4. News
"So, as I understand it, this witch, Circé, is looking for something that is hidden here somewhere?"
Seren nodded, looking over at David on her left.
She had been sat on the Prince's right, while his wife sat facing her. Galahad was next to her, and along the long, insanely long table, was spread the rest of the Charmings – as she heard it said once or twice.
"Or so we have been told. This is why we have been sent here, anyway."
"And why you? Might I ask?"
Seren's eyes met Emma's a few places down the table. She sighed. "It appears we have assets that others don't. Galahad is a Knight of the Round Table, and being the son of his father, one of the best." Her friend blushed a little but didn't say anything. She carried on. "As for me, I apparently have very strong magic."
"How strong?" This time Regina, the Queen – but how could she be queen if David was reigning? – had been the one speaking up.
"The strongest, as I understand it. I was born out of True Love, which, I think, is very strong in this realm. And my mother was a Dragonlord, which adds to the magic."
"I see..." The queen nodded to Emma, who nodded back. "You seem, however, not to be very...aware of that power."
"I've never used it. Consciously. I didn't even know I had it until two weeks ago. It was quite a shock."
Emma snorted, a thing that was very unladylike. "Tell me about it."
Regina smirked. "We will teach you. Emma has had the same...hiccup a few years back, and I taught her. Now, she is even more powerful than I am."
"When I'm in the mood. Which I am not right now."
Snow White, across from Seren, rolled her eyes. "Emma..."
"Alright, I'll help, but this girl's mother didn't leave the best of memories in my head!"
Seren was tempted to pry answers off the princess, but a part of her just didn't care. What was in the past stayed in the past. So she merely smirked. "Fortunately for you, I am not my mother. Thank you for the assistance."
Regina nodded while Emma's grey eyes widened at being shut. "We will see you tomorrow morning, then."
A little further the line, Seren learnt that the whole court wasn't usually living altogether, but was gathered for an event: Princess Hope's birthday.
As it was, Regina and her Robin were living in a castle of their own, along with Roland and Henry and Grace sometimes – it had been very confusing to hear that Henry was the son of both Emma and Regina, but as always, she didn't pry.
Red and Jefferson also lived away, and that had Seren's heart constrict a little at the thought that the first person she would have liked in this realm would be away from her soon, leaving her alone in an unknown world.
But, the biggest news of that event was that, in fact, there was going to be a dance.
And Seren didn't hate anything more than dancing.
Which Galahad was really aware of.
The huge table had been pushed to the side – Seren's eyes had almost got out of their sockets as she witnessed the use of magic of Regina, purple and black – and an orchestra had moved past the guests, settling in one corner, soon starting a melody Seren didn't recognize at once, but that soon proved to be a waltz.
David took his youngest daughter, who was nineteen, as it happened, by the hand and brought her to the centre of the room, one hand on her hip.
The princess was whirling around as gracefully as a swan, weightless and light on her feet.
Something Seren would never be.
Soon, Snow White was brought to the dancefloor by Robin, while Regina was taken by Henry and Grace by Killian. Red pulled her Jefferson to one corner where he could turn on his heels and not knock everyone out with his rash movements. Emma remained sat on the corner of the table, looking perfectly at ease doing nothing.
When Galahad was pulled from his stance by Hope and David took Emma to dance, Seren was left alone.
Or not quite so...
"My Lady?"
Seren's eyes met those, blue as a pure sky, of the man facing her, his hand outstretched, a teasing smile on his lips, and shook her head vehemently. "No, I don't dance."
"I'm sure you do. You are a princess too, after all." He grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward, swallowing her yelp with a chuckle. "I promise I'm not that bad."
Seren tried, at first, to pry herself from the stranger's arms, but stopped wriggling as soon as she realised that he had been moving her around and twirling her into a perfect circle already, and that she was far from making a fool of herself.
Her hand fell to his shoulder, and he chuckled again. "Told you so. Now," he leaned forward, as if trying to tell her a secret, "why are you so afraid to dance?"
She sighed, a faint blush covering her cheeks at his proximity. "I was never good at it."
"Or perhaps you've never had the right partner."
She was about to answer that he was wrong, but he was in fact right. The way he was making her move, pace, whirl, and bounce around the dancefloor was not magic. He was just a very good partner.
So she smiled shyly. "Maybe. Thank you,..." She had forgotten his name, and his connection to the rest of the family, but fortunately, he was not bothered by the fact.
"Liam. I am Liam."
"Ah yes, Emma and Killian's son. I remember now. How old can you be?"
In her mouth, the question was genuinely curious. He didn't look much older than her, and not younger that Gad, and she was really curious. Which was not a normal occurrence.
He chuckled. "And why would you want to know?"
She blushed again, averting her eyes so she did not meet his. Across the room, she saw Galahad with Hope, his eyes locked onto her, his brow furrowed, an unknown expression on his face. "Maybe I am just curious."
Liam chuckled again, then stopped his movements as the melody ended. He leaned down to kiss Seren's knuckles, which sent another blush to her cheeks, then winked. "I am twenty-one, and single as a bird, my lady."
As he moved away from her, Seren found herself stuttering 'No, that's not what I meant' but he just walked away, joining his mother at the table, while she was hauled next by Prince David who requested a dance of his own – one she managed way worse than the one with Liam.
The evening stretched and ended, and soon, Seren found herself in her bed, thoughts buzzing in her mind.
First, she was going to have a lesson in magic the following morning and it scared the hell out of her.
Second, she had spent an entire evening in the skin of another, beautiful, desired woman and had liked it, and she wasn't used to being vain.
Third, she had danced. Well. In the arms of a man she barely knew...
And his eyes plagued her dreams.
Eyes so similar to Galahad's in colour, yet so different in the way they looked at her...
"No, no, you're not focussing enough!"
Seren sighed for the umpteenth time and opened her eyes.
Before her, a good yard away, was standing Regina, clad in her usual black, palms upward, while she stood with a rock in her own hand. Her aim was to move the rock from her to Regina.
And she had failed for the eleventh time.
"I'd really want to succeed, but...I don't know!"
Regina sighed and moved to her. She sported a small disabused smile on her lips, and her eyes darted to Emma, who was sitting on the edge of a fountain, not paying attention. "Seren... You don't know your power, but I can't feel it. Can't you?"
"Sometimes, I think."
The Queen smiled and put a hand over hers on the rock. "When, and how?"
"In my fingers...when I feel...when I feel..."
"When you feel what?"
"Lost."
Regina's smile faltered, leaving in its place a sympathetic look. Emma, who had decided to intervene, came to stand by her.
"Regina had anger. And I had instinct. You can have loss, but...it's kinda sad."
Seren felt a bubble of anger rise into her and glared slightly at the blonde woman. "Thanks for reminding me my life sucks."
Emma laughed without humour. "You are a little spitfire. No wonder why my son likes you."
Seren's eyes widened at the confession, and blushed, feeling warmth spread throughout her, from her toes to her fingers.
Regina hissed in pain and jerked back, her hand raising. "You burnt me!" Her eyes then locked to Seren, and she smirked. "What were you feeling right now?"
"Embarrassed?"
Emma and Regina chuckled both, while the younger woman stood, confused. Then the Queen looked over at her former student, and tilted her head. "We have a selfless person in the place."
"Great. She would just looooooove my sister." Emma rolled her eyes and disinterested herself from the scene, going back to her seat by the fountain.
Seren looked at Regina. "What does it mean?"
"It means that you are even more than True Love combined with Dragonlord. You are like...a fae."
"A fae? What's that?"
"Good sorceresses, if you want. They're quite rare. Because of their...habit to be infuriatingly perfect."
"I don't want to be perfect!"
Regina chuckled. "But you are. Embrace who you are. However it may hurt." She stepped back, and outstretched her hand again. "Now...move that rock."
Seren sighed and closed her eyes.
Her thoughts went to her mother first, and that sense of loss she felt whenever she did think of her. Then they went to her father and his bravery and the loss she felt at his death. Then, surprisingly, they went to her uncle, Mordred, and the life she would have had if he had stayed by her side.
And then they drifted. Loss turned to a magnificent shade of blue. Blue as a summer sky. Blue as the colour of Percival's cloak when she trampled with it and dyed it on purpose. Blue...as someone's eyes.
There was a yelp of surprise before her, and Seren knew that the rock had moved.
