Wow, thank you so much for the reviews! I'm so glad you all liked the last two, and thought they were good enough to support a part three! I think I mentioned before that this AU stuff is new to me but it's actually kind of fun!

24. Questions

Killian usually only saw this many people when he was around the docks. But this was most certainly not the docks. Primarily, he noticed, because the docks reeked overwhelmingly of fish.

The banquet hall did not; it smelled of roasted turkey and smoked ham and freshly baked bread and melting butter and an array of herbs and spices on vegetables he had never even seen before.

He consumed with his eyes, feeling stuffed just by looking at all the food available to him for this evening, and only caught the end of King David's speech, describing the events of that day at the harbor and thanking the crew.

Killian raised his wine goblet to salute his fellow crew mates and realized it was a nice change from the ale tankards he was used to. He also realized that all eyes were on him and his brother, Liam, as they were Captain and Lieutenant of the daring crew.

And because they were sitting at the head of the table.

Next to the royal family.

So in reality for the two brothers, the eyes glanced, identified, acknowledged, and moved on.

"It's a pleasant change from the stench of fish," Liam noted. Killian's mouth quirked up a bit, not surprised he and his brother had been thinking the same thing.

"Is this a potato?" Killian held up his fork, right in his brother's face, forcing the captain to go slightly cross-eyed focusing on the utensil. "Because it tastes like a potato and looks like a potato but it's purple. I mean, it's gotta be imported from somewhere..."

Liam tilted his head. "I'm inclined to believe that, yes, it is a potato. But," he leaned in closer to his brother. "What's even more interesting than the potatoes is the Princess. She's been looking over here quite a lot."

Killian rolled his eyes at his brother's wiggling eyebrows, but couldn't hide the faint blush on his face. "I noticed. You think she'd say yes if I asked her to dance?"

"You saved her life," Liam shrugged, "I'd say she at least owes you one."

Killian thought this was a decent enough reason. It didn't stop him from draining his wine goblet before getting up from his seat.

Of all the things Emma could hope for but had not expected for the night, the chef preparing her favorite chocolate mousse for dessert was most definitely one of those things.

The other was the young lieutenant coming over and extending to her his hand.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, crystal blue eyes searching hers for an answer.

She tried not to appear too eager as she rose and placed her hand in his, feeling the callouses from working on a ship even on the tips of his fingers. "It would be my pleasure." They made their way to the dance floor, where others were gathering as the members of the orchestra settled into their seats. After a few moments of silence, the music began, and with it the dance. And with the dance, Emma's surprise. It was natural, she supposed, for a skilled swordsman and sailor to be light of foot, but a dancer?

"Now," Emma said a little ways into the dance, "since you asked me a question, I get to ask you a question."

Killian knit his eyebrows together. "I asked you a question?"

She grinned. "You asked me to dance."

"That shouldn't count, it -"

"Was a question," she interrupted, her eyes glittering with laughter. "Technically."

Killian sighed and spun her before smoothly pulling her back towards him, perfectly in time with the music. "It's rather difficult to win an argument with you, isn't it?"

She nodded. "I've been told it's impossible. Also, that was a question. But I'll let it slide."

"Point taken," Killian conceded with a grin. "Please, continue."

"Where did you learn to dance so well?"

He laughed aloud. "I know, it's surprising. My mother loved to dance, and she taught both my brother and myself. I suppose she was right all along." He looked at the banquet hall around him before returning his gaze back to her. "I would be able to put it to good use one day." As it was giving him an opportunity to spend time with the Princess, it was being put to very good use. "And now," he continued, "would it be my turn to ask again?"

"I believe it would be," she replied, momentarily catching the sly glances from her parents from across the room.

"How was it to grow up in a castle?"

Curiosity about the lieutenant overwhelmed her. She'd been asked the question before, but never like this. It always came up when she entertained the children of visiting nobles, who wanted to be able to imagine what it was like to have anything she wanted at the snap of her fingers. She usually gave them the answer they wanted to hear. But the man in front of her was different, no envy or greed on any part of his face. He looked like he'd be more interested in being told about secret passageways.

"It was a whirlwind," she said, feeling that she could answer him truthfully. "Lots and lots of lessons in etiquette, which drove me absolutely mad, of course. And sometimes it felt like I was trapped in here." Her answer happened to coincide with the end of a song, and suddenly her eyes grew wide, causing Killian some minor confusion. "Please don't think I'm complaining about it," she hurriedly continued, "I don't want you to think that I'm spoiled."

"I don't," he replied simply as another song started. "Far from it, Your Highness." Frankly, she struck him as one of the most reasonable and grounded people he had met. He motioned for her to continue her answer.

"I get to visit the villages, and I get to meet people who treat me like I'm normal rather than royal. And I can go on walks or rides through the Enchanted Forest..." She trailed off, thinking, the slightest of frowns on her lips. "But there's always someone. A nursemaid, a tutor, a guard, my parents. I understand the reasons why I need them near me, but the constancy is sometimes a little overwhelming. And for all my opportunities, I don't think I've done much. The trip to Catania was supposed to be my first time overseas."

"I'm sorry you lost that chance," he said, voice quiet. It could have been his imagination, but he thought there there was something different about her now, something that clicked in his brain. Maybe the title of Princess had been blocking out the other title she had: person.

She shrugged, only a little rueful. "I'll have other chances. And what about you? What is it like, being on a ship, always on the water? Always a new destination?"

It was the first time anyone had ever asked him something like that. His feet kept moving with the music, but his mind swirled trying to think what it was like. "It's...freeing." She watched as his eyes lost focus. "The wind and the water and the openness. I've gotten to go all over, but I suppose it can be lonely too. We're at sea for weeks sometimes." He lowered his voice and leaned towards her. "And don't tell this to the rest of the crew, but to be perfectly honest, when you're with the same group of people for three weeks with dwindling rations, sometimes you just want to bang your head against the mast. Repeatedly."

He liked that his comment caused her to throw her head back and laugh, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught Liam wiggling his eyebrows again.

Her voice returned his attention to her, and he realized it was because he could hear her clearly now that there was no music. "How did you know that it wasn't a Catanian ship?"

"That's two questions in a row, Your Highness," he pointed out, a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Technically."

She frowned, but in good humor. "All right, all right, your turn."

He thought for a moment, but began to panic slightly as couples started to leave the dance floor as the night was drawing to a close. Which meant his time with her was ending as well. "How did you free yourself when you were in the hold?"

The question was one thing she had expected but had hoped would not come up, but she was saved from answering when she saw her father approaching, probably to pull her away for farewells. "I believe that may be a question for another time," she said, watching as the orchestra members rose from their seats. She curtsied, and he automatically bowed in response.

"Will there be another time?" he asked before he could stop himself.

From the hope in his eyes to the bashful grin on his lips, his face was a reflection of her own emotions. "I sincerely hope so, Lieutenant Jones."

Thoughts? I have a few more ideas with the alternate universe Lieutenant Duckling thing going on here, but we'll see! And of course, please comment if you have any suggestions for things you want to see! I'm open to ideas. Thanks for reading!