From her window, Regina could see the entire stretch of her parents' estate. Her vista reached all the way to the river that ran smoothly through the lower land and into the surrounding forest. The bitter frost of winter had finally thawed, and Regina was eager to wander the fields again in the early flush of spring. The cool breezes and warm sunshine had brought her back from the depth of despair and dread that had filled her during the winter months. The glacial coldness seemed to reflect her mother's growing disdain for her, she mused thoughtfully. Not that it mattered now.
She lifted herself slowly from her window seat, and pulled on her cloak. Today she would walk in the orchard that she and her father tended to so lovingly. It was their secret place, far from Cora, too far into the valley for her to be bothered to follow.
Regina made her way through the fields and finally, reached the orchard. Out here, amongst the swaying trees, she felt free. A twinge in her stomach made Regina stumble and sit cautiously on the wall that separated the orchard from the surrounding thicket. She breathed heavily and smoothed her skirts, all the while trying to quell the nauseous feeling that slowly began to creep through her body. She had been unwell over the winter, but had suspected the illness was due to the cold. Either that or the distress of being restricted to the confined walls of the estate.
Slowly but surely, the feeling dissipated, and the young girl began to breathe more evenly. She looked out at the trees, and made her way closer to them. She reached out her hand tenderly to touch a soft, pink blossom that was budding on a lowered branch. She smiled and turned her face to the sun. The feel of its warmth upon her cheek made Regina's smile even wider. She remained in that orchard for hours, turning her thoughts over and over in her mind until finally, the setting sun signaled that the hour was late and it was time to leave.
The young girl made her way slowly back to the house, back to her prison. In her head, a single name danced around her mind, just as the apple blossom danced in the wind; she was oblivious to anything else. She had found it in the depths of her own imaginings, from her loneliness, from her sorrow, and from her fierce belief in the hope that one day, she would be reunited with her love. If she'd have looked back, she would have noticed a pair of impish eyes, gazing menacingly at her from behind the wall.
Emma couldn't sleep. After her parents had returned from their foraging, the group had eaten a meal of berries and roasted wild boar and decided it best to get some rest. Emma's head had been filled with vivid images of Henry, running, breathless through the forest, screaming her name. She had woken with a start, droplets of sweat trickling down her neck and back. As she lifted her head from the ground where she lay, a haunting sound caught her ear. It was recognizably the same melody she had heard a few nights earlier. She thought it sounded close, and in a haze-like state, stood up and wandered towards its source.
She walked for what seemed like hours, weaving through branches and over streams, following the melancholy echo that was caught on the wind, until she reached the moonlit bay at the edge of the island. The tune now surrounded her, softly enfolding her in its harmonious dips and curves, numbing her senses and weakening her resolve to break its spell. She followed it willingly, swaying to the hum that swirled in the air around her.
She only stopped walking when she looked down to realize she was ankle deep in water. Emma retreated to the pines surrounding the bay, and looked out so a surprising but enchanting sight. Mermaids. Everywhere. On the rocks, in the water, all singing. Their voices rippled across the still waters, lit only by the full moon high in the night sky. Every now and then, Emma caught a flash of silver or a slither of gold, as the bewitching creatures flicked their tails in and out of the water. She stared in wonder. These were not like the violent and fearsome beings she had encountered on that first fateful day in Neverland. These mermaids were beautiful, innocent and calm. They played with each other, pushing each other into the water and diving off rocks, all the while smiling and laughing. Each face was more striking than the last, eyes of the deepest blue framed by their long, wild manes of hair.
As Emma's eyes roamed over the tranquil scene before her, they finally came to rest at a cover not far from the bay. For it was there that the singer of the tune she had heard was standing, also watching the bay with a careful eye. Slowly, the figure moved into the water, dipping its head under the surface. All the while, the humming went on, the echo of which buzzed around Emma's head. It wasn't until the figure re-emerged from beneath the crystal clear sea that Emma widened her eyes in recognition. Her dark hair ran sleek and wet down her slender, naked back, and her dark eyes reflected the white light of the moon, but her face was unmistakable. Serena.
She rose out of the water and gently lifted herself onto a jagged rock in the middle of the bay, revealing a long and glistening silver tail that curled around her, dipping slightly into the water. Emma drew back and gasped. The singing began again, led by Serena's melancholy solo on the rock which was then followed by a full chorus from the others present. As the melody came to a crescendo, the waters in the open ocean parted, revealing another of their kind, flanked on either side by what could only be described as white horses, created from the foam of the sea. As the song came to a close, the horses knelt before Serena and dissolved back into the depths below, leaving a young, fair-haired mermaid who sidled up to the rock beside Serena.
Emma watched utterly dumfounded. And completely intrigued. She moved closer, but was careful to remain hidden from view. She took a moment to congratulate herself on being right. Serena had lied to them. Or had forgotten to tell them her whopping, fish-shaped secret. Either way, Emma was sure of one thing. She could not be trusted.
It was late when Regina stirred. The sweat on her brow told her that she had had yet another fitful sleep. She lifted her head from the pillow and propped herself upright on her elbows. She glanced out the window and noticed a full moon, high in the night sky.
The sight of the moon had always made her feel safe, especially as a child. And in her current state, safety was something she very rarely felt any more. She sighed and leaned back, when a sudden and sharp pain in her stomach ripped across her like the tip of a blade. She yelped in fear, as a cold sweat broke out across her entire body. Panicking, Regina dragged herself out of the bed and made it halfway across the room before another pang forced her trembling legs to give way and she fell to the ground with a thud.
In her pain and distress, she cried out, the last word shed ever thought would cross her lips when the time came.
'Mother!'
Serena greeted the mermaid beside her with a soft embrace.
'Sister, I didn't expect to see you here. To what do we owe the pleasure?' she smiled.
The fair-haired girl stared furiously at her sister. 'Don't insult me Serena. You know why I'm here', she hissed. 'It's the only night you come back to the water, and you know full well none of us can follow you onto the island. I'm here to take you home', her hardness melted for a moment as she touched Serena's arm and sighed.
'You have responsibilities'.
This was not the first time Serena had endured her sister's please for her to return to their home under the sea. She was the only mermaid in their whole kingdom who could walk on land, though none could explain why. Nor could they explain why she would ever want to spent the majority of her time away from the water, especially to help a group of newfound humans.
After the King's death, there had been talk amongst the people that Serena's claim to the throne was invalid, as she had proved to them to many times that she didn't want to be amongst them, making her ill-suited to the title of Queen. Whilst this may have been true, Serena and her sister had fought the accusations, and it was now time for her to ascend to her rightful position.
Serena clasped her sister's hands and shook her head. 'Marina, I can't. These people need me. I can't abandon them, not when I'm so close to getting the information I need'.
'Your people need you!' Marina shouted, her eyes flashing a dangerously dark shade of blue. She had had enough of her sister's insolence. Whilst she was the elder of the two, their father had favored Serena ever since she was a child. He had handed her the crown to the kingdom on a golden platter and here she was shamelessly refusing a gift Marina would have killed for. It baffled her to no end.
'My dear,' continued Serena. 'Perhaps you should consider taking my place? Our people need a leader, someone strong and dependable. I just can't offer them my heart when it lies elsewhere. Do you understand?' Her eyes looked up at Marina pleadingly.
Marina looked back at Serena. The dark hue of her eyes had always disconcerted her, as every mermaid she had ever known had eyes that reflected the color of the waters from which they came. And unluckily for Serena, her sister was every bit the cold-hearted mermaid from legends of old, something Serena had never truly embraced. She turned to the younger mermaid and spoke slowly and purposefully, trying to get her message across plainly.
'You will stop this now Serena. You will be crowned in three days. If you have not returned by then, you forfeit the crown and my first act as queen will be to banish you from our realm'. She hesitated for a second before adding. 'Forever'.
Serena gasped in shock. She had never imagined her sister would be so drastic.
'You can't. You wouldn't. You know how important this is to me Marina. They could help me, I could finally find out who I am. Why can't you see that?' The younger mermaid held back tears as she spoke, praying that her sister would somehow find it within her to sympathize.
She was very wrong. Her plea only served to infuriate Marina's temper further. She turned to Serena and hissed.
'You are a mermaid, crown princess of our kingdom and my sister. If you want to spend the rest of your days on land, then so be it. But you must decide Serena. You're either with us or with them', she spat. 'Decide'.
Before Serena could protest, Marina raised her voice and turned towards the mermaids before her.
'The crown princess Serena has three days to return for her coronation. If she has not returned in this time, then I, princess Marina, daughter of the seven seas, will take her place as queen'.
The others gasped, some nodding solemnly in agreement, others too shocked to speak. Their kingdom was ancient, and the laws so upheld, no mere mermaid had the right to question royalty. There were those who supported Marina's claim to the throne, but most had known and loved the old king well, and knew he would not have chosen his youngest daughter to succeed him without reason.
'Do you, children of the great ocean, pledge to see this done as citizens of our great kingdom?' Marina continued.
As demanded by ritual, each mermaid lifted her hand to the sky and lit a sparkling ball of magic, symbolizing that she had heard and understood the proceedings.
'It is done'.
Serena was speechless.
In the distance, Emma, who had only heard the proclamation in all of this, watched the mermaids all glide back into the sea, following Marina back to their watery home.
Only Serena was left, sitting alone on the rock, her skin bathed in moonlight and her face filled with sadness.
Emma felt an inexplicable urge to go to her, to comfort her, but stood her ground and stayed put amidst the trees.
She watched as the lonely mermaid flicked her fin and dove into the cool waters, disappearing into the world that lay below.
When she regained consciousness, Regina found herself in a familiar place, a place she had once loved. The smell of fresh hay and leather crossed her nose and she looked about her. She was in the stable. The place where she had met Daniel, where he had proposed to spend the rest of their lives together, and where, in the end, her mother had ripped out his heart in front of her.
She stifled a cry at the anguish of the memory and looked down to where she lay. The hay bundled beneath her was wet and sticky. A voice from above suddenly caught her attention.
'How are you feeling darling?' Cora smiled and bent down, eye to eye with her daughter.
'I thought it would be fitting to bring you here' she continued. 'What better place to bring your bastard child into the world, than where your world was taken from you?', the older woman cackled.
Regina looked at her in horror. The pain was coming faster now, her insides twisting in knots, desperate to expel the intruder that had thus far been safely nestled in her womb. She silently envied the precious little life she had carried for 9 months, blissfully unaware of what was going on in the outside world. She grit her teeth as a wave of pain coursed through her.
'You see Regina, this is what love brings you. Pain. Hurt. Suffering' she watched as the young girl writhed on the ground, exhaling short, panicked breaths.
'What...do...you...want?' She managed to pant through the dizziness she could no longer keep at bay.
'I want to help you my darling', Cora bent down and stroked Regina's hair, almost tenderly. 'Now, it's time to push', she backed away as Regina held her breath.
She could no longer resist the pull from within her, each muscle contracting until her body forced her to push through the pain. She groaned and wept, caught in a haze of confusion and fear. Finally, as she closed her eyes and summoned the strength to push one last time, a steady stream of golden light emanated through the stable, heralding the birth of her long awaited child.
Dun Dun Duh! Thank you so much for sticking with this - I hope you're enjoying reading it as much as I enjoy writing! Any comments/feedback are very welcome! Next chapter will be uploaded soon :)