The cacophonous sounds of spirited conversation and jovial laughter reverberated off the stone walls of the lavishly decorated Great Hall as revelers partook in the sumptuous feast and overflowing wine of bacchanalian proportions. Large round tables bordered the cavernous space, easily seating the two-hundred plus guests that had come from near and far to celebrate the end of one era and toast the prosperous beginning of a new one.
Once the formal rituals had finished, however, most had left their places and now stood in small groups discussing the events surrounding the joyous occasion while others availed themselves of the enthusiastic music filling the air, their colorful silk and satin bodies a blur as they danced exuberantly across the open space.
Emerald eyes watched the mingling partygoers and twirling dancers dispassionately from behind the marble pillar situated in a darkened corner of the large room, waiting for the perfect chance to slip away unobserved. Despite the late hour, the celebration was just revving up and Emma Swan knew that she wouldn't be missed until the next afternoon at earliest.
Barely hearing the bells tolling out the time, the blonde took one last longing look at the few people she would truly miss before slipping unobtrusively through the small wooden door that lead to the servant's corridor.
Nimble footsteps carried her quickly through the winding labyrinth of familiar passageways. Since the day after their return to the Enchanted Forest a month ago, Emma had made it her priority to know every twist and turn of every hallway in preparation for this very moment.
With all but a few guards occupied with the festivities, Emma was able to reach the wing she shared with her thirteen-year-old son unobserved and crept quietly into his darkened room. Despite his earlier protests to the contrary, the blonde could easily hear the deep, even breaths of the exhausted young man.
Pale moonlight filtering in through the high windows illuminated her path as she tiptoed over to his bedside. Pulling a folded piece of parchment from the inner pocket of her coat, she propped the note explaining her actions and the reasons behind them against the unlit candle resting on the nightstand.
Her heart ached and her vision blurred as she ran gentle fingers through Henry's mop of brown hair before placing a light kiss against his forehead and issuing a silent apology to her sleeping son. Wiping away the lone tear sliding down her cheek, Emma shut the door behind her and hoped that one day he would understand.
Once in her own bedroom, Emma hastily slipped off her noble attire, grateful that Snow had finally permitted her to wear the jacket and pants similar to David and Henry's outfits instead of the elaborate dress and corset that the brunette had originally insisted upon. Throwing on a pair of worn leather pants, a plain tunic, and a fitted jerkin the blonde strapped her sword to her side and grabbed the bag she'd previously packed before heading to the far end of the castle.
Stashing the pack in a small alcove, Emma made her way down the twisting staircase until it ended in the castle's dungeons. The air down here was dank and cool despite the burning torches lining the damp, moss covered walls and her footsteps rang unnaturally loud in the eerie silence.
Rounding the final corner Emma watched the guard grab the hilt his sword as he jumped at the unexpected interruption to his own privet celebration. Doing his best to cover up his inattentiveness, the man snapped to attention and bowed properly when he finally recognized her, issuing a "Yer 'igheness" in a slow slur that couldn't be blamed solely on the amount of alcohol he'd consumed.
"At ease, Tolfdir," she said with a forced casualness readily apparent in her stiff manner and wan smile that, luckily, the guard was too inebriated to pick up.
Clapping the balding man around his shoulders, Emma steered him away from the cells that she didn't want to examine too closely for fear of what she might see and pulled him down the corridor. Breathing shallowly through her mouth to ward against the acrid smell emanating from the stout guard, she dropped her voice in feigned collusion.
"You see, my friend, I have a little proposition for you."
"Oh aye?" his dull eyes gleamed in anticipation and Emma repressed a shudder at leer that exposed his decaying teeth.
"As I'm sure you know, the Evil Queen and I have a bit of a… history together; one that we haven't been able to really bring to a satisfactory end, at least on my part."
Confusion marred his wrinkled visage and Emma resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Apparently, subtly was not this man's forte.
"The Queen and I need to have a little chat," she voiced in simpler terms, hostility heavily lacing her tone in order to break through his thick skull. "Seeing as this is my last chance to exact a little… retribution, I'd rather take my time and enjoy it without an audience. Besides, I see no reason for you to stick around when she's powerless in this dungeon and you could be enjoying the spoils of the party upstairs instead."
A knowing grin spread across his face as he gave a slight wink, "I gotchya, Yer Majesty. No un'll mind if she shows up to 'er own execution with a few extra bumps 'n bruises. Weak as a kitten she is, yu've no worries there."
Taking the keys handed to her she said, "Thanks, Tolfdir, you're a good man. Now go, enjoy that party."
e guard remained clueless as Emma pull her sword from its sheath and clubbed him with the pommel right at the base of his skull. The blonde cringed at the resounding smack his hefty body made as it impacted the hard floor and did not envy the headache he'd have upon waking.
Dragging the unconscious man into the nearest empty cell, Emma tried her best to make up for the unfortunate, but necessary, harm she'd caused by covering his prone form with the threadbare blanket and straw covering the floor.
Locking the iron doors securely behind her, the blonde frantically searched the remaining cells until she found the only other one occupied at the far end of the passage. Tears pooled in jade eyes as Emma got her first glimpse of Regina Mills after four long weeks.
Tattered grey rags covered the huddled body of the former Evil Queen as she shivered uncontrollably in the barren cell. Unlike the others, no straw covered the cold, stone floor and no blanket, regardless of how thin, had been provided to help fight off the bitter chill that permeated the dungeon year round. The only concession made acknowledging that the brunette was in fact human, and not the animal they were treating her as, was the sour bucket situated in the far corner.
Shaky hands fitted the key into the lock, fighting with it for a few unbearable seconds before it finally gave way. Throwing the door open with a reverberating clang, Emma scrambled into the cell and dropped to her knees in front of the cowering brunette.
Regina flinched as Emma tenderly cradled her delicate face with both hands, lifting her chin and looking for any signs of obvious abuse. Normally lustrous, raven locks hung dull and limp around frail shoulders, framing sunken cheeks and chattering teeth. Tan skin was sallow under the flickering torch light, but appeared unmarred with the exception of dark circles residing under listless brown eyes. A quick check of the brunette's arms and legs also showed no evident contusions, so what ever mistreatment Regina had suffered at the hands of her captors had not been physical.
"Emma," Regina breathed on a sigh as if the blonde were just a glorious vision created by her mind.
"I'm here, my love," Emma reassured, forcibly swallowing the lump that had risen to the back of her throat at the sound of her name whispered so raggedly.
Gently wiping away the few tears that spilled over from chocolate orbs and ignoring those cascading from her own, Emma pulled the weakened woman to her feet, catching the brunette in strong arms when her knees buckled under her own weight.
"You're safe now, but we have to go."
"Go?" Regina asked as Emma half carried her stumbling form down the corridor.
"We have to get you out of here while everyone is distracted. This is our only opportunity and I know you're tired, honey, but I could really use some help getting you up these stairs."
Despite the cool temperature, sweat was beading along her hairline as she was forced to bear more of the brunette's weight the higher they climbed. Her jagged breathing and strained voice must have finally broken through some of the haze clouding the older woman's mind, because Regina shifted most of her weight to her bare feet and only used the blonde to steady her still shaky steps.
"Is Henry coming too?"
The stoic mask that had kept her true feelings hidden from everyone else, even her son, over the past month threatened to crack at the hopeful words whispered by the weary brunette.
"Oh, honey, I wish he could," true regret tinged her voice as tears threatened to fall once again, "but we don't have a choice. He'll be safer here with Snow and Charming than on the run with us, encountering gods know what."
'Please, don't push me on this, Regina. It would break my heart to tell you the truth,' the blonde thought desperately.
"You're right," the brunette agreed after a few moments and Emma breathed a silent sigh of relief.
Finally reaching the main floor, Emma held the brunette back as she checked to make sure the coast was clear. Grabbing the bag she'd hidden in one hand and Regina's in the other, the dull thud of her boots shattered the stifled stillness with every step as they walked down the rarely used corridor.
After several tense minutes, they were out in the frosty night air trekking across the verdant grounds with only the quarter moon and countless stars to light their way. The pungent smell of hay and horse manure assaulted her nose as they entered the darkened stables, relieved to that the grooms were nowhere to be found.
"There're some warm clothes and boots for you in here," Emma said as she handed the bag to Regina. "Get dressed while I get Fëanáro ready for the journey."
"You're coming too, right?" the brunette asked and despite the trepidation lacing her tone, Emma was glad to hear that Regina's voice seemed stronger and her eyes clearer than they had just a short while ago in the dungeon.
"Of course, Regina," the blonde reassured, her heart breaking that the other woman had ever had cause to doubt her. "We don't have time right now, but I promise as soon as I can I will explain everything, okay?"
Regina remained guarded but nodded in consent and began changing while the younger woman tacked the horse and stuffed the meager supplies she'd been able to acquire in the saddlebags.
Once Regina was settled securely in the saddle of the bay mare, Emma took hold of the reins careful to stay in the shadows as she led them to a long forgotten opening in the palace walls. Ivy concealed it from casual glance and it had taken nearly a week for her to scrub away the rust coating the lock and hinges, but all her hard work paid off as the iron gate opened silently and they slipped into the surrounding wilderness unseen.
Emma was grateful for the twisted sense of justice the citizens of the Enchanted Forest possessed. Their escape would have been nearly impossible had the council decided to keep the brunette locked up in Charming's castle instead of the one the Evil Queen had seized all those years ago.
"Where exactly do you expect us to find refuge, Dear?" Regina asked sounding more like herself with her piercing sarcasm, though it lacked its usual bite. "I am known far and wide throughout this land and none would hesitate to see my head separated from my neck, reward or not."
Pale features winced at the accuracy of that assertion, having heard similar sentiments tossed around over the last several weeks, but she purposefully ignored it as she continued picking her way through the dense vegetation of the forest.
"I was more concerned with getting you out of there alive than searching for a safe place to stay. There's bound to be some corner of this world where no one knows us as the 'Evil Queen' and the 'Savior', or at least doesn't care."
"We'll have to travel a great distance to accomplish that," the brunette replied gravely.
"I know," Emma sighed. "Any ideas?"
A tense hush fell on the traveling women as the severity of their situation settled heavily on their shoulders.
Long moments passed before Regina finally asked, "How do you feel about boats?"
A/N: One shot I wrote over 5 years ago tat I never posted. Mostly because I'd thought of expanding on it, but never got around to it. Life got complicated. Lol.
A/N 2: FF didn't like me using lyrics so I had to take them out. Inspired by and set to Lost Before the Dawn by Evanescence. Give it a listen, it's one of their earlier pieces before their fist official album.