. The hawk takes flight several times during the day, but, as Killian had said, she doesn't stray too far away from the ship.
The only thing to give the men a moment's pause happens some time after noon, when the captain comes around carrying a small bowl. He stops in the middle of the deck, scrutinizing the sky for the hawk. When he finds her, he whistles in a high-pitched sound, eyes on her the entire time.
The men on deck stop working, curious to see what their captain is doing. Henry has a clue, yet he still holds his breath. The hawk shrieks in reply and flies up, higher and higher. Killian whistles again and waits. The hawk plunges to the ground and there's a collective gasp when it's clear she's not going to stop. But Killian doesn't move either and the hawk veers off at the last possible moment, landing on the captain's outstretched left hand.
The men heave a relieved sigh and go back to their work. Henry smiles at the sight, feeling more and more hopeful by the minute. The hawk accepts the food his captain has brought for her, munching quietly while Killian speaks softly to her. They're too far away and his captain is probably whispering, but whatever he's saying, she seems to acknowledge it.
Things go back to normal for the rest of the day after that and when the sun begins to set, Killian takes the hawk with him below deck. She doesn't fight him – it's as if she knows it's time to change form.
When Emma wakes up that night, the first thing she becomes aware of is a faint breeze. She opens her eyes to see that the small porthole above her head is open, allowing the night air to come in. It feels cool on her skin, making her shiver pleasantly, despite it adding a thin layer of salt to her skin.
She's still on the pirate ship, Captain Jones' she remembers suddenly, and it all comes flooding back. She's on the ship of the man who is supposed to be her true love!
After last night's initial shock, she can feel now another emotion rising to the surface: hope that maybe together they can break the curse. She tries to stifle it as much as she can. After all, what does the prophecy even mean? "Day without night, and night without day", had said the Blue Fairy and it had left the best minds in her kingdom stumped. But maybe he knows what it means, a little, hopeful voice says.
Perturbed by the directions of her thoughts and not yet ready to think about him, she gets up from the bed and dons the same dress as the night before. She may not be ready to consider what it all means, but she's not going to sit around and do nothing. If they left one of the windows open, who knows what other changes there are; maybe she can even escape. She scans the room, but there's nothing different, except there being a tray and a jug on the desk. Both are covered, but it can only be food and water.
Her stomach growls just as her brain processes this information. She's famished and it really shouldn't come as a surprise to her, seeing as she'd skipped on food last night. And she doesn't want to think about what the diet of a hawk on a ship might be.
There's bread, dry meat and some fresh cucumbers under the cover. It's sparse, but she wastes no time in devouring it all. She feels almost embarrassed at how quickly she empties her plate, but she's not hungry anymore so there's that. She drinks all the water they left out for her and she's surprised to notice it actually tastes good, not at all stale as she'd imagined.
Now that her belly is full, Emma takes another look around. There are some clothes on the trunk by the bed and a pair of slippers. They seem to be of the same material her current dress is made of and she can't help but award the captain some points – if she's to be his prisoner, at least he doesn't expect her to wear the same clothes every night. She's not vain, but she does prefer clean clothes and having just one garb would make things a bit more complicated.
Her eyes keep roaming until they land on the desk again. There's another letter set out for her, one she hadn't noticed in her haste to eat everything. It has the same seal, so it can only be from Killian Jones. Her heart starts beating a little faster and she has to admit she's a bit curious to see what he has to tell her now, after she's refused to listen to his man.
"I hope you are feeling well, milady. I did not realize a hawk needs room to fly and for that I beg your forgiveness. From now on, you are free to roam the skies - and my ship - as you see fit. Please feel free to leave my quarters (yours for as long as you are with us). I assure you, you'll be perfectly safe; my crew has been instructed to treat you with the deference you deserve.
As you did not want to talk to poor Jamison (the chap took it really hard, milady, he was skulking most of the morning about it), I'm going to explain what you're doing here myself. Emma can't help the slight chuckle; he seems to be exaggerating a bit, no doubt for dramatic effect.
By now, you know I am cursed to be a wolf by night, as you are cursed to be a hawk by day. I do not believe this is a coincidence, Your Highness. I do not know why the Dark One would cast such a curse on me, or why, but I promise you I'll find a way to make him pay. Unfortunately, you milady, have been involved in this nasty affair because, apparently, we are True Love and this particular curse affects us both. Therefore, I feel honor-bound to apologize profusely for bringing this upon you."
Emma gasps in surprise. He thinks she's cursed because of him! And he's apologizing to her for that! When it's the other way around and it's because of her that his life has been uprooted and he's been forced to be a wolf during the nights. He may be a pirate, maybe even a ruthless one, but that is not something she would wish on anyone.
Thoughts in turmoil, she goes back to the letter. "I want to promise you something else, milady. I WILL find a way to break this curse plaguing us both. I do not know yet how, but you have my world I will move heaven and earth to make it happen. I only ask for your help in doing so. - Sincerely, Killian Jones"
Emma swallows the lump in her throat and fights back tears. Since the curse happened, she has felt helpless, caught in a hopeless situation. Her parents have been by her side and they have tried to help her as best they could, but regardless, she has felt hope fade away with every dead end. Yet the letter of a pirate manages to kindle that hope again. She does not know him and has never heard of him, yet his words ring true. Reading his letter, she can imagine him do just as he promises: lift the curse from both of them and restoring them to a normal life.
Feeling emboldened, Emma decides to write her own letter, shoving aside doubts about whether trusting a pirate is the wise course of action. She has spent the past years as both human and hawk and if there is the slightest chance of breaking the curse, she is damn well going to take it.
But first, Emma decides to take Captain Jones on his word and go outside. If she is going to leave a letter for him in the morning, she is going to test how much of what he has said to her is true. With a determined stride she heads for the door and opens it a bit more forcefully than necessary.
The lad from the night before scrambles at attention, clearly not expecting Emma to open the door. "Your Highness!" he almost yells. A second later, he seems to remember something and he bows to her.
Amused, Emma smiles at the boy: "Henry, isn't it?"
"Yes, Your Highness. I'm the captain's cabin boy. Yours, too, now." He moves to bow again, but Emma stops him with a hand on his shoulder.
"You don't need to do that every time, Henry."
"Yes, milady", the boy answers quickly. "Of course, milady", he can't help but add, all flustered by Emma's close proximity. She's even more beautiful up close and Henry can't take his eyes off her.
"I'd like to visit the ship, Henry. Could you please show me around?" The boy's eyes widen in bewilderment, and Emma can't suppress a small smile at his agitated behavior. "Of course, milady, follow me."
The moment they reach the deck, everyone falls silent. The night is quiet and there are only a few pirates on guard duty, but the moment they spot the princess, they stop talking. The silence is so thick you could drop a needle at the bow and hear it touch the wood all the way back, at the stern. It's what clues Jamison in that there's something happening and when he spots the princess, he can barely hide his surprise. Signaling one of the men to his left, he relinquishes the helm and goes up to meet his royal charge.
She's rather tall and quite slim, but her origins are undeniable even in the modest dress she wears. Her entire demeanor screams "princess" and he feels the need run below deck and change into his best clothes before meeting her. There's nothing to it now, so he bows low in front of her: "Peter Jamison, at your service, ma'am." She smiles and he's won over.
He shows her around the ship, answering her every question - and she has many. The full moon is close to setting when the princess finally goes below deck and Jamison can't stop a small, satisfied smile from forming. He feels good about himself and about this night. He'd told her everything the captain had instructed him to; and more than that. She had shown interest in the ship, in the crew and their captain. He will have good news for Killian in the morning and that helps ease some of his nerves.