Pinocchio's Princess

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Summary: AU Emma's turning eighteen and her parents are planning a huge ball to introduce her to the eligible princes of Fairy-Tale Land. The problem is that Emma's heart is already taken – it belongs to Pinocchio, the son of a woodcarver. Maybe it's time to come out with the truth… (August/Emma with Charming family fluff)

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Chapter 4

Emma was sitting in the room with an unenthusiastic expression as she listened to her sisters' merry chatting about the upcoming ball. She winced every now and then when the needle hit her skin and felt like swearing when once it drew blood – the only consolation in that was imagining her mistress' face, should she really voice her utter dislike of her present predicament.

She was fed up with that all ball-of-the-century crap and she felt downright sick when Anna and Marie began telling her just how lucky she was. They were in some kind of rapture about the possibility of a prince showing up at the ball and claiming Emma as his wife. When they got to the point where that really handsome prince got on one knee to propose in front of the whole kingdom and Emma throwing herself into his arms in tears of joy, Emma hissed again as the needle tore her skin.

Putting her bleeding finger into her mouth, she shoved the cloth she was working on to the floor and stood up. She left the room with steady steps ignoring the surprised gasps of her sisters and the indignant protest of the mistress.

With strong determination in her steps, she walked up to the council room and barged in with a straight face, masterfully ignoring the stunned looks the men in the room gave her.

"I have to talk to my father," she stated without any permeable and without excusing her un-ladylike behavior.

The men turned to the king who looked similarly taken aback by her daughter's brisk manner but nodded his consent. As the lords and knights filed out of the room, James approached her daughter with a disapproving look. However, before he could have given voice to his concerns regarding her behavior, Emma spoke up.

"I don't want to go to that ball, Daddy," she started in a pleading voice, her stance suddenly losing all self-assurance. "I don't want to meet all those princes and I don't want to accept their proposal. I don't want to marry a pretty face and have pretty babies with him. I don't want to be a queen. I don't want any of it."

James' face softened as he took in Emma's desperate features. "Emma, I know it all seems scary but…"

"No," Emma shook her head. "It's not scary. It's just not what I want."

"What do you want, Emma?"

"I want to marry Pinocchio," she blurted out, for a moment seeming just as surprised as her father was hearing her declaration. She quickly collected herself, though, and continued in a steady voice. "I've already said yes to his proposal. I love him, Daddy. And I know that he's not a prince but I've known him in my entire life and I know that he will make me happy. He's making me happy. And you don't have to worry; he doesn't expect anything from you… like half of your kingdom or something like that. He likes his life as it is… and I like that life, too. I don't want to be a princess anymore. I want to live with him in that cottage he built for us. And he would have come to you with all this but I really had to tell you before you make me marry somebody else," Emma came to a close in her rambling that had left her slightly panting.

There was a little pause that seemed to last for ever for Emma before James spoke up following a heavy sigh.

"You've given quite some thought to the matter," James observed with a contemplative expression. "He built a cottage for you, you said. Tell me, Emma, how long has this… whatever it is… thing been going on between you two?"

"Some time," Emma said trailing off uncertainly but almost instantly she straightened and looked her father square in the eye. "Almost two years," she admitted.

"I see," James acknowledged her answer with a deep, troubled sigh.

After that Emma watched as her father started into a heated monologue about the duties and the expected behavior of a princess, about the good name of the royal family and the consequences her irresponsible actions would entail.

And during all of this Emma held her head high, taking everything thrown into her face with pride because she had regretted nothing when it came to Pinocchio. It was only when her father's last words left his mouth that she cast down her head with shame.

"I'm really disappointed in you, Emma," James turned to his daughter with a grave expression. "Why didn't you come to us when it all started? Why didn't you trust your parents enough to support you in your choice?"

This made Emma snap up her head and she gave a confounded look to her father. In spite of everything that had just transpired in the last couple of minutes, James smiled.

"Your mother and I… we love you, Emma. And all we want for you is to be happy. If Gepetto's son makes you happy then you have our blessings. You should have known that."

With quivering lips Emma threw herself into his father's arms and started to cry. "I'm so sorry, Daddy," she said as James brought his arms around her.

This was how Snow found her husband and daughter after having heard about the incident during the council. She gave James a concerned look but the man dismissed her worries with a small smile that told her nothing serious had transpired.

Snow assumed a carefree smile that seemed only slightly forced as she walked up to James and Emma. "So what is the big deal that warranted the temporary dissolution of the council?"

Emma pulled away from her father and, after exchanging a look with him, she turned to her mother, her posture once again straight and proud.

"I'm in love with Pinocchio."

"That one I've already known," Snow informed her daughter and got a simultaneous You know? from both Emma and James. She rolled her eyes and gave them a look that asked whether they really thought she wouldn't know about something like that. "I'm your mother, Emma," she simply said. "And I don't see any problem with that," she gave a look to her husband. "Pinocchio is a great boy."

"I want to marry him," Emma continued and watched astonished as a huge smile appeared on her mother's face.

"That's great news, Honey," she said stroking Emma's cheeks with motherly affection. "Then these were happy tears, I assume?"

Emma shifted a little then shrugged. "More like confused tears?"

"Emma here," James started to explain, "barged into the meeting to demand talking with me then she burst into tears begging me not to give her into marriage against her will. Then she informed me that she'd been seeing Gepetto's boy for two years now and she intents to marry him and move into a cottage the boy had built for them."

"Is that so?" Snow looked at her daughter curiously.

"I didn't burst into tears," Emma denied with defiance, frowning at her father. Then she added somewhat hesitantly, "Until Dad told me that you'd support me in whatever decision I make as long as it makes me happy."

"Your dad spoke right," Snow concurred.

"So you never wanted me to choose a husband at the ball?"

"Your sisters have big mouths and an overactive imagination," Snow sighed referring to the girls' romantic notions concerning the ball. "Emma, nobody is forcing you to choose your future husband on the spot. The ball is just an opportunity to get to know some new faces. Did you really think that we'd force you into a marriage you don't desire?"

"No, I guess," Emma admitted sheepishly. Now it all sounded all too stupid.

"Good," James concluded. "I'd hate to think that my daughter's thinking of me like an archaic monarch."

"I am not," Emma protested. "I just got a little…"

"Overwhelmed?" Snow offered and Emma nodded.

"I'm sorry."

"That's all right," James reassured her, pulling her to his side. "But don't ever assume again that you can't talk to us in any matter. I don't want to wait for two years to learn about anything that concerns you." At that Emma could only nod because she still felt quite stupid about how that whole matter turned out. Her parents were awesome.

"Now that all things are settled we can go back to our daily duties," James continued in an amused tone, thinking about all the dignitaries Emma had kicked out of the room earlier.

Happy about the turn of the events and grateful for her parents' support, Emma hugged both of them, nodding when her father informed her that he'd have some serious talk with Pinocchio, before turning to leave. After a couple of steps, though, she turned around and risked one final question.

"Does that mean…?" she trailed off as her mother shook her head before she could have even finished the sentence.

"No, it definitely doesn't. The ball has to be held," Snow declared. "And you have to attend it like all the princes and princesses."

Well, she had to try.

"Why?" she asked with clear dislike in her voice.

"Because we have to announce that Princess Emma's hand had already been given into marriage," Snow informed her and an accepting smile appeared on Emma's face. She could live with that.

And when the ball's night came, Emma stood proudly next to her fiancé who, in spite of not being a prince, made Emma feel like a princess because she was his princess.

She was Pinocchio's princess.

The End

I hope you're not disappointed about the way the Charmings reacted to Emma's revelation. I didn't want them to go hard on her simply because I believe that both Snow and James can understand her situation and wouldn't stand in the way of her happiness. And I also imagine that should Emma have grown up with her parents, she would have been a daddy's girl.

Thanks for reading!