A/N: Another update, you guys. Any suggestions for what should happen? I'm thinking we should get some visitors soon… ;)
"This is really good. Thank you." Arna mentioned, giving a grateful smile to the Queen. She smiled back as if proud and tilted her head. Arna glanced to the twins to see they were wrestling on the floor behind her chair. They had done so at Arna's instruction to stay close and not to go anywhere upon learning they had finished their bottles of formula up. Luckily they still had enough play in them for more stalling- she was still trying to figure out what to do when they saw the Queen.
Arna glanced down at her food once more, still hungry. Pressing the fork into a chunk of saucy, seasoned meat she raised it up. Just before it made it to her mouth so she could even eat it, her arm jerked hard enough to slam said food to the back of her throat. The Queen watched on in silence, confused at Arna when the girl swallowed the food whole, having been forced to. Her eyes watered at the effort to keep from coughing. She was not going to go into a fit right in front of the Evil Queen version of her mother. She was bad enough as a good queen when it came to manners.
After a good few moments Arna wiped her eyes free of accumulated water, breathing a small sigh. She didn't know why her arm jerked for no reason or why it was still tingling at the elbow. Perhaps it would do if she was simply more careful…
Looking back down at her food, she twirled her fork thoughtfully, regarding the plate now, as a battlefield. She needed to win and keep herself from jerking again if she wanted any respect at all from the Queen. If she even had any in the first place. Still, once was enough.
Dinner had consisted of strange silences, strange small talk and… familiar food. Arna recognized the first round as a salad her mother loved. Arna hated all salads but ate that particular one without complaint simply because her mother loved it. The second round was a dish of meat and come herbs with seasoning and such. Potatoes were on the side; wine came with and was served at room temperature. She tried to mention she was too young for alcohol but the Queen waved it off. The third round, which they were currently working on with another silence, was some fruit and more seasoned meat- this time instead of chicken it was beef. Both her and her mother shared a secret carnivorous side, which Emma wholly agreed with of course, but Henry always seemed fond of other things. Like soups or pastas. Mac and cheese being an example.
"You have answered many more than three questions, Prophet. Did you formulate that rule to come up with lies for my future questions?" the Queen said this so conversationally, one would think she was asking about the weather. Arna sighed to herself inwardly, thinking she must've been very desperate to find fault in her, as with everyone else.
"No. When I gave that rule I meant it as one to answer questions pertaining to future events. Telling you about myself or giving background information doesn't count as long as it doesn't change the course of the timeline." She raised a brow at the explanation but Arna forged on.
"If you were to ask me the color of my mother's hair or how many siblings I have it would be a very ridiculous and unnecessary thing to count those answers. In my opinion, at least. Still, there are some things I can't tell you the truth about." Arna added, shrugging and looking down at her plate of food.
The Queen kept her neutral mask and said, "Oh?"
Arna looked back up at her and smiled sadly, surprising the Evil Queen once more. "I can't tell you specific names- and I mean ones that will alter things drastically- such as mine or my mother's. Or my other mother's. I can't really name specific times, point out places or exact things that will happen- once again, that would change your future. Personally I like it the way it is."
The Queen's eyes flashed, "And what, exactly, is my future?" she asked darkly. Still, the girl was not afraid. Mostly. She only smiled again, showing her what looked like genuine… something. Regina had forgotten what that look meant.
"One you won't believe." In a flash, the Queen shot her hand forward and up, raising the girl in the air. Her patience was thin and she had been on edge for a good few days before summoning whoever this girl was. Her sigh and the look of longing at her plate of food robbed the Queen of her usual feeling of power when manipulating people so. Who was this Prophet?
"Tell me." she ordered venomously, scowling at the girl. The two toddlers looked on and kept quiet but their faces of longing aimed at their sister pulled toward her heart. Slightly. Regina was keeping herself from harming the three mysterious children simply because she didn't feel the need yet. It had nothing to do with her growing affection for the tiny, misplaced family. She didn't like them at all.
"I would love to, seriously, but if I do you won't believe me. And this would count as your third question/answer today by the way." The girl replied. Her lack of fear was both admirable and intensely aggravating.
"I don't care! I will choose to believe what I will! Now, tell me." she ordered once more, drawing out the last words dangerously. The girl sighed in defeat. Why she wasn't fighting her hold on her with her own magic, Regina didn't know. But the thought just occurred to her that she could have. Were they somehow close in the future? What this why the girl refused to feel fear toward her, or hate her for being the Evil Queen? What did the Dark Curse do, then?
"Fine." she grumbled. Regina smirked and set her back into her seat seeing she had won just as she always did. "Your future is what you always wanted. There will be a certain reunion with one you have lost- two, actually- and you will be happy. You will have some troubles, but no life is without them. The end result being, at least where I am with you in the timeline, you have a family, love and a happy ending."
Regina jumped up in her chair; glaring so hard down at the girl with her bared teeth she was shocked at herself for so much ferocity.
"You lie!" she roared. The girl shook her head sadly while the two children clamored for her lap. She held them to her chest to keep them from whimpering and she turned her almost helpless gaze to the Queen.
"I said you wouldn't believe me. And you don't have to. I'm saying that that's the future I come from; only if you initiate the Dark Curse and do things the same way the you that I know did. This is all that I can say." She explained, telling the truth as far as Regina could tell. A wash of grief and memories filled her mind, and she broke from the glare she had on her face, instead adopting a look of confused grief.
"But- that is impossible." Regina tried again, sinking back into her chair. A reunion? With two loved ones she had lost? Could it be…? Daniel and her beloved little girl, Arna? Now that she thought of it, this Prophet looked just like her, older of course, but just like her. What was this future? She wanted to see it for herself. She wanted to know everything she could. She wanted so badly to simply skip the time it would take to get to this impossible future.
They were silent for the rest of dinner.
…
"We still haven't found anything." James sighed, dropping another book to the pile he'd gone through, looking for any sign or way to get Arna back. They were all in the study; Regina, Emma, Snow and James. All had their own piles- even Henry was trying to help, though he'd fallen asleep minutes before.
"Two days and still…" Snow breathed, rubbing her temple as she concentrated on the open book in her lap.
"We can't give up. We won't. I can't." Emma growled, more to herself than anyone, flipping hard throughout the pages in her own spell book. Regina glanced up at her and saw the matching dark circles and set concern to her own. The both of them had already barely slept or moved from their spots in the room since they entered two days before and neither had any want to leave until they found the solution. It was beginning to slow them down.
Red ran in then, breathing heavily. Everyone looked to her except for Emma, still staring furiously into her pages. She hadn't looked up in hours.
"I'm back, everyone, I got the news!" Red breathed, wasting no time in rushing over and taking a pile of books from James who was currently finding more for himself as well. She collapsed to the chair in front of the fireplace facing the others and took another breath. Tears were evident on her face but they had dried recently. She must have run there to meet them- the guard sent to give her news had only been gone since the afternoon. Regina knew the girl was in love with Arna, but neither of them had mentioned anything to the other. It was reminiscent of her own relationship with Emma those two years before. She sighed sadly, feeling her heart ache for her lost children.
Regina could only hope they were alright.
A/N: Kind of a filler here, but some stuff will happen next chapter- just hang on with this for now. Anyway, I hope you like it so far. Any questions or suggestions you have and I will gladly respond to them whether they are reviews or PMs.
See you soon!