CHAPTER 7
Cora stormed into the rooms that had been allotted to her. She practically burned with fury as she began to throw things around. She raged until she became breathless. Then she stood with her nails ground into the wood of her vanity. Her head was bowed and her shoulders hunched as she breathed heavily in and out. She was sure the marks would be permanent. She was still there when she heard the ridiculous cackling.
She didn't bother to turn around. She knew the imp well. They had even had what some would call a relationship of sorts. She knew who the true father of her children was. And the power of him not knowing made it all the sweeter to her.
She pulled herself up slowly. Rolling her shoulders before straightening them out. Then her neck as she raised her head high. She turned around to face him.
"Something troubling you dearie?" he continued that cacophony of giggling which had driven Cora mad when they were intimate.
She narrowed her eyes at the imp. "You knew it was going to be a girl didn't you?"
Rumple had been gifted with prophetic visions. Unfortunately he didn't always have all of the pieces of his visions so he didn't always know when, where or how they would play out. But this one, he had seen coming. He knew that Cora desperately wanted to use her grandchildren so that she could dispense of the King and usurp the crown. "Indeed," he put his hand over his mouth as he giggled some more.
Cora had spent most of the time that she had known the imp looking for chinks in the Imp's armor. But as the Dark One those were few and far between. So she had learned to be content with the awareness that knowledge was power. Therefore keeping her daughter's parentage from him was her way of keeping control over the situation.
Rumple was thrilled by the rage he saw written clear as day all across Cora's face. She had been a nasty little bugger who had actually managed to get closer to him than anyone before or since Bae. And that was something he couldn't forgive her for.
Cora drew herself up and crossed her arms over her chest. "What precisely are you doing here?"
"Moi?" Rumple pointed to himself. "I merely came to give my congratulations to the new addition of the royal family."
Cora narrowed her eyes. "You will not go anywhere near that child." She made a mental note to place a protection spell over the bedchamber. She wasn't even sure if she approved of him being this close to any of them. She knew he would love nothing more than to ruin her plans.
"But dearie, I've brought you a gift."
Cora schooled her face but her vanity won out and she stepped closer. "What is it?"
Rumple picked his way through the bedroom touching things here and there. "Why I bring word of another realm. The existence of a world where there is less death and sickness. Where people live happily in peace and freedom," Rumple teased her. He knew of Cora's narcissism and her need to control everything. He knew a place where people being free would whet her appetite for conquering. She was such a predictable and greedy thing.
"Where is this world you speak of?" Cora asked intrigued.
Rumple ran his hand along the dresser following the marks left by her fingernails. "Oh… a land in a far away place," he said offhandedly. "It's really of no importance dear. Only a powerful sorcerer can even conjure it up."
Cora knew she was being baited. But she also knew this land couldn't hold her for long. Even if she conquered all of the kingdoms, which she had plans of doing, she still thirsted for more beyond these borders. "And what did you want for this knowledge?"
"Dearie the knowledge is free of charge. I offer it to you as a gift for the birth of a royal. You really outdid yourself there," Rumple bowed then winked at Cora. He really was impressed that she had gotten herself this far. She was by far his best pupil. Although her daughter was proving herself to being a worthy runner up.
Cora's mind was already working in overdrive. She pressed her finger to her lips as she contemplated the meaning behind the imp's gift.
Rumple giggled maniacally as he watched the wheels in her conniving little head spin. He walked over to the window and put his legs over the windowsill. "Well dearie, I have done what I set out to do. Now I shall bid you adieu." And like that, he was gone.
Cora walked to the window and looked out. She wasn't worried about the imp. She knew he was fine. But instead she was taking in the hustle and bustle that was going on beneath her. She watched the peasants going about their day.
New lands to conquer. She had never really thought about it. But she had achieved what she set out to do in this land. Or come close to it.
Here her daughter was the Queen. She had taken the King's heart and appointed herself his head adviser but truthfully she understood Regina was in all essence the Queen. But if she could find her way to a new land, maybe she could become Queen herself outright.
She practically salivated at the thought of herself as Queen. With all of these measly peasants bowing down to her instead of her daughter.
Cora smiled as she looked down on the lowlifes. Her a Queen. During her time as the Miller's daughter and then as a lowly princess after she married a prince who was the fifth son and would never become king, she knew her destiny had yet to be attained. Now with the promise of this new land to conquer she knew that her story as a royal was just beginning.
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"She is beautiful Reggie. She looks just like you," Zelena smiled at her new niece. Though she understood her being in this world wasn't an ideal situation, she was glad that the baby was healthy and her sister had a spark of life in her eyes again.
"She's a really good baby Z," Regina crooned to her as she rocked her in her arms. "And since she's a girl, Mother won't waste her time bothering with her."
There was some movement out of view of the mirror. Zelena moved away for a moment.
Regina was still hurt over the fact that this was the only way she could remain a part of her sister's and daughter's lives. But until she secured her heart from Cora, even attempting to leave was pointless. It would do nothing but put her beloveds in danger. And it would serve no purpose except to increase her Mother's thirst for painful retribution over not having found Z and Zara already.
Protecting them was the only reason that Regina had agreed to Rumplestitlskin's proposition to teach her magic. She had always hated the magic that flooded her veins. It had reminded her too much of her Mother and from a young age she had always sworn to never turn out like her.
But if she could master magic, then maybe she could use it to get her heart back. That was the reason she sat through his ideas of teaching which included insulting, taunting, and humiliating her at every turn. Just as her Mother had before, he made it perfectly clear to her each and every day that she was a complete failure.
Z returned to the mirror with Zara. Zara has obviously just woken up from a nap. She had her head on Z's shoulder and it seemed like it was too heavy for her to lift it. "Mama?" her babygirl reached sleepily for her Mommy.
Tears of pain and anger came to Regina's eyes but she held them at bay. She didn't want a blubbering mess to be her daughter's memories of her. "Yes baby it's Mommy." She held up the baby in her arms, "Look you have a new sister. Her name is Reign."
"Raindrops?"
Regina chuckled, "No baby. But close. It's Reign."
Her daughter sat up and got as close to the mirror as she could while Regina held Reign as close as she could on the other side. Zara reached out as if she could touch the baby. Regina smiled on at the scene letting her heart fill with as much emotion as she could muster in her state.
As the two sisters became acquainted, Zelena looked over at her own baby sister. "Have you heard from Father?"
Leaving their father had been one of the hardest things for both girls. He was the only real parent they had. And they both loved him dearly. Regina shook her head sadly, "Not since the wedding." After her nuptials, her father had been sent away on the King's business as his new emissary. Regina knew her Mother had been behind the appointment. Even before removing his heart, her Mother had already managed to have the King's ear.
"Have you learned anything from Rumplestiltskin that could help finding your heart?"
Again Regina shook her head. "Everything with him is nothing but a mind game and a manipulation. When and what he teaches me revolves around him. I would never trust him to ask outright."
Zelena nodded. She trusted her sister's judgments. "We'll keep trying Regina. I'm not giving up and we're not going anywhere without you." Her eyes drifted to her new niece and she smiled, "either one of you." She put her hand up against the mirror.
Her sister mirrored her gesture. They smiled at one another. Though they were separated by space they would always be a part of one another. Regina knew that a part of her stolen heart lived in each of them there now. Her two daughters and the big sister who she'd always adored.
