~ Hola, amigos! I really felt like starting a OUAT fic, so here it is. The first one or two chapters will be set in the fairytale land, but will go into after the curse is broken. I honestly just wanted to do a fic about how Killian's life would be different if he hadn't met Milah, and became obsessed with the idea. Ehehe. I hope you enjoy, and reviews are always wanted! ~

Astrid's emerald glance was fixated on the frayed cloth on the sleeve of her deep brown gown as she picked at it, nose wrinkling in disgust once more as she inhaled the foul stench of the ship cells. Her bare feet were damp from the seawater seeping in through the wall as the ship bobbed on the water.

She lifted a hand to rub her fore and middle fingers against her aching temples, her cuticles caked with mud and strands of her midnight black hair sticking to her face and neck as it cascaded down her back.

Her eyes fluttered shut as she remembered how she came to be in this hellhole.

"Princess! The ship is under attack!" Her serving girl, Ancilla, screamed as she burst into her mistresses quarters. "Pirates! You must hide, milady." Ancilla fussed around, unsuccessfully attempting to find a suitable for the princess.

Fear struck Astrid at the mention of pirates and she stood from her dressing table, tossing her hairbrush down as she rushed from her room. The Captain would not doubt have lowered the longboat so she could make a getaway.

As she hurried from her room though, her wide eyes glancing back to her maid, she crashed into something large and hard.

She glanced up to see the toothless grin of a pirate who's arms swiftly captured her and she was dragged, kicking and screaming across the ship.

"Unhand me, vile beast!" she shouted as she wriggled in his grasp. "Beast? Come now, he's tall and fat, but name-calling isn't very nice now, is it?" Came a smooth, low voice from behind her.

"Let her go." Said the same voice and the man released her, stepping aside so she could see the one who commanded these me. He was tall and wearing an outfit of black leather, deep brown hair swaying in the light sea breeze. He used an ornate dagger to pick dirt from beneath his nails and after a moment, he sheathed it and finally looked up at her.

His thick eyebrow cocked as though he expected her to say something, and so she did. "How dare you attack a royal ship? You will be hanged for this, pirate." She bitterly spat out the final word, causing a corner of his mouth to twitch into a small smirk.

"Royal ship, you say?" His smirk transformed into a devilish grin as he sauntered over to stand in front of her so close his breath tickled her face. "That must make you the princess." He lifted a hand to tentatively caress the pale skin of her cheek but she flinched away from his touch, jaw clenched in anger.

"What do you want?" She asked, ignoring his words as her chest heaved with the heavy breathing caused by her barely contained rage.

"Well..." He began and paused to glance quickly around the ship before his icy gaze once again rested upon Astrid. "At first, it was the ship. It's a fine vessel. But now... I think I could get more gold holding you hostage than I ever would selling the ship."

Astrid exhaled a shuddering breath, her anger turning to slight fear. Her emerald eyes made a quick scan of the ships crew. So very many of them, and no doubt they'd all die if she let this vile sewer rat take the ship. She sucked in a deep, steadying breath, eyes landing on the pirates' own as she spoke in as brave a tone she could manage. "Very well. You may take me. But you must leave this ship and everyone else on it alone."

His devious grin broadened at her answer and he lifted a hand, gesturing to his men to return to his ship and bring the princess them, where they proceeded to lock her in the cells.

She was pulled away from her daydream at the sound of keys jingling as her guard; a short, plump man around 50 with a white bushy beard twisted a key in the lock, the cell door swinging open. "Cap'n wants to see you, princess."

His voice was hoarse and croaking and he had only a single tooth peering through the gap of his mouth. She stood and shuffled out the door, allowing him to guide her through the ship until she reached the Captain's quarters. Other than their brief meeting on her fathers ship, she had yet to speak directly to him even though she'd been on their ship a week.

The old man knocked at the door and after confirmation from the other side that he may enter, the man shoved her through the door roughly and slammed the door shut behind her, the cool night air leaving with him. She stood staring at the door with a frown on her forehead for a moment before twisting on her heel.

The room was surprisingly large, a wooden desk in the corner of the room and a dining table placed in the center. To her left, there was a thick black curtain masking a room she guessed was the captain's bedroom. Candles flickered around the room, giving it a soft, almost warm glow.

When her eyes finally rested on the Captain, he was already watching her intently, eyebrow cocked and mouth in a straight line. There was a long, almost eternal moment where neither spoke before gestured to the dining table that was almost covered with plates of fine food. "Dine with me." Was all he said.

Silently, she sat in the chair across from him, her eyes on her hands to avoid his piercing gaze. When she risked a look up at him, she found him still staring at her and although she attempted to resist his glance, she found herself locking her eyes onto his own. She could see the slight lift of his lips.

"Hungry?" He asked after another eternal moment and she shook her head. She was starving, the food she was given in the cells barely fit for a rat, but in his presence, her stomach was uneasy and she felt if she ate, she's only bring it back up again.

He rested his elbows on the table, his brows furrowed. "The name's Killian, by the way. I don't believe I told you before." She blinked for a moment before shaking her head in reply. "Not much of a talker, eh, love?"

"You kidnapped me." She replied in a bland tone, all effort to fight him gone from her body as she sat watching him, and he watching her. His expression softened slightly at her reply; must have expected me to fight him, she thought, but she had no need to. It would do her no good and she was so weak from not eating that she couldn't anyway.

"Technically, you offered." He said though his tone was soft and almost sad. Astrid laughed weakly, slumping back into her chair and finally pulling her eyes from his own. "Only to save the lives of my people." Her voice was barely a whisper, her arm resting on the table as she lifted her hand to massage her aching temples once more.

"It was very noble of you. I admire that. I doubt many other princesses would put up with what you have.-" He gestured to her whole body with a sweeping hand. "- Unwashed gown, living in filthy cells and no bath in a week." At his words, she looked to him,finding his features set to one of almost wonder, she thought. He was looking at her as though he could not understand her actions, but admired her for them anyway.

She shook her head. No. It couldn't have been a look of admiration. It was merely curiosity. She inhaled a deep breath and spoke in no more than a whisper, "May I be excused? I'm exhausted." It wasn't a complete lie, she was exhausted and wanted to sleep, but more than that, she just wanted to escape him. His intense gaze was almost too much to handle.

"Of course." He said. "But you won't be going back to the cells. During your stay here, from now on, you will have your own room and my crew are yours to command if you need anything from them. Understand?"

This took Astrid completely by surprise and she gaped at him in almost shock. "W-Why? I'm your prisoner." His features softened as he sighed softly, eyebrows knitting together in thought as he lifted a shoulder into a shrug. "I..I honestly don't know, princess. I just don't think such a brave lass should be in the cells a moment longer. If you'd prefer to stay in them -"

"No." She cut him off. The chair was pushed back as she stood and padded across the floorboards to the door. Before she opened it, she glanced back and flashed him the tiniest of smiles, saying, "Thank you...Killian."

Once she was gone, Killian smiled to himself, absentmindedly tracing spirals onto the dining table as his thoughts remained of the princess. He wasn't sure why they did, but he guessed it was because she was...Different...From all the other women he'd been around. She was brave and compassionate, and let's face it, not hard to look at.

A yawn escaped him and he shoved his chair back to stand, tossing clothing over the place as he removed it on the way to his bedroom. He tugged the curtain aside and slumped into his bed, covering his nude form with a thin satin sheet draped over himself as he quickly nestled in to his warm and comfy bed and quickly fell into a deep slumber.