A/N: Hello there! Welcome to my newest fic.
This is a complete AU, where our lovely ladies once again beat the odds. It will take time though, so strap in, it's gonna be a long (possibly bumpy) ride!
To anyone having doubts because of my title: THIS IS 100% A SWAN QUEEN STORY. Hook doesn't even factor (he might as a side character but I'm not sure yet. Regardless, he will have no romantic involvement with any of the main characters.)
I hope you enjoy the story!
"Absolutely not!"
"But mother!"
"Enough! Regina I forbid it entirely!" Cora shouted, standing from her seat at the table.
"But mother how am I ever going to learn about anything going on in my future kingdom if I'm not allowed to explore it?" Regina argued.
"I haven't stepped a foot outside this kingdom and I rule just fine." Cora shot back. Regina resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"But mother I'm not like you, I'm not happy just being told things! I want to see and hear them! The lord gave me my eyes and ears for a reason!" Regina tried to talk sense to her mother.
"Yes, so you could listen to your mother. Now enough. I'll have no more of this 'setting sail with the navy' business." Cora said.
"Mother it's just an expedition, what's the worst that could happen?" Regina asked.
"Pirates!" Cora cried.
"Oh come on." Regina did roll her eyes this time. "That's just fairy tale stories used to scare children."
"Regina I am not joking here, we've had reports that those waters are filled with pirates trying to take over land as well as sea!" Cora insisted. "That's why I'm setting out the expedition, to see what the damage is."
"Isn't your navy one of the best? I should be perfectly safe in their hands." Regina reasoned.
"No." Cora said curtly. "Now go to your room, and I refuse to hear this nonsense again!"
Regina huffed and left the dining hall quickly, going to her chambers and slamming the door angrily. She sighed and went over to the window, resting her elbow on the window sill and her cheek on her fist. Out in the view she could see the docks and the Galleon, the crew of it moving around and preparing everything. They would set off first thing in the morning-she sighed-without her.
Suddenly she got a plan in her mind. She was determined to get on the ship not matter what so she went to her wardrobe and found the outfit she kept hidden in the back. A pair of leather pants, a simple shirt and a leather vest. She pulled her hair in in a bun and put on a hat she'd kept there as well. Unless anyone knew her they would think her one of the young boys they hired to help on the ship. Thankfully, her mother kept her so far away from the navy boys that no one who would be on that ship would know her. She pulled on her knee high leather boots and moved again to her closet, where she kept a long length of rope. Safe to say, she'd planned this a long time ago, she knew her mother would say no, but she figured she'd give it a shot anyway.
She tied the end of the rope to the leg of her heavy writing desk. Solid mahogany, there was no way it would move under her weight, she wasn't exactly the heaviest person anyway.
She climbed down the rope as quickly as she could, jumping down and hiding in a bush out of sight of a couple of guards that were patrolling the castle grounds. Once they had passed, she quietly snuck out of the bush and down towards the docks. Once she had reached the ship in near pitch darkness, she picked up a random small keg (she wasn't sure what it was filled with, but it was on the pile she saw the other men carry into the ship) and followed one of the crew men down to the hold. She waited till he was gone, fiddling around with some rope and pretending she was making sure it was tight enough, before she found an empty barrel and crawled inside, making herself as comfortable as possible in the cramped space. She'd just sit out here for as long as she could. She didn't particularly have a plan for what happened if she were found, but her heart was racing all too much for herself to think clearly at the moment. She'd made it this far, all she had to do now was wait, and hope her mother didn't decide to try and talk to her before the ship set sail in the morning.
A crowd was gathered around the dock, the queen included. They were all there to see the sailors off. No one questioned why the princess wasn't there, Cora included. She figured Regina was still upset about their conversation that night and was holing herself up in her room. It suited Cora fine, she didn't have to worry about keeping her daughter in line.
Ambassador French walked up the pier, his daughter Belle in tow, everyone cheering as he waved to the people around him. He kept a bright smile on his face, despite his nerves. Belle was just excited.
"Gosh dad look at the ship! It's so huge." She beamed.
"It's a Galleon dear, one of our best." Maurice said. Belle was about to walk on ahead of him because she was anxious to set out to sea for the first time. "Slow down dear."
"Oh come on dad! I'd be excited if I were in your position, what's wrong with you?" she asked.
"I'm just a little anxious…the place we're going…it's…" he sighed.
"Infested with pirates? Come on." She rolled her eyes. "I doubt it's as bad as they say, besides we have a good crew. Don't you always speak highly of captain Gaston?"
"I do…and he speaks highly of you." Her father gave her a pointed look and she rolled her eyes again.
"I'm not interested." She said.
"It's only a matter of time before we have to decide who will be your husband my dear, and Gaston is-"
"A pompous-"
"Ambassador!" the queen interrupted.
"Your majesty." Maurice bowed, Belle curtsying politely.
"And young Belle, it's so lovely to see you. Here to see your father off?" Cora asked.
"Uhm…Actually…" The younger girl was about to say.
"Your majesty, I hope you understand, what with well, Belle being my heir and all. I thought it would be good for her to see the inner workings of things herself." Maurice began to explain. "She asked if she could join our expedition and I allowed her…I hope it's no problem with you. She'll be under my strict supervision of course."
"Of course Ambassador, it's no trouble at all." Cora waved him off and smiled at the younger brunette. "I hope you enjoy yourself dear. But do be careful, the both of you."
"I will Ma'am. Thank you." Belle smiled at the queen.
"Ambassador!" The captain called up from the ship.
"Oh boy." Belle muttered.
"Captain Gaston!" Maurice waved up to him. The Captain very showily grabbed a rope and swung down off the ship, nearly hitting the queen if she hadn't stepped out of the way and knocking off his hat in the process.
"Captain." The queen said slowly.
"Apologies your grace, I'm usually so smooth…I must have faltered in the sight of the beautiful Belle." He said with a smirk towards the young girl. Belle rolled her eyes.
"Well if you find yourself faltering captain, I would hold off on the stunts until you've recovered yourself." Belle responded. The queen laughed while Maurice and Gaston both turned red in the face.
"Right…well…" Gaston cleared his throat. "The ship is ready your grace, Ambassador. Only say the word and we will be off."
"Perhaps it is time." Cora nodded. "Are you ready Ambassador?"
"Yes, your majesty, ready as ever." Maurice said as he puffed out his chest. Belle rolled her eyes again. The man was terrified on the inside, but he wanted to look good in front of the queen, lest she think him a coward.
"Well then, right this way Ambassador, Belle." Gaston smiled at the two of them and directed them up the gang plank and onto the ship.
They boarded the ship and waved to the crowd as the dock crew began untying the ropes from the moorings. Once that was done captain Gaston stood at the helm, took hold of the wheel and shouted with all the force in his throat.
"Full sail men!"
He didn't realize Belle was right next to him and made her jump, and she had to fight off the urge to throw him into the harbor for it. But a minute later she was too awed at how beautiful the ship's sails - decked with the royal coat of arms - looked as they caught the wind beneath them and pulled the heavy wooden Galleon forward on the clear calm waters.
"Isn't it beautiful dad?" she sighed. Maurice smiled and nodded. Yes, he was fearful for having her here, he did not know what this journey had in store for them. But as long as he got to see that smile on his daughter's face, the Ambassador felt calmed.
"Yes, my dear, it sure is."
Beneath the deck, Regina tried to steady her breathing as her excitement gathered. She had heard Gaston's wail, and felt the ship move beneath her. Her adventure was beginning, she thought with a grin, she only wondered when she'd be able to get out of this damned barrel and see the open seas.
They had only been at sea for about an hour, perhaps more, Belle wasn't sure, she was far too enthralled by the view of the wide open seas and learning about all the inner workings of the ship. What she knew was that her water canteen was empty. After being shown where her cabin was, she quickly changed into more comfortable clothing, before she went up to the deck to look out onto the seas, where she met one of the crewmen who offered to show her around the ship. She enjoyed learning how the ropes work the sails and how it all worked in one grand harmony to make the giant wooden structure float on the water. She'd offered her water to the crewman after he'd worked up a sweat on one of the heavy ropes, and after she'd helped him coil a loose one, she decided to head below deck to re-fill the canteen. He'd told her they kept the drinking water below so it didn't heat up in the sun.
She smiled at him (to Gaston's annoyance) and went below deck, water canteen in hand, to re fill it. It took her some time to get settled from the bright sunlight to the dim lighting of the hold - lit only by sunlight that slipped through the cracks in the woodwork and spilled in from the windows. But eventually she was able to find the barrel sitting in the corner of the room.
She went up to it, her eyes still not fully adjusted, opened it, and dipped her canteen in. But she furrowed her brow when she didn't feel the water on her arm - nor on the canteen, which when she lifted it up, was no more full than when she lowered it. She blinked, her eyes finally adjusting to the low light, before looking into the barrel, and then letting out a yelp.
Regina jumped up and stood up - her lower half still in the barrel - as Belle recoiled backwards in shock. The younger brunette took a second to gawk at the princess, who for a moment she didn't recognize in her more common clothing.
"Regina?!" she asked, as if she still had trouble believing her princess, but also her best friend since childhood, was standing before her.
"Hi…" Regina said meekly.
"What are you doing in here? How long have you been in that barrel?" Belle asked, trying to wrap her head around the situation.
"Remember when I said I wanted to come with you on the trip?" Regina grinned innocently.
"Your mother said no, didn't she?" Belle deadpanned.
"Before I even had spoken half the sentence to her." Regina said, slumping her shoulders roughly, the movement causing the barrel to nearly tip before she held on to the sides and re-balanced it. "Help me out?"
Belle stood up straight and held her arm out to Regina, taking her hand and letting the princess support herself on her shoulder while she supported her waist. Between their combined strength Regina was able to lift herself out of the barrel and onto the solid ground of the ships floor.
With that done, Belle took one look at her friend and sighed.
"Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you'll be in when you get home?" she said plainly.
"Yep." Regina nodded. "But let's burn that bridge when we get to it, I wanna see the ship!" she said with a grin. Belle rolled her eyes.
"What are we going to tell my father?" Belle said.
"Oh, I'll just put some of my royal family charm on him, as always." Regina said with a wink before she headed towards the stairs to go to the deck. Belle rolled her eyes as she followed.