A/N: I know there are several other stories similar to this one out there, but this is what my muse wanted to write about. Please let me know what you think.
Prologue
Regina couldn't do it. She couldn't kill her father, the one person who stayed by her side throughout everything. She would just need to find a different way to exact her revenge on the simpering Snow White and her shepherd prince. For over a month after her failed attempt at the dark curse, she futilely searched every book on magic in the kingdom to find a way to have her revenge. But then news came from the White Kingdom. Snow was pregnant. With an icy smile, the Evil Queen began planning. She knew exactly how to avenge Daniel and ruin the bitch for good.
On the day of Princess Emma's birth, the Evil Queen disguised her appearance to gain entry into the White Palace and crept past the guards to hide within the baby's nursery. She waited patiently through the long hours that Queen Snow was in labor. Her patience was rewarded when King James finally brought the baby into the nursery an hour before dawn. The Evil Queen waited in silence until the King unknowingly left the defenseless baby alone with her. Then she quietly moved out of the shadows to look down upon the infant for the first time. She carefully lifted the sleeping baby into her arms, left behind a note for the girl's parents and in a swirl of purple smoke teleported back to her castle.
A wicked smile bloomed across her face as she laid the baby on her bed. Her plan had gone perfectly, now she just needed to do one more thing to ensure her plan had no chance of failing. The Evil Queen gathered the potion she had already prepared from her dresser and returned to the infant's side. Carefully, she cut a single strand of hair from Princess Emma's head and dropped it into the potion, followed by a strand of her own hair. Giving the potion a small swirl, it immediately began to glow a vibrant violet color. The Queen grinned and drank half of the potion, savoring the surprising taste of the concoction. The flavor of warm apple mead spread across her tongue and a delightful tingle ran down her throat and spread throughout her body as she swallowed.
When she looked down, she was surprised to see the infant's vibrant green eyes staring curiously at her. Careful not to spill a single drop of the potion, she opened the baby's mouth and dribbled the second half of the potion past her lips. Reflexively, Emma swallowed and a happy smile crossed her lips. Regina smiled in response, even as she felt a wave of magic flow between her and the infant. Her smile widened with the knowledge that she had succeeded. She had bound herself to the girl. She wouldn't age a day until Princess Emma reached her current age, and when the time was right, she would claim Snow's child, in front of her mother. Laughing darkly to herself, the Evil Queen had her mirror summon a maid to take care of the child.
Over the next 16 years, Snow White and King James waged war against the Evil Queen, desperately trying to reclaim their lost daughter. They failed every attempt and whenever they began to lose hope, the Evil Queen would torture them with glimpses of Emma, always at the Queen's side. This inevitably fueled them back into frenzy and they would launch another campaign against her. While the Evil Queen's kingdom prospered, the long war took its toll on the White Kingdom and Queen Snow was finally forced to give up on freeing her darling daughter in order to quell the unrest in her kingdom.
Within the Dark Palace, Princess Emma grew up fascinated by the Evil Queen. The Queen was careful to spend little time with the young princess, seeing her only at dinner a few days a week. She was drawn to the girl, but was unwilling to allow herself to be distracted from her war with the girl's mother. Regina knew that the young princess would be a huge distraction as the bond between them would only grow stronger with prolonged exposure to each other. She had every intention of exploiting this when the girl was old enough, but until then, it wouldn't do for the young princess to see her as a mother figure; there were some lines that even the Evil Queen was unwilling to cross.
Instead, she made certain that Princess Emma's tutors told her who her mother was, and taught her the history between the two queens. Regina didn't want the girl to be ignorant of the feud that started long before she was born, but she did want to make sure that even if Snow succeeded in rescuing her daughter, Emma would see the truth behind her mother's apparent "goodness". Princess Emma was given the best tutors in math, science, politics, and languages. She was likewise trained in the arts of war from a young age. These she took to like a fish to water. By the age of 12, Princess Emma could best half of the Queen's guards with a sword, and she understood battle tactics well enough to proclaim the victor of a fight within the first five minutes of the battle.
And so, Princess Emma grew up happily, learning how to reach her potential and secretly yearning to be closer to her Queen. But this story really begins when the princess turned 16 and the Evil Queen learned that the princess had magic…
Chapter 1
Sweat poured down my brow and I grunted as I blocked another heavy strike from Gregory, my current sparring partner. I sidestepped and swung out, missing his body completely, but giving myself enough space to find my balance again.
"Come on, Emma, you can do better than that," he mocked, grinning at me.
I grinned back at him, even though my arms were beginning to burn. "You're right about that," I replied as I feinted to my right and spun quickly to slash down on his exposed shoulder.
I had used this move on him countless times, and he should have expected it and been able to block. But this time was different; his foot slid in the mud beneath our feet and he was unable to bring his sword around in time. I could feel the impact all the way up my arm as my blade bit into his arm all the way to the bone. Gregory screamed and fell to his knees as his face went white and blood began to pour from the wound. I immediately dropped to my knees, setting my blade to the side as I reached to cover the wound with my hand.
"I'm sorry, Gregory. I thought you'd block it, so I didn't pull the blow. I'm so sorry," I said softly, trying desperately to stop the blood flow as it poured between my fingers.
"It's my fault, highness," he grunted, before slumping to the side in a dead faint.
"Shit," I muttered, trying to cradle him. Before I could think of anything else to do, we were surrounded.
Lucas, the Queen's Master of the Guard, quickly assessed the situation before turning to one of the guards and said, "Get a healer quickly. He's going into shock. He'll die if this isn't treated immediately."
"No," I gasped, tears starting to run down my cheeks. "Don't die on me Gregory," I pleaded, pressing harder into the wound. I was desperately trying to staunch the flow of blood, when it happened. I felt warmth gathering in my hands and without considering what I was doing, I pushed the warmth into the wounded man. Instantly, the blood flow slowed and stopped as I pushed more of the warmth into him. Gradually, the edges of the wound pulled together until only the faintest of white lines was left to mark where my sword had cleaved his skin. I lifted my hands from him and saw that they were still glowing with a soft white light. I was shocked; I had no idea that I could do that.
"What is the meaning of this?" a husky voice said from behind me, bringing me out of my reverie.
I spun quickly and saw that the Queen was glowering down at me. I bowed my head in respect and explained, "My Queen, I wounded Gregory while we were sparring. Lucas said he might die from the shock and I panicked and apparently healed him."
"Stand and look at me, my dear," the Queen replied in a voice carefully blank of emotion.
I slowly obeyed and when I looked at her, she studying me carefully, taking in my bloodied hands, and the stains on my clothes. Slowly, one of her eyebrows raised in amusement. I wanted to ask her about it, but had no right to question my Queen. "Where you injured at all?"
"No, your majesty," I answered, struggling to not fidget under her gaze.
"Good. It seems you are quite the surprise, Princess. Go clean up and come to my study. It appears that we have much to discuss," she said in a tone that sent a shiver through me. I tried to suppress my reaction to her voice, but her chuckle told me that I was unsuccessful.
"Yes, my Queen," I replied, feeling heat rush to my cheeks in embarrassment.
Instead of replying, the Queen lifted her hand and disappeared in a swirl of purple smoke. I hesitated for all of a minute before Lucas pushed me towards the castle.
"Go, your highness. I will take care of Gregory. He'll be fine."
I looked back at him. "Thank you, Lucas," I said and hurried to obey my queen's wishes.
Twenty minutes later, I took a deep breath to steady my sudden nerves. I hadn't ever been alone with the Queen. Knowing she was just on the other side of the door had my pulse racing and I felt a strange little tug in my chest. I rubbed over the spot in confusion before remembering that she was waiting for me. I knocked on the closed door and waited.
Immediately, she called out, "Come in."
I tooth one last breath as I rubbed my suddenly damp palms against my trousers before pushing open the door. The Queen was seated behind a large dark wood desk. She didn't look up from the book she was studying as I came into the room, closing the door behind me. I slowly crossed the room to stand uncertainly before her desk. After a long silence, when I just grew more nervous, she finally looked up. Her brown eyes stared into me and I felt as though she could see my very soul. I felt that strange little tug again and noticed her brow furrow at the same time. The Queen glanced down at the book and I felt like I could move again. I immediately curtseyed and kept my eyes lowered when I stood back up.
"Have a seat, dear," the Queen said.
"Thank you, your majesty," I answered and gingerly sat in the chair opposite her. Only then did I dare to look back at her.
She was studying me again, and I fought not to blush under the weight of her gaze. Finally she asked, "Have you ever done magic before?"
"No, my Queen. I've never done anything like that before. I didn't even know I could," I answered honestly.
"Interesting," she said, more to herself than me. "What were you thinking about when you healed that man?"
I thought back over the moment before I felt the heat in my hands before answering, "I was scared, your majesty. I just wanted to make the bleeding stop. Then I felt this heat buildup in my hands and I somehow pushed it into him and the wound closed."
"Hmm," was all she said as she thought over what I had said. Finally, she met my eyes again and said, "It seems we have been overlooking an important part of your education, dear. Would you like to learn how to use your magic properly?"
Instantly, I forgot my nerves in my eagerness. "Yes, please. I would love that."
The Queen lifted an eyebrow and a small smirk graced her lips. "Indeed," she said, obviously amused. "We did just celebrate your 16th birthday, is that correct?"
"Yes, your majesty," I answered blushing again.
"Then I do believe it is time," she said, again speaking more to herself than me.
"I'm sorry, my Queen. But time for what?" I asked, unable to stop myself.
She looked me over and I blushed at the emotion that crossed her eyes. I couldn't say what exactly it was, but it brought a weird nervous anticipation through me. She apparently decided to ignore my question because when she spoke she said, "I will begin giving you lessons in magic. Every evening after supper, you will meet me here."
My jaw dropped. The Queen was going to personally teach me magic? I was dumbfounded, and without thinking asked, "Why would you personally teach me? Why would you want the daughter of Snow White, your greatest enemy, to have any control over that kind of power?"
The Queen's eyes narrowed at the mention of Snow White. Her voice was cold enough to send a shudder through me as she snapped out, "Never say that name again in my presence!"
I immediately looked down, and apologized. "I'm sorry, my Queen. It will never happen again."
She sighed heavily and got up to come around her desk to stand next to me. A surprisingly gentle hand gripped my chin and tilted my head up to meet her eyes. "My dear, do you know why you are here in my kingdom?" she asked in a surprisingly gentle voice.
I nodded "Yes, you took me from her when I was a baby as revenge for her betrayal," I said putting all of the disgust I felt for the woman who birthed me into the word 'her'.
The Queen chuckled at the obvious disdain in my voice. She released my chin to cup my cheek in her palm, making my heart pound. "Yes, I did. But that was only the beginning of my plans for you, my dear," she explained.
"What—?" I started to ask, but she placed her fingers over my lips, which immediately began to tingle under the contact.
"Don't ask. I will tell you when the time is right. But know that everything I do has a reason, dear. That includes teaching you to use your magic," she said and I knew that she wouldn't say anything else on the matter tonight.
"Yes, your majesty. Thank you for everything you've done for me," I said as she released me and moved to sit back at her desk.
"You're welcome, Princess. Now, shall we begin?" she asked, a small smile pulling at her lips.
Over the next year, I spent the hours after dinner each day with my Queen, learning to harness and control my magic. Gradually, the Queen began to relax her cold persona around me and hints of her mercurial nature began to show through. When her teasing grin broke out, it felt like I was being bathed in warm summer sunlight. But when I upset her, I quickly learned that her temper was quick, harsh and cold, like being thrown into an icy stream at the dead of winter. Despite her temper, I still found myself completely enamored with her, I always longed for more time to spend with my Queen.
One day, when she was in a particularly good mood, I found the courage to ask, "Your majesty, why don't you age? You have looked the same my entire life?"
Her mouth immediately quirked up in a mischievous smirk, "My dear, I can't tell you that, yet."
I was intrigued. That 'yet' meant that she would tell me someday. The prospect of her confiding in me sent a thrill of excitement through me. I'd overheard the guards and servants comment on her agelessness when they didn't know I was around, so I knew that the Queen hadn't told anyone the secret of her youth. That made this promise of future knowledge all that much more special. "Thank you, my Queen," I replied, feeling humble.
The Queen's eyes lost the mischievous gleam and softened into something closer to affection. "You're welcome, dear. You are so patient with me. I know you have questions you want to ask me, but you are waiting. I want you to know that I have noticed, and I will answer them all in time."
I smiled, but couldn't help the sigh that escaped me at the prospect of waiting longer. "But when can I know?" I asked, wanting to immediately eat the words and pretend I'd never spoken them. I was afraid that I had offended the Queen.
Instead she just chuckled and reached out to put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "After you are of age. I will offer you a choice on your 18th birthday. Which option you choose, will determine how and when you are told. Can you be patient that long, my Princess?"
"Yes, your majesty," I answered dutifully.
The Queen noticed my lack of enthusiasm and laughed, pulling me into her arms and hugging me for the first time. I gasped as a surge of warmth flashed through me. I felt the Queen stiffen momentarily before she relaxed and pulled me more tightly against her. I immediately wrapped my arms around her and held her just as tightly. There was something so right about the embrace and I felt as though something I had been missing was finally returned to me. My Queen pulled away first. She moved her hands to my shoulders and pushed me back just far enough to look into my eyes. I got lost in their chocolate depths and didn't even notice the smile that spread across my lips, or her own answering smile. After a long moment, she released me and resumed my lesson.
That night, I dreamt about the Queen for the first time:
I was walking through the apple orchards hand-in-hand with my Queen in the late afternoon sunlight. As we reached her special tree, she released my hand and picked the most perfect apple I had ever seen.
"Here, this is for you, my dear," she said in a low husky tone that sent shivers racing through me. She held out the apple for me.
"Thank you, my Queen," I said, reaching for the fruit.
"No, my darling, Emma. I want you to eat it from my hand," she said, her voice more of a purr.
I felt a flush of heat spread through me. She never called me by name, and that alone was thrilling, but as I leaned in to bite into the succulent fruit, she ran her free hand down my back, holding me against her as I chewed the sweetest apple I'd ever tasted. Its juices were thick, and held the slightest flavor of honey. As I swallowed, a small moan escaped my lips as a tingle followed the fruit's path down my throat.
My Queen hummed in approval, letting the apple fall to the ground as she cupped my cheek and pulled me in to place a tender kiss on my lips. She gave my bottom lip a gentle nibble before pulling back to ask, "Do you want me, Emma?"
Before I could answer in the dream, I woke to the early morning light of dawn and a feeling of disappointment that the dream hadn't been real. The dreams continued after that night, gradually growing more passionate, but always ending the same way. In my dreams, I was never allowed to answer my Queen's question.
My life changed again when I turned seventeen. My Queen decided that I would spend my afternoons attending court and any meetings she had. She claimed that she wanted me to gain practical knowledge of the governing of the kingdom. I didn't question her decision, as I was thrilled to be allowed to spend more time with the Queen I was desperate to be near. Every day, I felt a stronger pull towards her, and I often found myself wondering what she was doing when we were apart.
The time spent with my Queen in the afternoons was different than the time we spent alone working on my magic. When other people were near, she once again became the cold imperious Queen of my childhood. Any affection she showed me during my lessons was absent in public. It often made me wonder what she really wanted from me, but I didn't complain. As long as I got to be near her, I was content.
It was one day, about a month after I began attending court with my Queen that I saw the Evil Queen that everyone feared. It was a hot summer afternoon and the throne room was stifling. We had been listening to petitioners for over an hour, and I could sense the Queen's impatience rising with each new complaint. We were listening to a dispute between two farmers over rights to a creek that ran between their properties, when a large brute of a man surged down the line of people waiting to see their Queen. He moved with such purpose that my attention was immediately caught. I watched as he roughly grabbed a woman's arm and started dragging her back towards the exit.
I glanced over at the Queen to see if she noticed. I immediately saw that her narrow-eyed gaze was following the couple. She held up a hand to the farmers, and they immediately fell silent. The rest of the hall grew silent as people turned to see what had caught the interest of the Queen. "Stop and unhand that woman," she called out in the coldest voice I had ever heard from her.
The man stiffened, and immediately turned to face the throne, but he did not release the woman. Instead, he offered a short bow, barely deep enough to be considered polite and said, "My apologies, your majesty. I was just taking my wife home. We have no disputes to waste your time with."
I glanced at the man's wife. She looked terrified and had a strangely haunted look in her eyes. I immediately looked to my Queen. She was glaring down at the man as she said, "And yet, your wife came here for something. And you have yet to obey your queen. Let her go and both of you come stand before my throne."
Even from my seat at the Queen's side, I saw the fear in the man's eyes. He released his wife and they both slowly made their way to the throne. The farmers stepped aside to allow them to stand before the Queen. When they were in place, the man stared straight ahead, while the woman looked down, every line of her body screaming her distress. The Queen studied them both for a long time before asking, "What are your names?"
The man spoke for them both, "I am Robert and this is my wife, Nicole."
The Queen's face softened slightly as she looked at the woman. "Nicole, what brought you here today?" she asked, not entirely unkindly.
Nicole shook her head and said in a voice quivering in fear, "I'm sorry, your majesty. It was a mistake. I shouldn't have come."
The Queen went rigid with fury. She snapped out, "I asked you a question and you will answer your queen!"
The tone obviously worked as Nicole's head jerked up to face the queen and she hastily said, "I came to petition you for a divorce, my Queen."
"Why?" the Queen asked, her voice deceptively calm, even as tension surged through her body.
Before she could respond, Robert backhanded his wife, sending her to her knees as blood sprouted from her torn lip. The Queen immediately leapt to her feet, reaching out a hand, her fingers curled as though she wanted to choke the man. I was enraptured by the sight of my furious and deadly Queen. A strangle gurgle drew my attention back to Robert and I was astonished to see that he had magically been lifted several feet in the air. He kicked his feet, trying to find purchase as his hands tried futilely to ease the pressure crushing his windpipe.
Slowly the Evil Queen, as I recognized her to be in that moment, stalked down the steps from her throne to stand before Robert. "What right do you have to lay a hand on this woman? She was speaking to her queen," she asked icily, dropping the man to sprawl at her feet.
He has to take several deep breaths before he was able to rasp out, "She's my wife", as though that was all the explanation she deserved.
"I see. In your eyes, does that give you the right to just take from her anything you desire?" the Queen asked, her voice dangerously calm.
"Yes, your majesty. I am a man and may do as I like with my wife," Robert explained patronizingly.
"That's where you're wrong," the Queen replied ominously, before taking a step back from the man. Then before anyone could react, she began to almost lazily sweep her hand at various angles across his body. In the wake of her movements, deep slices appeared in the man's skin. Robert screamed in agony. When she was satisfied with the work to his front, the Queen circled behind him to do the same to his back, and I was able to see the evil smirk on her lips. I could tell that she was pleased by his anguished cries and the blood flowing down his body. I know I should have been repulsed, but when I glanced over at the huddled form of his wife, I couldn't help but smile in approval of my Queen's actions.
Finally, she stepped back and the man slumped to the floor. "Guards tie him to a tree outside the castle walls for the wolves," she said dismissively. Then she turned to Nicole and said, "You won't need a divorce dear, he will be dead by morning."
Only then did the Queen turn back to the throne and met my gaze. I could easily see the challenge in her eyes. She was daring me to object to her vicious treatment of the man. I glanced over her shoulder where two of the guards were dragging the barely conscious man from the room, a trail of his blood marking the path. I met her eyes and did the only thing I could think of, I bared my teeth in a feral grin, letting her see the approval in my eyes. It was apparently enough to let the rest of her fury dissolve. Her eyebrow quirked up and she gave me a faintly amused smirk before the icy glare of the Evil Queen settled back over her features as she turned back to face the room.
"I believe we will adjourn for the day. I will hear the rest of the petitions tomorrow," she said imperiously before turning to the farmers and glaring at them. "You two will share the creek as it runs between your properties. Stay on your side and there should be no further problems."
"Thank you, your majesty," they murmured and bowed before following everyone else out of the room.
"Come, Princess," the Queen said, crooking a figure in my direction as she swept past the throne towards the rear door. I hastily followed her, noticing a sympathetic look in the Huntsman's eyes as I hurried to follow. I quickly forgot the look once the door closed behind me and I found myself alone with the Queen. She stared into my eyes for a long time before asking, "Did you really approve of what I did? Or are you hiding your horror over what I am?"
My brow furrowed in confusion, "You don't horrify me, my Queen. I thought that his punishment was just, though I would have just gutted him. That woman had been brutalized."
She let out a long sigh and pulled me into a hug. I melted into her embrace, giving her what comfort I sensed she needed in that moment. "I never wanted you to see me like that," she whispered into my hair.
"Why? You are magnificent," I stated earnestly.
She chuckled, "Oh, my dear, you really are quite the surprise."
I beamed up at her, "Thank you, my Queen."