Hello again, I wasn't originally planning on writing a sequel but sue me some of you can be very persuasive. Thank you all for the lovely feedback and I hope you enjoy this one. Thank you for reading!

She could feel his eyes boring into the side of her face from his position near the helm, but she had to keep facing forward, pretend she was listening to the Captain explain the crews recent successes in patrolling the seas. For all her formal training, however, she was not going to be able to keep up this pleasant, at ease, façade for long. It seemed like anywhere she stepped, every breath she took was all carefully measured by his inquiring gaze. Really, she just wanted to snap her head in his direction and yell at him to stop staring at her like she was some mysterious treasure to be had, but that would give away that they'd met before, that they knew each other on some more personal level. That you nearly jumped his bones last week? Oh, shut up.

"Emma!" Queen Snow's calm and commanding voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Hmm?" She tried to play innocently.

"Captain Jones asked you a question. Weren't you listening?" The Queen's brow furrowed in puzzlement.

"Oh, of course I was… I was just... contemplating my reply." Her mother shot her a skeptical look.

Emma turned her attention back to the Captain, his brother, and hoped it was a simple "yes" or "no" question.

"Yes, Captain Jones, I would very much enjoy that." Her cheeks hurt from all the forced smiles.

"Wonderful I'll have my lieutenant escort you while the King and Queen, and I talk business."

Emma panicked "yes" had clearly not been the right answer to give. Now she was going to be alone with him.

"Lieutenant Jones." The Lieutenant quickly made his way down the steps and over to where they all stood.

Emma noticed his eyes were now completely detached from her person.

"Aye, Captain." He formally addressed his brother.

"Please escort the princess around the top deck she's very interested in learning all the functions of the ship and the roles of the men aboard."

"Yes sir." The Captain and her parents departed and went below deck, leaving the Lieutenant and the princess in an awkward silence.

Killian wasn't even looking at her, but over the calm waters they rested upon.

Emma picked at some imagery dirt on her skirts for a moment before she tried to speak. "Lieu-" "Well Princess I think we should start with the mainmast, don't you?" He started off cheerfully, the undertone of mockery in his voice evident only to her.

"Lieutenant Jo-" She tried again.

"Such a key element needed in sailing." He charged on, ignoring her completely.

" Lieutenant- "

"And if damaged or lost- "

Emma grabbed onto his sleeve. "Killian Jones answer me!"

Killian quickly pulled away and looked about the deck in case anyone had seen, before gripping her elbow and escorting her below deck and into the food pantry. Slamming the door behind him he whirled around to finally face her.

"Might I ask what you're playing at, your majesty?" He spat the "your majesty".

"Oh cut it with the titles crap you didn't use them a week ago." She crossed her arms in front of her.

"That's because I didn't know who you were a week ago." He argued.

Emma threw her hands up in exasperation. "Ugh, you're just like every other person I come across only seeing my title, only treating me as the princess."

He took a step closer, as if to crowd or intimidate her. "It's called respect your highness."

"It's called a broomstick up your ass Lieutenant." She bit back.

"Oi, you should not-"

"Do not start lecturing me on my 'language' I get enough of that from my mother and my nursemaid and my tutors, and I don't need it from you."

Killian sucked in a deep breath and took a step back. "We should go back above deck before anyone gets the wrong idea."

"Why, afraid your honor might be besmirched?" She taunted, her anger with his signals getting the best of her.

"No, for fear that yours might be!" He yelled, frustration evident on his face.

"What-"

"Last week when you said that my fealty to the king was still intact, that I still held to good form, that was not true. I dishonored my oath to the royal family, to your father by engaging with you in such a way. That is on me, I dishonored you and your family and for that I am sincerely sorry." His head was hung low by the end of his speech.

The resounding crack echoed once throughout the storage room as her palm met his cheek.

"I deserved that, although, if I may I expected a punch." His melancholy reply lilted softly before she erupted.

"Are you playing with me right now? I don't need your apologies, I don't want them!" That certainly got his attention, as his head shot back up. "You've done nothing wrong, we both chose to "engage". You really do have no idea about women, do you? If you regret it so much, fine, we'll just pretend like it never happened, you were doing a splendid job of that already! But, you listen to me, Killian Jones, I am not some meek, fragile, princess, if I don't like something I'll say something about it, if the problem persists, I'll do something about it!" Emma finished her rant, cheeks lightly flushed and somewhat out of breath. Almost like she looked after- Jones don't you dare.

She made to step around him, but his hand shot out and caught her upper arm at his side. Sighing he lost himself in her stormy-green gaze.

"Emma," He tested her name out on his tongue and found that he rather liked it there. "I don't regret being with you, not one moment." He spoke earnestly.

Emma sought for any lack of sincerity in his sky-blue orbs, but found none. Hesitantly, she leaned upward onto her toes so that her lips brushed the corner of his mouth. A shaky breath escaped him as he turned to face her fully.

"Bloody- believe me Emma, love, I want to, but-"

"My honor and your 'good form', I know." He hand reached up to gently cradle his jaw.

"What if I spoke with my mother about… courting?"

Killian nearly snorted. "I'm hardly of high enough stature to be courting the princess."

She smacked his shoulder good-naturedly. "My mother was a bandit and my father a shepherd, if they don't cut me some slack they're hypocrites."

He instantly sobered. "I suppose I should have to formally ask your father to court you then?"

She bit her lip and nodded. He sighed and rested his forehead against hers.

"Well then, your majesty, since that's settled, perhaps I should ask you as well?"

Emma's face broke into a grin. Glancing down at her upturned lips and then back to her eyes, silently asking her permission, Killian leaned in to kiss her chastely.

"Emma, may I have the honor of formally courting you?" He breathed against her lips.

The hand originally cradling his face slid up into his face and pulled him down into a deeper kiss. A soft moan crawled its way out from his throat as one arm wrapped around her waist and his other hand buried itself in her silky curls. As they dragged themselves away from one another once more, lips swollen and kiss-bruised, Emma's breathless reply echoed in his head.

"As you wish."