A/N: Alright, so this chapter turned out longer than I expected, so... For all my lovely readers that have fallen in love with this story, you will be happy to know that one more chapter will be posted after this one. That being said, this story will end with 20 chapters in total. I apologize for the sad cliffhanger, but SQ will prosper! Not to worry. Happy reading! :)


"Ruby," Graham approached the brunette. "I need to talk to you."

Ruby's eyes glanced over at an upset looking king. "Not here, Graham," she told him, storming over to David. "Your highness," she collected the man's attention.

Graham watched from afar.

"What's going on? I figured you were getting ready to dance." She asked the king.

David shook his head, "There's not going to be a dance, Ruby. It wasn't a good idea as it turns out."

"Like hell it isn't," Ruby scoffed, her eyes moving over to Graham. "Come on, we've done this dance before, why not do it again?" She grabbed a hold of the King's hand and guided him to the dance floor.

She was angry, too. As angry as the king was at that moment. And she'd be damned if she was going to allow a little disagreement with Graham ruin her fun. Besides, she wanted to dance, and what better way to make Graham see what he would be losing than setting fire to that dance floor? She was grateful the king was all in as he removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves up to his elbows, loosening his bow tie as he instructed the musicians as to what tango to play.

Everyone gathered around, curious as to what was going on.

Sidney cleared his throat, "And now, ladies and gentleman a tango will be danced by the king and Ms. Ruby Lucas."

Murmurs were heard, while Regina and Emma stood in awe with smiles on their faces, Cora's brow raised as she stood by with Henry in front of her. Killian and Jefferson looked over to the dance floor, while Graham watched with a frown to him.

Each stood on each side of the dance floor, moving closer to each other once a tango began to play throughout the ballroom. A few guests could be heard gasping in surprise at the appalling dance between the king and a woman who was not the queen.


The queen shut the folder up with a loud clap, her eyes wide and jaw clenched. "How did you come by this?" She asked Gold.

"I asked him to help, dear," Mal replied, giving the queen an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but I simply could not have this girl who says loves your daughter keep up with such a deceitful lie. I mean, my God- think of what will be said if anyone would ever come to know this. Surely, this isn't the girl you want Emma to marry."

"Of course not," she spoke through gritted teeth, releasing a sharp scoff. "And to think I was right about her. I knew she wasn't as perfect as Emma said she was."

"Also, your majesty, there is something else you should look at." Gold spoke, handing the queen a newspaper. "I honestly can't imagine how this even ended up in the morning print, but it seems more than just a dance was happening here that night between the king and Ms. Ruby."

The queen let out a horrified gasp upon seeing a clear picture of both David and Ruby dancing right inside that ball room, in the dark with just a fire burning out of their fireplace. Both holding each other in a very provocative embrace, their faces only an inch apart. She could swear the tips of their noses were touching. And the headline didn't make matters any better as it was stated that there was indeed an affair happening between the pair.

This was more than the queen could handle. She stormed right toward the ballroom, her eyes growing impossibly wide at the sight of her husband and Ruby dancing to a tango.

"Gold," she spoke, feeling Mal and him had followed her.

"Your majesty?"

"Have my daughter, the king, and Regina join me out in the garden, keep all of our guests in here for the time being." Her eyes burned holes right through him. "No one is to leave this room. Understood?"

"As you wish," he smirked, entering the ballroom just as the dance ended between the king and Ruby.

There were more claps than a few gasps, the pair respectfully bowing to each other.

"Now, that was a dance!" Regina cheered her best friend on as she and the king neared her and Emma.

"Of course it was, he danced with me," Ruby chuckled, feeling pretty proud of herself.

The princess chuckled, her eyes on her father who was a little out of breath. "She really did a number on you, didn't she?" She clapped his shoulder.

"Nothing I can't keep up with," David smiled, feeling just as free as when he and Ruby first shared a dance in the privacy of this room.

"Your grace," Gold stood before the group. "The queen asks that you, the princess and Ms. Regina meet her in the garden."

They all look at each other in wonder as to why before heading out.

"We'll be right back, please watch Henry," Regina told Ruby, who nodded.

"Graham," Gold walked over to an upset Graham. "No one is to come out of this room until the queen and king have returned."

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Don't ask questions, just do as you're told." Gold snapped, leaving the room.


"Mother, what is this about? Why are we meeting out here?" Emma asked, her eyes falling on Mal who stood by the queen's side.

"I didn't find it appropriate for all of our guests to hear what is about to be said." Said the queen.

"What is this about, Mary Margaret?" David asked, his eyes focused on his wife as he demanded an answer.

"You aren't talking now," the queen snapped, taking everyone by surprise. "First thing's first," her eyes move to Regina. "You really had us all fooled, didn't you?"

The brunette's brow furrows, "Whatever do you mean?"

"Dear, really," Mal chuckled. "You can cut off the act."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the brunette's brow furrowed.

"What the hell is going on?" Emma asked, growing angry.

"Emma-" Mary Margaret snapped. "This is exactly why I didn't want you leaving for New York in the first place. You go out there and fall in love with the first liar you come across-" her eyes raked over a shocked Regina.

"Mary Margaret-!" David shouted.

"Mother-!" Emma shouted in unison with her father.

"I don't know what you think you know about me, but I have been completely honest with your daughter." Regina grew angry.

Mary Margaret turned to Mal before looking at the brunette. "Have you, now?"


"What's going on, grandma?" Henry looked up at his grandmother who stood behind him.

"I don't know, sweetheart, but we are finding that out." Cora marched straight toward the double doors, being stopped by Gold.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but you can't leave. No one can." He said, raising his hand up in front of her.

The woman's brow raised, "And why ever not?"

"The king and queen are discussing a personal matter with the princess and your daughter."

"Well, if it involves my daughter, I have a right to be there," she moved on, being grabbed by the arm by a persistent Gold. "Take your hand off me or I will make a scene you won't believe." She yanked her arm back.

"Is there a problem here?" Graham stood before her, facing Gold.

"He won't let me out of this room. Had I known this was a prison, I would have never accepted to come. Emma will be hearing about this."

"Open the door, Gold." Graham told him.

"Afraid I can't do that. Queen's orders." He grinned.

"I want my mom," Henry looked up at his grandmother again.

"Open the door," Graham demanded.

"What in God's name is going on here?" Sidney approached the bunch, eyeing them, his voice low. "You are all making a scene. I would advise you to keep your voices down."

"We apologize-" Cora spoke, going interrupted by an impatient Henry.

"He won't let us go with my mom!" The boy pointed at Gold, who glared down at him.

"It was the Queen's orders to not allow anyone out of this room."

"Open the door, Gold," said Sidney.

"Her majesty's orders were to-"

"I will not keep a boy from seeing his mother, now open the door."

"Sidney, you know better than to go against the queen's orders-"

"And you know better than to go against my orders, sir." Sidney stood closer to him, their faces only inches apart. "Now move, or I will make you move."

Gold chuckled, "You hit me? Come now, you wouldn't want to make a scene. Would you?"

"No, but I would-" Graham's right hook landed a punch right to Gold's nose, knocking the man to the ground and causing all the guests to turn to face them and the music to stop.

"Alright, Graham!" Henry pumped his fist in the air, heading out of the room with him, while Cora smirked looking down at Gold who held onto his bloody nose.

"Alright, everyone!" Sidney spoke to the guests. "Let the party continue. The king and queen shall be back shortly, and we can move on to the coronation. Gentleman," he turned to the musicians. "Music, please."


"Mary Margaret, stop this." David warned her.

"Stop what, David?" The queen faced him, motioning toward Regina. "Is this the kind of future queen you want ruling our kingdom someday? Someone who lies about having a son?"

"Mother, just stop!" Emma's jaw clenched.

"What on earth are you talking about?" David's brow furrowed.

"Why don't you tell them, dear?" The queen's eyes fell on a worried Regina. "Tell the woman you love that your son isn't really yours."

"What the hell is going on here?" Ruby rushed in, her eyes wide.

"Why don't you tell Emma that you were married before to a man who didn't even love the boy, and made you take care of him. So, she adopted him after ex-husband drank himself to death, but not after assuring that she may never bear any children of her own."

"That's enough!" The vein in the princess' forehead was ready to pop as she lifted a single digit. "I forbid you to talk about Regina like that!"

"No, I forbid you to keep standing up for a woman who has lied to you about being the mother of a child that isn't even hers!" The queen shouted, growing angry at her daughter. "What kind of queen do you think she would make? How could you possibly be okay with this?"

"I knew about her past!" Emma snapped, snatching the papers from her mother's hand as she held them before her. "And you had no right to go digging into her past like this!"

"I had every right! You bring a woman into my family, just so she can embarrass us like this and it turns out you knew she was never the mother of that child?!"

Regina's eyes were glossy with tears, while everyone stood in shock around the arguing pair.

"Mom?" Henry's small voice caused everyone to look his way.

"Henry," Regina breathed.

"You're not my real mom?" The boy asked, tears streaming down his eyes.

"Kid-" Emma was interrupted.

"Henry, listen to me," Regina walked toward the boy who took off running toward the house. "Henry!" She called out to him, turning to glare at the queen herself and even at Emma before running after her son, not noticing she was soon followed by Cora and Ruby.

"Regina-!" Emma called out, her arm being grabbed by her mother.

"Emma!" The woman snapped, "I forbid you to go after her."

The blonde yanked her arm back, her green eyes glaring right at her mother. "I am a grown woman, mother. You can't forbid me anything, much less for me to go after my family."

"We are your family!" Her jaw clenched. "And if you go after that girl-"

"You'll what? Disown me?" The blonde's head cocked to one side. "Frankly, your majesty, I don't give a damn." She continued even through her mother's shocked look, "In fact, I'll do something better for you. I renounce my title, I am taking Regina and Henry and we are on the first flight back to New York."

"Emma, you can't be- Emma!" She shouted, watching her daughter rush toward the estate. "Well, aren't you going to do something, David?!" Her eyes turned to her husband.

"Yes. Sidney," he called out, his eyes not leaving his wife.

"Your grace?"

"Please, do show Mrs. Mallorie out. She is forever forbidden to come anywhere near this property."

Mal's mouth fell open. "You can't possibly be serious!"

"If I may, your highness," Sidney spoke. "Robert was her accomplice. It seems he was the one who took that photograph of you and Ms. Ruby."

"Picture?" Heads turned to Graham as he showed up with Gold.

"Yes," the queen nodded, her eyes on Graham. "It seems she is overly friendly with everyone."

"Well, if that's what you believe, then I have one more request." David's eyes turned to Sidney. "Please, Sidney, remove my belongings from our bedroom and transfer them elsewhere. I won't be staying here tonight."

"David!" Mary Margaret's eyes grew wide.

David nodded at Sidney as the man walked up to Mal.

"Ma'am?" He motioned a way out to her as the woman simply scoffed and walked away, along with Graham who was fuming.

"And you," the king's eyes turned to Gold. "I want you gone. Not by morning- now. I will not have a traitor working for me." He glared at his wife as he walked into their home.


"Henry, wait. Henry!" The brunette rushed up the stairs, unable to keep up with him quick enough to prevent the young boy from shutting the door in her face to his bedroom. "Henry, open the door." She rattled the doorknob, knocking right after. "Henry, please. Talk to me."

"Go away!" She could hear her son's shout through the door. Because yes, it was true. Regina was never lucky at finding the right relationship until she met Emma, and unfortunately she was never able to have any kids of her own, but was grateful when Henry came into her life.

"Henry, please!" She cried this time, she couldn't help it. She wished Henry would never find out the harsh truth, especially this way. Because to her, he was her son.

"Darling," Cora placed a hand right on her daughter's shoulder. "Perhaps I should talk to him, hm? I'll stay with him tonight."

"No," she shook her head. "No, we aren't staying in this house another minute. We are leaving."

"Are you sure, Gina?" Asked Ruby.

"Please, don't go," Emma's soft voice was heard, her green eyes glossy with tears of her own.

"Maybe we should leave them alone to talk," said Ruby, looking over at her best friend before walking away with Cora. "We'll go pack our stuff." She gave Emma an apologetic look.

Cora's hand landed softly on the blonde's shoulder in an apologetic manner.

"Regina," Emma followed the brunette as she stormed into what was their bedroom and began packing her clothes. "Gina, please, don't-"

"Please don't ask me to stay after what your mother just did." She scoffed, turning to glare at the princess.

"No, I can't ask you to stay. I know my mother was out of line."

"Out of line?" Regina sarcastically chuckled, a few tears streaming down her face. "Henry just found out something I never wanted him to find out, thanks to her. Did you see how he looked at me after that? He hates me, Emma!"

"No, baby, he doesn't hate you." Emma could think of nothing more to do but hug her, her arms wrapping around the brunette's form for a minute before looking down at her and wiping away her tears. "Henry will understand. You have loved him more than anyone else ever has, he is your son. No one else's."

Her bottom lip trembled, "Please, let me go, Emma."

The princess nodded, backing away, "Well, if you go, I'm going back with you."

"Emma-"

"I am not letting you leave alone, like this. We came here together, we will leave together." Her eyes locked on brown. "Regina, I belong with you."

"Do you?" The brunette asked, her voice trembling.

"Of course I do. I am leaving all this behind, I don't want any of it- "

She shook her head, "I can't ask you to do that, Emma-"

"Regina, I don't give a shit about any of this! I may be who I am, but it doesn't change me one bit."

"But, things have changed!" Regina blurted out. "Ever since we arrived, ever since I found out what you were, I have been fighting for your mother to like me at least a little bit, and I've gained nothing. I will never be accepted, and I can't ask you to give up your family for me. I can't be that selfish."

"You are my family," the blonde's hands cupped the sides of the brunette's face, her eyes shedding a couple of tears. "My home is with you, nothing has to change. I asked for your hand in marriage and I want to make that happen more than anything. I want you to be more than just my best friend. I want you to be my wife."

Regina couldn't help to let out a small sob, glancing down at the ring that still rested on her finger. She loved Emma with every ounce of her beating heart, but she couldn't do this anymore. She couldn't marry into a family where there would always be conflict and disagreements, she couldn't hurt Emma by taking her away from her family. Besides, how could Emma expect her to stay after being humiliated and looked down upon?

"Regina," Emma shook her head, seeing the brunette slowly and heartbreakingly remove her ring before placing it in the palm of her hand.

"We are checking into a hotel, we'll leave tomorrow morning. Please don't follow me, Emma. Please." Regina's voice trembled, her tears streaming down her cheeks while she gave her back to the crushed princess.

Emma couldn't let her go. Not like this. "Regina, please-"

"Please, Emma- just go." Her voice broke, eyes shut tight. "Please, don't make this harder than it already is."

Her jaw clenched as more tears sprung from her sad green eyes. She stared at the back of Regina's head for one last minute before exiting the bedroom. And while she could do nothing but wipe away her tears as she stormed down the stairs, Regina's heart had been ripped out of her chest as she plopped down on the bed and cried.