Night had fallen, leaving the remnants of the stained red sky to fade away as the last fragment of the sun had sunk into the darkening earth. The wind howled on this night, sweeping through the courtyard and pushing up dust, creating a silent storm, both haunting and beautiful. The Black Knight stood in the middle of the quiet clearing, alone, gazing at the faded stars as they winked at her from above.
They looked as if they were laughing, mocking, as they danced against the black backdrop. A weariness was set in her bones and a heaviness in her heart. Green eyes fell away to an ebony blade, one whose hilt she gripped tight in the leather of her gloves, the encrusted emerald eyes on the white swan knob glinting in the moonlight. She stared into them, for a moment, entranced, hoping that, perhaps, she would find an answer.
Complete darkness consumed her as she closed her eyes for not but a brief moment, filling her entire being with its energy.
"Ser Swan," a voice sounded, deep and rumbling, as the source approached, boots crunching against gravel.
"What you bring to me better be good tidings, Kevan." Jade fire burning within her eyes as they landed on the man and his mop of dark hair. His face paled. "What did you find?"
"Ser Uriel discovered books in the library that might lead to the Dark One's location." His brown eyes sparkled.
"Lead the way," she growled and followed as the young knight brought her to the castle's library.
Emma was met with winding staircases and tall, stacked shelves filled with books, surrounding her like a tornado. She had been acquainted with this room a few days after she had started her training, for the queen had taken notice to her interest in the few tomes that lined the shelves in her bedchambers. Though, this room was far too large to search for anything on her own, thus she had turned to the literate knights as she turned to the castle for anything else that might aid her.
A tall, bald man with dark skin approached her, clad in his usual ebony armor. He toted a stack of books.
"What did you find, Uriel?" inquired the Black Knight and was immediately granted the stack as he spoke.
"This is all I could find on the Dark One, ser." The man dipped his head, though when he had straightened out, something burned in his hazel eyes. "Might I ask why you are trying to locate this imp?"
The blonde turned her gaze away from the man and sought out a red velvet sofa, though refrained from moving. "The queen asked me."
"Doesn't Her Majesty know of his location?"
"Why must you question me? She has asked that I research the Dark One." Her face grew hot with impatience and the knight seemed to notice for he merely dipped his head and backed away.
"Is there anything else I can assist you with?" When the blonde shook her head, Uriel moved away, taking Kevan with him.
Emma was alone in the quiet library as she moved toward the sofa to read through the yellow, aged pages of the tomes. Would any of this truly help? That, she did not know. But she was certainly desperate enough to try as she flipped through the books, one by one, skimming, searching, for anything that would leave indication of his location.
But as the time had passed and her back had grown sore from hunching over the books, she knew that she was only wasting precious time. A day had nearly passed since she returned to the castle and within that day, the Gods would only know what Rumpelstiltskin was bestowing upon the Evil Queen.
They had an advantage, though, or at least Emma would like to think. She still held onto Regina's heart, kept secure in a black metal box around her neck. Strange, perhaps even careless, it may seem, but she didn't trust leaving it alone, not while Rumpel was no doubt on the prowl. That's why she wanted to make the first move; she didn't want to give him the chance.
Tossing the books onto the sofa beside her, Emma stood, taking those thoughts to heart. There had to be a more productive way of locating Rumpel and where he kept the Evil Queen. Magic was the only thing she could think of, something that had brought her back here. But when she had tried to think back on her surroundings, of anything that might have brought an inkling to where she had been, it was only a blur, some distant, foggy memory clouded by red magic and the whisper of Regina's despairing voice.
A chill worked its way down her spine as she relived that singular moment.
She had turned to the knights, first, in hopes they would have knowledge of Rumpelstiltskin's abode, that perhaps they had traveled with the queen before, but when each had shaken their heads, she was at a loss. The blonde knight didn't even know if that's where she was taken to in the first place. Would the imp be so heedless?
No.
Everything that man did was carefully calculated, as if he had long planned for events. It chilled her the way that imp moved and spoke and thought, as if he already knew of any circumstance before they happened. Briefly, she wondered if he would have known of the Evil Queen's plans to kidnap the princess, but only shook the thought away like a pesky insect, finding disbelief in it.
Emma found herself in the queen's bedchambers once again. Why, she did not know, she felt the need to sink into the familiarity of it, to remember the woman that was gone as if it would help locate her. There must be some way, she thought, pacing, eyes falling to every surface that she passed. Things that she had rummaged through, papers and books and small items strewn in a storm of her urgency.
"Where is she?"
The Black Knight very nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a man's voice speak and turned to find the source, only she couldn't. "Who's there?" she demanded, unsheathing her sword and preparing to strike if need be.
"Turn around." It came again; that mysterious, disembodied voice. It sounded as if it were directly behind her, where she had first been facing, yet it also seemed as if it came from across the room, as well. "Not there, you idiot. The mirror," it spoke again, sounding with a chilling echo.
She slowly turned to the mirror as if something were to pop out at any given moment and pointed her sword at what she expected to be her own reflection but, instead, she was met with a man's face surrounded in an ethereal blue glow.
"What the fuck!" Her ebony blade clattered to the ground as she attempted to make sense of what she was seeing. In her time here, she certainly hadn't witnessed such a thing. "What are you?"
But the man rolled his eyes, or at least she thought it was a man. Maybe it was a specter? Or some magical spell. "I am the Evil Queen's magic mirror."
"What the hell did she make you out of?" But the reflection, or phantom, or whatever the hell it was only looked at her, impatient.
"Nothing. I was once a man, but-"
"Whoa… What the hell did she do to you?" Emma, after having collected her sword once again, moved toward the large mirror that hung on the wall and pressed her fingers against the cool surface. The image of the man's head remained, garnering only irritation in his eyes.
"I asked you a simple question and you have yet to answer it."
The blonde merely snorted and retracted her hand, eyes narrowing on the mirror. "And why should I answer to the likes of you?"
"Because I have seen you pacing and coming through here like a tornado. The Evil Queen would not allow such a thing." His voice seemed to fill her head and when she turned, she saw his image on the vanity's mirror, as well.
"You've been spying on me?"
"Spying, seeing, are they truly any different? I know who you are and what you and the queen have done." There was a smirk on his face. Emma blanched. "Where is she?"
Color soon returned to her face as her blood pumped once again and she turned, step heavy. "Rumpelstiltskin has her."
A gasp filled the air. "And by have her you mean…?"
"He has taken her." The blonde turned her jade eyes on him. "If you have been seeing what has been happening, then you should know."
"The last I spoke to the queen, she said she was going to confront the Dark One of your betrayal."
"My betrayal?" Emma could have laughed. "He took me. Somehow he broke through and…" She shook her head, reflecting back on those golden eyes that pierced her very soul. Then, as if a light had turned on, she quickly found her footing toward the mirror and looked upon the man inside. "You must know where Rumpel's castle is located. Tell me this."
The magic mirror looked bewildered. "I am merely a mirror, ser. I know of no location."
"You have to know… Can't you- Can't you see through other mirrors or something? Can't you find her?" The blonde drew her attention to the wall behind the mirror as she lifted it, but the man's voice stopped her.
"Trust me, I have tried. I pride myself in keeping contact with the Evil Queen. But I simply cannot reach her." His eyes shifted. "I am able to see through other mirrors, yes, but they will not provide me with a location."
Emma's heart thundered in her ears, feeling as if it were pounding against the one that lay over it. "What of landmarks? Anything that might be able to tell of its location?"
He shook his head, or what Emma had assumed was the gesture. "I am sorry, but it is impossible. Rumpelstiltskin has his mirrors covered."
An impending growl rose in the blonde knight's throat. "You are of no help." And, before she knew it, her fist was colliding with the man's face, shattering the mirror and leaving it to bleed broken glass as it showered onto the floor. Shaking her hand and flicking the remnants off her gloves, she turned away, ignoring the face that appeared in the vanity's mirror.
"You must find her." The magic mirror's words stopped her in her tracks. "There is no telling what he might do."
"Then perhaps you should find a way to help me," Emma hissed, finding something stirring in her gut as she moved toward the vanity. "You know, instead of pissing away our time."
"And what are you doing to find our queen?"
The reflection shattered once again underneath her black fist. She took to the corridors, instead, fueled by his words. She needed to do something. The last resort she had within these castle walls were speaking with the knights, once again, and confessing the queen's absence. But if they hadn't been able to help her find route to the Dark One's abode, then what aid would they give her now?
"You cannot ignore me, Emma."
It reverberated, this time, and she almost swore she was hearing that voice inside her head. But when she turned, she was met with another mirror – no, Gods, there was an entire wall of them and his reflection followed her in each one.
"Perhaps the queen was correct in her assumption."
She passed that mirror, fingers curling into her palms.
"You merely wanted to overthrow her."
Her eyes kept to the stone ahead.
"To take over her castle."
Booted feet moved faster.
"No one can ever trust a White."
There was a certain venom in his voice as if he were reflecting the Evil Queen herself. This time the blonde stopped, heated emerald eyes on the mirror before her. "You know nothing."
"I know nothing? Her Majesty speaks every one of her plans to me. I help her, unlike you, who paces these halls as if she were a lost little girl." Laughter filled the hallways, coming from each of those mirrors and it was overwhelming. She felt as if she were drowning in it.
"I implore you, tell me where she is, where I can find her. Or who can help me."
But that cold, cruel laughter only filled the air. "You killed the only one that could help you."
Her lip twitched. His games were tiring. That feeling that welled within her only grew and, within seconds, every single mirror shattered, raining shards of glass in the dark corridor. If he couldn't help her, no one could. She would just have to do this on her own, whatever it may take.
"It's a pity, Regina, that no one cares." A soft blip of a giggle fell from golden lips. "Not even the one who claims to love you."
The Evil Queen's eyes shot like molten lava on the imp who seemed to dance before her as he paced in that small, small room she had woken in; the same one they had escaped from; the one Emma no longer inhabited. Part of her felt relief that the blonde knight was able to flee, but there was a heaviness, some burning sensation in her heart, knowing that she was left behind.
But she did not let that falter her, no, she wouldn't allow it. She had to remain strong, sure. Keep herself from breaking as the Dark One had wanted her to. The only relief she had was that Rumpel didn't have access to her heart. She could feel it, though, as Emma touched it – soft and gentle, like a caress. It was safe. For now.
She was at their mercy. Gods, she hated losing control.
"Nothing to say?" Another giggle. "You are used to it, aren't you? Being left behind. Being used. Thinking someone cares, someone finally hears that cry in the night, but they don't. They only laugh at your misery."
It was Regina's turn to laugh this time, something deep and roaring, resonating within her dark soul. She wouldn't let him get to her, not with words. "I have learned that people are selfish. They only take interest in themselves."
"Oh, you don't truly believe that, do you?" He smirked and moved toward her in a flash, the air that followed him cold and jeering as it caressed her face. "Daniel cared for you."
She stiffened, her absent heart speeding its beat, but she left her features to remain as stone. "Do not bring him into this."
"Still sore, are we?" The sinister curve of his lips never faltered, but only grew, widening his face. "No mind. Our words have been spent of that boy. Now, the girl, on the other hand."
"What of her?" she spat, those leaden chestnut eyes spitting fire on the Dark One. "She means nothing to me."
"Are you quite sure of that?" He bent, face mere inches from her own, his rancid breath hot against her skin.
She could feel herself grow weak as the blood in her face fled, but she matched his gaze, her lips pulled back into a tight snarl. "She means nothing to me."
But he laughed as if he believed otherwise. "Shame that she has gone. I would have enjoyed torturing her in front of you. But, alas, that must wait for another time. I must cash in my promise first, dearie."
The brunette's nose twitched slightly, any color in her face now gone at his promise, and when he forced her to stand, she tried everything to pull away. "You will not! I will kill you, imp. I promise you that."
"Mighty words coming from a woman who is at my mercy." He pushed her hard against the cold stone, taking the air from her lungs along with it. She could feel her legs give way, but she was not granted the comfort of the floor as he pressed his body against her own, pinning her against the wall.
That stolen breath was quickened, her body growing too hot, too tense. "Do with me what you will. Flesh is flesh and it will heal."
"But your mind is weak, scarred." The imp purred and trailed a pointed finger along her temple. She shuddered. "And it will break."
"You cannot break me." Something welled within her chest, a fire that roared and crackled, despite the tightness that weighed her down. "You try, imp. You can try."
"You keep saying that," he muttered, a smirk claiming his lips as he pulled away, allowing the Evil Queen to breathe once again. But it hadn't lasted long as she felt her feet part from the floor, his dark magic suffocating her. She only remained still, though, learning that it had been best in these situations. "But I can see the fear in your eyes – that fear that I might just take everything that you had built and tear it down."
A strained laughter fell from her lips. It hurt her aching lungs, but she didn't care. The pain was something that fueled her. "I fear nothing. I have nothing. And it is nothing that you will take."
"You are lying and you know it even as you speak." There was a sparkle in his eye. "Perhaps I will let you live long enough to watch your infamous Black Knight fall by my hand."
Her upper lip pulled back and she growled, "please, do. It will please me endlessly. But, you will be sore of luck for she will not come here. She will return to the protection of her parents."
But her words didn't seem to affect him for he merely continued to smile. "She will come, and when she does, well… Those pretty green eyes of hers will no longer sparkle."
Regina felt her arms separate from behind her back and for a moment, she thought she was free, until she felt the cuffs bite further into her wrists as her entire weight relied on them. The pressure was soon taken away when another set of binds coiled around her ankles and she was lowered to the ground.
When she moved, she heard the clatter of chains, and knew it was inevitable. Her dark gaze fell upon the Dark One who circled her, a hand under his chin as if he were observing, contemplating, and it only sent chills down her spine.
"But you do not care, do you, that she will die?" He stood before her once again, that creepy smile stretching wide across his crocodile features. "How can you when you are nothing but a monster?"
"That certainly is rich coming from you." She only smiled when his hand drew across her cheek, the sting of her flesh only seeming to ignite her fires. "What you subject others to is far worse than what I have done."
"You can tell yourself that, dear Regina, but we all know you will seek any excuse to justify your actions." His fingers felt like ice as they moved along the stinging contour of her cheek. "You have used Snow White as just that for far too long."
Relief flooded her when he withdrew his hand, but that moment of peace hadn't lasted long when his feet moved, positioning him behind her. She twisted to look at him, the chains rattling with each movement, but she couldn't keep her gaze long. "But you merely added fodder to the canon, imp, by showing me the ways of dark magic."
"You let your anger control you. Throughout your life, that is all you felt. For your mother, for Snow, for me." He tsked and within moments, she felt something shift inside the room. She was granted the answer only a second later when the sound of a whip snapped in the suddenly too-thick air. "Poor, little Regina, so very angry at the world for letting her down."
The brunette queen tensed slightly when she felt something trail along her back. "Snow White is the one that-"
"You tell yourself that, dearie, but you know that is not true." He cackled softly and when Regina looked to the imp behind her for that brief moment, she saw the opposing black leather draw forward. Pain tensed her body, something dull, for the fabric of her gown softened the blow, but she could feel it tear. "She may have had a hand, but you and I both know it stretches far beyond that."
"You don't know what you are talking about, imp. You do not know me."
"Oh, but that is where you are wrong, Regina." The Dark One's words were a whisper in her ear, filling her head and resonating throughout her body with an uneasy gelidity. "I have known you since before you were even born."
"You lie!" she hissed, though there was a small doubt in her, because there were still mysteries about that imp that she didn't know. It made her shudder and that whip made her lurch as it was brought down upon her again, a grunt falling from her lips. "You are hell-bent on ruining my attire, aren't you?"
"Well, you certainly do wear too many dark colors." A giddy giggle filled the air. "What happened to that young Regina who wore her pastels?"
"She is dead."
"She certainly is. What a shame. This realm would have benefited from having her." The brunette felt his fingers move along the torn fabric on her back and suddenly she was tugged backward as he sunk his fingers into the newly formed slits, ripping at them and tearing her gown further. The split of the fabric only filled her lungs with cement as a cool draft hit her exposed skin.
"This world was never meant to have her," the Evil Queen growled, those dark eyes concentrating hard on the wall before her as if it would help her escape. But, whatever intangible hope that she had willed never came and she was face with that odious little imp, his eyes like golden death. "My whole existence is flawed."
"All of our existences are flawed, Regina. No one is meant to be perfect, not even Snow White," he chirped, using the leather to trail along her paling complexion. "She signed her daughter away to keep safe from you, yet, look where the tides of fate had churned us."
"Fate, if there ever was such a thing," Regina merely spat and turned her gaze away from him, her body shuddering when he bared his yellowed teeth and let that strip trail further down.
"Oh, dearie, there is. The world has a mysterious way of turning things out, but the future is inevitable, no matter how one might attempt to change the outcome." His eyes fell momentarily to her cleavage before he stepped away with a light hop and circled her. "Trust me, I should know."
"Then you are telling me that I was fated to be this… to be this monster?" Part of her didn't seem to mind, for life seemed easier when she could take control, take what she wanted. But then there was another part – something angry and penetrating – because of what she had to go through to get here.
"Of course. You were needed as you are now." The imp paused before her, lips curling into an offensive smile.
A snort left her lips. "So you could do this? That I was fated to be used and abused and…" A part of her crumbled, her eyes filling with tears that she would not bid. "What do you want of me? Is it because I am of no use to you now? So you think you can throw me away? Is death my fate, by your hand?"
"Your worth ran out long ago, Regina." His booted feet moved swiftly once again as he stepped behind her. She twisted to follow him, the muscles in her back aching as his gilded eyes feasted upon the unmarred flesh. "Death is fated to you, an early demise. I have merely assumed the task." And, with his final word, that leather, something so harmless on its own, fell upon her back.
Scarlet was the color that spilled from her veins, escaping the broken bonds of her skin and leaving a warm, tickling trail down the olive surface. Her flesh felt as if it were on fire, but she only grit her teeth, not giving him the satisfaction of her pain. But that whip kept cracking, breaking the weakness of her skin, releasing more of that sweet metallic liquid, and along with it, she felt salty regret slip down her cheeks and knew she wouldn't last long. But Gods be damned if she wouldn't hold on to the breaking pieces of her already shattered mind.
Emma looked to the sky, those stars that once guided her now hidden behind swaths of dark clouds, seeming to cry for her as cold rain splattered against her ebony armor. She closed her eyes and allowed it to beat down on her skin, revitalizing her tired brain. The sun would rise soon and time was waning. She could feel it, something deep in her bones, screaming.
The village square she stood in was empty save for a few beggars. She had traveled far, outside of the Evil Queen's territory, hoping, praying that she would find her way to Regina. But as time passed, she felt herself slowly lose that hope, but there was a determination inside her like a white light, pressing her to keep going, even though her aching limbs had protested.
The metal box around her neck felt heavy as it still hung, swinging with every step. But the beating that resonated within it kept her going because as long as she heard it, felt it, she knew there was hope; that Regina was still alive.
Sighing softly, she dug into the small coin pouch attached to her hip and tossed a couple gold pieces into the beggars' dishes. Hunger gnawed at her belly, but she would only rest and eat when she had completed her task. As she was about to step toward a set of cobbled stairs, she heard a voice stop her, one that of the nearest beggar.
"You look troubled."
When she turned, she was met by the long, thin face of a man, wrinkled and greyed with age. "I can handle myself," she said and looked to the stairs, anticipation fueling her to move, but she was drawn back by the man's cracked voice.
"You are seeking something that you cannot find."
Her brows furrowed, gripped by his words, and turned a slow eye on him. He was well-spoken for a common peasant; a beggar. "Who are you?" she asked, but he merely chuckled, something wheezing and short, his crooked, rotting teeth being revealed.
"I am no one of importance, but perhaps I can aid you in your endeavors."
Emma remained still, skeptical, her green eyes on the man as he coughed into his hand. She frowned. "And how can you aid me when you know nothing of my… troubles."
"People pass us by, they underestimate us. We see and we hear and we know." He shifted, his bony limbs popping with each movement. "Tell me what you seek, my child."
The blonde shook her head, though, denying his offer. Everything about him seemed wrong, chilling. "I do not need your help." And, with her words, she turned and ascended those stairs, but his voice only seemed to follow her.
"Time is running short, my child."
"And what do you know of time except that you are wasting mine?"
He cackled, though it was more of a strained cough, the smile on his cracked lips growing. "Impatient girl. You must see the world before you rush by it. Perhaps your answers are where you least expect them, where you might walk right on by, like the villagers do to the beggars."
A strange curiosity welled within her, forcing her feet forward as she brought herself back to the man who gazed upon her with a sparkle in his milky blue eyes. "Fine, I will bite, but I will not continue chewing the fat for long."
"First you must tell me what it is that you seek."
Nose twitching, she let her jade eyes fall to the cobbled alleyway. "I am searching for Rumpelstiltskin's castle."
"A girl seeks danger, I see, I see." He nodded, that gleam in his eye brightening. "I cannot help you locate his castle."
"What?" The Black Knight was about to draw her sword and stick that man in the neck with the pointy end, but he only smiled back on her, coughing and laughing.
"But I know of one who can." He licked his lips. "Impatient girl."
A growl rose in her throat, but she swallowed it down. This was her only lead, thus far, she had to take it. "Who?"
"A woman with brown hair and blue eyes, a true belle of the dark. She takes to the town a few villages north. How many, you ask?" He smirked. "I would say three. Once you reach the fourth, search for her. She will wear yellow."
"And how do you know she has knowledge of the Dark One's location?" asked the blonde knight whose stomach soon knotted; some bubble of hope turning the butterflies into a raging storm.
"You can only trust me, my child, for my word is the only you have. I bid you good luck."
Emma's green eyes kept on the man for a long moment, but decided against wasting any further time for she turned and ascended those stairs. But there was something that she didn't ask – when would she appear? – and faced toward the alley only to find the spot in which he had inhabited empty.
It left her uneasy as she turned away, making her way back toward the borrowed horse she had brought with. Who was that man, and how did he know of her circumstance? But, she didn't let that thought linger for she mounted the black, armored mare and rode off, counting each village as she passed through.
When she had reached the fourth stone and dirt covered village, the sun had risen high in the sky, casting its warm rays upon her. The storm clouds from last night still swirled in the sky as swaths of grey, threatening to gather and form another shower. She loved the smell of a storm and the way the earthy scent clung to the air after the rain had long gone.
What was left of the greenery was vibrant in the otherwise dreary surroundings. She took a moment, as she dismounted her mare and tied her to a post, to soak in the aftermath. Mud squished underneath her heavy, black boots as she entered the village, buzzing with people as they went about their daily lives.
Immediately, her eyes searched for a woman of the beggar man's descriptions, but there was no one that had matched. She didn't even know when this mysterious brown haired, blue eyed belle would come to town, if she even did, and what her connection to the Dark One might have been.
The sun seemed to swallow her as it appeared from behind a dark cloud, telling her of the time that was passing, of the time that she was wasting. The Evil Queen's heart still beat, thrumming in that black box over her own. She closed her eyes for a moment and let the organ pump with hers, feeling it reverberate throughout her entire being. She could imagine herself in bed with the very woman it belonged to, their hearts beating together more naturally as their skin pressed against one another and their souls bonded.
"Your flowers are quite beautiful this morning," a woman's voice, lilted with an enchanting accent, sounded above the rest. "I will take two dozen."
"Thank you, ma'am. 'Preciate your business."
Emma turned to see the exchange between a young boy and a chestnut-haired woman in a yellow dress. He gave her a bouquet of colorful roses and she placed them into a shallow, woven basket.
"Thank you, sir," she chirped before turning away to pace around the circle of small stands.
The Black Knight moved toward the fair-haired boy whose eyes looked upon her, wide. "Are you a knight?"
She offered the boy a gentle smile, reaching for her coin purse. "I am, yes."
"Wow," he gasped. "I never seen a girl knight before."
"Where I come from it is not uncommon." Emma dipped her head as she spoke gently, fishing out a few gold pieces. "Who was that woman that you spoke with?"
His hazel eyes fell to the brunette woman who remained within the square, standing before a vendor that held different wares, looking as if they were from foreign lands. "Oh, her? Name's Belle. She's my friend."
"Is she?" The blonde nodded slowly, jingling those coins in her hand. "Do you know where she comes from?"
The boy shook his head, frowning. "No. I ain't never asked her, but she comes to town every morning to buy flowers. Nothin' else. Just flowers. But she looks."
Her eyes searched out the woman again, Belle, but she was no where to be seen. A frown immediately claimed her lips before she turned back to the boy. "Thank you for your help."
"'course, ma'am."
She extended her hand to the boy and dropped the coins in his hand. "I will take a red rose."
"Oh, it don't cost this much, ma'am."
"For your help," she repeated and received the rose he had given her. "Do you know which direction she comes from?"
"The north, ma'am. Is she in trouble?"
"No, no. I must ask her a question. Thank you." With a dip of her head, she was off, pushing between people as they swarmed around her, buzzing from stand to stand. Her eyes searched every alley, every street, hoping to see that yellow dress, but her luck was short.
"Dammit," she muttered and found her mare, then proceeded north.
Of course, why wouldn't the Dark One be north? Opposite the Evil Queen and away from her parents' kingdom. How far north was he, she wondered, as she took to the dirt path that broke through the forest, eyes searching through the green and the brown for yellow.
Her heart skipped when she saw her and that basket of flowers, traveling on the side of the road. She hadn't gotten far. Of course not, she was on foot, after all. She gently dug her heel into the horse's flank, urging her forward, and rode up beside the brunette.
"Belle?"
Soft, blue eyes met her gaze and she couldn't find menace in them. How did she know of the Dark One's location? "Wh-who are you?" she asked, stopping, a wary gleam flitting through those light eyes.
"I am searching for Rumpelstiltskin," she answered, instead, removing herself from the horse with a hard thud. "I have heard you had knowledge of his location."
"Why are you searching for him?" Her brows furrowed as a frown creased her face. "You- You don't want to make any deals with him. That is a terrible idea."
"I am not looking for a deal. I am not stupid," she spat and the woman flinched. Fingers curling into the rein that she held, she shook her head. "Do you know of his location or not?"
"I…" She seemed to hesitate, those friendly eyes darkening. "What business have you with him?"
"What business is it of yours?" The blonde could feel her patience waning, as it had been throughout this journey.
"How do you know who I am?" Belle countered, her tone sharp.
"A… A man told me of a woman matching your description knew of the Dark One's location." It had sounded strange, of course, even as she thought about it. But that beggar seemed to have a certain knowledge of things that shook her and as she had slowly doubted him, she realized he had mentioned the woman's name in his words, even if it weren't directly. "Are you something to him?"
The woman seemed to hesitate once again, her free hand wringing her yellow gown. "I was the price of a deal he made with my father. That much is common knowledge."
Emma snorted unconsciously; that imp and his prices. She was a price. "Yet he lets you roam free?"
The brunette's pink lips pressed together as she swallowed and nodded, eyes darting to the horse and down the road. "Our relationship had… changed."
"Changed?" A brow quirked.
"I help keep his castle," she quickly spit out, but Emma could immediately detect the lie, or at least, the cover.
"You love him." That seemed to have surprised the brunette, for her cheeks filled with blood and those eyes kept to the dirt. "You won't tell me his location because you love him. You know that I do not want to make a deal."
"Many people want his head for what he has done." Her words were quiet. "Of course, they cannot succeed."
"Then what do you have to be afraid of? I cannot harm him." That much was true. She didn't have his dagger.
Belle met her gaze, finally, frowning. "Why do you want to go to him, then?"
"He has taken something from me and I would like it back." This woman needn't know that that something was the Evil Queen. She might already know the Dark One has her.
"What is it that he has taken?"
"That is none of your concern. Will you help me retrieve it, or not?"
The brunette quickly shook her head. "I will not step between Rumpel and his items. But I will show you the way to his castle."
A slow smirk spread across pale pink lips, the pieces of an idea slowly forming. "Perfect. Would you like a ride?" She gestured toward the black mare. "I promise not to kidnap you."
Laughter filled the air before Belle had smiled and dipped her head. "I appreciate it. The distance is long."
Within minutes, the two were mounted and rode down the dirt path at a steady pace. "So you have fallen in love with your captor. How did that come to be? He is the Dark One, after all."
The question seemed to have stunted the brunette who tensed before the blonde knight. "I am unsure," she said quietly and silence took them, letting the gentle clops of the horse's hooves to fill the air.
"You are unsure? What drew you to him?"
"I-I… I don't know, exactly. He… He was kind and gentle, when he let his guard down, as the nights passed. He merely ignored me, for a while, and told me when I had done things wrong. He never harmed me, though, and it was then that I knew there was some compassion in this man. He saved me from falling off a ladder." Emma could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke. "Slowly, I saw that he cared for me. I think he was afraid to, though. To love and to care. He is human, deep down in there, but it's a weakness, he says. I have tried to stop him from harming others but…"
"He's the Dark One," Emma finished her sentence, a bitterness clinging to her words. Human? She had seen what that man was capable of and what he would do to get his way. Regina was right when she said people were merely pawns to him. He only moved them across the board when he saw fit and removed the pieces that were no longer useful. Her mind went to Regina and she felt the need to hurry their journey along.
"I know. Whatever that might be controlling him is dark and consuming. I have tried… but he doesn't want to change; he won't." A sigh fell from her lips.
"Some people cannot be changed," murmured Emma, thinking to the Evil Queen whose thirst for blood never seemed to be satiated. She wondered if Regina would be the same and found no doubt. "How far is it?"
"At the end of the road there is a hidden path on the left. We will take that until we meet two large oaks. You will see nothing, but if we pass between them, his castle will appear. Well… He has it charmed so one cannot find it easily." Emma nodded slowly as she narrowed her eyes on the long stretch of road ahead, mentally writing the directions into her brain. She bid the mare to move faster and soon the trees were naught but a blur of brown and green as they passed, the cool wind whipping her cheeks red.
Light rain had started to fall by the time they had made it to the end of the road and she turned left into the stretch of forest, the path nothing but trampled earth. Emma could feel her stomach burn as the butterflies that had inhabited it raged, fluttering in preparation for what was to come. She had no idea what she would be faced with. She didn't even know if Rumpel was keeping Regina within the castle walls. And what if he wasn't? What if he appeared and she wasn't there and he captured her again?
She would doom them both. There was no way, through her utter exhaustion, that she could break free again. It had drained her the first time and she was surprised her adrenaline kicked in as long as it had to drag her weary body along. It was the fuel to find Regina that kept her going, she knew. Though, part of her wondered if she truly wanted the queen back or the freedom that she provided.
But then she thought and found that she had desired more than just freedom. She wanted the woman's sweet warmth, and those spicy lips, and to feel olive skin against her own. She closed her eyes briefly to seek out an image of the Evil Queen – no, Regina – and smiled to herself, enamored by the raw beauty she held.
"We're here." Emma was torn from the image of the queen and her haunting chestnut eyes when Belle's voice spoke.
Emma looked up to be met by the twin oaks and the expanse of trees that lay behind. She urged the mare forward and as they passed between them, she could feel that same dark and filling magic consume her, clinging like static to her skin. It felt as if she were hallucinating when she saw the forest turn into a large castle and the dirt beneath the horse's hooves transformed to stone.
"Your horse will be safe by the door," said the brunette as they made their way up the long, stone path. It felt like ages until they reached the large iron and oak door that stood three times as tall as her.
"Is he compensating for something?" she muttered and dismounted the horse after Belle had, following the brunette up to the door.
"Pardon?"
"Oh, nothing," Emma chirped and stepped through the large doors once they had been opened. Dread immediately filled her like a poison and she found herself shuddering, eyes on the displays that surrounded them. "Do you know where he is?"
"He might be out," Belle answered as she took a few of those roses from her basket and placed them into a vase on the middle of a long, wooden table. "He has been busy lately. I saw him in passing this morning before I left. A door closed as I was exiting the hallway. Another…" She shook her head and offered a weak smile before moving to a golden vase to put a few more roses in.
Emma felt for the red one she had attached to her belt to make sure it was still there.
The brunette turned to her. "What is in that box around your neck? I had seen it earlier, but I did not wish to pry."
"You should have listened to your instinct," Emma muttered, fingers moving to the box that lay warm against her. It still beat.
"Of course. What is it that you are looking for?" she asked, instead, and Emma followed as she pressed forward, placing roses into each vase they passed.
"What did you mean by 'another?'" The blonde deflected her question with another, eyes falling to items held in a glass cabinet.
"Oh, um…" Belle shook her head quickly and deposited the now empty basket onto the floor. "Sometimes he takes people to punish them for misdeeds, or answers. I-I never ask."
"I see," Emma muttered. "Where does he take them?"
"I never know." She shrugged slightly. "Not since the first time I had helped a man escape. He never kept them in the same room."
"Do you know which room he went into this morning?" Emma pried, exploring the area for any corridor that might lead her to Regina. That was, if she was held here.
But she didn't get an immediate response, instead, Belle watched her with those piercing blue eyes. "Why must you ask?"
The blonde turned to her. "No mind. I am merely curious." She saw a splash of sunlight and decided to move through the door despite the brunette's pleads of her not to.
"Where are you going?"
"I am searching. If he is not here, then I will find him, or what I am looking for." Emma was blinded by the sunlight as it filled the room in its bright rays. There was something familiar about it. She continued forward, hearing distant voices in her head and the sight of crimson. Was this where she had escaped to?
"He keeps his prizes elsewhere," Belle continued to speak as she chased after the blonde, worried, as if she would get punished for Emma's wandering, or perhaps it was concern for the knight's own punishment.
"Is this where you saw him this morning?" Emma stopped and felt as the brunette bumped into her.
"Yes," she said, confusion taking to her tone. "Why does it matter?"
"Forgive me, Belle, but I must do this." When the blonde knight turned, she saw the stricken features on Belle's features and before she could run, Emma pulled her against the ebony leather.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Her voice had grown in pitch as she struggled against the grip, but Emma was far too strong.
"You know what it feels like to be in love." The blonde dragged her along despite the fight she gave to get free. "It makes you desperate when it is threatened. Stop moving. I don't want to hurt you."
"Wh- A-are you in love with the Dark One?"
Emma could have laughed and she did, something roaring that filled the corridor. "Gods no. You can keep that imp for yourself." She approached the first door and kicked it open, but it was empty of people and filled with furniture.
"Did he take your love?" Her voice trembled when she spoke and Emma kicked in the next door only to be met with more nothingness.
The blonde knight did not answer her question as she proceeded down the hallway, kicking in each door that she had passed only to be met with bitter disappointment and a stone in her belly. "Are there more corridors similar to this one?"
"Upstairs, yes," she responded, voice cracking. "Are you searching for someone?"
"Will you stop fighting me?" Emma grunted and continued to drag the brunette along as she located the stairs at the end of the corridor and ascended them. She was met by a similar hallway bathed in the glow of the afternoon sun.
"What are you going to do to me?"
But the Black Knight didn't answer her as looked upon the doors that lined the hallway, her eyes falling to one door in particular. Something told that was the one. Eyes honed in on the that singular door, her body moved against her will, something drawing her to it. Her lungs burned as she neared, staring at the dark wood for a long moment.
"Who are you looking for? You don't have to do this…" The brunette spoke again, her tone raising a couple of octaves and she jerked in the blonde's arms again, but Emma only held onto her tighter.
"Stop," she demanded, her voice strained.
Those eyes never parted from their stare.
Swallowing, she pulled herself from her trance and used all her might to kick hard at the wood, but unlike the others, she was met with a certain resistance. That was surely promising. She tried for it again, and again, and again, her black boot beating on that poor wood, chipping it away, until she felt it give way and slam against the wall as it flew open, pieces of the door clattering to the ground.
The room was dark, or initially had been until the light had illuminated it, revealing the contents. It was empty, just like it had been before, except for a single form in the middle, hands above their head and their back covered in crimson.
Her heart skipped a beat as she moved quickly into the room, shoving Belle aside and demanding her to stay put as she turned to face the prisoner. Familiar chestnut eyes lifted to meet her, sparkling with hope, but fading to something darker.
"Gods, Regina…" Emma breathed and reached to touch the brunette's cheek, but she moved away, spitting her words like venom.
"Don't touch me."
"Please, Regina. I-it's me. It's Emma. I-I'm here…" She circled her, looking for a way to free her from those chains that bound her, but her eyes fell to the deep lacerations on her back. "Oh, Gods, what did he do to you?" She felt anger boil inside her and quickly moved to stand before the queen once again, moisture welling in her eyes. "I-I'll get you out."
"You're not real…" Regina muttered. "Y-You can't be. She wouldn't come for me…"
Emma felt a stone weigh on her chest. "Yes she would, Regina, because she loves you." Swallowing, she bent to pull her dirk from its sheath and stood on her toes to fiddle with those damned cuffs. "She loves you," she said again, those once unbidden tears slipping down her cheeks. "And you came for her. Now it's her turn to save you."
"Why?"
"Because she loves you." Emma pulled away, successful in breaking the first cuff and moved to the second one, not missing the mistrust in those dark eyes.
"He was wrong." Regina's voice held more volume to it. "But then he was right…"
"What the fuck are you talking about?" She grunted softly and broke the second cuff, and when she had, the queen stumbled and nearly fell, but Emma caught her before she could.
"He said you would come," she whispered. "Why did you come? He will only kill you, Emma. Why?" She looked up, a frown claiming her lips. "You are foolish for coming here, into his home, where he is strongest. I made the same mistake and look where that had landed me."
"I couldn't leave you here, Regina. Not with him. Look what he has done to you." Emma trembled slightly as she gazed upon the broken skin, fresh tears drawing to her eyes.
"He can break my flesh, but he cannot break me." The Evil Queen shook her head, a fire growing within those chestnut pools. "I… I could not let him."
"Do you know where he is now?" Emma asked, moving to work at the chains connected to her ankles.
Regina didn't answer right away as she shifted, allowing her more room, and looked to the woman in the corner of the room. "He was searching for something. A magical item in his collection, no doubt."
The blonde shuddered to think what it might have been and didn't want to soon find out as she broke the chains that bound her queen. She quickly destroyed the first rusted chain and moved to the second. "Would you be able to walk?"
The brunette nodded, rubbing at her sore wrists. "How did you find me?"
"Yes, how did you find us?" The light had disappeared behind a figure in the doorway.
"I have my ways," Emma hissed at the imp who merely cackled and stepped into the room, tossing an object onto the floor. She couldn't make it out in the shadows, but she knew it was something dangerous the way it seemed to glow against the shadowed stone. "I have her." She made haste to grab Belle who still stood in her spot, though her eyes had widened and her face had paled.
"Let her go," demanded the Dark One, but Emma shook her head.
"And why would I do that?"
"Because your queen is still at my mercy."
Emma scoffed and drew the dirk up to Belle's throat. "Touch one more hair on her head and your lover's throat will be opened."
His eerie eyes sparkled, but he remained still, smirking. "You couldn't do such a thing."
"Watch me," Emma spat her words and pressed the blade against the brunette's delicate skin. She could hear Belle whimper, but she remained tense, holding her breath.
"Rumpel, please."
That smirk faded from Rumpel's face as a seriousness turned it to stone and he drew forward. "Let her go. This has nothing to do with her."
"Let us go and I will spare her." The blonde watched him closely. She could feel that same numbness take over – that one that had consumed her the day she took Eordic's life.
There was a moment of silence as his eyes fell to the blade and darkened. "You win this round, princess. But you will see me again. I promise you that. Now give her to me." He roared his last words, some distant insanity in his eye and Emma complied, pushing the blue eyed brunette forward before rushing over to the Evil Queen who had broken free from her last bond.
"Can you use magic to get us out of here?" Emma urgently whispered. She didn't trust lingering for long. Rumpel could turn on them in the last second.
Regina didn't answer her question, though, and instead, she found herself claimed by purple magic. Her head buzzed as she was pulled into the darkness and when she opened her eyes, she found herself in the queen's bedchambers. When she turned, she saw the brunette beside her and felt relief release the grip on her lungs.
She could finally breathe.
"What the hell happened in here?" Regina paced toward the shattered glass that still littered the ground and Emma offered a sheepish smile as she started to peel her armor away, finding it too heavy on her weary being.
"I spoke with your magic mirror and he, let's say, irritated me." Emma bit her lip and watched as the sorceress merely shook her head and put the mirrors back together. Moments later, she had her back turned to one as she examined the lacerations with a bitterness on her face.
"Flesh can be healed," she said to herself and moved a hand along her back, mending the broken flesh into long, welted scars.
"Why does that happen?" Emma queried as she approached the queen, pale digits slowly moving along the uneven surface, immediately wanting her lips to replace her fingertips, but she refrained from doing so.
"It merely quickens the healing process, this spell that I use."
"Is that what happened to your lip?" Her eyes went to the reflection of the scar that cut into her upper lip.
Regina turned to her, forcing her hand away as her eyes fell to the metal box that she now held, keeping the question in the air.
The blonde quickly took notice and pulled a chain from around her neck, taking the key attached to it to open the box. Inside was Regina's heart, still beating, still black, but she saw the soft glow of the red and smiled. "I am sure you would like this back where it belongs."
"Please," murmured the Queen.
Swallowing, she removed the pulsing organ from the box and gently pushed it back into Regina's chest. She heard the older woman gasp as her body lurched forward, and took a moment to regain the familiarity of the heart inside her. Tears welled in those dark eyes, but she blinked them away, and dipped her head.
"Thank you for keeping it safe."
"Of course," Emma muttered, setting the box back on the vanity. "I didn't want to let it out of my sight. I…" She shook her head and met the softening gaze of the Evil Queen and found herself enamored, drowning in the only sea she would die happily in. Slowly, she found herself gravitating closer to the brunette and before she could gain logic in her brain, her arms were wrapping around Regina's slender frame.
The older woman gasped softly at this contact and tensed in her spot, arms remaining at her side and when Emma was about to pull away, knowing she had overstepped some boundary, she felt arms coiling around her and a cheek press to her shoulder. The blonde smiled and breathed, her nose nuzzling into the brunette's warm neck. She smelled of dirt and sweat and blood, but she didn't mind. She was warm and safe, and she was glad the events of these past days were over.
She felt Regina tremble and only squeezed her tighter until she pulled away, and wiped away the tear that had managed to escape. "You look exhausted."
"Gods, I am." Emma bit back an impending yawn and quickly turned to the armor she dropped onto the floor. "I, uh, apologize about that." She bent to pick it up, but the queen's hand stopped her.
"You may leave it for now."
The blonde's face bloomed with heat when she saw crimson petals and the stem they were attached to. She plucked the rose from the waistband of her armor and stood upright, catching the brunette's tired gaze. "I have something for you," she said, extending the rose out for the queen to take and she did, the corners of her mouth twitching.
"A rose?" she murmured, lifting it to her nose and inhaled the sweet, floral aroma. "It's beautiful."
"It reminded me of your lips." Emma watched her with an absent smile. She hadn't known what compelled her to buy the rose, but she was glad that she had.
A husky chuckle fell from the queen's lips as she paced toward her bed, summoning a small glass vase with her magic and placed that single rose inside. Emma followed her, eyes on the torn fabric of her once rich and beautiful violet gown. Blood had stained it now and it churned her stomach, knowing what Rumpel had done to her. Gods, she wanted to kill that imp and it would be her only goal in life, even if she would have to draw her last breath to complete it.
"You should rest, Emma." Regina drew her away from those infuriating thoughts and brought warmth to her; some peace that washed throughout her being and let her breathe. "You deserve it. I will allow you a few days off from your duty."
"Truly?" The blonde felt her heart flutter when the brunette turned and dipped her head. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Gods, I think we both need it. Are you- Are you faring well?"
The sorceress nodded and moved past her, step faltering. "I… Yes. I fall only to rise again. Hold no concern for me."
The blonde dipped her head, though a frown found its way onto her lips. "Of course, my queen."
She nodded once again and turned back onto the path she already had drawn out, speaking as she took a step away. "I will be in the washroom if you have need of me."
"Uh, Regina?" Emma followed her, electricity seeming to buzz between them as she drew near. She could feel her head swim as she stepped forward, though that might have just been the exhaustion taking its toll.
"Yes, Emma?" She faced her, lips parted.
The younger woman could have melted when she heard her name roll like silk off Regina's tongue, but refrained from slipping away. "Do you mind if I kiss you?"
The Evil Queen blinked, her brows raising. "I suppose I find no harm in that."
"Good," murmured the blonde and she leaned forward to do just that. She felt revitalized by the contact and let the buzz that it had provided lift her high into the clouds. Gods, her lips were just like a rose's petals, soft and sweet, and they moved against her own as if they belonged.
She was able to float gracefully back down when they broke away, the older woman's lips parted as her dark eyes ate the knight up. "Your lips are beautiful," whispered the queen as she stepped away, a soft curve on her lips. "Rest, my knight. Tomorrow is a new day. Perhaps it will bring us great things."
Heat crept up her neck and bloomed on her features, an excitement coursing down her spine and lifting the hairs on her body. "Have sweet dreams, my queen."
When Regina had dipped her head, she departed and left the blonde knight to filter off to her own bedchambers, far too exhausted to bathe, herself. Tomorrow was a new day, she thought as she collapsed into the welcoming furs, and who knew what it would bring. Hopefully the Dark One wouldn't make an appearance so soon. They threatened him, she could tell, both Regina and herself. They were nothing to be dealt with lightly, not with her unrestrained magic.
She didn't want to think about him or what the future might bring. Tomorrow was all that she wanted – something peaceful and perhaps even boring. But, she knew, that even if tomorrow brought nothing more than just that, time would still pass, and a storm was brewing, ready to tear through their lives once more.