Regina returned the stack of books to the Dark One's library – she had gone through all of them in a matter of days. They were not just spell books but also books on the history and usage of magic. She was trying to absorb every piece of knowledge she could about magic.
She left the books on a table knowing Belle would put them back in their proper spots later. Approaching the bookshelves to gather more books she stood there merely staring at the various titles until her vision blurred. Sighing, she moved closer and took a book out she hadn't read yet, but flipping through its pages she suddenly had no desire to read it or any of the other books.
Her life had been reduced to eating, sleeping, and learning magic. Not for the first time she wondered if the magic would be enough for her to sustain life. Would it be enough to keep her going?
She tried to shake off the feeling of melancholy but it would pop up every once in a while. Once her anger over what happened at the ball, and more so what happened afterward, had begun to dissipate she would periodically get sad like this. The anger over Emma's betrayal had turned into sadness over her loneliness as the weeks had passed.
"Ah Regina, I should have guessed I would find you in here," Rumplestiltskin said. "Looking for something in particular?"
"No," she said.
"Most of these are probably beneath your talent level at this point anyway," he said. "Not that it isn't good for you to increase your knowledge, it is."
"What would you suggest then?" she asked.
"Come," he said.
She followed him out and was surprised when they went down to the lower levels of the castle. She had never been down there. Belle had said there was nothing down there beyond storage.
"My guards caught a trespasser last night. He was trying to sneak in – as foolish as that is."
"Why was he trying to sneak in here?"
"That is what you and I are going to find out."
Regina was now curious. She had to assume since he had brought her with her that there was some magical way to find out why the man was trying to sneak in. Doing a mental review she was unable to come up with something she knew that would be useful in finding out.
Two guards were standing outside a door and one of them opened it when he saw them coming. Regina looked around her as they entered a room with torture devices. For the first time since she had first come to this castle, she began to get nervous. They passed through this room without comment to another guarded door that was opened for them. This time they entered a hall with cells on either side.
They stopped in front of one that was midway down. She noticed this was the only cell that had an occupant.
"Hello," said Rumplestiltskin who looked at the man who was looking back at the Dark One with obvious fear in his eyes. "Would you care to tell me while you trespassing in my domain last night?"
"I … I was lost."
"Lost. You know there isn't much out here that people would be traveling in this area to get lost, which makes me believe that you were out here for other purposes."
Regina stood back from the Dark One as he spoke. She was studying this man – something seemed familiar about him but she couldn't figure out why. He was dressed in dark clothing and she could see where there was an empty scabbard at his side and another for a small dagger perhaps strapped to his leg. He wasn't dressed as a farmer, workman, or anything that common. The cut of the clothing was too nice for that and it wasn't worn out in any way.
"I was lost, I swear," the guy said.
"You swear, hmm, well I'm not sure I believe you," Rumplestiltskin said. "You see if you were lost, why didn't you flag down one of my guards to ask for help?"
"I didn't know if this was a friendly place. Just let me go and I will be on my way," the man said.
"What do you think Regina? Do you think he is telling the truth?" he asked, turning toward her.
"I don't know," she said truthfully. She got the feeling Rumplestiltskin was playing with this man.
"There is a way for us to know for sure," he said, waving his hand so the door unlocked and opened. He walked right up the man who had backed up to the wall. Regina gasped as the Dark One plunged his hand into the man's chest and pulled out his heart. What was even more astonishing to her was that the man hadn't fallen dead. Instead, he stood there with a look she was sure mirrored her own.
Rumplestiltskin walked back to her with a casualness that was disturbing to her.
"When you hold a person's heart in your hand like this, you can control them. You can compel them to do what you want even if you aren't holding their heart physically but you have it in your possession," he said. "It's quite a useful trick."
She didn't say anything her eyes on this living organ.
"Now, let's try this conversation again," he said, turning back to the man. "Why were you trying to sneak into my castle last night?"
The man paused, trying to fight some unseen power that was working against him.
"I was here to assassinate the Lady Regina," he sputtered out.
She took an involuntary step back at hearing this. This man had tried to get inside the castle to kill her. Her mind couldn't focus on anything but those words.
"Who sent you?" Rumplestiltskin asked.
"I was sent on the authority of Queen Snow and Princess Emma."
She was sure she heard him wrong. Despite all that had happened she did not believe that Emma would be involved in a plot to have her killed.
"He must be lying," she said. "Emma wouldn't."
Rumplestiltskin squeezed the heart and the man cried out, driven to his knees in pain. "I will ask again, who sent you?"
The man gave the same answer.
"I'm sorry," Rumplestiltskin said to Regina. "As long as I hold his heart he is compelled to do as I say. He can't lie."
"But why? Why try and have me killed?"
He shrugged. "Perhaps they see you as a threat to the princess' upcoming nuptials."
She had threatened that Emma would never be married to Killian, but despite those words, she hadn't thought about stopping the wedding. She had tried not to think about Emma's marriage.
"I … I need to go," she said.
"Regina, stop."
She had only made it a couple of steps when he said it and she almost ignored him and kept going. Something about his tone made her turn around. In the entire time she had been here, he had never spoken to her like that. Yes, during lessons he would give her commands, but never like this.
"You need to learn to be strong in the face of adversity," he said. "You are not that crying, scared little girl who first came here. You've gotten a taste of power, yes, but you have not learned true power. Remember, this is what you wanted. You wanted power so no one could ever hurt you, so are you going to walk away now when there is someone here in front of you – someone who is a threat to you?"
"He is no longer a threat. He was caught," she said.
"And what about the next one?"
In this short amount of time, she had not even thought about there being any other attempts on her life. She stepped closer and studied this man once more. He was sweating now, fearful perhaps of what was to happen next. Again, she thought something about him seemed familiar.
"You were there," she said suddenly. "You were one of Emma's guards the day she and I went out riding, the day I was taken here."
It was the small scar on his eyebrow that made her remember. Emma had commented to her that he had accidentally knicked himself while playing around with a whip. Her mother had wanted to take him out of the guard rotation for his foolishness but Emma liked the guy and interceded on his behalf.
"You were one of the guards, weren't you?" she asked.
"Answer her," Rumplestiltskin said.
"Yes I was," he said.
She felt anger boil up inside her once more. Emma had sent this man to kill her. The woman who had once proclaimed her undying love for her had now wanted her dead so that she would not interfere with her wedding.
"What are you going to do with him?" she asked the Dark One.
"It's not what I am going to do, it's what you are going to do. This is your problem to solve, not mine," he said.
"How would you suggest I handle it then?"
"Here," he said, holding out the heart for her to take. She hesitated, but then took it in her own. She was again unable to tear her eyes off of it. It was a bright shade of red and she was struck with awe that this was a person's heart.
"Do you feel it?" the Dark One asked quietly. He has moved so he was standing directly behind her and she hadn't even noticed. "Do you feel the power that comes with holding it?"
She nodded her head. She could feel it. This was the source of life and she had control of it.
"Now crush it," he said.
She turned to him. "What?"
"Crush it," he repeated. "Destroy it and you destroy this threat to your life. Kill him and we shall send his body back to Queen Snow so that she knows never to send another assassin here. Show her that you have the power, not her."
Her eyes went to the heart and then to the man who now looked at her in fear as he had the Dark One. She didn't like it so she averted her eyes. She wasn't sure how much time had passed before Rumplestiltskin said "Do it."
She faced the Dark One once more and held out the heart to him. "I will not. I'm not a killer. Queen Snow and Emma may want me dead. They can send a hundred assassins after me but I will not take a person's life. I won't be like them."
He stood there considering what she had to say and she thought she saw a trace of anger in his expression but it passed too quickly and he laughed. "Of course you aren't a killer," he said clapping his hands. "Bravo Regina for showing your strength there."
"Was this some sort of test?" she asked, confused.
"Yes, of course, and you passed," he said, taking the heart back from her, and pushed it back into the man's chest. He gasped as it was returned and then rubbed the spot as soon as Rumplestiltskin's hand was removed.
"Why?" she asked.
"You are going to face tough choices," he said to her. "It is the way of life. Learning not to back away from making a choice is an important lesson."
"But … does that mean he isn't an assassin?"
"Oh, he is," he said. "As I said, once you have a person's heart in your hand they must do as you say."
"So what are we going to do with him?"
"Once I am sure he poses no further threat to you, I will release him, let him return to the queen and princess as a failure. What they do to him for failing is not our concern. He should hope that they are as generous as you are."
"And you won't harm him?"
"No," he said. "As I said, the decision was yours and you have spoken. Now, why don't you go back upstairs to your studies and I will handle matters down here."
She looked at the man one more time before leaving. Her legs felt shaky as she made her way up the stairs. She couldn't help but wonder if the Dark One would have stopped her if she had done as he said and squeezed the heart.