"Riders approaching! White flag being flown!"

Regina heard the muffled yell from the walls and started to walk toward the front courtyards. As she moved several of her personal guard fell silently into step behind her. Navigating the apple trees meticulously placed among the grounds her heels echoed on the pathway. By the time she had reached the gates her entire guard flanked her. Never before had she felt it necessary to have such a large entourage, but desperate times called for such measures. The announced riders were stopped just short of her wards, both looking worn and worse for wear. As she took them in and their flown flags she had to bite back a sneer; a white flag of peaceful intent and the flag bearing the crest of the House of White.

She waved a hand at her captain standing above on the battlements.

"State your business, riders"

The rider on the right gracefully dismounted and removed his sword, placing it on the ground along with his helm. King James had come to pay a visit. Immediately Regina's heart began to pound in her ears. Something wasn't right. If they were finally attacking James wouldn't be here with only a guard to protect him, flying a flag of truce, at her doorstep nonetheless.

"I am King James, I come seeking audience with Her Majesty."

Unable to control it Regina's eyebrow lifted in slight surprise. James had never acknowledged her title. People tried to make it sound like she had titled herself; forgetting not only that she had been born into royalty, but she had married into it as well. When Snow had ascended to the throne in Whitevale, she had returned to her own castle in Milnia. Flicking her eyes to Captain she nodded her head for him to raise the gates. With her wards still in effect there was no way for James to enter the castle grounds and with no army backing him she would at least hear what he had to say.

Watching the gates rise from beside his horse James couldn't say that he wasn't a little nervous. It was a huge risk to come here alone, but it was the only way he could guarantee an audience with Regina that didn't end in a full blown war. With military precision ten guards moved in strategic positions between the King and the castle walls. Only then did he hear the click of booted heels followed by two more guards. What he expected to see, finally laying his eyes on the Evil Queen, was not the countenance that he was presented with. He had been prepared to encounter the exact person who had stood over his body so many years ago; flamboyance and elegance wrapped around a beautiful face with the darkest of hearts. What stood before him seemed to be a muted version of that person. Regina still stood regally with an unemotional gaze, but the sneer he always associated with her visage was nowhere to be seen. Her finery had been reduced to the fine gold stitching on her jacket and leather pants; matching the gold on the simple tiara that adorned her short wavy locks. Gone were the slight lines that had graced her face in Storybrooke; the return of magic made her look no older than Snow or himself.

Her cold voice finally cut through his ruminations, "Are you here to stare, Charming, or did you come with a specific purpose in mind?"

He immediately snapped his eyes to hers and couldn't help but shiver when her cold stare took him in.

"I need to speak with you, Regina."

She looked around herself and spread her arms, "Here I am. Now talk."

He surveyed all of her personal guard, as well as the soldiers adorning the walls. "Is there somewhere private we may speak? What I've come to discuss isn't for all ears."

She studied the man before her and that's exactly what he was, just a man. Whatever it was that he had to discuss must be desperate because never had he nor Snow come to her proclaiming peace and wanting to speak. It was usually quite the opposite she thought with a slight curl to her lips.

"Very well, but you leave your man here. You may bring your sword, wouldn't want you completely defenseless, now would we?" With that she waved her hand and lowered the ward enough for James to enter and follow her.

Leaving her guards at the gates with only two of her Lieutenants trailing behind the two royals, Regina entered her study allowing James to follow before shutting the door. Walking over to her desk she turned to lean against it and eyed the King. "Well?"

"They're not here are they?" he asked with an evident tone of disappointment in his voice. Running a hand through his hair he merely looked at her.

"Who's not here, dear?" she huffed in slight irritation, "It's just the Evil Queen and her guards."

Watching her closely he saw a quick flicker of sadness in her eyes as she said it, but just as quickly it was gone. "Henry and Emma?"

Immediately she stood rigidly straight, "What about Henry and Emma?" With quick steps she was immediately in his face and had grabbed his arm in a tight grip. "What's wrong with my son?!"

He tried not to flinch at her quick approach or at the strength with which she grabbed his arm. They had hoped, as wrong as it sounded, that his daughter would be with Regina, but based on her reactions he knew that what he was seeking was not being held within this castle.

"They're missing, Regina. No one has seen them since the return and since there has been no noise from your side of the realm we had hoped that they were here with you. We've had scouts scouring the Enchanted Forest and all that we found was this," he said handing Regina the item he had been concealing in his hand.

Looking down at what James had placed in her hand Regina felt a sense of dread overcome her, one so strong that she couldn't even school her features. In the palm of her hand sat Emma's Sherriff badge.

She looked up at James closing her fingers on the badge so tightly she felt the points draw blood on her palm. "What do you need? We have to find them, find them before far worse than the Evil Queen does."