Chapter 10

The days slipped by as the three women found a sort of schedule. Lorelei slept with Regina every night, Red didn't want her having nightmares just so she wouldn't be lonely. It was also very awkward for Lorelei to pop into her room naked and run thru the halls. In the morning they would have breakfast together and then Regina would tend to her duties and Red would keep the siren busy. The evenings they mostly spent together with an understanding that Regina wasn't ready to see them making out every five minutes.

Red and Regina had taken time to have a conversation discussing their situation. It had involved a lot of tears and Lorelei getting set outside the room when she kept interrupting. Regina told her everything she remembered about Daniels death and Red told her of the carriage ride and the days of Lorelei's recovery.

"It doesn't really make sense Regina," Red finally told her after they let Lorelei back in. "I mean, why did they order his death?"

Regina shook her head, frowning. "When I asked mother she said that Snow had seen him attack me and had called the guards. She said that is what happened when I told Daniel I was marrying the king."

Red frowned, "but you don't remember anything?"

Regina shook her head, "I remember closing my eyes after Snow left, and then I opened them to see Daniel being hung."

Lorelei shrugged, "I remember hitting the floor in the kitchen and then waking up in a shack with Red."

Red sighed, "well, I remember seeing Lorelei fall and Regina passed out in a chair. Then, of course, your mother tied me in a carriage…"

Regina winced, "she said she needed you to be away for a few days so I could concentrate on the kings proposal."

Red rolled her eyes, "if you ask me, your mother drugged the two of you and got rid of me so I couldn't help either of you."

Regina shook her head, "she wouldn't do that."

Lorelei stared at her in disbelief, "then what happened to us Regina?"

Regina shrugged, "mother said that it probably has something to do with me being in shock from the proposal. She said your siren magic probably…"

"My what now?" Lorelei interrupted.

Red and Regina shared a wide eyed glance. They hadn't wanted to tell her until they could learn more about it. Red cleared her throat and took a deep breath, "Cora told us that you're a siren. We wanted to learn more about them before we told you because you tend to have a lot of questions."

Lorelei glanced at them both then shrugged and started bouncing a ball a servant had given her against the wall. "Sounds nice. Siren."

Regina huffed in irritation, "that's it? It sounds nice? Don't you want to know where you came from or if you have family or what your kind are capable of?"

Lorelei didn't even look at her or stop bouncing her ball, "not really. I know I am supposed to protect you and whenever I need my magic to do that better, it happens."

Red giggled at Regina's angry stare, "well, we want to know."

"Anyway, I want to know what Cora was doing while us three were out of commission." Lorelei said.

Red nodded, "yeah but asking anybody would be extremely odd."

Regina made a sour face, "actually, I was planning on asking Snow. She was obviously there, she spoke his sentence."

Red couldn't help but hear the contempt in her friends voice. "Why would she not think it odd for you to ask?"

Regina sighed heavily, "because that child will tell the same story ten thousand times over and be more enthusiastic every single time. In this story she thinks she's the hero so she should be plenty happy to retell it."

Red stood, ready to head off to bed, "well when the king leaves you will certainly have the chance. She'll be with you for three weeks solid."

Regina and Red jumped when a vase broke across the room. They stared at Lorelei who very slowly kicked her ball under the bed as it rolled back from a pile of glass. The servants came in and started cleaning up the glass. Lorelei quickly kissed Red then crawled in under the blankets, hiding her face.

Red said good night to Regina and once the servants left, Regina crawled under the blankets with Lorelei. They curled up and before Regina fell asleep, she whispered to no one in particular, "maybe this can all really work…"

…..

Rumple sat down hard as he finally let the mirror image go. He was shaky and exhausted but it was worth it to see that conversation. It was so draining to see the siren in the mirrors. As she grew, it got harder. He imagined before much longer he wouldn't be able to see her at all.

He wasn't happy with what he saw though. A content queen Regina wouldn't cast his curse anymore than a poor peasant Regina. He went back to spinning gold so he could concentrate.

Belle was bringing him tea again. He didn't ask her to anymore, she just did. She was still nervous when she sat the tray down though. That one chipped cup seemed to weigh on her mind. He sipped his tea and thought out loud. "She watched her true love die. Her friends are flaunting their love in her face. Her best friend steals her other best friend every chance she gets. Why does she still have hope?"

Belle chewed her lip. She knew he wasn't talking to her. She had never been very good at minding her own business… "Uhm, Rumplestiltskin…"

He turned to look at her, he had forgotten she was there. "Yes?"

Wringing her hands, Belle took a deep breath before speaking, "maybe, whoever you're talking about, is stronger than you thought? Some people are just more resilient."

Rumple giggled wickedly, "everyone can be broken, Belle. Everyone has a price that they put on their hope."

Belle frowned and nodded, choosing to finally stop trying.

Rumple ignored her again and decided to move up his plans. If she didn't think she needed more, he would show her otherwise. After all, the best way to corrupt someone was to make it their idea.

…

Regina had been sitting with Snow all morning. She had chattered on and on endlessly, showing her all her things. Regina finally found time to ask her what happened that day.

Snow frowned at her hard and took her hand in hers. "Regina, you don't remember?" When Regina shook her head, Snow gave her a very pitying look that made Regina clench her jaw. "Oh, Regina, I'm sorry. I followed you to the stables and I heard you call out. I went in and that boy was on the ground. You said he attacked you." Snow straightened up, looking so very proud of herself. "I called the guards and told my father to never let that boy go. Papa ordered him to die and he let me give the verdict."

Regina had tears, it made no sense. The only thing making sense was how proud this child looked about killing Daniel. When it was at last time for lunch, Regina told Snow to go without her and she would find her afterwards. The moment Snow was out of sight, Regina ran.

She ran past the gates and straight towards the forest. She never planned to stop. She never wanted to look at that child and see how proud she was that she got to order Daniel to his death. She was running until vines whipped out from the trees around her and caught her, suddenly she was hanging by her arms and legs in the trees.

A flash of light and a silver sword cut thru the vines and Regina dropped to the ground heavily, falling to her knees. Lorelei was staring at the sword in her hands. It wasn't metal, her magic made it. She felt the pull and next thing she knew she had a sword and was cutting Regina loose.

She concentrated and made the sword vanish as Cora appeared in a cloud of smoke. She looked down on Regina "I had considered I wouldn't need these catch traps Regina. Where do you think you're going?"

Regina was crying as the siren helped her stand, holding her close and glaring at Cora. "You need to keep your magic to yourself, Cora."

Cora sneered at her, "and you need to do your job." Lorelei looked surprised. Cora took a step closer, "I want you to think long and hard about what she would be running to. She has nothing. She is nothing. The only thing she has is this palace and her crown. If she runs off into the world, she'd be dead by morning."

"I would protect her."

Cora huffed a laugh. "You always show up a few moments after she realizes she's in danger. If a bandit had come behind her and slit her throat, she would have realized the danger and you would have appeared just in time to watch her blood hit the ground."

Lorelei frowned, looking down at Regina who was clinging to her shirt. "I would be too late…"

Cora smiled, "exactly. You should be thanking me for stopping her before something happened too quickly for you to handle."

Regina wrapped her arms around her and whispered thru her tears, "please, just take me to my room…"

Cora stepped forward with her hand out, intending to take them there, but Lorelei's eyes flashed violently, making her jerk back. "I will."

Cora inhaled sharply when they vanished in a flash of light. Lorelei had never vanished intentionally before. She had never conjured a sword either… Cora licked her lips, wondering if she had provided Lorelei with more power by accident.

…..

Red had waited outside Regina's room. She didn't know where they had gone so she decided to just wait here. She heard a crack inside and poked her head in very quietly. She saw Lorelei gently put Regina down on the bed and sit beside her, whispering so quietly, Red couldn't catch anything except, "I'll tell her."

Red held her breath as Lorelei stood and walked towards her and the door. The siren motioned for Red to step outside the room. She quickly explained everything that had happened and Red felt her heart clench in anticipation of what she was going to say next.

Lorelei took a deep breath and looked Red in the eye, "Cora is right. If Regina had kept running, she could have been dead before I got there."

"But if she doesn't leave the palace…" Red tried to change the womans mind, but she knew what was next.

Shaking her head sadly, the siren looked away when she spoke, "Red… it could happen here just as easily. I can't keep leaving her alone…"

Red bit her cheek in an effort not to cry. "So, you won't be spending your days with me anymore?"

Lorelei shook her head.

Red nodded and stormed off, Lorelei called after her, but of course, she didn't follow. Couldn't leave Regina in her bed, obviously. Red threw open her door and let herself cry for an obscene amount of time.

…

Regina felt the siren sit beside her again. She heard what they said, the door was left open enough for her to hear. She was so conflicted. She wanted them to be happy, they were her friends. But, she also heard what her mother said. Lorelei always showed up a few moments after the fact…

She had Lorelei tell the maids that she had suddenly fallen ill and told them to entertain Snow. Then they just laid there for the rest of the evening. Dinner was brought to them and they ate together in silence. Lorelei tending to glance towards the door, and Regina pretending she didn't notice.

They were ready to go to sleep finally when Lorelei was suddenly shielding her from something in the room, eyes flashing.

Regina peeked around her when she heard an impish giggle. She looked at this man who had appeared in her room. He had scaly golden skin and a demonic grin.

Rumple waved at the pair. He wasn't trying to feel the sirens strength again. Once was plenty. "Ah, no need to get all flashy dearie. I'm just here to chat a little bit with Regina."

Regina gave him a curious look but touched Lorelei's shoulder, asking her to calm down just a little. "Who are you?"

The man giggled again and gave an elaborate bow, "my name is Rumplestiltskin and I am here to help you!"

Lorelei scoffed at him, "she doesn't need help."

Regina winced at the woman, "help me how?"

"Well, I was going to teach you magic dearie, but if you don't need me…" he raised his hand to vanish again but she called out.

"Wait!" She pulled Lorelei back to stand beside her instead of in front of her. "Can you really teach me magic like my mother?"

He cackled at her but lowered his hand. "Your mother has next to no abilities at all. You, however could surpass her by a hundred fold, I can feel it in you."

Suspicious, Regina asked him, "how do you know?"

With a mischievous grin, he knew he had her now, "why, because I'm the one who taught her, dearie."

…..

So now they had a new schedule. Lorelei did not like the new schedule. Regina spent her mornings with Snow and her, but as soon as the child went to dinner, Regina was to be left alone to learn with the imp. This left Red with Lorelei, which sounded nice. But, the siren was always so worried about Regina being alone with some magical scaly thing, it was hard to enjoy their time. The longer this went on, the later Regina seemed to be coming to bed.

Red was watching as Lorelei paced the room. "Lorelei, why can't you just relax?"

Lorelei shook her head, she felt horrible for stressing thru their time together. She just couldn't help it. She took a deep breath and sat beside Red, resting her head on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Red rolled her eyes and patted her leg, "I know. Do you think it would help if you could see what they were doing?"

Lorelei thought for a while and eventually decided to talk to Regina. She just needed to know she was in safe hands. She was able to calm down a bit with the thought.