This is a short chapter. Initially I was going to add another section to it but I decided to post what I have because I've had the dialogue part of this scene planned forever. It's a little darker. I hope you enjoy. Also I don't claim to be an expert in injuries or medicine so I don't promise that any of that treatment was correct.
For the first couple days after the accident Emma had been kept in bed and largely under the influence of sleeping medication to ease the pain. When Emma was fully aware for dressing changes she was in a lot of pain and everyone could tell. Their hearts went out for the princess's pain and did as much as they could to keep her pain as low as possible, but Emma was strong and did not complain once.
Snow didn't leave Emma's side throughout the first two days. Even when James offered to take watch so she could get some rest, Snow had emphatically refused and insisted on staying by her daughter's side. James had found Snow sleeping in the chair next to Emma's bed and covered her with a blanket, taking over watch for his wife. Sam had told them it wasn't necessary to keep constant watch over Emma but they had insisted on anyway. While they had always been known to be slightly overprotective, getting their daughter back after ten years had pushed this instinct into overdrive, especially as she had been injured.
On the third day Sam had deemed Emma's wound healthy enough to permanently stitch up. Daniel had given Emma another cup of water fused with the numbing powder to help ease the pain of the needle sewing up her wound. Once Emma had fallen back to sleep after her permanent stitches were in place James finally managed to get Snow to leave his daughter's side for the night.
As the dosages of sleep and pain medication Emma had been given were lessened she began to dream but they were dreams unlike anything she had ever experienced before.
Emma was small again, she couldn't be sure how old but it couldn't have been more than five or six. She was wandering around the castle and could tell she was heading towards her father's war room. She couldn't tell why she was going there but she wasn't in control of her body. When she pushed her way into the room she was shock to find someone she didn't recognize looking through her father's war plans.
"What are you doing?" She asked the man.
"Ahhh," The man looked up and smiled. But there was malice behind the smile and it scared Emma. "Princess Emma."
"Who are you?" Emma asked. "I've never seen you around here before."
"I'm a new guard." The man said simply.
"What's your name?" Emma asked.
"Nickolai." The guard answered.
"You're not supposed to have those." Emma looked at the documents.
"Your father asked me to bring them to him." The guard explained.
"No he didn't." Emma could tell the man was lying. "They're his defense strategies. No one is supposed to see them. Especially a new guard."
"All do respect but I don't believe your father keeps you in the loop with everything he does." The guard's eyes narrowed.
"Fine then I'll ask him." Emma crossed her arms.
"You'll do no such thing." The guard grabbed Emma's arm and yanked her back towards him.
"Stop it." Emma tried to pull away.
"I don't think you want to say anything to your father." The guard tightened his hold."
"You're hurting me." Emma glared. "When my daddy finds out."
"He will do nothing… because he won't find out." The guard growled." You will not tell him a thing."
"Why not?" Emma asked indignantly. She had a lot of spunk for a small child.
"Because if you do I will do a lot more than put bruises on your arms." The guard threatened.
"I'm not scared of you." Emma tried to hide the fear in her voice.
"You should be." The guard warned.
"I'm not scared of being hurt." Emma insisted.
"What about your mommy and daddy?" The guard asked. Emma's eyes instantly filled with fear. "That's what I thought."
"You can't hurt them." Emma's lower lip quivered.
"Oh yes I can." The guard laughed.
"My daddy's the best warrior in the world." Emma tried to sound confidence but her fear showed.
"If you say a word I will take both of your parents from you." The guard threatened.
"But if I don't you'll try to hurt them anyway." Emma said in a small voice.
"But not now my dear. You'll get at least ten more years with them. I'll make sure they see you grow up." The guard stepped away from Emma. "It will give you time to prepare to lose them."
Emma shot up, gasping for breath. She looked around her dark bedchamber. There was no one around. She took deep breaths, trying to even her breathing. She put her hand to her head brushing away the hair that had stuck to her forehead. She couldn't remember the last time she had a nightmare. But this one felt different. It had felt so real, almost as if it was a memory.
She waved her good hand over the lantern, the flame casting a dim glow throughout the chamber. She didn't know why but this simple act had always calmed her. One of her guards stuck his head through the door. "Emma, are you all right? Is everything ok in here?"
"Yes." Emma nodded, still a little spooked. "I'm fine."
"Good." The guard nodded.
"Wait." Emma called. Something had caught her eye. The guard looked shockingly familiar, like the man from her dreams.
"Yes?" The guard prompted.
"Oh… I…" Emma tried to find something to say. "You called me Emma."
"That is your name." The guard explained.
"Yes." Emma nodded. "But all the other guards. They all call me princess Emma, well with the exception of Evander and Lancelot but… they say my parents would be unhappy with them if they didn't. But not you."
"I am simply respecting your wishes." The guard shrugged.
"Nobody else does." Emma muttered. "Why are you different?" Emma demanded.
"Because, you are no more a princess than I am a prince." The guard said simply.
Emma was instantly offended. "I… do you doubt who I claim to be."
"You doubt who you claim to be." The guard pointed out.
"I'm not trying to trick anyone." Emma insisted. "It's everyone else who so fiercely believes I am their princess."
"I never said you were trying to trick anyone." The guard clarified. 'I have no doubt the little girl who once ran through these halls grew into the woman in front of me."
"But?" Emma pressed.
"But you are not that little girl." The guard said. "And you do not wish to be, any more than your friend does."
"How do you know what I want for myself?" Emma asked somewhat indignantly.
"You don't fool me as easily as the others Emma." The guard smirked. "Come now, this isn't really a life you would want for yourself. Living with your every move scrutinized by guards making sure to swoop in at the slightest sign of danger. Being told where to be a what time, what to say, what to wear, how to act, who to be…" Emma glanced down; not liking the picture of the life the guard was painting for her. "That is not the girl I see in front of me. That little girl may have grown up to become you, but you are very different from that little girl. You are a different person with very different motivations, with less noble intentions."
Emma's eyes narrowed causing the guard to laugh. "That glare used to have an endearing affect on everyone in this castle."
"What do you mean?" Emma asked.
"When you were little and you were… displeased, you would get this look in your eyes. Everyone found it to be so adorable. Your eyes used to be filled with this light and a kindness that knew no bounds. You loved everyone and were a light in the kingdom's lives. You inherited so much of your mother's gentleness and kindness. You paled at the thought of even hurting the smallest creature." The guard said.
"And now?" Emma asked.
"Hm?" The guard looked up.
"What do you see now?" Emma repeated.
"You don't want me to say." The guard warned.
"What?" Emma demanded
The guard sighed. "I see… conflict and confusion as to who you are. You are a very independent girl with a spirit for adventure. An attribute you inherited from your parents. You've always known who you were… or you always believed you knew who you were. You want to be true to yourself, but you can't be that here. There is another side of you though. A side that wants to please the people you are under the assumption you love."
"The assumption?" Emma raised her eyebrow.
"You do not truly love them." The guard shook his head. "You want to and you believe there was a time you did… but you don't… you can't."
Emma glanced down. She could tell the guard wasn't being completely honest with her. "Tell me the truth." Emma said quietly. "What else do you see?"
"Coldness." The guard didn't miss a beat. He looked into Emma's eyes. "I see a killer."
Emma was taken aback. No one had ever spoken to her like that. "A what?"
"There is a certain innocence that comes from never having taken a life. It is subtle, but to the trained eye it is very obvious." The guard explained. "Your brother has it. You do not. Tell me… princess… how old were you when you took your first life."
"I… uh…" Emma glanced down at the ground.
"Someone strong enough to kill should be strong enough to admit it." The guard said evenly.
"Thirteen." Emma whispered. "I was thirteen."
"Thirteen." The guard let out a laugh. "And I bet you liked it as well."
"I…" Emma paused.
"Don't deny it." The guard shook his head. "You shouldn't feel bad. It's human nature. To take life, to enjoy it, it's intrinsic in us all."
"No it is not." Emma said firmly.
"Yet you have done it." The guard countered. "Don't fret Emma. It has happened to the best of us."
The question that had been burning since she had woken from the nightmare finally got the best of her. "What is your name?"
"Why?" The guard asked. "So you can report me to your father?"
Emma shook her head. "He doesn't see what you have seen in me. He doesn't know what I am."
"Your father has taken a life too young one." The guard pointed out.
"I know but…" Emma glanced down. "I don't want him to know what I've done."
"It is not like you have done it for your own personal enjoyment." The guard pointed out.
"Of course not." Emma shook her head. "But he see's me as his little girl. Not someone who has done something so dark. I can't imagine he spent his days imagine my future sword fighting prowess."
"Knowing your father I would have thought he would be proud of your skill with a sword." The guard said.
"He is." Emma agreed. "But sword fighting and war are two very different things."
"War." The guard nodded, unsurprised. "You have taken many lives."
"It's not something I am proud of." Emma shook her head. "You have a bargaining chip. Telling my father about this conversation would only cause more harm than good. I just want to know your name."
"Nickolai." The whisper sent chills down Emma's spine. "Good night princess Emma."
"Goodnight." Emma sat stunned as the guard closed the door. Emma had to remind herself to breathe. Nickolai… that name. The nightmare had felt so real… now she was starting to wonder if it had been a memory. A memory of a life that had once been hers but now seemed so far away.