Hey y'all. Exams are almost over, summer's almost here! Praise the Lord. Sorry about the wait but I had really bad writers block but I got back in the groove so no worries. This chapter is very important so pay attention. It may seem irrelevant but I assure you it's not.

*Trigger Warning* There is attempted rape in this chapter, so just tread carefully, okay?

Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT

"We have the key to the cage, we have everything that could control her. She will have no choice but to tell us except to tell us what happened to Emma."

"You're right. And I do hope she tries to use magic on that cage. Rumplestiltskin said it only hurts the person inside the cage when magic is used on or in it. She may just end up killing her very own True Love."

Early the next morning, Regina had woken up quite some time before Emma had and decided to take a stroll through her garden. It was one of her favorite places to be if she was completely honest. She was always able to clear her mind when she was alone, without any distractions. The queen stopped in front of her apple tree and inspected it with a pleased look on her face. She sat on the stone bench at the base of the tree, trying to relax, when she felt someone else's presence in her garden. When no one announced themselves, Regina kept her eyes closed as she drawled.

"Whoever has entered my garden better have a rather pertinent message for me because if not then they should scurry off before I lose my temper."

"Don't mind me, darling. Just admiring your garden. It looks well kept." Maleficent commented as she walked closer to the queen.

"Maleficent, is there a particular reason you've decided to grace me with your presence and are not being guarded in your chambers?" The blonde's lips quirked a little. It would seem some people never change.

"Yes, your guards are very easily fooled. They believe me to be bathing at the moment." Another impressive looking tree sat opposite where Regina's apple tree was planted. She took a seat on the bench and took in her surroundings.

"Yes well, they are guards not peeping toms. I've made sure of that. I do not expect them to be in the washroom whilst you are in it. Now is there a specific reason for these platitudes or are you just trying to keep me from relaxing?" Maleficent stayed quiet for a while before she spoke again.

"Your White Knight, your wife, she is incredibly powerful. I can sense it." She commented. Regina opened her eyes to peer at the woman but closed them again not seeing her comment as a threat but as an observation.

"She is, though when I first met her I was not aware of the magic she possessed. Despite her… sadistic nature she does have light magic. I am not sure she knew of it before she arrived here but I do know her parents are aware of it. They must have been. It is far too powerful for her, even as an infant, to not have shown her ability to use it." After another elongated silence the shape-shifter spoke again, though somewhat cautiously.

"She is Snow White's daughter, isn't she?" Regina's eyes shot open, narrowing as her head snapped to look at her old friend who was watching her reaction carefully.

"How do you know that?" She knew there was no use in denying it. Her reaction to the question gave her away immediately.

"It wasn't hard to put together. I am no fool, Regina. She is the White Knight. That was the biggest give away. I am not sure how no one has made the connection." She looked to the queen with a confused look. Regina sighed.

"Yes, well when asked about the title we've always told people it is because she possesses light magic so it only makes sense. Very few people know her true identity because we do not mention it around those who aren't privileged enough to know her surname and I would like to keep it that way." The warning in her voice was easily detected and not taken lightly. Not after her display of power the previous night.

"Calm yourself, Regina. I do not plan on telling anyone of your Knight's identity. I simply wanted to confirm my suspicions." Regina stared at her before giving her a curt nod.

"Good." The sat in serene silence for half an hour before Maleficent said something.

"You are quite lucky with the love you've found. It is not often people like you and I, with such blackened hearts, are fortunate enough to receive any type of love let alone True Love." Her voice was almost a whisper and Regina actually had to strain to hear it. She felt a small pang of sadness for her oldest friend. She was right after all. Regina never thought she would love or be loved in return until Emma stumbled into her life, quite literally.

"I'm aware. I had never thought my life could be this copacetic." The queen said softly. She looked over at her old friend and noticed the forlorn look on her face. "Perhaps you will find love one day, Maleficent." She added as an afterthought. The blonde's head shot up, her eyes wide, as she studied the queen's face. The woman was taken aback by the genuine comment. She said nothing but the two sorceresses shared a small smile before letting silence encase the garden once more.

…

Emma woke with a start. She shot up from the bed, clutching her chest, where her heart was beating rapidly. A nightmare. She had a nightmare. The knight couldn't help but be confused. She hadn't had a single bad dream in over two years. It was then she realized Regina wasn't next to her. Frowning, she wandered across the stone cold floor to the washroom, still finding no sign of her. She went back to the bed and sank back into it, wondering where her wife had gone off to. It was extremely rare that Emma felt vulnerable but nightmares had always been a weak point of hers, not that she'd tell anybody that. She clutched the satin sheet to her chest when she got back into bed, wanting nothing more than for Regina to come to her and tell her everything would be alright. Emma shook her head in frustration, blonde, untamed locks falling over her shoulders. She hated this feeling. It was one of the main things that encouraged her to become a knight in the first place. She didn't want to weak. Because that is how she felt when she was in the White Kingdom. She felt weak and helpless. Then there was the moment. That final straw not long after she had arrived at Regina's castle, when she decided then and there that she would not be defenseless again. She swallowed thickly, her knuckles had the sheet in her hands in a vice grip. She felt her magic begin to stir inside of her as it rushed through her veins, seeping into every cell of her body. Before she was able to register what was happening, the magic faded almost instantly. She was only confused for half a second before she felt a soft hand pry her hands from the death grip she had on the sheets. She opened her eyes and looked up at Regina's face, seeing nothing but concern. The queen said nothing as she climbed into bed and pulled her wife into her arms. Emma immediately nuzzled into Regina's chest, her forehead just under the other woman's chin. The blonde played with the fingers of one of the hands that was wrapped securely around her. As soon as she saw Regina the remnants of her nightmare had begun to dissipate into nothing but faded memories. She couldn't be more grateful that Regina knew her well enough to let her regain her composure and collect herself, knowing she would tell her when she was ready.

The queen sat quietly, waiting for Emma to tell her what had her so distressed, though she did have a clue as to what it was. She let her hand, the one that Emma wasn't holding, caress the blonde's hip in a soothing manner. After a few minutes Emma spoke quietly.

"I had a nightmare." She said simply. Her tone expressing anger, embarrassment and sadness. Regina nodded, having had her suspicion confirmed.

"Was it the same one?" She asked lightly, never stopping the hand at Emma's hip. She was trying to show Emma that she was here and that she was safe.

"Yeah…" She felt Emma's head drop slightly and shame coming from Emma. She turned the blonde in her arms so that she could see her face. When green eyes refused to meet hers, she grasped her chin, urging Emma to look at her.

"Don't you ever feel ashamed about having nightmares. It doesn't make you weak, Emma, despite what you think. I am your wife and you need to trust that I will continue to love you no matter what. Do you understand?" Regina spoke softly but vehemently. She knew how Emma felt about being vulnerable. Mainly because it's how she, herself, felt about it.

"I just… Regina it's been how long now? It won't leave me alone. I haven't had a nightmare in two fucking years! So why now? Why do I have to be constantly reminded of the moment in my life where I've never felt so helpless?" Emma had moved to her knees during her rant, now facing Regina. Even if she wasn't able to feel Emma's emotions, the rage she felt was all too apparent and Regina couldn't really blame her. She could feel her own anger begin to rear its head as she thought back to the eighth month Emma had been in her castle. By then they'd had a fairly steady relationship going but it was kept private, for the most part. They weren't announcing it or being overly affectionate in front of others but they also weren't denying or hiding their feelings for each other either.

*Flashback*

Emma had been wandering around the grounds aimlessly. She moved throughout the garden and the stables, trying to kill time before she met Regina for dinner. Regina was currently going over something with her council and Emma did not want to sit through one of those again. She was helpless to stop the smile that graced her lips as she thought about Regina. Again. The queen was always at the forefront of the blonde's thoughts but Emma couldn't say she really minded much. She was absolutely enamored with the queen. She loved her. Of that she was certain. She's been at the palace for about eight months and she and Regina had developed a relationship that she'd always wished for. The kind of relationship that she wanted when she was in the White Kingdom. She scowled at the thought of that place. She hated them and didn't want to be affiliated with them in any way. She exited the garden, no longer feeling peaceful there and walked toward the sounds of metal clashing. She perked up a bit, having wanted to watch the knights for quite some time now. When she saw them she crouched down, watching the men fight each other with swift and brutal movements. She was okay with a few weapons but that's only because her father humored her and found it as a way to bond. She watched on in awe and admiration as the men continued to fight. She noticed movement behind them and saw several more knights coming out to begin training. She saw a knight exit a small, stone cabin with an array of weapons, passing them out to the others. When she saw that everyone was immersed in their own activities, she sprinted to the door and slipped inside. When the closed shut behind her she turned and looked around. There were swords and shields hanging on the right side of the room, and on the left there were bow and arrows, longbows, halberds, spears and battle axes. At the back of the stone cabin was a table of daggers, throwing knives and maces. The place was actually pretty big and held a considerable amount of weapons. In the corner she noticed wooden swords that she assumed were used beginners and training. She scanned the walls and tables not touching anything for fear of something breaking. A particular sword stood out to her and she felt compelled to grab it. Just as her fingers skimmed the hilt, a voice sounded from behind her.

"What are you doing in here, wench?" Emma spun around and noticed a knight scowling at her from the doorway.

"Oh, sorry. I was just looking…" She trailed off when she noticed he didn't actually care.

"Shouldn't you be in the kitchen or attending to the queen somewhere?" His voice was so sharp she could almost feel the disdain he felt for her like a slap in the face.

"Uh, I'm not some handmaiden or cook or anything. Regina-," It came so fast she barely registered the slap. All she could do was brace herself on the table behind her and look at him in disbelief.

"What the hell was that for?" She screamed at him.

"You do not address her majesty by her given name, you disrespectful harlot!" The venom his words held made her back up further on the table behind her. She wasn't sure what to do. She's never had to deal with men who didn't treat her with the utmost respect.

"Look, I didn't know this place was off limits and I have permission to call her Regina, so just calm down and back the hell off." Emma was pissed at how this guy was talking to her like she was an insignificant bug or something. The man's face went red with anger and he moved toward Emma and grabbed a handful of her hair. He ignored her shouting as he pulled her from the cabin and toward the palace. She had ceased screaming but continued to struggle in his hold. When she noticed they were entering the castle she calmed a bit, hoping he was taking her to Regina but an abrupt turn down a dark corridor made her think otherwise. The came to a large black door and he pulled it open, never releasing her hair, and tugged her down the stairs. Emma's eyes strained in the darkness, when they adjusted she realized he'd taken her to the dungeon.

"No! You can't do this! Just go ask the queen and she'll tell you!" Her protests were ignored as she was dragged down the corridor and throw roughly into an open cell.

"I will not bother her majesty with the lies of a simple whore. That is what you are is it not? You're dressed too nicely to be a handmaiden now that I think about it." He smirked at the woman who was obviously becoming more and more agitated. Emma's jaw dropped at the man's comment. Did he just call me a whore? She scoffed and stood up.

"You know what? Fuck you, asshole. I'll just go find her myself." She brushed past the momentarily stunned guard but was yanked back by the hair and slammed into the stone cold wall of the cell. Her bones rattled at the impact and she gritted her teeth. She felt a forearm press against her throat painfully and hot breath on her face as he spoke.

"You will not! Actually, how about you accompany me out to the knight's quarters. It's been a while for me and I bet you could use the money." He sneered in her face. The scruff from his beard rubbed against her cheek uncomfortably. She tried pushing him away but he was far too strong for her to move and having been shielded from almost all fighting she didn't even know how to defend herself.

"I am not some prostitute! Regina will have your head, I'll make sure of it! Now get the fuck off!" She screamed as a last ditch effort to get the man to move, but he didn't budge.

"Why you've got quite a filthy mouth on you don't you, girl? I wonder what else you can do with it." His hand came up around her throat and he threw her to the ground. Emma's body trembled with fear and anger as he got to his knees in front of her. She couldn't protect herself. She had no way of stopping him. She turned her face away from his rough hands but he grasped her face, forcing her head to look up at him. A sick smile stretched across his face and the look in his eye said she was not getting out of this. He's going to have his way with her and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.

"Now looky here. Aren't you more accustomed to this position?" He laughed when she tried to move away again but he just held her more firmly against the ground. Emma's breath was coming in short gasps and dread was now imbedded in every corner of her heart. She looked around frantically trying to find something, anything, to help her. She felt his hands starting to tug at her shirt and she couldn't look anywhere near him. A gleam caught her eye. She realized the man had set his sword down next to her head. She stared at her reflection for a moment, her thoughts, only lasting a second but it felt like minutes. She could see herself. She could see her reflection! She looked over and noticed the man wore nothing but his training pants. He caught her eye and grinned before bending over and tearing the rest of her shirt from her body. Without a moment of hesitation she looked back at the sword that was inches from her face.

"Mirror! Mirror, please hear me!" She whispered. His hands started roaming over her torso, tears gathered in her eyes. Please, please work. She pleaded. She almost cried out when she noticed the familiar face of the genie. When he saw her, his eyes widened.

"Get Regina! Please!" She begged him quietly when she felt his hands venture lower. The genie immediately disappeared to get the queen.

…

Regina sat in the war room with her new council as they droned on. All she could think about was Emma. Her long blonde hair, electric green eyes, and liberating personality that always kept her in a good mood. She was pulled from her thoughts by a sudden shouting.

"My queen! You need to go to the dungeons immediately!" The mirror shouted at her, cutting off one of the men speaking. She frowned at him.

"Why are you disturbing my meeti-" She wanted to be angry but his urgency and panic made her more curious than anything.

"Regina! You need to go the dungeons now! It's Emma!" Everyone in the room went deathly silent when he cut her off but didn't have time to even register what was happening because when they looked back to the queen all they saw was a cloud of purple smoke.

When she appeared in the dungeons she saw what the problem was immediately. She ran to the cell just to her left and saw red. She barely registered her hand shooting out and slamming the man against the wall. All she could see was Emma shivering on the ground, her breathing was frenetic and the relieved look in her teary eyes when she finally meet them. She walked cautiously, taking in the scene. Emma was on her back, her shirt torn and hanging on each side of her body. Her underclothes were, thankfully, still intact and she realized she made it just in time when she saw her pants were just above her knees. She crouched down slowly, maintaining eye contact with Emma the entire time. When she reached her hand to touch Emma's face she could cry at the almost undistinguishable flinch but Regina still caught it. Her hand came up short and she pulled it back. A grunting sound pulled her attention away from the blonde. She looked up at the man, instantly recognizing him as one of her knights. She felt her magic rise again at a rapid rate. She stood not wanting to have Emma out of her sight and looked directly into his eyes, the fear in them almost palpable and she relished in it. She came to a stop centimeters away from his face though still able to see Emma in her peripheral. Her magic wrapped itself around his throat and the man's face started to become an unhealthy shade of blue.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She spoke so quietly even he barely heard her. He couldn't even look into her eyes for more than a second, the fury that shone so clearly made him flinch. She released his throat, waiting for his reply.

"Your majesty, I apologize for this inconvenience. This wench seduced me, duped me into taking her in the dungeon and I, a simple man, couldn't help but indulge the girl's request. There is no problem here, I assure you." He lied through his teeth, still not realizing the weight of what he's done. Regina's nostrils flared but before she could speak Emma spoke up, albeit shakily.

"You fucker! You're a lying, disgusting bastard!" She was sat up at this point, knees against her chest with her arms protectively around them. She glared accusingly at him.

"Emma, dear, it'll be alright. I am going to take care of him, I promise. Would you mind going back to our chambers and waiting for me? This will not be pleasant and you've been through enough today." Her eyes had softened as she looked at the blonde. Her voice soothed Emma, ridding all trepidation from her heart, and filling it with security and love. She nodded weakly, and Regina waved her hand in her direction, clothing her silk pajamas. The ex-knight watched them and the severity of his actions finally dawning on him.

"I'm going to send you to our bed and have the mirror watch over you. If you need anything tell him and I will be there before you can blink." Emma nodded again but whispered to her before she could send her to their room.

"Regina?" She looked into the woman's brown eyes, her own shining with something Regina's never seen before.

"Yes, dear?" She saw green eyes flash with… well she wasn't quite sure.

"I want him to fucking suffer." Regina looked with bewilderment and a little bit of pride.

"With pleasure." She said before sending her away with the flick of her wrist. She turned back to the pathetic excuse of a man that was cowering in the corner of the cell.

"How many years have you been in my guard?" She asked, scowling at the fact that he was even affiliated with her army.

"T-ten years, your majesty." He stuttered out. She smiled, pleased with the answer.

"Then that is how many years you will endure hell before I even consider granting you death." She focused of him, the feeling of fire and knives raced throughout every cell of his body. She placed a silencing spell on him, his mouth open in a scream that would never be heard.

"I will return in a decade." She said, smiling at him.

And then she was gone.

...

Regina gathered her wife back into her arms, tucking her underneath her chin, and shaking the memory from her mind. Emma wasn't aware that her attacker was still suffering in the dungeon. She had planned to tell her on the tenth year, feeling Emma would like some sort of retribution for what happened. She wasn't the same after that night. Regina could remember the morning after the incident, Emma had asked to be trained with Killian so she could become her personal knight. She told Regina she refused to be in that kind of situation again. She went on about not being able to protect herself therefore not being able to protect Regina. The look of determination in Emma's eyes had stopped her from trying to convince her otherwise. From that day on Emma had trained every day for months. She barely let Emma out of her sight and when she had to either Killian or the genie had to be watching over her every move. The only hiccup between them being the night of their eleven month anniversary but it was quickly taken care of and Emma was inducted into her guard five months later.

"Would you like to hear my theory as to why your nightmares have come back?" She felt Emma nod and continued. "I would wager that they've returned because of the stress your insufferable parents have been causing as of late."

"How's that?"

"The incident happened relatively close to the time when you ran from their kingdom. You blame them for your not being able to protect yourself and now, after all this time, they are causing problems yet again and there's not much you can do about it. Your psyche is reacting to familiar circumstances hence the nightmares." She explained, she could almost hear the thoughts swirling around in the blonde's head.

"Yeah, that makes sense, I guess. It's hard to explain. I just have this feeling in the pit of my stomach that something bad is going to happen and I won't be able to do anything about it. I won't be able to keep you safe." The queen maneuvered so she could see her knight's face and placed her hands on damp cheeks.

"When have you ever failed to protect me? You have always done so, and impeccably I might add. You even took an arrow to the knee for me, both figuratively and literally. I know you will do everything in your power to make sure I'm safe. Is there anything that would stop you from trying to keep me from harm's way?"

"No." she answered immediately. She brought her hands to rest on top of her wife's. "There isn't a single thing that would keep me from you. There is nothing I wouldn't do to ensure your safety. I will rip out hearts. I will pillage and burn villages. I will lead armies in your name until there isn't a single threat against you, Regina. You are my friend, my lover, my queen, my wife and, most importantly, my True Love. Your safety and happiness are my number one priority." The sincerity in Emma's eyes and ardor in her voice made Regina's breath catch and her heart skip a beat. The love she felt for this woman continued to grow every day, if that was even possible. She gave the blonde a wide, genuine smile.

"And that, my love, is how I know that we will always be victorious."

This chapter was heavy. Hopefully this helped explain a little more as to why Emma acts how she does. Sorry it didn't have much plot progression but the whole Mal and Regina thing was in there. Some of you have wanted to see Mal find TL so I'll include that.

The people that have been mentioned for Mal's love interest in the reviews were: Aurora, Mulan joining Regina's army and we'll see what happens from there, or Red coming to visit Emma and they meet. You get the point. If there are any other suggestions just let me know.