"Your highness, Queen of the Dark Kingdom, Queen Snow and Prince James send there greetings."
"And I send the White throne mine." Regina said, looking down at the envoy from her throne on the raised dais.
"However they wish it were not under such terrible circumstances."
"Oh?" The Queen prompted, raising a curious eyebrow.
"The Princess Emma, heir to the White throne, has gone missing."
"Missing? By that you mean someone's taken her and the evil Queen was the highest on the list of suspects?" The Queen's gaze loomed threateningly at the envoy, he audibly gulped.
"No, no. It appears the Princess left of her own free will."
"Then there appears to be no terrible circumstance."
"She does not know what she does. As a neighbour of the White Kingdom the throne beseeches you to allow a search for the Princess within your kingdom."
"Pray tell what this Princess looks like."
The envoy pulled a scroll out of his jacket and unfurled it to reveal a portrait of Regina's most favoured sentinel.
"Leave the image with Knight-lord Graham. I will conduct a thorough search of my own kingdom and report anything that requires reporting back to the White Palace. You may leave." He envoy looked like he had something else to say but thought better of it. He bowed and marched smartly out of the throne room. Regina called Graham in and instructed him to look at the scroll, his eyes widened in recognition and looked to his Queen to confirm what his eyes were telling him.
"Princess Emma has my full protection; no one else is to learn of Sentinel Swan's true identity. The Princess wishes to be a knight and she has all the makings of a fine one, I refuse to ignore her dreams as her parents have. Make sure no harm befalls her, or at least minimal harm, it would not do to have the heir to the White throne incapacitated whilst in my care. Do not treat her any differently. She shall be receiving special orders from me, if a scene like this afternoon were to happen again do not question her authority. Am I understood?"
"Yes your majesty." Graham now understood why he felt the need to salute to Sentinel Swan. He hesitated before asking one question. "Will she still progress through the ranks of knighthood?"
"Yes, though her particular duties may be slightly different from the norm."