James watched nervously as soldiers bustled to move into rank and form. Five Kings stood across from the prince, James' 'father' having declined his call to arms once he had discovered that the message listed James as the commander of the joint campaign.

Midas glared at James and the younger man coughed and looked away. Abigail had been forced to tell her father that they did not intend to marry and Midas assumed that James had spurned her, staying to aid the effort to stop Queen Regina, but not necessarily to work with James.

The final King was unaccounted for and none of the messengers had returned, so the combined forces had decided to move on without him. James looked from one regal disposition to the next, keeping his own head up and back straight as they did.

Now that they had come this far, James felt overwhelming pressure on his part to perform the role of the legendary war general that would lead them all to victory; the only problem was that James didn't know the first thing about war beyond what he had read in a few books while the armies amassed.

He was bluffing, and if even one King caught on to that fact, James would be responsible for ruining everything they had all worked for. As it was, he still worried about his own adoptive 'father' and what harm the disgruntled King might cause with a simple letter stating James' real heritage.

James forced himself to calm down; that particular King wouldn't dare reveal James as a fraud, since doing so might reveal that he himself had lied not only to Midas but to his entire kingdom in setting up the false prince.

Midas stepped forward, not allowing James to avoid his intense eyes, "You have yet to tell us how you wish these many various platoons to coordinate their efforts. These men all have very different experiences, as I'm certain you're aware, and we need to be certain that veteran and novice alike are placed where they will be used best."

James resisted the urge to pull at his collar, feeling as if the air surrounding the castle balcony overlooking their forces was entirely too hot, but knowing that it was only his own nervousness that created the heat.

James pointed out at a group north of them, "I would like a textbook formation to start with; foot soldiers marking the front ranks, archers in the back and Calvary protected but ready to charge mid-pace on either side."

Midas' tone was flat, "I assume that you plan something more original once we have engaged? And how do you plan to relay messages in the heat of battle concerning a sudden shift in the lines you might desire?"

James paused, meeting Midas' icy gaze and replying gruffly, "We will reconvene tomorrow with my plan of action and all of the particulars. But I will tell you now that I intend to have each of you commanding your own division of soldiers, to better temper decisions that need to be made on the spur of the moment."

Midas gave him an irritated look, "While I do not deny your skill as a swordsman personally, your execution of orders already seems flawed; how do you plan to organize the efforts of six commanding officers across such as vast regiment?"

James smiled, doing his best to seem convincing, "Just leave that to me."

"And that is why I need… some help."

James sat despondently on the rich couch in the rooms that had been granted to him by Belle's father. Belle herself was in the gardens lulling the giant to sleep for the night with the beautiful music of the harp, the melody of which had become famous within the castle.

Snow, Abigail, and the dwarf Grumpy sat across from him, the latter having insisted on coming to keep Snow safe from further attempts on her life. They all sat considering a while, and finally Snow piped up, "I might know someone, but he's a little… eccentric."

James looked up hopefully, "That's wonderful; I'll take what I can get! Who is this man?"

Snow smiled, "Well, not a man… precisely…"

Regina stood on the highest tower of her castle, a pristine monument to her deceased husband's ideals whose beauty was somehow darkened by the long solid black banners that fluttered from its windows and flags. Each bore the personal sigil of Regina's previously all but forgotten family line, which now consisted of only her and her father, Henry.

The Queen's brow drew down even as her mouth curled into a vengeful smile. All knew her family now, though, and all respected, even feared the symbol of her house. Her smile faded as she purveyed the assembled hosts who camped upon her land on three sides, a large armada of enemy ships guarded any escape by sea.

Regina almost laughed at the thought that they might believe she would be attempting to row herself to safety. As if she had anything to fear from men with swords, no matter their numbers. She turned away from the window, looking to her dark-haired father, who watched her solemnly, "Please have the mirror inform me when they finally get their courage up enough to run into their own death."

Henry nodded to her in his quiet way and turned to watch the horde of troops below. Regina moved down the stairs of the tower and then further than that, all the way to the very lowest corners of her dungeon, where she paused to look into a dark cell.

Rumpelstiltskin approached the bars of his prison and gave her an earnest look, "I thought a lot like you do now not so long ago; the people obviously don't want your rule, and there is no reason you can't abscond your throne peacefully."

Regina leaned close, her voice venomous, "If you thought anything like me then you know that I would sooner die than bow to some peasant rabble you've somehow convinced into attacking me."

Rumpelstiltskin gave her a sad smile, "What makes you think I had anything to do with the fire that drives these kings against you? Those aren't pitchforks and rags but armor and pikes, swords and arrows, your majesty."

Regina hissed in anger, "I don't really care how you did it…" She smiled, "I only know that you're just as much a fool as them, if you think this will do anything other than cement their rightful fear of me once I send them all to the abyss. I may spare the kings… or replace them…"

As Regina tapped her lips thoughtfully deciding who lived or died, Rumpelstiltskin shook his head sadly, "Are you to rule a pile of bones, a field of ash?"

Regina gave him a hard look, "I'll do whatever I have to." She walked closer still, smiling pleasantly at Rumpelstiltskin, "Now are you going to tell me what I want to hear today?"

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head, "My answer remains the same; you'll have to kill me."

Regina's smile only became wider, "Excellent; I rather like that you're being so difficult, it makes breaking you so much fun… troll!"

A hunched, misshapen form lumbered into view, already carrying the whip he knew his mistress would demand. Regina took the long sleek leather implement as the troll moved passed her, unlocking the cell door and pushing Rumpelstiltskin against the far wall.

Rumpelstiltskin grunted as he slammed into the unyielding stone, the troll being none too gentle in its efforts to secure his hands to manacles on the wall so that his back faced the queen. His shirt was long since shredded to reveal the crosshatched marks of her previous ministrations.

Regina stepped up and brought the lash down hard across his back, reminding the former sorcerer how much it hurt. Her smile only seemed to grow as he flinched and strained against the restraints, "You're still holding out hope that someone will come save you, 'Rumple', which is only going to make it that much sweeter when you realize you withstood all of this for nothing…"

Belle's father paced in from of the commandment tent, his eyes ever turning to the castle that so many eyes watched. He stepped up to Baba Yaga, who sat just outside of the tent, her eyes closed and appearing as nothing so much as a tired old woman. "What is she doing and why are they not having us charge? The element of surprise is long gone!"

Baba opened her eyes and fixed the King with a hot glare that caused him to step back, "There was never a surprise; your 'Black Queen' has been spying on you the entire time your soldiers mustered. As to what your military leader is doing, I suggest you place your question in a wiser place, I only traditionally answer one anyhow."

The King's jaw dropped, "You knew she was spying on us and did nothing?"

Baba Yaga stood, and though she was far shorter than the King physically, even his untrained mind could feel if not see an invisible force rise above him that could squash him like an ant. His councilors watched in awe and shame as their king apologized, "I meant no disrespect…"

Baba Yaga snorted, "Do not make yourself memorable to me, King Whateveryournameis… as to the Queen, I could no more stop her scrying than you could remove every reflective surface in the five realms that resist her."

At that moment four birds lifted from the central command tent, and cries went up, the King able to turn his attention away from Baba Yaga's intimidating blind eyes. A captain rode up on his warhorse, both fear and excitement evident in his voice, "It is time; we attack."

Regina swept into the courtyard of her castle, marking the faces of her generals, all hardened men who had been pivotal in expanding her reach across seven kingdoms. She paused, letting the quiet settle on them a moment, enjoying that they hinged on every word she said, "I see now that my experiment with allowing the other kingdoms to keep their various rulers, in an act of diplomacy, has failed."

She looked out at the gathered legions of her soldiers who flanked the castle on all sides, every able man that she had and then some, as she had drafted many more in the months it took the rebellion to mount its own forces.

All of them wore the ebony armor that heralded her iron rule, and soon they would sweep down on the attempted usurpers like a wave of death. Regina smiled, "Once we have crushed this revolt, we will spread out again across the lands in a true act of conquest!"

The soldiers cheered, hearty cries booming across courtyard from within and without. Regina continued, "I shall place my most successful warlords as regents of each conquered nation, and our flag shall hang from every castle, from every manor and mansion; today we become an empire!"

The roar of applause was deafening, and Regina reveled in the thrill of it, the passion of these men who would crush her enemies, "Go! Those that slay their kings shall take a place in my court; cut down the weak fools that oppose us so we may replace them in strength!"

Midas watched as the black waves of men spread out from the Queen's castle in three directions. Abigail stood at his side, ignoring his requests for her to stay off of the battlefield. She had told him that if they managed to make it as far as the king's tents, she would not allow him to fight alone.

Finally conceding to her willful demands, Midas' brow furrowed as he watched the incoming assault. They had just received the command to attack, which coincided with their enemies' sudden charge to perfectly. "She knew we were about to move and ordered a charge before we could mobilize."

Abigail nodded, "I'm going to assume that James knew she would; that he wanted her to attack first."

Midas shook his head growling, "You assume much; the fact that the boy insists on keeping us in the dark, that he is actually going to try to 'improvise' in the midst of war either means he is a brilliant strategist or a ravening fool."

Abigail gave him a dour look, "He is 'Prince James', daddy, and you can ignore my input all you like, but I still did not wish to marry him, regardless of whether he left or not. You have made your opinion of him clear many times now, but the people still look to him for answers, so please give him your support?"

Midas did not answer his expression sour as he stared at the incoming enemy still a ways off from engaging his foremost line. Two birds rose from the central command tent and suddenly the units northwest and northeast charged the Queen's attacking troops.

Midas relaxed a little, "A pincer; if they continue forward to us they will be slaughtered to the man between three fronts, they must retreat or at least stop their charge."

True to Midas' evaluation a man on horseback leading the Queen's retinue on Midas' side of the castle brought up a fist, and the charging black mass slowed, clearly intending to fall back and become even with the ever expanding line of Regina's warriors.

Abigail pointed happily as two birds rose from the central command tent, and units to the west and east of the now halted advance moved aside to allow mounted warriors past, who rode as fast as they could to the rear of the now separated force. "He's not going to let them, this contingent is now surrounded on all sides, and look; he does it on two other fronts, catching their less wary in his trap!"

Midas gazed out at the field to see that the same maneuver had been done elsewhere. Instead of joy, though, all color drained from his face, "He places the cavalry's backs to the rest of the enemy lines!"

Abigail felt her heart sink, for the thousandth time wondering if they shouldn't have just told at least the kings the truth, which was that James was no accomplished military strategist. She watched with trepidation, her heart fluttering in hope that the cavalry would not be crushed by the second line at their backs.

That hope died as Abigail saw the black shafts lift into the air, too numerous to count; posing large targets on horseback and without shields or even knowledge that death rained from the sky, the mounted warriors rode into their enemies flanks with zealous cries, unknowing of the fate that descended upon them.

Abigail brought her hand to her mouth, "Please, no…"