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A special thank you to McDumbles for the motivation to write this today! Xo.
The journey to see Rumpelstiltskin was long, the weather was dreary, and aside from the sound of hooves on the ground it was quiet. Snow and Charming had only met with the Dark One one time since his capture, and the information they'd received from him was false. This wasn't a trip they wanted to be making, but they needed answers to the many questions they had and he was the only one with them.
As they approached the magic cage the Dark One was housed in, fear quickly set in; he was nowhere to be seen. Charming quickly mounted the torch in his hand on the wall and left his wife to move up close to the barrier, grabbing hold of the long bars and peered inside, all around. Suddenly Rumpelstiltskin fell from his perch up high and grabbed Charming's hands. A menacing, high-pitched laugh echoed off the walls as Charming ripped his hands from a scaly grip.
"Hello, dearies, what brings you here?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, looking from Charming to Snow. Almost immediately he saw the small bundle in Snow's arms. "Ah! Emma! She's here," he smirked knowingly.
"Yes," Charming said loudly, trying to gain the attention back from the imp, "she is and so are we. You said that all our fates were decided and that the Queen would cast a curse- that it would be terrible. Her curse failed; nothing is as you said it was going to be."
"Oh, don't sound so disappointed." Rumpelstiltskin rolled his eyes dramatically and clasped his hands together.
"We're not," Snow spoke up and stepped a couple of feet closer to her husband. "What we are is confused. Why did you lie to us?"
"I DIDN'T LIE!" Rumpelstiltskin yelled and grabbed the long bars keeping him locked inside. Within seconds, he regained his composure and smiled deviously. "The spell has been cast and it will be terrible. This is a complicated spell and there are many parts to it." His smile faltered for a moment, but it seemed to have gone unnoticed by the couple.
"So," Snow started, confusion written on her face, "what should we do with the Evil Queen?"
"Oh!" the Dark One jumped up and down, clapping, "I'm so glad you asked. You see, before I was put in this…lovely place, I made a chamber much like this one outside of the kingdom meant to house none other than her majesty."
"Why do I feel like the location to this chamber is going to come at a price?"
Rumpelstiltskin's shrill laugh bounced off the walls again. "You're smarter than you look."
"What's your price?" Snow asked, dreading where this was going.
"It's quite simple, really. My freedom for her entrapment," his reply came as if they should have already known.
"You've got to be kidding me. Why would we set you free? She's already powerless; we can just keep her locked up in one of our own chambers." Charming was growing irritated, his face reddening. "Come on, Snow. We don't need this imp." He reached for his wife, and just as they turned to walk away, another high-pitched laugh came from behind them.
"Chambers like these take time and powerful magic to build, Your Highness. And the Evil Queen will only be powerless until sundown. Time is not on your side." Rumpelstiltskin said, sounding bored.
Charming and Snow looked to each other and turned back around to glare at the Dark One.
"Come on, we both know how this is going to end…well, I do, anyway. Just say the magic words and she will be locked away where she can't hurt you or your precious family." An eager smile was taking place on Rumpelstiltskin's face and he began climbing the bars slowly in anticipation.
Charming and Snow looked to each other in defeat. They knew that there was no other way for this to go; they had captured the Dark One before, they could do it again if he overstepped any boundaries in their kingdom. Charming took his wife's hand and looked back to the scaly creature. "You have a deal."
18 Years Later…
Emma woke to the sound of birds chirping outside her window and a huge smile grew on her face. Today marked her eighteenth year and she was officially a lady in the eyes of the kingdom. She threw the thick blanket from her slim body and prepared for her day.
Usually she would have her servants help dress her and make her presentable, but today Emma was going on an adventure. She had never been the type of girl who cared much about elegant dresses and make-up anyway, so when she put on her riding slacks and a simple white shirt, she felt more herself and relaxed.
Charming and Snow had asked her what she wanted for her gift and all she really wanted was a day to be free from her responsibilities and to see more of what the world had to offer. While her parents were uneasy with sending her off without any protection, they granted her the one day. Surely, she couldn't go off too far within the course of a day? Not to mention, being the tomboy she was, Emma was well trained in swordsmanship, self-defense, and survival. She was a natural.
After looking over herself once more in the mirror and being happy with what she saw, she took off for the large banquet hall where she knew her mother would be. Lately, Snow had been on a redecorating binge and so far, she had half of the castle done. Emma didn't know what her mother's deal was, but it was becoming an obsession and she made a mental note to have that discussion with her when she returned.
When she opened the large doors to the banquet hall, she almost doubled over in laughter. Snow was standing on Grumpy's shoulders with a large picture in her hands. Her hair was tousled and everything about her situation was far from what was considered "royal".
"Mother, what are you doing?" Emma laughed lightly whilst walking up to them.
Snow placed the picture on the wall as Grumpy turned them to face Emma, a little too quickly, and Snow nearly fell from his shoulders. He looked up apologetically when Snow lightly tapped his head.
"Lesson for the day, Emma: If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself." Snow jumped down from Grumpy's shoulders and stood before her daughter.
"You know, Mom…you're not the young spring chicken you used to be… Are you sure you should be doing this stuff?" Emma asked, wincing at her mother's shocked expression.
"I am in as good of shape as I was back when I was your age, thank you," Snow reprimanded her daughter. "Now come here," Snow smiled and gathered Emma in her arms. "Eighteen! Oh, my sweet girl, when did you grow up?"
Emma laughed lightly and pulled from her mother's embrace. "It's been a long time coming."
"I know…" Snow trailed sadly. "Will you stay for breakfast? Your father will be down soon," Snow's voice was hopeful.
"I would love to, but I don't want to waste any of this day!" Emma smiled with excitement. At her mother's disappointment, she sighed lightly and took Snow's hand. "I love you. I'll be fine." Emma reminded her for what felt like the hundredth time.
"I know, I know." Snow patted her daughter's hand. Regaining her composure, she straightened her shoulders. "Okay, off you go. Remember, be back by-"
"By nightfall. I know, Mother." Emma finished for her with a small chuckle. "Bye!" With that, Emma took off in a small sprint, never looking back.
The royal dogs followed Emma to the far stone wall, the last remaining barrier between herself and outside of the kingdom. This is what she had been waiting for for years; it'd been all she had dreamt of for as long as she could remember. What wondrous things awaited her? Who would she meet? What would she do with herself all day?
Patting the dogs one final goodbye, she turned and exited the kingdom. Much to her disappointment, the outside of the wall looked a lot like the other side. She didn't really know what she expected, but it wasn't this. 'Maybe further in things will change up a bit!' she thought to herself.
Craving adventure, she decided not to take path that would lead her to other villages, and instead took off into the woods. She used the dagger her father had passed down to her to carve into trees so she wouldn't get lost along the way.
A few hours had passed and so far, the only thing remotely interesting was a family of small birds splashing in a little brook. They were cute, but she'd seen birds take baths many times before… With a sigh of disappointment, she sat down on a large rock to take a break, bringing her hands to scrub her face free of stress. She tied her hair up and stretched her neck from side to side, and was surprised when she looked to her left to see something hidden behind thick brush.
Curiosity getting the better of her, she rose to her feet and made her way over. The brush was hard to move, so she had to cut it away, leaving in its wake what appeared to be a makeshift door. She looked around to make sure there were no eyes on her (though she had been certain her parents actually let her have free range), and carefully pushed it open. It was heavy, but all of her training growing up proved itself useful.
The air was thick and there was little light in the dark cavern. Looking ahead, she saw that further in there was a small amount of light. With one last look towards the forest, she made her way inside, the anticipation of what she'd find sending chills up her spine. Quiet as a mouse, she crept up to what appeared to be a holding chamber, only something about this didn't feel right to her. Sure, it looked like the ones in her castle's dungeon, but it felt like there was powerful energy pouring off it. She had to squint to see what little she could, which was a dirt floor, a stone bench, and a single torn, brown blanket (if that is what one would even call it.)
"Careful, dear, you might give yourself a headache." The sound of a woman's voice echoed around her and made her jump in surprise. She couldn't tell which direction the voice had come from.
"Who-who is there? Show yourself!" Emma called out authoritatively.
Small, quiet footsteps made their way over from her right and she looked over. A little bit of light trickled in from the walls and when the woman came into view, Emma was shocked. She was expecting someone much more intimidating, especially for someone locked away.
"Who are you?" Emma asked once more, squinting when the woman moved out of the light again. She searched for what seemed like minutes and gasped when the woman emerged out of the darkness and right in front of her. The woman wore a small smirk and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Regina. Or as others may remember me, the Evil Queen."
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Xoxo.