"Secrets, Lies, and Blessings" (A SwanFire FanFic)

Chapter IX

 

~Fifteen months ago~

Emma felt rather angry as she walked to meet with Baelfire. Earlier that evening her parents had told her some news that did not make her happy. When she finally reached Baelfire a huge grin flashed across his face, he pulled her into an embrace and kissed her lips, then quickly noticed that her kiss in return lacked enthusiasm. That was odd. He pulled away. "Em? Is everything alright?" he asked with concern.

"No." she answered as she let her arms fall dramatically to her side.

"Well..." he gently held her shoulders. "Do you wanna... talk about it?" He hoped that her problem wasn't with him.

Emma let out a sigh of frustration as she sat down on the ground. "I just found out that my father will be going to Princess Aurora's kingdom and he said that my siblings and I have to go with him!"

"Okay..." Bae was relieved that her problem hadn't been with him but failed to understand why she was so upset; visiting a neighboring kingdom sounded like fun, not a reason to be upset over. "Uh... how is that a bad thing?"

"How is that a bad thing?!" she looked at him with disbelief. "I hate going there!"

"Why?" he curiously asked.

Emma rolled her eyes. Shouldn't that be enough reason? "Because I just don't like it there. It looks like a blasted barren wasteland. Not a tree in sight once you get there. But mostly it's Aurora herself." She rolled her eyes as she recalled the last time her parents dragged her to that kingdom.

Baelfire chuckled at Emma's answer and she didn't find that amusing.

"It's not funny, Bae!" she swatted his arm. "She's awful! She's your typical damsel-in-distress princess. Always whining about something while thinking the world owes her everything. Talk about spoiled rotten. And I can't leave out the fact that she's incredibly intrusive! Ugh!" she made a face and then sighed. "Do you even know how long I'll be gone?"

"No," Bae answered slowly. "Hopefully not long?"

"Yeah, that's what I hoped too!" she angrily rolled her eyes. "We're going to be there for three weeks. THREE. Blasted. Weeks. Might as well be an eternity!"

"Oh..." he looked at Emma, his round eyes displaying disappointment. Three weeks was kind of a long time. "Well... when do you leave?"

"Two weeks." Emma answered miserably. "And unfortunately, because of packing and stupid travel preparations, this is the last time I'll be able to see you until I get back." She glanced at him with sadness. Baelfire inched closer to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders and planted an affectionate and comforting kiss on her temple. She snuggled into his embrace. "So in reality I won't see you for a month. And then some." she added as she rested her head on his shoulder.

There was a feeling of disappointment in Baelfire's stomach at the words Emma had uttered and he sighed quietly. "I'm really going to miss you..." he said slowly.

"Me too..." Emma replied then she quickly pulled away from his side and sat up straight. "Maybe we could send each other messages," she suggested. "I don't know if I'll be able to sneak one of Mother's birds without her knowing but there are gnomes all over the Enchanted Forest," she rolled her eyes to emphasize the word 'all'. "Maybe I could use one of th-" (Gnomes were stupid, obnoxious little creatures that ran about the Enchanted Forest memorizing, reciting, and delivering messages for people. It was practically their only skill*.)