Once Upon a Ball

Part IV

Part IV

-!-!-

"Emma," The voice rang, jarring Emma from her staring into the distance, the same distance that Captain Hook and his crew had disappeared into. Turning around so that the bottom of her ripped gown whipped against her bare thighs, more so than ever as they were now dagger less. Despite herself, Emma guiltily looked back at her betrothed. Not just because of what had just transgressed but for what she was about to do.

-!-!-

With a small smile, Snow White finally stepped away from the doorway as she gently took the bronze hair brush from her daughter's grasp. Gently she began to run the brush through Emma's tweezed curls, saying nothing.

"Mom." Emma finally said as Snow placed the brush back down. "I'm sorry," She finished, her lip slightly trembling in guilt and shame. "I'm sorry I ruined-"

Snow though interrupted her with a kiss on the top of her head. "You did no such thing."

"But Jeremy, the wedding, the kingdom."

"All of which pale in comparison to your genuine happiness." Snow turned her daughter around. "You are mine and your father's happiness. As is this kingdom's. And none of us would have been able to live with ourselves if you would have gone through with the wedding." She tipped Emma's chin so their eyes met and her daughter could see how true her words were. "I could almost thank King George for his power hungry actions for stopping what we should have."

With a small sigh of relief, Emma threw her arms around her mother.

While Snow White closed the door behind her, Emma took off her robe, revealing her ankle length silk nightgown, the palest orchid. She turned to poke at the fire one last time before bed when a voice interrupted her.

"I'm quite offended your mother didn't mention me."

Emma whirled to her open window, her eyes widening as her jaw dropped.

Sitting utterly casually on her windowsill, straddling it even, whilst eating an apple and leaning against the side, like as if a good hundred feet were not between him and the ground was Captain Hook in all his pirate dressed glory. No gentlemen's disguise this time. And the leather... was just as good as any suit. She couldn't help but gulp. "What? How?!"

"Scaled it of course, don't you know all towers are made to be scaled?" He arched a perfectly shaped dark brow at her. "It is after all how all the stories go. Princess is locked in tower, handsome prince sees her and must find her. I just happen to be a romantic pirate." He shrugged as if it was just some unfortunate stroke of luck. "So, miss me Princess?"

"Don't call me that!" She scowled at him.

"But you are one." He simply said with another bite of his apple before tossing it behind him.

"I don't want to be a princess." She said almost in a whisper, thinking about how disappointed everyone was when she had told Jeremy she could not go through with the wedding.

"Aye, I know."

"You do?" Emma snorted softly as she threw a pillow at him just because.

"You are something of an open book." He said as he put the pillow behind him to buffer his back and the stone wall."

"I am not!" She said astounded though she wasn't sure if it was his words or how he was now using her pillow!

"Yes, yes, you are but it is those traits of yours that make you a fine queen fit to rule."

Emma blushed at the honesty ringing in his voice. So many people said the same but none ever seemed as honest, almost like as if they counted on her to remember their words and them in the future. Yet Hook had said it sincerely and ironically he was the pirate.