A/N: The updates won't usually be this close together unfortunately, but, since I have this second part done, here it is.

And, thank you to all the people who have given feedback so far.

oOOOOo

It had been nearly two weeks. And no matter what any of them tried. Henry wouldn't come out of the room that Snow had given to him in the palace. Bribery of all sorts, pleading, a little mild threatening. Nothing had worked yet.

That's why Archie was there. Their last resort. And he'd at least gotten in the door. "Hey Henry. Everyone's worried. You should come down. Eat with your mom, your grandparents. Everyone in the Kingdom wants to see you."

Henry stared out the window, out at the Kingdom, "I can't."

"Why not, she's..."

"My Mom is dead Archie."

Archie opened and closed his mouth as he winced to himself, realizing what he'd said, "I apologize Henry. I won't do that again, I promise. So, what are you watching out the window?"

Henry shrugged, "Nothin'. Shouldn't you be a cricket?"

Archie looked down at his body, "Well, we didn't get... uncursed to get here, at least, I don't think we did, so..." He paused, "I'm not sure how we all got here. No one is sure, although Emma, Snow and David are working on it. You... you know that your grandparents have sent out a search party for your Mom. If somehow she survived, if she too was transported back here, they'll find her."

Henry's eyes brightened for a moment, then dimmed, "Yeah, then they'll... oopsie, kill or hurt her even though she saved everybody... again."

"Henry."

"Everyone did bad things before Storybrooke Archie, but only my Mom's getting blamed for it all." Henry sighed and put his head against the side of the window, "Please. Go away Archie. Please?"

"We're not..." Archie trailed off, then nodded, "Okay. but, you can always talk to me. And, unless it's something dangerous or really really bad, I won't tell another soul. Not even Emma. I give you my word."

"Please go away?"

Archie held up his hands and retreated out of the room. Closing the door behind him. He heard the lock click shut and sighed. He nearly jumped as someone spoke from almost right next to him. "Archie- is he okay?"

"Physically he's fine. I mean, you know that, he's eating the food you send up for him and I think he's taking baths and such, but... he's grieving for his Mom." At Emma's frown he clarified, "For Regina. Her heroics got through to him when her words couldn't. But... he also didn't get to say a real goodbye to her, and so... I would- I would leave him be for a bit more. I don't believe he'll do anything- rash. He just needs time."

"Time-" Emma sighed and put a hand to her face, "I guess we have a lot of that these days huh?"

"Yes. Yes we do."

oOOOOo

Regina's eyes flew open as she regained consciousness in one fell swoop. "Where?" She was inside, "Where am I? How long have I..." The way her mouth felt she had a distinct feeling that it had been longer than a few hours.

The voice from before spoke again. It sounded cultured, with just a bit of commoner in it, "It's been a couple of weeks since I found you. You had quite the fever for a bit, then it just seemed like you needed some sleep. As for where you are, you tell me..."

Regina sat up, then changed her mind as the room swam, "No."

There was a chuckle, "Fair enough. You're in the Emperor's stable... well..."

Regina interrupted the voice. Her eyes closed again, "Above it." She opened her eyes and rolled her head to the side. The voice belonged to a woman. She was an older woman, at least old enough to be Regina's mother. Somehow she still had dirty blond hair. It was cut in a medium pixie cut. Then there were her blue eyes. They seemed to be able to see what Regina was thinking. Also Regina could tell that the older woman was a rider not just caretaker of the horses below. She sat in a chair by the only window in the room, her legs off to one side of her, not crossed, watching Regina as though she were an unbroken mare. Regina continued with her questions, "Who are you? For that matter... Emperor? The Enchanted Forest has no Emperor."

"Emperor Herodotus. He rules over all the Kingdoms here, over all the Kings."

"Here?" Regina tried to sit up again, and didn't succeed, again.

She smiled, "Would you like some help young lady?"

"No. And, I am most definitely not a -young- lady. What's your name?"

"You may call me Victoria, or Miss Rainer."

Regina closed her eyes, "Rainer.. that's..." Regina shook her head, "You know who I am?"

Victoria nodded, "Regina. You're the deposed Queen of one of the Kingdoms to the west of the Emperor's lands. One of the Kingdoms across the ocean."

Regina's head turned again and she stared at Victoria. "Ocean?"

"Ocean."

Regina sighed and closed her eyes, "Of course. An ocean."

Victoria stood, "I will let you get some sleep. I'll be down in the stables if you need me."

Regina mumbled, "Yes, I'll call you on your cell..."

Victoria frowned, "Excuse me?"

"Nothing."

Victoria shook her head and disappeared from the room. Regina fell into a half asleep state. She was yanked out of it by loud voices from the stable below. The walls and floors weren't exactly the thickest she'd ever seen, and she could hear nearly everything that was said.

"The Emperor knows you found someone in- his- meadow a fortnight ago. A woman."

"I serve at the Emperor's pleasure."

"So, where is she?"

Regina started to try and raise herself again as she listened to Victoria's response. She wasn't sure how she'd escape in her current state, but, she'd try. Victoria's response made her pause, "I found no one."

"Really Victoria? What would your- Queen- say to that Victoria? She'd be- grrkkk..."

"You- none of you sons of Kings ever, EVER get to speak to me of the traitorous Iliane. Ever. I have given my answer. Your... informants were misinformed. I found no one." She paused, "Perhaps you should ask yourself why it took your toady little snitches two weeks to tell you this lie."

Regina listened as there was a long pause followed by a cough. Regina guessed that Victoria let the other man go or put away a dagger or other sharp implement. "Mmhmm... you should remember why you're here Victoria. I'll come back tomorrow and see if your answer has changed. If you want to protect your Kingdom instead of letting it be destroyed."

It was a few moments later that Victoria appeared in the doorway, "Still alive?"

"What do you want from me?" Regina tried to push herself up again, and finally managed to get herself into a sitting position against the headboard. "Well?"

Victoria shook her head, "Nothing." She paused, "You... you remind me of someone, that is all."

Regina gestured towards the floor, "I heard your... discussion... so. You protected me. What do you want in return?" Regina met Victoria's gaze and held it. "Tell me."

Victoria crossed her arms over her chest, "You wouldn't believe me if I said nothing. But. Nothing. You were unconscious on the side of a hill. I put you on Sunlight and brought you back here. And, yes, I lied to Luke- the man you heard- and I'll do it again tomorrow, and every day after that if need be."

"Why? You know who I am. After all I've done I don't deserve that sort of loyalty."

Victoria leaned against the door jamb. "I've found that life never turns out the way we envision it. Sometimes it turns out for the better, sometimes for the worse."

"So, you're doing this, while spouting pointless cliches, because you're just... good?"

Victoria started to laugh, "Good? No- I was bored and lonely. Now I don't have to talk to the horses."

Regina raised an eyebrow, "Do they talk back?"

"Hilarious. I do believe you think you're quite funny. Do you think you can keep some food down Ms. Comedienne?"

Regina gave Victoria the evil eye, "I'm tired and worn out, not sick."

"Then..." Victoria smiled, "Then, don't move."

Regina just shook her head, leaned it back against the headboard again and closed her eyes.

oOOOOo

Henry stumbled into the castle's kitchen and blinked in surprise when he realized it was Granny standing by the fire. "Granny?"

She turned with a smile, "Henry. It's good that you came out of your room. Would you like some sweet bread?"

"My Mo-" He trailed off as he sat down, "Yeah... okay."

"How are you adjusting. I'm finding that I miss some of the the- higher technology things, but, cooking over a fire... that just seems right. I heard that your grandfather was working on putting in a more complex plumbing system in this place. Your mother... Emma... was helping him." Granny smiled, "Some of those who were- someone- in the Enchanted Forest before the curse- they were aghast that the King and Princess would be working with-"

Henry interjected, "Poop?"

Granny laughed, "You've got it. Now-" She put two slices of bread in front of him, "Eat it here- because- Red should be popping in soon."

They were both silent for awhile. Granny stirring something on the fire and Henry munching on the bread. "Granny."

"Henry."

"Do you... do you think that my Mom- that Regina really loved me?"

"I think she did- in her own way. Cora, Cora was no picnic to have for a mother."

Henry finished his bread, "Do you think she's still alive?"

Granny slowly shook her head from side to side, "No honey. I think she saved all our lives so that she could save you."

Henry sighed, "Yeah. Probably right. It sucks, you know?"

Granny came over and put a hand on Henry's back, "I understand Henry. I bet that everyone would love to see you."

"Yeah, I guess I could... do stuff out here for awhile."

Granny hid her smile, "I bet Snow would like to see you."

Henry seemed to resign himself to something with a nod, "Okay."

oOOOOo

Regina gingerly took the last step onto the stable ground and glanced around. It was every bit a Royal Stable. It was as long as a football field and had not one, but two rows of stalls, all of which had horses in them. The only other person in the place was tall with long dark hair. She stood in front of a stall with a pale white horse in it. She turned when she heard Regina's footsteps. "Hello..."

Regina made it halfway down the row before she had to stop and rest against a stall door. The horse in the stall, a very dark colored mare, came over to see who she was and she blew a breath out, causing Regina's hair to fluff a bit in the air. Despite herself a small smile came to Regina's face.

The dark haired woman stopped at Regina's side. "You have a way with horses. Morrigan does not generally like anyone."

Regina regarded the woman, "She's named after the Celtic goddess?. I don't know, she seems like more of a -Wonder-" She paused, "I'm..." She paused again, "Julia-" She pronounced the J as if she was saying 'Yule', as she supported herself with one arm and extended the other one.

"Xena." Xena shook a now surprised Regina's hand.

Regina repeated the name back, sure that she'd heard wrong, "Xena? Really?" Xena nodded, "Where... where am I?"

Xena's head tilted to the side, "In the Royal Stables of the Emperor Herodotus and his Queen of eight years Iliane."

"And you are?"

"Captain of the Guards..." Xena frowned, "Victoria was correct, you really aren't from the ten kingdoms, are you."

"No. Ten?"

"Ten, they don't count this one. Mostly because the Eleven kingdoms don't have the same ring as ten." Xena watched as Regina interacted with Morrigan, "Do you ride?"

Regina nodded, "Not recently, but in my youth, everyday. Who was the man who was in here earlier? He and Victoria were arguing."

"Luke... he's the Emperor's favorite page. Victoria, she's the Emperor's least favorite one, for oh so many reasons, for one thing, she talks back."

"Xena-" Both women looked up as a short blonde haired woman seemed to float into the stable. "Are you telling tales again Xe?"

"Only truths Gab." Gabrielle joined Xena, "Julia, this is Princess Gabrielle, the Emperor's daughter."

That put a frown on Regina's face, "Daughter?"

Gabrielle held out her hand, "Xena didn't tell you that she's not just the Emperor's Captain of the Guards, but married to his daughter?" Regina took a step back, "The thing is. I'm not my father's favorite child and the only reason my love over here still has her job is because father knew that no one else in our ten kingdoms could protect him like she does."

"You- two?"

Xena bristled, "You have a problem with that?"

Before Regina could answer Gabrielle put a hand on Xena's arm, "Xe, I don't think she's referring to our gender, but our positions. As I said. My sisters take up my father's time and my mother died years ago."

Xena chimed in, "You didn't tell her that you also threatened to run away with me, leaving him vulnerable to at least ten different sorts of deaths."

"Why are you two... you don't know who I am. You're speaking to me as if..."

Gabrielle interrupted Regina, "Victoria didn't reveal your presence to Luke... that's good enough for us."

"Where is Victoria?"

Gabrielle made a face, "The Emperor called together all the King's sons, including the one that's not a son, her. Something's up."

Xena leaned down and kissed Gabrielle, "That's my cue to go get dirt on what his next plan is..." She muttered the rest, "...since there's always a new one once the old one fails."

Regina's energy had run out and the only reason she was still standing (other than her sheer cussedness) was her death grip on the stall door. She flinched as Gabrielle's arm encircled her waist, "What are-"

"I have a lot of experience with getting prickly dark haired women to rest. Did Victoria give you her room?"

Regina frowned, picturing the room she'd woken up in, "Yes."

Gabrielle chuckled, "That makes sense."

Regina frowned deepened, "Why?"

"Never mind."