Good news! I a few chapters currently written for this (most scenes taking place centering around the night and following day of this chapter) so you should not have to wait long between them. For those who were asking for Will, this chapter is for you. For those asking about Emma's decisions, the pieces will begin to fall into place in the coming chapters - I promise!
Also just a reminder for those who have asked - James is Charming - I began writing this before we found out Charming's FTL real name was David - also as he assumed his brother's position in this world I imagined he would keep the name mostly to keep relationships with foreign dignitaries (my world is a lot more sprawling in terms of kingdoms than we see in once)
The day had been overwhelming to say the least. The castle was abuzz with workers preparing for the nights festivities. Emma had been exiled from the kitchen midmorning, barely managing to escape with lunch after Louisa, her favorite kitchen hand, had slipped her a plate of food. Snow had informed both Emma and Will that they were not to go near the Great Hall or surrounding galleries until that night. The threat came with an unknown penalty but both children knew how serious their mother was about these events and neither intended to test her and risk finding out her reaction.
To keep them from running afoul of their mother's stress, Emma had pulled Will out of the castle for the majority of the afternoon, opting to help him with his archery. He had wanted to practice using his sword with her and Daniel, but the two teens knew that Emma's parents would likely find it too soon after recent events for their son to be practicing with a sword. Knowing they would never hear the end of it if they both didn't make it back to their suites at an appropriate time, they had packed up early, giving them plenty of time to prepare for the night's festivities.
Emma had sent her attendants away, opting to bathe and do most of the necessary preparations herself. Although she had gotten used to the idea of being a princess, there was still a part of her felt uncomfortable with the idea of others doing everything for her. She knew she would need help getting on her gown and putting the finishing touches on her hair, but until then she had insisted her ladies take time to ready themselves.
She was applying a minimal amount of make-up, something she rarely wore, when her brother wandered into her chambers. Emma glanced at his reflection in the mirror, raising an eyebrow at his presence. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for tonight?"
"It's a ball in your honor." Will rolled his eyes, dropping down on his sister's bed. "I don't think anyone is going to pay much mind to what I look like."
"Yeah" Emma turned to give her brother a skeptical look. "I don't think mother would agree with that assessment. Besides," Emma turned back to the mirror. "It's not a ball in my honor."
"Oh please." Will laughed. "It may be billed as a celebratory ball for all of our kingdoms but we all know exactly who the guest of honor is. I mean look at the color of your dress."
Emma glanced at the golden gown shimmering in the candlelight, fitted perfectly on the mannequin in the corner. "It is not a subtle color choice I'll give you that. But you know that does not mean you can get away with not looking put together tonight. She will fuss over you incessantly if you have anything out of place."
"I'll stay out of her sight." Will shrugged. "Do you know all my accents are silver? How's that for imagery?"
Emma suppressed a laugh as she turned around, a mischievous smile on her face. "Well it's just telling the world what we already know. You will always be second best."
"You are cruel." Will's eyes narrowed but the smile on his face showed he knew his sister was teasing. "Playing on my old insecurities like that? I expected better from you."
"I'm your big sister." Emma shrugged. "Isn't it my job to torture you?"
"You know what? I take back what I said about liking having a sister." Will shook his head. "I did not take advantage of my days as an only child."
"You mean your days when you had no one to cover for your schemes?" Emma raised an eyebrow.
"Fair point." Will acquiesced. "I suppose having the perfect child willing to lie for me is an advantage."
"Yeah well I expect you to return the favor going forward." Emma said pointedly.
"It depends on the situation." Will countered.
Emma whipped around, narrowing her eyes. "I know things William. Need I remind you just how much I have covered for you? I can still bring them up."
Will's eyes widened. "You terrify me."
"As long as you know what I'm capable of." Emma shrugged, going back to readying herself, knowing her ladies would be unhappy if she was not ready when they arrived.
There was silence for a while as Will studied his sister. Finally he spoke, trepidation in his voice. "Are you nervous about tonight?"
"What?" Emma asked in surprised, her brother's question catching her off guard. "Of course not. I may not love being the center of attention, but it's nothing I can't handle."
"You're nervous about something." Will insisted. "I can tell."
"Oh really?" Emma raised her eyebrow as she caught her brother's eye in the mirror.
"I spent the first few months of your return studying you, attempting to figure out some way to get rid of you." Will deadpanned. "I may have had a change of heart, but I still learned quite a bit through observation."
"That is not at all disturbing." Emma replied sarcastically.
Will sighed, knowing his sister was dodging the question. "The point it, I can tell that you're nervous."
"It's nothing Will." Emma insisted.
Will paused for a second. "Is it about the boys?"
"Will." Emma warned.
"It is." Will insisted.
"It's not something we need to discuss." Emma shook her head.
"It is if it's bothering you." Will countered.
Emma took a deep breath, preferring not to broach this subject with her little brother. "It's stupid."
Will's voice softened. "No it's not."
Emma put down the brush, turning her full attention to her brother. "Will you're twelve. I know you think love is stupid and worrying about who to pick even more so."
"Infatuation is stupid." Will corrected, "Love sick vapid girls running around, gossiping about who is the most dashing and who kissed whom is foolish." Will looked at his sister pointedly. "You being nervous about choosing someone is not foolish."
"And why not?" Emma looked at her brother. "I may not be some foolish girl giggling about who I kissed in the garden's after hours but I am still fretting over which boy to choose."
"It's not foolish because love is different for people like us." Will said softly. "And you know it."
"Will…" Emma sighed.
"I know that you have not brought this up to mother and father…" Will began.
"Because they would never admit to it, let alone discuss it long enough to get somewhere on the subject." Emma spoke up. "They love us too much to force us to marry someone for advantage."
"All they want is our happiness and they would let us marry whoever our hearts desire to ensure that." Will nodded. " But as much as they deny it, things are different for people like us. There are expectations for those of noble birth, expectations that apply even to royals, especially when it comes to you."
"Meanwhile you get to enjoy the benefits of my rule." Emma crossed her arms.
"And you get the added pressure of the expectation that comes with being the future queen. There is an expectation for who is suitable for you king." Will added. "They'd never admit it..."
"But it does exist." Emma finished.
"And that is why it's understandable for you to be so concerned over all of this." Will continued. "It's not just who you love, it's if loving them will be enough, if being together will even be possible. Everyone may not acknowledge it, but these questions exist. And it's fair for you to be worried about them."
Emma gave a small smile and moved to sit next to her brother. "You are incredibly smart for your twelve years."
"Most people don't notice." Will shrugged.
"Hey." Emma put her hand on her brother's shoulder. "I notice you."
"I know." Will nodded. "You always have. That's why I love you. I know I'm only twelve and I don't really want to hear about which boy you love most, but if you need someone to talk about the reality of being a royal, someone to be honest with you, I'm always here. I know that mother and father like to whitewash things to protect us, it's just who they are. But I also know how infuriating it can be when they refuse to talk to us about the reality of what we have to deal with. I just want you to know you have me for those moments."
Emma smiled at her little brother. "Thank you Will."
"No problem." Will shrugged.
"I'm really thankful I have you for a brother." Emma replied honestly.
"I'm just happy you came home. I don't want to waste that." Will admitted. He sat up straightened up, a smirk crossing his face. "Plus it takes most of the pressure off of me so the least I can do is be your sounding board for the pressure I dodged."
"Thanks." Emma laughed, pushing her brother off her bed. "Go get ready second place."
Will turned around, narrowing his eyes. "You are mean."
Emma grinned. "I love you."
Will gave a small laugh. "Love you too. Good luck out there tonight."
"Thank you." Emma called.
Will hesitated in Emma's doorway, turning back to look at his sister. "Hey Em."
"Yes?" Emma glanced up.
"In class today we were talking about great leaders, how they are role models and have influenced our history and our present and even our future. Every year when we have this discussion Corrin asks us who our role models are, who we hope to be like when we grow up." Will looked down at his hands, clearly nervous. "My answer has always been father, I thought if I could be like him, he would be proud of me and I would finally feel good enough."
"Will…" Emma said sadly.
"He is still one of my role models, but my answer changed this year." Will continued, finally daring to look up at his sister, his voice softening. "I chose you. I mean I would never want the pressures of the responsibilities of your life but, the way you handle everything, what has happened to you, what you have done; I don't know anyone else who could handle it the way you have. You are the strongest person I know. It is not just because you are deadly with a sword and practically every other weapon, or because you have been it battle. It is how brave you are in the face of uncertainty, how you are not afraid to make the difficult decisions. You are willing to do what others are too scared to do. You don't let the difficult decisions destroy you. Somehow they make you stronger. If I could have even a fraction of that courage I…" Will's gaze returned to his hands. "I could be someone that I am finally proud of."
"Will you can be proud of the person you are now." Emma walked toward her brother, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Look how far you have come in the past year. You have the capacity to be a better person than you can even imagine. All of those things you just mentioned, you are capable them all. It is not my magical abilities that give me the courage to do what I do. It is my desire to be true to myself no matter what. Because if I cannot be true to who I am, I cannot be a queen, or a leader, or anything worth following. If you want to be like me, then be true to yourself. Do not try to base decisions off of what you think will please others. That will almost certainly end in disappointment. Sometimes the decisions you make will disappoint others, that part of life is unavoidable. But try not to disappoint yourself, those mistakes are the hardest to live with."
"I just have to figure out what being true to myself looks like." Will sighed. "I have spent my whole life trying to fit a certain mold that I'm not even sure what that is."
"You are young, you are still in the process of figuring out who you want to be." Emma assured her little brother. "It will come, I promise."
"Thank you Emma." Will surprised Emma by initiating a hug
"Anytime you need reminding of that," Emma tightened her arms around her brother. "Just come find me."
"I promise." Will stepped back, a genuine smile on his face. "Now I should really get going."
"Try not to get into to much trouble tonight." Emma called as her brother slipped out of her room, passing her ladies as they swept into her room, assessing the work that needed to be done. Emma glanced away guiltily, knowing she was nowhere near done with her hair.
Eliza and Caroline immediately got to work, not wanting to face Snow if Emma wasn't ready on time. The two made quick work of Emma's hair. Knowing her preferences, they pulled it back into a loosely twisted bun on the back of her head. Caroline did a quick polish of Emma's face, adding a slight amount of gold liner to the girl's eyes, the only noticeable makeup on her face.
As the dress had a built in corset, Emma didn't need much preparation. She slipped off her robe and stepped into the dress that Caroline and Eliza held open for her. She held her breath as they tightened the few laces on the bodice. Caroline stepped back as Eliza pulled out the skirt of the dress before stepping back herself. Emma looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror. The bodice of the dress was so ornate that no accessories were needed. A dull gold fabric had been sculpted intricately into the small bodice. Emma was surprised her mother had commissioned such a bold choice, knowing her father would have something to say about it. It cut low in the back, with only inches of fabric above her waist. At the waist the bodice met the fabric of the skirt, the gathered fabric wrapped tightly around her waist before flaring out dramatically into a massive, ball gown skirt. It was the skirt's fabric that was the most striking part of the dress. The shiny gold fabric billowed out around her, the sheen of the color making the fabric look almost like liquid gold. "Well, it is quite a dress."
Eliza studied the girl, trying to find anything that might need fixing. "How do you feel about it?"
Emma paused. "I feel like there is no possible way I can blend in with this dress."
Caroline laughed. "I think that's the point."
"You look absolutely stunning." Eliza assured the girl.
Emma turned slightly, eyeing the dress. "It is pretty magnificent."
Caroline reached for a pair of earrings that had been carefully sculpted into the shape of a starburst. "I think you made the right call on opting out of a necklace, but these are a must." Emma took the earrings and carefully put them in her ears. She turned her attention to Eliza who was holding out a pair of heels.
"These shoes are the real work of art." Eliza eyed the golden heels. It was clear their shoemaker had put in many hours on the stunning shoes. An intricate golden metal-work cage of dramatic lines connected by beautiful swirls had been set over the golden fabric of the heel. "It is unfortunate that they'll be hidden under the skirt."
"I'll know they exist." Emma smiled, allowing Caroline to support her as she lifted her skirt, stepping into the shoes that Eliza proffered. Once she was stable, Caroline walked over to table where her tiara had been set out. It was a delicate headband tiara, with small feathers made from a golden metal overlapping to create an understated but striking piece. Caroline slipped it onto Emma's head, careful not to mess up her hair.
Both women stepped back to make sure Emma was completely prepared. "You look perfect."
"And you're finished before your mother came looking." Eliza added. "Which is a miracle."
"I would agree with that assessment." Snow swept into the room, looking absolutely gorgeous herself in a striking gown. Though the neckline was high and the sleeves were long, the bodice had a sheerness to it that gave it a slightly daring quality. The flowing fabric of her skirt was light gray with a tint of lavender matching the various shades of gray pearls that accented the bodice and sleeves. Her own dark hair had been pulled tightly back.
"Ah you're in the silver family as well." Emma smiled at her mother. "Will should feel less singled out when he see's that."
"What?" Her mother raised an eyebrow before realizing what Emma was referring to. "Will and I got silver, your father and you got gold. It is simply the way it worked out."
"Uh-huh." A knowing smile graced Emma's lips as she turned back to the mirror. "Whatever you say."
"We could always switch dresses." Snow teased. "Give you something a little more conservative?"
"Dad?" Emma looked back over her shoulder. "Is that you? I didn't recognize you."
"Very funny." Snow replied flatly.
Emma shrugged. "I'm told my sense of humor is one of my best qualities."
"I would agree with that." Snow stepped forward, fixing a stray lock of hair. She stepped back and looked her daughter over, eyes filling with pride. "You look beautiful."
"Well I can clean up all right when I try." Emma used sarcasm to hide the pleasure she got from the compliment.
"Are you ready?" Snow asked.
Emma bit her lip. "Is this going to be another one of those affairs where I enter on my own?"
"I will go first with your brother." Snow explained. "You will follow with your father as an escort."
"So still all eyes on me," Emma nodded. "Just not as obvious as before."
Snow raised her eyebrow, placing her hand on her hip. "If you wish I can have you enter on your own."
Emma held up her hands. "I think I will stick with the current arrangement."
"I thought so." Snow smiled. "Your father should be here any minute."
"Have you prepared him?" Emma asked warily. "Is he going to cringe or cry?"
"In all likelihood, both." Snow shrugged apologetically.
Emma rolled her eyes. "I'll remain stoic for the both of us."
"I'm sure he will be pleased." Snow laughed.
"Pleased with what..." Charming appeared in the doorway. He stopped as soon as he caught sight of his daughter, his hand coming to his mouth. "Oh Emma."
Emma sent a knowing look to her mother. "That didn't take long."
"Now that I know you have someone who can be trusted to keep you on time," Snow looked at her daughter pointedly. "I am going to find your brother."
"I am offended." Emma crossed her arms.
"I will see the two of you in the Great Hall." Snow swept out of the room before either could protest.
Charming turned to his daughter, walking to her slowly. "You look absolutely breathtaking."
"Try not to cry too much. " Emma teased. "You would not want the other lords thinking you are not the always stoic leader you pretend to be."
"I think those with daughters would understand." Charming smiled at Emma. "I can't believe you have grown into such a beautiful young woman."
Emma shifted uncomfortably, not wanting her father to get her to tear up moments before they had to walk out in front of everyone. "Don't we have somewhere we need to be on time on penalty of the wrath of your queen?"
"I suppose you are correct." Charming held out his arm for his daughter. "Shall we?"
Emma looked hesitantly down at the giant skirt. She had worn ball gowns before, but never one of this size. "You're going to have to go slow down those stairs."
"I won't let you fall." James promised.
Emma smiled and gave a small nod as she allowed her father to lead her out of her room and towards the Great Hall where the crowd of nobles and royals were waiting for her. "I know."