A/N: Sorry for the delay. I had some serious technical difficulties. I will update multiple chapters to make up for it. :)

Mentions of murder and suicide.

as always. Flashbacks are in italics.

Enjoy.

Chapter Three

Emma knew exactly who to go to when she had questions about dreams. As a paranormal investigator, it was always important to have contacts. People to give a bit more insight when they couldn't put all of the pieces together on their own. Neal's grandmother always had answers for things of the supernatural variety. She knew how to interpret dreams and she was in contact with the other side so, she could easily get the answers from someone who sees and hears everyone. Fiona refused to discuss supernatural topics over the phone so, unfortunately for Emma, she had to return to her hometown. The place where she was bullied and harassed for most of her childhood for being different and having the ability to feel and see things that others couldn't. Fiona Gold always told Emma that she was special and she should be proud of the fact that she saw the world the way it truly was. Emma was thankful for her gifts. She's not one of these people who are walking through life without seeing the spirits around them.

She never understood how people could think that a plate crashing to the floor when it's nowhere near the edge of the table could be a mistake, or the door slamming when there's no draft and all of the windows are closed could be the wind, or the footsteps in the attic could just be the house settling. The truth was right there. People just had to choose to see it.

Emma always did. Her eyes were always open.

There was no place she hated more than Storybrooke, Maine and if she wasn't so lost, she wouldn't even consider returning. Too many bad memories of getting bounced around from home to home. No one wanting to talk to her. No one wanting to be near her. This is the place that almost made her think it was wrong to be unique. If it hadn't been for Graham and Neal, she wouldn't have ever gotten through it. They were some of the only positive things about that place.

Emma's vintage yellow bug cruised the streets of the old sleepy town that seemed to be frozen in time. Everything still looked exactly the same as it did when Emma left. She didn't expect those small minded people to be very big on change though. Boring is good in their simple minds. Emma gripped her steering wheel tighter hoping she wouldn't see anyone that darkened her past when she was younger or better yet, they wouldn't see her. She would be so tempted to run them over with her car. Her shoulders were tense and her lips were pressed into a tight line. She always became instantly stressed when she returned to Storybrooke. She hated that place. Then again, who didn't?

She managed to reach her destination without incident. She pulled up to the old worn house ahead of her. The grass had grown out of control on the lawn. Vines had taken over the structure and the wood was chipping. It definitely looked the part of a witch's house. Fiona Gold was not a witch though. Wiccan was more the word for it. She dabbled in magic but mostly for healing spells. Good health, fertility, that sort of thing. She also could get in touch with the other side at times. When they were in a talking mood, that is.

She is the only one that would be able to tell Emma who this mystery woman was and whether Emma was going completely batshit or not. Emma wanted to know whether if that presence was real or if she had imagined it.

Emma hopped out of her car. Thankfully it was the middle of the day on a weekday so no one was out and about on the street for her to run into. She only wanted to see one person that day. She quickly headed across the sidewalk to the large house. She slowly opened the rickety gate causing it to yawn loudly. She closed it quietly and began walking up the path. She felt like she was walking through a jungle with the overgrown grass. She walked quickly for fear a wild animal would pounce on her and jogged up the porch steps. The old wood groaned under Emma's weight. She went straight for the front door and raised her hand to knock but someone clearing their throat caused Emma to freeze right there with her first raised in the air, mere inches from the door. Emma turned towards the sound.

Her frown turned into a smile when she saw Fiona sitting in a black rocking chair on the porch. The woman hadn't aged a day since Emma had last seen her a few years ago. She smiled at Emma and Emma grinned back.

"Hey Mrs. Gold." Emma said with a little wave as she stepped closer to the older woman. "How have you been?"

The woman chuckled. She was in a long form fitting black dress that stopped at her ankles and a black large vintage hat that covered most of her face. Her long dark hair was coming down her shoulders straight, giving off a bit of Morticia. "Well I was doing fantastic before you called me Mrs. Gold." She pointed out dryly.

Emma laughed. She never liked being called 'Ms.' or Mrs.' She claimed that it made her feel old. Although she is a grandmother that looks younger than her grandchildren but oh well. "Sorry. Fiona."

The woman smiled and nodded. "Would you care for a cup of tea?"

Emma nodded. "Sure." The woman waved a towards the rocking chair beside hers. There was a small table with a tray and a tea set between them. Emma sat down in the chair and Fiona began pouring her tea. Emma smiled at the woman and thanked her as she handed her the cup. "You knew I was coming by?" She asked.

Fiona smiled with a nod. "Well I didn't know it was you but I knew I was going to have company today. The spirits were abuzz."

Emma listened as she added sugar and honey to her tea. "Well, I need to know about one in particular."

Fiona nodded. She looked instantly interested. "Alright. Go on." She said leaning closer.

Emma sighed. "Okay. Well there's this girl who keeps visiting me in my dreams. She's been doing it for a while now. I can feel her and I miss her when I wake up. It's like I'm..." She trailed off. "Then the other day, she spoke to me while I was awake."

Fiona's eyes widened. "Really?"

Emma nodded. "I thought she was a dream until that happened."

"Wow." Fiona breathed.

"Yeah." Emma nodded. "What does it mean? Who is she?"

Fiona frowned and sat her teacup down. "Well it could mean that she is very real. She could just need your help because you have a gift."

Emma became instantly concerned. "Is she trapped?"

"She is. All spirits are. Trapped between life and death. Our world and theirs." Fiona explained.

Emma frowned. "What do I do?"

"What is her name?" Fiona asked. "I'm assuming she's told you her name by now."

"Regina." Emma replied. The witch nodded.

"Let's see what she needs." Fiona said as she turned around in her seat, straightening her posture against the back of the chair. Emma watched as the woman shut her eyes. "Hello." She whispered. There was a sudden gust of cold wind when Fiona apparently made contact. Emma looked around and noticed that the wind was blowing nowhere else but in that one area surrounding them. The grass was completely still and so were the leaves on the trees. The fairy pinwheel on the lawn didn't move either but the wind chimes were going nuts. The hair stood up on Emma's arms then and she heard faint voices whispering. "Not all at once." Fiona said firmly. "I'm looking for a young woman named Regina. She's been in contact with Emma Swan."

Emma watched on and Fiona fell silent and listened. The woman didn't move. "Excuse me." The woman said. Emma saw the smirk on her face. "Princess Regina."

Emma's brows rose. "What? That's her!" She hissed.

Fiona waved her hands towards Emma telling her to hush up. She tilted her head as she listened to what she was being told. She cleared her throat after a while then nodded. "Thank you very much. Farewell."

The wind stopped and everything was still again. Fiona slowly opened her eyes and exhaled. She looked at Emma with a smile. "What happened?" Emma asked automatically excited by the look on the woman's face.

Fiona sighed. "Well, I didn't reach a Regina but I got in contact with her sister. A Princess Zelena. She must have been very young because she whispered in my ear. Anyway..." She waved that off. "She said that your Regina is a Princess. She's younger than her. She's been that age for a very long time. She's unsure how long they've been trapped. She says that Regina is her baby sister and she's protecting her. Do not try to find them or bad things will happen." She frowned. "It wasn't a threat. It sounded like more of plea. Anyway. Afterwards she whispered that she had to go. She sounded so frightened. Then she left."

Emma just sat there absorbing it all. There was so much going on in her head at the moment. She didn't know where to begin. "Was there something dark?"

Fiona hummed with a nod. "There's a dark presence attached to her."

"That means that Regina is being held there?" Emma asked.

"Yes." Fiona replied. "But you should heed princess Zelena's warning."

"I can't." Emma said. She had to find Regina and free her. She couldn't ignore a cry for help. "Regina reached out to me for help because she trusts me and I intend to help."

Fiona nodded with a smile. "I hoped you would say that."

Emma chuckled. "I have to get in touch with someone who may know more about the history of the princesses."

"Hmmm..." Fiona hummed. "Have someone in mind?"

Emma chuckled. "Yep."

Fiona nodded and sat back in her seat. After a moment of silence she spoke again. "May I ask where my grandson is?" she asked curiously.

Emma hissed. Neal didn't want to return to Storybrooke. It was nothing against his grandma, in fact he adored her but they hated that town. Emma sighed and began rubbing the back of her neck. "About that..."


Emma knelt in front of the throne smiling up at the Queen. The woman stood there with a proud smile on her face. Her daughters were by her side as usual. Well, all except one. One was missing. They were currently waiting for the younger of the three to arrive. The princesses were off to the side giggling and whispering. Emma looked over at them to see them staring at her and she smirked. She was used to getting that sort of reaction from women. There aren't many female knights around so, she gets a lot of attention. She is also easy on the eyes and was covered in muscles. Everyone with eyes was attracted to her.

She looked to the side and saw the row of about four other knights. All male. Sure they were bigger than her but Emma was stronger, faster, smarter and an overall better warrior. None of them could compare to her. She's defeated most of them in sparring. The queen made an excellent decision hiring her.

The large double doors opened and a young woman came barreling into the hall. She was hoping on one foot as she put her shoe on. Emma chuckled at the sight of the very cute girl that looked a bit disheveled. She put her foot down and stood up tall. In a matter of moments the young woman was back to her regal demeanor. Emma smiled then looked up at the Queen and saw her rolling her eyes with a fond smile. The girl ran over to the podium and hopped up onto it in a very gracelessly manor. She curtsied and all of the knights including Emma bowed their heads.

The girl smiled at them but her smile fell and her eyes widened as they locked on Emma's. Emma smirked and gave the girl a wink. The princess blushed instantly causing her older sisters to giggle. Regina rolled her eyes at them.

The Queen cleared her throat completely disinterested or unaware of her daughter flirting. "Alright, You all have been summoned because you are the best." She announced. "My daughter Regina's personal knight has fallen and I need someone to replace him."

The knights all nodded. No one knows how the man had died. Everyone assumed that the queen had killed him. Why? No one knows.

The queen looked back at her daughter. "Regina, select a knight to serve you."

Regina frowned as she stepped forward. She didn't didn't bother to even look at the male knights. She walked right up to Emma and pointed.

"Her." She said and Emma looked up and smiled. The girl's cheeks turned a crimson red yet again and her eyes darted away from Emma.

The Queen nodded and waved a dismissive hand at the men. "You are all dismissed."

The other knights stood and gave the Queen and the princesses a bow. They all began filing out. Emma watched them go with a triumphant grin before turning back to the royal family. Regina was still studying her carefully. There was so much curiosity in her eyes and a hint of adoration. Emma wouldn't mind being the object of this princess' affections though.

She gave herself a moment to look over her new charge. She was adorable facially but had the figure of a goddess which was visible through the form fitting dress she had on. Curves in all the right places. Emma always had a thing for dark eyes and hair. That olive skin made her just want to touch.

"You may rise." The princess said. Emma stood and Regina's cheeks colored further and it traveled down to her neck when their eyes met.

"Thank you. It is my honor to protect you." Emma said with another bow.

The princess smiled shyly. "I'm sure you will serve me well."

"I will guard you with my life. I will always keep you safe." Emma promised.

Regina smiled wider and it made Emma's heart flutter. "I know."


Emma found a back booth in the little diner that she used to hang out in when she was younger. The place looked the same just like all of the other places but it was cozy in opposed to tactless. The woman that owned the place and her granddaughter were always nice to her. It had been nice seeing them again and they were pleased to see her. They told her that they watch her show and that they were proud of her. Emma loved hearing that. It actually made her smile. Since she didn't have parents she always wanted to make someone proud. Emma told them about her adventures and they hung on to every word. Granny, the owner of the diner chuckled and told her that she doesn't dabble in that sort of thing. Ruby, the woman's granddaughter asked if she could come on one of their investigations. Emma laughed and told her of course. Which was true. She didn't mind.

The three of them had time to catch up since Emma had missed the lunch rush. The three of them sat and spoke of their pasts. Taking a trip down memory lane. Granny's Diner was the best part about Storybrooke and no matter how hard Emma tried, she could never find another diner like it.

After a while a costumer came in and the two women left her to tend to them. Emma was left completely alone and took that opportunity to get some work done of her own.

She still had to do some more investigating. She popped open her laptop and opened Skype. She started a video call. She was trying to get in contact with her history source. Now that she confirmed that Regina was indeed a Spanish princess, she needed to know more about her. There was only one person who would be able to tell her what she needed to know based off of the little bit of information that she had.

The video call was answered and the woman's face and what appeared to be her classroom in the background, flooded Emma's laptop screen. The woman had on a kind smile and her bright blue eyes lit up even further when she saw Emma.

"Hey Professor Page." Emma said with a shy wave. The woman chuckled.

History Professor Mal Page was Lily's mother. Emma had met her shortly after meeting Lily. The woman was an expert on all history. Emma knew that she would have the answers she needed.

"Hello." Mal said in her gentle voice. "How are you, dear?" She asked genuinely interested.

Emma shrugged. "Ah, I've been better."

"Do tell." The woman leaned closer to the screen. Emma laughed. Mal sort of adopted Emma as her own when she found out that Emma never had parents. The woman had so much love to give and Emma ate up the attention. In opposed to Lily who just pushed her mother away. Emma never understood Lily. She would have done anything for a mom like Mal.

"I'm being haunted..." Emma said slowly as if she couldn't believe it herself. In a way she couldn't.

Mal frowned. "Well that isn't my area. Have you spoken to Neal's grandmother?"

Emma sighed. "Yeah." She said rubbing her forehead. "I saw her this morning. She told me that she couldn't contact her directly but she's a princess from a very long time ago." Emma watched the woman as she listened closely. "And I thought you could help me."

"Okay?" Mal said skeptically. She believed in spirits but she obviously didn't believe that they could find anything out about Emma's mystery woman. "What can you tell me about her?"

"Her name is Regina." Emma began listing off. "Fiona says she was killed but she doesn't know how. She also speaks Spanish in some of my dreams. She also has an older sister named Zelena."

Mal nodded. She got up and walked away from the screen. Emma waited patiently. She knew that this was a long shot but she had to try. Anything they could find would be helpful. She just needed to begin somewhere. Luckily for her Fiona contacted another source for more information before Emma left or she wouldn't have even known that much.

Mal returned with a large black book. Emma couldn't see the cover but she assumed that it was a history book or an encyclopedia. "A princess you say?" The woman asked as she took a seat. She opened the book and began flipping through it.

"Yeah..." Emma said. She watched as she turned page after page. In search of Emma's lost princess.

So much time had passed that she feared that Mal wouldn't find anything and she would be back to square one.

The woman looked up from the book and gave her a smirk. "Why would she take time out of her busy royal schedule to haunt you?"

Emma started laughing then and boy, did she need that. "Who knows. Maybe she's in purgatory and thought I could help."

"Perhaps." Mal shrugged. She continued her search in complete silence.

After a moment, she stopped flipping and read one of the pages. Her brows rose as her eyes scanned the page. She looked up at Emma and smiled. "Okay. I think this is her." She cleared her throat. "Okay this princess was one of three. She was the youngest. Her mother, Queen Cora, was the ruler over a small part of Spain called El Bosque Encantado. She inherited the throne from her late husband, King Henry. It was believed that she killed him to take the throne but it was never proven. She was a cruel woman and had tormented her subjects. She's even believed to have used her virgin servants or the servants' children for sacrifices to keep herself young, her daughters beautiful and the kingdom prosperous. It also says here that her youngest daughter, Regina fell in love with a female knight. A passage from her diary confirmed this and her lover's name was believed to be Arden. Arden was brave and true. Strong and her mother was pleased with her service."

"So what happened?" Emma asked. She needed to know everything.

Mal sighed. "It says that the villagers had an uprising. They broke into the castle in the dead of night and slaughtered the guards and knights. All except one, Arden. Arden was never found and she's believed to have escaped."

Emma felt a terrible knot in her stomach. For some reason she couldn't deal with the idea of Regina being murdered. "The princesses?"

"All killed in their sleep by their mother." Mal said without looking up. The woman studies history for a living of course she was unfazed. She's obviously read worst things.

"What?" Emma's voice rose an octave.

Mal shrugged. "The villagers were coming to execute them. Queen Cora killed each one of her girls in their sleep beginning with the youngest."

"How?" Emma asked. She really didn't want to know but she needed to.

"She smothered the youngest and stabbed the other two to death. She then killed herself." Mal replied.

Emma sighed and sat back in the chair. What the hell? No wonder that girl cannot rest. She is in pain. She was murdered by someone she trusted. She's obviously restless because she needs justice so she could find peace.

"I have to help her." Emma said seriously.

Mallory smiled. "I agree."

Emma nodded. "Thank you so much. You've been very helpful. I'll put you in the credits of the episode." she said the last part with a grin.

Mallory smiled. "Any time." She said. "Come by any time just to say hello."

"I will! and I will bring Lily!" Emma gave the woman a wave and Mal chuckled as they disconnect the call.

She blew out a breath. She needed to know more about this family and the location. Their castle. Emma minimized the tab for Skype and opened her browser. She quickly began searching the El Bosque Encantado kingdom. She got a lot of hits. All of which beginning with the word 'haunted'. She could imagine it being haunted. There were horrible things that happened within those walls. Murder, violence, cruelty. Perfect combination for a creepy haunted house. Emma smirked and clicked on one of the links. It was an article written by someone who entered the castle and stayed a little under an hour. It mentioned disturbances, screams and apparitions. It also mentioned a young brunette girl that would peek out curiously studying them. The girl was never violent however, her presence was easily felt. Emma knew that the person was speaking of Regina. The youngest of the three girls.

Emma opened more links and became more and more intrigued with the more she read. She read that in some cases people went in but never came out. That really got her attention. Those tales are usually false but fun to investigate.

She read as much as she could and she realized that it would definitely make a great episode. She wanted to get Regina to speak to her.

She could could give her fans an excellent show, save that princess and put everyone else to rest. That idea excited her. She grinned to herself. Besides, who doesn't want to go to Spain?

Emma smirked and picked up her phone and called Lily. It only rang a few times before her friend picked up.

"What's up?" Lily answered. She sounded like she had been sleeping. Emma looked at the time on her laptop. It was the middle of the day. Seriously? Showbiz has made her friends so lazy.

"Lily, call the guys. I'm on my way home. I have an idea for a super cool episode." Emma said unable to keep the excitement out of her voice.

"Wait, now I'm curious." Lily giggled.

That made Emma grin. "I'll tell you everything when I get home."

Lily chuckled. "Okay Em."

"Meet at my place?" Emma asked.

Lily hummed in agreement. "Sure. Call when you're close by."

"Okay." Emma said. "See you then."

"See ya." Lily said through a yawn. Emma rolled her eyes as they hung up.

She was excited to get to work. This was a whole new adventure and Emma knew that it would change her life forever. She could feel it.


Thanks. There's another update right behind this one.

Btw 'El Bosque Encantado' is totally made up. Also there is nothing historically accurate about this fic.