Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time and I do not make any money from it.
Queen of her heart
Henry like the rest had come to Fairytale land, but he was not with his mothers. In face he was at Regina's old castle, he recognized it from his storybook. He seemed to be in the main hallway, so he figured he better explore, this was his new home now and he doubted that Regina would mind as long as he didn't open any drawer's or closets.
The young boy ran up the stairwell that lead to the next floor, he looked inside the first room and found what would be his bedroom as his toys were all there. He found it odd as this was fairytale land, but figured that maybe Regina had some magic left so he would feel more at home to bring them there.
He lifted up his Robot and turned it one, smiling as it walked over the stone floor. One of his favorite toys, Regina had given it to him to feel better one time he was very ill.
Regina, where was she, not to mention Emma, maybe in another part of the castle. We walked back out of the room calling out their names, but they didn't come. He followed the hallway and looked into every room he passed by still calling out for them. He found a guestroom, a library and some kind of smaller living room. Still no answer.
"Mama," he called out again, tears now starting to appear in his eyes of fear that she hadn't made it back.
"I would believe you are a bit too old to call out for your mother," he heard a harsh female voice and turned to face an old lady with dark, greying hair.
By her appearance he at once knew who she must and said, "You're ma's mother."
"So my daughter managed to marry and have children after all," said Cora a bit surprised.
"Not married, you ruined that for her twice, but taking him away and forcing her to marry. Think she adopted me as she was lonely," Henry answered her.
"That would make more sense weakling like she is," said Cora and laughed viciously.
"Can you really blame her for turning out like she did with you as a mother, have you any idea how much damage you have done to her?" Henry asked.
"I can imagine," she said dryly.
"Do you ever care about other than yourself?" he asked.
"I care about what is the best for my daughter," said Cora.
"No, had you done so she would get to marry who she love, not the one you picked, you wouldn't have killed him. You however don't need to worry anymore as she has found her match and I'm sure they will get married in the future," he said in a very matter of fact way.
"Really she has, who?" said Cora rather shocked.
"My mother, she is the daughter of the step-daughter she once wanted killed," he said.
"Snow-white's daughter," Cora's eyes widened.
"Yes," he said.
"That is out of the question," said Cora in dismay.
"Sorry to say, but you cannot decide for her anymore," said Henry.
"We'll see, you're coming with me," she said, gripping him hardly around the arm and dragging him with her.
Regina sat up with a sudden jolt; she had been resting on top of Emma in the hay that were surrounding them in the stable. Something was very wrong; she could feel in deep within her core.
"Stable girl, what's the matter?" Emma asked in a soft tone, her hand resting on her backside.
"I don't know, but I fear something has happened to Henry, I…we need to get to the castle at once," she said, quickly starting to get dressed. Emma of course did the same.
"One horse or two," Emma asked as there was a white mere in the stable in addition to Applejack.
"Two as I need to go fast," said Regina and started to saddle up Applejack. Emma started to saddle up the mere, making sure all was sitting as it should, then walking her outside to get up on her. Regina did the same, saying, "Just follow my tail."
With that she kicked the horse gently in his side, making him run off a bit faster than Emma had expected. She stroked the neck of her horse saying, "You think we can follow?"
She neigh and sat of after the other horse and in a couple of minutes they had almost caught up with Regina. Trees, grounds and fields flew pass them as they kept on riding. Emma was amazed by how beautiful it was, not that she had time to really look as right now she needed to keep up with Regina without falling off.
In the end they came to a great dark castle, only the black seemed to fade into a lighter shade of grey. It was far bigger than Emma expected and as Regina rode into the court yard she figured that Regina had to be richer and more powerful than what she first thought.
The evil queen got of her horse and stormed inside and up the stairs, finding Henry's room vacant. She also found he had to explore the surrounding rooms as the door wasn't all shut.
"Henry!" she called out, but there was no answer, all seemed quiet. It wasn't like she would expected there to be any servants there. Then she startled hearing a voice say, "Ma'am."
She turned to look at one of her old maids, she didn't seem as skinny as last she saw her and her features were somewhat older, but it was still the same woman. Regina was so happy she could almost have hugged her, but she figured that probably wasn't the right thing to do.
"Yes, Miss Winter's," said Regina, looking at her.
"There was a little boy here not long ago, but he was taken by your mother," she said a curtsied.
"There is no need for that, how long ago did she leave?" asked Regina, her tone sounded much softer than last time she was in this land.
"I would estimate maximum fifteen minutes before you came," said the other woman.
"I see, thank you, so how are you? I recall you sneaking of to see one of my knights last I saw you," said Regina, looking at her with wondering eyes. She had aged but not as fast as she would have expected so maybe time had frozen here as well, if people had been trapped her. Or maybe she had been trapped elsewhere than Storybrooke if that was possible.
"We are good, your majesty, we plan to get married if you don't have against it that is, we wouldn't mean to make you cross," she looked at Regina with worried eyes.
"You have my blessing, why don't you take a little time off to go to him before doing your chores. I have to find my mother so I will be gone for a little while," said Regina with a gentle smile.
"Yes, your Majesty and thank you," said the maid and run off surprised by this sudden change by her queen.
"She seemed surprised by your actions, I take it you were a hard queen earlier," said Emma, with a sigh.
"I rather not discuss that now, but I will change, at the moment we need to find Henry," said Regina walking over to a mirror saying, "Mirror, are you there?"
"Okay now you have gone insane," said Emma, frowning, was she really talking to a mirror. She had heard the story about the talking mirror, but even in fairy tales she found that far-fetched.
"I am here, my queen," the mirror replied, making Emma gasp in surprise.
"I need you to show me my son Henry, now," said Regina; her voice was almost shivering, afraid of losing him again.
"As you wish," he said and gave them a clear view of Henry; he was tied up twisting, seeming scared of something. Regina couldn't see what it was at first, and then she saw it two snakes nearing the chair he was on.
"My baby," she whispered, knowing them to be deadly.
"Stable girl, focus do you know where he is, can you get us there," Emma wanted to know.
"Of course, I am after all one of the most powerful witches here, hold on to me" Regina said, making Emma do just that as she whispered, "Henry, I'll be right there."
It only took a split second to get them to where he was, making Emma gasp in surprise wishing she could have been able to do that as well. On their arrival Regina heard her mother say, "You really are too predictable, my dear."
"Let him go, your quarrel are with me," said Regina with a firm tone.
"And where is the fun in that, I thought I told you long ago to marry well, and what do you, adopt a bastard but take no man, Regina I am very disappointed with you," said Cora, making a fist that made Regina squeal with pain. Only for a second as she used her own powers to break free from her mother's grip.
"I couldn't care less, and I want you to leave me and my family alone," said Regina.
"You call this a family," said Cora, laughing at her, forcing her under her grip again.
That was it for Emma, she couldn't bear to see her beloved in that much pain, so she walked forward, pushing Cora so hard that she hit the wall and sank to the ground. She made a first and hit her in the nose hard snarling at her, "Don't ever hurt my family again."
Cora looked at her in shock, before she got up from the ground, and used her iron grip, pressing her fist together harder than she had done with Regina, making Emma scream out in pain. Regina that now had gotten back up. She turned towards Henry, and made the two snakes that was about to take a bite of her son to catch fire then turn into ashes. She freed him, hugging him close before she whispered, "Run, hide."
Henry didn't need to be begged twice before running out of sight. Regina knew she should have freed him once inside; only her mother leaving her incapacitated had made that impossible. She now on the other hand walked over to her mother, pushed her hard against the wall and let her hands go around her throat, hissing, "I killed father for revenge to get the curse, so I wouldn't mind to kill you for love if that is what it takes to leave us alone. Why can you not grant me my happiness?"
"Because you go looking for it in the wrong places, you should marry…" Cora started when Regina interrupted, "I'm an adult and I managed far for soon twenty nine years without someone telling me what I should do or not. I've raised my son alone and I worked to provide for him. I don't need a man, I don't want one, I only want her, she makes me happy and I know she is my equal no matter what you should think."
Cora sighed heavily, finding it hard to breath with Regina's hands on her throat that hard, making sure she got let air to the brain than needed. She got her to loosen the grip a little, before she said, "Fine, you win, go marry her if she's even alive, but do not come crying to me when it doesn't work."
She made a hand movement and with that she was gone. Regina rolled her eyes whispering, "Since when did I ever come crying to you mother, you were the reason that made me cry."
The queen turned to face Emma, which seemed to be lying lifeless on the ground. Regina rushed over and sat down next to her, feeling her body, nothing seemed to be broken. She carefully removed her pants, jacket and shirt to examine further. She was whole, but very banged up as large parts of her beautiful body was now black and blue.
A tear run down Regina's face as she carefully redressed her whispering, "I am so sorry, my princess."
She felt the blonde's pulse, weak, but still there. She knew she needed to get her back to the castle as fast as possible so she could rest and possible be looked at a doctor. She sighed as she called out for Henry, asking, "Can you ride a horse?"
"I don't know, why?" he asked, glancing at his birth mother with worried eyes.
"I can move us to the castle with magic, but only one of the time and she needs to get there fast. Either we have to ride, you can ride alone or I'll get back for you," Regina explained.
"I'll do my best to follow," he said and smiled at her.
Regina smiled back nodding, somehow managing to carry Emma to the horse and on it, before helping Henry to get on the other horse. She smiled reassuring at him and with that they were off.
When Emma woke up she realized she was in Regina's bed with only her underwear so she assumed Regina had undressed at some point so she would be more comfortable. She tried to think, she only remembered that she had been in excruciating pain, so much that she thought she was dying. She remembered halfway that Regina had talked to her mother and that she had heard her voice in the distance.
She moved a bit groaning in pain, before removing the cover to look at her body. She gasped seeing the nasty bruises. It would take forever for them to heal.
Tears started to stream down her face as she realized she could never go up against anyone with such power, not even to save her son and queen. Just then Regina came into the room saying, "You're awake, good, how are you feeling, princess?"
"Weak, in pain, other than that good," said Emma in a sad tone.
"My poor princess, but she can't harm us anymore," Regina said.
"I just wish that I could have been the one to stop her, to save you," Emma whispered, more tears running down her cheeks.
"You did, and you have, you have saved me from what I used to be and made it able for me to love again," Regina whispered in a soft tone, sitting down next to her. Emma moved close enough to let her head rest on Regina's lap.
"I'm glad, you're not all evil, and then again no one are," Said Emma with a vague smile.
"I hope not, so what do you say, princess, do you wish us to get married, or shall we live together like we are now forever. As no matter what happens you will always be the queen of my heart," Regina said as she carefully stroked some golden locks that had fallen down in Emma's face away.
"I would like us to get married, and you are the queen of my heart as much as I am of yours," Emma whispered, looking at her with loving eyes.
"Awww aren't you the sweetest, then a wedding you shall have, but first I want you to get better, and I will take care of you while you recover," said Regina with a smile.
"I can live with that, but stable girl where is Henry?" asked Emma, looking around with worried eyes.
"In his room or somewhere in the castle," Regina answered in a calm tone just as they heard a loud bang from outside. Regina shook her head knowing Henry most likely had been tipping over one of the amours, but right now she didn't care as her only concern was Emma. Everything else could wait.
Thank you for reading, feedback is most appreciated :o)