The Chicken Reform

Disclaimer: I don't own OUaT, but I do like to fiddle with the characters!

A/N - Thank you to 4getfulimaginator for writing a wonderful summary for this story!

Granny's fruit cake was legendary, in that not only was she famous for it in the large seaside village but royalty patronised the Lucas bakery to regularly enjoy it. At least once a month, Queen Snow would bring her only daughter, four year old, Princess Emma, to visit her best friend, Red, Granny's granddaughter. Snow owed much to the people of this village as they had risked their lives to shelter her during her years on the run from, Regina, the Evil Queen. Despite the headache that regular scheduled visits in public made for her security, Snow refused to forego seeing her friends. Royal patronage had done much to secure the livings of many of the village businesses. This was her way of paying back her people and they loved their Queen for it.

Emma just loved the cake.

Try as her mother might, relentless though her governess was with the etiquette lessons, without fail, within two minutes of the sumptuous baked treat being placed in front of her, Emma had half her cake down the front of her dress and the other half hanging out of her mouth.

"Oh, Emma, what was I thinking putting you in white, today?" Snow sighed and shook her head.

"Sowwy, foo nummy," Emma said, and smiled hugely as she used her fingers to stuff a cake corner into the side of mouth. It only made the other corner fall out.

"I'm going to assume that was an apology of some fashion," Snow said. She turned her attention to her own cake, which she picked at daintily. Popping a cherry into her mouth, she closed her eyes as she savoured the tart juice that was enhanced with the spices that Granny refused all offers to name.

"Snow!" Red called an enthusiastic greeting. She bounced over to the table and Snow jumped up to hug her friend. Snow had tried many times over the years to get Red to move into the castle so they could see each other all the time, but castle life was too stifling for the free spirited woman. They separated and Red turned to hug Emma, who was Red's god daughter, only to find that Emma's attention was wholly occupied elsewhere.

On the other side of the window stood a young boy of about 4 or 5. He looked as though he was living very rough. He wore brown trousers and a thin shirt that may have once been cream coloured but was now covered in coal dust. His hair was black, or it may have been dark brown, it was difficult for Snow or Red to tell as it too, was covered in coal dust. His face had fared a little better, showing signs that he had dunked it in a water barrel or the nearby stream. His skin was pale where it was clean, but the coal dust still clung to the extraordinary eyelashes that framed the most exquisite big blue eyes. Those eyes were trained on Emma.

Snow observed the boy's skinny frame, the sharp collarbones easily viewed through the gaping holes in his threadbare shirt, and her first thought was that he was looking at the wasted cake pieces that Emma was sporting down her front and thinking how he could put those to far better use. Then she realised she was completely wrong. The boy was awestruck with Emma, herself. He looked at the golden haired girl as if he was seeing the sun for the first time. Emma was looking pretty awestruck in return. Cake forgotten, she gaped at the boy. It was the oddest of meetings. The princess and the coal boy. Given to the occasional romantic flight of fancy, Snow exchanged a wink with Red.

"I think it might be True Love," Snow whispered to Red. "Do you know who he is?"

"I think his name is, William, or something like that. Turned up last week. He has a brother but I've not seen any sign of a parent. They both work in the mine."

"Mine? At his age? That coal dust will ruin his lungs. He's too young, I'll have to do something about that." Snow was not happy. She and her husband, David, had worked hard to ensure the children of the kingdom were not used in work that unnecessarily endangered their health. Coal mining for very young children was one type of work that she had banned.

While Snow and Red were discussing the boy, Emma had grabbed a handful of cake crumbs from her dress and held them out to the boy.

"Want some? It's very good," Emma informed her admirer.

"Definitely True Love, Emma never shares cake. She usually manages to wheedle David's share as well!"

The boy nodded, his eyes opening even wider in shock that this gorgeous golden creature was offering him cake. He reached in through the open window, but one of the Queen's guards saw the youngster and pulled him away by the scruff of his neck.

"Away with you. Show some respect for your Queen and the Princess," The guard told him, roughly.

"Stop!" The Queen commanded. "Leave him alone." Snow jumped up from the table and walked briskly outside intent on rescuing the boy from the over zealous guard. Emma shot past her mother and, wearing a fierce expression, kicked the guard in the shin.

"You let him go, Graham. Don't be so mean!" Emma took hold of Graham's arm and pulled as hard as she could.

Only Graham knows for sure whether it was the Queen or the Princess he obeyed but he let go of his struggling captive. The boy stumbled a bit as the impetus nearly knocked him off his feet, but he regained his balance and, before he could get into anymore trouble, he gave Emma and Snow a sketchy bow and then turned tail and ran. Emma hitched up her skirts, evidently intending to give chase, but her mother placed a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, no you don't," Snow admonished. Emma looked up at her mother, crestfallen.

"But he was hungry. Couldn't you see, Mama? I want to help him," Emma said.

"I am so proud of what you tried to do for him, Emma. It is very kind of you to see he needed help and to want to give him that help," Snow said as she knelt down to look her daughter in the eye so she could convey her absolute sincerity. "We will help him. First we have to find out about him and if he has any parents. I will ask Granny and Red to go see him at the mine tomorrow and take him some food," Snow said as she looked up and over Emma's head to lock eyes with her friends who were now outside with them. Granny nodded that she understood what Snow was really asking. Which was, find him, get him out of that mine, feed him up and hold onto him until Snow could get the full story.

The young man's life was about to change, but first would come the matter of the chickens. A most serious matter, indeed.