Where The Sun Meets The Moon #Wattys2016

Chapter One

The water Emma stared out at, was calm, effortlessly carrying the heavy weight of ships and marine life. The colors of the water today though, were dismal to say the least, Emma found the sight to bring her some peace. Perched on a bench she stared out at the vast expanse, as birds over head soared into the horizon.  No one had found this spot, this one place she found solidarity in as she scribbled an angry note. Quickly darting looks to her left and right she picked up a bottle and slipped the note inside and threw the object into the water, momentarily it sank and then bobbed up. Emma found her dress limited her mobility some, it was one of the more casual dresses. The dress was navy at its top, with muscle cut sleeves and the skirt of it was in strips of black and white. There was a yellow belt that connected the two, her shoes were black converse, which she'd snuck. Now on that thought her calmness disrupted she began to pick up rocks and attempt to skip them on the water's surface.
"Princess Swan!!" She heard one of her parents henchmen or knights shout for her. Emma had decided to keep her last name and the one she grew up with. The tone of the man was angry and agitated. If he didn't find her, there would surly be consequences when he got back to court without the princess. Emma mocked her parents way of speaking as she thought this. They learned the best way to get her to do anything is not to threaten her, rather to threaten someone else for her actions. They weren't cruel rulers but they were nearly at an end on how to control the young heiress.
Slowly, stroking a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear she moved toward the knight. Concealing her quite spot at least for the moment, and relieving him of his stress. When his eyes caught sight of her he broke off into a run, his long brown locks pulled back by the force. His eyes trained and normally eager were edged, he looked as though he was ready to maim her. Emma only walked slowly towards her, trying with great difficulty to conceal her grin and enjoyment of his unnecessary worry. "Where were you?" He asked, his voice framed in a forced politeness.
Now Emma grinned, a slow smile that started at the corners of her mouth. Slyly she put her hands in the pockets on her skirt, and continued walking until she was next to him. "Tom.", Emma began her tone almost bored, "Don't be mad at me." She said with a pout.
He seemed to exhale and his body relaxed, "You know what would've happened if I hadn't found you."
"I know." Now Emma continued walking, not checking to see if Tom followed, because she knew he had to. "And you didn't find me. I found you." Emma was practically skipping, relishing in rubbing the fact in his face.
He chuckled, as his footsteps echoed behind her. She could picture him shaking his head, his eyes trained to the ground in effort to not stare at her. "You are unlike the other royals." Tom commented, giving her enough pause to turn and look at him. His hazel eyes almost golden hovered a few inches above her head. "How so?"
He smiled warmly at her and began walking, leaving her standing for a few moments. It took her a second to catch up, racing so that she could be in front of him and walk backwards. "You just..." He seemed to be struggling to find the answer, "are. You don't care about formalities, or being taken care of. You don't act like your better than me."
"Are you scolding me?" Emma asked with a scowl, stopping and pressing a finger to his uniform.
He grinned. "No. I find it refreshing."
"Tom. Your flirting." Emma said with a smile, and she watched as color bloomed on his cheeks. His eyes quickly darted down.
She grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her, "I'm sorry Princess.".
Back to formality. "My parents, they talked to you didn't they?"
He nodded glumly. "They've talked with all of the best knights. You know your quite a beauty, most knights are quite taken with you."
"Doesn't matter." Emma said briskly, turning her back on the knight, trying with great difficulty to conceal her anger and frustration.
Suddenly she felt his arm on her wrist pulling her around and pressing her to him. "It does." Tom said with almost a cruel curl of his lips. Then he pushed his lips on top of hers, Emma was shocked as she shoved him away and delivered a hard blow to his groin. He howled in pain, crouching over in pain. "If that ever, ever happens again, your manhood won't just be hurt. It will be gone." She snarled. Her anger sent her running back to the castle, her sneakers scuffing on the gray stone pathways. She hated feeling like a target and unintentionally her parents had made her feel that way. Tom was the closet thing she had to a friend and now, he was someone to watch and approach carefully. Tears welled in her eyes as she treaded up the stone steps that led into her chambers. Emma tried to stop them, but as soon as she entered her room it proved pointless as they fell in what seemed like endless streams down her face. Emma got onto her bed slowly, biting her lip to muffle her cries as she huddled there clutching her knee pressing her forehead to it. "I'm so tired of crying." She whispered to the empty dark room.

A few hours later, Emma found herself in bed covered, without realizing it she'd drifted off to sleep. She rubbed at her eyes which held salt on their eyelashes from her tears. Emma buried her face into one of her soft plush pillows, not ready to be up. Wishing to be elsewhere, back in Boston with the familiar city streets, and no parents who wanted to change her. Sometimes she wondered if they really were her parents, she couldn't imagine coming from royalty but yet she could tell. She could tell in the way her mom smiled and her parents green eyes. Her dad's chin, her moms curly hair, although Emma's hair was blonde which came from her dad, her mothers hair was black the color of ebony. Skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, hair as black as ebony. The rhyme from her childhood echoed in her head from the tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. She shook her head, shaking the thought from her mind. For some reason those thoughts always bothered her, it was weird but they made the hair stand on the back of her neck. There was a steady three taps on her door, before she had the chance to respond the wooden door opened. "Emma?" Her mom asked sweetly. She hadn't moved into the room, from the sound of her voice she was worried. "How long have you been back?"
Now Emma moved so that she was looking at her mom, sitting upright in her bed. "I don't know. I fell asleep." Emma answered shortly, her eyes narrowed and her arms crossed in front of her chest. "Why?"
"Tom is missing." Mary answered back. Moving slowly into the room, her face guarded. "Did something happen?"
Emma arched her eyebrows. "I had nothing to do with him disappearing, if thats what your asking."
Mary visibly exhaled, her hand clenching the doorframe as she let her eyes drift shut for a moment. Relief, Emma realized with surprise. "Good."
Emma knitted her eyebrows together in confusion as her mother's skin continued to pale. "Is something wrong?" 
"Nothing you would understand." Mary said turning to leave. "Dinner is on the table."
"How do you know I wouldn't understand?" Emma asked before her mother left earshot.
Her mom turned halfway around giving a small weak smile to her child as she looked her slowly up and down. "Because you still call me Mary."
Emma didn't know how to respond to that, she opened her mouth to speak but her mom had already left. Thats what they always said to her, we know your not ready because you still call us David and Mary. After sixteen years of always being on her own it felt odd to call them mom and dad even though they were. Pulling herself from her bed, she made way to her bathroom for quick glance at her reflection. Her was still like it was earlier, falling in natural curls just to her mid ribcage. Her eyes green and burning stared back at her, red rimmed and tired. Her lips were pink without the need of gloss or lipstick, and there was no need for rouge because her cheeks naturally were pink.
Emma took a deep breath as she turned the light to her bathroom out and shut the door. Allowing her eyebrows to drift shut for a brief moment. "One day at a time. Eventually this place will feel like home." She said quietly to herself.

When Emma entered into the main hall, her parents and a few knights were already seated, there were two open spots. Hers, and Tom's. They'd already begun eating without her, seeing that she was continuously late and sometimes didn't even come to dinner. Slowly she took her seat, the clattering of dinner wear filled the large expanse of space. Her plate was full of beans and carrots, grilled chicken, and one of her favorites apples. No one else in their house seem to be able to touch the fruit, but she had always loved them. She smiled respectfully at her parents as a sign of gratitude then went to work on her food. There was small discussion between David and the knights about a foreign ship docked in their waters. "Rumor has it, it's a pirate ship. Belonging to a man known as Killian Jones or more famously as Captain Hook." Suddenly all other conversation at the table died and all were focused on this.
Emma though had no inclination that the name should cause her fear, rather the image of a curly hair waxed mustache pirate popped into her head and she giggled. "Your kidding." She said when everyone looked and stared at her. "Captain Hook?"
David and Mary exchange a glance that only they would know what it meant. And then David reached to touch his young daughters hand, but she retracted from it. "Emma. I know how you love to go on your own adventures, but I implore that you remain within the castle walls for the time being."
"This man we are speaking of is a dangerous, cut throat, heartless pirate. Who would probably like nothing more to get his hands on a young beautiful princess first in line to the thrown." Mary added.
Now Emma's curiosity was growing.  There was more to this story that she was being told, "I will stay in the castle." She promised even though she had no intention of keeping it. Emma was sure she could protect herself if need be. No one would be able to keep her from figuring this mystery out, no matter the consequences she'd find this pirate.