Disclaimer: Ouat belongs to ABC. The idea of Queen Swanwhite, and a chunk of the first paragraph, was taken from The Last Battle in the Chronicles of Narnia Series by CS Lewis.
Even the Huntsman had heard tales of the Queen Swanwhite, the woman who had ended the Great Winter of Arendellle. She was said to be so beautiful that when she looked into any forest pool the reflection of her face shone out of the water like a star by night for a year and a day afterwards- and thus wore a mask to hide her beauty.
Some said she was a Siren who had lost her dwelling, and so sought the ice palace of Arendelle to replace it. Other said that she was a Star who had taken pity on the frozen populace and come down from the heavens to release them. There were more rumours than there were leaves in a forest, but only a few known facts.
Before her coronation, Swanwhite had been known only as the Lady Swan.
And since her coronation, Swanwhite could always be seen wearing white, and was never without a capelet of white feathers to cover her décolletage, or a mask to hide her features.
A surprising number of tales had made their way to his ears; the new Queen of Arendelle was a subject everyone was talking about, even two years after her coronation. His own status as a prisoner and servant of the Evil Queen Regina simply meant he was in a position to hear more of them than he had previously.
All the tales paled in comparison to the real Queen Swanwhite.
She stood in front of Regina's throne, her head held high and her hands by her side. Her golden hair tumbled down her back in waves and curls, held back from her face by a crown of silver and crystal. Her famed Masquerade mask was crafted to match, silver and white with feathers fanning out to hide even more of her face.
"Queen Regina." She greeted, neutrally. "You have received our message?"
Regina smirked down at the famed White Queen from her throne, disguised as a courteous smile. "Certainly, Queen Swanwhite. But I fail to see where either of us benefit from such a deal. If you could, perhaps enlighten me?"
Regina was up to something; that much was obvious. The Huntman hoped that the Queen Swanwhite was up to the challenge.
"We desire to learn of woodcraft." The Queen Swanwhite stated, tilting her head slightly. "And we wish for the best teacher. And in exchange, we would give you an heir of royal blood. The son of King George sired many children, the youngest are almost a year old now. You could have an heir to mould and shape as your own child, without taking a husband."
Regina leaned forward. "And what interest should I have in Snow White's stepchildren? Or, for that matter, in heirs?"
Queen Swanwhite straightened. "A Queen must have an heir. And I said nothing of Snow White's husband, only King George's son, killed after earning the Quest to slay the Dragon attacking Midas's kingdom."
Regina stared in blatant shock. "You lie. Prince James is alive, and one of the leaders of Snow's rebellion against me. Their wedding is in a month's time."
Queen Swanwhite shrugged, almost carelessly. "The Queen Arianell was cursed with barreness. The first Prince James was procured in a deal with the Dark One, and his twin in a second deal to take his brother's place and slay the dragon. You know yourself Majesty, how desperate King George is for gold. Ever since your deal with the Imp to cut off relations with his Kingdom, the treasury has been half a breath from bankruptcy. They have more debts than gold to pay them."
Regina was visibly surprised- and angry. "No one knows of that deal except for the two who made it. Who are you?"
The other Queen curtseyed shallowly- almost mockingly. "Queen Swanwhite of Arendelle, your majesty. Sometimes known as the White Witch of Arendelle."
Regina stiffened slightly- the name was familiar to her. The Huntsman racked his brain, but he had never heard that name.
"I will leave you now to consider my offer, your majesty." Queen Swanwhite declared. "And I shall return tomorrow."
The Evil Queen smiled falsely. "My Huntsman will escort you to the gates, Swanwhite."
At the insult, the neglect of her title in front of inferiors, Queen Swanwhite smiled back- a predatory delight that let the Huntsman know that the Evil Queen had mistepped.
"Thank you, Regina." Queen Swanwhite intoned, curtseying once more in goodbye. She took the Huntsman's arm as he approached, as if he were of equal standing to her, of nobility.
The walk through Regina's halls was quiet at first, as they passed from the throne room through the main hallway that lead to the courtyard.
It wasn't until they were outside that she spoke. "Would you be willing to teach, if the Queen agrees?"
"I have never taught anyone." He deferred, unwilling to disclose that he would have no choice. The Queen could control his very thoughts with a whisper into a box, if she wanted him to teach, he would teach.
"It's difficult, but rewarding." Queen Swanwhite told him. "And your student would be young and eager to learn."
"I thought you wanted to learn." Huntsman questioned. "Would you not be my student?"
"I do want to learn- the realm I grew up in didn't have such wondrous forests- or such dangerous ones. But between the ruling I can't dump on my Steward and the lessons I can't afford to do without, I wouldn't be able to for quite some time." She looked genuinely disappointed in this. "Your student would be my son, Henry. He's almost seven now."
The Huntsman was surprised. "I didn't know you had a son."
"It isn't well known outside Arendelle. After all, I've never had a husband." Queen Swanwhite told him, matter of fact. She smiled mischievously at his widened eyes. "Keep it quiet?" She asked, still in a teasing tone.
"You have my word, your majesty. For as long as it is in my power to do so." The Huntsman informed her, deadly serious.
A softer smile, almost affectionate, replaced her cheeky grin. "Thank you, Huntsman." She curtseyed to him, a shallow dip compared to the one she had offered Regina, but more than a mere guard would usually have received. He watched her rejoin her entourage from inside the gates, turning to head back inside after the door to her carriage swung shut.
And thus, he didn't see her look out of her window, watching him walk away.
"Our reason for being here may be more valid than first thought." She confided to her companion.
The icy blonde looked up from her history book, one eyebrow raised. "Oh?"
Queen Swanwhite grinned at her.
"Oh."
Queen Swanwhite returned the next day, as promised. Once again, she stood at the bottom of the stairs leading to the dais where the Evil Queen practically lounged on the throne, a silent declaration of the contempt she held her visitor in.
Queen Swanwhite curtseyed again. "Have you considered our offer, Queen Regina?"
Regina didn't bother hiding her derision. "I have no need for a crying baby in my castle. Your offer holds no interest to me. I'm sure you can find another teacher to frolic in the woods with."
Queen Swanwhite moved back into a standing position. "If you have no need of heirs, perhaps an apprentice? Young children with magic are more difficult to find, but finding people is a particular talent of our line. An older child, capable of caring for itself for the most part, would not be such an impediment to your life, surely."
"And could you find such a child?" Regina scoffed. "A child, with magic?"
"There have been such before. Zelena of Oz summoned a tornado when her mother Cora abandoned her in the woods, and served as the Guardian of the West before she chose to be the Wicked Witch." Queen Swanwhite informed her. "There may not be a child as powerful as she was, but we guarantee you, your highness, there will be a child with power."
"Oz is just a pretty little story told to peasant children." Regina replied contemptuously.
"As is Wonderland." Queen Swanwhite pointed out. "And Neverland. There are many realms besides our own, your Majesty. You can question the Dark One if you wish, he had the pleasure of teaching Zelena when she was young. Or the Realm Jumper Jefferson, if he can be found. He may have heard of Oz during his travels."
Regina relaxed slightly- clearly the fact that her rival Queen was not omnipotent was reassuring. Jefferson was lost to Wonderland, and to the mercy of the Queen of Hearts- Regina's own mother, Cora.
Once again, Queen Swanwhite declared her intention to leave the Evil Queen to think on her offer, and to return the next day. As before, Regina ordered the Huntsman to escort her out.
Once they were free of the walls, Queen Swanwhite smiled at the Huntsman. "How do you think you'd cope, with a magical child running riot around a castle?"
"If the deal were made, your majesty, then I wouldn't be here to see it." He replied. "Unless you mean a different castle to this one."
Her smile brightened. "Observant, aren't you? An excellent trait for a Huntsman."
The Huntsman blushed at her teasing tone. "Thank you, your majesty." He half mumbled.
"I meant no harm." Queen Swanwhite soothed. "You were right. Our castle in Arendelle serves partly as a school for such children, allowing them to gain control over their gifts. Some, like myself, were born of True Love, and have magic in their very being. Others have been exposed to magical artefacts that imprinted magic into their veins. For some, such as my son Henry, magic simply runs in the family. The Great Winter awoke many magical talents that adults and children alike have difficulty with."
"Such as?" The Huntsman asked, curious. He added the titbit about her son being magic to the fact she had a son as a secret to keep.
The Queen Swanwhite scrunched up her nose in distaste. "One young lady has found that the local ghost population is very opinionated about my coronation. And the renewal of Arendelle. And the world in general. It turns out that ghosts are very talkative once they find someone who can listen. Another girl turns into a mermaid when she gets wet. There is now a boy who glows different colours according to his mood, and his best friend can't even hum without everyone around him bursting into song."
"Song?" The Huntsman repeated incredulously.
Queen Swanwhite nodded. "The entire castle once sang a song about how irritating it was to learn about the world again. We were actually quite good."
She curtseyed to him at the Gates.
"Farewell your majesty." The Huntsman bowed.
Queen Swanwhite smiled at him again. "Please, my title is Swanwhite. Feel free to use it, Huntsman."
He stared at her in shock as she moved to her carriage, and this time he was the one watching her leave.
For the third day in a row, Swanwhite entered the throne room and stared up to Regina on her throne. "Have you considered our offer, your majesty?"
"You offered to find me an apprentice, in exchange for my Huntsman, the most able guard in my service." Regina snorted. "Whatever would I do with one of those? I have better things to do than teach an empty headed brat all I know."
Swanwhite's lips quirked minutely. "Few masters have ever taught their apprentice all that they know. The Dark One never taught you to spin straw to gold, not after what happened the last time he taught someone. Your mother was supposed to run away with him after she escaped King Xavier, not stay and pretend to be a wife and mother."
Regina glared openly. "There is nothing I want from you. Leave."
The woman in white stared for a very long moment, and turned her head slightly. "How about a truth of the past? I could give you memories to share with young Snow that would shatter all her illusions about her beloved and benevolent parents."
She was stalling. The Huntsman wondered why, but it didn't really matter. It was working.
"Such as?" Regina sneered.
"The reasons that your mother hated Queen Eva. And how Leopold was once engaged to a young Miller's daughter." Swanwhite answered, moving her hand to swirl the air in front of her. It coalesced into a ball of light, in which he could vaguely see figures moving. Regina clearly recognised one of the figures, her eyes intent on the glowing sphere. Swanwhite dismissed it with a flick of her hand.
"I will return in the morning, your Highness." Swanwhite declared, this time walking out without any of the usual pleasantries.
Regina waved her hand, and the Huntsman followed after her.
For the third day in a row, she slid her arm through his. For the first time, she reached to clasp his hand in her own.
"Are there any truths in your past you'd like to find?" She asked, almost idly as they stepped out the door.
He shook his head. "I know all I need to know about my past. Most of the questions I have would need to be asked to people in the present."
"Unanswered questions are a heavy burden." Swanwhite murmured. "That's why I used a Mirror to see into the past- I wanted to know my history. Why my parents abandoned me in the middle of nowhere. Is there any way I can answer yours?"
The Huntsman felt a swell of empathy- he'd often wondered the same thing, when he was free. Now, his questions were for the present, not the past. "I want to know why the Queen's freedom was more important than ours." He told her. "And the only people who can answer that are Snow White and her Prince."
Swanwhite turned to him, her mouth set in a firm line. "That." She began. "Is a question I myself would like to ask. Perhaps they would even have an answer."
The rest of their walk was silent, until she curtseyed to him at the end of the courtyard.
"See you tomorrow, Huntsman." She said.
Blinking at the odd phrasing, the Huntsman hurriedly bowed back. "And you, Swanwhite."
She shot a grin over her shoulder as she moved towards the now-familiar carriage. "I was known by Swan since I was a babe. Please, feel free to use it."
He chuckled to himself, turning away as the carriage began to move.
On the fourth day, the visiting Queen swanned into the throne room like she owned it, a sense of impatient glee about her. Thankfully, the Evil Queen was staring out the window feigning boredom, and thus missed the warning signs.
By the time Regina deigned to look at her guest, Swan had dropped into the proper curtsey.
"Have you considered our offer?" She asked. She neglected the usual title.
Regina raised an eyebrow in disdain. "I have. And once again, your offer is useless. Those so-called memories of yours could easily be faked, and even if they aren't, Snow and her band of merry rebels would never believe them. Now, Swanwhite. A warning. If you ever ask for my Huntsman again, ever bother me with a ridiculous bargain that would prove more trouble than it's worth, and I'll kill him. It'd be worth it to be rid of you."
Swan smiled, her former amusement vanished with the Evil Queen's last words. It was a cold smile, like sword steel and fang, the Huntsman mused. He couldn't wait to see what it meant.
"I have one final offer for you, Regina. One, and then I shall never cross your path again." She stated.
"Fine." Regina snapped. "Say it, then get the hell out of my palace."
"Amnesty. I offer you amnesty from your crimes if you agree to have your powers bound by white magic." Swan said.
Regina didn't even pretend to consider it, standing at her full height. A fireball appeared in her hand. "Get out." She demanded.
A white glow appeared from Swan, radiating throughout the room. Regina threw the fire, and the Huntsman yelled in horror- only for the fire to vanish before it could get within metres of Swanwhite.
That was when Regina turned to ice.
The other guards were thrown back against the walls, knocked unconscious more by the magic than the force, if the Huntsman was any judge.
Swan smiled at him, as another blonde woman stepped into view from behind Regina's throne.
"Would you like to know a secret, Huntsman?" Swan enquired, a jubilant grin on her face.
"Another one, my Lady?" The Huntsman asked, somewhat bemusedly as he surveyed the throne room.
Swan laughed, even as white clad soldiers streamed in from the courtyard, taking the stairs to various other parts of the castle.
"This was our plan from the beginning." Swan confessed gleefully. "Now, you mentioned an 'our freedom' yesterday. I don't suppose you'd care to show us where the other hostages are? We already found her Heart Collection."
The Huntsman stared in shock, his mouth gaping open. Eventually, he managed to nod and began to lead a few soldiers to the dungeons.
The day passed in a blur, and the next thing he knew was Swan ushering him and Belle into a carriage that contained the blue-clad blonde from earlier.
Swan spoke as she moved to take off her mask. "Elsa. How long will it be until our host defrosts?"
"Another week at least, barring an act of true love. The state of her heart, it'll probably be closer to a month." Elsa answered, writing something in a journal. "All known prisoners accounted for, and quite a few surprises. All magical items we could find are packed, except for those we were uncertain of. Those are smashed. We also took a few items that probably belonged to the original royal family- nothing much. She probably destroyed most of them herself."
"A good haul then." Swan mused out loud, eyes shining. She was even more beautiful without the mask, if far less ethereal seeming.
"Careful Queen Regent, your inner thief is showing." Elsa warned.
The Huntsman and Belle exchanged a glance. "Queen Regent?" They chorused.
Elsa was the one to answer. "Yes. I was technically Queen Regnant after my coronation, but the Great Winter was only a few months after. After this one managed to thaw us out, we decided I would focus on learning about my powers, and she would be the official Queen."
"I tried to dump it on her sister, but Anna liked the idea even less than I did." Swan interrupted.
Elsa smirked at her. "It's your own fault you know; you can't just go off being heroic without expecting there to be consequences."
Swan rolled her eyes, now attempting to get her crown out of her hair without the use of a looking glass. Elsa heaved a sigh that seemed to say that she had seen this so often she couldn't be bothered anymore, and then stood to help her Regent free herself from the crystal crown.
"Didn't you say you had a steward, your majesty?" The Huntsman asked, remembering their conversation days passed. He didn't often deal with royalty, but he seemed to remember that stewards were technically regents, if for shorter periods of time.
"That would be me." Elsa answered, frowning at the crown as she detached a few golden hairs. "Emma didn't know the first thing about being royalty, so we're essentially both Rulers of the Kingdom. My sister Anna is technically the city Governor. She's also been the back-up Steward, so don't be surprised if a young woman attacks us when we stop."
"It's only been a week." Swan muttered, rubbing at her scalp. "And please Huntsman, my name is Emma Swan. Please use one of them. I hate this 'majesty' business."
Elsa snorted.
"Stop?" Belle questioned. "But surely we won't be making the journey all at once, Arendelle is at least four days away with so much weight for the horses to carry."
Finally free of the crown, Emma Swan grinned at the Princess of Avonlea. "That's why we've got magic. I'm surprised you don't have more questions Princess, everything I've heard of you says you're too curious for your own good."
Belle blinked. "Perhaps I'm trying to choose which ones to ask. You've heard of me?"
"The Dark One's maid in exchange for your fiefdom's freedom from the Ogres." Emma nodded. "You look just like the painting Sir Maurice has in his hall. He mourns you."
"Papa thinks I'm dead?" Belle cried in dismay.
Elsa shook her head. "No, he thinks you're still in the Dark Castle. I must admit we were surprised to find you in the Dark Palace, but that's probably a tale for another time. Is there anything that either of you want to ask, before we go to Arendelle?"
"Why Arendelle?" The Huntsman began. "Why can we not simply return to our homes?"
Emma leaned forward. "First of all Huntsman, it's easier to just take everyone to one place for treatment and housing. Not everyone's homes will have survived their imprisonment. Secondly, it's to avoid any of Regina's allies swooping in to either grab the loot or avenge her. There are a few who would do that, if not try to save her. And finally, we want to make sure all of her prisoners have their hearts before we help them get home. Although, everyone is welcome to stay as long as they wish, you and your brother included."
The Huntsman opened his mouth to protest, but faltered. He licked his lips. "My brother?"
Emma nodded. "He's the one who lead us to you. Arendelle's Master of Ice can talk to pretty much anything on four legs. Kristoff met your brother during his honeymoon, and found out what had happened to you. I'm sorry it took us so long to get everything in place, but we only had one shot at this."
"This being?" Belle broke in.
"The freedom of all her prisoners." Elsa spoke, settling back into her seat. "We checked the other guards, but Huntsman was the only one coerced with magic. If the others were being blackmailed, they'll have their chance to escape Regina now while she's frozen. It's up to them now."
Emma nodded sadly, twisting her hands in her lap. It appeared to be an anxious habit, if not for the white light glowing between her palms.
Once again, Belle and the Huntsman found themselves exchanging wide eyes glances. Emma Swan threw her hands in the air, and the world turned white. When the whiteness receded, Elsa reached for the door and stepped out.
"Welcome to Arendelle."