"Let go off me," Henry struggled as Azzeazal dragged him from the cart his hands tied in front of him. He tried to stomp on the other man's toes but was shaken roughly for his efforts.
"Let him go," Maleficent said lightly stepping out of the carriage herself.
Azzeazal looked confused but did as he was ordered. Once free Henry leapt away and turned to glare at Maleficent who was fixing her curls in the shiny side of the carriage tilting the unbroken carriage light to get a better look. "Go ahead little boy, run away," Maleficent continued with an airy tone "where are you going to go? Straight passed the minotaur, or the hags and crones? There is also the werewolves to get passed. They like nothing more than little boy flesh. Oh and the nasty men of ill repute. They won't eat you but you also won't be able to run after they're through with you."
Henry looked around and the darkness seemed to shift and leer, like one malevolent mass. Further away there where a scattering of fires that had mostly human shapes around them. Crossing the flickering firelight Henry could see vague shapes of bulls and wolves and other nightmarish things that only stayed in the light long enough to terrify him before disappearing. He clenched his jaw against the fear. Emma wouldn't be afraid.
"Face it Henry dear, right now I'm your best option," Maleficent smile vastly amused. "Now come along or I'll leave you behind," she promised sweeping away up the steps of a giant temple.
Henry hurried to catch up his neck craned back as the imposing building loomed over him. It was a large square building with a flat roof with sharp spikes at its edges. There were three tiers of stairs that led up to a tiny doorway. He expected a building this size to have huge double doors but instead it was a single doorway not much bigger than his bedroom door. There was a slab of dark obsidian that seemed to absorb all life around it. Maleficent pressed her hand to the rock and shuddered.
"Cold," She said before stepping back as the door dissolved into shadow. She pressed Henry through first and he stumbled inside crying out as the unexpected light hit his eyes.
The room was a simple dark chamber that dully reflected smeared images of those in the room. The room was big nearly the size of the giant temple itself. There were no columns or posts in the middle of the room to take up space. The only things in it was an altar at the very back just before another door, a squat little throne pressed against the far right wall and pressed against the far left wall was a simple book stand where a thick purple book sat open its pages a lighter black than the deep dull walls.
"Where are we?" Henry asked and his voice seemed to fall flat in the hall as the stones absorbed the sound.
"This is the temple of doom and gloom," an incongruously cheery voice said.
Henry jerked away as a man appeared bending over his shoulder. His skin was a sickly green flecked with gold and he had scars and ugly lumps on his face with sharp little eyes and a wide pointed smile and chin. He danced in front of Henry and preformed a mocking bow bending at the waist and sweeping his ankles with a flourish. "I am Rumplestiltskin, pleased to finally make your acquaintance prince Henry."
Henry stepped away so he could see Maleficent and Rumplestiltskin without needing to turn his head. Azzeazal stayed by the door crossing his arms. Mr Mills had warned him about Rumplestiltskin.
"We've gone through a lot of trouble to bring you back home Henry," Rumplestiltskin said with an exaggerated frown "surely you should be happy? I mean you have no idea that we're going to gut you and string you up like a pig."
"What?" Henry stepped back from the manic that was grinning at him. He could feel the colour leave his face as he became very dizzy.
"Oh yes!" Rumplestiltskin said cheerily grabbing Henry's bound hands with long point fingers with dirty nails. He dragged Henry without any effort across the room as Henry's struggles and protests didn't even register in his spindly arms. He threw Henry against the foot of the dark altar before squatting down and placing one hand at his head he leaned placing his face against Henry's. His previously squeaky voice turned deep as the smile fell from his face leaving only his tiny sharp teeth to gape at him. "You see Henry, you're going to be a hero. A heroic sacrifice but a hero none the less. Do you know what you are Henry?"
"I'm just a kid," Henry whimpered and pressed his back against the altar to try and get as far away as possible.
"Oh no, you're much more than that," Rumplestiltskin whispered to him with his deep voice "you're a mix of this world and that other world you come from. In this world of fairy tales everything is black and white. Good wins Evil looses and some live happily ever after. In that other world, they have a thing called reality. Where people live both good and bad and no one gets a happy ever after but everyone gets a chance at happiness."
"What are you talking about?" Henry spluttered as Rumplestiltskin's other hand thumped against his stomach to stop him squirming away.
"You're a mix of that world and ours. Around you the natural laws of this world don't function quite right. Evil doesn't have to be bad, unstoppable spells are stopped, servants can defy their masters and Good doesn't always win, put simply Henry my boy," Rumplestiltskin stroked Henry's hair eyeing him with a deep hunger "you're the grey in a black and white world."
"Here in the centre of the world, with the books of Good and Evil, at the time of twilight and with a child of your blood, we too can break the laws of this world," the voice came from a wizened old woman and was there was a harsh scratch of stone against stone along the floor of the temple as an old woman rode inside a pester jar. Around her shoulders was slung the still bleeding fur of a deer. The head was pulled over her grey hair and the antlers of the horrified glassy eyes of the deer protruded from her forehead like horns. She stepped out of the giant mortar bowl and seemed to stoop making her claw like hands trail across the floor like a primitive beast.
"Baba Yaga..." Henry breathed remembering the old woman from the mirror. He had thought the name was silly but there was nothing silly about the feral woman that hunched down beside him.
She grabbed his cheek and sniffed his hair before letting out a spine chilling cackle. "My girl finally came through, haha, Rumplestiltskin pouted and pranced when I decided to bring her back into the fold. But look how she arrives victoriously like I predicted," the old woman wheezed with amusement as she turned her face to gaze at Maleficent who stood back.
"Of course teacher," Maleficent answered her eyes down cast "how could I ever dare to disappoint you?"
"You always where my favourite," The wizened old woman smacked her lips together as her sharp eyes gouged at Maleficent. "What happened to my other student?"
"Dead," Maleficent said flatly with her head bowed "just like you told me to do."
"You smashed her mirrors," the old woman's voice held a hard accusation and Henry watched as Maleficent flinched. "You know I liked to look at them too."
"I-I had to make sure that-" Maleficent stumbled.
"-that I didn't see you spare both her and the bitch that birthed this boy," the old woman said sharply turning back towards Henry her sharp claws making indents in his face "I taught the girl everything she knows but I did not teach her even a tenth of what I know," Baba hissed at Henry and he trembled flinching as the blood from the deer pelt dripped down to splash against his hand.
"You know they plan to attack this night?" Rumplestiltskin said getting to his feet and his voice back to its squeaky merriment. "Lets string the boy up and prepare him. We should do it in the connecting chamber. You, wolf man thing," Rumplestiltskin clicked his fingers at Azzeazal who jumped to obey "be a good sport and string the boy up would you? Thanks ever so much."
"Why are you doing this?" Henry cried as Azzeazal snatched him up and flung him over his shoulders without any effort.
"Because we all want our happy ever afters," Rumplestiltskin said standing up straight his voice deep and bitter.
XxXx
Emma stared at the exit of the tent long after Regina left. She was still trying to absorb everything when James popped his head into the tent with a grin. She blinked and stood up.
"Hey baby girl," he said with way to much familiarity "you can't sleep either?"
"Ah, no," Emma shook her head. She hadn't noticed that it was dark.
"Come on then," he grinned and disappeared behind the curtain.
Curious Emma followed him. He led them to an area next to the paddock with the horses. It was flat and the earth well packed from many pounding feet and hooves. He threw her a wooden sword and gave her a shield. It looked silver and like the traditional heroes shield.
"I'm going to teach you a few moves," James grinned picking up his own sword and shield.
"I've tried this before," Emma said tested the weight of the sword. The balance was different from her axes, lighter and more fluid. "Did it look like I needed taught how to kill today?" She asked darkly. It wasn't enough to save Henry.
James faltered looking down but with renewed determination he hefted his shield "no but it did look like you need to learn to defend yourself. You were reckless today."
Emma snorted because how often had she heard that? "Henry was in danger and I..." couldn't save him. She couldn't say it out loud so she looked away.
"No, you can't," James said "not on your own. You don't have to be on your own anymore Emma."
She looked up and didn't know what to think. James was standing there in his finery fidgeting with a wooden sword and shield looking awkward but he was still there. She wasn't used to that but if Mr Mills had taught her anything it was that it was okay to be a trusting fool once in awhile.
"I have to go it alone, old men like you can't keep up," she offered with a slight smile.
"Old men eh?" James grinned bring his sword to bear. "We'll see about that."
She sparred with him and honestly it was awkward changing her fighting style but at least she could actually hold and use the shield now. She remembered at the start it had felt like a ton weight. She managed to surprise James with a few tricks Ignacio taught her but he always managed to recover and spring back. She would love to see him and her old weapons master spar it.
"How's that for an old man?" He huffed as they stopped to splash water on their faces.
"Not bad, so are we going to get to the real sparring soon?" Emma asked but in truth her muscles were burning and she had only just managed to get her breath back.
"Why don't you two save some for the battle later?"
The both turned to see Snow White hovering at the imaginary edge of their sparring ring. She offered them a weak smile and Emma shot a look at James. His eyes were soft and encouraging "you're right, I think I'll retire to bed now," he said giving her shoulder a squeeze as he passed. He kissed Snow on the cheek and nudged her forward slightly.
"I'm sorry," Emma blurted out fiddling with the water skin "what I said earlier-"
"It's okay, I shouldn't have hit you," Snow said coming closer "my temper gets the better of me sometimes and-"
"-you lash out," Emma finished with a grin "now I know where I get that from. I usually go for the nose."
"You can knock people out if you hit them just right on the jaw," Snow offered her thumb circling her ring finger nervously.
"If anyone spoke about Henry that way I wouldn't have stopped at just one punch," Emma said sincerely.
"I just want this to work," Snow said dropping her hands looking resolved. "I just want us to work. I've waited so long to get you back and I can't wait to learn all about you but I know I'm rushing things and trying to get you to feel-"
"-what do you want to know?" Emma cut in making a show of sitting down to show she wasn't going anywhere.
"Where you happy? Did you have parents in that other world? A family? A lover?" Snow asked in a rush her cheeks flushing as she knelt down facing Emma.
"I was happy sometimes," Emma offered although she had to think hard about specifics "I had a lot of foster parents. Somewhere good, some weren't," and she looked away shuddering. Snow looked distressed at that and took her hand. Emma tried to give her a happy smile "as for family and a lover, I had Henry although I didn't raise him but now he's my whole family."
"And a lover?" Snow asked with a small sad smile.
"Not in that world no..." Emma hesitated looking straight at Snow who tightly shut her eyes as she absorbed this.
"That is a little much for me I'll be honest," Snow said taking a deep breath "I'm not sure if I can accept you being with the woman that's been my biggest tormentor..."
"...She's not like that with me," Emma said slightly helpless. She didn't have the right to defend Regina to this woman but she could offer an explanation.
"She hasn't tried to use you and manipulate you?" Snow asked looking at her steadily.
Emma couldn't lie straight to her face and she shifted uncomfortably. "Well..." She said looking away "she promised not to do it again." It was implied anyway.
Snow snorted.
"I know this situation isn't ideal and honestly I don't know if Regina is in my future yet, alls I know is that Henry needs me. I have to save him and after that well then there will be time to sort this all out," Emma said as honestly as she could.
Snow gave her a soft smile and took her hand urging them both to their feet "we will have time because good always wins and hopefully you'll come to your senses," she gave Emma a soft push towards her tent "no matter what you decide, we will still be here, we've already spent to long apart and I don't plan to let you go over something like this."
"Thanks," Emma coughed her throat closing over slightly as she looked away. She fought the urge to fiddle with her jacket.
"Now go to bed, we have a long day ahead," Snow commanded shooing her off.
"Yeah mom," Emma rolled her eyes saying it to tease but they both froze as her poor choice of words caught up to them.
"Goodnight," Snow said awkwardly biting her lip trying to keep her happiness subdued.
Emma just nodded and slinked away feeling both awkward and pleased.
XxXx
Emma was getting ready for bed having decided to take over the tent Regina had fixed her up earlier. She was told that there was a big royal tent sat up for her but that it was halfway across the camp and she honestly was too tired to walk there. The narrow little cot bed that had the thinnest mattress ever would do. She was just about to flop back and sleep when the tent flaps opened.
Regina stood there in a black leather pants and a shirt with a high starched collar that looked like the fringe of some kind of dinosaur. She had on a cape of black netting and her hair was twisted up in curls around her head. Emma blinked, obviously she hadn't been planning on sleeping the last few hours before the fight.
"Emma..." she said her face grim and determined as she stepped fully into the tent.
Emma blinked dully at her. Her muscles were tired from the beatings she had taken and were spitefully burning because she didn't have a huge bath to soak them in like they had become accustomed to.
"Here!" Regina snapped throwing back her cloak and shoving something at her.
She fumbled with the items nearly dropping one and it took her a moment to realise they where the ruby slippers. She looked down at Regina's dark boots with a stupid sized heel. "I thought you said that they couldn't be taken off?"
"I lied," Regina said shortly giving her an irritated flick.
"Shocking," Emma muttered holding the shoes. She raised her eyebrow waiting on Regina to either explain, get out or come to bed.
"Keep them, use them to get Henry and you to safety," Regina said still looking grim "These can take you anywhere you want to go as long as you know the way."
"What?" Emma stared down at the shoes with renewed interest.
"Snow did not know where I had sent you or she would have used them to bring you home. Now you can use them to go back to that other world with Henry," Regina explained with a sad little smile "even if you chose to stay if you keep the shoes you have the choice to leave whenever you like. You can-"
Emma surged up and if Regina didn't have that kissing rule she would have kissed the life out of her. Instead she hugged her tightly and nearly smacking herself in the eye with that high collar. She pulled back and kissed Regina's cheeks then her forehead and she was about to dip her head and kiss her neck when Regina's hand cupped the back of her head and drew her up.
Confused Emma stopped but Regina's eyes where intense looking deep into her. She tiled her head and Emma mirrored her. It caused the other woman's lips to quirk in a smile and she deliberately darted her eyes down to Emma's lips and back up.
Emma suddenly realised what was going to happen and took in a breath of surprise. Her body tingled as her muscles called a cease fire due to this new exciting development just in time for her lips to go haywire. She was super aware of all the tingling nerves in them and as Regina drew closer her eyes fluttered shut.
"I can't," Emma said turning her head away at the last moment. Regina drew her head back but didn't move to step away which Emma was glad for. She brought her hands up to cup Emma's cheek.
"Why not?" she asked.
"You said you only kiss people you love," Emma said taking a deep breath feeling confused and nervous "I'm not sure if I love you. After everything that's happened, there's fault on both our sides and you've been so wonderful recently but I'm not sure if I'm in love love with you. I want the first time we kiss to be honest. I want to love you like you deserve to be loved."
Regina actually blushed and looked away "I see."
"Don't be mad," Emma said tightening her arms around Regina as she attempted to move away,
"I am not mad," Regina said slowly looking away her eyes hidden "the fact that you are seriously giving us a chance...?" She shook her head "no, I am far from mad. However if you keep holding me like this I don't think I could stop myself..."
"Then don't," Emma said kissing her neck "we don't need to kiss to do this."
Regina seemed to hesitate before giving in "I was never one for morals especially if they deprived me of something I wanted," she said at last unleashing her lust as she ripped open Emma's shirt. Emma grinned as she turned them around and pushed Regina to the floor of the tent because the bed was too far and too small and there weren't any real walls in the stupid tent.
"You couldn't have worn a dress?" Emma growled pawing and tugging at the leather pants that refused to come off.
"Notice how I am not complaining about your lack of a shower after sparring," Regina snapped with no real venom as she squeeze Emma's ass through her pants.
"You like me sweaty," Emma grinned as she finally tugged the leather to Regina's ankles where they were trapped by her boots.
"I like to make you sweaty," Regina corrected pulling Emma up by her ass to settle her on her naked thigh. Her hands came up to grab Emma's breasts as she kissed her jaw and began to squeeze. Emma couldn't help herself and started to rock against Regina's thigh. She moved her knee to give Regina a little friction. She wasn't wet yet but she was hot and pulsing and the combination of everything made Emma groan.
"I've dreamt about your mouth," Regina said her voice dark and husky as she tangled one hand in Emma's hair and holding her head still as she continued to nip at her jaw and sooth with her tongue.
"There's easier ways to ask me to go down on you..." Emma laughed breathlessly and Regina pinched her nipple in punishment. Her breasts were getting that wonderful full heavy feeling that tingled anytime her nipples were touched. It caused a hot pool in her groin that pulled at her clit mercilessly.
"That is not what I meant," Regina rolled her eyes.
"Tough," Emma growled freeing Regina's hand from her hair and swinging off her thigh showing more will power than she thought she had. She knelt between Regina's open thighs and tugged at the ties of her top. The ridiculous high collar lost its starched edge as Emma opened the top to reveal Regina's small wonderful breasts. She had missed those.
Regina without prompting reached up to play with her own breasts staring straight at Emma the entire time. Emma's gaze was hooded as she kissed her way down Regina's thighs never taking her eyes of those teasing fingers that pluck at the hard peaks purposefully.
Her mouth reached its goal and Regina's hands faltered. Now Regina was wet. That smell, the taste, Emma groaned as Regina began to rock into her mouth. She felt a hand tightly grip her hair and she reached up to stop Regina from giving her a bald spot. It was too soon for her to directly go after Regina's clit so she used her mouth to tease as her fingers gave in to the desperate rocking and thrust inside Regina roughly.
Emma couldn't say when the rhythm changed, her mind unable to form whole thoughts, but it did change. Regina's rocking became less desperate and Emma was groaning into her shoulder instead of between her thighs. Regina's hand had slipped down to where Emma needed it most and they're rocking became a slow luxurious grind as they both tried to please the other.
When Emma came just a split second after Regina she felt it all the way down to her toes. She rolled off the other woman and lay on her back. She just wanted to draw her knees up and curl into herself she was so contented.
"Emma...," Regina's voice broke the nice quite.
"Hhmm?" Emma acknowledged her with the sound. Words were still a little beyond her at this point. She closed her eyes.
"I will not say the words because I do not want you to say them back out of obligation," Regina cleared her throat. She sounded much to put together for Emma's ego. Emma could barely form words after their make-up sex and Regina was talking in whole sentences. That just wasn't going to fly. "But I care for you beyond measure."
"That's nice," Emma patted Regina's shoulder limply. As soon as she had some sleep she would work on making Regina speechless.
"Nice?" Regina scowled and shoved her shoulder hard.
Emma was startled out of her sex haze "what?"
"I confess my love for you and your only response is 'that's nice?'" Regina sat up and struggled to pull up her leather trousers. "You are insufferable."
"You didn't say you love me. Remember the thing you said about obligations and not wanting to pressure me into saying it?" Emma reminded Regina. "Hey, don't leave!"
"I am not leaving," Regina glared standing up "I am a Queen, I refuse to sleep in the dirt. I'm going to that poor excuse for a bed," she nodded to the small cot in the corner of the tent. "As brutish as you are I have entered into this relationship with full knowledge of your less than amazing way with words. I will not leave because you have said something stupid. If I were to do that we would never spend any time together."
Emma smiled and sat up. She tilted her head to the side as she watched Regina huffily sit on the edge of the cot. "Relationship?"
"Of course," Regina sniffed but seemed unsure "you might not love me yet but it is only a matter of time."
Emma laughed and crawled over to the cot. She placed her hands on Regina's thighs and kissed her knees. Instinctively Regina's legs parted slightly but Emma was too tired to take advantage of that. "I care for you deeply," Emma said trying to imitate Regina's serious tone and failing. Regina scowled at her and swatted her head. "Is there room for one more on that bed?"
"No," Regina shifted "but we shall make do."
"Regina?"Emma's asked later. Her voice sounded small in the dark as she lay in Regina's arms unable to sleep.
"Yes?"
"We're going to win tomorrow right? I can't lose Henry."
"You will not lose anyone, good always wins here. You'll see."
Emma nodded but still worried. She had never thought of herself as good before but Henry needed her. She wouldn't just be good. She would be great.
XxXx
The connecting room was half the size of the dark temple's great hall which was still pretty big. The room was cut in half right down the middle. Half the room had the same dull black stone of the dark temple and the other half had polished white stone that while bright didn't reflect anything. In the middle was a stone table also cut diametrically half white and half black. Henry stood on the table his feet shackled to either side and his arms strung up to the ceiling.
Azzeazal strutted into the room an oily smile on his pointy face. "The witch is busy with teaching Maleficent some manners and Rumplestiltskin is overseeing the army...that leaves just you and me little master."
Henry tensed his jaw and tried to look brave. Azzeazal saw this and laughed shaking his head as he let his dark cloak drop to the floor. His tunic, boots, breeches, gloves and waistcoat were all black and not one inch of skin appeared below his neck. It was the first time Henry had seen Azzeazal without the Queen's spiky helmet and he was surprised to see how long his dark hair was. It reached just past his shoulders and he had it tied in a bow with a dark ribbon but tendrils fell out framing his face. It looked oddly feminine and intimidating.
"Ah, but I don't have to call you little master anymore do I?" Azzeazal chuckled coming closer to the alter. He trailed his gloved finger tips around the edges as he idly made his way towards Henry. "Henry," he said his name slowly deliberately as he reached up and pressed his hands flat against Henry's stomach.
Henry tried to flinch away and shuffled towards the white side of the altar since Azzeazal kept on the black side. He couldn't go far because of the restraints. And his arms burned from being stretched over his head. "Emma is going to come for me and kick your ass," Henry glared.
Azzeazal laughed watching Henry try to shuffle across to the other side of the room. "Oh I count on it," his dark eyes gleamed with a hunger that Henry couldn't really understand. He just knew he didn't like it. "I have a score to settle with your mother and I'm starting to think that I might take some advance revenge," he purred his eyes narrowing as his smile grew fat and lazy on his pointed face. His gloved hand twitched against Henry's stomach feeling large and threatening but too long and sharp to be fully human.
"Get away from me!" Henry snapped trying to lash out with his foot but the shackle cut into him stopping his movements. He tried to lean as far away as possible towards the white side of the room.
Azzeazal just laughed "normally someone like me could never cross to the light side," he smiled before lightly hopping onto the table facing Henry his body touching both sides of the stone. "But you my little boy," he leaned in whispering his eyes flashing with a dangerous hunger "you ruing all good things," Henry lashed out trying to head but the man but Azzeazal was too fast. He yanked Henry's head back with a firm grip on his hair. "They told me to get you ready, they meant change you into your robe but as I said I intend to get a little more revenge."
"Emma is going to save me and kill you," Henry promised him. His body was shaking uncontrollably as Azzeazal just laughed at him.
Henry yelled as his hair was yanked but Azzeazal's looming presence wasn't there anymore. He flew halfway across the room to smack against the dark stone with a bone crushing crack. Azzeazal flopped down like a ragdoll coughing blood from his mouth and sagging to his side as he gasped from breath.
"Remove yourself from my sight," Maleficent's face like a distasteful scowl as she lent heavily on the door her normally immaculate curls sagging limply out of shape as the vibrant purple dress that she had worn that day was in tattered rags.
"Mistress," Azzeazal's startled wheedling voice called out as he back away scrambling for his cloak and his life. "Mistress, I thought you were busy with your tu-"
"You have ten seconds to get out of my sight and count yourself lucky that I'm still a little weak," Maleficent growled "if you step foot in this temple again before the time is up then I will beat you to death magic or no."
Azzeazal sent Henry a look of loathing and for a moment looked like he might actually argue with Maleficent but self preservation kicked in and he took his chance to leave.
Maleficent limped to the altar and Henry could see many blood streaks all over her. The graze on her cheek that Mr Mills had put there as a warning was much deeper and freshly opened and now came with a matching twin on the other side. Blood stained her cheeks like thick red horizontal waterfalls only recently stopped. She looked terrible.
Henry eyed her warily both because of the state she was in and the fact that she was Maleficent. "What happened to you?" He said. He didn't want to thank her even though he felt relieved Azzeazal was gone.
Maleficent gave him an exhausted quirk of her lips that couldn't pass for her normal smirk or grin. "We all pay our prices for happy ever after," she said leaning on the altar heavily. Her bare forearm had nail marks all over it and just below the bend in her arm was a jagged horizontal cut that was still oozing blood. Henry stared at it intently. Maleficent noticed and tried to cover it up "this is supposed to help me get my magic back quicker."
"I can't see how that would help anyone do anything," Henry said with a frown.
She leant down with significant effort and picked up a bundle of cloth from the floor dropping it at Henry's feet. "Don't try to run," Maleficent warned him as she flicked the shackles and they clicked loose. Henry fell on all fours relieved to be down. He rubbed life back into his arms while Maleficent waited. "I will be so pissed if you make me run or cast any spells."
Henry frowned at her but sat on the side of the altar beside her his legs dangling over the side. He weighed his chances of running but wasn't hopeful. Even if he did get passed Maleficent he remembered all that waited for him in the dark. He shuddered and tuned away as Maleficent threw the cloth at him.
"You can change yourself right?" She said tiredly looking at the floor exhausted.
"Why do I have to change?" Henry asked gripping the fabric unsettled at the notion.
Maleficent shrugged "I have no idea they just want you too."
"Can I keep my clothes on?" Henry said in a small voice.
Maleficent stared at him before looking away "sure kid," she sighed "after that ratbag...sure. Just put the robe over the top and take off your shoes and socks so they think that's all you're wearing."
Henry nodded and did what he was told pulling on the robe first before pulling off the trousers. He flexed his toes and rubbed his feet together for warmth. "You killed Mr Mills..." he said because that was the only thing he could think off when he looked at Maleficent. He had tried not to cry when they were in the carriage together but he couldn't help it. She had let him cry a little before slapping him to get him to shut up.
"Yeah..." Maleficent sighed again lifting her bowed head "I'm real sorry about that. He was a decent sort. I wish that could have happened differently."
Henry nodded and they sat in silence together until he spoke again "you're going to kill me..." his voice trembled slightly.
"Yes," Maleficent nodded without hesitation staring at the far wall of the temple.
"So why did you help me with Azzeazal then?" He asked confused.
"Because I know what its like to be small when someone big wants something..." Maleficent glared turning her broken and bloody face towards Henry "I didn't do it to be kind, I just needed to stop a bully and be big myself for a bit. Besides we're already going to kill you we don't have to torture you as well."
"Oh," Henry acknowledged letting the silence hang. He grabbed his sock and wrapped the clean bit around Maleficent's bleeding forearm. A small puddle of blood slowly collected around her hand as she was leaning on the altar. She looked down before quirking her eyebrow at him questioningly.
"Emma is going to kick your ass," he said as an explanation "no use in torturing you as well."
Maleficent gave a wet laugh then winced "I'll leave the cuffs off if you promise not to run."
"I won't promise," Henry shook his head and Maleficent gave another laugh before pushing off the altar.
"I'll leave them off anyway," she tossed over her shoulder with one of her old grins. "After all, better the devil you know..."
XxXx
A/N: If I was the type to name my chapters I would have called this one 'so does this answer some of your questions?' Sorry for the wait I had planned to get this up sooner but became sick. Good news though, I've wrote another Swan Queen fic called 'Grooming' which is up as well. Its different in tone but I hope you guys like it all the same.