Emma was torn.
She wanted to support her wife in this venture to learn magic. After all, she was the one who had encouraged Regina to find a teacher since her parents had forbidden her to know anything about magic.
But that was before Emma had learned the truth of the seer and the prophecy that was made.
In her heart, she did not believe that Regina could be capable of casting a curse that would destroy their world.
Yet ever since Regina had said that she believed Anita could teach her magic, Emma had this needling feeling in the back of her mind saying this was a bad idea.
She saw no way to turn Regina from this path, however, not without telling her the truth.
She wasn't sure Regina would forgive her for keeping the truth from her.
Even as she fretted over what to do now, she knew she should have been honest with Regina from the moment she found out. While she had been encouraged by her parents and Regina's parents to not reveal the truth, in the end, she was the one who had decided so she was the one who would have to live with the consequences.
Still, another part of her was telling her that if she truly believed Regina was not capable of doing what the seer predicted then there was no reason for her to not to learn magic. And learning to control this power inside of her was important to her.
These thoughts had been circling Emma's brain for days now making it hard to maintain focus.
And she was running out of time to make a decision.
Regina had already invited Anita back up to the castle tomorrow, which meant if Emma was going to ask her not to do this, it would have to be today.
"My queen,"
Emma looked up, seeing one of the guards who had been practicing – a practice she had been overseeing, but she was so distracted she hadn't paid attention.
"Should we go again?" the guard asked.
"Um, no," she said. "Do a cooldown and then dismiss everyone."
"Yes, my queen."
She turned and walked away from the practice ring, heading back toward the castle. She needed to make a decision and the only person she knew who to talk to when she was struggling with something was her wife.
A headache had formed about an hour ago and now as she neared the castle, it was getting worse so once inside, she let one of the retainers know she was going to her chambers to rest and was not to be disturbed.
Upon getting up there she went and laid down on the bed, with her arm draped over her eyes. She was supposed to hear petitions this afternoon with Regina, but the way her head was pounding right now, she didn't think that was going to happen. She would need to send a message with a handmaiden to tell Regina.
Groaning, she got up, deciding she should get that message to Regina sooner rather than later. Ringing for a handmaiden, she sent the message and then went back to the bedroom and changed her clothes into something more comfortable. Lying down once more, this time on her side, she closed her eyes hoping a small nap might help the headache go away.
When she woke, it was because she felt a touch on her cheek.
"Sorry to wake you," Regina whispered. "I wanted to check on you."
"It's ok," Emma said. "I had a headache and wanted to lay down for a bit. How long have I been asleep?"
"A couple of hours."
"I should get up," Emma said, and she started to sit up, but Regina stopped her.
"There is no reason for you to get out of this bed," Regina said.
"I like what you are thinking," Emma said, leaning over to kiss her.
Regina kissed her back but then pulled away. "That's not what I was thinking," she said. "I was thinking that you can stay here and rest. There is nothing pressing that you need to attend to."
"I don't want to sleep the rest of the day away or else I won't be able to sleep tonight. Besides, I'm feeling ok."
She sat up, resting against the headboard and Regina readjusted as well and Emma picked up her hand and gave it a little kiss.
"Are you sure you are ok?" Regina asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It was only a headache, but it's gone now."
"You've seemed a little distracted the last couple of days," Regina said.
Of course, Regina would notice Emma thought. But she still didn't know what to do about Regina wanting Anita to teach her magic. She wanted to support her since this is what she wanted but at the same time, Emma felt horrible for having this bit of doubt in her mind about where it could all lead to.
"Is this about me wanting to learn magic from Anita?" Regina asked.
Emma looked at her, unable to keep the surprise off of her face.
"You've been sort of quiet since I brought it up," Regina said.
"It has been on my mind," Emma admitted.
"Talk to me," Regina said.
Emma still had Regina's hand in hers and she was looking down at it, trying to figure out the right things to say.
"Do you think it will change things?" Emma asked finally.
"Change things? How do you mean?"
"I don't know," Emma said. "I guess. I love what we have here together. I love that we've come together and even though you have your things and I have my things, but we've still made it all work and I'm explaining this badly. I just don't want things to change."
Emma looked up at her and could tell Regina was confused. She was about to speak up – to tell her that what she feared was that the magic would change Regina – but then Regina spoke first.
"You said I have my things and you have your things, did you mean that you are afraid that because I would be learning magic and you can't that it will somehow change our relationship? Because I swear to you if I thought that, I wouldn't be doing this," Regina said. "I too love what we have here and I wouldn't want it to change either. And if you think me learning magic is somehow leaving you out, I would hope you know that you will be the one I want to talk about it with, to share with you what I'm learning. Nothing is going to change, I promise."
Regina kissed her this time, and Emma thought that while Regina hadn't targeted in on what Emma had poorly tried to say, that she had to have faith in her wife. She did have faith in her wife. Even looking at her now in the aftermath of their kiss Emma saw nothing inside of Regina that would make her believe she was capable of using magic in that way.
"I guess I just need the reassurance that no matter what you and I, we're always going to be you and I."
Regina laughed. "Of course we are, don't be silly," she said getting up out of bed. "The only that could keep us from being you and I is us, and frankly, we already tried that and I'm happy to say we failed miserably. Now, I'm serious, even if you don't want to sleep, just relax up here and I will handle everything. Since we have no guests, why don't we dine up here this evening, just the two of us?"
"I'd like that," Emma said.
"Good," Regina said. "I will see you soon."
Even as Regina left, Emma knew she had made her decision – to trust her wife.
…
Emma was standing in the background as Anita entered the library to meet with Regina. During their dinner the night before, Emma had asked Regina if would be ok if she was there when she asked Anita about teaching her.
She admitted to Regina that she still wasn't quite sure about this woman and she would feel better if she got to know her a little more. Regina didn't hesitate to say that it would be fine and that she wanted Emma to be a part of it. Emma felt bad when Regina added that none of this would have even been possible without Emma's love and support.
Anita greeted them both warmly but if she thought it was odd that Emma was there she didn't show it.
"Thanks again for coming," Regina said.
"Of course," Anita said. "I'm just pleased you haven't grown tired of my company so far. I admit I was concerned that you might have thought I overstepped my bounds the last time I was here."
"Not at all," Regina said. "But it is the reason I asked you to come up again. You see, I have a request, one that I'm sure will come as a surprise. I have never been taught how to use my magic, how to control it, so I asked you up here tonight to see if you might consider teaching me."
Anita looked from Regina to Emma and back again.
"Forgive me for asking, but your mother knows magic, so how is it that you don't?"
"My parents didn't think it needed to be a part of my life," Regina said. "But I have come to believe that I need to learn to be able to control it."
"You have said control twice now," Anita said. "How much control do you have of it?"
"Very little."
"Oh," Anita said. "Does that mean you are still having bursts of unintentional magic?"
"Yes. They don't happen often, but it does happen."
Anita remained silent long enough that Regina looked over at Emma, who ended up stepping forward.
"I know it would mean a lot to both of us if you agreed to do this. But if you choose not to, we will not hold it against you," Emma said. "The only thing we insist upon is absolute secrecy. No one can know about Regina's magic."
"We will bear you no ill will if choose not to," Regina reiterated.
Anita locked eyes with her. "Of course, I will help you in any way that I can. Don't take my hesitation for rejection. It's just I'm surprised your mother would not at least teach you some simple control techniques. Having unintentional magic can be dangerous."
"I know," Regina said. "That is why I'm grateful that you are willing to teach me."
"It would be my honor," Anita said. "When do you want to start?"
Later that evening after Regina and Emma had gone to bed, Emma realized her wife was still awake.
"Is something wrong?" she asked softly.
"No," Regina answered. "I guess I'm feeling a bit of disbelief that after all this time I'm finally going to know how to control my magic."
"I'm happy for you," Emma said. It was true, she was happy that Regina felt such relief over the idea of controlling her magic for the first time in her life. The rest of her doubts and fears, she tried to push to the back of her mind.
They had agreed that Anita would start teaching Regina in two days. It was Anita who suggested they do so in a way that kept people from seeing her come and go from the castle so often. That is how they found out that Anita too could teleport just Regina's mother knew how to do.
For someone who had so far spoken about her magic as something she did occasionally only, this surprised Emma, but she didn't say anything about it.
It did make sense that they needed to not draw suspicions by having Anita come up here so often and Regina would certainly be noticed if she tried to visit Anita's shop often. In the end, it was decided that they would use the same room Regina and her mother had used for the lessons.
"Do you think that it will be easier for me to learn this time around?" Regina asked.
"I don't know. Anita said she had never taught anyone magic before and neither had your mom."
"I think it will be different," Regina said. "As much as I wanted my mom to be the one to teach me, she didn't want to do it. She finally felt obligated to do it. Anita wants to help me."
"I may not agree with how your parents have handled things when it comes to you and your magic, but I do believe that they did what they thought was best at the time."
"I know, but it doesn't make it right either," Regina said. "It's like your parents not telling you about the seer. They didn't have to go the route they did, but they chose to. Choices have consequences."
Yes, Emma thought, they do. She could only hope she had chosen wisely.
…
Regina could admit she was more than a little nervous about her first meeting with Anita. Even though Anita knew she didn't know magic, Regina didn't want Anita to think less of her.
As arranged, Anita appeared in the study where Emma and Regina waited.
"Are you ready?" Anita asked.
Regina nodded and then looked over at Emma. "See you soon."
Emma gave her a small kiss on the cheek.
Anita came over and took Regina's hand and a moment later they were in the room at the bottom of the castle.
"Do you think I will be able to do that at some point?" Regina said. "The teleporting I mean. I did it once before but I don't know how I did it and I only teleported a short distance."
"You will be able to do that and much more," Anita said. "But let's start with the basics. Can you show me what you do know?"
Regina took a step back from her. This was not starting well at all, but it's not like she could hide the fact that her knowledge was basically non-existent.
Anita saw her hesitation and spoke up first. "Maybe it would be best if we just started from the beginning anyway."
For the next hour, they did nothing but talk – Anita doing most of the talking. Much of it was a repeat of things Regina heard from her mother, but the way Anita described magic was much different than her mother's. Anita spoke of it with a reverence she had never heard from her mother.
It wasn't until the end of the hour when Anita was to return her to the study that Anita did any magic. She took a hold of Regina's hand once more.
"I'm going to teleport us back upstairs, but this time I want you to close your eyes and just feel the magic – my magic. Don't try and do any of your own. I want you to get used to being able to feel another person's magic first. And once you get comfortable with that we will work on your own. Are you ready?"
"Yes," Regina said closing her eyes.
At first, she didn't feel anything and almost opened her eyes again, but like before when Anita had made the flame appear in her hand. She didn't know if Anita was purposely letting her feel the magic before teleporting but it seemed to her at least that they stood there for several minutes before teleporting.
She felt the magic grab her entire body and then it was gone and she opened her eyes and there was Anita smiling at her.
"Did you feel it?"
"Yes," Regina said. "Does it always feel the same?"
"For the most part yes. What you are feeling is my magic. When you learn to feel your own, it will feel differently than mine. We all have our own unique signature as it were. Next lesson, I will do more magic so you become more accustomed to it."
"Thank you again for doing this," Regina said.
"It's my pleasure, your majesty," Anita said. "Now I do need to get back to my place. I will see you again in two days, same time."
"Yes, and please, when we are alone like this, just call me Regina."
"Until next time, Regina," Anita smiled before disappearing.
While they hadn't accomplished much, Regina felt good about the session. She hadn't felt any pressure like she felt when her mother was doing the instructing. She didn't feel the need to do magic immediately. Going at a slow pace was surprisingly a good choice.
Now she needed to find Emma so she could tell her all about it.
…
Maleficent returned to her store feeling not as positive about the experience as Regina had. She knew she should be pleased that her plan was working and that Regina had taken her on as a teacher, but the fact that the young woman knew next to nothing about magic meant this was going to be more intensive than she had first thought.
"Cora, Cora, how could you raise your daughter this way?" she said out loud. She had lots of reasons to hate Cora, but the idea that Cora would deny her only daughter the legacy of magic which should rightfully be hers was not one she was expecting to be angry about.
At least if Cora had given Regina some semblance of training it might make her work as Anita easier.
Unbeknownst to Regina, before teleporting them, Maleficent had used her magic to probe a little deeper into Regina's power. The girl had a raw power that surpassed her mother's by far. If trained properly it was possible that Regina would even be able to defeat her one-on-one – something Maleficent would need to be careful about. She planned on using her enemy's daughter so she needed that power, but only if it was directed in the way Maleficent wanted.
Then there was Emma.
Knowing the story of Emma's birth and her parents' shared true love, she suspected there was more to her than what she had seen so far. When they were in the study together before the lesson, Maleficent had tried to use her magic to determine what magic she may have as well, but she wasn't unable to sense any.
It didn't mean the young woman didn't have it, but if she did it was so latent that it would take more than the subtle probing magic that Maleficent had tried to employ. No, it would take something much more that she doubted she would be able to hide and something that would risk bringing that magic to life.
For now, she would just have to be satisfied with her one pupil.