The Swan Princess

-9-

Wandering the vast Enchanted Forest gave Emma Swan plenty of time to reflect on life. Growing up in foster care, she had seen many couples fight. In more than one house, she had seen one parent walk out on the other, and she remembered the heartbreaking realization that it was partially because of her. After all of that, could she really bring herself to leave Killian?

"He wouldn't leave me." she mumbled over and over again to no one in particular. It was more of a reassurance to herself than anything else. 

Another painful memory: Neal leaving her, pregnant and imprisoned, and she never really understood why. She later learned it was because of August, but if Neal really loved her he wouldn't have abandoned her, would he?

Killian loved her truly, there was no doubt about it. He had given her a beautiful daughter and a wonderful life as a Queen. Their argument had been silly words, she decided, and she had meant none of it. Of course he cared about their children. He had never shown anything but love and compassion for her, so why should their children be any different?

It was then that the sudden reality of everything hit Emma, and she actually had to grab a tree to keep herself from collapsing. 

I made a really big mistake... she thought.

She could still go back. Maybe he was home, waiting with open arms for her apology. They would kiss and everything would be okay like it always was... 

But it wasn't. Her children were her mission. Finding them was her biggest priority, not saving her marriage. Killian was probably gone anyways, furious with her betrayal. She might as well focus on the thing that had been tugging at her heart for the last ten years.

It suddenly occurred to Emma that she had never been anywhere close to this part of the forest before. She thought that after searching for ten years, she would've searched each and every tree in the Enchanted Forest. But of course, 90% of their search had been going in circles, and they both knew it. In this part of the woods, there were no birds. There hadn't been a single animal in sight for the last mile or so. 

In one direction, about a mile away from her, a wall as tall as the trees stretched far above her head. Emma raised her eyebrows curiously and decided that the path towards the wall would most likely give her results.

"Halt!" a voice cried out, and Emma gasped. She cautiously drew the dagger from her right boot and hid behind a tree as at least ten figures appeared ahead of her.

"The mistress says the children were spotted heading this way." one guard shouted to his comrades. "Spread out and search in a five mile radius. They can't have gotten far." 

Children? Emma's heart began beating rapidly.

"And remember..." the guard continued. "Princess Eva is our highest priority. The mistress needs her more than anything."

Emma almost cried out with relief. So her children were alive, but they were somewhere out in the forest. She was about to go sprinting in the other direction when the guard's final sentence stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Kill the Prince on sight, but don't let that child escape again."

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Eva was growing more and more anxious as she, her brother, and her father sat around the fire they had been crafting all day. Swapping stories of the great Savior, the mother she had never met, and dreaming about what it would be like when they were finally reunited was a lot for one small girl.

"So she really defeated a dragon?" her eyes widened in shock.

"Aye. And she woke your brother here from a sleeping curse." Killian gestured to Henry, who nodded.

"Mom is a really amazing person, Eva. I can't wait for you to meet her."

And it was true. Emma Swan sounded absolutely incredible, but Eva couldn't help but wonder. This mysterious mother that she had never even met... Eva had inherited her powers from her. But one of the stories that Henry had told had mentioned that Emma's powers were just as powerful when used for evil as they were for good. Eva had been training with her powers for such a young age, and they'd grown so strong. Maybe her powers had the potential for great darkness too.

"Do you think she's going to like me?" the princess asked after a moment of silence.

"Of course, love. She's your mother. She's going to adore you. Why wouldn't she?" Killian replied, stunned. Eva didn't say anything and turned to look at Henry.

"That's not going to matter, trust me." Henry shook his head, taking a sip from the flask his father had just handed him.

"What isn't going to matter?" Killian asked again, sitting up straight this time.

"Hang on." Eva stood up and disappeared from the light of the fire for a moment. Killian began to rise and draw a sword when he saw her small figure walk back and sit down in the light again. In her hand she held a small daisy. She stared intently at it for a moment before the flower began floating up and out of her hand, drifting above the flames of their campfire.

"You have magic."

The flower drooped and fell into the flames almost instantly.

"Please don't be angry with me." Eva cried, burying her face in her hands. Instantly her father was at her side with his arm around her, comforting her.

"Why would I be angry, love? It's just magic. Believe me when I say I'm no stranger to its works."

"Zephyra nearly lost it when she found out." Henry explained, sliding next to his sister. "I mean, she knew Eva was going to grow up to be powerful, but she had no idea that she was born with powers. Eva was only three and she made all the leaves on the ground fly up and dance around her. Zephyra realized that the first instinct that this three-year-old girl had was to use her powers for goodness and she locked her in her room for a whole day without any food or anything. And then Eva wasn't allowed to use magic for anything but whatever Zephyra told her to." Eva took her hands from her face, wiping her tears and burying herself into her father's leather jacket.

"I had to hurt people. She made me hurt the rats that we found in the kitchen and sometimes when a deer found its way into the walls..." The tears started again and she was sobbing. Killian couldn't believe the cruelty his child had been put through, and he'd met plenty of villains in his lifetime.

"None of that matters, okay?" he whispered to his daughter, stroking her hair. "Your mother and I love you just the same, no matter what you've done. Because we won't make you hurt anyone. You're safe with us for as long as you live."

They sat like that for a while, before the little princess ceased to cry and she fell asleep, knowing what it felt like to be loved and accepted into a real family of her own. And once she slept, she dreamed of a reunion with her mother, her mother's acceptance of her powers, and the two of them laughing, surrounded by thousands of floating leaves.