Regina sat at the long wooden table, eating her oatmeal in silence, she peered up from her bowl to look at her father who smiled at her before he went back to his own meal. It was a calm and quiet morning. Until the doors of the dining area burst open with a clearly irate Cora.
The chateau maids brought forth Coras' meal, though the rest of the family was content eating oatmeal with apples and cinnamon , Coras' meal was an elaborate meal, with four different sides. The woman Hardly paid attention to the food that was spread out before her, she put all her attention onto her husband Henry. "How incompetent are you and your men that nobody can bring forth a good harvest. The section by the river has not produced any good empire apples. Whenever they do bring apples from that sector they only ever harvest a few and many look like they have been ruined by the wildlife"
"Mom those trees are mine, daddy gave me that section of the orchard for my birthday", Regina squeaked from where she sat
"Regina don't be ridiculous, that is mans work and if anything you will marry far above our class, we will never have to look at another orchard again. Besides I am speaking to your father, mind your own business"
The young woman looked down at her meal and continued to eat in silence. She tried not to listen to all the other insults her mother directed towards her father. Instead she busied her mind with a plan for checking on her trees and how to help her sector prosper.
Regina had packed a light lunch, and her magic lesson books all neatly tucked into a picnic basket. She hoisted herself up onto her horse, and headed towards the river, where the old mill still stood and the empire apple trees colored the view. She loved spending time in the orchards, and this sector was her particular favorite. She could settle by the old mill, reading books and practicing magic, she could listen to the sounds of the river and the animals that so often frequented the brook. Visiting the orchards felt like freedom; apple blossoms wafting the sweet spring scent, apples adding a splash of color to the green tree tops, and rows of trees that made the space seem as if it could go on infinitum. It was nearing autumn, time for the leaves to turn red and the apples to be picked. Soon the ground would be covered with the fallen foliage, and bring with it the chore of raking.
As she reached the sector she looked onto the rows with confusion. [There are plenty of good apples on the trees] she thought as she inspected a select few for rot, vermin or any signs to indicate her orchard was in trouble. She did however notice that the trees towards the back were fairly bare compared to the trees closer to the chateau. Even with a closer inspection and some light use of magic, she could find nothing particularly wrong with those trees. There were no animal tracks, no insects, no plague, just a few broken branches towards the top. Regina was unsure of what animal could possibly be causing this trouble. She sat with her legs crossed at the base of the biggest tree, opened her spells book, and carefully read the instructions for setting traps.
She set five traps total, each on a different tree. It was nearing lunch time, so she headed to the old abandoned mill, she could find a place to set up her picnic there. She gathered a few apples to share with her stead, and trekked to her favorite spot by the mill and the river. Just as she was about to settle down to lunch a small green orb of light appeared before her, an indicator that an animal was caught in her trap. She quickly re-packed her lunch and followed the orb to her prize.
The orb stopped at the biggest tree, there was a gaping hole and in it a trapped young raccoon which had apparently broken its leg on the fall. The spell was meant to cast a heavier force of gravity and keep the animal in the hole. However seeing how hurt the animal was, clearly this trap was set a little too intense. She magically released the trap and then healed the creature, it scurried away as quickly as it could on its newly healed little paws. [This was good. Clearly there are wildlife big enough to cause some damage, but perhaps a less intense trap would work out better. They need to be deterred not killed] She went to each of the other traps and altered them accordingly.
Just as she was ready to make her way back to her favorite spot for lunch yet again, an orb appeared, this one glowing orange. She followed the orb just a few rows over in which she found some fairly large birds pecking at the fruit. [The trap didn't work! They are just eating the fruit] she was relenting to the thought that her attempts were futile. She rushed over to try and scare them away, waving her arms and shouting out "Hey! Hey! Scatter!" The birds tried to fly away but would slam against an invisible barrier. A bubble around the tree kept them from flying away. [The barrier was supposed to keep you from going in, not from getting out.] she pressed two fingers to her brows, trying to smooth out her frustration. She magically shook the tree so that the birds would freak out, and then undid the trap so that they could be released and hopefully not return.
This was becoming exasperating. She gave out a large heavy sigh, and went over to each trap trying to balance each out, not too intense, not too mild. There were three other traps that still needed to be sprung. Hopefully the next few to come would prove to be more effective that the first two. Regina began to feel hungry and decided that the trip up to the mill was too far to be running back and forth from, so instead she choose to settle along one of the bare trees in the back. She could settle down, have her lunch and read her books while she waited for another colorful orb.
She was pulling the picnic basket from where it was attached on the saddle, and sure enough another orb arrived glowing blue, She didn't bother put the basket away, she simply held it as she ran to catch up with the orb. And there squirming and wriggling desperately for freedom was a young blond girl, hanging by her feet held up by an invisible tether. Regina was surprised to say the least. Of all the animals she had expected to have to spook away, a lanky blonde was the last thing she would have considered.
Regina widened her stance and stood as tall as she could, calling out in a hard cold tone "What the Hell do you think you are doing?"
The scrawny blonde stopped squirming, releasing her ankles and letting herself hang. The girl didn't say anything, she simply crossed her arms in defiance and pursed her lips.
Regina looked at the young defiant girl with awe. [this stubborn, beautiful, delinquent, is determined to fight me] Regina felt a tingle within her core. Ignited by this rebellious trespasser, the desire to win this challenge of wills. Regina spoke again while magically releasing the girl. "These are my trees, those are my apples, you have been trespassing, damaging private property and you have been stealing"
The blond rubbed the sore spot on her bum from where she had landed. Speaking in a terse voice "Hey it's nature, you can't own nature. If a squirrel is hungry he climbs a tree and eats, why am I any different?"
"A squirrel won't break branches, and leave none for harvest, who are you?"
"What's it matter to you? If you think you can catch me and turn me in you've got another thing coming" The blonde took the moment and ran, she ran as fast as she could down the row, as quick and far from the chateau as possible.
Regina laughed. She liked this girl, and her spunk. She liked how willful and rebellious she was. She stood on her tip toes and focused on a point further ahead of where the blonde was running. With a swirl of purple smoke she made herself disappear and reappear a few yards in front of the blonde.
"Holly shh-How? How did you do that?" The young blonde sputtered as she came to a surprised halt.
"Magic."
"Well you can have power, but I'm not going down without a fight." The girl said as she pulled out a slingshot and readied a shot straight for Regina's head.
"Stop. That wouldn't hurt me, I have magic, I could simply stop the stone before it got close. Besides, I won't turn you in. I just want you to stop taking what is mine, and promise to go away forever, far far away from here miss…?"
"Swan, Emma Swan. And like I said, it's nature you can't own or control it."
"Right, you said you were a squirrel. "
"I'm not a squirrel. I just mean, it's like trying to stop a hungry squirrel, it's stupid and pointless…" Before the blonde could finish her rant, Regina interrupted by clearing her throat and looking down at the picnic basket that was still in her arms.
"Well squirrely Swan I have some food here, and if you are willing to share we can have a simple meal that consist of more than just apples. Why don't you join me?" Regina held out her hand, an open friendly gesture.
The blonde looked at her, curious and cautious. However it had been days since Emma ate anything besides apples, so she stepped forward, taking a chance.
Regina, pulled out a blanket from the basket and laid it out there on the hill where they stood. She then pulled Emma down to sit beside her. Regina pulled out a large sandwich which was already cut in half, she pulled out various cakes and cookies, she also pulled out a bottle of apple cider. She handed Emma one of the sandwich halves, and half of the sweet treats. She also conjured up a couple of cups and poured each a healthy serving of cider. "How would you like to have some of the best apple cider you've ever tasted?" Emma simply nodded as she held out her hand for the cup.
Regina watched mesmerized as Emma ate, taking giant bites chewing quickly but clearly relishing in the delicious flavors of food. Regina licked her lips as she watched, she simply couldn't stop herself from admiring this strange beautiful creature.
Emma caught her stare and stopped mid chew, with a mouth full of cookie, "What? aren't you gonna eat?" She swallowed hard.
"I, I am not very hungry" Regina lied, as she handed the other half of the sandwich to Emma. Regina simply drank her cider, and drank in the image of the blonde. A curious thought crossed her mind as she watched the blond devour the second half. "Have you been clearing the trees in the back from all the apples? Have you been eating them all? Don't you know what that could do to your body? Apples are very good for help in relieving certain body functions… you could get really sick."
Emma scoffed "No kidding. Eating nothing but apples will really make you go! But, I figured I would get as many as I could, sell some and take the rest with me. Those things last a long time after picking"
Regina beamed a giant smile, while she was trying to be demure and not come straight out about the wonderful properties of a fiber rich apple diet, Emma simply said it. Still smiling she spoke again "You know Miss Swan, the Empire Apple is one of the most resilient apples there are. It can withstand frosty nights, and it is still good even after a few months of being picked. "
"Yea which is why I was loading up, autumn is coming and soon after winter. I gotta start heading south soon if I wanna make it to next spring alive. Don't worry I was planning on taking as much as I could carry today and then I will be out of your hair"
"Emma, you know, we won't actually harvest all the trees until the ends of this month. You could still take a few of the apples, not all mind you, but a few to sell every day, and I can come by with lunch every day until then. That is if you dont mind or if…"
Emma smiled widely reached over and hugged Regina, pulling back just as abruptly "Sorry about that. No idea where that came from. But yea, hey, I'll take you up on that offer."
"Okay, I will see you tomorrow. Oh and if you get a few apples from each tree instead of a whole bunch from one it will be less obvious that you are raiding the trees for apples." Regina beamed a giant smile and ran off. She left behind her picnic basket, her bottle, her blanket, and her new friend. She made it home with a new electric energy flowing through her. Happy as could be.
Every day of the month of August, as well as everyday of the month of September Regina and Emma would meet in the orchard. They would play by the old mill, swim at the river banks and laugh and joke while eating their lunch; Regina even took the time to teach Emma simple little spells, like making fire, creating orbs of light, and conjuring small objects. With the progression of the days, their relationship grew, as did the affection Regina felt for Emma.
It was harder for them to meet up during the busiest moments of harvest time. The fields had men laboring for most of the day, as well as Cora and Henry patrolling sectors to ensure maximum efficiency as Cora would put it. During those times their meetings were ever more fleeting. No more playing, no more long lunches, no more jokes and games. Soon the leaves were falling faster than anyone could rake, and the wind would rattle the branches creating a howl as it swept by. It was getting colder. Regina still went to the orchard every day, each time with a bigger and warmer meal.
One cold day, they met inside the old mill, sitting in silence while eating a warm soup. Emma cleared her throat, trying to break the silence, "aherm… so, it's getting colder. I should have left while it was still warm, traveling will be harder now." Emma had a minute of silence she was contemplating how to bring up the subject of her leaving.
Regina reached out and grabbed Emmas hands in her own. "I'm sorry. I know it's getting colder. You would probably rather be at home than meeting me here every day. But thank you Emma, thank you for meeting me, for being my friend, for being…", Emma interrupted Regina by clearing her throat again. "Ahem. Listen when the first snow falls, I will be gone. It is getting too cold, and an orphan like me, I have no place to call home, I just keep moving, It is how I survive…"
They sat in silence. Emma looked troubled, but she still gave Regina a soft smile. Whereas Regina looked calm, while her mind panicked with anxiety, and traveled to all possible solutions.
The soup was gone. The silence thick. Again Emma was the one to break the quiet, "Hey who knows, maybe we will see each other around sometime. " she gave Regina a timid smile.
Regina replied with sad eyes and a hollow smile, "That would be nice, I would like that very much."
Emma stood up, and Regina followed suit. Emma fidgeted with her fingers, rocking back on her heals, before looking Regina in the eyes. "So I guess this is good bye." She reached forward and gave Regina a small sweet peck on the cheek. Emma departed, and Regina stood frozen. Her being was swirling, swimming with emotions, she realized then and there, that she loved Emma Swan and she could never let her leave. By the time she came to her wits, Emma was long gone. But Regina was happy, swelling with joy. She had a plan.
Regina ran home. Her horse trotted behind her curious as to why she was running without him. He galloped in front of her and gave her a curious nudge. She beamed up at him and with a swift jump made it onto his saddle and hurried him, so that they could get home quickly.
Once home, she made her way to her mother's chambers. "Mother! Mother, I found a girl perfect for the position of my handmaiden. I will not take anyone but her."
Her mother looked at her with a sardonic grin, "Sweet child, Regina I already have the best hand maidens chosen for you, and I will not take in another for your fancy. If you want, I can hire this girl in the kitchen or at the launderers, however you may not have her as a hand maiden."
"Mother please, you can dismiss the other maidens, I only want this one." Regina pleaded
"Regina, I will not fold, and I will not adhere to your every whim. When you marry a rich man or a king then you can demand all you want of him. You will get nothing from me. A wench for the kitchen, take it or leave it."
Regina knew better than trying to muscle her way against her mother. Instead she nodded and gave her gratitude in the form of a brief hug. Regina turned to leave and go to her room. She couldn't wait to tell Emma.
Cora looked out after her teen child, with mild curiosity, though her features didn't show it, Cora had the wheels in her head churning. Plotting or scheming something. But soon she dismissed the thoughts and carried on with admiring her newly purchased gowns as they laid on her bed.
The next morning, Regina scoffed down her breakfast. Gave her father a quick kiss goodbye and headed straight for the kitchen. She was determined to make the best meal for Emma before giving her the good news.
Regina Baked an apple turn over, she whipped up a hot curry and rice, she searched the cellar for the best cider. She packed her basket and made her way out to the old mill. She set up the area, and realized only after she had set it all out, that she was at least three hours early. But she was so excited and determined to see the smile on Emmas face that she didn't mind waiting. It would give her time to calm her nerves.
Regina practiced her magic while she waited. She made orbs of light dance around, having them create shapes and letters. She had gotten to the point of being able to make a large heart, and to right out 'Emma' with purple colored orbs. She was quite proud of herself. But she soon came to realize that Emma was late. Notwithstanding the three hours that she had arrived early, Emma was at least two hours later than usual.
Regina waited. And waited. Regina waited until dusk. She left the set up as it was. She walked out of the old mill, and as she did the cold air hit her hard in the chest. The tree tops were covered in the first snowfall of the year. Her eyes brimmed red, her nose and cheeks blushed scarlet, and all she could feel was the hurt of the cold.
She walked home, slowly shoveling her feet through the snow. The cold hurt, but the heart break was much worse. She was too late. She should have gone after Emma sooner. She should have tried a locator spell, or something, anything.
By the time she made it home her body was numb with cold, and her sensibilities were numb from the emotional hurt. As she walked through the corridor, making her way to her room, Her mother's maiden stopped her, quickly combed her hair and slipped a dress above her ridding clothes. And escorted her to the Receiving Hall where they usually entertained guest.
Her mother smiled as she entered the room. "Oh here she is, tell me Leopold isn't she the sweetest girl you have ever seen?"
An older man stood from one of the chairs and eyed her lasciviously, "yes she is quite lovely. Hello Regina, I have some good news for you." Regina looked up from her daze, a small glimmer of hope, [could good news mean Emma?] He smiled at her and continued, "You will be living with me. As my wife" He gave her the smallest of bows and then turned to smile with Cora.
That winter, Regina was wed to Leopold, she became step-mother to a girl not six years younger than she was. She now lived hundreds of thousands of kilometers away from that orchard by the old mill. She had lost all hope of ever being happy. And often she would look out of her window wondering what had happened to that blonde girl. Emma Swan.
The years passed. Her husband died. She was free. Yet it didn't feel like it. She felt like her freedom was tied to the happiness she felt when she would spend her days with Emma.
Within the week of her husband's death she went back to the orchard and traced all the places they had visited together. She entered the old mill, to find everything much as she had left it. with the exception that her blanket was torn to shreds, undoubtedly by animals, the basket had a nest in it, and the food was gone. She practiced making the orbs again, just as she had done that day. This time she could make the orbs change color as they spelled out Emmas name. She smiled briefly before going back, and leaving the old mill.
She arrived home. To hear her step-daughter whispering loudly to someone in the stables. "Thank you, i don't know if i could have made it home on time without you, if my step-mom found out, I would be in so much trouble."
Regina tried to shake off the past, shake off the sadness, and prepared for her role as stern step-mother.
As she entered the stable ready to reprimand Snow, she saw something familiar. The cloak worn by the stranger with her step-daughter was the same pattern and material from her blanket that first day she had met Emma and left her basket behind.
Before she could stop herself the words escaped Reginas mouth "What the Hell do you think you are doing?", It was the reprimand she was going to give her step-daughter, but as the words left her mouth, she realized they echoed the first words she ever spoke to Emma.
The person under the cloak turned quickly with eyes wide open, and mouth ajar.
It was Emma Swan, a few years older, a fully developed woman; but it was still Emma Swan with the same bright green eyes, and golden curls.
"Regina." Emma spoke out with a small tremble in her voice.
Regina opened her mouth but no sound came, instead she shut it quickly and ran to hug her long lost friend, returning the small sweet peck on the cheek.
Regina's step daughter stood between them, looking back and forth with awe. To which the ladies replied with a giggle.
Regina made her way to a large pile of hay and sat. Emma joined her and beckoned for the youngest woman to follow suit. They proceeded in telling the youngest woman of how it is that they came to meet. One day in the orchard by the old mill.