Chapter 10: Seeing the Unseen

Regina stepped through the portal and was back in Rumple's castle. Her didn't meet her, which was probably a good thing. She was still angry. She had her reports from Roz, but she knew that they wouldn't do her any good. She wasn't able to get back to June...at least, not yet.

She worked her way through the castle until she came upon the courtyard. She saw Rumple talking with a young girl. She immediately took interest in the girl because of how Rumple was acting. They seemed to be more than friendly and Regina didn't remember anyone being at the castle when she was there last, or ever before either. She shook her head. She didn't have time to deal with that. She needed to find a way to get back to June, if she could, or a way to contact her, if she couldn't. Having something over Rumple could wait. Plus, she needed to get back to her own castle and make sure that Snow hadn't destroyed the kingdom yet with civil war.

She stood there for a few more minutes until she saw the girl leave. Then she made her presence known. She called out to him.

"Rumple!"

He turned immediately, worry on his face, and she could guess why. He didn't smile, but he didn't look mad. He moved with purpose across the courtyard until he was in front of her. His gold skin and strange eyes took her in. She looked nonplussed.

"You're back. Did everything work out in the end? Did Roz get her monster?"

"She did," Regina answered.

"But, I see you sent you back to me," Rumple stated.

"In the end, she didn't need a monster like me, Rumple. There was already a monster handling the girl that she didn't know about. It's been dealt with. She did however give me something for you."

"She did, Dearie? And, what would that be?" he asked her.

Regina held her hand out in front of her. It was empty and then a scroll appeared in it. He reached out and took it. Slowly unwinding the twine that kept it close, he watched her for any sort of clue what might be written upon the parchment in his hand. She gave nothing away. She hadn't read it. She wanted to, but she knew that he would know if she had. She was sure that it was something that she could use against him, but she also knew how dangerous he was.

Rumple gave her many latitudes, more than others. She was a project to him as long as she amused him. Getting on his bad sad never worked out well for anyway and she still wanted to learn more magic. She figured that she would continue to use him until she felt comfortable enough to survive with him and his brand of magic. She knew that he would never voluntarily quit her until she was of no use or amusement. She could walk away and she knew that he would find a new apprentice. She wasn't deluding herself when it came to him.

She knew that there had been something between her mother and him at one point. She wasn't as naive as some people thought she was. Her father had tried to shield her from the imp, but her mother didn't care. She kept Rumple a secret as long as she had her magic. When Regina had stumbled upon one of her magical books and found his name, she figured a lot of their relationship out. Rumple was more than happy to take her on as a student, mostly because it would piss Cora off and he didn't care about Cora's feelings anymore. For Regina, it was for the same reasons, so she saw it as a win-win situation for them both.

Rumple finally unrolled the scroll and skimmed it quickly. He looked up at Regina. His eyes were a little watery and Regina quirked an eyebrow in response.

"If there is nothing else that you need, Regina, you can go home. I am sure your darling step-daughter is just clambering to see you," he said quickly as he returned to reread the parchments in his hands.

When his head snapped up at her, she hesitated in leaving. There was something in his eyes that she couldn't quite make out and it looked painful. She let him look at her for a few minutes more before it started to make her bluster. She was just about to say something when he raised a hand at her and motioned for her to stop.

"Wait," he commanded.

She did.

"Do you know what this says?" he asked her.

"No."

"You didn't read it?"

"No."

He snapped her fingers and waited. She didn't move. She didn't writhe. She did nothing as she watched him and waited to see what else he needed from her, even though he'd already dismissed her.

"Roz says that you did very well with her little experiment, but she hopes that he doesn't have to call on you again. Care to tell me what happened? Or, do I really not want to know?"

"I became a monster to get her information. I got the information and was told that I was no longer needed," Regina told him purposefully holding back on what really happened.

She didn't know what the scroll stated, but she doubted that Roz had gone to any length about it with Rumple. She was as cautious about him as Regina was. And, the fact that Rumple was fishing for answers meant he didn't have a clear picture. She wasn't going to give it to him, either.

He waved his hands. A small mirror appeared in one of his hands. He pushed it towards Regina with a fury. She reached out tentatively and took it.

"What's this?"

"A mirror," he stated.

"I can see that, Rumple. I have several, remember? A genie even trapped in one back at the castle. What's so special about this one?" she asked him as she inspected it in her hands.

"It let's you see the unseen," he told her.

She looked at him like he had four heads, but she didn't ask for clarification. She'd just figure it out on her own like she had with so many other things that he'd given her over the years. She didn't doubt the mirror's power, but she wondered why he felt the need to give it to her.

"You can go," he said dismissing her again.

She didn't need to be told twice. She hated the Shadowlands. She hated his castle. She knew that he still could come to her in Winterlands. She hated that, too, but she dealt with it better because she was on her own turf.

She could have said many things to him, but she honestly just wanted to go home. She missed her own bed. She missed...too many things.

She was in the room that she had been using at Rumple's quickly. She packed up her few belongings and made her way to the stable. She knew Riconte was there waiting on her. She saddled him quickly and before Rumple could stop her, she was gone.

Riding was freedom to her. She loved it. She loved just being able to get on her horse and go. Riding Riconte was peaceful and she knew that she needed to clear her head before she got back to her own castle.

He was her best friend. He listened. He didn't judge. She could talk to him. She could talk things out with him. If he didn't like something, he'd let her know. Usually it was by a look, or a snout to the boot when she was riding, but he never failed to make her know and understand. He protected her. She protected him. They were a pair and he gave her the companionship that she craved so much and her mother refused her.

"Alright, Riconte, let's go."

He took off into the woods like a shot. She felt free, freer than she had been in years. She wanted to stay atop him and just ride, but she knew that she couldn't. She had to get back to the castle. She had to quell Snow's little rebellion and move on. She didn't want to dwell on it too much longer, to the point that she was willing to strike a peace treaty with her. She stayed in the Summerlands with Charming and she would stay in the Winterlands. If not...well...she hoped that it wouldn't come to that. She just wanted to be left alone and make her own way, her way, for once. She knew that it was a long shot but she couldn't help but want it.

She didn't care as Riconte tore through the trees and brush. She didn't care as branches reached for her, tore at her, whipped in her face and legs. Any damage could be healed with magic. She needed this ride and she knew that Riconte was having fun. It wasn't often that she just let him run loose.

She knew that she would have to get back to the castle tonight, but she didn't want to think about that. It was still early enough in the afternoon that she could ride longer. She needed this. Riconte needed this. Her peopled needed for her to do this.

She was still so angry and this was one of the few ways that she could calm before she stepped foot into the castle again. She knew that as soon as she did, it would feel like a prison. She was a slave to the throne and what it meant. Her marriage had enslaved her. Her life was not her own. She owed the people the best lives they could have and she was trying so hard to get them there. She wasn't a horrible ruler, but she had Leopold killed. It was enough for Snow to deem her evil. And, sure she was hard on the people, but they didn't see what she saw. Leopold had been too tolerant and it left them open for attack. If George had secured the money from Midas, the Winterlands wouldn't exist. But, no one really knew what she'd done. They couldn't. They didn't want to.

She leaned her head back and took a deep breath. The fresh air of the fields, streams, and mountains filled her as she cleared the are that Rumple ruled over. She felt her heart lighten. Her body actually relaxed more. She held on to Riconte with her thighs as he still galloped along with trails and roads leading her back to the castle nestled in the wintery mountains. It was late in the season and she knew there'd be snow when they arrived.

As the sun started to set, she waved her hands an opened a portal big enough for them both. Riconte ran right through it like he had no qualms. He'd seen enough with Regina to know what to do. They appeared just outside the castle gates. She rode him into the castle stables before turning him over to a stable boy.

"Brush him down and give him a good rinse. Clean his tack and give him a few apples. He deserves it. Give him fresh hay and oats. When your done with that, let my steward know and you'll be rewarded," she told him as he took the reins and she walked away.

She had her small back slung over her shoulder as she entered the castle. She made her way up to her rooms, dismissing everyone on her way there. She didn't want to be bothered, so she wasn't going to let it happen. She wanted to know more about the mirror.

She dropped her bag on a table in her room. She dumped its contents out. She rifled through them until her hands landed on the mirror.

She wondered if the mirror would respond to her like her mirror would. She knew her mirror worked because she'd trapped the Genie inside it. But, there were no beings in this mirror.

"Mirror, show me June Black," she commanded the small hand held mirror.

The glass swirled with magic. When the fog disappeared, she saw many things. One was a vehicle that read: Suffolk County Sheriff. She saw some uniformed men taking the bastard Black away. She saw a dark skinned woman with June standing away from them all. She was holding June's hand and bent down to say something in her ear. Regina wished that she could hear her, but the smile on June's smile was enough. She knew that she was safe. She could see it. Rumple had given her a way, even when Roz couldn't.

"What news did that scroll contain?" Regina wondered as she watched the scenes unfolding in the mirror.

A/N: Let me know what you think. Only a few more chapters to go...not sure how SwanQueen this is going to be, but... There will be a happy ending. :)