Chapter Thirty-Seven: Switching the Pawn
Into the Enchanted Forest
"Kill the old man, or I will kill you." The Evil Queen repeated, holding out Gerda's heart. She snapped her fingers, and two of her knights grabbed Gerda's arms and dragged her down the hallway to a set of stairs. Pulling herself out of their grasp so she didn't fall down the stairs and break her neck, Gerda walked down the stairs with the knights trailing her, trying to come up with a plan.
What do I do? Gerda knew she couldn't just kill a man because he disagreed with the Evil Queen. If that was a reason for murder, then Michael would have been dead years ago. But the Evil Queen would kill Gerda instead if she didn't crush the old man.
What options are there? Option one: kill the old man and look like a monster to the villagers in the market, yet not to the Evil Queen. Option two: refuse to kill the old man, and suffer his fate. Was there an option three? Well, if there was, Gerda certainly couldn't think of it.
Gerda reach the bottom step of the stairs, and walked out of the large door that led into the market. Knights had to hold the villagers off as Gerda walked through.
"Gerda, don't do this!"
"She's a monster Gerda!"
"You have to fight her!"
Gerda looked around at the crowd of people that surrounded her, feeling her body tighten. A pain then started to creep through her chest, and looking up, Gerda saw the Evil Queen holding out her heart, giving it a light squeeze.
Gerda looked back at the crowd, and saw just how desperate they were for a hero. Many wore tattered clothes, shreds of garments that they acquired from others. Most of the peasants were covered in some form of dirt and filth. But what hurt Gerda the most was the scared look on the faces of the children that she passed, all trying to keep out of the Evil Queen's view. They didn't want to suffer the same fate as the old man in the market square.
Gerda looked past the scared faces, and saw the old man in the distance. Unlike the others, he was smiling. Why was he smiling? Was he not just sentenced to death?
Finally only a few feet away from the man, Gerda paused, looking at the knights that held onto his arms.
They looked Gerda in the eye and let go of the man, moving back to keep control of the crowds.
Gerda looked down at her hands, not wanting to see the man she was ordered to kill. She couldn't do it. She just couldn't….
"It is alright, Gerda." Gerda looked up at the old man, who tilted his head to the side as he looked back at her.
"You will do the right thing." Was all he said, before he closed his eyes, awaiting his fate.
Michael set off into the woods with Mulan and Snow White by his side, riding Guardian so as to save his strength. Will Scarlet and Belle would join them later on, to offer an escape with Rumpelstiltskin's carriage.
Clutching the talisman in his hand, Michael wondered where Zelena was, and how she would feel about Gerda being captured by the Evil Queen.
"What if she gets there first?" He asked aloud. Snow White looked over at him, riding on one of Rumpelstiltskin's fastest horses. Mulan joined in on the other side of Guardian, also riding one of the Dark One's horses.
"The Wicked Witch. What if she reaches Gerda first?" Michael stated. Mulan looked over at Snow White for an explanation.
"We won't let the Wicked Witch hurt Gerda." Snow White promised, but Michael shook his head, looking down at the talisman.
"I can't…let her get anywhere near Gerda." Slowing down his horse, Michael held the talisman in both hands, bringing it close to his mouth.
"Find me Zelena." He stated, knowing what the talisman could do. Then, dropping it onto the ground, Michael watched the talisman start to glow, and float in the air. It then shot off into the woods.
"Go to Gerda." Michael stated, looking at Snow White.
"I have to find the Wicked Witch. And stop her before she hurts anyone else." Before Snow White could argue, Michael took off with Guardian into the woods.
Do the right thing? What would the right thing be at this moment? The old man kept his eyes closed, leaving his life in Gerda's hands. Gerda looked down at her hands more, not able to think of what to do. She either kills an innocent man, or gets killed herself.
"You don't have to kill him, Gerda." Gerda looked around, trying to find the person who was speaking to her. Everyone else in the crowd looked around as well, wondering if someone else was going to be killed.
As the Evil Queen's knights raised their weapons, Gerda spotted a certain man in the crowd with a hood over his head. He walked quickly through the crowd, breaking the barrier that the knights had set up between Gerda and the villagers.
"The Evil Queen can't kill you. She wouldn't dare to." Gerda didn't recognize the voice earlier because it was too far away. But now, as the gentleman stood right beside her, Gerda knew she was speaking with the Dark One.
"The Evil Queen is holding my heart in her hands." Gerda stated. "She'll crush it if I don't kill him."
"Think about it, Gerda. The Evil Queen has never stated that she has wanted you dead. She has tortured your father, and threatened your friends, but she never once tried to kill you. All she has wanted is your magic."
Gerda thought about it, thinking back to all the times the Evil Queen could have killed her. But Rumpelstiltskin was right; the Evil Queen never wanted Gerda dead. She just wanted Gerda's power.
"You have more power than you give yourself credit for, dearie." Rumpelstiltskin came up right beside Gerda, whispering in her ear.
"Now show that to the Evil Queen."
The knights gathered in around the Dark One, not knowing who they were dealing with. Gerda didn't have time to warn them as Rumpelstiltskin giggled, and flicking his wrist, set the ring around him and Gerda on fire.
As the guards screamed out in pain, the villagers all unscathed, Rumpelstiltskin turned to Gerda, tilting his head to the side.
"You have someone else to be with right now, dearie." Gerda nodded, and closing her eyes, disappeared on the spot.
"Where is she?" The Evil Queen demanded, looking into the market square. All she saw was a ring of fire that engulfed her knights. None of the villagers were licked by the flames, including the old man who she had sentenced to death. He looked up at the Evil Queen, and with a quick bow, walked into the forest.
Setting down Gerda's heart, the Evil Queen opened up a small wooden chest that was meant for the heart of Snow White, and instead pulled out the Huntsman's.
"Find Gerda, and bring her to me." The Evil Queen demanded. "I want to watch her die."
"Not going to happen." The Evil Queen spun around, seeing Gerda standing behind her. Gerda drew out her sword, pointing it at the Evil Queen.
"I'm not going to kill that man. Or anyone else." Gerda stated, putting all her faith in what Rumpelstiltskin said to her.
The Evil Queen glared at her, then turned back to the table. She scooped up Gerda's heart, and held it out.
"Well, then suffer the consequences." The Evil Queen spat. She then started to squeeze Gerda's heart.
Gerda felt her knees buckle as she bent over in pain, but she needed to stay strong.
"You won't kill me." Gerda said. "You can't give up all that power." She stood up, defying the pain, and walked towards the Evil Queen.
"You live for power. You thirst for more. And having my power is having more power." Gerda noted.
The Evil Queen still squeezed Gerda's heart, but her grip was loosening as Gerda came closer. Soon, she stopped squeezing all together, the hardness in her eyes gone. Gerda was right.
Dropping her sword, Gerda rushed forward as the Evil Queen dropped her heart, catching it before it fell to the ground.
Standing up, Gerda took a moment to breathe before she shoved her heart back in her chest. She then looked back up at the Evil Queen.
The Evil Queen's glare had returned. "You won't defeat me." She stated, flicking her wrist.
Gerda was just able to grab her sword by the handle as vines sprouted up from the ground, trapping Gerda. But the Evil Queen's determination had returned, as she walked forward and grabbed Gerda's sword out of her hand.
"I can't use you in order to win." The Evil Queen declared, strutting past Gerda. She walked to the balcony and leaned over the edge, looking at the villagers that were gathered around the burned bodies of her knights. None of them were hurt. Yet.
The Evil Queen turned back to Gerda, a wicked grin on her face.
"But I can use them."
Michael slowed Guardian down, the talisman having fallen to the ground. Jumping down from Guardian's back, Michael slowly inched forward and scooped the talisman into his hand.
Zelena stood a few feet away, looking at the Evil Queen's castle. She watched smoke rise from the fire that was in front of the black structure, beaming at all the destruction.
Sighing, Michael closed his eyes, and remembered Zelena from all those years ago. When Gerda was still an infant, and Zelena still cared. He opened his eyes, and felt horrible. Was that same Zelena still there?
Watching Zelena from behind, Michael wondered what he should do next. Could he attack her from behind? What good would that do? She set him on fire again.
However, as he watched Zelena mount her broom, ready to go to the castle, Michael only had one plan in his mind; stop the Wicked Witch from getting to Gerda.
Running at her, Michael grabbed Zelena's broom as she rose into the air, dangling a few feet off the ground. Zelena looked down to see what had grabbed on, her face a furious glare.
"What are you doing here?" She demanded.
"Stopping you from hurting our daughter!" Michael answered, swinging his feet. He pulled down at the broom as he fell to the earth, dragging Zelena and her broomstick with him.
The two adults rolled along the ground for a moment, the momentum keeping them moving. Michael stopped first, and getting to his feet, grabbed at his head.
Ignoring the dizziness, he ran at the broomstick, lifting it into the air. The broom immediately began to float, going higher and higher into the air. Michael had planned on sending it off on its own with no rider, but he was too high to let go now.
Looking down at the ground, Michael spotted Guardian, who gave him a curious look.
"Run and find Snow White!" Michael commanded, before the broomstick headed off in the sky, towards the Evil Queen's palace.
Not able to get onto the broom, Michael held on for dear life as he flew over the tall trees of the forest, and eventually over the market. He saw the Evil Queen looking over the market in her castle, and spotted Gerda behind her, trapped in vines.
"Gerda!" He called out. Gerda looked over at him, a look of shock and happiness on her face. That look was then replaced with fear as Michael came closer to the castle, about to hit the wall.
Tucking in his feet, Michael held onto Zelena's broomstick as it flew in through the balcony, letting go when he was over solid ground.
Michael rolled across the floor and hit the wall hard, his head taking most of the impact. His right arm, which had been burned by the flames in the forest fire, was blistering painfully, as Michael cried out in pain.
The Evil Queen grinned wickedly, waving her hand once more. A cage of vines appeared around Michael, who was about to black out. Looking over at Gerda, Michael felt the tears fall down his cheeks.
"I'm….sorry."
Everything went dark.
The Evil Queen laughed mirthlessly at the predicament.
"I might not be able to use you in order to win." She stated, looking at Gerda.
"And I no longer need the villagers." She added, walking towards Gerda. She ran a finger across Gerda's face, before she walked back to Michael.
"But I can use him."