True Love's Gift
Chapter 1
Arena's POV
( Disclaimer: I dont own anything except my original character Arena Mills, this story doesnt necessarily follow the OUAT storyline completely - writing is all about creativity after all. There are 3 points of view: Arena's, Regina's & Narrator. Enjoy!)
I stood trembling in front of the large white house, my heart beating a million miles a minute – was this the right address? I double checked the small, white index card he had given me; yes this was it. I never expected when I asked for his help that he would send me to the Mayor's house & I certainly never expected the Mayor to live in a mansion this large & ornate. I couldn't help but think back to the events 3 days ago that led me to this moment – it had started out like any other Monday of my life for the past however many years I've been alive, when you live where there is magic & curses constantly changing time, you never truly know how old you are ; I woke up that morning in my dark, dingy prison cell underneath of a building whose identity I didn't know – he didn't come to feed me & give me water as he had every day since I could remember, something of great importance must've been happening or perhaps, he had finally gotten tired of taking care of the orphan girl whose daddy had been killed & her mother didn't even know she existed thanks to some dark magic from a grandmother she never knew .
I sat in my prison cell pondering those things when suddenly a breath of air, full of magic swept through the room, the lock on my cell fell off to the cell & the door opened itself as though it were beckoning me out of it. I cautiously rose from the ground, tip toeing to the door – I stood at the edge as though it were a cliff I was deciding whether or not to leap from & plunge a thousand feet below. I looked to see if he were there , waiting for me – what if it were a test to see if I would be rebellious & leave if given the chance? After all I did belong to him according to a deal made by my darling grandmother who apparently loathed me more than any other creature on this earth, so who was I to leave without being given permission? I was about to find out.
I ran out of the cell in the direction he always came down from, assuming it led to a door out of the prison I had grown up in ; I ran up about 3 flights of stairs before coming to an old door – after two failed attempts to get it open I finally rammed my whole body against it causing it to fly open & me to fall onto the ground – I held a hand up over my eyes , the brightness of the sun blinding me due to my lack of it over the years. I stood up & looked around, odd machines rolled down the streets , people were walking around seeming confused or maybe…like they were realizing something they had forgotten a very long time ago. I stumbled around not quite sure where to go, the hard sidewalks hurting my bare feet, people were staring at my ragged clothes , my bruised arms & legs , & the dirt in my hair & all over my skin…I stood dazed then suddenly jumped as I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Hi there, I don't think I've seen you around town before…are you okay?" a tall dark haired beauty asked kindly with a beautiful smile "My name is Ruby, what's yours?"
"Umm..Arena & I'm not sure if I'm okay. I'm looking for someone, well several people but I'm kind of overwhelmed right now…" I mumbled dazed by all I was seeing around me & the realization that I was free from the bondage that kept me down for so long.
" Don't worry sweetheart we all are ." she laughed a bit then extended a hand to me " why don't you come with me to grannies, we can get you a clean outfit & a plate of food , then perhaps you can tell me more about yourself , maybe I can help…okay?"
I hesitated for a minute at her outreached hand, all the hands I had ever had extended to me always ended up in pain & abuse , but at this point I had no one else & to do what I was about to try to do I needed an ally , I needed a friend.
"Okay." I replied with a small smile taking the girls hand.
We arrived at Grannies diner soon after, Granny was a sweet elderly lady full of warmth , love & spunk…she immediately took me upstairs to a room & showed me how to use the shower – an incredible invention that amazed me, I had never experienced anything so relaxing & soothing, this new world might not be so bad after all. After I had taken a shower Granny was waiting with a t-shirt & pair of shorts for me that she took from Ruby's closet, I gratefully slipped the clean clothes on – the first clean clothes I'd had in years, I closed my eyes enjoying their warmth & soft texture for a moment before turning to Ruby & Granny.
"Thank you both so much, this means more than you know." I smile warmly then my stomach growled loud; I look down a bit embarrassed.
"Aw sweetie that's what community is for – we help each other out." Grannie replies kindly " Now let's get some food in the stomach before the whole town hears it cryin!"
We all giggle at her comment before she puts an arm around my shoulder & leads me downstairs to the diner, which is filled with people all having very involved conversations – I hear them mention something about the curse & the 'evil queen' …I shake my head confused, apparently Ruby saw my facial expression because she quickly led me to a booth away from the confusion.
"A lot has happened recently here. "She laughs a bit looking down then back up at me " Now what's your story ?"
"It's hard to explain." I reply sighing, looking down at my hands
"Try me." Ruby grins
" Well the condensed version goes something like this …" I say then take a deep breath before going on " My mother got pregnant when she was fairly young or so I've gathered from what I've been told – which isn't much – however my father was murdered shortly after she found out she was pregnant with me.. " I paused feeling the sting of the words " anyways…I guess my mother wanted me but unfortunately my grandmother hated me enough that she made a deal with the man who has kept me locked up all these years to convince my mother when she had me that I died & then cast a forgetting spell on her & anyone else who knew about me so that she would have absolutely no memory of ever being pregnant or having me…I'm here to find her & try somehow, someway to break the forgetting spell off of her…"
"Oh Arena…" Ruby sadly says my name, reaching across the table & laying her hand on top of mine comforting " I'm so sorry about your daddy…and your whole family situation , I know the pain of living without your mother …it's the worst " she shakes her head sadly " I would love to help you find your mother…what was her name?"
"I-I don't know…I never was told her name." I stutter sadly
"Well, what about your father? What was his name?"
"I don't know that either." My voice grows small & low.
"Wow well…hmm" I could tell she was thinking hard then she looked straight at me "what about the man who kept you locked up?"
"What about him?" I ask suddenly pulling my hand from hers, fear creeping up my back at the thought of him.
"It seems to me that if he knew your grandmother enough to do what he did to you? Then he assuredly at least knows your mother or fathers name …or at the least if we find out your grandmothers name that will at least give us a start." I can tell by these words that she is already invested in my cause; I know I can trust her – she had honest eyes.
"So what do you want to know about him?" I ask worried.
"Simple…What's his name?" She questions
"Rumplestiltskin." I reply solemnly, the fear evident in my shaking voice – the gasp that escaped her lips let me know that she too knew exactly who I was speaking of.
True Love's Gift
Chapter 2
REGINA'S POINT OF VIEW
I stood leaning against the window pain, my right hand cautiously pulling back the white lace curtains only enough so I could get a good look at her – to perhaps remember who she was so as to give myself an opportunity to devise my place of response to whatever complaint or violence she had against me seeing as I'm sure she now remembered whatever so called 'evil' I had done to her. I sighed rolling the plain brass ring around in my left hand before gently pressing it to my lips and closing my eyes; these past 3 days had been hell, so much had happened, my entire world – all I had worked for & cherished? Destroyed by a single moment, a single kiss.
Three days prior I stood in a hospital room with none other than the thorn in my side, Emma Swan, however at this particular moment I couldn't see anything or anyone except my adopted son Henry as he lay on the bed lifeless, his tiny body cold & pale; I felt as though someone had shot me through my stomach & ripped my heart out at once, though I was convinced having my heart crushed would be less agony than this. Unable to contain my emotions I turned around to & collapsed in his arms crying, horrified that I was losing the boy I loved most yet again – but this time it was my fault, my poison that had caused not only my current suffering but the death of my little boy.
As I wept feeling that all hope was lost, I felt a breath of magic sweep through the room – I spun around to see that Emma had kissed Henry waking him from his slumber of death; joy filled my heart as I rushed over to my son. I looked up at her whispering ' you did it..' befuddled & relieved , but my relief was short lived as I realized not only had she broken the curse of death off of my son but she had also broken the curse of forgotten identity off of all the town of Story Brooke, I turned around to see the same Dr. Whale who just moments before was comforting me, look at me with rage & vengeance; Mother Superior or the Blue Fairy as she was known in our previous land, looked at me & said solemnly ' if I were you , your Majesty? I would find a place to hide.' – Horror filled my heart, fear saturating my mind as I started to back out of the room, but before fleeing I ran to the bedside of my everything – my beloved Henry.
" No matter what you think, no matter what anyone tells you…I do love you. " I choke out through tears before running out of the hospital.
I retreated to my mansion where I have spent the last 3 days locked up, except for the lynch mob that surprisingly Emma Swan stopped from killing me on the spot, all alone. This house has never seemed so empty & cold, much like my heart now that I've lost the only person I've loved in a very , very long time. I missed my son more than life, I had no one now – I thought perhaps if I raised him & nurtured him, pouring out all the loved I possessed ? Maybe he could love me, maybe he could see beyond my past and into my heart, to see the good in me – I hated that he called me the evil queen, I'm not evil, I'm broken & though I'm sure I didn't always love him in the best way – I did love him in MY best way. I had never had a nurturing mother; my mother was controlling, manipulating & power hungry; she never cared about my desires, my wants & certainly not my need for true, unconditional love. I hoped that I had loved my Henry better than that but standing here all alone? I was beginning to wonder.
I sighed placing the ring back on my finger as I took another glance at the young girl now standing on my porch, it had taken her at least 20 minutes to gain the courage to climb those two steps up which leads me to believe she fears me , which honestly is a refreshingly safe feeling in this new world where no one seems to remember I am their Queen who is to be honored & feared, no they simply wish to be 'off with my head' & done with me; so needless to say the trembling raven haired girl standing on my porch was a welcomed yet still annoying sight. I brushed my hand through my hair, straightened my back bracing myself for whatever would face me. I opened the door swiftly, my arms crossed in front of me while I pursed my lips looking the very thin yet still stunningly beautiful young girl up and down with – the poor child didn't even have proper shoes on, just some flip flops that she obviously had borrowed from some charitable fool & her shorts revealed scars all up & down her skinny legs that shook with nervous fear as she stood before me, I rolled my eyes in worried frustration – I could only imagine what I had done to this one.
True Love's Gift
Chapter 3
NARRATOR'S POINT OF VIEW
As the door opened before she could even manage to knock, Arena took a step back as her eyes widened a bit with fear & her body trembled with nerves. Regina stood before her, arms crossed – her body language defensive & prepared for a fight as she leaned against the doorway a moment before taking a step towards the girl who took yet another step back.
"What are you doing on my porch?" Regina asked annoyed with a raised eyebrow, looking Arena up & down.
"I- I was sent here." Arena stuttered back then with shaking hands she looked down at the tiny index card with the address scribbled on it, as though it would give her a better explanation "I'm new to town, well not really but I've been locked under a building my whole life so I have nowhere to stay & he said you might – you might have some room for me to stay until I find my mom."
Regina laughed with annoyance that someone would say she might have 'some room', obviously meaning since she had recently lost her son & everyone else hated her that no one would be occupying Henry's room or the 4 guest bedrooms within the mansions walls. She look up at the girl with pursed lips & narrowed eyes, still trying to figure out what her angle was.
"So you need a place to stay? Now why would I give you a place to stay & why would you want to stay with me?" Regina asked with a harsh accusing edge to her voice "and who is this HE that told you to come to me with this foolish request?!"
" Rumplestiltskin." Arena replied with a tiny, frightened voice.
"Rumplestiltskin?!" The mayor asked with an annoyed laugh looking away for a moment & then back at the girl as though she had just spit on her " How dare you ?! Do you really think I'm that stupid little girl?! What did he send you here for?! Why are you in alliance with him to begin with?! And don't you dare lie to me or I'll…"
"He's who kept me locked up all of these years; I only went to him because I thought he might know who my mom is or give me some clues to find her! That's all I swear, please don't hurt me!" Arena interrupted recoiling from the brunette as tears of fear started to fill her innocent dark eyes " I just want to find my mom…I just want a family, I'm tired of being alone & feeling unlovable & abandoned, I just want to find my mother…that is my only motive for being here, I have no other purpose."
Regina's heart was instantly hit with guilt at the sound of desperation in the girl's voice & the welling tears in her eyes, if anyone could relate to the agony of not having a mother to love you – it was Regina; her face softened & she sighed deeply biting her lip deciding if she felt bad enough to let the girl come into her home.
"Fine, you can come in & we'll talk – no guarantees I'm letting you stay though." Regina said sharply but not with the same threatening tone as before.
"Thank you." Arena replied softly then, a bit hesitantly followed Regina into the house.
Once inside the young girl was awestruck by the beauty & grandeur of the home, and even more by the lack of warmth inside of it. The running theme was the stark white contrasted by the dark black, she couldn't help but wonder if this was in any way a reflection of the owners personality. Regina led them into her office where she instructed the young woman to sit in the chair directly in front of her desk; she walked over to a small refrigerator & took out two small crystal glasses.
"Would you like some apple cider?" Regina asked politely with her back turned to the girl.
"Um, sure." Arena replied awkwardly, her hands in her lap she looked around the huge room taking it all in , it was a far cry from the concrete block she'd been raised in since the curse had been activated " Your home is beautiful your Majesty." She said genuinely.
"Thank you dear." Regina replied blankly with the smallest smile handing her the glass of cool, sweet liquid before taking a seat in front of her , she looked very political & nothing but business was in her eyes " Now before I even consider allowing you to stay in my home I need to know all about you , I don't remember you from our old world therefore I have my suspicions as to your motives & reasons for being here, & considering you're in relationship, as seemingly strained and toxic as it may be, with Rumplestiltskin who has certainly never had my best interests in mind, I am finding it very difficult to trust that you're only reason for being here is to bide your time till you find your lost mother. Convince me otherwise & we'll see what we can do about your little, um, 'housing' problem." She grinned but not with kindness, but instead suspicion & slight curiosity about the identity of this mystery girl.
"It's a pretty long story; you might not want to hear it all…" Arena starts ringing her hands in her lap nervously, barely making eye contact with the looming force in front of her.
"Try me." Regina smiles slightly with narrowed eyes of annoyance.
"Okay well…here goes." Arena smiles taking a deep breath, feeling as though she were on trial ; she had a feeling that this would be the toughest judge she would ever face.
True Love's Gift
Chapter 4
Arena's Point of View
Taking a deep breath I began to share with Regina my story; I could feel the cynicism in her gaze, her body language defensive – from the way she sat straight & stiff as a board, arms crossed in front of her chest as though she were protecting her heart from any blows I might decide to deliver to it, & finally the raised eyebrow of suspicion. I shivered under her gaze; trying to stay calm enough under that kind of pressure was certainly no easy task so in an act of desperation to control my fear & nerves, I put both elbows on the oak table, learning forward I put a hand on either side of my temples & closed my eyes to focus on the story of my journey thus far & strategize a means of communicating it that would be rewarded with a response of kindness or at the very least save me from an outpouring of wrath – I had a feeling that when it came to Regina Mills there was no middle ground.
"You wouldn't have known me in the old world…" I began shakily, gathering my thoughts before proceeding "no one would except Rumplestiltskin & my estranged grandmother who, to be quite honest, I'm sure did everything possible to forget about me…" My voice saddens at the words "My mother doesn't even know me, for whatever reason my grandmother made a deal with Rumplestiltskin to cast a forgetting spell on my mother & all those who knew of her pregnancy, after I was born – he then stole me away & kept me locked in a room in his grand home, the windows all tightly shut & the curtains covered them, literally nailed to the wall – he was the only other person I ever met. "
"There's no one else in that world that you met or had interaction with? Not even once? "She inquired, her voice moving from suspicion to disbelief & perhaps even a bit of sympathy.
" No one" I shook my head in answer to her question " Not in that world or this one, the only difference was in that world I had a warm, beautiful room whereas here due to the curse I was kept in chains in a concrete basement where I would only see him once a day when he would throw some bread at me & leave a bowl of water like I was a dog or something."
I saw her eyes hit the table, averted from me, she rubbing her arms & shift uncomfortably in her chair at the mention of the curse & the reality that it had made my life much harder than it would have ever originally been. I felt an instant pang of guilt go through me that I had, without knowing, condemned her.
"There's no way you could've known." I said with a small smile, her face tilted to the side as it softened with a curious look that I couldn't quite interpret "Anyways, that is how I've spent all my days , till 3 days ago when I was set free from my bonds & now here I am."
I hoped desperately that would be enough but I could tell by how she pursed her lips that it was not sufficient information.
"I want to know about your recent interaction with Rumple." Regina matter of face & a bit harshly stated " Why would you go to the man whose bondage you just got free of & why the hell would he send you to , of all the people in this town, me?"
Here is where the story was about to get interesting, where she would without a doubt decide if I was a deserving candidate to stay with her or to be destroyed. Everything hinged on my next words so I weighed them carefully. Eye to eye, her ears perked & my mouth dry, we both stood there waiting for me to sway the court in my favor. I prayed to God that today grace would go before me, mercy behind me & that truth would cover me in a spirit of persuasion that couldn't be argued or ignored.
True Love's Gift
Chapter 5
Arena's Point of View
"It's not quite the sinister tale that I'm fairly confident you're expecting…" I start with a tiny, nervous laugh " Despite Rumplestilitskin be the one who kept me locked up all of these years and , as far as I know, the only person who knows who my mother is & I just…I want to find her so bad " I say quietly & sad with a sigh as I look down.
"But why me? I mean, why would he send you to me of all people? How am I to help you find a mother I know nothing of – what do I have to offer you?" Regina asks her eyes full of confusion & a bit of distress.
"Madam Mayor I have no idea…" I answer honestly with a deep sigh, looking down fidgeting with my hands for a moment before my gaze meets hers again. "All I know is there's something or someone that you know or have that somehow is linked to my mother & I need you to help me find her…please."
Regina looks at me with saddened eyes still a bit suspicious & oddly enough they seemed to contain some…fear? She exhaled then pursed her lips before looking at me with a very serious stare.
"You can stay but if you steal from me, betray me or some much as lay a finger on myself or my family? I will, without hesitation, destroy you." She growls in a deep voice, her piercing brown eyes so full of fierce fact that I have to look away "Do you understand me…Um..What was your name again?"
"I understand completely." I reply quickly, nodding reassuringly "And its Arena, my name is Arena."
"Very well then." She answered fast with a cold tone as she got up from the table "I'm going to go change the sheets on your bed in the guest room, help yourself to any food or drinks in the kitchen." She says matter of fact motioning around us before walking away from me, but she stops for a moment in the doorway, turning her head slightly in my direction, keeping her back towards me "Arena…what a beautiful name. " she softly commented, more to herself than me before shaking her head, regaining her perfect posture & walking regally to the guest room to prepare it for my stay.
I let out a sigh of relief, sinking back into the chair; my head leaned against the head rest. I had survived; I was stay with the infamous Regina Mills, a true enigma. I couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking about at that very moment.
True Love's Gift
Chapter 6
Regina's Point of View
I held onto the corners of the soft blue material, lifting my arms & hands up allowing the sheet to billow up then gracefully flow down to the cover the bed before starting to tuck the edges in under the sides of the mattress. I smiled softly as memories of Henry & I doing this very activity together flooded my mind, it was something we had done ever since he was a little boy; He would take one side of the sheet & I the other, when we would lift it into the air we would both jump & then pretend we were parachuting out of a plane.
"Mom! Look at that big bird! We better look out or we could hit it & it could tear a hole in our parachute!" he would exclaim as we factiously floated downward to the ground.
"Whoo…we made it, that was a close one captain!" I would reply in pretend relief, falling back onto the bed.
"I know, good job lieutenant! "He would complement me, flopping down beside me, placing his little hand in mine as we both laughed.
"I love you Henry." I would whisper softly with a content smile, kissing my precious boys forehead, looking into those sweet brown eyes.
"I love you too lieutenant." He would grin then cuddle up next to me where we would talk & laugh together, sometimes for hours.
Those days, those conversations seemed so far away today as I made the bed solo. Who could have guessed that creative , quick mind & brilliant imagination of his that brought me so much joy would , once Ms. Blanchard gave him that wretched book, be the greatest source of my sadness & pain, at least in recent years that is.
I shook off the thoughts as I finished making the bed before turning my attention to the young girl sitting in my kitchen. I tiptoed to the entry way to the kitchen that would allow me to see her but not her to see me. Her long dark hair hung down her slender figure, stopping just past her bony hips. Even though her she was extremely thin & her lanky arms & legs were covered with mysterious scars, she was an absolute beauty. I stood staring at her I couldn't help but be appalled at her story, sure I had inhibitions letting her stay in my home – she was a stranger after all & after everything I had endured I certainly had a right to be leery, however I couldn't imagine what her grandmother found so repulsive about her that she would've went to the measure she did to take Arena from her mother; my heart winced with pain at the though, I knew what it was to lose a child, to have them ripped from your care & love, to feel that emptiness.
I ached inside for the young mother who had spent the entirety of her life thin king her baby girl had died – but then again, I thought, maybe it was better that way, to never make the memories, to never know the joy of holding your child in your arms, to have everything you encounter remind you of what you've lost. I supposed if you were to eventually lose your child anyways, perhaps it was better to never truly have them at all, that seemed a lesser agony than the hell I was currently living.
"Your room is read dear. " I say emotionless in a professional tone, shaking the thoughts away as I walk into the kitchen where Arena sat "Right this way."
I gave her a tight smile then turned away taking a breath then leading her to the room I had prepared for her.
( Author Note: Give me feedback, I'll write more if you all are enjoying this story)
