So I had a TON of inspiration for this chapter and really loved writing it. I hope you all love it as much as I do. If you have any questions about the prophecy stuff (I know it's confusing) don't hesitate to ask and I'll answer any questions about my train of thought. I love all the input on the guys, I think I identify with one Guest's comment the most. I like all of them for different, reasons, so it makes me sad that I have to pick just one for her :(. They're all so good for different parts of her life.
Also KBlye I do have an Emma/Will scene coming up soon. It's a good one I promise.
Emma paced the hallway outside the council chamber, trying to work up the courage to walk in. She wasn't scared to disrupt the proceedings, no matter how wrong it was to interrupt an Altairian council meeting. She had brazenly done it before. She wasn't scared to talk to Serafine, of asking her why she had been lied to. All of that seemed to pale in comparison to the fear she had for the answers she would get, to finally learning what all of this might mean for her future, a future that no longer seemed certain.
With a deep breath Emma found the courage to push open the doors to the small council chamber and walk in. The seven members turned to face her, all wearing various states of annoyance at her interruption. Edmure, the council's head, spoke with exasperation and disapproval. "You may not enter this room whenever you please young lady. Serafine I was under the impression that you instilled better manners in your chargers, or has the state of the academy fallen?"
Emma ignored Edmure's comments, her gaze fixed steadily on Serafine. Her voice was low and even, everyone in the room could see by looking at Emma that whatever she had to say, it was serious. "I need to speak to you."
"Emma." Serafine began, ready to tell her charge to find a better time.
"I know." Emma continued, looking at her mentor with a mix of fear and betrayal. "I figured it out. I need to speak with you."
A look of saddened shock crossed over Serafine's face as she registered the full meaning of Emma's statement. She had always known the day would come where she would have to tell Emma the truth, but she had been dreading it ever since she had brought Emma to Altair. Finally she nodded. "All right. We will talk."
"Serafine." Edmure warned.
Serafine turned to look at him, it wasn't her usual withering glare that could silence a room, or her disapproval that was worse than any punishment, no this look was one Emma had not seen from her before. It was serious and sad at the same time, it was a look of resignation mixed with what Emma thought was fear, an emotion she had never seen Serafine display before, and it terrified her. "This is more important."
Edmure nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Understood. You are excused."
Serafine pushed herself up from her seat and bid her council members goodbye before departing the room, beckoning Emma to follow her. They walked in silence as they navigated the halls, neither sure exactly what to say. This wasn't a situation either of them was used to. They weren't going to a private lesson, or discussing a diplomatic assignment or Emma and her friends' latest broken rule; They were discussing her destiny.
Emma took a deep breath as Serafine led her into a small room where they could speak privately. She turned around as Serafine closed the door, trying desperately to make sense of the emotions she felt like she was drowning in. She felt betrayal and confusion, hurt and anger, but most of all she felt fear. She took a deep breath, trying to keep the accusation out of her voice. "You knew, didn't you? All along, you know about this, about me?"
Serafine was silent for a moment, trying to figure out how to begin the conversation she had been dreading for eleven years. "I knew about this prophecy, yes. And I knew he would try to find you, to kill you to keep you from your destiny, from his demise. I didn't know who the next Great was destined to be. I searched for a long time. Rumplestiltskin led me to you but I wasn't sure, not until that night. From the moment I felt your power, I knew you were the one… and so did he. In that moment, I knew I had to get you to Altair before he could get to you, to protect you from him."
"How did you know?" Emma asked.
"When you first cam into your power, it reverberated throughout the realms. Those of us who were looking for you could feel it. It led me to you, and it would have led him to you as well. The entrance of your magic left a mark on Eirian. After that moment he knew it was your home, from then on it was never safe for you to live there. Altair was the only place Mohrion couldn't sense your abilities. Our magic was able to hide you. So I orchestrated some key moments in the event that you were truly the next Great." A look of guilt crossed Serafine's face as she continued. "I incited Regina to attack your castle when you were young. I also influenced your mother's decision to leave you behind for your brother. I place those thoughts, those worries in her head, hoping she would chose to act on them. I preyed on her instincts to protect her child. I know it caused you great pain, and I am deeply sorry, but it was necessary to drive you here so that we could protect you. I knew you would never leave your parents unless you were hurt enough to put that distance between you. I am so sorry for how my actions have hurt you, but it was the only way to protect you."
Emma stood in shocked silence, trying to process Serafine's revelation. Her head was spinning as the magnitude of a plan that stretched over years of her life, every decision and event manipulated because of a simple prophecy. What struck her the most was Serafine's admission that she had manipulated her mother into abandoning her that night in the castle. "You made her leave me?"
"I put the idea in her head." Serafine corrected.
"You made her abandon me." Emma sounded more like a hurt child than she wanted to.
"I had to Emma." Serafine insisted.
"I was five." Anger was quickly replacing the hurt in Emma's voice. "I could have died."
"I would have never let that happen." Serafine promised.
"Do you know what it felt like to be left alone?" Emma's voice rose.
"Emma I had to." Serafine repeated, firmer this time.
Emma looked at her mentor, not sure she even recognized her anymore. "Why?"
"Because had you remained in Eirian after your power manifested, he would have found you, and he would have killed you and you would have never had the chance to reconnect with your family." Serafine answered. "I brought you here to protect you. Had I not come for you that night Mohrion would have, and you would be dead right now. If you die Emma he will have immeasurable power. If you die and he lives, the balance will shift forever. All the realms will be controlled by evil. I know it is unfair of us to ask you this. I know you did not ask for this role, but whether you want it or not, the responsibility it yours. Greatness was placed inside of you. You were chosen, for whatever reason. The fate of the balance rests in you."
Serafine's words hit Emma hard. All of this was so much larger than she could have ever imagined. She had always known she was powerful, she had always known she was special, Serafine's attention had made that obvious, but she could have never begun to dream something of this magnitude. To be responsible for the fate of the realm, of every realm, it wasn't just daunting, it was a weight she wasn't sure if she could bear. She took deep, slow breaths, trying to somehow wrap her mind around what this prophecy meant for her future. Finally she looked up at Serafine, her voice quite and unsure. "So whether I live or die determines the future of our world, of every world?"
"I am so sorry." Serafine said honestly. It hurt her to see the girl struggling to deal with the weight of the responsibility that had been placed on her.
"Why now?" Emma looked up at Serafine. "Why am I all of a sudden acting as a pawn in this war against Mohrion?"
Serafine eyed Emma carefully. "I think you know the answer to that."
"The prophecy." Emma shook her head, trying to keep her emotions in check. "The piece of writing that has dictated my entire life without my knowledge." Emma walked to the window, staring out onto the city she believed she had chosen to live in, a place she had seen as her safe haven, a place that now felt more like a prison. She turned back to Serafine. "Do I even have a choice in all of this?"
"If you do nothing Emma, he will kill you." Serafine said gently. "And if he cannot find you he will kill everyone in his way until he does."
"But why now." Emma asked. "Why didn't he start looking for me before? Why wait eleven years."
"Because we removed your protective shield." Serafine admitted. "We let him feel your power."
"Why?" Emma felt betrayed.
"Because there will come a point where not even we can hide you from him." Serafine explained. "When you come into your full power, your magical mark will be so strong, not even we can protect you. He was waiting for that time, to find you. We chose to act early in the hopes that we may use his surprise to our advantage, to your advantage."
"But how can I defeat him if I haven't yet received my full power?" Emma asked. "We cannot access it until our eighteenth birthday."
"You can access it whenever you wish. It is part of being a Great. You have the ability to call upon your full powers whenever you are in need of them." Serafine explained. "In fact, you already have."
"When?" Emma furrowed her brown in confusion.
"In Drell." Serafine reminded her. "The power you felt coursing through you, it was stronger than anything you have ever before felt. That is why it took such a toll on you. You were tapping into your reservoir of power. We had you wait because the ability to access your power does not mean that you were prepared enough to handle it. The longer you wait, the greater ability your body has to handle the extreme amount of power you are capable of."
"So you think I'm prepared to handle it now?" Emma asked.
"I believe in you Emma." Serafine said sincerely. "You are strong and well trained and capable of so much. I believe you will do incredible things Emma, more than anyone was ever seen. You can do this. It will take a serious toll on you. I had wished there was more time to teach you to access it, to allow you to acclimate, but that is not important in the moment. You have the ability to save us all."
Emma gave a sarcastic laugh and rolled her eyes. "No pressure right?"
"Emma this responsibility is not something to be taken lightly." Serafine began. "It is great, and it is unfair to place squarely on your shoulders, but there is no other way. Yours is the life he wants to take, and you are the only one who can stop him."
Emma took a deep breath and looked up at Serafine, her voice wavering as she asked her question. "I have to kill him?
"Em…" Serafine began, voice filled with regret.
"I thought killing someone with magic permanently darkened the soul?" Emma asked.
Serafine cast her eyes downward. "It does."
"So I have to sacrifice my soul?" Emma shook her head slowly. "Even if I live I will be a darker person, a fractured person."
"This is not the same situation as killing someone out of malice or revenge." Serafine explained as gently as was possibly for her post. "If you do not kill him, he will kill you."
"I'm not sure I can plead self defense with my soul." Emma said harshly.
"You will saving us all." Serafine reminded her.
"At my expense." Emma closed her eyes. "I thought it was impossible for me to kill, that my magic forbade it because it originates from true love?"
"It prevents you from intentionally causing harm with any mal-intent." Serafine explained. "If you are protecting yourself or others and it is the only way, it will allow you to take another life, but the cost is said to be severe."
"A cost only I can pay." Emma turned away. "I didn't want any of this. I didn't ask for greatness, for destiny. I didn't ask to be a human sacrifice."
"Emma you aren't…" Serafine protested.
"But I am." Emma turned around, she wasn't angry, only resigned to the truth. "There are three possible outcomes for this, you've read prophecy, probably many times over. In two of those outcomes I die. But in two of those outcomes I save everyone, so I guess those odds are pretty good. There worst part about all of this is I don't have a choice. I cannot ignore all of this because he will kill everyone and come for me."
"Emma." Serafine said sadly.
Emma looked up, tears in her eyes and her voice shaking. "I don't want to die."
Serafine stepped forward. "I will do everything in my power to keep that from happening."
"Unfortunately you do not have a lot of power in this situation." Emma's voice had a sharp edge.
"But you do." Serafine pointed out. "You must trust yourself Emma, because that is the only way you will succeed, the only way you will survive. You are strong enough to do this Emma. I know that, I believe in you, and I need you to believe in yourself as well."
Emma put her head in her hands, a headache coming on very quickly. Suddenly a thought struck her and she looked up. "The line about the one torn between light and darkness. Who was that about? It cannot be me, by definition I am only light. But if it is not me, why include it in the prophecy at all?"
"I do not know the answer to our question." Serafine admitted. "But it is someone close to you. It is said their fate will have a major impact on yours."
"But who?" Emma asked. "Who could possibly have a role in this war significant enough to include in this prophecy? To impact my fate?"
"It is said their fate will show you what is needed to fulfill your destiny." Serafine explained slowly.
"Light and dark." Emma whispered, trying to riddle out what the prophecy could mean. "Light and dark, good and evil…." Emma's eyes grew wide as she looked up at Serafine. "It can't be."
"What cannot be?" Serafine asked.
"Orrin." "Emma whispered. "Oh my god he's going to die."
"Die?" Serafine's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Who said anything about death?"
"It's a fairly easy extrapolation once you know the variables you are looking at." Emma shook her head, the revelation launching her brain into overdrive.
"Emma what are you talking about?" Serafine had yet to catch on to Emma's train of thought."
"He's going to die, that's his fate." Emma looked up at Serafine, purpose and drive in her eyes. "That is what going to impact me."
"How can you be sure?" Serafine was trying to get Emma to keep a level head, seeing her charge's mind race ahead faster than she could reliably process.
"How do I know anything?" Emma looked at Serafine pointedly.
"It's a feeling." Serafine nodded.
"Orrin is a dark prince by birth." Emma began to explain. "His family is obsessed with power, intoxicated by their greed. They will do anything to get what they want, no matter the cost. But Orrin is not like that. He wants to be good, he is in a constant struggle to fight the influence of his family. He wants to be good, even though everything surrounding him is pulling him towards darkness."
"You care about him." Serafine said knowingly. "That is why your mind went to him."
"He is one of the only individuals who has put my wants and needs before any ulterior motives." Emma's voice was hard. "He is fighting so hard to overcome what is expected of him. He doesn't deserve to be a casualty of his fate. If he dies because of his father's plans for our future, because of his proximity to me, I don't know how I could handle that."
"It will motivate you to do what is needed." Serafine nodded, understanding Emma's thought process."
"No." Emma shook her head, grabbing her bag and heading for the door.
"Emma where are you going?" Serafine called after her.
"To save him." Emma paused in the doorway. "He won't die because of me."
"You shouldn't risk your life for him Emma." Serafine warned. "I know it is hard, but your purpose is much greater than sacrificing your life for one boy."
"I'm just supposed to sacrifice my life for millions of people." Emma snapped.
"It is a far worthier purpose if that is what comes from all of this." Serafine said gently. "It is unfortunate that the boy might be collateral damage in your destiny."
"He is not collateral damage." Emma's eyes narrowed.
"This is not a sacrifice you want to make." Serafine warned.
"That's the difference between us." Emma shook her head. "I don't sacrifice others for my own purpose. Just because you raised me away from the influence of my parents doesn't mean you can take away what they instilled in me. I won't stand by and watch someone die while I know I could save him."
"What are you planning on doing?" Serafine regarded her charge carefully.
"Maybe saving him, seeing that his life is in risk and that I am able to save someone will be what I need to believe in myself."
"This is unwise." Serafine counseled.
"You told me to believe in myself." Emma said firmly. "This is me figuring out how to do that. I need to go, but I'll return soon, I promise."
"Be safe." Serafine advised.
"I will." Emma promised. She left the room, making her way as quickly as possible to the market place where she knew she would find Daniel. She weaved through the throngs of people taking advantage of their Saturday afternoon to complete their shopping needs Finally she found the tiny shop that created a certain delicacy Daniel was known to have a weakness for. As expected she found both Daniel and Chris sitting at a table, enduring an awkward silence.
Both Chris and Daniel looked up with relief when they saw Emma approaching. "Emma." Daniel stood. "Are you ok? You seem… calm."
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting." Emma said. "But I have something I need to do, something I need to do alone. I need you the two of you to go back to Eirian and tell my parents that I'm safe and I'll return soon. We left suddenly and they are probably beside themselves with worry. You know how they are."
"Where should I tell them you are?" Daniel asked.
"I need to take care of something." Emma replied.
"That's what it is." Daniel held up a finger. "I thought I recognized drive. Care to tell me what terrifying adventure you have planned."
"I need to go get Orrin." Emma admitted.
"You're going back to Thrain?" Chris asked in shock.
"Orrin's life is in danger." Emma explained. "I need to protect him. It is not fair that he is trapped in a place he does not believe in because of his birth."
"So you think going into enemy territory alone is the best way to achieve that?" Daniel clarified. "You're insane if you think I'm letting you go in without backup."
"You have to." Emma insisted. "I need to go alone, I cannot raise suspicion."
"What exactly is your plan?" Daniel asked.
"I'm figuring it out." Emma shrugged.
"You going into something with a half baked plan almost never ends well for anyone involved. " Daniel put his hand to his head.
"I'll be fine." Emma put her hand on Daniel's shoulder. "I always am."
"You always have me." Daniel reminded her.
"And I've always been thankful for that." Emma told him. "But now I need to do this no my own. Take Chris back to Eirian. Help them with their strategic planning, if they don't want to listen, make them. Your experience can help them."
"And how do you expect me to tell your parents that I allowed their daughter to run headlong into the heart of enemy territory?" Daniel asked.
"I don't." Emma shook her head.
"So what do you want me to say?" Daniel threw his hands up in frustration.
"Be creative." Emma shrugged. She turned to Chris. "Can we talk for a moment?"
"Sure." Chris nodded, following her outside the shop.
"I'm sorry I have to leave like this." Emma apologized. "This is important. But I want you to know that I heard everything you said and I care about you deeply, but I just can't process something of this magnitude in the midst of everything I've just learned."
"Denied." Chris glanced down, shaking his head. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I knew I shouldn't have said anything. How someone like me could ever be good enough for someone as incredible as you…"
"Chris, no." Emma stopped him, forcing him to look into her eyes. "That is not what I said. Just be patient. I cannot handle all of this right now. Once this is over, we'll talk. I can't tell you what my heart says right now because I don't even know myself. But I do know I care for you deeply. So please, I know it's unfair for me to leave your statement unanswered, but just wait."
Chris nodded slowly. "I guess hope is better than nothing."
Emma reached her hand out and put it on Chris's cheek. "I'm sorry."
"Circumstances are extreme." Chris agreed. "Go, save Orrin's life. Be a hero."
"I'll see you soon." Emma promised. She looked over at Daniel. "You two should get going."
Daniel joined the two, looking at Emma with regret. Everything in him wanted to protect her but he knew her well enough to understand nothing he could say would stop her once she had set her mind on something. "Be safe Emma."
"I will." Emma nodded, reaching out to hug him. "I'll see you soon."
"Is that a promise?" Daniel asked.
"What do you think?" Emma smiled. She looked at both of them. "Be safe. I'll see you tomorrow."
Chris and Daniel both watched as Emma disappeared into the crowd. When Emma was out of sight Chris turned to Daniel. "Is this what is always feels like when she just up and leaves like that?"
"I don't know." Daniel admitted. "This is the first time she's ever been without me."
A sort of protection spell had been placed around Rohal, forcing Emma to apparate outside the perimeters of the fortress castle. Immediately she could see things had changed. The guards patrolling the boarders had increased five fold. She knew that her presence would be immediately noticed and raise suspicion, necessitating her to stay hidden.
She cursed herself for not bringing her cloak with her to Thrain. She would have to be resourceful, something she was used to. She remained hidden, watching for an opportunity. In a stroke of luck a woman about her size crossed her path as the sun was dipping below the mountains. Using the dark as cover Emma slipped up behind her, expertly wrapping one hand around her mouth and using her other to press into a pressure point she knew would cause unconsciousness. When the woman fell limp in her arms, Emma gently lowered her to the ground, removing her dark cloak.
"I'm sorry." Emma whispered, waving her hand over the woman's face to remove any memories of the attack, both giving her peace of mind and protecting Emma's secrecy. Emma wrapped the cloak around her, tugging the hood over her head and tightening it to keep as hidden as possible. Avoiding the guards, she slowly made her way from the perimeter to the castle, suddenly grateful for all the experience she had gained sneaking around with her friends in Altair. Using her knowledge from her stay, she slipped into one of the few back entrances to Rohal, silently making her way down the corridors, through the less traveled routes of the castle to Orrin's chambers.
She was about to step out into the hallway housing Orrin's chambers when a sudden movement caught her attention, sending her back into the shadows. Her nerves began to grow as the guard closed in on her, knowing she had nowhere to hide. She held out her hand, willing the guard to change his mind. Suddenly as if struck by a sense of urgency, the guard froze, his eyes growing wide in a daze like fashion. Finally he turned on his heels and walked away, leaving the hallway vacant.
Taking advantage of her opening, she slipped into Orrin's room, closing the door quietly behind her. When Orrin heard someone enter his room, he whipped around, anger evident on his face even in the darkness. "Who do you think you are? I don't care what's going on out there, you cannot just waltz in here whenever you please. I thought I had told you all this."
"Hell." Emma laughed as she pulled off her hood. "What has gotten into you?"
"Emma?" Orrin whispered in shock. "What are you doing here? Did you run away again?"
"No." Emma shook her head. "This place sure had changed in the last week."
"Welcome to war command at Rohal." Orrin said bitterly. "When they're taking live they are at their happiest."
"Dark." Emma laughed. "Talharain is the same way. Not the killing part, the war strategy center part."
"Why are you here?" Orrin asked.
Emma paused, suddenly regretting not having thought out what she was going to tell hem. "I've come to rescue you."
"Rescue me?" Orrin raised an eyebrow.
"It's all very complicated." Emma put her hand to her head. "But there's a prophecy and well... And well, it's... Your life is at risk Orrin."
"My life is at risk?" Orrin repeated slowly. "In my own home?"
"Ok don't act so surprised." Emma gave him a pointed look. "We both know this isn't exactly the most nurturing environment."
"True, but their not going to kill me." Orrin argued.
"That's not what I mean." Emma ran her hand through her hair in frustration. "In all honesty I don't know exactly what I mean. I don't fully understand it myself but if you stay here there are three possible outcomes. If we win you will be charged along side your family for their crimes, that is if you live. We both know you'll be sent into battle, acting as a captain, you very well could die a martyr for a cause you don't even believe in. If your side wins, I will die. And you will be forced to live in a world dominated by evil. I know that is no something you want."
"So you're going to take me to Eirian?" Orrin asked in doubtful surprised.
"Of course not." Emma shook her head, knowing that was the worst thing she could do for him. "No one there will trust you there because of your family. If I were to take you there and your family were to win this war, the punishment for your betrayal would be severe. I plan to take you to Altair. You'll be safe there. If we win this war I'll make sure you are safe and trusted in whatever our realm looks like in the aftermath."
"And if my family wins?" Orrin asked.
"Then you were kidnaped by me." Emma said simply. "You cannot be blamed for that. I have magic, it's not an insult to you skill."
Orrin shook his head, walking to his window and running his hand through his hair. "I don't know Emma. This is all very… It just seems like it could very easily go wrong."
"It could." Emma admitted. She sighed, trying to take a different approach. "Orrin I know I'm asking a lot of you. I'm asking you to take a huge chance, to give up your life. I know coming with me would mean saying goodbye to your family. I understand that you need a minute to make this decision. I'll understand if you want to stay here. But Orrin this is your chance to be the person you want to be, to make a choice about your life that's not determined by the views of your family. You have to make a choice Orrin. You can stand by your family and by default take their convictions as your own, or you can come with me and have the chance to be the person you told me you want so badly to be. It's up to you."
"You wouldn't mind if I stayed?" Orrin asked doubtfully. "After you came all this way, after you risked your life for me?"
"I would be disappointed but I would support your decision." Emma assured him. "It is your life. It is your decision."
"Why did you come here for me?" Orrin asked. "You could be put to death if they capture you."
"Because I care about you too much to allow you to be forced into a fate you do not want because of who your family is." Emma explained. "You're a good person Orrin. I want to give you the chance to prove that to the world."
Orrin stood speechless, trying to believe in himself as much as Emma did. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that she would risk her life to save his. He knew time was running out and he needed to make a decision if he wanted to give Emma any hope of getting out safely. In a move that shocked even himself he grabbed his sword, wrapping the belt around his waist. He scanned the room quickly, seeing if there was anything he couldn't leave behind. His eyes settled on a silver ring sitting on his night-stand. He grabbed it, slipping it into the pouch tied to his belt and turned to Emma. "I guess it's now or never."
Emma was shocked by his decision, even thought it was the one she had hoped he would make. "Do you want to grab anything else?"
"The objects in this room are snapshots of my entire life." Orrin looked around his chamber, sadness in his features. "If I thought about it I could find a reason to take everything in here. But if I'm making this decision, I'm leaving this life behind and I need to go before something changes my mind. So please, don't make this any harder than it is."
"Ok." Emma nodded. "Then lets go."
With one final gaze at his room, Orrin reluctantly followed Emma into the hallway, keeping pace with her sure and skilled movements, expertly avoiding the multitude of guards and soldiers roaming the hallways of the castle. He was grateful she seemed to have the innate ability to stay hidden. The men patrolling the castle may serve his father's evil intentions, but most had been around his entire life, and he didn't look forward to the possibility of having to fight of any of them to escape the fortress that was his home.
Home, it hit him harder this time. He was leaving his home, his family, most likely for good. As much darkness as the place had cast over his life, it was still the home that had raised and protected him for seventeen years. If he ever saw his family again, they would most likely look upon him as a traitor. Even if Emma could spin the kidnapping story, he would always know the truth. But even as these regrets were pulling him back to his home, something else was propelling him forward. Emma had said the one thing he had always wanted to hear. She was giving him the one thing he always wanted a chance to have; the power to decide, the power to choose who he wanted to be. He was so caught up in his own thoughts he didn't notice Emma had stopped in from of him, running right into her. "Why did you?"
Emma held up a silencing finger before pointing to the soldier guarding the doorway in front of them. It was clear he wasn't moving any time soon and they would need to get rid of him if they wanted to have any hope of escaping. Moving quietly, Emma slipped behind him. She drew her dagger, using the blunt end to deliver a sure and firm blow to his head, catching him with her body as he collapsed to the ground. She glanced back at Daniel. "Get the door." She hissed, nodding toward a closet.
"Holy hell" Orrin whispered in shock, doing as he was asked. "What are you doing?"
"Hiding him." Emma dropped the man in the closet and closed the door. "If anyone were to find a body it would raise questions."
"Is he?" Orrin asked somewhat fearfully.
"Of course not." Emma assured him in a hushed tone. "He's just unconscious. He will wake in a few hours."
"Ok." Orrin nodded slowly, still in awe of how easily Emma maneuvered. "If you say so."
"Come on." Emma beckoned him after her as she took off through the doorway. They were nearing the door that would lead them out of the castle when Emma heard footsteps hurrying through the hallway behind them. She silently cursed as she attempted to pick up the pace.
"You!" A rough voice shouted after them. "Stop!"
"Oh no." Orrin began to panic.
"Don't look back!" Emma ordered, hoping to keep Orrin's face hidden.
"Prince Orrin!" The voice called again.
Emma rolled her eyes in frustration, knowing Orrin had done exactly the opposite of what she had ordered. "I said don't look back." She grabbed his arm. "Run!"
"Emma." Orrin's voice was worried.
"It's fine." Emma assured, her mind racing as she attempted to change her plan.
"Stop or I will shoot." The voice warned firmly.
Things were rapidly spinning out of control and for the first time in her life Emma was without backup, she was without Daniel, the one person she could always count on to have her back. Suddenly she wished he was by her side. They always knew what the other was thinking, making moments like this infinitely easier to deal with. "Prince Orrin I will shoot."
Knowing the guards yells would soon alert others, making their escape near impossible Emma panicked, whipping around with her hand out. Acting on her emotions alone, magic shot out from her hand, hitting the guard hard enough to drop him to the ground. The breath left Emma as she stared at her hand, shocked by what had just happened. Her magic had never been that out of control before.
"No no no no no." Emma shook her head in panic. She saw the man lying on the ground, struggling to breath. She ran over to him, falling on her knee's next to the guard. "This can't be happening."
"What can't be happening?" Orrin hurried to her side.
Emma looked up at Orrin, tears beginning to pool in her eyes. "I killed someone with magic. I didn't mean to…. It was an accident… I swear."
"Emma he would have killed you." Orrin said gently. "You were just protecting us."
"Orrin, you don't understand. Killing someone with magic darkens your soul. It tears it in ways that cannot be fixed." Emma looked down at the man who was struggling to stay alive. "This can't be happening to me."
"Emma." Orrin tried to calm her as she desperately held her hands out over the guard's chest, trying to summon her magic to help him.
"Dammit I can't heal him." Emma let her hands fall down in defeat, the tears in her eyes beginning to spill over. "My emotions are too out of control."
"Emma." Orrin repeated, firmer this time. "Get out of the way."
"What?" Emma looked up at Orrin, confusion on her tear stained face.
Orrin saw the pain on Emma's face, the devastation she had at the thought she may have used her magic to take a life. It hurt him that it was her attempt to save him that had put her in this position. Making a decision he knew he could not come back from he slowly drew his sword. "Emma... move."
"What?" Emma looked up surprised as Orrin pushed her out of the way. She watched as he took a deep breath, setting his face as he plunged his sword into the guard's heart, ending his suffering. Emma gave a small yelp in surprise as she watched. She looked up at Orrin in shock. "What the hell did you just do?"
"I killed him. I did." Orrin emphasized as he sheathed his sword. "You didn't. His life did not end because of your magic. It ended by my sword."
Emma was stunned that Orrin would do something of that magnitude for her. She was both thankful and horrified. "You can never come back now." Emma whispered, shaking her head slowly. "Not after you killed one of your own men. I can't protect you from this. You'll be labeled a traitor."
"So be it." Orrin held out his hand, helping her up. "You risked your life to save me, to give me a chance to live the life I want to. This is the least I can do to pay you back. Now come on, we need to go."
Emma nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes as her resolve strengthened. Hand in hand, they slipped out of the castle, fleeing to the perimeter as the sounds of the castle waking in the midst of their departure rang out behind them. When they reached the edge of the protection spell Emma turned to Orrin. "This is it. We can travel to Altair now. We need to go before they find us. You need to say goodbye now."
Orrin nodded, taking a step back towards his home. He looked at the mountain fortress with pained eyes. He knew inside his family was waking, learning of his departure. He wondered what emotion was more prevalent, sadness or anger. He knew his betrayal would hurt some of his family members. As much as he said he hated them, they were, when it came down to it, his family. They were the people he had spent his entire life with. Many of his memories with them were good, happy even. A single tear slipped down his face as he said goodbye.
Turning his back on Rohal and his life there looked at Emma, holding out his hand. "Let's go."
"Are you ready?" Emma asked, noting the regret in his eyes.
"I'll never be more ready than I am now." Orrin nodded. "This is my chance at a fresh start. I love my family but there is no happy ending for me here."
"Ok." Emma took his hand and with one final glance at Rohal they disappeared, leaving their world behind them.
So what did you think? Did you all like it as much as I enjoyed writing it? Let me know