Intro Notes: This story was born out of an idea that's been done before but that I couldn't resist playing with and manipulating to my own ends. I hope everyone who reads this little work of fiction enjoys the result because I know I very much enjoyed writing it! It is presented in honor of Red Queen Week 2015, but I would be remiss if I didn't also mention the handful of amazing writers out there who have written Red Queen (you know who you are) and who are responsible for getting me hopelessly addicted to these incredible ladies. It's all your fault! /sob Despite that addiction, Ruby and Regina thank you for their journey and so do I. This goes out to you and to every fan of Red Queen, past, present, and future.
In case anyone in the future who reads this prefers to read it on Archive of Our Own, it is posted there as well, along with more comprehensive notes.
*Edit: Removing all AN due to posting more thorough ones on AO3. If anyone is interested in them, they can be found there. Final edit completed as of 12/4/15.*
Standard Disclaimer: The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.
Chapter 1 – You, too, Red?
Red frowned as she rifled through her clothing drawers, searching for her necklace. She had hidden it immediately upon arrival because it was a gift from her lover, an item which she held more precious than any of her other belongings, including her relatively priceless cloak. Whenever she was absent from the Royal Castle, which she had been for nearly a week, it was never removed from around her neck.
Her most recent excursion was for the sole purpose of spending some quality time with her paramour, and while Snow had been understanding about the evasive explanations that were offered, Red knew the time of such lenience was rapidly drawing to a close. Soon, the baby would be born and Snow would be free from the restrictions of bed rest, thus the business of running the Kingdom would reassert itself in her mind. Free from distraction (though Red was loathe to call such a blessing as a child a distraction), it would only be a matter of time before Snow began to notice Red's more frequent scouting trips and her increasingly long patrols during Wolf's Time.
In order to delay the inevitable confrontation that would ensure between herself and her best friend, Red had decided that her most recent furlough would be her last for a while. She'd made it count. For most of the week, she'd not left the warmth of her lover's bed for more than necessity's sake and the memories they had made would go a long way toward sustaining her through the weeks to come. They would have to because it was going to be nearly unbearable to go so long without seeing the person who had stolen her heart away like a thief in the night. But for the sake of her friendship with Snow, it was necessary that Red put some distance there, and besides that, with it being so close to the time of Snow giving birth Red wanted to be present for the final preparations. The baby was going to be her godchild, after all.
Still, Red was no fool. Since she had been keeping the affair a secret from her friends for over a year, she was careful about appearances. And while it was easy enough to to avoid questioning about her strange behavior by maintaining a mask of latent sadness around Snow and David, it would have been much more difficult to explain away the sudden presence of a remarkably rare and expensive piece of jewelry hanging around her neck. For that reason, she always made sure to secret her necklace away lest they discover her wearing it, for an item of such unique value would have surely piqued interest far too much for her to plausibly explain away, and Red was not yet ready to be found out.
She knew she was being selfish in behaving in such an immature way but she wanted to remain in the blissful space she had carved out for herself as long as possible. For too long her life had revolved around her obligations both to the Kingdom and to her Granny and Snow. It had been over three years since Red stumbled upon Snow asleep in Granny's chicken coup, and almost every day since had been devoted to her friend's cause. Only once did Red think about herself for a moment and that had ended in tragedy. Now that she had found a measure of happiness that belonged to her alone, she did not think it asking too much that she be allowed time to indulge in it.
Snow, on the other hand, would not share that sentiment, and thus Red's clandestine behavior in leaving the castle and for her diligence in ferreting away her necklace. The fact that Red was having to hide anything at all from her best friend was depressing enough to consider. After all they had been through together, she hated that the deception was even necessary, but it was, though it lingered between them like a festering sore that got picked raw every time Snow looked at Red with those trusting green eyes of hers, a trust which had been built with care and forged in the fires of the Queen's hatred into something Red had thought indestructible.
Out there in the wild being hunted, she and Snow had been forced to learn how to depend on one another, to lay their lives in each others hands on a regular basis. Because of that, the kind of trust and comradeship they had was implicit and precious. Yet, Red had been putting that trust at risk every day for the past year, which tore at her conscience almost incessantly. It was only out of fear of breaking Snow's heart (and her own in the process) that she did not spill her guts to her ignorant friend.
Red didn't want to imagine what kind of reaction Snow would have to finding out who she was sleeping with. Bad would be an understatement. Despite being her best friend, Red did not believe Snow capable of understanding her predicament considering the other party involved. There were simply too many wounds there, along with too many bad memories for Snow to think rationally about Red's admittedly questionable choice in a lover. Thankfully, the current Queen of what once was George's kingdom had remained blissfully unaware of the illicit relationship Red was embroiled in, and while tempted to make excuses for her friend, the fact was Snow had simply been too busy with her own life to notice such a dramatic change in Red's.
That wasn't to say that Snow was completely self-absorbed, but the young Queen had an unfortunate tendency to be ignorant of what was beyond her own little bubble of happiness, and at the moment, Red was very much outside of that bubble. It felt strange being so distant from Snow having spent so long basically joined at the hip with the petite and spunky bandit who rather than the chickens she might have commandeered from Granny stole Red's loyalty instead, and who went on to inspire Red's undying friendship. Honestly, it felt like Snow was slipping away at times, like she was being pulled away from their girlish camaraderie by the pressing needs of responsibility and of love. Most of the time, Red wasn't really sure how to feel about that except that it stung, because however unintentional, Snow's distance felt like rejection.
Even so, Red couldn't muster up enough anger to confront Snow about her willful ignorance. It was hurtful, yes, and very disappointing that Snow had overlooked Red's current state of happiness, but after having fought so long and hard to restore Snow to her rightful place, Red was content for the moment to persist on her feelings of satisfaction at seeing her friend so happy. How long that would last she couldn't predict, but she didn't want to be selfish beyond what her conscience could endure, and that's just what she felt like would happen if she were to disturb Snow's bliss by revealing that she had taken a lover. Then there was the consideration of who Red's lover was, which made her particularly determined for the source of her current happiness to remain an indefinite secret.
And that brought Red back to the problem at hand. She hoped that it was her own memory in error or that a servant had stolen her necklace because the alternatives were too terrifying to consider. If Snow had been the one to discover it...well, it wouldn't take more than a minute for the deceptively clever woman to figure out who Red's secret admirer was. The person's identity would be revealed by the pendant alone, which depicted a crescent moon wrapping delicately around a globular gemstone of such uniquely translucent and luminescent quality that it would be obvious where it came from. There was only one place in all of the Enchanted Forest that such gemstones could be found and only one person who had access to them.
"Where is it?" Red rhetorically asked, aggravated because she could not find her precious gift.
Decided to eliminate the possibility of faulty memory, she wracked her brain over her placement of it. She could distinctly remember placing the necklace in the drawer containing her cloak and traveling journal, but when she looked it was not there. She had then proceeded to search the rest of the drawers to much the same result, which prompted Red to nearly turn her quarters upside down. It was all to no avail.
Somehow, the necklace had disappeared, which both angered and frightened her. What if it had been discovered? The thought terrified Red, though she rationalized with herself that if Snow had found it, she would have confronted Red immediately. Still, with the necklace so obviously missing from its place, if Snow had not taken it, someone else had. Her breath hitching in her chest, Red fought against the urge to panic. She had to find that necklace. To her, it was so much more than a piece of jewelry, and today of all days, she couldn't abide being without it.
Earlier, Red had been tasked with the unpleasant duty of checking up on Rumplestiltskin, the current resident of the magical prison located deep within the bowels of the Royal Castle. To Red's discomfort, when he'd seen her approach, his face transformed from the skulking misery that was decorating it into an expression of immense joy.
"Well, well," he'd trilled, dancing in place impishly, "if it isn't the Queen's new plaything. I see Regina has captured herself a particularly dainty prize: a living, breathing, and might I say, exquisite werewolf. Tell me, has she taught you to fetch yet?"
Red had visibly startled at that. "W-What?" she'd stuttered, eyes wide with fear of being discovered. Checking around for potential eavesdroppers, she'd dropped her volume when she next spoke. "You're mistaken, and please keep your voice down."
"Why?" he'd quirked a brow. "It's obvious you're proud of your status as Regina's royal lapdog. Come to think of it, that makes you the lapdog of two monarchs. My, my, you've been a busy pup, dearie. Such conflicts of interest." Giggling, he leapt forward and grasped the bars of his cell. Red reacted on instinct, leaning back at the sudden movement. "I never pegged you to be someone worth my attention, but suddenly, you've become fascinating."
"As I said," Red restated, her voice quavering, "you're wrong."
Rumplestiltskin grinned knowingly. "Tisk, tisk, little wolfie. You needn't tell a fib and you should know better than to lie to me. First of all, you're terrible at it, but secondly, I can smell the Queen's magic on you. And shouldn't I know it?" Twirling his finger in the air, Rumplestiltskin spun around once in place and then made a flourishing move with his head. "I was her instructor after all, so her magic smells….well," he grinned, his lizard like eyes and sharp teeth gleaming in the torchlight, "like me."
Breathing heavily, Red ducked her gaze to avoid the Dark One's piercing stare. It was like he saw right through her. She felt naked and exposed in a way she hadn't since Regina had first peeled her clothes away, layer by layer, until Red was left standing nude before a sultry Queen's appraising gaze. But unlike with Regina, Red felt no appreciation, no honest desire, only a calculating measurement of her usefulness both in the present and in the future.
"Now, now," he spoke once more, his voice losing its mocking edge. "No need to be shy. In a few scant hours, none of it will matter."
Red's head snapped up, her eyes returning to Rumplestiltskin. "What do you mean by that?"
Stepping back, a thoroughly satisfied smirk formed on his face. "Hasn't she told you what she's done?"
"Who's done what?" Red growled, stepping forward with a low rumbling rattling in her chest.
Making an interested noise, Rumplestiltskin tilted his head to regard Red. "I suppose the affection is only one way then. That's too bad. I had such high hopes for you."
Her eyes turning yellow, Red grasped the spear-like bars of the cell over where the Dark One had been holding them moments before. They groaned under the strain of her wolfish strength. "Stop with the deflections," she barked, "I'm getting annoyed."
Tutting, Rumplestiltskin meandered back over to the bars and leaned toward Red, grasping them just above her own hands. "We wouldn't want that, would we? As we both know, an angry werewolf on the loose normally means a trail of bodies left in their wake...or at least, what's left of them. Doesn't tend to be much, does there?"
The veiled reference to Peter made Red even angrier and she felt herself snarling, baring her teeth threateningly at the imprisoned imp. Sighing, he backed away and shrugged as if suddenly disinterested.
"But as I said, soon it won't matter," he continued. "The Queen has cast a curse, you see, the darkest, most sinister curse ever created." Lifting his hands up to his chest, Rumplestiltskin looked so proud as to be fit to dance. He began to approach once more in a predatory fashion. "A gift from yours truly. Soon, this entire realm will be swept away into a land without magic, all of their memories erased. After it takes effect, you won't remember this conversation. You won't remember Snow White or Prince Charming. You won't even remember your beloved Queen. In fact, you will not be yourself, but a twisted version of you that will live in perpetual unhappiness. Everything you know and love will all...be...gone..." with these last ominous words, he leaned forward until his nose was pressed almost to Red's, a wicked grin painted across his excessively sharp features, "forever."
Stumbling back as if struck, Red shook her head. "No. She wouldn't."
"But she would and she has."
Her bravado having all but crumbled and now questioning everything she thought she'd learned about Regina over the past year, Red beseeched the untrustworthy imp for an answer, "Why?"
Walking away from Red, the Dark One made his way to the back of the cell where he sat primly upon a rock outcropping that was utilized for a very uncomfortable chair. He then crossed his legs, rested his hands on his knee, and fixed Red with a look that sent a chill down her spine.
"That would be a question for Regina to answer, now, wouldn't it?"
Realizing he was right, Red had fled the prison to the background echo of a sinister laugh. Feeling as though time were sand slipping hopelessly through her fingers, she immediately went to her chambers to fetch her necklace. If what Rumplestiltskin told her was true, her memories would be gone, but perhaps the necklace could act as a totem, grounding her to reality. But regardless of whether it would have an effect or not, and even if she lost herself as the Dark One claimed, she wanted it with her when she was swept away by whatever was awaiting her on the other side. It would be all she had of Regina, and whether she would be aware of it or not, Red needed the comfort of its familiar weight around her neck. Which again brought her back to the present.
"Dammit!" she shouted, slamming the last drawer shut she had just finished double checking. Distraught, she slid heavily down to the floor, leaning her back against the dresser as she pulled her knees up to her chest. She allowed her head to slump down into the space between her body and her legs, trying to fight back tears.
"Looking for this?" A very familiar voice called out from the doorway of her chambers a few moments later.
Red's head jerked up to find a very disappointed looking Snow hovering in her doorway. Despite the Queen's short stature, she seemed overly imposing to Red in that moment. Swallowing thickly, Red's eyes cut to Snow's hands, where her sought-for necklace was dangling from outstretched fingertips. With wide eyes, Red glanced back up to find Snow looking at her in pained accusation.
"Snow!" Red gasped, surprised to even see the woman up and about with her child due at any moment now. Forgetting her distress for a moment, Red scrambled up from her position and crossed the room in three long strides. "What are you doing up? You should be resting!"
"Oh, bah," Snow frowned, dismissing the very idea. Her green eyes never wavered from Red, holding the werewolf spellbound with their intensity. "I was tired of being bedridden and tired of Charming's constant hovering, so I thought I'd walk the halls a bit to relieve my stress. As I did, rather aimlessly I might add, I happened to pass by your chambers. For whatever reason, I was suddenly reminded about our time together as outlaws. It made me nostalgic for those days, I think because quite frankly they are behind me now."
Sighing, Snow paused in her speech, pushed her way past a silent Red into the chamber, and then waddled over to the bed. After plopping down on the edge, she focused her attention immediately back on her suddenly guilt-ridden friend.
"Anyway," Snow continued, seated in as erect a manner as possible considering her swollen belly and aching back, "I remembered that you had kept a traveling journal that we both used to record our more memorable adventures in and that you kept it in the drawer with your cloak. I've seen you place it there many times. I thought you wouldn't mind if I read through it for old time's sake."
Lifting up the pendant in front of her face, Snow studied it carefully. It was clear to Red by the recognition in Snow's face that the fears which drove her to hide it away had not at all been unjustified.
"I never imagined I would find such a lovely trinket hidden away there in the folds of your cloak. And my, what an exquisite gemstone in the pendant. I haven't laid eyes on an ametite since my father banned them from being mined when I was a child. And it's setting is a crescent moon to boot – how fitting. A gift for you, I presume?"
Having lived with the woman for so long, Red understood that Snow's roundabout questioning was an extended opportunity for her to openly admit what Snow already knew. Feeling ashamed at her secrecy, Red blushed and ducked her head, but mostly, she was scared that her friendship with Snow was about to end, or at the very least, be forever altered. The thought of losing Snow's friendship nearly suffocated her with anxiety. After all they had gone through together, Snow was so much more to her than just a friend: she was a sister, Red's only true family outside of Granny. To lose that after all this time would be a devastating blow.
Still, Red couldn't find it in herself to feel sorry for the love affair that precipitated this confrontation. The past year of her life had been the best by far. There wasn't a moment she'd spent with Regina that she regretted. Even their disagreements were precious to Red. She knew now without a doubt that she had found her happily ever after, the only problem was getting Regina to recognize that as well. While it was unlikely to ever happen, Red was far too in love to give up now, which was why she was soon to leave the Royal Castle behind for the last time.
"Well?" Snow prodded when Red did not answer. "Have you nothing at all to say?" When Red again held her tongue, Snow stood carefully and then crossed the short space to stand in front of her. She held the necklace up between their bodies so that the pendant was on full display – as if to rub Red's nose in the indisputable evidence of her treachery.
When Snow spoke again, her voice was laden with betrayal, but the longer she spoke, the more it morphed into a mournful kind of sadness.
"I'm surprised," she said, her green eyes piercing. "This gift is very impressive, indeed. Beautiful and very extravagant. You should be proud of it, and yet you're silent. I wonder why?" For a moment, Snow let that question linger in the air, but yet again, Red held her peace, torn between the truth and its potential consequences. "Perhaps it's because I know exactly from whom this necklace was a gift. After all, the gem in the pendant is the rarest in the Enchanted Forest and can only be mined in the misted mountains nearby the Dark Palace."
Tapping her chin dramatically, Snow then snapped her fingers, the noise cutting through the room sharply. "Oh, and there is also the fact that none save Regina have access to the ametites mined from the tunnels which she recommissioned and that she alone is permitted to own and wear them. When considering all of these things, I can see then why you'd have nothing to say about how often you've been ducking out of council meetings or going missing for days at a time over the past year."
Red started as if struck, mystified by the unexpected revelation that Snow had indeed noticed her extended absences. Snow barked out a bitter laugh at Red's poorly hidden reaction.
"Did you really think I haven't noticed that you've been happier lately?" she then asked, her face becoming even more pained. "Or that your smile has grown even more beautiful and that you seem to be more alive than I've ever seen you? You're in love, Red! I know what that looks like. And yes, I've been busy with my life, but you're my best friend and I pay attention!"
"Then why didn't you say anything?" Red asked, more than a little hurt that Snow had remained silent, leading Red to believe she was unnoticed and being relegated to the margins of Snow's life.
Snow shrugged, though it was more plaintive in nature than disinterested. "I figured you would tell me when I needed to know. So why didn't you?"
By now, Red was pacing, her wolf having been riled up by all of her anxiety and her current frustration, as well as the impending specter of the Dark Curse, which loomed ever closer by the minute.
"I thought you didn't care!" she replied, gesturing with her hands. "I thought you were too busy for me and I didn't want to burst the happy little bubble you were living in with Charming."
Snow scoffed at the attempted deflection, having recognized it for what it was. "That's a half-truth at best. We both know why you didn't say anything." Looking up at Snow through pleading eyes, Red willed her best friend to understand her dilemma but it seemed Snow was not in an understanding mood. "For pity's sake, Red! Are you still not going to admit it? Are you ashamed? Well, you should be! Regina? Really? Why?!"
Caught somewhere between indignation and fear, Red felt her eyes well up with tears as she stopped pacing in front of Snow. She felt like she was in an impossible situation. It felt like her heart was being torn apart at the seams from having to choose between the woman she had fallen so deeply in love with and the best friend she had fought and bled for, had spent countless nights with cuddled up together under the stars with only a low fire and the sounds of nature as company – Snow, the faithful companion that Red had laughed and cried and danced and sang with until they were both exhausted. She didn't know what to do.
When the affair with Regina started, Red had known going in that it would create strife between herself and Snow, but she hadn't realized just how much it would actually hurt when it came time to face the consequences. All she was concerned with at the time was how good she felt about herself when with Regina. For a woman whose famed moniker was the Evil Queen, Regina could be deceptively sympathetic and surprisingly comforting, which was how the whole thing started anyway. It wasn't as if Red had gone looking for the Queen or had decided that she wanted to seduce the very woman who had hunted her and Snow for so long. It just happened.
That day had been a particularly hard one for Red (it was the anniversary of her mother's death) and she had wandered thoughtlessly into Regina's territory while out for a walk. The Queen, ever on guard, had intercepted Red by herself, yet rather than taking the opportunity to capture one of Snow's closest allies, she swore she meant no harm and that she was only there to talk. After a few terse exchanges, Regina had implied she was somewhat sympathetic to Red's pain, having long known what it was like to battle an internal monster. In her indignation at being compared with such a vicious woman, Red let it slip that she was mourning having killed her own mother.
Opening that line of conversation lead to some very unexpected revelations from Regina, who had gone on to explain that she too had once felt forced to act against her mother. From that shared grief, an almost instant bond formed between the women, and very surprisingly, Red found herself agreeing to dine with Regina that night. The subsequent combination of wine, not wanting to be alone, and finally finding someone who understood her pain was one too potent for Red to resist. That night, in what would turn out to be the first of countless surrenders, she found herself succumbing to Regina's very welcomed advances.
All too soon, their dalliances became a weekly event, a casual relationship between two women who had known too much hurt in their lives. But it didn't stay casual for long – not for Red. She fell in love with Regina, hard and fast, and now after having loved the incredibly passionate and equally complicated woman, she couldn't imagine ever going back.
"I didn't plan it," she eventually responded to Snow, her face putting her distress on open display. "It just kind of happened. But I'm not ashamed, Snow...not of her or how I feel about her. I'm not!" Those last words were said with force and conviction, the depth of which knocked Snow back a step.
As she stared on, dumbfounded, Red watched the truth finally dawn over Snow's face, and in the process, her features transformed from befuddlement into astonishment. "You really do love her, don't you?"
"Yes," Red confirmed without wavering, "and I believe she loves me, too, though I know she'll never say it. She's too broken for that." Allowing a smile to form on her face, Red decided to just lay all of her cards out on the table, hoping that hearing something hopeful in regards to the woman who had been terrorizing the realms for so long might help Snow to accept this. "But she's healing Snow, I can see it. She never used to, but every now and then, she'll laugh and smile, and not those fake, over-the-top ones that she wields like swords, but real ones that touch her heart. And even though she can't now, one day she may be able to love again. I want to be that person for her when it happens. But regardless of whether or not she ever loves me, I love her."
Turning away from her best friend before a response could be formulated, Red stepped over in front of the large window in her chambers and looked out over the surrounding area from the serene blue waters of the lake to the snow capped mountains in the distance. She loved the view from the castle and would miss it greatly when it was all gone. If wherever Regina was sending them was at least half as beautiful as their home was, it couldn't be all that bad. She prayed that was the case. Still, although she would miss the Royal Castle, she would miss her best friend – her sister – the most.
"I understand if you can't accept this, Snow," Red then said. "Sometimes even I have a problem accepting it. Believe me, I've not forgotten who Regina is or what she's done – I couldn't if I wanted to." She turned to watch Snow back away from her to the bed, collapsing back down on it as she stared at Red in silent anguish, tears streaming down her full cheeks. "But the heart wants what the heart wants, right? Isn't that what you used to tell me? Well, mine wants her for good or ill, for better or for worse."
Moving over to Snow, Red knelt in front of her and took her hands. Instead of pulling away as she'd expected, Snow grasped them tightly, though her face betrayed nothing of her thoughts beyond her obvious hurt.
"I've tried staying away from her," Red continued, "but the pull just gets strong and stronger. And I've tried a thousand times to talk myself out of loving her, but it's useless. I just fall further every day. I hate it that I'm hurting you now – I hate it! - but what am I supposed to do, Snow? Please, tell me what to do!"
Taking a moment to gather herself, Snow extricated one her hands from Red's grip and ran a comforting hand through the werewolf's hair, just as she had many times before as they lay awake at night in the wilderness while on the run. Behind the pain in her eyes, Red could see something else, something that gave her hope. She tried with all of her might to hold on to it.
"I can't tell you what to do, Red," Snow eventually said, her hand still brushing soothing patterns in Red's hair and against her scalp. "This is your decision to make, not mine, so you don't have to worry about what I think. Having said that, I don't trust Regina for obvious reasons, but I do trust you."
Something shifted in Snow's face then, a tender smile crossing her lips as she gazed down with the most tender expression Red had ever seen from her. "And I love you, Red," she then said, her voice laden with emotion. "You're my best friend and you always will be. Always. I'm not going to turn my back on you because you fell in love, no matter who it was with. What kind of person would I be if I did that? Certainly not the kind that I want to be raising my child.
"So, whatever you do, do it knowing that you're still my best friend and I still love you. If you need to go to her, as I suspect you do, then go to her, Red. Love her with everything you have. Because if anyone needs love in their life, it's Regina and if anyone deserves it, it's you."
Unable to hold in her tears at the unexpected and overwhelming show of love and support, Red laid her head in Snow's lap and wept. She wept out of relief that hadn't lost her best friend after all and for the kindness and understanding that Snow had shown to her. She wept for the tragedy that happened which turned two amazing women who should have been the best of friends into the most bitter of enemies. She wept for the fact that she knew this was the last time she would see Snow before the Curse hit, and who knows if she would ever lay eyes on her best friend again after that?
But mostly Red wept because in a few short hours, she would be at the Dark Palace, hoping to see Regina one last time before her lover's ugly vendetta ripped something so beautiful apart. It was the greatest tragedy in Red's life, worse than having eaten Peter, to know that Regina was willing to throw away what they had just to make a kindhearted, loyal, and innocent woman suffer. Red's love was not enough to stay Regina's lust for revenge and Red should have known better. As it turned out, she was not enough, she never had been and she never would be.
And some hours later, as Red walked out over the bridge leading away from the Royal Palace and away from her loved ones for what might be forever, she glanced back over her shoulder to see Snow, Charming, and Granny waving their sad farewells. The sun was on its way up in the sky, casting them all in a warm, hopeful light, which contradicted the darkness which Red knew lay waiting just around the corner. Her heart clenched in her chest. She had told Snow that it was coming and as such, had discharged her duty. There was nothing more she could do besides hoping for best. It was a foolishly unsophisticated outlook, but one she had to take if she was going to make it through the next few hours.
Putting on as big a smile as she could muster, Red turned back halfway across to wave one last time before whirling around and sprinting down the bridge. As she ran, she allowed the power of the wolf wash over her and once transformed, she made short work of the span. Enraptured by the thrill of running, she dug her nails into the ground as she burst through the foliage at the border of the forest and bounded toward the Dark Palace where she knew Regina awaited. What she was going to find there, she didn't know, but that was where her heart resided, so it was where she had to be.
With dark, smoky eyes and sinfully red lips at the forefront of her mind, Red ran headlong toward her destiny.