I Will Find You

Chapter 10: Change of Plans

Emma's POV

I let the water wash over my body; rinsed the dirt out of my hair, cleaned any memory of the past few weeks from my appearance. The water smelled like sulfur and came out in spurts every second or two, but it still felt amazing. I was just happy Camelot even had showers, considering it was a fairytale kingdom. But I guess since it was in the same time period as our world I couldn't assume they hadn't had some technological improvements as well.

Once I had cleansed myself, I turned off the water and dried the water off my skin, slipping on a simple light pink silk dress that Merida had been kind enough to loan me. Arthur had been kind enough to let us borrow a few rooms of his to clean up before we left on our next journey. The collar was decorated with small pearls and dropped down to a small V-neck. The skirt hit just above my ankles and had a small floral design embroidered along the bottom. I slipped out of the bathroom, wringing the water out of my hair with a towel.

Mary Margaret was sitting on the bed holding baby Neal. She wore a dress similar to mine but in a baby blue color. It fit her perfectly, as if it had been made just for her. She fit into this world so well. She was a princess, whereas I felt like an outsider. Even my dress didn't feel quite right. She gasped when I came out.

"Emma, you look beautiful." She seemed genuine, so I blushed a little to make her happy, dropping my gaze to the floor for just a moment.

"Thanks, mom."
I sat next to her on the bed, rubbing Neal's soft head. She slowly lifted him into my arms, and I cradled him for a few moments, staring into his deep blue-green eyes. Suddenly, someone knocked on our door. Mary Margaret immediately jumped up and ran over.

"I got it!" She yelled, even though I was the only one in the room other than her. She had such motherly instincts.

Henry was standing in the doorway, dressed much fancier than we were. He wore a dark brown suit with a red tie, grinning wide. I rushed over, setting Neal into my mother's arms.

"Henry! What are you wearing that for? We're leaving soon, don't expect me to let you run around Camelot in that."

"Calm down, Mom. I have an announcement. King Arthur learned from David that you are royalty, and wants to host a ball in your honor. Apparently he has heard of your family."

Mary Margaret and I exchanged glances, then looked back at Henry. Mary Margaret teasingly shook her head.

"He just couldn't keep his mouth shut, huh?" She remarked, making us all laugh.

"Merida said you guys can wear some of her and her mother's dresses, they're in a closet a few doors down. I've got to go and tell the others, the ball will be held tonight, so be ready in a few hours!" At that, Henry rushed away down the hallway.

My mom and I laughed, surprised by the news.

"Well, I guess our day isn't going to go the way we expected." She tried to sound disappointed, but I could hear the excitement in her voice. She hadn't been to a ball for so long, and she was looking forward to it, "Let's make the most of it. Emma, I can finally help you get ready for your first ball!" She was teary-eyed, but was also buzzing with excitement like a little girl who had just gotten a puppy on Christmas. I didn't want to disappoint her with the fact that I had already been to a ball, so I just smiled, agreeing with her. Nearly hopping up and down, she ushered me down the hallway, forgetting her previous act of disappointment.

We entered a room that must've been larger than my bedroom. The walls were lined with what must've been at least a hundred dresses if not more of all different colors or styles. My mom gasped, still bubbling with excitement. She inhaled the smell of fabric and grabbed a dress, running her hand along the beautiful fabric.

"Oh, Emma..." She whispered to herself, nostalgia overcoming her. I realized it must have been forever since my mom had been to a proper ball, let alone put on a ballgown. She held up a royal blue dress to her body, swaying back and forth. The collar was decorated with white lace that trailed down the dress in flowery designs and eventually lined the waist, and then the bottom of the skirt, which was lined with a petticoat and flared out around the legs. I swear I hadn't seen her so happy in such a long time. "How's this one?" She asked, like we were just two best friends shopping at the mall. Not that I had ever had the experience, but I could imagine it would be something like this.

"It's, uh... beautiful, mom. You should try it on." She smiled, and rushed behind a rack of dresses. A few moments later, she appeared from behind the rack. The dress fit her perfectly, just like the gown she had been previously wearing. It wrapped around her bodice as if it was made for her and flared out around her waist, complementing her figure perfectly. The blue was the best color on her, and she seemed to radiate magic. If a simple dress could bring this much happiness, I was definitely ready to try one on.

"Come on, Emma. Let's find you one." She grabbed my hand and dragged me to one corner of the closet full of pink, orange, and peach colored dresses. Wide-eyed, I stood admiring them all as she held up dress after dress asking me what I thought about each of them, narrowing it down to my favorites- which were really her favorites. I didn't care, though; it felt good to have some along time with my mom after all this time in the darkness.

For the first time in a long time, I finally felt a spark of hope emerge in my mind.

Author's Note: Thank you all for reading! I just wanted to remind everyone that all of the events that took place in the first half of season 5 haven't happened in my story, which I know can get confusing so I felt like I should remind everyone. Happy Holidays, I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or whatever holiday you may celebrate! I might have another chapter out within the next week, but no promises. Thanks again for reading and make sure to leave thoughts, ideas, or requests below :)