Chapter 38

Heliose moved under her, obviously as nervous as she was to be watched by so many people. It was strange to her that she would always be incredibly nervous right before she began speaking, but after she made eye contact with the first person in her audience, she was as calm as could be. She was waiting for all of her men to quiet down so she could deliver her speech. While she knew most of it wouldn't sink in, hearing that their Queen was confident of their victory would boost morale.

Regina looked out of the corner of her eye to see that Emma was seated atop Uriel and was holding the reins loosely. She looked out over the army as well, and in Regina's opinion, looked every part the White Knight. Her lips were set in a delicate frown and her eyes roamed from one faction of the army to the next. The Queen saw that her eyes lingered on Arnak, and when his eyes quickly focused in on her, she continued her survey.

She looked back out over her troops. They were standing next to their horses, some holding the reins, while others merely had a hand on their neck, letting them know their master was there with them. When she felt as though she had everyone's attention, she took a deep breath.

"Today, we begin a journey to defeat a powerful enemy," she began in a clear, strong voice. "And while this enemy has often worked his evil in the shadows, his malice has touched each and every one of your lives whether you know it or not. He kidnaps children, weaves intricate lies, and most importantly, wishes to take away your free will. But we will not let that happen."

A cheer rose up from her army.

"Each and every one of you will aide in the protection of your wives, your sons and daughters, your fathers and mothers, and your friends. You will protect this realm and we will win."

Another cheer burst from the crowd. She knew they didn't care about what she had to say, and that is why she would make this brief.

"Some of you will not survive," she said solemnly. "Some of you will lose great friends. You all knew that sacrifices would be made in the course of this journey. But I will assure you that your sacrifices will not be made in vain. Every death that happens on the battlefield will bring us one step closer to defeating this enemy. And you will be remembered as the heroes you all are."

As yet another cheer rang towards her, she inwardly cringed. While their sacrifices may help them win, it would still remain a loss for their family. No matter how heroic their death was, it would still be a death.

"So yes," she continued. "This enemy we are preparing to battle is powerful. But behind every enemy is a man. A man who, once that power has been stripped away, once his armor has been cut through with a sword, is still flesh and blood. And flesh and blood can be ripped through with our swords, our axes, our arrows.

"We will defeat this man and his army! And we will protect our kingdom!"

As she finished, a thunderous roar from her army rang out. Despite her tension, she smiled. They had renewed motivation and they were ready to do whatever was needed to defeat Rumpelstiltskin.

Regina whipped her head towards disappearing magenta mist on the very edge of her vision. She frowned, knowing exactly who had been listening in on her.

"Are you alright?" Emma yelled over the cheering.

"I'm fine," Regina answered back. As she turned to face the princess, she noticed that the blonde was smiling. There was hope in her eyes that this war would turn out exactly how it should and Regina's frown continued. Her words even affected her princess and gave her false hope.

"Let's go," the Queen said to no one in particular and turned her horse around to face the south. With a spur of her heels, Heloise began a gallop. She felt the army behind her mount their steeds and take off after her and Emma and Graham rode on her left and right. As she settled into her saddle, she began to brace herself for yet another meeting with the Charmings.

A/N: And here is your second chapter of the night. This one is short because I felt it didn't go with the last one and not with the next one. So you got a nice little chapter that is pocket sized.

Next time, in Blood Red Love: Emma receives an awkward hug, Regina has a moonlit meeting and Snow catches Regina and the mystery person, and Charming dismounts a horse.

Remember to review and follow and thank you for the reviews I've gotten on the last chapter already!