Summary: Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't realize that the crowd of men had quieted and stepped away from their seats to allow a new man to sit right across from her.
"Five times in a row against some of the best gamblers I know? One would think you're cheating."
She looked up and felt her heart drop as she stared into the bluest eyes she had ever seen.
***
CSSS 2024 fic for killiansprincss
Rating: T
Read on AO3
A/N: Merry Christmas @killiansprincss!! I was your Secret Santa for this year! I had a great time not only creating this fic, but getting to know you! Enjoy this fic Enchanged Forest AU with tropes everywhere, lol. Each chapter is based on one of your top five Taylor Swift songs.
***
She wasn't supposed to be there. Nothing about her surroundings was safe. If her parents found out, they might forbid her from ever seeing the light of day for at least a decade, all in an effort to keep her safe.
And yet, she felt freer than in all those other spaces people told her she was safe.
She placed her hand of cards down on the table and threw her head back in laughter as the men gathered around let out curses and shouts and groans of dismay.
It was her fifth time winning in a row and she felt no shame as she gathered their gold and jewels, adding it to her own pile.
These were pirates after all. The treasures they laid out on the table hadn't been theirs to begin with. She wasn't going to keep any of it for herself. She had no need for it.
But she had seen a small huddle of street children as she came in. One of them didn't look more than four years old.
She smiled to herself as she imagined the look on their faces, knowing this pile she had gathered would last them for the foreseeable future.
Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't realize that the crowd of men had quieted and stepped away from their seats to allow a new man to sit right across from her.
"Five times in a row against some of the best gamblers I know? One would think you're cheating."
She looked up and felt her heart drop as she stared into the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Quickly schooling her expression, she quirked her lips upwards. "Are you willing to make it six times in a row for me?"
He laughed, a deep sound that reverberated through his chest. "If that's the case, then I suppose that proves you are a cheat."
She narrowed her eyes. "I'm not."
"Let's see, shall we?" He grabbed the deck of cards and handed them to one of the gathered men to shuffle. The man then leaned forward, sipping out of flask that didn't smell like just ale. "I would like to know the name of my opponent before we begin."
"Swan," she answered without hesitation. The name she always gave when she was trying to pass incognito. A lie easy to tell because it was half true. A swan was on her family crest, serving as a symbol for her and her family.
He raised a brow. "That's not your real name."
"Tell me yours first then."
He let out an amused huff before bringing up his left hand to the table.
Or, more appropriately, the hook that stood in place of his left hand. "Hook."
She tried not to let the breath catch in her throat. She had known he was a pirate from the moment he sat down. But seeing the hook, she knew that he was the Captain Hook.
Infamous pirate, wanted in nearly all the surrounding kingdoms.
Without showing any reaction to the revelation of just how dangerous this man was, she instead repeated his words back to him. "That's not your real name."
"Aye. Let's raise the stakes then. I win, I take all this treasure, and you tell me your name. You win, I'll give you my name and won't steal this treasure from you."
She scoffed. "I'd like to see you try."
The cards were dealt, and they played the game. The men who had lost to her gathered around, cheering for their captain. Other women from the tavern also gathered, all their attention on Captain Hook.
It made something uncomfortable shift in her bones, watching as they unabashedly flirted with him.
She wasn't a cheat. The other men just didn't know how to play.
Captain Hook did though, proving just how well when he won in only four moves.
He laughed and the other men cheered as he collected her pile of treasure and claimed it as his own.
She got up to leave, her mood soured after losing. Cold metal encircled her wrist, preventing her from taking a step forward.
Captain Hook tsked. It seems you're forgetting part of our deal, love."
She scowled at the term of endearment, hoping that would cover the burning in her cheeks. A list of at least a dozen names she could give came to mind. Names that would protect her identity.
None of those names were the ones she gave.
"Emma," she said quietly, only allowing him to hear over the raucous noise from the other men.
He smiled.
She felt her stomach flip.
He brought her hand to his lips, brushing them ever so gently over her skin. "Enchanted."
Her heart leapt to her throat as he stared at her with those blue eyes that seemed to promise her a freedom that came with sailing across the oceans.
She brought the moment to an end, untangling her wrist from his hook and quickly leaving the tavern.
It wasn't that she was fleeing from him. No, it was time for her to return before anyone noticed she was missing.
Emma stepped into the alley just behind the tavern, inhaling the cold air deeply as she willed her racing heart to calm.
Agitation was never a good combination when she used one of her transportation spells.
Having taken several deep breaths, she centered her mind and envisioned her room as she began the spell that would take her back home.
The back door from the tavern opened, making Emma press her back against the wall to keep in the shadows, bringing her spell casting to a halt.
Captain Hook came out. Alone.
A part of her was satisfied that he didn't leave the tavern with any of the women there that had been fawning over him during their game.
Emma shook her head, as if to physicaly shake that feeling. What did she care if he left alone or with a woman on each arm?
She watched him, seeing how he took out the bag full of money he had won from her.
Money she was going to put to good use. Unlike him, who would only add it to the copious amount of treasure he no doubt had hidden away on his ship.
But then he tossed the bag of money on the ground.
Right at the feet of the street children she was going to give it to in the first place.
He continued walking without even so much as looking at them.
The children scrambled for the bag, trying to keep their excited words to a whisper as they no doubt began making plans.
One of them raised his head to call out a thank you to the pirate captain.
Captain Hook gave no indication he heard the boy.
Emma continued watching the man, her curiosity wanting her to follow after him.
She almost did.
If it hadn't been for the bell tolling two in the morning.
Emma startled, straightening as she closed her eyes and focused again on the spell that would take her back to her bedroom.
Hopefully in time before the nightguard came to check on her.
When she next opened her eyes, she was in her bedroom. Emma didn't even bother changing out of her clothes, hurrying to get under the covers and pretend she hadn't left her bed all night.
The moment she was finally settled in her bed, a small beam of light entered the room. With her back to the door, she was able to see the shadow of tonight's guard peeking his head in for a quick moment before closing the door and continuing on his nightly rounds.
Emma counted to ten before releasing a heavy breath and sitting up. She snapped her fingers and the candle on her nightstand lit up.
She slipped out of bed again, this time to change out of her clothes. She hid them, not wanting the maids to find them in the morning when they came to gather the laundry.
In her nightgown and a robe wrapped firmly around her to keep the chill out, Emma stood on the balcony, overlooking the sleeping kingdom.
Ever since she could remember, her father said it would all be hers one day. The people who currently knew her as Princess Emma would call her Queen Emma. She would continue to be loved and would rule with a gentle heart for the poor and firm hand for the wicked.
It was her duty.
Ever since she could remember, Emma never wanted it.
The desire to run away would always burn anytime she came back from one of her midnight adventures. Tonight was no different, but there was an added element to it.
To run away on a pirate ship, with a captain who was rumored to be cruel, but she had seen evidence that he was quite the opposite.
She ran her fingers over the back of her hand, trying to commit to memory the feel of his lips on her skin. She whispered a single word to herself.
"Enchanted."
***
He had been watching her all night. The moment she stepped into that tavern and made her way towards the gambling men, she had caught his attention.
How could she not, with the way that she carried herself.
It was immediately recognizable to him that she was royalty. The fact that no one else seemed to realize this baffled him.
Perhaps it was because of all the gold and jewels she accumulated as she won every round of cards against the men.
Enough so that the accusations of her cheating could be heard.
Killian knew of course that was not the case. The men were just terrible at the game. He should know. They were part of his crew, and he was constantly winning against them.
Women looking for a quick coin would come up to him. Tease him, buy him drinks, whisper promises of enjoyment.
His focus remained on this royal pretending to be a commoner.
Curiosity finally won as he made his way towards the table, his crew quieting as they made space for him.
His felt his breath leave him when he finally looked into green eyes that reminded him of spring as a child, before his mother died.
One of the last times he had felt truly happy.
She introduced herself as Swan.
Obviously a fake name.
So, he gave her his moniker.
Hook.
She didn't flinch.
He raised the stakes to their game.
The loser would have to reveal their first name.
She agreed.
Besides, what would she do with so much gold anyways? He was sure, whoever she was, she had rooms filled to the brim with gold.
She was a decent player, but, as he suspected, the crew she played against were horrible gamblers.
He won.
She attempted to leave without following through with their deal, so he reached out and caught her wrist in his hook.
He wished he had used his hand, wanting to feel her skin against his fingertips.
She whispered her name in his ear.
For the first time, he was grateful he hadn't gone to cut his hair the moment they made landfall. His hair was long enough to cover his burning ears.
"Emma."
And he could think of only one royal who had that name.
Princess Emma of Misthaven.
He brought her hand up to his lips, pressing them gently against the back of her hand. Her face flushed and he wondered if it matched his own. She quickly pulled her wrist from his hook and hurried out of the tavern.
He wanted to follow her.
Instead, he watched her leave.
Killian sat there a few moments longer, listening to his crew cheering, laughing, and starting up another game. He didn't linger, taking the treasure he won, and left.
His mind could not stop thinking of Princess Emma and trying to figure out a way to see her again.
As he made his way towards his ship, he tossed his won gold to a group of street children he had spotted before going inside the tavern. He had plenty of gold, having just come back from another successful pillaging voyage.
He knew what it was to be a child whose sole focus was to simply survive another day.
Aboard his ship, Killian went below decks to his private quarters. He opened one of the many chests, pulling out a new bottle of rum. He drank straight from it, not bothering to refill the empty flask he carried with him.
The Jolly Roger had been docked in a way that gave him a perfect view of the castle from his porthole. He wondered if Emma was there now, or if she was figuring out a way to sneak back into the castle.
His fingers made his way to his lips, lightly brushing over them as he remembered the way the skin of her hand felt against them.
He breathed out a single word, staring at the castle with Princess Emma invading every single thought.
Helloooo dear giftee Santa is back!! With less than a week til the big day I thought you’d like to know your gift is coming along well! Just needs a little help polishing it off before it can get on the sleigh and in its way to your inbox! It’s featuring lots of tortured Killian and Emma being the best friend guiding light who needs to realise how her best friend feels about her…. but that’s all I will say for now! 👀👀
❄️🎁🎄 I hope your December is going well - have you had a chance to watch any Christmas movies?
Just a few questions from me:
What are some of your favourite songs?
When you decorate the house or tree do you have a favourite ornament?
Not long now, better get back to the North Pole and check on those pesky elves !!🎄🎄🎄
OMG!!! You have no idea how I excited I am! I might have jumped up and down my seat with your little tease! hahaha
I haven't watched any Christmas movies yet! I've been a bit busy but hopefully this weekend I'm able to!
Favourite songs? My mind is really blank at the moment! haha I have a lot of favourites and change from time to time. One of my current favourites is 'Rewrite the stars' but the cover from Luke Newton!
I haven't thought about this before, tbh! I don't think I have one. I love all of them! I tend to decorate the house with lots of things! haha
Your gift is coming along very well, I’ve got an idea of where it’s going and there’s some parts I’m super excited for!
I’m assuming because you love tortured no Liam Killian that you’re also a fan of no hand Killian 😂 I gotta say it’s very fun to write Killian tortured and moody!
How do you feel about smut? I can include some of it or we can do total PG!
Also I’m loving stalking your blog and seeing your beautiful gifs, insane talent! It just makes me realise how much I miss them and miss new episodes but glad our fandom is still alive and kicking! What originally drew you to Captain Swan and what is it about them that make you keep going all these years on?
Xoxo Santa 🎅❤️🎅❤️
I'm sure it'll be perfect!!!!! Can't wait to read it! haha
Yeees! I do love no hand!Killian! The angst of it is delicious and I always end up crying with how accepting and loving Emma is about it!
I read a lot of smut, so if you feel comfortable with it, I'll be delighted if you included some in the fic but only if you're okay with it!!
Thank you so much!!! Your words mean a lot!!!! I miss them as well!
Watching Colin and Jen a few weeks ago made me tear up!!!
I loved their banter in Tallahassee! The 'we are enemies but we have to work together' and the 'oh maybe you're not so bad but i can't trust you' thing. Also how similar they really are and their chemistry, of couse!
When I started watching the show, it was a difficult period in my life and they helped me a lot. They brought me so much happiness (still do!), they became my comfort so they'll always have a special place in my heart and their love story is so beautiful!
Your in depth responses are great and extremely helpful! Today’s question: what is your favourite genre of music? and who are your Top5 favourite artists/bands?
Good! I'm glad I'm being helpful. I know how tricky it can be to come up with an idea for someone while being covert 😉
So, truthfully... I am not a big music person. I have songs I like, but they span many genres. The only stuff I'm not a big fan of is country.
I do love Queen and ABBA. My favorite station on Pandora is Adam Lambert radio. I was a teen in the 90s so grunge, alternative, and punk from that era are my jam, as are 80s hair bands.
Most of the time I just have music on as background noise.
heyyy! it's your secret santa! (sorry it took so long to reach out. been a bit under the weather lately)
checking in so you know i haven't forgotten you lmao. lmk if you have any specific requests! hope your december is going well so far 💗
HEY SANTA!! I'm so glad you're alive. ❤️ I'm sorry you haven't been feeling well, though! That stinks. ☹️
You know what, my December is going well! I honestly went a little insane with the black Friday shopping, just getting everything for the kids and family members, and I've been having packages come to my door to a ridiculous degree. And I've forgotten half of what I've ordered, so it makes every day feel like Christmas. 🤣 We got a ton of snow this week (Michigangster, here ✌🏻) so that's been fun, too--primarily because we have a woodburning stove. It's 80 degrees in here right now, and smells like wood smoke, and it is GLORIOUS. I am very very spoiled. How has your December been, my sweet Santa? Apart from getting sick!
IDK what your skills are, between art, writing, video/gif making, but I'll be happy with and appreciate anything you make me. 🥰 I just don't really do smut at all. ✌🏻 I know specifics help, so if it's artwork your skills lie in, I love the adorable domestic CS scenes. For all else, I gotta be honest, I'm a slut for angst and hurt/comfort. 😎 I've written some AUs, myself, but when I read fic I tend to gravitate toward canon compliant and canon divergent stuff. Season three is my jam, and season five is my second jam. They are equally wonderful to me. We were so so well fed in season five. And then I just have such a soft spot for all the pining in season three, and Neverland, and the CS movie. I feel like the writing of the show was at its best in season three. And yet!! Season five is a masterpiece in many ways. I ate up all that delicious whump like there was no tomorrow. 😆
So there you have it, Santa. There are all my freaky kinks. 🤣 I hope you feel better, buddy! Looking forward to talking to you some more, when you feel up to it.
I’ve got ideas and ideas scrambling around in my head and just need some few more little details so I can make it perfect!
In terms of Killian, how hurt and tortured do you prefer him to be? Like are you team dead Liam or team alive and well Liam 😂😂
And for Emma do you like her to have Henry or no Henry?
What are your interests aside from CS? I see from your blog you’re a Bridgerton fan! Any other
- Santa 🎄🎅
I'm so excited!!!!
With the amount of love I have for this man, you would think I don't like seeing him hurt and tortured but what can I say?!!! I love angsty!Killian so I'm definitely team dead Liam! haha
I do enjoy Captain Swan with Henry, especially him and Killian but I like it a bit more when she doesn't have Henry!
More like Colin Bridgerton's (+ Polin) fan! haha Besides them, I watch a lot of chinese dramas. I watched once and got addicted! lol You??
I would like to ask you some more questions to get to you know better.
Do you have a favourite captain swan quote?
Do you have any fav songs that remind you of captain swan?
Do you have a favourite colour?
Hope you are well and speak to you soon.
It's been a busy week with a work conference, but I have today off so an early weekend for me!
I can't remember the exact quote, but it's after their adventure together in the EF and they're at the diner and he admits to trading his ship for her, and I just love that whole conversation so much!
I have two because I have the hardest time picking just one, lol
Medicine by Havelin and Anchor by AG
Mmm, favorite color goes between a dusty rose to a deep red/purple, almost like a wine color.
