A/N Surprise! Bet you didn't expect such a quick update, did ya'? Neither did I! Hope you're all liking this story. There are so many parts I just want to write, but I can't yet. I need to build things up.

Let me know what you're thinking about this :)

The blonde wasn't really sure what to expect when walked into the library. Back in Lucia, their own held thousands of books, but most of them were Fables or cut out pieces of history. They never satisfied her.

The library happened to be guarded by no one. At first this seemed a little peculiar, a little too easy of access, but then again, what was someone going to do with a book? Beat a guard upside the head with it?

Pushing open the doors, she was instantly invited into a world of old leather bounds and secrets that she could have never found in her prior home. Where did she start?

She looked down the shelves trying to decipher how they were organized until her eyes fell upon one of interest. Snatching the heavy leather book from its place, she walked over towards a chair that sat near a dusty fireplace that probably hadn't been lit in eons.

The book was opened to a random page and she read:

"The kingdom belonged to the Evil Queen. There was no room for a power driven, selfish child who had taken upon herself the idea to quicken her arrival onto the throne. Who would have thought the daughter of the late Eva would have the heart to murder her own father? It was no wonder that the Queen wanted vengeance."

Emma was dismayed by the words she had just read. Were they referring to her mother? She never remembered any stories of her mother taking anyone's life. However, she had to remind herself that regardless of the new secrets she was uncovering, she had to be careful. It was undoubtedly true that both kingdoms had their own biases, but that's what made this journey so much more interesting. It would be the blonde's job to sew together the matching pieces and fill in the gaps.

"Some say it was exhaustion. Others said it was the coming of a child that deterred the slaughter of thousands more. The rivers had been flowing with so much blood that the Fair Queen called an end to the madness. The Evil Queen wasn't content with the agreement to split the land, but her own strength was dwindling."

"The kingdoms were one?" Emma whispered to the book as if she was expecting it to answer her, but the room was so silent that many would have to alleviate themselves. She didn't mind. In fact, the silent gave her the time to think for itself without the clutter of the rest of the world. It was just her and the words of the past.

An hour easily passed by followed by another and very soon the table that sat near had been piled high with books of intrigue whether they were more on history, creatures, parallel worlds, etc. Despite all of these, she still felt disappointed.

The one thing that she was beyond curious about and she couldn't find a damn thing on it which made no sense at all even when the Dark Palace was encased by it.

There wasn't a day that left Regina feeling like she could hold the world on her shoulders. In fact, she felt just the opposite as if a boulder had been flung at her head. The complaints were endless, contracts were the bane of her existence, and the amount of thievery in Obscuria was beyond ordeal.

Apparently trade between the kingdoms had been stunted thanks to the princess's disappearance rendering prices beyond the reaches of the mountains, but the Queen could do nothing about this. Economics of the villagers were of little concern to her as long as she got her fair share.

The dungeon was now filled with crooks who thought they could slip under the law and as consequence they would be punished. Execution was held at the end of the week unless noted otherwise and was held in public to make an example. One would think they would learn.

Pressing an olive skinned hand to her temple, she sighed before calling up the nearest guard as she left the chamber.

"Where is Graham?"

"He is on his break, Your Majesty."

Rolling her dark eyes, she waved him off in dismissal and swiftly turned down the corridor. She suspected that he would be the one to know the whereabouts of the blonde. Instead she halted at a nearby mirror on the wall.

"Sydney!"

A few seconds later her reflection turned into the smoky genie.

"Yes, My Queen?"

"You wouldn't happen to know the whereabouts of the Princess would you?"

"She was outside with the wolf for a good few hours. The last time I saw her it looked like she was on her way to the library."

The library? She thought to herself, how strange.

Changing her trajectory, she gracefully strode through the hall passing by several of her knights. It put her a unease knowing that she was out with Red for so long when she knew that there was no way Sydney could have watched them. She would have to give Graham orders to watch them as she knew he wouldn't disobey her, not after everything.

What bothered her was that she still didn't understand why Emma was here. She knew how close Red had been with her mother which meant that the wolf would inherently want to protect the young blonde. She doubted Red would assist in slipping the woman out of the castle, but nevertheless, it was still a discomforting idea.

When she found herself in front of the cracked door of the library she noticed a warm glow spilling illuminating the room. Silently opening the door further, she heard the crackling of the fireplace off to the side.

The stack of books upon the table sparked her interest, but the blonde wasn't beside them. Instead, she was over in the corner cursing to herself as she intently searched for a certain subject.

Raising a finely shaped eyebrow, the brunette closed the door behind her causing an alarming echo through silent room.

"Shit!"

Golden curls bounced as she turned around on her heels faster than an arrow. Her eyes found the Queen's and she tensed.

"I would have never guessed you to be a bookworm, my dear."

Taking a step towards the selected books on the table, the brunette ran a hand along a spine before turning them over. The chosen titles caused a curious stir within her: The Dark One, the Rise of a New Era, a Brief Essay on Werewolves, a Knight's Oath.

"I…My Queen, I was just…curious."

The side of the Queen's red lips rose into a smirk, turning her head to look at the blonde still frozen in place.

"Are you looking for something in particular, dear?"

"I…no, not really."

Regina pursed her lips.

"You shouldn't lie to a Queen, Princess, especially me."

She twisted around the moved across the room, watching emerald gems fill with worry as she got closer. Finally when she had the woman nearly pinned between her own body and the bookshelf, she leaned forward and whispered into her ear.

"You can only learn so much from books."

A shudder ran through the blonde but then pale hands reached forward to run a finger across the soft material of the Queen's gown. It seemed as though her eyes were trying to avoid making contact and so the brunette took hold of her chin, a bit more delicately than usual, and tilted it upward.

"What were you looking for?"

Low and curious.

She watched innocent eyes flicker between her own and her lips. She waited. She could see her pupils dilating and her breathing changing with the nearness of the older woman.

"Dark Magic."

Regina's brow shot high in astonishment having not expected such an answer to come from this childlike blonde.

"Is that so? Why?"

"Curiosity."

Her shoulder shrugged trying to play off the discomfort.

"Didn't your parents teach you not to dabble in the unknown?"

"It's only unknown until you venture inside."

"Mm I suppose you're right."

Lifted a hand between them a tiny ball of fire appeared out of thin air causing Emma to gasp. The heat coming off of it was evidence that this wasn't some mind illusion. The flickering flames suddenly turned into a smoky purple that encased the brunette's hand and she placed it onto the blonde's chest.

The earlier gasp came back, but this time much louder as a strange sensation rushed through her, from the center of her heart to each and every limb. It felt like a sinister shadow had snaked inside of her being and drew out a bliss that words couldn't elucidate.

"Dark Magic is unlike any other," Regina said lowly in satisfaction, watching the blonde's face contort, "Its embrace is seductive, powerful, and all consuming taking the darkest soul to conquer."

"Teach me," Emma sighed.

Red lips turns into a wider grin and she leaned down to nip at the blonde's jaw. Never in her life had Regina felt so allured by a woman especially such a conjuration of innocence. Emma was young and very unaware of the world that was around her. The images that flashed through the Queen's mind of the intimate bond between apprentice and teacher caused her entire body to quiver.

"You're too pure."

Emma's eyes slowly slid open and she looked Regina straight in the eyes before whispering in a new, tempting tone.

"I don't have to be."