It has been entirely too long! I've been rather...distracted lately. I had other plans for this chapter, but I got to nervous about taking that approach; fortunately, I have a fantastic idea for the next chapter.

Thanks for you all for reading! Review and please enjoy :)

Blue-green eyes fixated upon the reflected, dirty canvas of scrapes and bruises that had been marked from prior events. Her torn clothes lay in a sad pile in the corner of the room leaving her bare in the safety of her room.

She could still feel the discomfort of being looked upon like a piece of fresh meat, but she hadn't meant to disrupt the evening. Had she known that the events would turn dire, she would have found another way to handle the situation; however, she had acted upon pure defensive instinct.

Sniffing away the last bits of angst that had overtaken her, she wiped at her tear-stained cheeks and frowned at herself in the mirror. It wasn't her fault; at least that was the false assurance she was going with.

But a man had died. He had died in cold blood right in front of her eyes.

At the other end of the room, the door swung open and in came striding the Evil Queen. Unlike her past appearances, this event was without magical aid which left the curious wonder of how much energy had been drained from the brunette. Nevertheless, her amber eyes held a rage far beyond comprehension that shrouded the room in a frenzied cloak.

In the sudden response Emma drew her arms around her chest and found herself being back up into a corner. She knew Regina was furious and to say she wasn't fearful would have been a down right lie.

Was this the Evil Queen people had warned her about?

The brunette's nostrils flared as she penetrated the younger woman's space.

"I knew you wouldn't be foolish enough to run, but to sneak around behind my back?"

Emma tried to hide her guilt, yet she was unaware that her eyes widened in response. The unexpected dryness in her mouth hit her when she tried to oppose which was probably a good thing, for she had been caught. But how did Regina know? Was her curiosity written that bold upon her face?

"Is what I'm giving you not enough? Have your curiosities truly not been sated?" When she was given a silent response, the brunette's anger grew. "Answer me or I swear I'll rip your heart out where you stand."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty!"

"Because of you I am down a guard."

Emma was appalled that such blame would be placed on her head as if the Queen had no control over her own actions. Who would have thought that she would give in to childish finger pointing games?

"He didn't deserve to die…"

"Don't tell me what he deserved. Draven should have been smart enough to not let his carnal desires drive him, but men will be men I suppose. You are mine, Princess," she expressed her words with use of her hands, pointing at the blonde and then back at herself before gripping the pale chin before her and narrowing in so they were nearly touching noses, "and that means only mine. I am the Queen here and I make the verdict."

Dark eyes bored into the blonde's, noticing the way her eyes dilated with unfitting distress. Was there a new revelation about the choice Emma had made to come here now that she was unveiling the true nature of the Evil Queen? The thrill that Regina usually took from these situations evaded her now, for there was an uncanny sense of discomfort seeing the young woman in such a distraught position. There were no snipes or sarcasm, no narrowed eyes and clenched jaw, just a bare, anxious woman.

"So tell me; when did the thought grace your mind? How long had you been enticing my guards?"

The blonde's eyebrows pulled together, perplexed. What exactly were they talking about? Emma had never once done anything to draw attention to herself other than possibly looking suspicious. If she had known that one of the Queen's men was following her she would have ceased her search.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Now is really a bad time to start acting innocent, Princess."

The brunette's hand slid down the length of the pale woman's neck to brush against a protruding collar bone. As she did, the ferocity in dark eyes seemed to dwindle for just a moment.

"Regina," the blonde held her breath and corrected herself, "My Queen, I never tempted your men, at least not intentionally, I swear. I never even knew he was in the gardens until he approached me."

A finely trimmed eyebrow rose high in thoughtful suspicion.

"What are you inferring, dear? That Draven simply advanced on you without reason? My men are fully aware of the consequences."

"I…" the blonde shut her eyes and took a shaky breath; she thought she had been caught, but really she was being accused for something else entirely. If she admitted to her actual crime would she be punished? The thought made her flinch; the Queen would never actually hurt her would she?

"I had been looking for something…"

Her usually bright eyes hazed over and just as she attempted to look elsewhere, she felt fingers tighten around her chin once more and jut it upward to meet narrowed kohl.

"Looking for what?"

This is what Sydney had warned Regina about. This wretch was scanning the castle, looking for its weak point; perhaps not looking for an escape but a way for others to get in. The thought enraged her. Not that she should have been surprised, but to not see it right under her nose when she was even cautioned? She hadn't acted this foolish since… since she was a child.

"You told me you would teach me magic."

"I told you no such thing."

"Yes you— why? Why won't you teach me?"

"Why don't I just throw you down in the dungeons? Don't try and change the subject, Princess. What were you looking for?"

"I don't know. A locked door. A secret vault—."

"A secret vault? You think I have something to hide?"

Strangely, Emma's confidence was beginning to rise back up along with her temper. The longer the seconds passed, the more she was aware of the place she was in, backed up into a corner without a hint of defense. She wanted to fight back, but what state was she to do so?

"No…I don't know. I just want some answers. I want to understand magic. I want to understand why it's so demonized."

"Lucia demonizes anything that won't aid their cause. If it threatens to throw off balance, if it even speaks of bringing in a faint worry, it will be shunned, but enough of this. I've had enough of this drama you've created."

"I had no intentions—"

"You caused a distraction, pulled me away from important business. Therefore, you must be punished."

Purple shadows began to dance in the brunette's eyes and Emma took a sharp breath. She waited for the sting, the ache of a slap, but nothing came at least not for the time being.

"I need time to think of your punishment," Regina remarked lowly and released a cruel wave of heat from her fingertips pushing the blonde to a thin edge of pleasure and agony, "and diminish the distraught you've stirred."

Even after the brunette vanished from the room the sensations remained. Once a few seconds had passed Emma was forced onto the floor from the tremor of her limbs. If only she could have kept her curiosity hidden, if only she could have found another way to sate that need for something more, then maybe the death of a man wouldn't be hanging above her head.

True, he wasn't innocent, he had tried to take what wasn't his, but she still had her parent's blood flowing through her veins; taking a life was never an option unless it was the only one.

What awaited her when she would meet the Evil Queen again? Would she finally regret her decision of coming to the Dark Palace?