Part Four:

The plan was simple. The crew would drop their captain off at an inlet not far from Misthaven castle, then proceed to dock at the nearest port that tended to turn a blind eye to pirates. Smee would wait for word from his captain, but should a fortnight pass without any news, or should news reach them that the captain had met his fate at the end of a rope, he was to take command of the Jolly Roger and set sail with the crew. Smee had protested, of course, but an order was an order, and he was nothing if not dutiful to his captain.

Just as Killian had expected, he was taken into custody the moment he announced himself to the guards at the castle gate. Clamped in irons and roughly escorted through the winding halls of the lower levels, he found himself before the Captain of the Guard at journey's end. The same guardsman he'd faced off with in the alley behind the tavern all those weeks ago, Graham, gave the pirate a scornful assessment before turning his attention to the missive Killian had brought with him. The letter from Ruby, urging his presence.

"Toss him in a cell then send for Miss Lucas," Graham ordered.

It went against all of Killian's instincts to not put up a fight when the guards began dragging him towards the row of cells within the dungeon, but he knew he needed to save his strength for when the real battle might come. An account of his actions would most likely be relayed to Emma's parents and he needed them to agree to an audience. Killian had faith that Ruby would speak to them on his behalf, painting a picture of the man he once was. A man of honor with a code of good form that had always guided him when it came to their daughter. Little of that man remained, Killian knew, and his crimes of piracy attested to the fact, so it would not do for him to be combative now, giving the royals further reason to let him stew in his cell. As the hours crept by, Killian held on to the hope that Ruby's words and the fact he'd once come to Misthaven's aid would be enough to grant him access to the throne.

For Emma's sake, if not his own.

"On your feet, pirate," a guard commanded harshly.

Killian complied, using the chain that anchored his still shackled wrists to the wall to assist him off the floor. Three guards entered, two with swords drawn and the third with leg irons dangling from his hand. Killian remained still and as unthreatening as he could while the guard secured the restraints around his ankles before unchaining him from the wall. With feet and hands bound, he shuffled his way back through the labyrinth of the castle with his armed escort keeping a trained eye on him. If it weren't for the rising anxiety he felt in his chest at the prospect of rescuing his Emma, he might have gotten a good laugh at the fact they felt him worthy of such enforced diligence. Seemed his reputation had thoroughly preceded him.

A reputation the King was clearly aware of, if his look of wary disdain from where he was perched high upon his throne was anything to go by.

Fortunately, the Queen was a bit more open-minded.

She sat with her hands clutched in both those of her husband, sat to her left, and dearest friend, Ruby, who stood to her right. Her green eyes, the mirror image of his Swan's, swirled with a tempered hope as she addressed him.

"Captain Jones, Ruby tells us you have known our daughter for quite some time."

"Aye, Your Majesty," Killian responded with a formal bow of his head. "Emma and I have known one another our whole lives."

"And over the years," Queen Snow persisted, "you have come to… care for her?"

"I love her," Killian declared. There was no point in beating around the bush. Emma's fate hung in the balance, there was no time for coy tactics or sly strategies. "And she loves me."

"And what makes you think you are worthy or deserving of my daughter's love, pirate?"

"I assure you, Your Majesty, I am not," Killian admitted freely to the King. He'd spent many nights questioning his worthiness of Emma since he turned pirate, long before it had even come to light that she was a princess. It wasn't Emma's birthright that made her special, she had always been special to Killian because she was… Emma. Just Emma. But Killian, being the scoundrel he was, couldn't help the quip that fell next from his lips, "Not any more than a mere shepherd, masquerading as a prince was when he fell in love with a princess by birth who had turned bandit."

The King's complexion heated to a reddened hue, whether from ire or chagrin it was tough to tell. Perhaps a mixture of both.

"Regardless," Killian continued, "Your love was true enough to wake your princess when it was she who had fallen under the perils of Regina's curse."

Killian looped his thumb behind the buckle of his belt and waited for the Sovereigns' response as they turned to one another to convene in hushed tones. They all knew why he was here. Either they would let him try and wake Emma, or attempt to stop him from doing so.

Just let them try and stop him.

When Killian's patience finally wore thin at the whispering trio on the raised dias he called out with aggravated challenge, "How much longer are you willing to let her endure under this curse? Tick tock, Your Majesties. Tick. Tock."

Ruby smothered a smirk before shooting him a look of admonishment, while the Queen and King stared at him with expressions of shock; hers more shocked with impressed awe, and his more shocked with notes of watch your back pirate or I'm liable to run you through.

Queen Snow nodded to the side of the hall towards a gathered assembly Killian had noticed when he'd entered the room. A small congregation of fairies came forward, bringing a table and what looked to be a set of ancient looking scales.

"To ensure no one with nefarious intentions came forward to try and break the princess' curse, we fairies have devised this little test," the one dressed in blue stated. "This scale will weigh your heart to test whether or not your love for the princess is true. Pass it, and you'll be granted access to the princess. Fail…"

The sprite's words fell away, as did her eyes, no longer eager to meet his, and Killian understand at once what would happen should his heart fail him.

"I'll die," he finished for her.

"Yes," she confirmed, turning away to inspect the setup of the scale the others had busied themselves with as they spoke.

"So? What say you, pirate?" the King challenged. "Are you willing to risk your life on this conquest?"

Killian's fists balled before him, the added pressure along his wrists causing the metal of his cuffs to cut painfully into his skin. "I wouldn't risk my life for someone I saw as loot. Emma is a treasure, to be sure, but there is no risk for me in this test of yours."

"And why is that?"

"Because I gave Emma my heart long ago, and if for some reason it does not weigh true so that I can wake her, then it is of no further use to me."

"That is good enough for me," the Queen announced with a sparkle of emotion shimmering in her eyes. "You may proceed, Blue."

The fairy squared off before him and Killian braced himself for what she must do to retrieve his heart. When her hand shot forward she was met with a pulse of magic, shooting her back as soon as her fingers touched his chest.

"Bloody hell," Killian exclaimed, stumbling backward from the recoil.

"What the hell was that?" the King bellowed, now on his feet while the Queen rushed forward to assist the fairy off the floor.

"A protection spell," Blue answered when she regained her footing. "And a powerful one."

The King drew his sword and advanced on Killian, "What game are you playing, pirate?"

The point of his blade dug into Killian's throat, forcing him to swallow before answering, "I'm not playing any games," he snarled through grit teeth.

"You knew the protection spell would make it impossible for Blue to take your heart, that's why you agreed to the test," the King accused. "What is it you're really after? Gold? Jewels? Or are you working a more sinister angle? Finishing what the Evil Queen started, a chance to get close to Emma so you can kill her and leave us without an heir, throwing the kingdom into chaos."

"Are you mad?" Killian couldn't believe his ears. "Might I remind you that it was I who gave you the information you needed in order to take down the Evil Queen once and for all?"

"Without asking for anything in return," the King replied with a taunting tone. "What sort of pirate offers something for nothing unless it's part of a grander scheme?" Killian hissed as the sharp tip of the King's blade broke the tender skin of his neck. "So, I'll ask again. What game are you playing?"

"And I'll respond as I did before," Killian choked out against the pressure the sword was applying to his throat. "I'm not playing any games. Emma cast that spell on me when last we were together. I had no idea it would mean my heart could not be taken for your test."

"What he says is true, Sire," Graham spoke up from behind Killian, much to the pirate's surprise.

"That's right," Ruby insisted. "Emma was worried for him. She wanted to make sure he was safe until they could be together again."

Killian could see the war playing out in the King's eyes. He had no reason to dismiss their testimony, but couldn't reconcile their words with the truth he'd already determined for himself. Captain Jones was a pirate, a scoundrel of the highest order. What father in his right mind would want their daughter's fate tied to a man like him?

"I sense this to be the princess' magic, Your Majesty," Blue added. "Unfortunately, she is the only one who can lift the spell, and while it is in place the captain's heart cannot be removed."

"Charming," the Queen murmured, placing her hand upon his which was still outstretched with the blade gripped tightly within. With gentle pressure she coaxed him to lower his arm, and Killian sucked in a grateful breath. "Surely, if Emma saw fit to cast a protection spell over Captain Jones, it must mean something."

The King did not seem convinced, but Killian sensed his resolve wavering in the face of his wife's assertions.

"Let me see Emma," Killian said, his tone part demand and part plea. "Give me the chance to wake her. If my kiss fails then you can string me up or run me through, I don't care. Just let me see her, please."

The King's eyes flicked to Graham's. "Take him back to his cell," he commanded.

"No!" Killian shouted. He fought against the brutal hands taking hold of him, but to no avail. There were too many guards and his feet and hands were still bound. It didn't stop him from crying out his pleas until the heavy oak doors of the hall slammed shut, silencing his protests in the monarchs' ears.

Killian sat despondent on the hard cold stone floor of his cell, not for his own circumstances, but for Emma's. What was a jail cell compared to whatever hell she must be enduring? And he knew it must be hell, the pained expressions he'd noted from the Queen when he'd mentioned her own experience beneath such a curse had been evidence enough. He had to get the King to see reason, or escape these shackles and bars and find Emma himself. She had to be sequestered somewhere within the castle. The King and Queen would not want her reposed far when they spent so much time separated from her as it was.

Limited as he was in his movements, Killian scoured the ground for anything that might be of use to him in gaining freedom from the chains. He'd just located a length of metal, possibly off a utensil, when he heard the groaning of metal hinges and saw the soft glow of torch light making its way down the cell block. To say he was caught off guard to see the King emerge from the darkness was an understatement.

"What have you come to yell at me about now, Your Majesty?" Killian greeted glibly with a mocked bow of his head.

The King fitted the torch into one of the brackets along the wall then laced his arms through the bars, bracing his weight on the cross iron. "I came to apologize."

Killian's head jerked up in surprise. "I beg your pardon?"

The King sighed. "Don't make me say it again."

With pinched brows, Killian cocked his head to one side. "Not that I'm not grateful, but why the sudden change of heart?"

Keys jangled as the King's arms slipped back through the bars. He slipped one of them into the lock and swung the door wide before he strode in, then toyed with a second key in his grasp as he stood in the center of the cell in contemplation.

"A father is supposed to be the first man a daughter loves," he began softly in a strained whisper. "The rod by which she measures all other men who come after in a quest for her affections. But I am not that man for Emma. You are." His eyes flicked up to meet Killian's and the profound sadness seeping out from their depths had Killian's chest tightening.

"She was angry when she arrived, and rightly so," he continued. "We did what we thought best to protect her, but as I stood there before her I knew she was sizing me up in comparison of you. Ruby had told us enough about the two of you, and Graham had given his report." His gaze fell away and his feet shifted in the loose dirt and hay that littered the floor. "I admit that I resented being compared to a pirate and coming up short in my daughter's eyes."

Killian opened his mouth to respond, only to find he didn't have one.

"I know I should be grateful to you," the King murmured, his eyes still downcast until they suddenly met Killian's once more. "And I am. Truly. You've looked out for her and protected her when I couldn't, but…"

"But?" Killian prompted.

His Majesty took a deep, shaky breath before confessing with a tone of shame, "But I wanted to punish you for my own failings. She wasn't home, under my protection, for more than a fortnight before Regina finally got her revenge on us." Tears welled up in the man's eyes and Killian could feel his own pooling behind his lashes. "We should have waited to send for her until after Regina was executed, but we were… impatient. You gave us hope with that intel you'd provided, and we didn't want to wait one more day to be reunited with her. But I… couldn't protect her." The dam gave way and his face became streaked as it crumpled with emotion. "And I can't save her." He sank to his knees and looked up at Killian with imploring eyes. "I tried, you know. Snow and I both. But our kisses did nothing because Emma doesn't lov-"

"Yes, she does, mate," Killian stated emphatically. "She was angry with you both, yes, and maybe her feelings hadn't been able to move past that before she was cursed, but she does love you. Or at least… she wants to. All she's ever wanted was a family."

The King nodded and swiped his sleeve across his face before rising to his feet. "And you've been that for her, and she for you since you lost yours," he said knowingly. "So let's go wake her so she can be reunited with her family. All of us."

Stepping forward he inserted the key into the lock of Killian's chains, then those of his shackles and tossed them aside once they'd been removed. Killian rubbed at the tender flesh where the metal had made his skin raw and swallowed heavily in the face of the King's hope.

"Sire." Killian wet his lips and filled his lungs with an unsteady breath. "I love Emma and I know she loves me, but… True Love, it's-"

"The rarest and most powerful magic of all?" The King quipped with a teasing smirk.

All of Killian's brash pirate demeanor evaporated at the prospect he'd been too fearful to voice until now. "What if it doesn't work?"

The King clapped a hand against Killian's shoulder. "Only one way to find out."

David - Call me David, he'd insisted after they left the cell - led them through the castle and up into a tall tower. Queen Snow was there, keeping vigil over her daughter. The air seized in Killian's chest when he caught sight of his Swan lying prone upon the four poster bed she'd been stretched upon after succumbing to Regina's curse. Even in this death like sleep she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid eyes on.

Snow stood and prompted him forward to take her place at Emma's side. The bed dipped under his weight and her face turned slightly towards him as her body tilted into the depression he'd made. Fully aware the King and Queen were watching nearby, Killian reached up and stroked Emma's cheek, too cool beneath his touch.

"Emma, love," he breathed, leaning in close. "I know I've broken many promises to you over the years, but if you'll allow me to look upon those beautiful green eyes of yours after I kiss you, I swear I shall never leave your side again."

With one final inhale of deep resolve, Killian pressed his lips to hers and sent up a silent prayer to any and all gods who would listen. For a moment his heart sank as her lips remained cold and unmoving, then a warmth began to tingle from where they were fused together and a rush of prismatic heat shot forth in all directions. Killian pulled away with stunned concern until he heard Emma gasp and saw her eyes fly open.

A wide smile broke over her face and she reached up to cup his cheek. "You came for me."

"Does that surprise you?" he murmured with a cocky swagger in his voice.

"Not at all."

She pulled him back down by the scruff of his neck and kissed him again. A cough and light ahem echoed through the chamber, reminding Killian of, and alerting Emma to, her parent's presence. A blush colored Emma's cheeks and Killian could feel his tint the tips of his ears.

"Thank you," she said to them, extricating herself from Killian so she could approach the nervously awaiting royals. "Thank you for believing in him enough to let him wake me. I have to admit, I wasn't sure you would."

Killian could see the guilt roll over her father's face and interceded before the man could unburden himself.

"Of course they did, love." He came to stand next to her, taking her hand in his and lightly squeezing. "They've only ever wanted to give you your best chance."

Emma's eyes turned from Killian's and bounced between those of her parents before she let go of his hand to step forward and embrace them. As David cupped the back of his daughter's head, he opened his eyes to meet Killian's and mouthed a thank you.

After the three of them broke apart, Emma returned to Killian, wrapping her arms around him and gazing up at him adoringly. "So, now what?"

"Now," Killian said, brushing the tip of his nose against hers. "I send word to the Jolly Roger relinquishing my command, so I can keep my promise and remain here with you."

Emma's eyes widened and her lips parted, but it was David who replied to his statement.

"Oh no you won't."

"Charming!" The Queen slapped him across the shoulder. "We've been through this. Emma loves Killian, and they've both proven that love to be true. You can't deny them their happy ending!"

"I'm not!" David protested. "But I'm not going to let the fastest ship, manned by the best captain in all the realms slip through my fingers, either." David extended his hand before Killian and offered, "I'll give each of your men a full pardon and the opportunity to join our service in exchange for adding the Jolly Roger to the fleet."

"What about Killian?" Emma inquired, noticing as he did that the King had made no mention of provision for the pirate captain.

"What about him?" David responded with furrowed brows. "As Prince Consort, he can do as he likes." The man smiled and leaned towards Killian conspiratorially. "Though, I recommend having your wife's blessing first."

Killian matched the man's smile and took his proffered hand, shaking it vigorously. "Aye, mate. I'll keep that in mind."

Reluctantly, the King and Queen took their leave, allowing their daughter and her betrothed some time together.

"Well, love," Killian said, pulling her into his arms with no plans of ever letting her go. "I do believe you are well and truly stuck with me now."

Emma craned up to look at him with happiness tugging at the corners of her lips. "Promise?"

"Aye," he crooned, bending down to capture her mouth. "I promise."

The End