Regina folded her arms abruptly, looking like a child that wasn't getting their way. "What did you say to him?" She scoffed softly, trying to maintain every bit of her strict and discrete 'Evil Queen' attitude as she proceeded asking questions. Tension lured in her body posture as she stood as still and as stiff as a board. Gradually, she stepped back from the blonde who was now randomly removing her sword from her sheath.
Emma shrugged gently, bringing up her sword slowly and pretending to admire the craftsmanship. She was slightly trembling for the first time, but still held her strength. She was fearful of how Regina would react to the answer she was about to give. The blonde mumbled something softly under her breath, barely even a whisper.
Regina grew agitated now, bringing her hands back to their resting place on her hips; elbows jutting out again in their precise ninety degree angle. "Emma, I assure you, I'm no mouse. Now, speak up!" She quipped loudly, emphasizing dramatically on the 'speak up'.
The brunette eyed Emma, who was now returning her sword back to its warm resting spot. "I thanked him," the blonde spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper, "and told him I'd take it under-" "Consideration!" Regina snapped sharply, making Emma cringe at the harsh tone to the queen's voice. "Emma. You can't be serious! He's a trickster! An imp! A bastard! Come to your senses!" The brunette was franticly trying to persuade Emma of Rumpel's cruelness. Her nails dug into the fabric of her dress as the grip on her own hips tightened.
Emma raised a brow, a look of blatant confusion sprawling across her face. "Regina, why in hell do you care so much about what I do? And you're no kind soul may I remind you, 'Evil Queen'!" The blonde stepped forward while questioning the woman, crossing into her personal space quite efficiently. Her eyes burned with anger, yet her facial expression read confusion.
Regina's mind reeled, she needed an excuse, and fast. The queen saved a moment by adding in a dramatic eye roll and then planting her gaze onto Emma's heavy green eyes. "I need someone to run this castle's guards. If you leave I'll have no one to do so!"
What the hell? That's the best I could do?, Regina criticized herself in her mind for such a foolish retort.
"Wow," Emma quipped, sheer sarcasm in her tone, "that's such bullshit and you know it!" Emma stepped back and maneuvered her way around the queen, ignoring the brunette's angry gaze then she froze and turned to look back at Regina.
Regina's lips curled back, revealing her perfectly white teeth, and a small gap between her top and bottom teeth. Her hands hadn't left the spot at her hips and she spun around quickly to glare at the blonde.
Emma dug her hands into the back pockets of her jeans, clearly annoyed and aggravated. "Can't you just tell the truth for once in your life Regina!" The blonde spat, fury residing over confusion. Her eyes narrowed onto the woman before her, anger filling the once docile green eyes. "Rumpel offered me a home! This is a job, not a home! You're no home, you're like a prison!"
Regina's rage melted at Emma's harshness for a moment. A look of hurt and shock filled her emotionally, yet her face was expressionless. She fought herself to restrain tears. I'm a prison?, the brunette thought to herself, a tremendous feeling of sadness sweeping over her.
"A prison . . .?" Regina spoke up, her voice trembling under a soft whisper. Her hands had finally fallen to her sides and the expression on her face now made her look like a helpless child. Her heart ached, not only because of the fact that Emma said that, but that she felt that way and Regina thought she'd done so well on protecting something she loved.
Loved. Regina swallowed hard, and her stomach flipped at the thought making her feel quite nauseas. She had admitted it to herself after all this time. She in fact did love Emma. Yet, her actions were hurting her more than helping and it began to break her. It felt as if a hammer had hit her heart.
"Yes. A prison." Emma groaned gently, annoyed at repeating herself. Regina opened her mouth to speak, but quickly bit her tongue, not knowing what exactly to in fact say. Instead, she resulted to the only thing she did know and relied on well… Magic. She brought her right hand upward and swiped it swiftly to the left.
Fetters appeared around Emma's ankles and wrists and the blonde stumbled backward. She remained standing after a moment. Thankfully, she was able to maintain her balance despite her restraints. The fetters were a sparkling silver and were tightly clasped around both her ankles and wrists so much so that it felt as if she couldn't feel her hands or feet.
"Regina!" Emma snapped loudly, anger clearly ravishing through the blonde, "Stop! I told you I hate magic!" The blonde growled, trying to shake herself from the fetters on her wrists to absolutely no avail. Fear suddenly embodied the blonde as the queen walked forward towards her.
"You will not leave here until I say!" She demanded, harshness, yet hurt, in her tone. "You will not leave this castle. You will not leave…," she froze for a minute slightly shaking her head and looking in the blonde's green eyes, "my prison." Her lip curled back as she tried to act as menacing as possible still, her teeth shining in the light from the fire. "Guards!" Regina shouted, her voice echoing through the chambers. Emma looked hopelessly into the brunette's brown eyes which glistened with restrained tears.
After a moment, two guards appeared. Each clutched onto one of the blonde's arms. Emma tried to shrug and shove them off, but it was no use, she was a prisoner. Regina's prisoner; the Evil Queen's prisoner. "Take her to her bed chamber," Regina snapped, still eyeing the blonde who would not even look at her now, "lock her doors and make sure she never leaves!" A sharp breath protruded from the queen's mouth and a lump formed in her throat as she continued to force back her tears as she watched.
The guards tugged back on Emma's arms as she helplessly feel backward onto her heels. They began to slowly drag her by her arms out of the main chambers to hers.
Regina swallowed silently as she tried to hold her strong mentality as someone she loved was treated so roughly because of her.
Finally, Emma glanced up just as they were about to exit through the doors and eyed the queen. Her anger had subsided and it looked as if she'd just had her heart broken. Her eyes were red and shimmered with tears.
Regina shook her head slightly and watched as the doors finally slammed shut and she was alone. She let out an exasperated breath as she tried to regain her strength. "I'm sorry," she whispered under her breath shakily while turning to watch the fire dance in the fireplace.