A/N Many thanks to everyone that has left a review and of course to the silent readers as well. I'm glad that this hasn't fallen flat yet. I didn't lie when I said we would be meeting the queen again. This chapter isn't much, but nevertheless needed. The next chapter is where things will get interesting. (Classes start tomorrow...Friday? Yea...I don't know either. Hopefully I can still get a chapter up in decent time.)

Thanks again! and please feel free to leave a review (suggestions are highly welcomed too). ;D

Something peculiar seemed to be stirring in the air, but the Queen couldn't yet pinpoint the origin. Her lack of interest in Obscuria's inhabitants had only grown worse over the years and she was absolutely dying for some entertainment rather than endless cries for help for gold and land.

Times had grown dull now especially when it came down to the Evil Queen's darker pleasures. She had developed an agonizing boredom over her last few pets and the deficiency of appealing bedmates in Obscuria left her loathing her time during court more than ever before. Her disinterest had been noticed by most yet no one had nerve to voice such an observation, for they knew the consequences would be dire if not fatal.

As the crowd of people started to dissipate at the end of the session, they began a chatter which normally stirred irritation, but an unusual topic caught her interest. Raising her head high, she called forth one of the commoners who was on his way out just like everyone else. The two knights that stood guard by the doors grabbed him from both sides and led him to where the Queen sat high in her obsidian throne.

The light-haired village man had eyes wide as a deer. His voice quivered and his strand of words was deranged and almost illiterate. His tiresome eyes remained on the marble floor as rough hands tightly gripped his hat.

"Enough, you fool," the brunette drawled with irritation, "I'm in no mood. Simply tell me what it was you were discussing."

"You mean of Lucia?"

Regina's lip twitched with hatred at the sound of her enemy's kingdom, but she nodded.

"Yes."

"Rumors have been stirring about trouble in the near kingdom. The king and queen are in distraught, but about what they won't say. Some say that something has happened to the princess."

Kohl rimmed eyes narrowed and she looked towards one of her knights.

"Draven, have you been aware of this?"

"Yes, your majesty."

Her long fingers curled around the arm of her throne and she leaned forward with a nasty snarl.

"And you simply failed to inform me?"

"My queen, they are all but rumors as far as we know."

She took a second to think it over before quickly waving her hand in dismissal. The commoner's face filled back with color as he came to acknowledgement that his life wasn't on the line. Racing outward, he left the court with his life before Regina could pull it from him.

Once everyone had departed, the brunette pushed any wrinkles of her dress out before standing. Swiftly, she led herself down the hall and to a secret passage that led to her Chamber of Hearts. Once inside the room she strode up to the wall that was lined with hundreds of drawers, the rhythmic sound of enchanted hearts beating all at once. Pulling out a drawer that held one of her most precious magical hearts, she stared at the glowing organ and grinned.

It was the pair of heated voices coming from the camp barrier that stirred Emma from her sleep in the middle of the night. The fire had already died down and was nothing but red embers, but she could barely make out two animated figures standing off in the distance, hands flying up in the air in what looked like irritation.

"I will not lead her into her death, Red," said a voice that sounded a whole lot like Grahams, "I thought you implored her safety? Now you just want to feed her petty curiosity and risk what we have here? She may be the Princess of Lucia, but we do not meddle in their affairs unless instructed to do so."

Even though the blonde couldn't see their faces clearly, the frustration was clearly evident as she crept closer.

"Graham, I cannot sway her. If we deny her this then she will run off on her own. She will have more protection if I help her rather than let her fend for herself. I owe her mother that much."

"What you owe Snow White is her daughter back."

"You know I can't do that."

"Hasn't it been long—?"

"—Don't do this here. Not now," she took a breath gave a hidden signal to the huntsman which was unnoticeable to anyone else, "Regina may already sense something is off. Better that I bring it before her now than have her find out."

There was a long hard pause. Both of them knew the wrath of the Evil Queen far too well. Getting Emma into the castle wasn't going to be the hard part. It was convincing Regina that this wasn't some game although she wasn't sure what Emma's plan was in the first place. As powerful as she was, the Queen didn't take lightly to threats regardless of if they were in her own mind. They had gone almost two decades without massive bloody combat and that is how most people preferred it to stay.

This was a suicide mission and they both were well aware of this; however, convincing Emma to heed their warning was a fateless attempt.

The brunet scratched at his beard before taking a breath, looking the Alpha directly in the eyes.

"Very well, Red, but I will not follow. I want nothing to do with this"

"I understand."

Before they could find out the blonde was watching them, Emma made an effort to sneak away, but she stopped dead in her tracks when Red spoke without even turning around.

"Emma," Swearing under her breath, the blonde stepped around the tree and gave a sheepish smile and a wave.

"How did you know I was—?" but she stopped herself midsentence; even in human form all werewolves had sharp hearing.

"Will you ever learn?"

"Guess not; when do we leave?"

Blue-green eyes drifted over to see the Dark Palace in the distance. Shaking her head, the wolf-girl stepped closer and put a hand upon the blonde's shoulder.

"Not yet. If I truly cannot persuade you then I'm going to at least make sure you're well informed.

It was better than nothing, Emma had to admit. She would take what she could get; besides, Graham still owed her answered as well.

The wolf pups were stuffing their faces from a deer they killed only an hour ago. Red just finished informing them that she would be departing for a few days in order to escort Emma to her destination.

Ignorant to the women's true intentions, they complained about Emma leaving them. They had grown accustomed to having her around and enjoyed the fact that her mind was still young and wild unlike their leader.

Graham remained quiet as usual, twirling a knife in his hands until something strange happened. Suddenly his face contorted into torture and the dagger fell from his grip, landing with a thud into the dirt. As he gasped out loud his hand grabbed at his chest as if he were trying to pull something from within.

"Graham!" Red shrieked and was at his side instantly, "What is it?"

"The Queen," the huntsman gasped out.

Emma was staring like an idiot, completely bewildered, for she had never seen Graham in such a state, never even thought he was capable of feeling.

"What's happening?" she asked, pushing herself up from the ground.

"The Evil Queen has his heart," Red said half-heartedly.

"What?"

"Not now, Emma. I'll explain things later."

Graham was almost on the ground now, but he managed to get out a few quick words.

"Graham," the brunette spoke once more, holding onto his shoulders, "tell me what I can do."

"She must know something," he choked out and then abruptly the pain stopped. He opened his lips and inhaled a large breath before looking Red directly in the eyes, "She has summoned me to the Dark Palace."

Sad eyes watched him stand up and head over to gather his supplies. One of the young pups begged to let him come alone, yet he refused. The Queen wouldn't allow it and her castle was the last place they needed to step foot in. Besides, even though she was still young, she was attractive enough to catch the eye of the brunette.

"I'll try and be back in a few days. Don't fear about moving camp; I'll find you." With that said and a last farewell, he departed with only the clothes on his back.

The blonde looked toward the brunette whose gaze was watching the man walk further away until he completely vanished. Running a weary hand through her pale hair, she walked up behind her and spoke softly.

"She has his heart?"

"Unfortunately. It was taken from him over two decades ago," she turned to face Emma, "we didn't find out about it until he was traveling with us, but it made no difference anyways. We're all linked to her Majesty in one way or another."

"But how does…I don't understand."

Her face shifted in a display of mystification. She heard about the Evil Queen taking hearts, it was a question Graham failed to answered, but she never thought it true. She looked to the rest of the werewolves who had the look of unease, but nothing alarming as if they were used to this.

"When taking ones heart it can either be crushed into dust or be used to control the victim's actions and speech."

"So she has been controlling him?"

"Not this entire time. I've never seen it, but I heard she has a Chamber of Hearts full of them. She has her uses with Graham and when she's done she lets him free, his heart put back into a drawer. Now it seems he is in need once more, but for what I don't know."

There was a hard look upon the blonde's face, her forehead creased and her eyes narrowed. Biting down on her lip, she kicked at the dirt with her boot. That explained the blankness in the Huntsman's eyes and why he seemed to avoid her question about enchanted hearts. Would he have actually told her everything she wanted to know about the Evil Queen?

"So what do we do now?" Emma inquired.

"Simple. We wait."