A/N: Second to last chapter, a quick update, and the last chapter will certainly come within a day or two. It's crazy to have wrapped up two multi-chapter fics within this month. The next project is in the plotting stage at the moment, so stay tuned if you want to read my next story.

It makes me so happy to see so many reading this, I know the setting with the "How to Train your Dragon" backdrop was a bit unusual. But it seems as if you enjoyed it, so thank you for letting me know your thoughts in reviews.

Enjoy.

Chapter 12

When Emma noticed various familiar locations below her, she felt a nervous flutter inside her; she was going home. They had opted to land near the house of Anna and her husband Kristoff so they wouldn't fly three dragons towards a castle that had a grim history with dragons.

As they approached the meadow, Emma saw Kristoff chopping wood outside when he heard the flapping of wings above him he dropped the axe and ran straight for the house while calling out for Anna.

"It's us," Henry shouted and waved, his shout had Kristoff pause and look up and when Elsa sent a light flurry of snowflakes to the ground, the mountain man grinned and shouted for Anna again.

"Your sister is back."

Emma saw Liam's startled look at Elsa's show of magic, but Emma had no chance to hear the explanation Elsa gave the pirate king

They soon landed close to the cabin and Anna came barreling out with a white apron around her middle. "Elsa you're back and you found Emma."

Anna quickly hugged her sister before she focused on Emma, "Wow that is a beautiful dragon you have there. What is it called?"

"That is a long story." Emma grinned and helped Henry from the white dragon before she jumped to the ground. "But this is Pearl, she's a Light Fury."

Anna gave Emma a big hug, "When August came to the Inn last week, we barely believed his tale of dragons, lost worlds and Phoenix flowers."

"It's all true."

Anna glanced over her shoulder at Killian before whispering, "Is he the pirate you travelled with?"

"Hmm," Emma smirked, not knowing how much Anna truly knew about her plan to marry the pirate.

Anna gave her a curious look before she pointed at Emma, "We need to talk, soon."

"Yeah, come with us to the castle and we'll find time to talk."

Anna nodded in understanding as she looked around the group, "Who's the curly-haired guy staring at my sister?"

Emma choked back a laugh, "That would be King Liam of Rum Island."

"What?"

"Hmm, he really is the pirate king."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Nope, and he's Killian's brother."

"That makes Killian a pirate prince." Anna waggled her eyebrows, "Oh I'm so going to join you at the castle, I don't want to miss seeing the look on our Queen Regina's face once she hears this."

"What?" Emma frowned, "She knows I'm alive and well, right?"

"Oh sure, and from what Elsa told me she was livid when she learned where you were."

Emma groaned and looked to the sky, "Can't wait."

Everyone walked towards the castle and Emma realized that Elsa still kept close to King Liam, who seemed eager to entertain her friend with whatever pirate tale he was currently sharing.

"They look chummy." Killian's voice sounded beside her.

"Yeah." Emma frowned and looked at him, "Your brother isn't married is he?"

"Good heavens no, he'd never really been looking for a wife." Killian laughed then pointed between the couple who walked in the front, "But it looks like he's quite taken by your friend there."

"Yeah." Emma kept a watchful eye on her friend and the pirate king.

Half an hour later they reached the castle and when the guards spotted August striding towards them and then Emma walking in the group, the gates were opened with shouts to announce their arrival.

Inside the courtyard, everyone stopped their doings and gaped at them as they walked over the cobblestones. Whispers of "the princess is back." fluttered through the castle workers, soldiers and stable boys.

Emma looked up at the white walls, her home. It was with a thumping heart that she stepped inside; it felt like a lifetime since she last stepped over the threshold. Inside a footman greeted them with a beaming smile, "The Queen will be delighted to see you, Your Highness." He did a small formal bow, "Follow me."

Emma glanced around the group around her and shrugged, "Might as well get this over with."

Killian walked beside her and he placed a hand on the small of her back. The gentle touch was enough to calm down her nerves as they walked towards her aunt's smaller reception hall.

Guards on either side of the large oak door bowed as they saw Emma and opened the door while one called out, "Your Majesty, Princess Emma has returned."

Emma walked in first, vaguely aware of Killian following her closely.

Queen Regina stood by the large windows with her back turned to the door, "Welcome home niece." She turned around and smiled, but Emma noticed her startled look as her aunt took in the group accompanying her. "Who did you bring?" Regina took a step towards them, her hands folded in front of her burgundy dress.

"Aunt." Emma stepped forward and curtsied before she reached over and gave her aunt an awkward hug and kiss on the cheek. "I'm so happy to be back." She glanced over her shoulder, "I've got a lot of things to tell you."

"I'm sure you do, but perhaps you should introduce your friends."

Emma stepped back and cleared her throat, "May I present to you, King Liam, of Rum Island."

The mention of the pirate realm didn't seem to rattle the poised queen, if it did she hid it with a small nod as her eyes landed on Killian who stood beside his brother.

"And this is Prince Killian of Rum Island."

"Welcome," Regina said with her usual calm voice, but Emma knew her enough to see the flicker of mistrust in her eyes.

"They helped me save Henry." Emma provided and glanced over at August who stood sentinel at the door, as if he'd fallen back into his guard duties. Emma wondered how much August had shared when he'd come by a week ago.

"I know as much and I knew you were resting up in Rum Island." Regina glanced towards Henry who looked slightly bored, "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I'm doing great now, thanks to the Phoenix Flower, Killian knew where to find it, and he showed me his dragon, I even flew on its back… and I fell from a tree, but Killian's dragon saved me… and then the white dragon saved Mother when we were attacked by the black pirates…"

Emma stepped over and placed a hand on her son's shoulder, "Think we need to stop the tale-telling for now." When Henry looked up at her in confusion she sighed, "Look, we've got a lot of stories to tell and we'll tell them all, one at a time. Right now I really need a word with my Aunt alone."

Everyone else nodded in understanding and walked out of the door, Killian walked out last and glanced over his shoulder. Emma gave him a small smile, she could have used his support, but right now she thought it best to do this alone.

When the door closed behind them Emma turned to her aunt, "Yeah there's a lot to tell." She rubbed her sweaty palms on her thighs, she still wore leather breeches, much more comfortable when flying a dragon."

"So you've flown back home on dragons?"

"Hmm, they are at Anna and Kristoff's place, I imagine they're hunting the woods."

"A pirate?" Regina lifted a perfectly manicured eyebrow, "How did that happen?"

"How much did August tell you?"

"Not enough to understand why you didn't try harder to return earlier?"

"Killian was on a time crunch, his brother was ill from a stint with Dreamshade. The only thing which could save him was the Phoenix Flower."

Regina waved her off and walked to a table where a carafe of wine was located, "I know all about the flower, the King being sick and even how Henry got poisoned as well." Regina poured wine into two glasses and gave one to Emma, "What I don't understand is why you never had him, the captain, the pirate prince, turn around the moment you realize you'd been taken from Misthaven."

"It would have cost him invaluable time, his brother was dying." Emma sighed and took a large gulp of wine. "Killian would have lost his brother."

"You seem quite close with the pirate."

Emma nearly choked on her wine, as she cleared her throat she squeaked out, "What… whatever do you mean Aunt?"

"You keep calling him Killian, never once while speaking about him did you call him Prince Killian or any such formal titles."

"Oh, yeah…" another sip of wine, "It was actually why I wanted to talk to you."

"I see."

"Hmm, while we travelled towards Caldera I… we formed a sort of friendship, you see." Emma glanced at her aunt, but she turned away as Regina kept looking at her with a hard stare.

"Friendship?"

"Yeah, we… It kinda turned into something more." Emma looked down into her half-filled wine glass while rolling the drink between her hands. "I… we… he…"

"Are you telling me you have fallen in love with a pirate prince?" Regina's voice was far less sharp than Emma had anticipated and when Emma nodded Regina sighed, "Oh dear."

"What's so horrible about that?"

"Who said anything about horrible, complicated, perhaps, but not horrible." Regina mused and emptied her glass, "It seems as if I'm in for a little chat with King Liam of Rum Island."

"What?"

"You're the Crown Princess of Misthaven, the royal council have been begging me to find you a suitable husband for years now." Regina sighed, "Now you come here with a pirate in tow and tell me you love him."

"He's a pirate prince," Emma said defiantly, lifting her chin.

"But still a pirate…"

"They are the good and decent kind of pirates, they treat their dragons with respect and sure they plunder and pillage whenever they can, but they are never brutal or barbaric in their ways. Unlike some other black pirates."

Regina harrumphed as if she didn't fully trust Emma's words of how the pirates from Rum Island really lived their lives.

"I will still speak with the pirate king about this matter." Regina tilted her head, "Does he know of your relationship with his brother?"

Emma nodded, "He does and while he's weary of it all, much like you, I think he would rather see his brother happy than forbid us to marry."

"Marry?"

"Yeah, that is our plan."

"It will still need to be discussed at the royal council."

"Is the fact that he helped save Henry not enough for those stuffy old geezers." Emma huffed and crossed her arm over her chest, "I love Killian, he loves me. They have wanted me to be married for years now."

"We all want you to be happy, and once you're married you will be taking over the throne from me."

"Oh, yeah." Emma regarded her aunt for a moment, "Are you keen on keeping it?" She frowned, it had never crossed her mind that Regina might wish this.

Regina looked horrified for a quick second, "By all means, no. This was always a temporary arrangement." She glanced out of the large windows, "In fact, it helps my predicament."

"What?"

"Oh, that is a long story…"

"I have time."

"The reason I wanted you married is also for my own gain."

"How?"

"Much like your heart has been stolen, a woodsman stole my heart five years ago." Regina turned away from Emma with a sigh, "He was never interested in pursuing something while he knew my position in this realm. I think it scared him."

Emma held her breath as she took in this information. Tentatively she stepped around so she could see her aunt's face, "You want to be with him, but he refused because you're the queen."

Regina shrugged, "I suppose that is one way of putting it."

Emma's heart beat frantically, "So when I marry you'll be able to be with this man. Who is he?"

"You'll laugh when you hear what he does for a living." Regina gave her a wry smile, "It's irony at its finest. He's a thief of sorts, trying to do rights for the poor by stealing from the rich. His name is Robin Hood."

Emma blinked, trying to recall if she'd heard the name before or not and then she realized, "That's the outlaw the council wanted to hunt down ten years ago, I remember how the sheriff wanted to behead the men."

"The very same."

"Do I want to know how you met him?" Emma really did want to know, but also knew her aunt well enough to know that a story like that was far too private for her to share.

"It's a long story, but I calmed the council down over the years and they have left the group of woodsmen in peace."

"I'm happy for you."

Regina gave her a small smile and then her features sharpened., "But I will still need to speak with the pirate king. Agreements need to be sorted out before I present the council with your plan to marry a pirate prince."

"I know." Emma sighed, "I'll go out and find him, do you want Killian to join as well."

"That might be best and I want you there too." Regina walked to her work desk and rummaged around in the drawers, "I'll prepare while you find them."

Emma slipped from the room, looking down the corridor and sighed in relief when the two men she was looking for came walking towards her. "Killian."

"Aye," Killian rushed forward and leaned closer to give Emma a small kiss on the cheek, "Did it go well with your aunt?"

"Surprisingly better than I expected." Emma chuckled, "She would like a word with both of you and me."

The two men followed her back to the room and Emma slipped her hand into Killian's as they stood in front of Regina. It was clear how nervous Killian was at this moment, his fingers clenched around hers and she reached over with her free hand and wrapped it around their clasped hands. "It will be okay."

"I hope," Killian whispered through clenched teeth.

Liam bowed in greeting, "You wished to see us, Your Majesty."

"I did. Please sit down. I believe we have a lot to discuss since it seems as if our realms will have a connection now." Regina looked between Emma and Killian.

"Aye, that we do." Liam said with a nervous chuckle, "Let me be the first to say that I agree with my brother's wishes to marry your niece."

"That's splendid, we both agree on that matter." Regina shuffled some papers around on the table, "We just need to sort out the finer details of this joining."

Liam nodded and while the two continued to talk about treaties, trading rights and routes, Emma kept glancing at Killian who finally seemed to relax.

Emma's head was buzzing with plans for the next many months when she and Killian walked out of the room. Things had been settled and sorted out so the wedding would take place in six months. It would be a midsummer wedding and she knew no expenses would be spared when the princess of Misthaven would marry the pirate prince of Rum Island.