Emma woke up snuggled in Killian's arms. She was the happiest she'd ever been, and it didn't phase her one bit. She was delighted that she had so much love. As she looked at his sleeping face, she wondered if it was true love, like her parents had.

Frowning slightly, she thought about the difference between the two and the secret she had to keep. One day, years ago, when she had commented on the dissimilarities between Robin's and Marian's love vs the others, Blue told her the truth. Robin had a different true love, one that seemed to horrify her teacher, the identity of whom she refused to impart to her student and was never spoken of again.

She let out a happy little sigh, closed her eyes, and rested against him. They were getting closer to the Enchanted Forest and the magic beans that were there at the top of the beanstalk. She had her next adventure in sight. She would focus on that for now.

Thinking of it, though, then brought a scowl to her face. The Oracle had promised betrayal at the top of the beanstalk. How could that be true? Was the Oracle really a fake after all, and what did that mean for her quest? She couldn't find herself to believe that the man she loved would hurt her and destroy her trust in him.

The Oracle had said, "Your eyes won't see what your heart knows." Emma couldn't figure out what that even meant.


Merida blushed the moment she saw Killian and Emma walking through town. Despite how embarrassed she had felt over what she had said the other night, she made her way over to her friend.

Once she got there, Emma looked at her kindly and didn't turn her back on her. She said, "We're still friends?"

"Do you trust me so little?" Emma scolded.

"But I…" Killian was there, and she didn't dare repeat what she'd said. Dumb words. Words she had to get from the bar owner when they floated vaguely through her memory yesterday. He had remembered the words that had almost given away her friend's secret and told her what she had said.

Emma shook her head. "You did. So? I wish those words could be unsaid, but my friendship with you won't break over something like that."

"I deserve it," Merida replied sadly.

"That's not true. But no matter what, I don't deserve to lose you. Do I?"

"No! You didn't say anything!" Merida said, objecting strongly.

"It's not about you. I care too much about our friendship to lose you over something like that. My love isn't that weak or so little."

Merida surged forward and hugged her friend hard. "I love you too, Emma."

When she stepped back, she noticed Killian looking at her weird. She rolled her eyes, "Don't get your hopes up. It's not that kind of love. You're not in for a threesome."

Killian's smile turned to a scowl, and he stepped towards Merida threateningly. "You don't even joke about having sex with her. That woman is mine, and if you try anything, I will kill you where you stand. I don't care whose daughter you are." He then glared at her and wouldn't back down.

Merida raised one eyebrow at him in amusement. "So, the notorious pirate gets jealous. How amusing," she said condescendingly. She couldn't help herself. She was intentionally pushing his buttons now. It amused her, and she wondered how much she could mess with him. "You're so sure you can keep her? I have three brothers, and they are all princes; she could marry better than you." She didn't care to enlighten him with how young they were.

She watched Emma shiver as Killian said, "If anyone makes a move towards her, I will make them wish they were never born. I've been a pirate for a very long time, and I know how to make the remaining bits of a person's life very painful."

"You don't think she can marry better —pirate?"

He shrugged casually and said, "She can't. She could marry for a better title or a better man, but she can't find a damn person out there that loves her as much as I do! For the first time in my life since my brother died, betrayed by two different people, I want to be a good man."

"Adorable, her love changed you," she condescended.

"No. It didn't. My love changed me. She didn't 'fix me'; I just couldn't love her and remain as I was."

Merida's forced stern face dropped, and she broke into a huge smile. "Damn, pirate. You're kinda of making me wish I wouldn't lose my freedom by finding a man. At least if he was as romantic as you."

"You were testing me?!"

"Nope!" She said, smiling and laughing when he made a face that showed he didn't believe her. "I wasn't. I was messing with you just because I could. I was trying to piss you off so I could laugh at you. Then you went and made me happy that my friend is risking everything to be with you."

"Another slip of the tongue?"

"No. I meant her heart. I said enough last night and learned my lesson. I'm going to stay sober and be more careful than that."

Emma then said, "We're heading out of town." She then pointed at a man standing a bit away from them, holding some bags. "That's our stuff for our adventure."

Merida looked at her wide-eyed, "You get your adventure!?"

"I do," Emma said, nodding. "I got to pick what it was, too."

"Good." Merida then looked at Killian. "You're not stupid. I gave away… things last night. It doesn't tell you everything, but…" she looked at Emma and sighed. "She's strong, but she's not immortal. Protect her. Even from her own desire to stop injustice at all costs."

"What is one woman?" Emma asked her friend sadly.

"You're not one woman in exchange for all others, Emma. You're a potential pawn, a strong pawn, but a pawn all the same, and you know it. You can be used to hurt others. And know this," she added. "I am one of them. If I discover you're in danger, I won't hesitate to come to your rescue." And then, to lighten the mood, she said, "Remember, I am more of the dashing hero type. I'm no damsel in distress. Rescuing you would be on-brand for me."

"And I am a damsel?" Emma objected.

Merida frowned, "I believe that's up to you, isn't it? Don't get caught and require others to come to your rescue."

Killian spoke up and said, "I will be the one to protect her."

"You don't seem the hero type to me," Merida said. "Aren't you a villain?"

"I am a villain," Killian said, pulling Emma to his side. "But that just means I don't have the hero's code of ethics standing in between me and keeping her safe. I would risk anything, even my crew, to protect her. I am a man without limits to how far I will go for her."

Merida nodded in approval. "I can rest easy that she's protected. I'm glad."

"You're an odd one," Killian said, unexpectedly glad to have her approval.

"Aye," she said, shaking her head at him. "And you're a dirty pirate. Now that the name-calling is done, let's move on."

Emma embraced her friend. "I will be okay. I'm strong, too."

"I know, trust me." Merida then let out a long sigh. "I don't want a man." She was trying to convince herself that she meant those words.

Emma knew exactly what she meant and smiled, amused at her friend. "Neither did I. And I didn't find one."

"Hey!" Killian objected strongly.

Ignoring him, Emma kept talking to her friend. "I found love. Some things are worth compromising for."

Merida scoffed. "You're crazy."

"I am… until I'm not. It would be crazy for you right now, but you might find what I've found one day. I didn't lose my heart to him. I found my way in him."

"But my freedom…." Merida said, trailing off.

"My freedom didn't go away when I met him. The shape of my freedom changed. I picked a spot in the world, and he is taking me there. What is more freeing than that?!"

Merida smiled and teased, "So, fall in love with a pirate?"

"That's a horrible idea," Emma replied. "I already found the best one there is. Fall in love with a…" She looked around her and smirked. "A normal man. Find someone who doesn't know what your life is like to be raised as a crown princess. Someone who sees you for who you are and not what you are."

They talked a while longer, and then, after Emma and Merida said their goodbyes, they headed out of town with their things. Once Emma and Killian were alone, he said, "Crown Princess? Doesn't she have three brothers?"

"She was teasing you with that. They're triplets, and they're five. King Fergus finally had his sons over a decade after Merida, and by the time he did, he had already fought to have the crown pass through his daughter."

Killian frowned at the ground as he walked. That bit of news just added to the overall mystery of Emma. Merida treated her as powerful and special, but why would that be true if she was a future queen? It left him wondering exactly who Emma really was.