Title: Right in Front of Me

Summary: No curse. Princess Emma, along with her own brother, grew up with the brothers Liam and Killian Jones. After she is betrothed to Prince Baelfire, she is forced to realise that her feelings for Killian are more than she had bargained for

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I own nothing, and also know nothing when it comes to royal balls

May or may not be inspired by captainodonewithyou's 'Oh Brother'. I decided to rewrite a Lieutenant Duckling fanfic I've been working on to include Emma's baby brother, as born two years after her in the Enchanted Forest. He's named after Snow's father here, since there's no Neal to name him after. I'm viewing him as Andrew Garfield with blue eyes, if that helps anyone

"He told me that my true love was right in front of my eyes," – Stardust (2007)

Chapter One

Emma sighed, leaning her head against her brother's chest. Today was her eighteenth birthday, and, in a few short hours, there would be a ball held in her honour. Neither Emma, nor her younger brother Leopold, had any love for such parties, so they had hidden themselves in her chambers with their cat, Thea, until such time as they could not delay readying themselves for the ball any longer.

The cat was currently curled up on Emma's chest, purring contentedly. She remembered finding the creature, when she was seven and Leo was five. They had been playing in the meadows of the neighbouring kingdom with Baelfire, and come across an orange, mewling blob. It had taken almost all of their combined efforts to capture it.

"No," the king had said, the instant he caught sight of his children; Emma carrying the (eventually subdued) kitten, and both she and Leo sporting an impressive amount of scratches along their arms. "Absolutely not."

The kitten had mewled pitifully.

"No."

"Oh, let them have it," Snow had said, eventually. "Might teach them a lesson or two."

And so she had, complete with the recent arrival of a litter of four kittens. But, most of all, she had drawn the royal siblings closer.

"What time is it?" asked Leo, absently.

"Johanna'll let us know when it's time to get ready," Emma replied, stroking Thea's fur.

"Do you think you'll meet your true love tonight?"

Emma hit him on the shoulder. "Don't let father hear you say that. Or mother."

"I'm not stupid, Em," her brother replied, head sinking further onto the pillow as he sighed. "It's just, true love is supposed to be rare. If our parents have it, what hope is there for us to find it?"

"We are the products of true love," Emma reminded him, twisting her head to the side to glance at him. "That has to count for something, right?"

"I suppose," he conceded, slowly.

"In any case, half of these suitors of mine are stuffy old men. I'm going to need to escape for a bit."

"No."

"Leo," she whined, drawing out the vowels of his name.

"Emma," he replied in kind, smirking and grabbing her wrist as she attempted to hit him again.

"I just want five minutes," she continued, sitting up (Thea meowed in protest). "Please? You know how much I hate these things."

He smiled faintly, his blue eyes despondent. "I hate them too, Em."

"It's all right for you; this isn't a thinly veiled excuse to marry you off."

"They're never going to force you into a marriage," Leo said. "You know that, right?"

"There's more pressure on me than you, Prince Leopold."

He wrinkled his nose at his full title, but smiled. "You're a far more capable leader than me, Princess Emma."

She blinked. "You think so?"

"I know so," he kissed her forehead, before standing up and crossing the room. "Five minutes. I'll make a drunken pass at Melody or something."

Emma chuckled. "Liam won't like that."

"All he has to do is admit that he's in love with her. Surely it can't be that hard," he turned back, leaning against the doorway. "Happy birthday, sis."

"Thanks, Leo," she smiled.

"You look beautiful, Emma."

"Thank you, mother," she replied with a faint smile, as she adjusted the tiara that sat in her hair. Leo smirked, but it faded as Snow turned on him, smoothing the lapel of his jacket.

"My handsome boy."

"Mom," he protested, wriggling away. His mother and sister laughed.

"Shall we?" asked the queen, positioning herself between her children, both of whom had exceeded her in height. They each looped one of their arms through hers.

"Are there many people here?" asked Leo.

"I haven't counted," his mother replied, as the three of them made their way downstairs. "But I'm sure there was more space in the ballroom last year."

"Great," Emma sighed. "Lots of suitors."

Snow chuckled. "You'll be courteous, won't you? I'd hate for another kingdom to wage war with us over our dear princess."

"Of course, mother. Of course."

The queen smiled, slipping free of her children, kissing her daughter on the cheek, and leaving to join her husband. "Happy birthday, Emma."

Leo offered his arm to her, and she took it. They stopped just short of the balcony, so that they would be out of sight from the crowds while their parents addressed them.

"On this happy day, my daughter comes of age," Charming began. "I hope you will join us in the celebration of her birthday."

"It is our honour to present our children," said Snow. "Princess Emma, and Prince Leopold."

With a nod and a smile to each other, they continued their descent, splitting at the balcony so that they could each descend a separate flight of stairs. The crowd applauded them, and Emma made a curtsy when she reached the bottom.

She was approached, almost immediately, by a young man in a naval uniform. He bowed low. "Happy birthday, Princess."

She hugged him almost as soon as he straightened. "Liam! I thought you were at sea!"

"The wind favoured us," he replied, as she released him. "And we were able to return earlier than expected."

"Is Killian here?"

"Last I saw him, he was skulking behind that pillar."

Emma smiled. Killian hated balls as much as she and Leo. Liam always said he understood their importance.

"Care to dance?" she asked him.

"It would be my honour, Princess."

"We grew up together, Liam," she said as they made their way to the dance floor. "You can call me Emma."

"As the princess requests."

She rolled her eyes. "How was your voyage?"

"It went well," he replied. "Better than expected, actually. Your father has announced his intention to raise me to the rank of lieutenant."

"That's wonderful," she beamed, but Liam only grimaced. "What's wrong?"

"Your father also announced that he finds it prudent that I am betrothed before my rank is raised."

"I'm sure you'll have no trouble," said Emma. He certainly did look handsome in his naval uniform, buttons polished for the occasion. Girls would surely be throwing themselves at him, especially after he'd danced with the princess.

Liam scoffed. "I wish to marry for love, Emma. Much like yourself."

"Why don't you tell my father that you feel it prudent to wait until you're made captain," she suggested. "I'm sure that if you're not too brilliant, Melody will be of age by then."

Liam gaped at her. "What?"

But the song had ended, and, with a knowing smile and a curtsy, the princess was gone.

"What did you do to him now?" asked Killian at her shoulder, half exasperated, half in jest.

"What makes you think I did something to do him? I resent that accusation!" Emma replied, though she smiled, turning to face him. He was dressed in a uniform similar to his brother's, but it was newer, and perhaps a slightly different shade of blue. He reached out a hand to adjust her tiara, which must have fallen askew while she danced.

"I may have told him that his love for a certain princess is not so well hidden as he'd like to think."

Killian smirked. "You're cruel, Swan."

"I resent that accusation!"

True to her promise, Emma was courteous, even kind, to the suitors. She curtsied to them, smiled, laughed at their jokes.

They had been too frightened to approach her, at first, with Killian by her side (she later scoffed at this), but Baelfire, being friends with the princess and both of the Jones brothers, approached them, in a princely uniform he hated as much, if not more, than Emma hated her dresses.

He bowed low, wishing her a happy birthday, as Liam had. She curtseyed in kind.

"I'm going to find another pillar to hide behind," Killian informed them cheerfully. "See you both later."

Emma laughed. "We'll find him a nice girl to change his mind."

"We have her work cut out there," Baelfire remarked with a smirk.

"We can do it," said Emma, as they began to dance. "I have faith."

The next man to approach her was the prince of Agrabah. The prince, only so because the sultan still lived into old age, was of an age close to that of Emma's own father. The man had been married before, but his wife had died childless, and now he searched for a new wife. A woman of noble birth who could bear him children. Emma shuddered at the very thought. She couldn't dance with him.

"I'm sorry," she said, with as genuine a smile she could muster. "I promised my brother a dance. If you'll excuse me."

He inclined his head as she hurried through the crowds in search of her brother.

"Leo," she said, reaching his shoulder. "Those five minutes you promised, I need them. Now."

"Who am I to deny the princess?" he asked, voice light, but his eyes flickered to the prince who she had just rejected. He was almost as protective of him as their father, despite the fact that he was two years her junior. He had punched the baker boy – with whom she had shared her first kiss – in the face, she remembered, with a faint smile. "Go outside."

She kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Leo."

"Consider it a birthday gift."

She made her way to the door that led to the garden, in time to hear a huge smash of glass hitting the floor and a "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" from her brother.

She smiled, feeling the cool night air against her exposed skin – rather a lot of it, with the ruby red dress that had been made especially for the occasion. She slipped off her shoes and sat on the wooden bench. She had spent many summers playing in this garden, with Leo, Killian, Liam, and sometimes Baelfire and Melody. She could vaguely remember when the Jones brothers had arrived in their kingdom, helped by a kindly old woman. Their mother had died, and their father had abandoned them. She had been three years old then; Killian too. Leo had been only a babe in arms, and Liam had been five years of age.

They had grown a lot since then, the Jones brothers excelling in the roles of stable boys, generously offered to them by the king and queen. When Liam came of age, he was offered a place in the navy. There was one for Killian, too, when he came of age, just a few short months ago. They had always been there, in Leo's mind, and he viewed them as brothers. Emma and Killian had fought for most of their lives, before Liam, as his final wish before he left them, had asked them to make an effort to be kind to one another.

And it had worked.

"Bad form, leaving a ball that's been thrown in your honour."

"I'm fine, Killian," she told him, as he approached. "Just … a princess."

"What happened?" he asked, concerned.

"The prince of Agrabah," she said, moving over slightly so that he could sit next to her. "He's ancient."

Killian's eyes flickered with some sort of understanding. "I take it you haven't found your true love yet."

She wrinkled her nose. "Gods, no. The only one in there I have any degree of fondness for is Baelfire, and we've known each other since we were babes."

"It wouldn't be such a terrible thing, to marry him, would it?"

Emma remained silent. Instead of answering, she asked, "What about you? Did you find a pretty girl that took your fancy?"

There was the merest quirk of eyebrows at the subject change, but Killian shook his head. "No."

"Did you even dance?"

"Not a step."

"Come on then," she said, slipping her feet back into her shoes. "I'd best change that."

"As you wish, Princess."

She smiled, holding out a hand to him, and they returned to the ballroom.

"Do you know when you have to leave again?" asked Emma, as they began to dance.

"No," he replied. "It should be a few weeks, at least. Why? Sick of my presence already?"

She laughed. "No. Glad to have you and Liam back, actually."

"High flattery for a humble naval officer," he smiled, bowing. "I thank you, Princess."

She curtseyed, turning and walking away.

She found Leo dancing with Melody.

"Mind if I cut in?" she asked her friend, who nodded.

"You escaped your less desirable suitors, then?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Any time, sis."

"Where's mom?" she asked. Leo titled his head towards the balcony. Glancing up, Emma found that her parents were standing there, overseeing the ball. "I need to go talk to her. See you around, little brother."

She ruffled his brown hair, and he ducked away from her.

"Emma," her mother greeted in surprise, as she approached them.

"If you're going to betroth me to one of them," she waved a hand towards the ballroom, "then make it Baelfire. But know this. I can never love him."

"We want you to find love, Emma," her father murmured. "But we also need to ensure the safety of our kingdom and all of the allies'. Regina could attack at any moment, and she's worked with Rumplestilskin before—"

"I understand."

"We'll do everything we can to help you find love," her mother promised. "Your engagement will be long. Three years. If you truly feel that you cannot love Baelfire, then you can break it off. That is your choice."

Emma nodded, before turning on her heel and returning to the ballroom. To her fate.