Before Regina could leave she had to speak once more with Queen Snow.
"How did it go?"
"She talked about the suitors – three of them at least."
"And did she seem to be leaning any certain way?"
"I think it's safe to say Duke Carolan is not going to be her choice, but otherwise no."
"Well that at least gets it down to two," Snow said excitedly. "Thank you, Regina. Thank you for doing this."
"Of course your majesty."
"I will be in touch about when to have you over again."
"Yes, your majesty. Perhaps Emma and I could go for a ride or something next time, get her out of the castle where she might feel more comfortable speaking."
"Excellent idea. I will make arrangements."
The truth was Regina didn't want to be alone in a room with Emma again because she knew they wouldn't be able to keep their hands off of each other. Despite saying they couldn't be together they had spent the rest of their time lying on Emma's bed kissing and confirming their love for each other. It made the whole thing worse in Regina's mind. She knew if they were permitted to go for a ride it would be with guards nearby so there would be no chance of them kissing.
Emma was depressed after Regina had to leave. She didn't want to be stuck in a marriage with one of these guys that she had no feelings for. Regina was the one she was meant to be with – of that she was certain. But she didn't know how they could be together.
She understood Regina's concerns about running away together. She hadn't thought about Regina's family be in danger if they ran away; all she could think about was the chance to be with Regina forever.
Maybe she could talk to her father about this. He was certainly being less pushy about the whole marriage thing as compared to her mother. If she could get him on her side maybe she would have a chance to explain to her mother that she wanted to marry for love, not because of someone's suitable standing in society. Yes, Regina's family wasn't quite on the level that her mother was targeting for a suitor but it wasn't as if she was a peasant. And even if she was Emma knew it wouldn't change the way she felt about her.
If only their mothers weren't at odds with each other, Emma might stand a chance at convincing her mother that Regina would make an excellent choice to rule by her side when she became queen one day.
"What's the matter, your majesty, life getting you down?" a voice laughed. Emma turned to see a strange-looking man in her bed-chamber.
She was about to scream for help when he seemed to anticipate the move. "Now, now your majesty, I am not here to harm you. I am here to help you with your current problem. What would you say if I told you that there is a way for you and the Lady Regina to be together?"
"Who are you?"
"Rumplestiltskin, at your service," he said with a flourished bow.
"You are the Dark One," Emma said backing up.
"That is an unfortunate moniker, yes, but that doesn't mean I can't deliver results. And if I am not mistaken, what you want is to be able to be with your lady love, or am I wrong?"
Emma had heard stories of this man – none of them good. She knew she should call for her guards, but she didn't. Instead, she asked, "How can you help me and Regina be together?"
…
Regina and Emma left the castle on horseback with three guards following them. They were staying far enough back to be able to let them talk privately. Regina was again nervous coming there to talk to Emma about the subject of who she was going to marry.
It had been three weeks since they had last seen each other and as soon as she arrived Emma was giving her a beaming smile that made Regina uneasy as Emma's mother was standing right there at the time.
Emma hadn't objected to them going for a ride which Regina was thankful for. As much as she wanted to be able to press her lips to Emma's she also knew it was best if they stopped such things now rather than later.
They rode for a long time not saying anything. Regina tried to start a conversation but Emma didn't seem to be in the mood for talking.
"Do you think we've ridden out kind of far?" Regina asked.
She watched as Emma glanced back at the guards to make sure they were far enough back before speaking.
"We're going to be together," Emma said excitedly.
"What?"
"You heard me. I have found a way that you and I get to be together and the best part is, it poses no danger to your family. No one will even know that we are together so there will be nothing to trace back to your family and endanger them in any way."
Regina looked back at the guards quickly. "How is this possible?"
"Do you trust me?"
"Of course I do."
"Good because the less you know right now the safer you and your family will be. We're going to be careful about this, I promise. I wouldn't want to do anything that would endanger you or your family."
Regina's mind was practically spinning with this information. Could Emma have found a way for them to be together safely? It seemed impossible. It was all she had wished for but she knew of no way that it could happen.
"You are sure this plan will work?"
"Positive," Emma said. "We're going to be together just like we dreamed about. We aren't going to have to worry about marrying someone else or pretending to have feelings for anyone else but each other."
Regina couldn't help but smile as Emma smiled at her. Emma's exuberance was practically infectious.
"How though?" Regina said more quietly this time. Her paranoia at being found out was already creeping in. "When?"
"I am sorry that I couldn't tell you sooner."
"That's ok."
"No, you don't understand. I am sorry you aren't going to get the chance to say goodbye to your parents."
"Say goodbye to my parents. I don't understand."
One of the guards yelled and Regina looked as six armed men came riding toward them from the wooded area to the right. There were more of them than the three guards there to protect them and from the way the men were riding at them Regina knew they needed that protection.
"Your majesty, Lady Regina, ride to the castle. We will hold them off," one of the guards said.
Regina turned her mount around quicker than Emma but she wasn't about to leave Emma behind so she waited the few moments it took for Emma to get maneuvered. They both kicked their horses to get them to run back the way they came. They sped up a hill they had just recently come down and were headed down the opposite side when Regina spotted another group of riders headed to cut them off.
"This way," Regina said moving her horse to hopefully get around them.
"No Regina," Emma said. "Slow up."
"What?" Regina said hardly believing it as Emma slowed her mount. Regina had no choice but to do the same. The men came closer to them and Regina knew they couldn't escape.
"I'm sorry," Emma said. "But this was the only way."
"Only way for what?"
"For us to be together. You have to let these men take you."
"What? Are you crazy?"
"No, listen," she said. "My guards back there will be fine, but once they catch up to me, I have to be alone. I am going to tell them you were taken. See this way there is no evidence that we left together. These men are going to take you somewhere safe and I will join you I promise. It's going to take a couple of weeks or so, but I promise I will come for you. You will be safe and once I am there we are going to disappear."
Regina didn't know what to say. The riders came up to them and one of them looked at Emma.
"We need to go now."
"Take her," Emma said.
"Emma!" Regina yelled as one of the men pulled her from her horse and onto his.
"Please, Regina, be brave. I will come for you, I promise. Take care of her."
Regina tried to yell no, but the man she was now sitting in front of clasped a hand over her mouth as they began to ride off.
….
"How could you let this happen?" Cora demanded of the Queen. "Three guards are hardly suitable protection for two young women, especially when one is the crown princess and the other is my daughter."
Emma sat in a chair by the window keeping silent. She had made it back to the castle with her guards who were all fine minus a few bruises. They had fought with the men until the men had called off the small battle and ridden away. When her guards had caught up to her, they had found her sitting on the ground next to her horse and Regina's horse crying. She desperately told them how another group of men had ridden out and cut them off and how Regina had bravely pretended to be the princess so she would be taken and not Emma.
They had gone directly to the king and reported what had happened and a messenger was immediately sent out to bring Regina's parents there to the castle. Riders had also been sent out to try and track down the kidnappers, but Emma being too distraught was of very little help in giving them good directions to follow.
Of course, this was all part of the plan she had contrived with the Dark One, but sitting here now she felt horrible for Regina's parents who had no way of knowing that their daughter would be fine.
"We are doing everything in our power to get Regina back. We will find those responsible for this outrage and they will be punished," Snow said, trying to calm down Cora.
Emma could tell that Cora wanted to yell some more at the queen, but as she took a seat on the settee she seemed unable to muster up the anger.
"I just want my daughter back," Cora said so quietly that Emma barely heard it. She was even more surprised when her mother took a seat beside Cora and took her hand in hers.
"We will get her back," Snow assured her. "I promise."
….
Regina was scared the entire ride. They had stopped to rest their mounts several times, but for the most part, they had kept a steady pace throughout the day and into the early evening. She had no idea where they were headed only that they were somewhere east of the castle.
Despite Emma's assurance that she would be fine Regina felt anything but good about this. None of the riders had spoken to her even though she had demanded they tell her where they were going. She didn't think it would be possible but she fell asleep at some point during the night and woke lying on a blanket on the ground. They appeared to have camped for the night somewhere and she had slept through it. As she sat up one of the men approached her, holding out a waterskin for her which she drank generously from, and thanked him, hoping maybe if she was polite she might get some answers.
She stood up and stretched, looking around to see if there was anything around them that might tell her where they were. They appeared to be camped by a river, and while she could guess as to which one it was based on her knowledge of geography she had no idea if she was right or not.
They gave her some food to eat that morning and then it was back up on the horses again. This time they rode a little more southeast than they had the day before. They continued like this for four more days – and during that time Regina became more disheartened. Emma had made some sort of arrangement with these men yet they all refused to say where they were taking her. They weren't unkind to her, but they also ignored her for the most part. It was nearing the evening when they entered a forest that Regina had seen them approaching a couple of hours ago. The way became slower and she found she was getting tired again. Her body ached from riding this long and she was in serious need of a bath.
Only once during the ride had she seen anything more than a singular farmhouse. They had passed a small village the day before but they stayed far from it that it didn't take long for it to be a dot at the edge of Regina's vision. But now as they came through the forest she gasped as they came upon a clearing with a castle in the middle of it.
It seemed dark and not just because it was nighttime and for the first time Regina realized where she was being taken.
Growing up every child who misbehaved had been told if they didn't start behaving that one day they might find themselves in the castle of the Dark One. It was a fairy tale story to make kids do the right thing. She had heard different versions of it throughout her life, but they all had certain commonalities and one of them was the castle in the forest.
What had Emma done was her only thought.