"Your Majesty!"
It was the middle of the night when Johanna entered to her room and woke her up. She muttered something under her breath, because she was too tired and turned to the other side. All she wanted was to sleep for a little while. Why people could not understand it? Was she wishing for too much?
"Your Majesty!" The woman called her once again. "The guards... they found her. They found Ru..."
But Regina stopped listening as soon as her maid said that Ruby was found. To tell the truth she got out of bed so quickly that she felt dizzy. But she was not paying the slightest attention to it, because her niece was more important now. They found her!
She ran through the corridors of the castle, not knowing where her little puppy was – or not caring that the Queen should not run – but something told her that she was going in the right direction.
A few moments later she opened the door of the ballroom and sighed with relief when she saw her niece. Ruby stood near a table on which was food and merrily talked to the unknown to her knight. She slightly frowned, because the man had dressed the armor with the crest of her kingdom, and all the knights who fought in the war currently stayed in the Maritime Kingdom. Despite this, she smiled broadly and briskly walked to the girl.
"Ruby!" She said cheerfully, before hugging her tightly. She was happy that her little girl was back.
"Oh, it's only you." The teenager said coolly, before she broke the grip. "For a moment I thought it was someone important."
Regina blinked a few times, not really knowing what to do. Why her niece behaved in this way?
Did she miss something?
"What do you mean, honey?"
"What I mean is that I'm not interested in talking with my murderer."
Regina felt like someone just had punched her in the face. With the murderer? What was Ruby talking about? After all she did not kill anyone, and especially she did not kill her. If so, she would not talk to her right now.
"Ruby..." She knelt down next to her niece, but she was ignored. "Ruby... Ruby, honey, please, talk to me. I don't understand. Please, explain it to me. Ruby..."
"I hate you." The girl said with such venom that she wanted to cry. Her words worked like a knife, which very slowly and painfully cut open her heart. "And now leave me alone."
"Ruby..."
"Didn't you hear what she said?" She heard a familiar voice and froze. It was not possible. "Leave her alone!"
She slowly turned her head. Beside her stood a young, tall brown-haired man. She had to blink several times, when she saw him. It was impossible. Daniel could not be here. He was dead.
"Daniel..." She said quietly, unable to hide her astonishment.
"Regina." He said coldly.
"What's going on here?" She asked as she got up. "Why is Ruby behaving like this?" And what are you doing here? She added in her mind.
"She finally opened her eyes and realized who you really are."
"What?"
"Oh, don't be surprised, Regina." Daniel began sarcastically. "We all know that you're a murderer. A monster. Just like your mother."
She had no idea what is going on, but she felt that her heart began to break. She was not a murderer. She was not a monster. She was not... she was not like this woman. It must be a cruel joke. It must.
Because it cannot be the truth.
Or maybe it is?
"Daniel..." She said quietly, trying to control her tears. "I know you don't think that. You know me. I'm not anything like her... Daniel! Daniel, you know that I love you!"
The cruel laughter reverberated around like an echo.
"Love me?" The man looked at her with eyes so full of hatred that she stepped back slightly. "And what that love gave me? Only suffering and death. And it's all your fault!"
"No..." She shook her head, tears ran down her cheeks. "No... I didn't. I would never... You know!"
"Yes, Regina. You did kill me!" Daniel said sharply. "You gave my heart right to your mother so she could kill me. You're responsible for my death. And I will never forgive it to you!"
"Daniel..."
"We're done here, Your Majesty." He interrupted her and protectively embraced his niece. "And now go return to your perfect life and leave us alone. I'm sure you have much more important things to do than being in presence of the peasants."
She was speechless. She did not understand. Daniel. Her dear Daniel, always so supportive and lovely, now blamed her for his death.
Or maybe he was right and she was a monster?
CRACK.
She couldn't catch her breath, because suddenly she felt a strong pain in her heart.
Legs refused to obey her, and a moment later she fell to the ground, which caused loud laughter.
People gathered in the room started to make fun of her. They mocked her and shown her fingers and she could not say anything. The pain was too strong.
"I see that you finally found a place which suits you." She closed her eyes, when she heard her second husband's voice. "On the floor."
"Why do you say that?" She whispered. She could not bear it. Why everyone was against her?
"Because it's the truth." He said and she saw that he embraced his first wife and looked at her with tenderness. "Without me, you'd be nothing. You became the Queen only because my beloved Eva died. But you will never be like her. People will never love you as much as they loved her. Because you're your mother's daughter and you'll always be one."
She just bit her lips and shook her head. They lie. It is not the truth. It could not be. She was not a monster. She was not her mother. She was not Cora.
Unless she was.
"Can we go, uncle?" Ruby asked after a few moments of silence and wrinkled her nose, as if she smelt something stinky "Because I don't want to be near her ever again."
"As you wish, pup." Daniel kissed her head, before he turned to her once again. "Oh, and one more thing, Your Majesty." He said the words with such contempt, which she never heard in her entire life. "Stay away from my daughter. She deserves much more than you. My mother will take a good care of her."
"But Hermione is my daughter, too." She whispered so quietly that no one heard her. Not that they wanted to hear anything she says, that is.
"Now, come, pup. We're going to say hi to your mother."
And they left, being immediately followed by other guests. Nobody cared that she still lay on the floor and is unable to get up. Also no one paid any attention to her quiet moans. After all she was just a joke and not the Queen.
"Come back." She whispered. "Please, come back. Please, Daniel, don't leave me here. Please, come back. I can't lose you again. Please... I can't lose Ruby, too. Please, come back to me. Both of you. Please..."
"Pathetic." She heard a cold voice and slowly raised her head. Her mother stood in front of her, looking at her with disgust. "You're a pathetic little girl, Regina. I can't believe you're my daughter."
"Mother..."
"Just look at yourself, you stupid girl!" Cora interrupted her. "You're lying on the floor like some peasant, crying over someone who doesn't even love you. But then again, who would love someone as pathetic as you."
"I'm not..." She started but never finished her sentence. She was not strong enough.
"But you are pathetic. How many times I told you that love is weakness. How many times I taught you about it! And you... and you still blindly believe that someone can love you! You pathetic child. You stupid, stupid girl!"
She could not stand her mother's words and lowered her head. She was not brave enough to face her.
Because she was...
Pathetic.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Cora snapped and a moment later she was forced to look at her. She wanted to run, but the woman held her hair so hard that there was no chance.
"Please... don't hurt me." She begged as if she was once again a little girl. But then again. She almost always felt like a little girl when her mother was around. "I'll be good. Please, I'll be good!"
"You better be or heavens help me!" The woman hissed and a moment later she hit the wall on the other side of the room. She could only cry out in pain.
She lay on the floor, crying loudly, not sure how much time passed. She should be dead, not Ruby. Her little puppy did nothing wrong and had her whole life befor her. But life is a bitch and it loves laugh at your face.
"Regina!" She heard in the distance, but she refused to do anything. "Regina!"
The voice became more and more clear and a moment later she felt a hands on her shoulders. She cried once again.
"Regina!"
"I will be good." She cried. "Please, I will be good. I promise, I will be good!"
"Regina!" The voice said once again and gently shook her arms. "Regina! Regina, wake up!"
She opened her eyes widely, unable to see anything because of tears.
"It's alright, child. It was just a bad dream." Said the same voice, who called her a few second ago. "It was just a bad dream."
The Queen wiped her tears and only then realized that she was in her bedroom once again, and her mother-in-law whispered her soothing words.
"They hate me."
"Who hates you?" Cecilia was clearly confused.
"Ruby." She muttered and buried her face in the woman's chest. "She said that I killed her. And Daniel... Daniel thinks the same!"
And she started to cry once again.
"Oh, my poor child." Widow Lucas kissed her head as she continued massaging calming circles on her back. "It was just a bad dream. You did nothing wrong. It was not your fault. And we'll find Ruby. She'll survive it."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I know my granddaughter." The grey-haired woman smiled slightly. "She won't give up. No matter what, she will never give up."
"You think so?"
"Not only think but also know so." Cecilia kissed her head once more. "But I think you should go back to bed. You're tired."
"No." She gently shook her head. "I can't. Because I know that as soon I close my eyes, I will see it again. And I'm not strong enough to face it. Not yet, anyway."
"In that case I'll tell Johanna to bring you your breakfast as soon as it's ready."
"No." She said again. "There's no need. I will eat with everyone. And then I'll return to the forest. No, Cecilia, I must do it. I need to find her."
"Why you must be so stubborn?"
The Queen said nothing just smiled slightly and got up.
"I'll see you at breakfast." She said and went to the bathroom.
In the meantime Widow Lucas sighed heavily and looked around. The room was a real hell and she knew that her daughter-in-law's head is just the same. Also she knew that Regina cannot face it alone or soon she will break. She may be strong but everyone has a limit pain. And this girl already lost so much in so young age and also has a lot of things on her head. Including war.
Breakfast passed in silence. Regina was too lost in her thought to care about anything and Snow did not have the courage to say anything. Her best (and most likely only) friend has not yet been found, and it was all her fault.
Hermione, on the other hand, was too disoriented, but she knew better and preferred not to say a word. Her sister was still sad and her mother barely ate. Maybe she was only two years old, but she could feel the tense atmosphere. And Cecilia from time to time carefully watched her daughter in law.
"I'm going to the forest now." She said as she got up. Then she knelet down next to her younger daughter and immediately remembered Daniel's words. Stay away from my daughter. "I want you to stay with Cecilia while I'm not in the castle, and be a good girl. Can you do it to me?"
Hermione put her spoon on the table and looked intently at her mother. Then she slowly nodded.
"Yes, mommy."
"Good girl." She said as she got up once again and kissed her forehead.
The Queen turned her head and looked at Snow. The princess sank back in her chair as soon as her gaze met his mother's and lowered her head. She wanted to be everywhere but here. Besides she felt so guilty.
"Come, Hermione, let's go play." Cecilia said to her younger granddaughter and put her on the floor. Then they left the dining room, so Regina and Snow could speak in peace.
Regina watched her older daughter for a few long moment, not exactly knowing what she should do now. The truth is that she wanted to go to the forest and completely ignore teenager (oh, her mother loved to do it. Especially after she punished her severely), but she knew that she could not do that. Snow felt guilty and she knew it, but the problem was, that she did not know how she should act now. She did not want her daughter to feel the same way as she felt when she was in her age (or even now) – worthless.
She cleared her throat.
"So..." She started, but immediately stopped. She had no idea what to say. "So..."
The princess carefully raised her head.
"Listen, Snow..." She began, but once more stopped. She really had no idea what she should say. Regina sighed heavily and sat down next to her daughter and made her to look at her. Then she gently grabbed her hands. "The truth is that I don't know what I should say. My mother, Cora, she believed that words are useless and she prefered to use her magic instead. But I want you to know that I love you no matter what. I'm disappointed how you behaved yesterday, that's right, but it doesn't mean I don't love you or love you less. And also it's not your fault that Ruby is gone. It no one's fault. Do you understand?" Although it's my fault. She added in her mind.
The girl bit her lips, but undid it as soon as she saw her mother's hand, and slowly nodded.
"I'm really sorry, mother." Snow said quietly and lowered her head. "I... I was just so mad and Ruby was the easiest target. I never should say it. Can you forgive me?"
"I know, sweetheart, but you said it." She smiled slightly. "And I'm not the person you should ask for forgiveness."
"I know, mother. I'll apologise to Ruby as soon as she returns. As I should do at the first place..."
"That's my girl." She said and kissed her forehead. "But we'll talk about your behavior later, young lady."
"Yes, mother." Snow smiled slightly. "I love you."
"I love you, too, dear."
Regina hugged her little troublemaker. And before she had a chance to got up, Johanna entered to the room.
"Your Majesty!" She called and took a deep breath. Both, the Queen and the princess looked at her. "The boy... He... He found her. He brought Ruby!"
TBC
So... Any idea who found Ruby?
And as always a big thank you to RowArk.
Until next time,
White Little Devil
