The Evil Prince

𝕃𝔸𝔻𝕐 𝕆𝔽 𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝕃𝔸𝕂𝔼 ℙ𝔸ℝ𝕋 𝟚

THE ENCHANTED FOREST. The group had traveled quite a distance, although it was still daylight, Mulan had been insisting that they should make camp at some point.

"This will do," Mulan says, "We'll make camp here for the night. We just need to find water, collect some firewood."

The group halts.

"Uh, if we're hiding from ogres, shouldn't we maybe, I don't know, not start a fire?" Emma asks.

"Ogres are blind," Mary Margaret says, "They hunt by sound alone."

Emma looks at Mary Margaret, "Right. Because that's something everyone would know about ogres."

Mulan and William exchange looks.

Mary Margaret sighs and then steps forward to her daughter.

"Look, I know you're out of your element-," Mary Margaret says.

Emma shakes her head, "I'm fine."

"I know, but maybe you should just stay here while we get water and wood, guard the campsite." Mary Margaret says.

"You mean the big, empty clearing?" Emma spoke.

Mary Margaret looks at her daughter, "It's the safest place," She says, "We'll be right back."

Mulan nudges William, "And William will stay with you."

Emma gives a grin, "Goodie, a child babysitter."

William turns to give Mulan a look before she and Mary Margaret walk off. William turns around and looks at Emma, who also looked at him.

"So uh-," William says, "Snow is your mom?"

He knew it was awkward the second it came out of his mouth.

Emma looks at him, "Yeah."

William watches as Emma sits down in the grass, and then he does the same. He looks at her with interest.

"You two are what? The same age. How is that possible?" He asks.

Emma looks at him, "The curse. They were stopped in time and I didn't- I- I grew up." Emma says frowning, "Without them."

William frowns, "Oh,"

There was a moment of silence.

"I- I uh know what that's like," William says.

Emma glanced back at him, "Oh really?"

William nods as he is playing with the grass, "Yeah." He says, "When I was born my own mother didn't want me. She left me in the forest- or maybe an orphanage, I honestly don't know."

Emma looks at his expression.

The frown visible on William's face.

"I grew up alone," William says.

Emma frowns, "I'm sorry."

William shrugs, "I mean we may share that we grew up without our parents but we also share knowing our parents." He says, "I figured out who my parents were when I was a couple years younger. I sought out to find them but- but my journey was uh- not what I had expected."

"They were dead?" Emma asks.

William looks at her, "Uh- yeah," He says.

"I'm sorry," She says.

William shrugs, "It doesn't matter," He says.

Emma watched as William stood up, he turns to look into the forest. Nothing seemed to be going on, so it just appeared that he was attempting of keeping watch for no reason.