Chapter 35

A/N: Okay, I know this chapter has taken forever (as they all do these days _) but I swear this time life really got in the way. (As in, bad horse riding accident, hospital for a while, broken leg, crutches… And now I am working full time in a veterinary hospital and my hours are insane.) But I solemnly swear (as I always do) to try harder to get the next chapters out faster.

I also know that this fanfic has had a lot less of the EvilCharming fluff in it than many of the other amazing fics out there. I will try harder on that front too, but sometimes I can let the story run away with me :/ Thank you so much to everyone who still reads this… every favorite, follow and review encourages me more than I can say. Without them I probably would have given this story up by now.

As always, a huge thank you to Michebellaxo, wcying713, evilchrminglife, nacy3451, Anonymouse, ReginaEmmaMills, Luana2000, evilregal-lana, Outlawqueenalways and Guest for your reviews.

The tall, wizened figure leaning against her car caught Regina off guard as she was leaving Granny's inn. She had been glancing over her shoulder to the entrance of the diner as she crossed the road, fearing that at any second Belle and Emma would walk out and catch sight of her and a million questions would ensue, and as a result she was almost at her car by the time Armand's presence registered in her mind. She glanced up suddenly, finding him standing serenely beside the passenger door.

"You look distracted, my queen," Armand greeted her, smiling. Regina glared up at him.

"What are you doing here?" She wasn't in the mood for this. As messy and tumultuous as her emotions were, a magic lesson now could only end in disaster.

"We're taking a drive together," Armand said calmly. "I'll direct you."

"Like hell we are," Regina gave a little shake of her head.

"It wasn't a request, your majesty," Armand said, with a note of warning in his tone that sent a strange shiver down her spine. "King George requires your presence at tonight's gathering."

"A little notice would have been appreciated," Regina argued.

"My apologies," the old man gave a little shrug. "Might we be off?"

You have to, Regina thought in frustration. If George was having a meeting, she needed to know what was being said. Clenching her teeth, she pulled out her phone and quickly typed a message to Emma, asking her to pick up Henry for her. Without waiting for a response, she placed her phone on silent and slipped it inside her pocket. She would deal with Emma's questions later. She circled around to the front of the car, slid inside and closed the door, waiting for Armand to get into the passenger seat before she turned on the engine.

"Alright," she said, her voice terse. "Where are we going?"

"Drive toward George's house," Armand instructed. "I will direct you further once we are close."

Great, Regina thought. Back into the woods. I should have stayed inside, she added miserably. I should never have left David's bed.

She glanced over at Armand as she drove, finding him staring serenely out the window, seeming perfectly content in the silence between them.

"What do you want?" she asked, the words escaping her before she could really consider what she was saying.

His brow furrowed a little and he shifted in his seat, turning his head to look at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I know what the rest of George's followers want, well, mostly," she amended, turning her attention back to the road as she spoke. "Positions of power in the town, the freedom to use their magic as they will, acknowledgement of their supposed superiority…"

"Supposed superiority?" Armand's voice held a note of amusement.

"People like my mother believe, believed," she amended a heartbeat later, still feeling a dull flicker of pain at the memory after all this time, "that possessing magic makes them something more, something better, than merely human. They want the rest of the world to bow down in front of them because of it."

"And you don't believe that?"

Regina shook her head. "I would rather people respected who I am than what. Magic is merely a tool, a means to an end. It's how you use it that matters." She frowned, going over what she'd just said uneasily, hearing the echoes of the Evil Queen in her words. No, not quite, she reassured herself. There had been a time when she would have said that she'd rather people feared her than respected her. That was progress in itself.

"But magic is a tool not everyone possesses," Armand pointed out, disrupting her thoughts. "Thus, merely having it puts you at a natural advantage. Magicians are wolves amidst mere sheep," he said, smiling. "Your mother was not entirely wrong."

Regina snorted disdainfully. "If you believed that logic then you would be following me, not George. That fool is less magical than a rock."

She slowed the car, turning off the road and onto one of the narrower dirt tracks that meandered into the woods. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Armand smiling at her widely.

"Why did you turn here?" he asked.

"This is where George is," Regina asked, shaking her head a little. "Wait… no…" Armand had told her to head toward George's house. The house was still a ways further down the main road. Why had she turned off this one?

"I got distracted," she muttered, slowing the car and looking for a place to turn around.

"And yet, you are correct," Armand said, his dark eyes gleaming. "This is the correct road."

"What?" Regina stopped the car, turning to face the old man fully. "You weren't going to say anything were you? You would have just let me drive straight past the turn off."

"But you didn't," Armand said, obviously pleased. "Tell me, my queen, who else is at the end of this road?"

"How the hell should I know?" Regina spat, feeling frustrated.

"You knew to make the turn," Armand pointed out evenly. "I suppose you haven't noticed, your majesty, but since you've started using your magic, you have changed. You've grown more balanced, more graceful… Your instincts are sharper, I suspect. Perhaps it goes even beyond mere instincts. You've developed an uncanny knack of lifting your head toward a doorway a couple of seconds before someone walks through it. It almost seems like a sort of magical sixth-sense," Armand said thoughtfully.

"How do you…?" Regina shook her head faintly, his words spinning in her head. "Have you been spying on me?" she demanded suddenly, anger rising within her.

"It's my job to keep an eye on you," Armand replied, completely calm. "And you are fascinating to watch."

Well that isn't creepy at all, Regina thought sarcastically, narrowing her eyes at him. Maybe David had a point… maybe Armand wasn't entirely as harmless as he seemed.

"Now," the old man smiled at her. "Who else is waiting for us at the end of this road?"

"Five other people, all of them have magic," Regina answered, the answer coming to her before she could pause to consider it. She clamped her mouth shut, glaring. She didn't like this one bit.

"Do you know any of them?" Armand pressed.

"No," she started, then paused. "Wait…"

"Yes?"

"Mason Thornblade," she murmured. "The man was the head of a mercenary group back in the Enchanted Forest. The Thornblade Bandits," she rolled her eyes. "His group caused a lot of trouble. Even my Black Guard were nervous of them. Particularly since Mason had a penchant for setting them on fire if they got too close."

If she'd any sort of common sense back then, she would have given up searching for Snow White and dealt with that psychopath instead, Regina thought with a shake of her head.

"Anyone else?"

"Alyssa Starkweather. She was a sorceress in King Midas' court. Not very gifted at magic, but her alchemy was excellent. She created explosive powder that created several of the deeper mines in Midas' kingdom."

"Very good," Armand looked ready to hand her a gold star.

"The other three I don't know," Regina murmured, relaxing into her seat. Her eyes grew half-lidded as she thought. "Two of them are brothers. Soldiers for King George's army. They've kept their magic hidden until now. The last one…" she hummed thoughtfully. It almost felt like trying to remember something she'd once known before, like the facts were already there in her head, just out of her reach. "A minor noble lord," she said after a moment. "He had a military service in the Ogre wars. He has a decent grasp of magic, but he's an even better tactician, which is probably what George wants with him."

"Magnificent work," Armand said, sounding giddily pleased. He clapped his hands together enthusiastically. "That was wonderful."

Well, Regina silently sighed. At least I've got one part of my magic working. Of course, this was sort of an unconscious aspect to her magic, so she wasn't sure if it really counted for anything. She started the engine up again, forcing herself out of the peaceful sort of trance that she'd briefly lost herself in. Evening was encroaching, building dark shadows between the trees that surrounded them. The road ahead was in poor repair, leaves, stones and branches cluttering the path ahead. Regina slowed the car to a near crawl, flicking the headlights on to chase away the gloom. It took another ten minutes of slow driving before the road opened out into a small clearing, where a few cars were parked near a simple wooden cabin. Through one of the open windows of the small building, Regina could see the flicker of candlelight.

"How quaint," she commented, switching off the engine. Without the car headlights, the woods around them suddenly seemed inky dark.

"Come along," Armand opened his door, sliding out. "We're late."

Regina followed him out, wrapping her arms around herself as the sharp, cold wind hit her. The weather seemed to have picked up, wind blowing through the trees, sending the branches crashing against each other.

"Looks like rain," Armand commented.

She ignored him, huddling deeper into herself and wishing she had enough control over her magic to summon up a coat.

"Let's just get this over with," she muttered, moving toward the entrance to the cabin. The door swung open for her as she drew within a few feet away, and from the gloomily lit interior, a familiar figure stepped out of the doorway, grinning at her widely.

"Good evening your majesty," Frank said, beckoning her closer. Regina stopped dead, dark eyes wide, her heart fluttering like a trapped bird within her chest.

She hadn't sensed him.

She'd been able to tell exactly who was inside that cabin, all the way from the top of the road, yet somehow, somehow, she'd been completely oblivious to Frank.

"He's immune to magic," Armand murmured, coming to stand at her side. "I didn't expect your magic to sense him." He touched her arm lightly and she jerked her head to the side to look at him.

"You knew he was here," she hissed, feeling absurdly like she had been betrayed. How much would it take for her to remember that no -one here could be counted on to be on her side?

"Are you coming in, or what? It's about to start pissing rain," Frank said, gesturing skyward.

Pulling away from Armand, Regina continued forward, her head held high as she walked past Frank. The inside of the cabin was simple and open plan, with no other furniture save for a rough wooden table that dominated the centre of the room with several wooden chairs around it. A few, dripping white candles had been placed across the table, providing the a meagre source of light for the small space, and casting flickering gold light across the faces assembled around the table. George sat at the head on the opposite side of the room, and he gave her a cold smile of welcome as she stepped inside.

"Good evening, Regina."

"George," she replied coolly. Her gaze shifted from him, moving across each of the other five people in the room, relieved to note that there were no other surprise guests present.

"Nice of you to show up," Alyssa said.

"I'm sorry," Regina gave her a little smile. "Have we met?"

"I…" Alyssa faltered. "Yes we've met! I was part of King Midas' court. I saw you at the Winter Ball almost every year."

"Oh," Regina allowed her brow to furrow as though in thought. "That's right. Alison, was it?"

"This is Alyssa Starkweather," George introduced her, before the red head could explode with indignation. "She's an alchemist. Next there is Nathan and Thomas Prior," he gestured to each of the brothers, "Peter Rainer and lastly Mason Thornblade."

Mason shifted in his seat, grinning back at her, his smile wrinkling the pink scar that ran down the left side of his face. "Pleased to meet you at last, your majesty."

Regina nodded her head. "And you," she said, not returning his smile.

"I'm sure your men have had some stories to tell about me," he said, light blue eyes flickering over her as he spoke.

"They did," she nodded her head. "Wasn't it one of my Captains that gave you that scar?" she added innocently.

Mason laughed. "Ay he did. It only makes me all the prettier for it, if you ask me. Like your scar, for you," he added with a wink, touching his finger to his lip.

Armand cleared his throat, coming to stand beside her. "If we could perhaps call this meeting to order, the queen cannot afford to be missing all evening. It will raise attention."

"Right," George nodded curtly. "Sit down," he added, gesturing to a seat. There were two seats left open, one at the end of the table, and one next to Mason. Armand sat down next to the bandit, leaving the seat at the head of the table for Regina. She frowned a little as she sat, uncomfortable with the idea that Frank was still lingering at the doorway, and now was directly behind her, out of sight.

"Is there an agenda for this meeting?" Regina sighed, leaning back into her chair and trying to look relaxed.

"Actually, yes," Alyssa gave her a poisoned smile. "Our impending attack on Storybrooke."

Regina's throat went dry. "Impending?"

"In two weeks, we make our attack," Peter said, nodding.

"It'll be a full moon," Alyssa added happily.

Like that changes anything, Regina thought, with the small part of her mind that hadn't completely frozen in panic.

"Now that you have your powers under control," George said, nodding to her, "it should be a relatively swift takeover."

Wait… WHAT?

Her eyes flicked to Armand questioningly and found his steady dark gaze already upon her. He shook his head, just a small movement.

No.

Swallowing, Regina glanced back to George, forcing a smile to her lips.

"Of course," she said, relieved to find her voice still steady. The rest of her was shaking.

"Good. Your responsibility is the fairies," George told her. "They're the only other creatures with magic in this town so before we begin to attack on the town, I want you to eliminate them."

"And once they're dead?" Regina arched a brow.

"You'll join me," Mason smiled across at her.

"Mason will be taking care of any sort of resistance in the town centre."

"And the other soldiers?"

"We'll be going door to door," one of the Prior brothers said, grinning eagerly. "If people submit, they live. If not…"
"My son," Regina broke in suddenly. "He's not to be harmed."

"Yes, yes," George nodded impatiently. "Your mansion will remain untouched. He'll be safe there. As for the rest of the Charmings," he glanced back to Mason who nodded.

"Ay, I'll make sure to take them out first. The blonde saviour, Snow and her prince."

"The prince is staying at the inn," the other Prior brother piped up. "There's trouble in paradise with him and his true love, I hear."

"So I've heard," George said, disinterestedly. Regina held her breath, waiting for him to comment on the fact that she and David were in a relationship now. Armand must have told him by now, surely? "It makes no matter. I want them all dead. Dead, do hear me? They don't have the option to submit."

"Not to worry," Mason chuckled darkly. "I'm not the type to offer mercy."

Again Regina found herself staring at Armand, this time a tad incredulously. What on earth was he reporting to George, because it damn well wasn't the truth!

"Alyssa?"

"I have the powder ready," she smiled, obviously pleased with herself.

"Wait, what is she planning on blowing up?" Regina demanded.

"Don't worry your pretty head on it," George said smoothly. "You just focus on your part of the plan."

"Excuse me?" Regina stood up suddenly. "I am not one of your henchmen. If you want my help, then I want to know exactly what is going to happen…"

"Calm down," Alyssa rolled her eyes. "A few little bangs and a lot of mayhem, that's all. I'm just adding some dramatic flair to the evening."

"Nothing inspires fear like a good explosion or two," George agreed. "Now, will you please sit down?"

"You know, you're looking a little pale," Peter said, staring at her shrewdly. "Do you have any objections, your majesty?"

"Yes, I do," Regina said through gritted teeth. "I happen to object to you idiots blowing my town to pieces for the sake of theatrics."

"My town," George corrected, and her eyes flicked to him, dark and angry. She flexed her fingers, feeling the hum of her magic burning through her veins. She could release it, she thought wildly, one sudden burst of power and everyone in this room – save for Frank – would be little more than ash. She had the power, she knew it. This cabin would be nothing more than a crater and this revolution would be over before it had even started.

And you would be dead, she thought. Henry… David… Would they ever forgive her for it? And could she trust the other magic users that George had gathered to remain complacent? Would killing off their leaders deter them from their revolution?

"Our town," Armand said suddenly. His voice sounded strained with tension, and Regina wondered if he could sense the coil of power rising up within her. "That is the point of this revolution, is it not? It will be our town." He glanced over at George as he spoke. Whatever warning was conveyed in the old man's gaze, George seemed to understand it, for he nodded subtly, the stubbornness vanishing from his expression.

"Of course. Our town," he amended. He rubbed his hands together. "We've kept you long enough, Regina. We'll have another meeting next week, to confirm the final details of our plan," he suggested. "Until then, rest up," he smiled. "It won't be long now."

"Armand," she jerked her head toward the doorway.

"I shall not be returning with you, your majesty. Have a safe trip back," he told her.

"You can walk me to my car," she growled, glaring at him.

"Of course," he dipped his head in acquiescence, a pleasant smile on his face. Slowly he rose to his feet, rubbing at his hip. "This weather does nothing good to my joints," he grumbled, following after her.

"Good night, your majesty," Frank said, opening the door to allow her out. Regina hurried out, flinching at the onslaught of fat, heavy droplets of rain that were falling from the heavens. The wind around them was a wild thing, causing the trees to swish and groan as they were pushed back and forth at its whim.

"What the hell?" Regina rounded on the old man once they'd almost reached her car, her eyes dark and furious.

"Now, now," Armand cautioned her, "you don't want them to see us arguing from the window, do you?" Reaching around her, he opened her car door.

"My magic… you told them my magic was under control! Why would you do that?" Regina demanded frantically, ignoring the open doorway completely. Rain splattered into her car, wetting the front seat.

"Because George was going to have you killed if I didn't!" Armand snapped back.

"What?" Regina felt her shoulders sag, the fight going out of her in an instant.

"He knew that you were vulnerable while you were learning your magic. He was growing impatient. So he set me a deadline. If you hadn't gained control over your magic by that time, you were to be killed."

"Why… why didn't you tell me this?"

Armand snorted. "Would adding extra pressure on you really have helped? And if I had decided to kill you… telling you would have given you an advantage, made my job more difficult…"

"But… you didn't… you…" He had spared her. Regina wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. "Why?" she asked simply, shaking her head.

"Why didn't I decide to kill you? Why lie to George to buy you more time?" he shook his head, smiling mirthlessly. "Do you have any idea how valuable you are? How unique your gift is? However long it takes to get it to work, your magic is worth the effort. Now please," he took her arm, guiding her to the car. "You're already soaked through, please, get inside."

Relenting, she slid into the car.

"You didn't tell them about David either," she said, as Armand reached to close the door.

He smirked. "Neither did you. Why is that?"

"It... I didn't want them to get the wrong idea about whose side I'm on." Or the right idea, as it were.

"My thoughts precisely," Armand nodded. "Your relationship with the prince is going to raise questions. I leave it up to you to decide how to keep him safe from harm during the battle. But for now I think it is easier for the rest of them not to know about the two of you."

"I don't understand," Regina shook her head again. "Why are you defending me? Whose side are you on?"

"My dear queen," Armand gave her a smile. "You're more than intelligent enough to answer that question for yourself." And with that, he shut the door on her firmly, turned around and began trudging his way back toward the cabin.

…

Lifting her hand, Snow raked her fingers back through her short dark hair, trying to make sure that not a lock was out of place. She looked good, she knew she did. She'd taken extra care with her make-up, her clothes, the touches of perfume to her wrists and her neck.

It's been long enough, she told herself. If I don't try to fix things now, then they're never going to get fixed.

She rounded the street corner that led to Granny's diner, frowning as she caught sight of Regina walking away from the building, glancing over her shoulder at it in a decidedly guilty manner. Snow watched her stride over to her car, exchange a few words with the strange, dark skinned man who had been leaning against it, before the both of them got inside and drove off.

"Well that was…" Snow shook her head. One thing at a time, she decided. First, she would get David back. Then she would figure out what kind of mess Regina was stirring up this time.

Smoothing out the front of her white coat, she picked up her pace again, walking around the front of the diner and heading to the inn.

She'd gotten David's room number from Red. She hesitated outside the doorway, building up her courage before lightly knocking against the painted wood. A few moments later, a shirtless David answered the door.

"Hey," he started to greet her, but his warm smile dropped the moment his eyes landed on hers. "Snow," he said, sounding confused.

"Hi," she greeted him awkwardly. "Can I… can I come in?"

"…Yeah, sure," he glanced behind him uneasily, and for the first time, Snow found herself noticing the bed. More specifically, she found herself noticing the rumpled bedcovers. A strange sense of disquiet shot through her as she stepped around him and into the small motel room.

"What are you doing here?" David asked, watching her closely. Snow bent down, picking up his shirt from the floor.

"Was someone here with you?" she asked, hanging it off one finger as she held the garment out to him.

His expression only changed for a moment, but that moment was all she needed. The truth hit her like a slap in the face.

"Snow…"

"No. No…" she spun away from him, dropping the shirt like it was something alive and dangerous. "I should have seen it! This is the reason for everything! This is why you left me!" She was going to be sick. Rage and sorrow roiled within her, and all around her, she could feel the hum of magic, luring her in.

"Just let me explain…" David said quietly. He still hadn't taken a step closer to her. He should have been holding her, Snow thought wildly. He should have been begging for forgiveness. He should not be so fucking calm!

"Who is she?" Snow yelled, turning on him furiously.

"Snow, listen to me…"

"No! I want to know who the hell…" And just like that, an image popped into her mind. Regina, looking rumpled and distracted, walking swiftly away from Granny's. "No…" she breathed. "No, no, no… Not her!"

"Who?" David was watching her uneasily.

"My fucking step-mother, that's who!" Snow screamed. She turned away from him, panting for air. "This is my fault. I should have done something," she whispered, darkness filling her voice. "I should have put an end to her a long time ago."

"Snow, what are you talking about?" David's voice held a note of alarm. Finally, he took a step toward her. Finally he seemed afraid.

You can have him back, a voice whispered to her seductively. You just have to get rid of her first.

"No…" she lifted her hands to her head, fingernails clawing into her skin as she tried to block the voices out. This wasn't her.

"Snow?" his hands took hold of her wrists, gently pulling her hands away from her face. Blue eyes stared down at her, so familiar and concerned it made her want to burst into tears.

He's still mine, she told herself desperately. She still loved him. She still wanted him. They would get past this… this dalliance he'd had. She could almost understand it. They were going through a rough patch and Regina… Regina had probably used it to her advantage. She'd seduced him into this… They could get past it though. Snow would forgive him and he would come back to her.

"Snow?" he repeated. "Talk to me."

"Just," her voice cracked a little. "Just tell me the truth. Tell me what happened. Did you… did you sleep with her?"

"No," David said, the calmness in his voice making Snow frown a little. He was telling the truth, she could tell, but surely he should be denying such a thing with more fervour?

"But she was here?"

He hesitated now, but the truth was written all over his face.

"In your bed," Snow continued. "You were… you were going to sleep with her… but then…" her eyes filled with hope. "But then you came to your senses, and you got rid of her."

For several long moments, he simply stared at her, his expression unreadable, but filled with an undeniable sadness.

"I didn't come to my senses," he said eventually, his voice slow and deliberate. "She did."

"What?" Snow jerked her head back as though he'd slapped her. He let go of her arms.

"Snow…" he said her name on a sigh. "I love her."

"No." She shook her head. "No that's a lie."

"It's not a lie. I hate doing this to you, but I hate lying to you even more. This… this is the truth."

"No… David… Don't you see? She's done this to you! She's messing with your head! She's taking advantage of the fact that we're going through a rough…" her voice trailed off suddenly, the pieces falling into place. "Oh…" her shoulders sagged in defeat. "We're not going through a rough patch, are we? This is why you left. She's the reason you left. Neverland… you and her were together all that time… Oh God…" she turned away from him, tears blurring her vision.

This is really happening. This is the end.

"Snow," David's voice was rough with emotion. "I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you…"

I can't listen to this. "I can't," she whispered aloud, and then she was walking – almost running – away. It was only as the sunlight outside pierced her eyes, that she suddenly realised she was standing in the middle of the street outside the diner… and that David had not followed her.

No. She didn't want to stop. She didn't want to think. She just wanted to move. She turned down the street and ran, the sound of her footfalls loud against the sidewalk.

You know what you have to do Snow, another voice spoke up in her mind.

"Shut up!" she screamed. She tucked her head down, increasing her speed. She was fast, she'd had to be in the Enchanted Forest, where she'd always had to keep one step ahead of Regina's soldiers to stay alive.

It's always her, isn't it? the voice whispered. Without her, imagine what your life would have been.

"I never would have met David," she gasped out. Her legs were starting to burn. She was losing the rhythm of her breathing; in through her nose, out through her mouth…

You never would have lost him either.

"Go away!"

You can have him back, Snow.

She slowed down, breathing raggedly as she looked around. She was heading into the woods. Tall trees surrounded the road, stretching dark and endless away from her. She stopped, glancing over her shoulder back toward the town, then turned back to the trees. A dark shadow stood between two thick trunks a little way in, watching her silently.

A cold shiver ran over her.

"Hello?" she called out. The shadow turned, walking deeper into the forest. "Wait… Wait!" Snow yelled, ignoring the burn in her legs and giving chase.

Was this a dream? She wondered, her heart thudding as she ran between the tree trunks. It felt like it. Up ahead, she could still see the shadowed figure, always just out of reach, drawing her further in.

"Please! Just stop!" she yelled out.

Between the trees, she caught a glimpse of the darkening sky reflected against water. She came to a stop suddenly, finding herself standing before a small pool. Panting, she looked around, searching for the figure.

The water, a voice whispered, sounding as though it was right against her ear. Shuddering, she moved forward, approaching the pond. The toes of her shoes sunk a little into the moist dirt as she stepped up to the edge. Her eyes dropped to the still water… and froze.

Her own green eyes stared back at her, rimmed in darkness. Her own lips smirked up at her, painted a red so dark it was almost black. Her reflection's hair was longer, black locks falling heavily over one bared shoulder. She was wearing an outfit that looked like it belonged in the Evil Queen's wardrobe, black silk and leather so form fitting it seemed to be painted upon her. Snow stared down at the vision in the water, gasping for air. Her reflection smiled back at her sweetly.

Then it reached a hand through the water and grabbed her ankle, dragging her in.