A/N Hello to you all! Yes, I am well aware that I should not be starting yet another story. However, this one was far too hard to resist. It's been stuck in my head, as well as in my notebook, for months now.
This is of course Swan Queen, but how soon it will turn into such is not known at the time. It takes place in Fairytale Land in which the Evil Queen never cast the curse that sent everyone to Storybrooke. This chapter will contain first a flashforward of a scene that will take place later on in the story and then it jumps back a couple years. Emma is about 8 years old in the flashback while she is 18 when she sets off on her little adventure.
Please be aware that this story will take a darker turn compared to my others. I'm going to be going out of my comfort zone just a bit and hope that it's well worth it.
Of course, as always, I'll be constantly adding new ideas and concepts as they come along, but my starting point is about Emma wanting to find out the truth. The truth about everything. Now that my rant is over I shall let you start.
"Are you aware, princess, of the things that happen to people who cross me?" the Queen said bitterly as she circled around her enemy's daughter. She had always wanted to get back at Snow White for ruining her life, but never expected for their cherished prize to come walking into her own castle.
Bright green eyes followed the Queen whose dark hair was pulled up in the front, but cascaded down her back. She seemed entranced by the shadowy, caramel eyes that were locked with hers. The dark energy that the Queen gave off reverberated through the air and wrapped around the young blonde to the point where she wanted to shrink back, yet couldn't find herself able to move.
Had the Queen cast a spell on her? Or was her own selfish body, as well as mind, betraying her? Mother and father had both warned her countless times about the Evil Queen. She was nothing but a soulless ruler who cared not an ounce for the people who she reigned over. She thrived on their pain and suffering as she waltz around in her huge castle.
Wasn't she lonely?
That was a question Emma had seemed to be hooked on since the day she came to realization that the Queen was shunned by all. What ever could she have done to become so hated? She had once tried asking her parents this and was granted only one response, along with a mortified look.
"Emma, the Queen knows nothing of love. Her heart has been sucked dry by the darkness she has given in to."
So that was it? It was all to blame on the Dark Arts? She had studied up on the craft in secrecy within the royal library, but she still felt that there was more to the story than she was being told.
Why was she here? Was it just to find out the secrets that the Evil Queen was hiding? All to understand why the Charming's and the rest of the kingdom loathed even the utterance of her name?
A slender, manicured finger slid underneath the younger woman's chin as if she were studying her.
"Why are you here, dear? You seem very reluctant to obey my command of keeping away."
The Queen paced around her chambers, a dark velvet dress clinging tightly to her skin as the front dipped sinfully low at her chest. Her eyes were ablaze with great irritation at the arrival of her impish friend, his high-pitched voice setting off bells inside of her already pounding head.
"You are aware that they have a child, yes?" the crocodile faced man asked.
"So I've heard."
"I highly doubt, dearie, that you would be one to end such an innocent life – as dreadfully barren as your heart is – I know you all too well. How old is she now? Eight years of youth?"
She let out a long, irritated sigh accompanied by the roll of her brown eyes. He was right on some level. She may have hated Snow White with every last ounce that remained of her soul, but she couldn't take the life of an innocent child away. It had been eight years since the child was born. The only reason, she told herself, that she didn't go after the child when it was born was because Rumpelstiltskin warned her that such actions would have dire consequences.
Rumpelstiltskin loved to barge into her Castle whenever he felt like it, without warning. It was as if he had a signal that alerted him when the Queen was most annoyed, for he always seemed to show up at the worst moments. Having just gotten back from the throne room to hear the many complaints of farmers, marketers, etc, she wasn't exactly in the mood for discussing such matters.
He claimed to have only popped in to say hello and check up on her, but she knew far better than that. In a matter of seconds they were discussing the topic of the curse Regina had wanted to cast many years ago, but had hit a wall when the imp advised her that it wasn't wise.
"Still pondering over how to get back at your dear Snow White?" he asked with a weird laugh that only he could do.
He wore a mischievous grin that only urged the Queen to send him flying into the nearest wall. Unfortunately though he was the one who had taught her everything she knew and therefore would be pointless in attempting.
Ruling over an entire kingdom had taken its toll on Regina's happiness which therefore affected its entire inhabitants. After the war between her and Snow finally ended, each choosing to split the land since it was an entirely vast amount, the economy took a downfall. Consequentially she had to hear complaints everyday for two hours about them needing water for vegetation – something she could not control in the first place – and other endless pleads to allow them more pay.
The Evil Queen didn't care though.
Just because an agreement was struck that let her have her own kingdom did not mean she was happy. She still wished Snow White and her dreadful husband dead. The only reason the war ended was because she was growing tired of the pursuit. She would find a way to make their lives miserable somehow.
No words needed to be said as she glared at the imp leaning against the wall. He twirled his finger and with another ridiculous chuckle he spoke again.
"You know, dearie, fate has its way of granting those who deserve such a thing their deepest desires."
"Is that so?" the brunette chuckled darkly, "then what has fate given you?"
"Why power of course."
It was an unspoken mention that no matter how powerful Regina wanted to become the Dark One would always reign over her in a sense. It was a fact she tried not to think about too often. At least she had him on her side.
"Please tell me then, Rumpel, what my grand prize is."
"Oh no. That is for you to find out, dearie. However I can tell you that your future has much to teach you. Perhaps peace may even be in the stars."
"You've been telling me this for years now, yet fail to take the hint that what I want has nothing to do with peace. Nothing they can give to me can ever make up for what Snow did."
"Except for death."
"Yes, except for death," her voice was soft just for an instant. Sliding a hand onto her hip, she raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow and dropped her tone back down, "Now, my dear Rumpel, is there anything else I can do for you?"
"Not at all, dearie. As I said before I was simply stopping by to say hello. I am a lonely man you know."
And with those last words and a snicker he twirled his hands and up he went in a cloud of smoke, leaving Regina finally alone within her bedchambers.
Walking over beside her bed, she sat down in front of her giant looking glass. Her skin was of pure perfection, flawless in everyway save for the nick on the top of her lip. It was a remembrance of just one of the few reasons she was where she was now. Reaching up, she plucked the pins from her hair and let it flow down.
Just as she was beginning to brush through her dark tresses, the mirror began to swirl blue and suddenly a face of a man appeared. He wasn't just a man in the mirror. He was the man who fell in love with her under the apple tree and consequentially fell trap to her devious plan to kill the former king. Now, he forever served her as the Queen's Counselor.
"Haven't I told you only to come when called?" she demanded, setting down the brush.
"I apologize, your Majesty."
"What do you want?"
His face contorted as if pondering whether he should say his next words.
"Why is peace with the Kingdom of Lucia so bad?"
The brunette's eyes flashed with venom and if she could she would blast his ass off the face of Obscuria. Sadly, however, he would only move to another mirror after this one would be shattered. Lucia was the kingdom Snow resided in while her own was Obscuria.
"Have you lost your mind? Why in the gods names would I declare peace with them?"
"Aren't you aware of the prophecy?"
She sat back in her chair and looked off into nothing. The magic mirror silenced and waited for its queen. Many had disregarded the prophecy as a mere tale.
All of these years and all that the inhabitants were left with were famine and ruin. It didn't help that Regina gave no thought to the land upon which their food came from. As long as she suffered they would suffer too.
There wasn't much to say. The Queen had heard it all before and now it grew old. Such thoughts about the Savior along with making peace made her mind grow unsteady. She rose from her seat.
"I'm going out for a ride. Tell anyone who tries to contact me that I am in my bedchambers and shall not be disturbed."
The man in the mirror nodded and spoke before he disappeared, "As you wish, you majesty."
Little Emma sat in her room staring up at the ceiling, bored out of her mind. Johanna hadn't let her go outside today, for she had an inkling that her parents had plans today. She had picked up a book from the Royal Library, but grew bored of it fast, her mind shot to Hell.
Her ears caught sound of soft foot steps coming towards her room – meanwhile she quickly hid the book, that was lying beside her, under the pillow – and just as she suspected, her mother was opening the door a few seconds later. The older woman smiled kindly at her darling.
"Sweetheart," Snow spoke softly, that smile plastered across her face as if it had been glued, "go throw on some suitable clothing."
The blonde sat up in her bed and rose her eyebrow, curious as to what suitable meant.
"Why, momma?"
"We're going for a ride with your father."
In that instant Emma shot out of her bed and began searching her drawers for something to wear. She was finally being taught how to ride! Maybe she was wrong about her parents. They just needed her to be a little older and then they would stop being so protective. The age of eight seemed like a good point…right?
Snow shook her had as the blonde kid through clothes left and right from her wardrobe. In a few strides, she was there by Emma giving her a frown as the latter held up a pair of leather riding pants and a white blouse. The frown grew even larger as she watched her mother reach inside and pull out a sundress. It wasn't anything spectacular, like the ones she was forced to wear during royal events, but it was a dress nonetheless.
"Mom!" she whined and crossed her arms in protest.
"Now, Emma, we're going out into town and that means you still have to look appropriate."
"But I thought you said we were going riding?"
"Of course we are," she ran a hand through golden locks, "your father is running some errands and asked if we wanted to tag along in the carriage."
Emma should have known. It really had been too good to be true. Her parents were never going to change. She would grow up to be a princess that only knew how to sit like a lady and keep quiet when all she wanted to do was climb trees, sword fight, and ride. Those were the things she did behind her parent's back when Johanna, their servant, let her. That was the only person Emma could stand here.
Young, bright eyes watched the world around her as they rode in the gilded carriage, her mother by her side while her father sat across discussing something beyond her comprehension. It had to do with "politics" from the sound of it, but that meant nothing to her. The adult world was a mystery and evermore so as her parents sheltered her away from every dark corner and shadow.
The only thing she knew of darkness was when the moon filled the sky along with fables that her mother would read her. She knew of an Evil Queen, wretched and filled with a heart so black that if anyone would even dare touch it, their soul would corrupt in a blink of an eye.
This, of course, was only a mere fable to the young blonde, for how could someone's heart be so cold? And if it were true, how did it get that way? Every time she would attempt to ask her mother the origins of the wickedness, she would only get a reply that she was born that way. Was that possible? Could someone be born with such a wickedly cold soul that would cause them to want to kill thousands? It didn't make sense to her.
Even being a small child, Emma had picked up an acute sense that allowed her to tell when people were lying. Regardless of who it was, she would always catch that little twitch in the face, a certain eye glance, or perhaps even no movement at all. Either way, she knew far too well that as good as the Kingdom of Lucia was, they lived in a world of deceit.
One would call her foolish to question the life she had, for there was little death, food was in abundance, and her home was one of great expanse to do as she pleased. However, as great as her life seemed to be for an outsider, she was in shackles by the blinding light of her parents.
It wouldn't be until her later years that she would question her parents upfront, but nevertheless, it was bound to happen at some point. Her parents would lose the very thing they clung to all because of their inability to tell the complete truth.
That was what Emma hated the most. Liars.
As she stared out the window watching the moving foliage, her eyes fell upon a sudden dark movement. Just as quickly, the carriage in which they rode began to come to a halt. Her father's attention was instantly brought into the present as his hand found refuge on the hilt of his sword.
"My Lord," the driver said, "this seems to concern you."
He gave his daughter and wife a reassuring smile before stepping out of the carriage and turning his gaze to the oncoming rider. A dark haired woman wearing an expensive crimson shirt and black trousers came into view. Her chin was held high as she held onto the reigns, slowing down her horse with an expression of surprise.
"Regina," Charming called out none too friendly in which the brunette raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, Charming. What a lovely surprise," she purred with a grin.
"What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't stop by to say hello?"
From the inside of the carriage, the two could hear the conversation muffled. Regardless, Snow knew exactly who that voice belonged to and her heartbeat spiked. She turned towards her daughter, demanding that she stay put.
"Have you forgotten our deal?" the raven haired woman said as she shut the door to the carriage, keeping her daughter safe from this wicked woman.
"One that I have kept," the dark queen replied, "None of my men have trespassed on your land to my knowledge."
"Then why are you here?" the blonde demanded.
Throwing back her head, the Evil Queen laughed in a burlesque manner.
"I do apologize. I must have simply lost track of where I was. My troublesome kingdom always tends to give me a headache as you should be familiar with."
Meanwhile, no one was aware that the blonde child was peeking out the door despite of what her mother had said. No one except for Regina that is. Brown eyes wandered over to bright green filled with so much innocence that it made her black heart cringe.
"So this is your precious darling?" Regina hummed with a widening grin; Emma proceeded to step out of the carriage as her parents turned around wide-eyed.
Green eyes never left the queen's. Pulling on the reigns, the brunette began to walk the horse to meet the girl, but a sudden gleaming sword was stopping her.
"Emma," her father said, "get back in the carriage."
"But daddy—"
"Now."
He didn't like being harsh with her, but it was for her own protection.
"Oh but dear, little Emma only wants to say hello," Regina teased with a wide grin that only grew when the child looked up at her again.
"You shall get no where near her," Snow snarled before walking towards her daughter and ordering her back into the carriage.
Regina pouted and watched with interest as Emma looked back at her once more before disappearing inside.
Another set of minutes passed of arguing before Charming came back into the carriage with a look of irritation.
"I don't understand that woman," he sighed, bring a hand to his head.
Snow reached out and took his hand, kissing his knuckles.
"All that matters is that she didn't cause Emma harm."
Green eyes flicked back and forth watching her parents as her mind wandered off. The image of the brunette with long hair and dark smoky eyes filled her brain and the harder she tried to shake it away, she became even more deeply entranced.
"That lady was really pretty," she whispered causing her parents to abruptly cease their words.
They looked at their daughter as if she had just uttered the words of a demon.
"Never speak of her again," her mother scolded with eyes that were darker than usual, "There is no beauty in a woman as foul as her."
The blonde's brows furrowed with confusion. But that woman was pretty. How could such beauty be laced with darkness?
A/N Your reviews mean a lot to me. I thrive off them as life support to continue writing. I know there are many silent readers out there, but don't be shy! I won't respond to every comment, but if you have any advice, suggestions,etc I am certainly open! Thank you for reading :)