"My apologies for that little drama, the Sheriff can be rather ill-mannered at times."
Gold sweeps back into the main room to find Jefferson sat on the floor with his back to the wall. Nodding over to a small silver pot that stands on the peeling work surface of the small kitchenette, he leans on his cane thoughtfully.
"How long until it's ready?"
"About half an hour or so... Any sooner and it may not be strong enough."
"Half an hour is fine. I don't believe we'll be seeing another escape attempt for a while from Miss Swan."
"Why did you call me over? You could have just put her under yourself..."
"Because it is something at which you are well practiced, and the young woman's safety is paramount."
"And yet she can't even support her own weight due to the trauma from the injuries evidently sustained to her wrists?"
"A minor setback, but she lives to tell the tale."
"Why?"
"What do you mean, why?"
"Well, if she is who you say she is... Why keep her alive at all? I was under the impression that our wishes were of a similar nature. That the curse should finally be lifted. Why keep the Savior alive when there is a much simpler option?"
"There is no simpler option."
"No? You told me yourself that the curse would break should Emma die... It was what made me reluctant to give the Queen the apple. It seemed-"
"-What apple?"
"...Regina paid me a visit only two weeks ago... She had me retrieve the apple she had used to curse Snow White back in that pasture in our own land."
"That's impossible. There is no magic here..."
"No, and I was not able to go back. There was only enough magic within the ring she provided to open the smallest of portholes and grab the apple."
"What ring?"
"I'm afraid I don't know, and she seemed reluctant to tell. Just a simple ring; a wedding band of sorts."
"She... She gave you this ring?"
"She did, and I summoned her the apple. I had little choice... As I said... I suffered my doubts in giving it to her... Should the Savior fall under the sleeping curse; the chance of me getting my daughter back would go from slim to none... I was tempted to merely finish the job myself..."
"Regina... Did she actually use the apple to curse the Sheriff?"
"I don't know. I would have thought so judging by the urgency she professed for revenge, but clearly the Saviour remains very much awake... It is most curious."
"Yes... Curious indeed."
Gold frowns as this new information leaves him perplexed and in disbelief.
Surely she didn't actually feed the apple to her Sheriff... As the Hatter says... Emma is very much awake... Unless...
Oh.
Oh my.
Perhaps I have underestimated the situation after all.
And that truth must truly ache terribly, I imagine, Your Majesty.
For if you did poison the young woman only to be successful in reviving her... Well... Your feelings are abundantly clear.
But for the rest of us to find ourselves continuing this clueless existence...
That says more than I'm sure you would like about Emma's state of mind...
"Whether she gave her the apple or not, clearly the girl didn't eat it."
"... Clearly..."
"So answer me my question: why are you keeping her alive at all? It serves no purpose."
"It serves every purpose. That young woman lying in there owes me a debt, and I plan on making her pay up when the time comes. She is of great importance, not just to us, but to the Queen. If Emma dies, there will be a slaughter on our hands, you mark my words... And should the Saviour die by your hands... Well... I wouldn't want to be you when Regina found out..."
"She is your student; she poses you no real threat."
"Never underestimate the power of True Love."
"What love? For the boy?"
"For the Sheriff."
"Impossible."
"Oh, no, not at all. In fact, when you sit down and think about it- which I have found myself doing a great deal these past few days- it makes all the sense in the world. I believe you would be hard put to find two people as well suited for one another as the women in question.
"But... for the Queen to love another woman?"
"What of it? The carnal aspect to their relationship, while providing some fascinating mental imagery, is simply a quest for pleasure. Love, though... Love is sexless. Your question should be 'for the Queen to love another at all?'... And to that I believe I may now know the answer to be 'yes'. Regina loves the Swan woman."
"But, I thought... True love... Why does the curse still exist? If the Queen loves her as you say, then-"
"-Ah. Because it is not Regina's love that will break the curse."
"...The Sheriff doesn't reciprocate her feelings?"
"Oh, I am almost certain that the Sheriff believes their affection is equal. The problem is that affection is about as far as she is willing to allow her mind to go. I had thought it would be the boy who would break her, you know... But I believe there is something to be said for physical love. Emma reacts to the Mayor in a way that is completely foreign to her... But, alas, she has yet to discover the true depth to what she feels. That is why she is here. And that is why I am keeping her alive. She will feel it eventually. She must."
"... And what becomes of her after the curse is broken? If she doesn't believe in magic, will it not ruin her to be launched into the thick of things as we left them? She may find it within herself to love the Mayor... But to love the Evil Queen?"
"What happens to Emma after the curse breaks is none of my concern. I will have my power back, and I will be able to demand my favor whether she wishes to comply or not. Regina can't stand in the way of her paying the price for our deal, and, as you say... I do believe that once Miss Swan finds herself confronted with the reality of things... She may desire never to lay eyes on that despicable woman again. Who knows? Such problems are her own."
"A cruel take."
"Perhaps."
"Inspired."
"I have had a long time to think on such things."
"How long will it take? For the Sheriff to realize her feelings?"
"My, you are rather impatient for a man only recently privy to such information."
"You are not the only one who has had a long time to dwell on things..."
"No. Well, as for the time it takes young Emma to bow down to her own emotions, I should think that really depends on quite how resourceful our delightful Mayor finds herself... I find encouragement in the fact that she has already resorted to accepting aid. Most surprising."
"How does Regina's searching lead to the Savior finding True Love?"
"Simple. I believe that right now, the Sheriff spares no real hope that she will be found. Emma is a peculiar young woman to say the least, and she is a woman who not only finds it hard to trust, but finds the fault in such a thing to be in herself. She doesn't believe the Mayor will find her, because she doesn't truly believe she's worth looking for. Emma needs to see with her own eyes the lengths that love will make someone go to. She needs to understand that the Queen loves her. Once she understands that... Well... I believe she will find it within herself to accept that she feels the same thing. She needs to understand what love is in order to feel it."
"... And if she loves the Queen... The curse will break?"
"When she realises she loves the Queen... Everything falls in our favor."