From Knight to Night

Chapter 5: Only

All Emma could think about was the Queen. The pain Emma had seen, the abuse the Queen endured, and the way the Queen clung to her when she was able to get rid of the King. She thought back to the moments where she held the Queen close, letting her cry. As her sobs had died down, Emma remembered continuing to hold her, doing everything she could to make the Queen feel safe, even if just in those moments. Part of Emma never wanted to leave, never wanted to let go of the Queen. But soon after, Emma realized that the Queen had actually fallen asleep against her. Emma had felt suddenly stricken with warring emotions of elation at being able to give the Queen a safe place, but also a slight case of fear at what all of these actions Emma had taken would have on her role in the castle come the next day. But she pushed those feelings away, wanting to ensure that the Queen wasn't woken by Emma's racing heart. As she looked upon the Queen, it gave Emma a chance to really study her face. Emma's heart began to ache even more when she how exhausted the Queen looked even as she slept.

Emma stayed that way for a few minutes longer, but knew she needed to get the Queen the help she required for her wounds, as well as leave her to herself, especially since Emma knew she had already pressed her rank by being present during the fiasco she had witnessed. Emma slowly began to twist her body to extradite herself from the Queen's grasp, but made sure to still hold her above the floor. Slipping free and able to sit with her knees to the ground, Emma pulled the Queen into a cradled position, slipping her arm under the Queen's knees and the other around her shoulders, and slowly lifted her from the ground in one graceful ascension. With all of Emma's training, carrying the Queen went off with such ease that her muscles held steadfast as she moved from where she had risen from the ground over to the bed of the Queen's chamber without a hitch. She gently bent over and placed the Queen atop the soft silk coverings, slipping her arms out from under her as she let go.

Against her better judgment, Emma took her own moment to then look at the Queen, and was once again struck by her beauty, the same way she had been back at the wedding ceremony so long ago. Despite the slight injuries that were etched in the Queen's face now, Emma still saw such a distinct and stunning allure in the Queen that she could have sworn she had never seen before, or at least never been so affected. As stared upon her royal, she was reminded of what had changed within her alone, about wanting to protect the Queen in any way she could. Worried that she may not even have a job with the royal court the next morning crossed her mind again, and it truly dawned on her that it could be her new reality. Suddenly overwhelmed with grief that the Queen may, in fact, have to endure this again, Emma knew she would have to do anything she could to try and prevent that.

Finally leaving the Queen to rest, Emma left the chamber and ran to the castle entrance doors, finding the same guard who had helped her earlier with her letter. She explained that she needed to find the castle physician at once, to which the guard said he would show her to his wing. Moments later she was in a part of the castle she had not yet been but made sure to memorize the route. The guard left her at the door of the physician's chambers, and Emma knocked. Within moments, the physician had appeared, and she explained to him in hushed tones about the Queen. Leaving out the details surrounding the King, the physician asked for a few moments to dress and returned shortly in his proper clothing and clutching his bag of remedies and healing herbs. He thanked Emma quickly and then set off for the Queen's chambers shortly after doing so, leaving Emma standing by his door without a second glance.

Emma knew that she wouldn't be able to return to the Queen's chambers, but it still made her feel uneasy and almost...empty...without knowing if the Queen was alright. So, she walked. She walked and she walked and moved about the castle, taking hallways and going through doors that didn't give her any indication on where they would lead. Her thoughts wandered to what she had seen, what her feelings were about the King and his abuse towards the Queen. But most of all, she thought about the Queen, how her holding the Queen and feeling her cry into her made her feel as if she could take on the world as long as she was kept safe.