A/N I apologize for the tremendously long wait. I hope you haven't forgotten about this story because I am just getting started! I had this chapter written up a few weeks ago, but my beta took a bit longer to look over it. (blame her). Good news is that the next chapter is almost done so the wait for that one shouldn't be nearly as long.
On another note, I mentioned something about Lacey Stares on Tumblr, but many of you may not have either seen it or have an account (Amethoenix is my name if you want to follow). I haven't updated that one in a long while. I noticed my reviews were becoming fewer and fewer so I left it where it stands which doesn't seem like a bad ending. If anyone wants me to continue that one or at least give it a better ending then just let me know.
I hope to hear from you guys. Thanks for your patience!
"Regina, don't hurt her," the brunette wolf begged as she kneeled on the floor in front of the Queen with barely enough clothing for decency. From a tightly bounded collar hung a chain that was currently dangling freely, yet she dared not move from her position.
The candle light around her was bright enough to illuminate the harsh marks across the pale woman's, more having been added since she left the cell across Emma's. Without the ability to control the animal inside her, her vehement nature didn't help to ease the Queen's lacerations when being interrogated for what seemed like the hundredth time.
"I have no intentions of hurting her, my dear pup," Regina stated coolly, but her lip upturned at the anxious look upon the younger woman's face. Long black nails traced under her chin, tilting her face upwards, "unless she brings it upon herself."
"Then why have you locked her down there?"
The wolf's voice was low, but her eyes said a whole other story. She was beyond worried for the princess for very good reasons of her own.
"Remember the days," with a quick hand motion the woman was forced onto her hands and knees, the chain clinking as it hit the floor, "when I trapped you like the wild beast you were and tamed you into obedience? Remember how I made your world before me a mere memory and gave you everything you could ever dream of?"
Pale skin flushed as her heart began to accelerate at the vivid memories. She kept her green gaze downward, but spoke between gritted teeth.
"She's not an animal. She doesn't deserve this. She's young and naïve. Whatever you have in store for her just take it out on me. Send her home; don't—"
Her words turned into a yelp as her arms were kicked from underneath her. She barely managed not to fall flat on her face. With a harsh jerk, Red was pulled forward by the leash only to have a cruel heel forced against her shoulder.
The wolf bared her teeth and let out a growl, yet when she spoke it was a plead as she thought of not herself, but the young blonde who was, unknown to her, restrained against the cold bricks.
"I'll come back to you, Regina. I'll give you whatever you wish of me."
"Of course you would; I was surprised you chose to leave in the first place. Nevertheless, you have no choice in the matter in what I decide."
"She is my God child, Regina!" Red's eyes were bright with what might have been tears, "This isn't right."
"Do you think I care what is right after her mother took everything I ever had? I have done everything within my power to stay clear of those foul lovebirds after we sealed our agreement. They stay out of my affairs and I out of theirs, but now their spawn has willingly walked into my kingdom and is threatening to set ablaze everything."
By this time, Regina had realized that Red had no part in the princess's arrival, yet she wasn't willing to allow her to run free. The wolf may have been bounded by the insignia before, but now that it had been stripped from her she could easily run to Lucia and give aid to Emma's whereabouts. Nothing would be stopping her now.
"Sending her back would only lead to more chaos," Regina stated, "Despite what I may be able to tell them, they'll simply call me out for witchcraft and accuse me of hexing their child. I won't have that. No," she was merely thinking aloud at this point, "I'll let them come to me to find out for themselves that their daughter has been corrupted by their own foolishness. What better way to get back at Snow and Charming than corrupting their precious gem?"
Brown eyes glanced downward at the woman who had fallen quiet. It was a useless attempt to sway the Queen
"This is bullshit."
It was cold, that much was true, but Emma had long grown accustomed to the chill over the last several hours. She yanked hard against the restraints in another futile attempt hissing out as she reopened a recent laceration from metal.
That was when a loud rumble echoed from her stomach and she groaned. When was the last time she had eaten?
As surprising as it may have been, for being a princess, she had a rather large appetite that her parents were always astounded by. Their chef was always wondering why her batch always seemed to deplete when she turned her back. The mystery wasn't solved until Johanna one day caught the little blonde in the kitchen sneaking the freshly baked cookies and pastries.
Her dry mouth began to water at the thought of this. It was a bittersweet sensation of hunger that also kept her distracted from the burning in her wrists and the ache of her limbs.
Down the hall was the clinking of what sounded like keys against a lock followed by heavy footsteps. The sound of metal against concrete gave hint that it was most likely one of the guards. At first her heart leapt in joy at the thought of being released until she remembered that her very own skin was on display for whomever it was that was approaching.
"So you're the Queen's new pet," croaked a man in dark, thorny armor.
His manner was highly unappealing as her peered between the iron bars, his eyes raking up and down the woman in front of him. Through the shadows, his murky smile was enough to send a repulsive shiver down her spine. That's when it dawned on her. He was one of the men Red had saved her from.
"Don't get any fucking ideas," she spat even though it was a useless warning in her state.
"Well that's not a nice thing to say," he paused for a moment, bring his finger to his chin in thought, "Wait a minute. You're that bitch who the pup was protecting. No wonder. She was bringing you to the Queen."
He leaned in as far as he could, which wasn't far, but it was still highly disconcerting. He couldn't reach her; however, his ravaging eyes made it clear what would happen if he did. Blue green eyes narrowed vehemently and she gritted her teeth.
"We should have made use of you before she ruined you. Oh, but from the looks of it she hasn't yet, has she? What if—?"
He began shuffling through his keys. Emma heart began to accelerate at a rate she wasn't content with and she jerked against the metal cuffs. Just before he could find the right key, another shadow moved behind him.
"She would have your heart turned to dust, Draven," Emma instantly recognized the new voice as Graham's and she thought she would never be happier to see him, "What are you doing here? This isn't your quarters."
"Curiosity," the man shrugged as he attached the set of keys back to his side, "I see the Queen has her Huntsman back at her side doing her dirty work."
Graham simply stared at him with cold eyes until Draven shook his head in aggravation and stormed off muttering something about picking and choosing favorites.
Soon after he left, Graham unlocked the cell and swung it open with a creak. He showed no sign of shyness to Emma's state of undress almost as if he were used to seeing such. He quickly released her from her restraints causing her to stumble as if drunk. Her limbs were stiff and one of her wrists had a thin line of blood trickling down.
She was reluctant to accept the helpful hand of the huntsman, but quickly turned grateful when a blanket was wrapped around her trembling shoulders.
"The Queen demands your attention," he brunet spoke as they left the dungeon. Turning into what looked like a dead end, Graham lifted his hand and tapped a selection of three individual bricks in the wall causing it to shift until a passage way formed. The secret passageway was dimly lit by flickering candles like most of the hallways except this one in particular was narrow, meant for traveling one by one.
"Why didn't she come herself?" Emma asked quietly as she followed, surprisingly submissively.
"Regina is a busy woman."
With the roll of green eyes, she pulled the blanket around her tighter and they walked another hundred feet until they came to a main hallway.
"It looks like you've broken skin," he commented when he saw her wrists. He was greeted with a none too friendly stare.
"Doesn't exactly help when I'm restrained to a god damn wall."
Doesn't exactly help when I'm restrained to a god damn wall," she snarled under her breath. Her scowl only grew when she heard the man chuckle, the irritation inside of her growing.
"You'll get used to it."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Ignoring her, they walked a ways more until they stopped in front of a set of doors that opened up into a private wash room. What caught her attention was the stone bath that sat across from them. She looked at him with a curious expression.
"You'll find what you need in the cabinet along with some botanical ointments that will prevent your wrist from getting infected. When you're done go down to the west wing where you'll find the kitchen. If you get lost someone will be able to point you in the right direction."
Surely Emma was drowning in confusion at this point. One day her life was being threatened and next she was back to being pampered? That didn't make any sense at all.
"You're letting me walk the castle alone?"
"There are eyes and ears everywhere, around every corner, within every shadow. Every entrance is secured by guards and if your curiosity gets the better of you you'll find that many of the doors require a special key or spell."
"In other words, don't try anything."
She teetered back and forth on her bare feet and bit her tongue, the thought sounding like a challenge. Her merely nodded with emotionless eyes and turned to leave her. After a few feet he called over his shoulder.
"I hope the answers you find are worth it, Princess."