Dark Waters

Previously in City of Starlight - The Queen's pet

A heart of an individual recently killed is needed for Aurelie to cross back into the realm of the living. As it so happens, Lord Iver, a minister who Daniella recently killed, has a heart in the Enchanted Forest that fits within such a category. Snow had just informed Regina that her name was also carved into a headstone by Hades when Graham showed up with Iver. Regina questioned her former advisor about how Daniella was faring and the latest events in the Enchanted Forest.

Later, Regina, Daniel and Aurelie stumbled across Esmerelda in the streets. Esmerelda is a witch who was killed by the neighbouring kingdom's sovereign, King William. She is also the mother of Lily (the young girl from the orphanage whom Daniella entrusted with her heart in the previous chapter). Esmerelda informs the trio that she had been able to receive news about her daughter by enlisting the help of a siren.

The conch needed to summon a Dark Siren was confiscated by Leopold so Aurelie went to his office to look for the conch but instead, she was met by Lena, who smashed the conch.

(3rd POV) Flashback, seven years after Regina's marriage to Leopold

Regina clutched the lion's head on the armrest of her chair tightly, her head angled towards the trembling minister who had just delivered the latest report about the kingdom's grumblings to the King. Leopold's policy about poisoning the waters on the western shores was not popular to say the least. Though the decree was made in response to the massive flux of sirens who had started hunting the sailors living along the seaside, the decree only worsened the community's attitudes towards the Crown. With all the produce from the sea poisoned, the fishermen had nothing to sell and entire towns were grumbling about the price of fish.

With his hand in the air, Leopold huffed, "Couldn't they just fish from the lakes?"

Regina held her breath. The people could not simply pack up and leave! Besides, the recent landslides near the freshwater lake region had poured silt and mud into the rivers, contaminating the waters in an instant. Regina decided the minister who reported the undesirable news to the King was more than terrified. His eyes darted between the parchment in his hand and the monarchs as he added quietly, "The people are looking for someone to blame, Your Majesties."

"They can blame those meddlesome sirens!" Leopold roared as he stood up. The twenty-five year old Queen kept her gaze lowered and waited until the minister was finished with his report. A brief silence met the air. Her heart was hammering against her chest, but she would not let the King's stupidity drag the royal family's name through the mud. Though she did not care one bit about the image of the Blanchard dynasty, it was her own name being implicated in the matter. Regina coughed to draw the attention of those in the room. "My King, wouldn't it be wise to seek for aid from the South? I hear they have been quite successful in defending their shores from siren attacks in the past."

Nobody expected the Queen to speak, certainly not Leopold, who had allowed Regina to sit on the Council on the condition that she was not to say a single word, but merely appear as an observer. Despite the needle-like gazes fixed upon her, Regina continued, "I know the royal houses of the South have been warring with us for years, so perhaps we should send spies into their territory to see how they dealt with the matter? I hear that they've obtained help from magical sources and was consequently successful in keeping the sirens away."

A red flush appeared on Leopold's neck. He ultimately chose to ignore his wife, turning back to his ministers. Again and again, Regina tried to slide a word into the men's conversation but she was ignored each time. Finally, her suggestion was met with a response from the King. Turning around, Leopold snarled, "Sending spies into the South?! Enlisting the help of magical forces?! Are you mad?!" Leopold lowered his voice and hissed, "Unless you have anything constructive to say instead of making us look like fools, I suggest you sit quietly and learn how a real leader deals with such matters."

Regina bit down on her tongue to stop herself from scowling. Surprising herself, her voice did not waver as she replied, "I would never intend to make us look like fools, my King."

Leopold narrowed his eyes at Regina and scoffed, "Intentions don't matter, though I will not take advice from a child!"

The Council was silent. Leopold took advantage of Regina's stunned expression and hissed into her face, "Who rode out into battle and defeated the final lines of defence during the Ogre Wars? Who saved the kingdom from a crushing defeat from those evil creatures? Who was hailed as our nation's hero? Where were you when all these things happened?"

Regine looked down.

"Oh, that's right. You were busy attending tea parties with your stuffed animals and telling tales of make-belief."

Regina could feel her cheeks redden as she swallowed back the insult. It was true that she had only been a child when Leopold officially declared the days of the ogres to be over, but it was not true that she was hosting tea parties with her toys. Cora had long deemed such things to be childish and inappropriate for a girl who would one day become Queen.

Leopold ended in a dangerously quiet tone, "Now, perhaps you should focus more on your duties. I'll listen to a word of yours when you show me you have what it takes to give me and our people an heir."

As the minutes of the meeting ticked past, Regina decided she would pay Rumplestiltskin a visit; not to solve the siren conundrum for her but to teach her how to bargain with those creatures; how to exploit their weaknesses; how to kill them.

(Aurelie's POV) Present day, the Underworld

I felt a warmth caress my face. At first, it was comforting, until the lights grew brighter and brighter. As I opened my eyes I tried desperately to recall where I was and what happened to me. When I saw her, I immediately jolted to my senses, my muscles spasming as I moved to get up from where I was sitting; only to realise that something was holding me back. I looked down. I was tied down to a chair; my ankles, my wrists and even my waist was secured with thick rope.

I couldn't hold back the tremor in my voice as I hissed, "You're mental."

Mum pulled over one of the chairs from the long table on the left side of the room and placed it a metre in front of me. She sat down and with the most natural voice, she replied, "We need to talk."

I scoffed at the absurdity of her proposition but speech left my lips as I caught sight of the shattered pieces of shell on the floor.

"Aurelie..."

"Let me go."

"Aurelie-"

"Let me go!" I screamed, revelling in how mum only sighed as she crossed her arms calmly. I didn't know what infuriated me more. "What do you even want to say to me? Sorry that you destroyed the conch that would allow me to communicate with my sister? My sister, who, by the way, did not have anything to do with my poisoning?!" It frightened me how not a single muscle on my mum's face moved when I mentioned Daniella. My heartbeats quickened. "You...you..."

She opened her mouth to speak, but once more, I interrupted her. "You lied," I croaked.

"Only because I love you."

"You love me so you decide to kill me?!" A silence met the air. "That isn't love. That's madness!"

Mum over towards me. I tried to edge away from her touch but with myself bound to the chair, there was really nothing I could do. If only I had magic like my sister; magic that was actually useful. "Aurelie, forget about the past," mum cooed in a tone that made a shudder. "We can start over together. Here."

I twitched my leg so that mum would take her hand off me. "What if I don't want to forget?" I hissed. "What if I don't want to forget the truth about everything; about how you manipulated dad for revenge; how you lied to me, then poisoned me!"

Mum's face turned green. "I did not manipulate your father," she stated behind gritted teeth. "Now, you better not tell me that it was that woman who told you so-"

"Stop calling her that!" I groaned. "Her name is Regina. And I think we ought to refer to her by her name, given that everything you've done is so that you could piss her off!"

"Me? Piss her off?!" Mum growled. "You have mixed up the characters in this narrative of yours."

"A narrative," I scoffed. "So that's what it is. You think all of this is just a story for you to write and edit? To you, all of us are simply characters for you to move around, right? Because that's disgusting. That's sick and disgusting."

"You don't know what you're talking about," mum hissed, her arms crossed as she straightened herself indignantly.

"Yeah? Well how about betraying someone you worked for, by going off and sleeping with their husband, who, by the way, happens to be the King?!"

Mum frowned. "What-"

"Eva mentioned that," I spat. "Whilst in a conversation with Regina. It seems like the two are getting along quite nicely despite everything and they also share similar feelings towards you."

Mum was silent. I didn't know whether it was my words that caught her off guard, or the fact that I was so openly accusing her. "What? Are you going to deny that too?" I questioned.

Mum closed her eyes. "Do you want to hear my side of the story, or not?"

"I don't think it would make much of a difference," I bit back.

"Do you want to hear it or not?" Mum repeated, now looking intently at me. I huffed but glared at her in silence. "The King approached me," she finally began. "He informed me that the previous maid who took care of his chambers had left so he wanted me to arrange his chambers for him. I did nothing to provoke him or to draw attention to myself. Do you even know how difficult that would have been for a woman of my position? A mere handmaiden?"

I didn't believe what she was saying, but I let her continue. "Leopold promised me that I would bear him a child; whether that be a daughter or a son. He wanted more children, but the doctors told him that it would be miracle if Queen Eva were to carry another child and survive the childbirth process. He wanted more children not for the throne, though a boy would have been the ideal heir, but so that they could save the crumbling Blanchard Dynasty. Years of war killed off many of the prominent branches of the royal family. The only remaining member of any sort of standing is Leopold's youngest brother who still lives to this day. In exile I believe, thanks to that woman."

I swallowed when I realized I was showing interest in this explanation. "So? That doesn't explain why you had to go along and attempt to poison Regina whilst she was pregnant with my sister. I know you lost a child because of Eva, but that had nothing to do with Regina. You didn't even know her child was dad's anyways."

Mum's eyes flashed. "I was told your father was killed at a noble's estate. By the time I got to the estate to find out what happened, there was a procession leading out of it. I caught the face of that woman before she climbed into her carriage. It wasn't too hard to connect the dots afterwards especially when I overheard servants whispering about how that woman wanted to name her child a name so similar to your father."

"Regina did not kill my dad! Didn't he tell you? It was Cora, Regina's mother!"

Mum growled, "It's not just about his death. Your father and I made a pact with one another when we were growing up. We promised that we would never to let the other go or forget one another."

"So this is about revenge, isn't it? Because dad ended up loving Regina and forgetting about you."

"He never forgot about me!" Mum replied, her voice suddenly heightened and frantic. "He came back to me! After the curse broke, he was the one who left her! I-"

"I don't fucking care!" I screamed, putting an end to mum's long spew of nonsense. "None of this changes the fact that you killed me. Then, you lied and said horrible things about my sister and even made me believe them."

"Well, she very well could have killed you-"

"But she didn't! Daniella did not kill me. And apparently, the entire kingdom now believes she did thanks to you. Why are you doing this? Why are you forcing Daniella and I into something that is between you and dad?" I felt like I couldn't breathe but I continued, "I don't give a damn about what you do. Go fuck with the King or fight over dad with Regina, but leave me and leave Dani alone!"

Mum crossed her legs. "Oh, Aurelie, couldn't you try and see things from my perspective?"

"Tried and failed," I hissed.

"Aurelie, please listen to your mother for once. Everything I did was to protect you...even...even putting the poison in your tea."

"So you admit to murdering me."

"No! I protected you! You still don't see it, do you? If your father ended up with that woman, I can tell you that you'd be better off here, far away from her as possible."

"Regina has only ever been nice to me," I spat.

"Or so you believe. Aurelie, have you seen the things she has made her daughter do? That woman has ruined that girl. Believe me, I know. I've seen what she was like before that woman started indoctrinating her to do her bidding."

"Not that I see your point, but what does Dani have to do with me?"

"She has everything to do with you! By being associated with the Queen, you'd only fall under her control to do unspeakable things. I do not want that to become your fate. I will not let that become your fate."

"And so what if that is my fate? Seems like a better fate than being stuck here in the Underworld with you."

Mum scoffed. "You really think it would be better up there with her? You really think she would treat you the same as her daughter? Aurelie, you did not grow up in the Enchanted Forest, so there are many things you do not understand. They'll always look down on people like us - commoners. Dirt; that's what their kind of people call us. Just ask that girl you keep calling your sister. On one occasion, I overheard that woman tell her that we're all nothing."

I swallowed. "Dad was a commoner, a stableboy, and yet Regina still loves him."

"Making an exception for one does not extend to the other. Oh, Aurelie, if you would just-"

The sound of heavy footsteps coming from the outside suddenly penetrated the office. Mum barely had time to turn around before the doors flew open and hit the marble pillars on either side of the entrance with a bang. I had never been more relieved in my life to see Regina, Dad and Snow enter the room. Someone exclaimed my name but I couldn't tell who it was.

Dad grabbed mum by the shoulders and shoved her away from me. With the flick of Regina's hand, the ropes binding me to the chair disappeared. I stood up, only to be enveloped into Snow's arms. "My goodness, Aurelie, are you alright?"

My eyes darted around the room. My voice came out distorted and short as I pointed at the broken conch and stammered, "She broke it. I'm sorry, I failed, I-"

Regina hushed me, forcing me to look into her eyes as she turned my head towards her. "It's alright. It can be fixed, I'm sure. Are you alright? Has she hurt you?"

"As if I would ever do such a thing!"

We turned around at the sound of mum's angry exclamation. I swallowed, my gaze momentarily falling upon dad who had a grimace on his face as he was holding her down. Mum's eyes were red as she glared at Regina, "Give my daughter back to me."

Dad let go of mum and rounded up in front of her with one hand on his hip and the other in the air. In a tone I've rarely heard him use, he spat, "You're delusional if you think we would ever leave Aurelie alone with you, after what you did to her!"

Snow passed me over to Regina who immediately pulled me close to her. Mum's gaze never left dad as she hissed, "Don't lecture me on what I should have done, when you were off entertaining another woman without a single thought about your family!"

A crack sliced through the air. Dad's hand was in the air, and mum was now crumpled against the pillar at the doorway. I was suddenly feeling sick. The palpitations beneath my chest only got faster. "Lecture you?" Dad roared. "Yes actually, I would think nobody needs to be lectured on these things, but here we are. One does not poison their own daughter!"

"Righteous of you to say, when your lover killed her own husband before proceeding to oversee a bloodbath across the lands!"

I felt Regina's grip tighten around me, but she stayed silent, as Dad hissed, "Regina's actions have nothing to do with yours; nor does it have anything to do with your failure in being a mother to Aurelie!"

"I was protecting her!" Mum seethed, her eyes finally leaving Dad, only to settle on my gaze. I looked over to Snow who gave me a split second of a smile before her expression fell back into an unapproving frown. Dad stepped in front of Mum as she got up and righted herself, so that she would have no choice but to look at him. "You were digging your own grave! Did you really think I would pity you after you hanged yourself and took our daughter's life?!" The edges of mum's lips twitched but she did not reply. With a loud scoff, Dad spat, "If I had Regina's powers, I would rip your heart out now. You wouldn't need it anyways. You have no heart, woman!"

I looked down at my feet. My vision was suddenly blurry, my head heavy. I swallowed my saliva to calm myself down, but my chest was feeling too tight. I opened my mouth to breath, only to find that I couldn't. I tried to make eye contact with anyone in the room, but they were all looking away from me; except for Regina. She held me with one arm, resting her hand on my back with the other.

Out of all those in the room, Snow was the one I least expected to speak next. With a dangerously quiet voice however, she murmured as though she was speaking to nobody in particular, "It was you and Johanna who put me to bed that night they told me my baby sister died."

I could feel Regina stiffen. Her hand left my back and she stepped away from me slightly.

Snow continued, "It was you, Lena. You took me to see my father after I complained that Regina wasn't letting me play with Daniella. You told me to tell him everything. I was too shy to mention the matter, but after Rumplestiltskin visited me later that night, my tongue loosened up."

For the first time, Regina too, spoke. In an equally quiet voice, she replied to Snow's quivering comments, "You do know how Johanna is implicated in all of this, don't you?"

Snow's expression was fllled with confusion as she tilted her head in Regina's direction. "Johanna?"

"Aurelie's maternal grandmother," Regina explained.

Snow's pale gaze fell onto me. Unnerved, I glanced at Regina who was now turning her head slowly towards Mum. Her voice was low, yet menacing as she hissed, "You encouraged Snow to talk to her father. You knew all along that Daniella wasn't the King's. You saw the chance and took it. You manipulated Snow, because you knew all too well that a child of ten years would say just what it took for Leopold to suspect the truth."

Finally, Regina's attention turned back to Mum. The sound of her heels pierced the air as she took measured steps towards my parents. Ultimately, it was not her who spoke. It was Dad. "So you tried to have both of my daughter's killed," he hissed in my mum's face. "Tried twice with Daniella and failed twice. Tried once with Aurelie and succeeded."

Regina pushed Dad aside gently, though her stance was nothing but predatory as she stood mere inches from Mum, relying on the extra height from her heels to loom over her. A single word escaped her lips. "Why?"

Not even a split second passed before Regina answered her own question. "Don't bother, you can shove your reasons. But know that once we return to the Enchanted Forest, I will give Aurelie everything you've been unable to give her; love...happiness...freedom. And I swear by my own life, that you will not be able to touch her in any way every again."

The room was silent, disturbed only by the sounds of our shallow, uneven breaths. Finally, glaring at Regina, Mum seethed, "You are not Aurelie's mother."

Every head in the room turned towards me. I swallowed but against the nervous flutter in my chest, I managed a small smile towards Regina.

In a flurry of footsteps, Mum fled the Mayor's office.

(3rd POV)

After straightening his tie and checking his cufflinks, Leopold pushed open the door to Mordred's Bar, the only worthy pub in the Underworld. The smell of whiskey immediately enveloped him into the chatter of the most lively place in this miserable realm. Heads turned his way, but aside from the fearful or apprehensive nods he received, he was mostly ignored. He made his way straight to the inner-most corner of the bar, where a man dressed in a long tunic woven with gold-thread was seated. Upon seeing the Mayor-turned King, the man stood up and bowed his head.

Leopold slid into the booth, opposite the man. "Ah, Lord Walter. Thank you for coming at such short notice. There is a matter I wish to discuss with you."

Lord Walter replied in a cordial whisper, "Please pardon me Your Majesty, but if the matter is of such great importance, why are we speaking in a bar, in the open? You know Hades does not like it when we confide amongst ourselves. He sees it as a threat!"

Leopold sat back and replied in an unashamed voice, "Everyone here will be drunk in an hour or so. Besides, it is a matter about my wife, not about Hades or the way he has forced me to run this place according to his will."

Leopold's former advisor searched the King's eyes for a moment, noting the way that the monarch's lips were slightly open but otherwise, not moving, as though he was trying to figure out how to best phrase his question. Leopold eventually clarified, "I am talking about Eva."

The King did not pay much attention to Walter's tilted head as he explained, "You know that the only way out of this wretched place is for Eva to forgive me. This might be the only chance that I could obtain her forgiveness! I thought all hope was lost when she departed the last time. Alas, thanks to the new arrivals, she has come back here. How do I obtain my wife's forgiveness?"

Lord Walter folded his hands on his lap. This time, the King paid attention to his reaction which made the former advisor immediately place his elbows back onto the table, where he started massaging his hands together. He dipped his head and murmured, "If I may, Sire, I think something must be done about her; about your mistress."

"Lena." Leopold let out a heavy breath, furrowing his brows.

Looking down past his nose, the advisor murmured, "She's no longer any use to you, is she?"

Leopold's gaze flicked up but he didn't reply.

"Sire...something must be done about her and you know it."

After a momentary silence, Leopold finally replied as he leaned over the table-top, "She's desperate enough to do anything I say. I believe she might still be of use to me."

"Forgive me for being so bold to ask, Your Majesty, but what is it you most desire right now?"

Leopold sighed. "You're right. Getting out of here is all that matters."

Lord Walter nodded. With a sinister grin, he continued, lowering his voice, "Show your wife that you are sorry about your affair with Lena. Show her that you will do everything in your power to make sure she never harms those Eva cares for, ever again."

Leopold frowned. "Exactly what are you proposing?"

Lord Walter sat back and murmured, "Do you know where the River of Lost Souls is located?"

The former King nodded. "Yes, its in one of the Underground Caverns that only a select few are permitted to enter. Hades gave me permission to go as I please in those tunnels, after I gave him what he wanted. Honestly, if only he had told me earlier that he wanted to see me screw some whores. Then again, I suppose it was Regina he was particularly interested in seeing."

Lord Walter's gaze dropped, but when he looked back up again, his eyes were glistening with excitement. "As you know, the River of Lost Souls is one of the only ways out of this wretched place. You know what to do, Your Majesty."

"Indeed I do."

The next day...

"I thought I'd find you here."

Leopold jumped, but a smile fell upon his face when he turned around and realized who was addressing him. "Snow, my dear." After a glance at the hunting lodge they were standing beside, the Mayor asked softly, "What are you doing out here? I thought you had a distaste for hunting, or has that changed since you were a little girl?"

"I only hunt if I need to," Snow replied quietly.

"Ah. I see the Huntsman has rubbed off on you. It does surprise me a little, considering your stepmother sent him to kill you."

Snow did not reply. Leopold leaned his hunting rifle against the wooden steps of the hunting lodge. "Why the melancholy expression, my angel?"

Snow took a deep breath before meeting her father's eyes. "After you fell off the clocktower in Storybrooke six years ago," Snow began carefully, "Regina told me that Rumplestiltskin was controlling you. I spoke with him and he assured me that after you died, and Regina took power, he had no interest in you any longer."

Leopold tried to reach out towards Snow but she took a step back. With a frown plastered across his forehead, the King murmured, "Snow, what exactly are you saying?"

"Why did you hurt Regina again?"

Leopold picked up his rifle and started to walk away, towards the open paddock. "I do not wish to discuss this."

Snow immediately rounded up on her father and replied, "But I do! Father, you owe this to me! Why?! Why did you make Regina my stepmother only to treat her as you did?! Don't tell me its because I wanted a mother. That matter is long past. Why did you humiliate her a second time when we got here?"

Under his breath, Leopold muttered, "Honestly, I don't know why you are still defending that woman after everything she has done to you."

"I am defending her because she is not in the wrong this time. She did nothing, yet you kidnapped and raped her!" Snow screamed.

"She took away what was supposed to be yours! Your birth-right, your crown, your rule!"

"But that is irrelevant! We are ruling side by side now, in neighbouring kingdoms! I bear no ill will towards her, and neither does she bear any ill will towards me! Don't you understand? The past is no more!" The look of disappointment in her father's face only made Snow even more eager to scream her thoughts. "In fact, I'd say that she's doing a better job at ruling than me! Her kingdom is one of the most powerful states in the Enchanted Forest now; never before has any ruler from the Blanchard Dynasty ruled a territory as large as hers! The economy is prospering and the people are happy. She's a better Queen. She's-"

Leopold grabbed Snow by the shoulder and pushed her against the fence of the hunting lodge. "She is not a better Queen than you!" Leopold spat. "You will always be far superior to her. It is written in your blood! You are the direct descendant of a great line of Kings on both sides of your family. Regina's mother was merely a miller's daughter, and her paternal grandmother I hear, might have been one of King Xavier's many mistresses. She is no match for you!"

Snow shook her head, though the words on the tip of her tongue disappeared as another train of thought suddenly entered her mind. Snow frowned, tilting her head as she narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Oh will you not do that!" Leopold exclaimed, before Snow had the chance to speak. "You've picked up that habit from Regina, it makes you look like a confused bird in a cage!"

Ignoring her father, Snow murmured, "You're jealous of her."

A red flush crept up on Leopold's neck and swept swiftly up his cheeks.

There was no remorse dripping from Snow's voice as she accused, "You cannot bear to admit that your wife, born from the lesser nobility, would be a better ruler than you. It humiliates you that such a young girl, who had to learn everything so quickly, was ultimately your downfall. You wanted her to be nothing but an amusement. But what you received instead, was an opponent. Your fears were true after all, because she took you down." Snow only paused momentarily to chuckle sadly. "Father, we've played chess many times when I was a child. You've always told me to treat the queen with caution, because she could move in all directions, save for the one that she entrusts to her knights. I think you're right."

Leopold's gaze was no longer fixated on his daughter, nor was Snow looking at her father.

"I looked up to you when I was a child," Snow murmured. "I thought you were the kindest man to walk the realm. I thought yo were the most benevolent King and the most intelligent father." Snow inhaled sharply, her breath quivering when she exhaled. However, she turned around without another word.

She stopped in her tracks when she heard his small and meek reply; one hardly befitting of a confident monarch who once commanded armies and ruled the grand halls of the palace. "And now?" Leopold whispered.

"We all lose our heroes at some point, Father."

(Regina's POV)

With the tip of my shoe, I kicked a stray piece of kelp off the edge of the pier, where it fell with a splash into the murky waters below. Aurelie came up to the end and leaned over but Daniel pulled her back gently. "Watch out," I began softly. "Don't get too close or you might fall in. You'd want to avoid the waters here in the Underworld."

With a sheepish nod, Aurelie handed the conch over to me. After I repaired it, it no longer looked like it had ever been broken but I wasn't sure if its magical properties were still intact. There was only one way to find out. Looking out over the waters, I brought the conch to my lips and whispered a summon in Elvish. Nothing appeared.

"Try again?" Daniel suggested.

I was about to repeat my words when the sound of a distant splash suddenly met our ears. Stepping closer to the edge of the pier, I squinted, searching for any sign of movement in the waters. I needn't look that far after all, as a head bobbed up past the water's surface, just a mere couple of metres away from us.

I could hear Aurelie stifle a scream, as the siren hissed at us with its pitch black eyes, thin nose and snarling mouth. I held my chin up. "Esmerelda told me that one of your kind has helped her gather information about her daughter in the Enchanted Forest."

The creature narrowed its eyes.

"I take it that it was you?" I received a curt nod in reply. Clasping my hands together, I said simply, "I need you to go back to the Enchanted Forest, find out everything about my daughter, and report back to me."

The siren hissed something inaudible at me. Daniel whispered in my ear, "What is it saying?"

Under my breath, I replied, "No idea." Daniel gave me a worried glance, but I reassured him with an arched brow. Then, I turned back to the siren and waved my hand over it. It clutched its throat with its long, webbed hands.

"Speak," I commanded.

The creature's voice was like a snake, only harsher, as though the sound of its words alone could cut through flesh and bone. "Why would any of our kind want to help you? Majesty?"

I smirked. "Ah, so you do know who I am."

The creature swam a little closer and hissed, "Your magic banished us into the far reaches of the realm, where conflict with the mermaids who inhabited those waters already, pushed us here, into the Underworld."

I rolled my eyes and argued, "You have King Leopold to blame for that matter."

The siren was silent for a moment. Then, it shook its head and insisted, "It was you who cast the spell that repelled us from the shores of Misthaven. I was there that day. I saw you. I remember you."

"Well dear, I can easily undo that spell once I'm back in the Enchanted Forest."

The siren bared her pointed, black teeth at me. I would admit, her appearance was horrifying in all regards, but I have slowly come to learn over the years that creatures like the one before me were less menacing than they appear to be, especially if magic weighed in your favour. Turning my back to the creature, I teased, "Well, I was going to propose that I would lift the spell over the southern waters of the Enchanted Forest. It's a shame that you wouldn't trust me."

"What?"

I angled my head slightly to indicate that I had heard the creature's remark. The muscles on the edge of my lips twitched as the siren corrected itself, "What I meant, Your Majesty, is that I would gladly help."

I sat down on one of the cylindrical anchorage points on the edge of the pier and placed my hands on my lap. "Perfect. Now, just so that there are no misunderstandings, I will only lift the spell for the waters of the Southern kingdoms, understood? You are not to touch the north, where my people live."

An unsatisfactory expression befell upon the siren so I prompted, "Didn't you just tell me that your kind had been banished by merfolk and forced to flee to the waters of the Underworld? I imagine it should please you to know that a certain mermaid princess is currently the Queen of the Southern state. Does the name Ariel mean anything to you?"

I smirked, knowing that I had hit a nerve. The siren asked, "How did you cross paths with her?"

"That is my business," I snapped. "Your only concern is that if you choose not to make this deal with me, you would miss your chance of seeking revenge on her." The siren lowered its gaze in contemplation. "I thought so," I murmured.

"What is it you want me to accomplish, exactly?"

I leaned forward. "There are two things. Firstly, you are to find my daughter, Princess Daniella. I know you cannot communicate with her but follow her for a little while if possible. I want to make sure she's faring well. Secondly and equally as important, you are to find the heart of Lord Iver and bring it back to me, undamaged and in perfect condition. I imagine the heart is in my daughter's possessions since she was responsible for that treacherous man's death. If you cannot find it near her, you might find it in the vault that connects our chambers in the palace. I take it that in your spirit form, you are able to bypass blood-locks?"

The siren blinked at me for several seconds. "There is a blood-lock?"

"In my vault and certain places in the palace. However..." I magicked a small knife into my hand and a vial. Bracing myself, I made a cut across the palm of my hand. Then, I dipped the tip of the knife into the vial, letting my blood drip into the glass. I tossed the vial to the siren, who caught it, not without making a little splash. "This should get you through, if you need any extra assistance."

The siren nodded. "So I find the Princess and find the heart. That's all?"

"Yes, that's all."

(Aurelie's POV)

We returned to Regina's vault after we spoke to the siren. Dad, Regina and I had spent the previous night in the vault after Snow raised concerns that her apartment was not going to fit all of us. Whilst dad was tidying up a room for the evening and moving pieces of furniture around, I slipped out and found Regina standing in front of her mirror with her hands raised. Purple tendrils of magic were coming out from her palms and seeping into the reflective surface.

"You fixed it," I began unsurely.

"Oh, Aurelie." A soft smile fell upon her face to replace the frown that was there only seconds before. "Between you and Daniella, I cannot honestly say who is better at giving me a heart attack." After sharing a chuckle with me, she explained, "I've only managed to repair the cracks. It seems like I haven't succeeded yet in getting the mirror to track the siren."

I came up to her side, watching as she tried again. The magic flowing from her hands merely rebounded back towards her. Quietly, I asked, "Is it not allowing you to spy on the siren only, or is it the same with anyone else?"

Regina smirked. "I could summon an image of Snow right now, but I'm not all that interested in what she is doing, unless she has made particular progress on finding a way to erase our names from the headstones."

I eyed Regina for a moment. Whilst I had seen flashbacks of her past when I accidentally used my powers back in the Enchanted Forest, the fact that Regina and Snow were sworn enemies still appeared strange to me.

"Did you want to ask me something?"

Regina's question pulled me out of my thoughts. Eventually, I swallowed down the lump in my throat and asked, "Is there any way for me to see where my mum is?" Catching the stone look on Regina's face, I added quickly, "I know you guys said she won't hurt me anymore and that you'll make sure she stays away from me but-"

Regina hushed me before turning back to her mirror. As she held her hand up before the reflective surface, she murmured, "I understand. Despite everything, she's still your mother."

I honestly did not know how to reply. I only half-heartedly agreed with that sentence. Maybe I still loved her but that would be wrong, wouldn't it? How could I love someone who murdered me for their own benefit? I sighed and shoving those thoughts to one side, I waited patiently as Regina summoned up an image of mum. Neither of us were prepared to see what the mirror was showing us.

I clasped my hand over my mouth. Staring back at me from the reflection, was an image of Leopold dragging my mum towards some body of water. They appeared to be in an underground man-made cavern, as there were stone pillars running from the brickwork on the ground up to the high ceiling. Mum was clearly struggling under the force that the King exerted on her.

"We have to help her!" I cried.

Regina called out for dad and in seconds, he was beside us. I went up to him. "Dad...please!"

Leopold was now forcing my mum to kneel by the edge of the water. His hand was grasping her hair and without warning, he dunked her head into the water. I didn't realise I was screaming, until dad's hand covered my mouth. Before I knew it, purple smoke had surrounded us. I expected to teleport along with them, but when the smoke cleared, I was still standing in the vault...now alone.

I kicked a chest that was beside my foot in frustration. Why didn't she take me there?! I did not have much time to dwell on my annoyance, since Regina and dad appeared on the scene with furious expressions on their faces. I edged closer to the mirror, digging my nails into my hands as I scrunched up my fists in worry. Dad's voice echoed across the cavern and back through the mirror's surface as he bellowed at the King, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Startled, Leopold dropped mum onto the ground. I grimaced as I watched her head collide with a brick ledge. The King's eyes were full of mockery as he exclaimed, "I thought you didn't care for this woman anymore, now that you're happily fucking my wife!"

Placing himself in front of Regina, dad warned, "Let Lena go!"

Leopold chuckled, but he did not have a chance to reply as another spectator showed up. I gasped since it was none other than Eva. The King was the only one who didn't seem surprised to see her. His voice softened and the frown disappeared from his forehead. "Eva, my dear. I am glad that you have received my note."

Eva and Regina shared a look. I would safely assume that nobody knew what the King was talking about. He continued, "Well, this turned out better than I expected, since all parties are here. All parties with the same interest, I would say. Wouldn't we agree that this whore here has caused all of us unspeakable grievances?"

I wasn't able to zoom in on Regina's reaction but from the mirror's surface, I swore I caught her flinch at Leopold's words. The King's tone completely changed when he spoke to Eva once again in a soft voice, "The past is past. We should leave it at that, shouldn't we?"

Eva crossed her arms. Nothing but distain filled her features as she raised an eyebrow and muttered, "You're still trying to seek forgiveness from me?"

I could tell the King was desperate. "Eva," he began, his voice strained. "Please, I am changing. I can show you. Just give me time. I can-"

Eva interrupted her former husband's pleas by taking determined steps towards him. Her heels clicked furiously against the brick beneath her feet and after stopping mere inches away from him, she tilted her chin up. Her back was turned so I couldn't see her expression but the bitterness of her voice spoke for itself. "You haven't changed one bit. You're disgusting, that's what you are."

Without warning, Leopold suddenly pushed Eva, making her stumble and fall. She would have hit the ground if it wasn't for Regina, who caught her. The King made his way towards the two women, but Dad took him down before he could step any closer. Out of nowhere, Leopold procured a dagger. My heartbeats were at my throat as I watched helplessly on the other side of the mirror.

The two men struggled, wrestling with one another with the tip of the dagger going too close to dad on several accounts. I grimaced as I watched the blade dig into dad's arm. He immediately fell back with a cry and clutched his wound. I felt as though my back was pressed against a brick of ice. Dad's hands were now covered in blood; redness seeped through his sleeve.

Leopold advanced again, but before he could take a step closer, he suddenly flew through the air and out towards the waters.

I expected him to fall with a splash, but green wisps came out from the murky water and surrounded him. Deranged screams filled the cavern and echoed around me as though I was there myself. I couldn't tell whether the screams belonged to Leopold, or to the spirit-like wisps which only grew more and more numerous. Suddenly, they took the form of limbs and skeletal bodies. The souls swarmed Leopold within seconds and it appeared as though they were devouring away at his flesh like famished hyenas.

I clasped my hand over my mouth wanting to vomit. Hovering above the waters now, was a mass of green wisps, blood, torn pieces of flesh and hints of bone. The demonic sound of a thousand piercing shrieks filled the air, making me take a step back from the mirror in fear that the cry will make my eardrums burst.

Then, the green wisps dragged the remains of the King down into the River, where the souls dispersed. All was quiet once again.

Regina lowered her hand slowly with a dark purple glow still radiating from her palm.

(3rd POV)

Usually, Lena would be able to fall asleep onto tear-soaked pillows from the soreness of her eyes and the sheer energy it took to cry. However, it was not one of those nights. She rolled over, and caught the red light of the alarm clock staring back at her. It read three in the morning.

After Leopold's death, Lena knew she was done for; but she couldn't imagine that he had intended to kill her. Perhaps they were right after all. She was a fool in thinking that she could ever trust him, or think that she could ever please him. Despite everything, Eva was his only love, apart from Snow. The only woman he ever cared for, even if he failed in doing so.

Regina, Daniel and Aurelie had now moved into Leopold's mansion. Well, it was technically modelled after the Queen's residence in Storybrooke after all, so it wasn't exactly the King's property. Daniel had given Lena the night to pack her belongings and whilst most of it was now sitting in one suitcase, Lena hadn't been as successful in her goal of getting Aurelie to speak with her.

With a sigh, Lena pushed back the covers and got out of bed. Perhaps a cup of tea would help her sleep. She was certain the Queen would be displeased to know that she had been walking around the mansion at night but what did it matter anyways, when she would have to look for a new home the following day?

Lena cautiously tiptoed down the stairs and slipped into the kitchen. Holding her breath, she turned on the lights and put the kettle on. It did not take long to brew herself some tea from the tin labelled 'for insomniac nights'. Lena was about to wash her teacup when a tremor suddenly overtook her left hand. Frightened, she tried to steady her hand with the other, but both started to tremor uncontrollably at once. She dropped the teacup where it smashed into pieces upon hitting the ground.

However.

There was no sound from the breaking of the fine porcelain.

Lena was only able to turn her body halfway around before collapsing against the kitchen cupboard. She tried to move her head but she found that her entire body was as limp as a dead fish. Her line of sight however, rested upon the fur helm of a dark crimson red robe. The fabric moved slowly and soon, mere inches from Lena, was the triumphant smirk of the Evil Queen.

Lena tried to scream, but her jaw was frozen, locked in place. She tried to angle her head away from the Queen's outreached hand but she was powerless as the monarch's cold fingers stroked her cheeks mockingly.

"Mmm," Regina murmured, her tone dripping with an unmatched sensuality. "How does it feel to taste your own poison hmm?" Without taking her eyes off Lena, the Queen reached into her bosom and pulled out two vials. Lena's eyes widened upon seeing the blue bottle the Queen was fingering gently.

"You see," Regina cooed, "I would never come to the Underworld without carrying this on me. Recognise it?" Regina chuckled throatily as she surveyed Lena's reaction. "Of course you do. It's the poison you used on Aurelie. It is only right that you should get a taste of it too, no?"

Tilting her head, Regina continued, "Unfortunately, since you already hanged yourself to death, this potion wouldn't do much to you, other than shutting down all the muscles in your body. However..." The Queen waved the other vial before Lena's face. "Water from the River of Lost Souls," she hummed. "The only substance that could kill the dead. Or more accurately, force them to wander the Underworld forever. Forever trapped in spirit form. Forever at the bidding of Hades. Forever knowing that whilst you're a slave to the lord of the Underworld, your nemesis is receiving kisses from the man you claim to love."

Regina leaned forward and grasped Lena's face, digging her long nails into her enemy's purple cheeks which now displayed veins from the poisoning. The Queen hissed, "You wanted so desperately to please a ruler, did you not? Well my dear, this is my gift to you. Go fuck with Hades for eternity." Chuckling, Regina let Lena go. "Meanwhile, I will gladly amuse myself with wondering what sort of monstrous beast would come out of your womb."

Upon seeing the muscles on Lena's face spasm in an attempt to respond, the Queen laughed even louder. However, in a split second, the delight on Regina's features turned into a sneer. "Did you really think Leopold's sudden interest in killing you was his own idea? Did you really believe he knew a single thing about the River of Lost Souls? Please. That man could not do anything as rogues stole from royal storehouses, nor did he resolve any challenge that befell upon our kingdom."

Regina locked gazes with Lena and placed a finger beneath the paralyzed woman's chin as though she was a helpless orphan. A think layer of sweat clung to Lena's upper lip.

The Queen's lips slowly curled into a malicious smirk. "It was me," she whispered. After taking a moment to allow the realization to sink into Lena's mind, Regina shrugged her shoulders and corrected, "Well technically, it was Lord Walter, Leopold's most trusted advisor. Only that it wasn't exactly him."

Regina waved her hand over her face. When the smoke of dark magic dissipated, Lena was no longer faced with the same blood-red lips and dark piercing eyes of the infamous monarch. Chuckling, Regina she waved her hand once again and undid the shapeshifting spell. "Oh, it didn't take that much convincing to get my dear ex-husband to try to kill you. Afterall, Snow's mother is his weakness." There was an unexpected hiccup in the Queen's voice. "It has always been."

Straightening herself after a sigh, Regina continued, "Everyone, including your daughter, believes that Leopold had forced you to drink from the River of Lost Souls, because that is what they saw in the mirror." Regina paused for a second. "Confused, my dear?" Lena's expression was stoic but from the change in the way that her eyes glistened, Regina assumed that she was answering in the affirmative. "I would be too, if I were you. Only that I am not you." Regina made a mirror appear in her hand and as she stroked the reflective surface, she mused, "You see, images can be manipulated. You can distort reality and make others see things you wish them to see." Regina smirked at Lena. "Leopold never got the chance to drag you close enough to the waters, but in the eyes of everyone else, he did."

Regina ran the cold edge of her mirror down Lena's cheek and let out a deliberately seductive breath as she observed the fear in the other woman's eyes. "This is how you kill two birds with one stone."

Breaking off from her sensual trace, Regina placed three fingers mockingly over her own lips as she exclaimed, "Oh! I'm sorry. I forgot you wouldn't be able to do much with this knowledge." A look of utter delight crept across Regina's face.

The last vision Lena saw, was the Queen's glare, terrifyingly beautiful as it was threatening. The last touch she felt, was the Queen's cold hands around her throat. The last thing she heard against the goose bumps on her skin was the Queen's dark, sultry voice. "I killed thousands to avenge the death of my beloved. What makes you think you would be spared?"

The clock struck four in the morning. Then, everything stopped.

Author's Note:

Apologies for the extremely long wait! I have been incredibly busy with uni and was unable to take this story further. Now that semester and exams are over, I am ready to delve back into the City of Starlight universe! I hope you have enjoyed this read. What did you think? Did it surprise you that Regina was actually behind everything? Please continue to let me know what you think in the review section! Thanks for sticking around even despite this hiatus! Love you all and have a great day!

Also, the last phrase in the chapter is symbolic because in East Asian culture, the number 4 is an unlucky number since it signifies 'death'. So yes, Lena is gone for good! And so is Leopold! About Hades...

PS: Daniella's birthday is coming up in the following chapter! I've always intended to make her a scorpio so hopefully I can publish the chapter before this horoscope season ends!

Coming up next: The Court of Starlight