So as promised here's the next, longer chapter. This is actually probably one of my favorite to write because there are so many feelings and emotions Emma is dealing with. I'll bring back her parents next chapter, but each one of these conversations were really important to the story moving forward.

Let me know what you think and if you liked a certain interaction more than the other (You'll see what I mean).

Emma stood out on one of the Talharain's many balconies. This particular one had been a favorite of hers from childhood. She had always loved to stand out on here and look out over the main courtyard and watch the hub of life in the castle. She would watch the vendor's children run around, chasing each other, laughing as they played, wanting nothing more than to be out there with them. Her parents rarely allowed her to join in for fear she would be lost in the chaos. In this moment she was once again watching the children, this time for an entirely different reason. She still envied those children, she had been one once upon a time. She longed for the days when her biggest concern was pleasing Serafine with her magical progress and not getting caught as her friends returned from their escapades.

She wondered how long these children would be able to live in this world of blissful innocence, naive to the war that was brewing right outside these very castle walls. She hoped for their sake it was a long time before they lost this. She knew that childhood innocence was a gift that could easily be ripped away and once gone would never return.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to find you out here." Emma turned around in surprise to find Chris joining her out on the balcony. "You always did love to stand out here and watch the activity below. My father used to say its how you got so good at reading people."

"By staring at them?" Emma raised an eyebrow. "How creepy."

"You were five." Chris shrugged, his charming lopsided smile lightening the mood. "It was cute then."

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked.

"The war is quickly approaching and your kingdom seems to be the battle front. Most of the forces are converging here in preparation."

"Forces." Emma said slowly, her stomach sinking at the words. "So that means you're going into battle."

"I'm eighteen and heir to the throne of Ranaar." Chris nodded. "It is my duty to my people to show them I am capable of being their future leader in times of peace and war. I have to fight by my father's side for them."

"You've never been in a war before." Emma managed as she tried to process her emotions as she realized another person she cared for was being thrown into the fray, another life that could be lost.

"I have not." Chris admitted. "I would be lying if I said I did not feel fear."

"It's completely natural." Emma assured him. With a sigh she leaned against the balcony. "This is one heck of a way to start off a military career."

"You're telling me." Chris sighed. He glanced over at her. "I heard your parents gave into allowing you to participate, just not at the battle front."

"Is that what they are telling people." Emma mused. She wasn't sure if it was to keep attention off of her or some parental unwillingness to admit that they were allowing their daughter to walk to her potential death that was causing the spread of this rumor. "I'll be participating in my own war."

"A woman with an agenda is something to be feared." Chris said. "My mother taught me that."

"Your mother is correct." Emma agreed. "Though I'm not sure my enemies will see it that way."

"Then they are foolish not to." Chris said supportively. "Anyone with any wits about them would be right to fear you, even a bit."

"I'm choosing to take that as a compliment." Emma eyed Chris, but there was a sparkle in her eyes that let him know she was aware of the teasing nature of the comment. She glanced back out on to the crowd in front of her, allowing nostalgia to overtake her ever so slightly. "Do you remember the last time the two of us were out here?"

"How could I forget?" Chris chuckled, shaking his head woefully. "I think that's the most trouble I have ever gotten in on your behalf."

"Oh no I don't think I'd give it that honor." Emma laughed. "I got you in a lot more trouble then that. And this particular one was not my fault. It may have been my idea, but your actions were your own."

"That they were." Chris nodded. "My father was furious, my mother was furious, your mother wouldn't admit it but she was furious. The only one who was remotely ok with the situation was your father which is shocking in it's own right."

"Well you did hit me over the head with a wooden sword hard enough to give me a knot on my head with a dark purple bruise to match." Emma pointed out. "My father understood that we were children and mischievous. He knew it was an accident. You would have never purposely hurt me." Emma glanced over at Chris. "He was the one that convinced me to forgive you."

"Forgive me." Chris laughed. "You weren't even angry because I hit you."

"I was angry that you won." Emma agreed. She thought back to the warm summer day. Standing out on this balcony and watching all the other children play had always ignited an itch for adventure inside of her. She longed to run around with them but knew her overprotective parents would rarely allow it. She watched them play with sticks, enacting glorious battles around their parent's stalls. She was grateful when her parents' friends were visiting because it meant that she had an abundance of friends of her own in the castle. Chris was one of the only ones who would play swords with her. Alexandra was a dear friend, but still couldn't be convinced to play along. On that particular day Chris and Emma had gotten into an argument about who was the better with a sword. One thing led to another and soon enough both were chasing each other around the hallways, engaged in an epic sword fight. Guards and servants had to duck out of the way to avoid the swinging of the children's wooden swords. The event had happened rather quickly. Emma had gotten in a good shot at Chris's stomach but had lost her balance when she tripped over a loose stone on the floor. Chris's counter swing was already in motion before he realized she was falling towards him, causing his sword to collide with her head. Emma remembered the ashen look on Chris's face as he sent Emma sprawling to the floor. Guards had rushed to help the situation and Emma had promptly burst into tears. Not because she was hurt, but because she was embarrassed by the entire situation. Eliza had hurried to comfort the girl as both children were brought before their parents to explain the situation. Emma had refused to speak to Chris, and action that many took to mean she was hurt by what he had done to her. Chris's parents were upset with the situation, swiftly punishing the boy. Snow had seemed exasperated with the boy as she tried to comfort her daughter and tend to her injury. James was the only one who seemed amused by the situation, though he kept his feelings to himself for the sake of the moment. James had come to Emma's chambers later to check on his daughter. He was slightly worried about her injury, but mostly he wanted to get her to make up with Chris. He had told her about his own struggles learning to sword fight, promising that one day she would be as good as him. It didn't take long for Emma to cave to her father's advice and make up with her friend.

"I remember when you made up with me we talked about how some day we would both be great warriors that would fight the most glorious battles." Chris reminisced. "We promised we'd both be the best swordsmen of our kingdoms. We were so excited."

"We were so happy, so full of hope." Emma sighed. "What happened to us?"

"We grew up." Chris said simply.

"And now we're living out those dreams we always had." Emma's voice was quiet. "They don't exactly seem like dreams anymore."

"They're not dreams, they're reality, and reality isn't always easy." Chris advised. "But even the worst of nightmares eventually get better. No matter how dark they seems."

"Yes but you can wake up from nightmares." Emma pointed out. "You can't wake up from real life."

"There's hope in this Emma." Chris promised. "I know you are having trouble seeing it, but I see it. I see it every time I look at you."

"What?" Emma turned to Chris, confused by his comment.

"I believe you can save us all." Chris said honestly. His voice left no room to question his belief in her. "You've already done one of the hard parts, convincing your parents to let you fight." Chris teased. A somber look crossed his face as he continued. "This is your destiny Emma. You have always been fated for great things. I knew that even as child. You are meant for greatness and you are capable of greatness. I know without a shadow of a doubt that you have the ability to do it. The only thing missing is your belief in yourself."

Emma closed her eyes and sighed heavily. She leaned on the balcony, looking out across the courtyard and to the forest beyond the safety of the castle walls. "That's what everyone says."

"Well for once everyone is correct." Chris said firmly. His voice was unwavering, leaving no room for question of his belief in her. "I know you believe in yourself. You're just scared."

"I am not scared." Emma scoffed as she glanced over at Chris. Chris gave her a pointed and knowing look, causing her shoulders to sag slightly. She knew there was no use trying to lie to Chris, he understood her better than that. "Ok maybe I'm a little scared."

"Well that's a first." Chris teased gently. "The ever confident princess Emma admitting she is scared of something. I never thought I'd see the day."

"Oh come on I was scared of plenty of things as a child." Emma rolled her eyes.

"Not that you ever admitted." Chris reminded her. "It was quite obnoxious. You always called me out on every little thing I was scared of and proceeded to face it without a moments hesitation. I'm not sure if you were attempting to help me but it only ever made me feel worse about the situation"

"Oh yes." Emma put her hand to her head, almost embarrassed by the memory of her somewhat cocky and certainly spunky younger self. She laughed and looked back at Chris. "Why did you ever put up with me?"

"You were my best friend. I was happiest when I was around you." Chris shrugged. He continued on, baring a little bit of his heart to her. "I lost a little bit of my happiness when you disappeared. The sadness of life became real to me. When you returned, the chance to reconnect with someone who had once meant so much to me, who I had tried to convince myself didn't care for, but so clearly still had a hold on my heart… well when I realized how I felt, nothing else mattered. I didn't care where you had spent your last ten years, or if you had magic, or even if you were a girl." Chris teased the last part, a smile crossing his face. " What others said about my friendship with you never mattered to me, even if it did incite you to action on occasion."

"Oh yes." Emma nodded slowly, remembering the rather unfortunate event. "Mother was not pleased with that particular incident."

"Some Lord's son was teasing me because my best friend was you, a girl two years younger than me." Chris grinned. "He was merciless and I remember hating him. But I wouldn't do anything about it and it drove you up the wall. You tried so hard to get me to retaliate and when I wouldn't you punched him in the face to defend me."

"And you lied when he told people I did it to him." Emma laughed. "You claimed there was no way a five-year-old girl did that kind of damage to a nine year old boy. And he had no out. No one was going to claim that a girl four years younger bested them. Of course my parents didn't believe you."

"They knew better." Chris mused. "They knew you and what you would do for a friend."

"My dad was actually proud of me for that particular incident," Emma remembered fondly. "And that my right hook was that good at such a young age. He told me not to tell my mother though and to act very contrite for my actions over the next few days."

"He was always helping you get out of things." Chris shook his head. "He couldn't stay mad at you for longer than five minutes."

"I tended to have that affect on people, especially those who held any form of responsibility over me." Emma shrugged. "Too bad I didn't carry on that affect as I grew older. It could have gotten me out of a lot of trouble in Altair."

"You still have that affect on people." Chris said gently. As Emma's eyes met his he felt a pang in his heart. He didn't want to say goodbye. Leaving her on this balcony meant they would be going separate ways with no promise of return. They were no longer children playing with wooden swords or inventing elaborate quests. They were, by societies standards, grown members of their respective royal families and by extension, bore a responsibility to their people. Gone were the days of pretending to slay dragons. The monsters that stood before them were very much real. He knew a safe return was not promised for either of them, it made what he had to say all the more important. "Emma, you know how I feel about you and I want you to know that is never going to change. I know my heart Emma and I don't want to push you but I also know that this might be the last chance I have to tell you this. I can't say goodbye to you without telling you one more time that I love you. I know you're the one. I don't have to question it. It feels right, it is right. I don't need time think about it because the way I feel about you cannot possibly be replicated. I understand your hesitation. You are dealing with so much responsibility. I understand your need for time, and I'm willing to wait as long as you need because there isn't a doubt in my mind that I love you."

Emma closed her eyes and glanced down. She couldn't quantify the rush of feelings and mixed emotions that were coursing through her. After such an impassioned statement she wasn't quite sure how to respond. Through all of the feelings, one stuck out, fear. Finally she looked back up at Chris with unsure and scared eyes. "How can you be so sure about me, about this? I can't even see what I'm going to do next in this war, let alone what I want for the rest of my life."

"I have this confidence because you give it to me Emma. Every time I look at you I just know." Chris said simply, tilting her chin up so she was looking into his eyes. "I'm happier than I have ever been. I challenge myself every day to be a better version of who I am now. It's you who inspires me to do those things. You inspire so many people Emma. We all believe in you. Now you simply need to believe in yourself."

"You're pretty wise you know." Emma smiled softly. It was small, but it was the biggest one she could produce under the circumstances. "Be safe Chris. The battlefield is a dangerous place. So many lives will be lost, but I believe in you."

"I will the best I can for my people. Goodbye Emma. I will miss you so much." Chris leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss onto Emma's forehead. As much as he wanted to kiss her fully, he didn't want to overstep his boundaries. He wanted her to want it as much as he did. He pulled away, looking into his eyes. "I know you are capable of greatness. I've always known this. You can do this, there's not a doubt in my mind."

Emma smiled gratefully. Her hand fell from his shoulder and grasped his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Goodbye Chris. And Good luck."

"Goodbye Princess." Chris gave a small bow, causing Emma to give a short, sad laugh. It was something they had put into their games as children, teasing each other about their royal heritage while pretending to go off to war. It seemed so out of place now. Emma gave one final wave, trying to keep her tears at bay as Chris disappeared down the hallway.

She turned back to the balcony, closing her eyes as the tears threatened to spill over. She never expected returning to her home could cause her this much pain. Briefly she wondered if the merchants in the courtyard could see the sadness on her pain. After a moment she realized she didn't care. She was tired of being strong and stoic for others, a pillar of strength and promise for other's to lean on. She could no longer suppress the overwhelming sense of fear. The sense of fear that she might not be capable of saving everyone, the fear that she might not return, but worst of all the fear that she might lose the ones she held dear. As the thought ran on loop in her mind, Emma slowly began to accept the realization that she might truly never see Chris alive again. She was no stranger to war. She knew that there was no promise of return just because someone had a high station, if anything it made them more of a target.

Suddenly Emma stood up straight, acting on pure emotion and instinct, something she rarely ever did. Turning quickly she took off, running swiftly down the halls. She ignored the strange looks guards and servants gave her as she passed. As she nearly flew down the staircase she saw him, walking stoically away. "Chris." Emma's call was stripped bare. Though it was a short one word, it spoke so much of the emotions surging through her being.

Chris turned in surprise to see Emma running after him. He opened his arms just in time for Emma to rush into them, throwing her arms around his neck. Chris wrapped his arms tightly around Emma, the force of the impact causing him to lift her off her feet as the two met in a passionate embrace.

Emma couldn't decipher the thoughts running through her head. She wasn't sure what had caused her to run after Chris, she just knew something inside of her had told her she had to. As they kissed all of her worries about the war, about the potential of losing him slipped away. In that moment she felt safer than she had in a long time, since she had discovered her magic. She could forget her responsibilities and the expectations placed upon her and just be a sixteen year old girl.

She didn't know how long the moment had lasted but it ended to soon. The moment they broke apart the realization of what she had just done dawned on Emma. She looked down at the floor, running her hands through her hair as she worked up the courage to look back at Chris. "I'm so sorry. I realize how unfair of me this is, but I just had to, before you…"

"I know, I know." Chris assured her quietly, placing a gentle hand on her cheek. "It's ok. I understand. We are not under ordinary circumstances. Things are different, for all of us. But this, this is enough for me."

Emma nodded slowly. "I suppose I should let you go now."

"Staying any longer would only make leaving harder." Chris whispered.

Emma took a deep breath, taking a step back, initiating the separation that was to come. "Goodbye Chris."

Emma was in the armory, sharpening her blade in preparation for her departure when she felt a presence behind her. She was fairly sure it was not a guard. They had been in and out while she was present, but the closest they got to bothering her was staring. It was almost as if they were afraid of what she was capable of.

She felt a gentle hand rest on her shoulder, as if giving notice of their presence without wanting to disturb her. She looked over her shoulder to see her aunt watching her movements carefully.

"Hey." Emma gave as much of a smile as she could muster. "Come to stock up?"

"Something like that." Red nodded. "I want to make sure I'm well prepared for tomorrow." She studied Emma carefully. "How are you doing?"

Emma shrugged, unsure of what to say. "I'm all right. I don't really know what I'm feeling right now. I don't know how I should feel so I really don't have a base line to compare anything to. I just know that the goodbyes are difficult, especially when there is no promise of return."

"It's hard." Red agreed. "With every goodbye comes the chance that it may be the last time you see someone. But you cannot dwell on that. You have to live in the hope that you will soon be reunited, that will give you the strength to continue on." Emma remained silent, pondering Red's thoughts as she continued to sharpen her blade exactly to her perfectionist standards. Red sighed, trying to find another way to get the girl to talk. "I heard you and Chris had an eventful goodbye"

"You did?" Emma's eyes grew wide, a flash of panic quickly replaced by a look of nonchalance. "How?"

"The guards are notorious gossips." Red shrugged, a teasing smile spreading to her eyes.

"I'll keep that in mind for the future." Emma mused, shaking her head. "Granted there's really no where I can go that's not patrolled in some way shape or form by them."

"That just means you'll have to avoid any compromising behavior." Red jabbed her gently in the side.

"That's really what you're concerned about right now?" Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Well after what the guards told me…" Red trailed off.

"I don't even know how to begin to explain it." Emma shook her head. "I can't tell you what was going through my head, I can't tell you why I did it. I keep thinking over and over, questioning if it was the right thing to do…"

"Em…" Red said slowly, thinking carefully about how to phrase the questions. "Was that your first…?"

"No." Emma shook her head, seeing where Red was going with the question. "I had my first kiss pretty young. It wasn't supposed to happen. I was just fourteen and on assignment. The target had taken a particular interest in me and was known to get handsy when drunk. He said he liked innocence and virtue, Apparently I embodied that. At first I took it as a compliment, a sign that I played my part well. It got me close to him and no one suspected a thing. I told Daniel I was worried he was going to try to kiss me one night. I didn't want that to be my first kiss. So Daniel kissed me so that my first kiss would be with someone I truly cared about."

Red paused, unsure how to continue. "I don't even know how to react to that admission. Part of me loves Daniel even more for wanting to protect you like that, and the other part is angry that you had to let a man take advantage of you for an assignment."

"I didn't actually let him kiss me." Emma explained, seeing the growing anger stemming from the fierce protectiveness her aunt felt for her. "He tried, but I freaked out. I was still too young to be able to handle the situation properly. I killed him on the spot, a bit earlier than planned. It took quite a bit of finagling to cover up, the higher ups were none too happy. But a well placed scream and a few fake tears along with a description of a fictional assassin allowed us to escape unnoticed."

Red gave a short laugh, a genuine smile growing on her face. "I'm proud of you."

"For killing someone?" Emma asked slowly, raising an unconvinced eyebrow.

"Someone who tried to force themselves on you? Yes," Red nodded. "I am proud you were raised to be the type of woman who stood up for yourself."

Emma blushed. She usually took compliments easily, but getting them from her parents and aunt still had the affect it had when she was young, a time when she desperately sought the approval of those she looked up to.

Red squeezed Emma's shoulder gently. "You should get some rest. We leave early tomorrow."

Emma looked up, finally working up the courage to ask a question she knew would get a strong response. "Are you sure about coming?"

"What are you talking about?" Red looked surprised. "Of course I'm sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well what if…" Emma's eyes trailed to the ground. "What if something happens to you?"

Red put both hands on Emma's shoulders, forcing the girl to look into her eyes before she spoke. "Emma, I will do everything in my power to protect you, no matter what. I love you so much."

"But I'm not your child." Emma pointed out. "You have a son and daughter. What about them? What if you die? I can't take their mother from them."

"You won't." Red promised, tucking a stray lock behind Emma's ear. "What kind of world will this be for them if you die? Who will protect them? By protecting you I am protecting them."

"But." Emma began to protest before she was quickly cut off by Red.

"Emma I don't care if we don't share blood." Red said firmly. "I couldn't love you more if you were my own. You mean the world to me and I will protect you just as I would by own, to my last breath. You know that right?" Red searched the girls eyes, looking for conformation. When Emma finally nodded Red smiled. "Good. Now in the spirit of treating you as my own I'm going to insist that you get some rest. I know you're worried and your mind is working a million miles a minute but you need to try and sleep."

"Ok." Emma acquiesced.

Red's playful smile returned. "I love it when you make thing easy and listen to me.

As quickly as it had disappeared Emma's somber mood returned. She leaned forward, hugging Red tightly. "I love you Aunt Red."

Red seemed a bit surprised but immediately reciprocated, wrapping her arms around the girl. "I love you to Ems."

Sleep didn't come for Emma that night. Her mind was running with all the what if's and any possible scenario for how this could all pan out. The only thing she knew for sure was that she was scared. Nothing would be the same after this, that much was guaranteed. What she didn't know was what the future would look like then the chips fell. She wasn't sure she would be able to sleep until after all of this was over. She wondered briefly if she would ever sleep again. Casting the thought from her head

"Now why am I not surprised to find you here?" Emma looked up from her perch in one of the castle's less populated alcoves to see Daniel leaning against the wall, smiling at her knowingly.

"I can't sleep." Emma explained.

"I figured." Daniel nodded, joining her on the window seat. "You always did stay up the night before a big assignment or test when you were nervous. It was the only time you'd admit to yourself or anyone else that you weren't one hundred percent sure of yourself."

"I had a reputation to keep up." Emma shrugged, a smirk on her face.

"I'm just surprised it took you this long to leave your room." Daniel said.

"I had to wait until I was sure the castle was asleep to sneak out." Emma explained. "Red went all mom mode on me to get me to my room. I'm still afraid she might turn the corner and chastise me."

"The brave Emma scared of a reprimand." Daniel teased good-naturedly.

Emma rolled her eyes, shaking her head before returning her gaze out the window. "That is the least of my fears."

"Em…" Daniel began.

Emma cut him off, not needing to hear yet another pep talk from someone about how capable she was. "I need you to do something for me."

"Anything." Daniel promised.

Emma took a deep breath, trying to decide how to begin her request. "In the event that I don't come back… I need you to tell them about me, my family and my loved-ones. Let them get to know me. Not just the personality traits that anyone could pick up after spending time with me, but the little things that made me who I am. Tell them my fears and my dreams, even the silly ones from when we were children. Tell them what made my laugh, what could always make me smile even when I wanted to cry. Tell them what annoyed me more than anything, what scared me, all of the stupid and idiotic things we did. Tell them about our adventures, even the ones that scare them. Tell them how I loved to soak in the light on a warm summer day, how I love the smell of those gorgeous white flowers but they make me sneeze uncontrollably, how I choose to return to them anyway because I love them so much. Tell them that white chocolate could always be counted on to bribe me to do something, how my nose twitches ever so slightly when I'm hiding something, or how I twist my ring as a nervous habit. Everything they never got to know about me."

"Emma." The sadness was evident in Daniel's voice.

"You're the only one who can do it." Emma continued. She knew if she stopped the tears that were welling in her eyes wouldn't stop. "You know all of those things about me. You know me better than anyone. You've always been by my side, not matter how crazy or stupid the plan. But this isn't something I can drag you into. I can't ask you to risk your life when the odds are so against us. For once you need to protect yourself when it comes down to it. If I can save you all, that's enough for me. I can be ok with not making it out of this. But I'm not sure my family can. You need to help them get through it, you need to let them help you get through it."

"Emma…" Daniel began again, but this times there weren't words to speak.

"Daniel please promise me." Emma begged. "Please just let me say goodbye to you, just in case. We don't know what's going to happen, but we know we have right now. I need you to promise me that you will protect yourself."

Daniel closed his eyes, every instinct in him screaming not to agree to Emma's pleas but finally he took a deep breath and looked up at Emma. "I promise."

"Good." Emma nodded. "Thank you. I needed that. Everyone else has just been telling me that everything is going to be ok. That I'm going to come back and everyone is going to be just fine. But that may not be true and I just… I'm glad you can be honest with me."

"It's not going to be easy." Daniel agreed quietly. "Statistically the chances that everyone returns unscathed are not high. But that's why we don't pay attention to statistics. We focus on what we can do, what we need to do. And Emma what you need to do is be strong. Whether your parents are willing to admit it or not, whether you are willing to accept it or not, nations are looking to you to lead them. Not just in this realm but in all of them. It is a large burden to bear, and unfair burden, but it is your burden none-the-less. But I can't think of anyone more suitable to handle it. You just need to not freak out. I know you can be confident, sometimes to a fault. That's what you need right now. So figure out how to find it. Even if you don't believe it, pull from your experiences, from your capabilities, and just give everything you can, and that will have to be enough."

Emma smiled sadly. Daniel's speech was different than everyone else's. In it he acknowledged the might not return. He knew that this was the hardest thing they had ever faced and he knew that they might not be able to find their way out of it. She reached forward and took his hand. "Thank you." She said honestly. "For being the best friend I could have asked for. For being a better friend than I ever deserved."

"You deserve more than you are willing to accept." Daniel returned her squeeze. "You are brilliant Emma. You shine brighter than anyone I've ever known, and you give other's hope and belief just by being near you."

"And you are the most caring and loyal person I've ever known." Emma said. "Serafine did my a great service by assigning you as my protector. Even if you did lie to me for ten years. Thank you for everything you've ever done for me."

"It was my pleasure." Daniel replied honestly. "Getting the chance to be your friend, to be around someone so confident and inspiring, it has been the greatest privilege of my life."

"Are you trying to vie for my father's 'Charming' title?" Emma teased, trying to lighten the seriousness of the moment.

"Please don't ever say that around your father." Daniel joked. "I'm pretty sure he would kill me."

"Yea." Emma agreed. She sighed. Her conversation with Daniel had taken some of the pressure off her. She felt relieved knowing that those who loved her could lean on her in the event that she did not return. And true to form Daniel had found a way to both calm her nerves and make her smile. "Well I had better get back to my quarters before someone notices I'm missing. I'll see you in the morning."

"In the morning." Daniel nodded. "And then we'll set out on our greatest adventure yet."

Emma nodded as she stood. "And hopefully we'll return stronger than we ever though possible."

Both her best friends, but in very different contexts - which one do you like better? (Orrin's not out of the mix just yet, he's just not in Eirian so he can't be in this chapter)