Chapter Nine
"We're honored that you would give us such a warm welcome," Regina said with a smile that extended across her face. Like many of her smiles, the warmth never reached her eyes. Not many noticed that about her. While she was the all-powerful Evil Queen, her eyes gave away to all of the emotions hidden behind the mask. Emma wasn't surprised to find that their company hadn't noticed and was all too grateful to Regina for being able to mask her emotions so well. Emma, unfortunately, wore every emotion she had on her face. She wouldn't have even noticed had it not been for Regina's elbow in her side. Emma jumped in surprise and turned toward Regina who spoke to her through gritted teeth and a fake smile.
"Isn't that right, dear?" She said, looking direct at Emma.
"Uhh, yeah? I mean, yes! You're right. Thank you for having us," Emma replied with a fumbling smile before looking away. At least she knew her weaknesses, right? The man before them clapped his hands together and smiled brightly.
"Well! We're beyond elated to have you joining us this evening. It isn't every day that we have royalty gracing us with their presence," he exclaimed just as he placed a hand on Emma's shoulder. Had Emma not been so guarded of her behavior, she would have recoiled instantly. What is it with people and their lack of boundaries? Before Emma could respond, the guard continued.
"Please say you'll be joining us in the banquet hall. We would love to hear all about the wonderful stories from your home in the Enchanted Forest," the man said with a bright smile that, in Emma's opinion, was way too big to be genuine. Besides, it hadn't gotten past her that they didn't share with him that they were from the Enchanted Forest. It would seem that word was getting around quickly and their gracious host lacked self control. It worked to their advantage, because without it, they may not have known the dangers they were surrounded by. Emma didn't know where she got the words, but she was quick to speak up as a protective arm wrapped around Regina's waist.
"As much as we would love to, I promised Regina that we would take a walk outside. I certainly don't want to break it. Afterwards, perhaps." Emma pulled Regina away before the man could respond, leading her toward the doors. A playful smirk curled upward on Regina's perfectly painted lips.
"A promise for a walk outside, hm? You were quick to get me alone, I see," she joked, but Emma wasn't playing along in the moment. Her green eyes were focused and tense. Protective Emma had stepped in to handle the situation and Regina would be lying if she didn't say that it made her even more attracted to Emma. She hadn't met anyone who stepped up to protect her since Daniel had passed and Emma did so without a thought to her own well-being. Regina couldn't help but to wonder...who is this girl and where did she come from? Dark eyes remained softened in those few moments as Emma protectively guided her outside once more, leading her toward the hallway that would lead them back to their rooms. Once they reached their rooms and were far enough away from everyone, Emma stopped and turned to speak.
"You're not safe here, Regina. We need to get out of here before the-" her words were cut off and replaced with the feeling of Regina's lips against her own. Emma's shirt was tugged forward, Regina gripping fistfuls of her jacket as she kissed Emma with as much intensity as she did everything else in her life. What made this time so different than when they were in the garden? Instead of pulling away and running in the opposite direction, Regina was holding on to Emma as if she were about to lose her by letting go. The kiss finally broke and Emma's eyes opened slowly.
"That was...unexpected," she whispered with a soft smile tugging on her lips. Regina laughed softly and lifted her gaze to meet Emma's. For that brief moment, Emma's heart stopped. She had seen that look before. Regina looked at Robin that way. Could it be that Regina was actually developing feelings for her? It wasn't Emma's intention for this to happen, but it felt right. The tension that occurred between them for so long...it was love. How hadn't she seen it before? She had been so blinded by doing the right thing, being the Savior, protecting Henry. Falling in love was just not something she expected to have, particularly with the woman that she felt she'd hated for a brief period in time.
"Well, I do hate to be predictable, Miss Swan."
"Emma," she corrected. "I like it when you call me that," she whispered softly, teeth sinking in to her bottom lip. Regina's smile widened at the request and her hand came up to gently rest against Emma's jawline.
"Emma," she whispered, her fingers caressing over Emma's cheek gently. Her eyes softened as they drank in the green eyes staring back at her. "How is it that I've found you now, right when I needed you most and didn't know it?" Regina asked in a hushed whisper, hardly expecting a response back. Emma turned her head to lean in to her touch, her eyes never leaving Regina's face.
"It doesn't matter, Regina. All that matters is that I have found you now, and I will always find you," she replied before her lips pressed to Regina's once more. Her eyes closed the moment their lips touched and Emma was lost once more. She lost herself in the taste of the queen, her warm breath and her heartbeat slow. A soft purr escaped from the base of Regina's throat in the midst of their heated kiss and she broke it only to whisper words against Emma's lips.
"Make love to me, Emma," she spoke low enough for only Emma to hear her, the world around them having fallen away to leave them lost in each other's embrace as Emma pressed her against the door. Emma's lips found the side of her neck, creating a trail of kisses against her throat while her hand fumbled to reach for the doorknob behind them.
"With pleasure, my queen," Emma replied jokingly, her small chuckle escaping as her hands moved to the small of Regina's back.
"I certainly hope it is, Emma. I'm not going to be able to get out of this dress on my own," she replied with a rich laugh as she pulled Emma inside and locked the door behind them.
A hint of wildflowers, along with the sunrise creeping in to dispel the darkness of the room struck Emma's senses. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, blurred vision coming into focus just as her eyes fell on the curve of a naked shoulder, a mass of dark hair tickling the skin of her arm that had been wrapped around Regina's body in front of her. A smile creeped up onto her lips as she leaned forward to press a kiss to her shoulder, basking in the sweet fragrance of flowers that mingled with Regina's naturally sweet scent.
She would be lying if she didn't admit that there was a hint of fear to find that she would move from this position only to find out that this was all a dream. Her green eyes lowered to catch the sight of Regina's peaceful sleeping face. Regina's lips curved upward slightly at the corners of her mouth.
"Don't tell me you're one of those who like to watch others sleep," Regina muttered jokingly, her eyes slowly opening as she turned to meet Emma's gaze.
"You caught me," she replied with a laugh before she shook her head. "I actually was afraid that I would wake up and you wouldn't be here." Regina's smile faded as a hand came up to tuck Emma's hair back behind her ear.
"I'm not going anywhere, Emma. I promise," she whispered. Her words struck a nerve with Emma and she couldn't help but to feel emotions stirring within her. Tears welled up in Emma's eyes as she thought of the last time she'd seen Regina slowly dying on the ground in her arms. She didn't realize how much she needed her then, but now, she couldn't imagine what would happen if she failed at this mission.
"Emma? Emma, are you all right?" Regina's words pulled her back to the moment and she swallowed the tears quickly.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just...not used to having someone stick around. That's all," she replied before she turned her head to kiss Regina's hand gently, forcing a smile to reassure her concerns. Regina let out a small sigh and looked to the hand Emma had just kissed.
"I know how you feel. I haven't had the best of luck there either. I think that fate may just be smiling at me once and for all," she replied as her head leaned in to brush her lips against Emma's once more. The moment their lips touched, Emma felt her heart pound deep within her chest. How was it that she was tangled in the bed with a woman that was once her enemy? This was the other mother of her child, the Evil Queen she had been brought to vanquish. Yet, here she was, falling fast for the woman who seemed to be a game changer. Breaking the kiss, Emma grinned and rested her forehead gently against Regina's.
"Tell you what. I'm going to conjure up some food for us and we'll get started on the day. How does that sound?" Emma murmured against Regina's lips before stealing one more. It was so easy to get wrapped up in a moment like this, and Emma didn't want it to end.
"Hurry back," Regina whispered in response before finally untangling herself from Emma's body. Emma stood and reached for her pants that she'd worn the night before. Slipping her clothes on quickly, she turned back toward Regina for a final glance.
"I won't be long." Emma stepped into her boots and moved to the door, slipping out quietly with her eyes circling around the environment of the hallway. There didn't seem to be anybody around, which was perfectly fine for her. She didn't want to have to explain awkwardly why she was leaving Regina's room early in the morning. Fingers brushed through her hair, pulling it back into a ponytail as she walked quietly down the hall toward her own room. The entire time, Emma couldn't wipe the smile from her face. There was, for the first time in a long time, hope that she may actually find some sort of happiness with another person, and it was the last person she would have ever expected...for many reasons. Each step she took felt like she were walking on a cloud, bouncing with each step as she made her way toward her own room. It was only in this moment that Emma put her guard down. That was when it happened.
Just as she turned to round the corner, she felt a hand from behind cover her mouth while the other arm wrapped firmly around her to pull her back and against the wall. Her heart raced in an instant, eyes wide as she was turned to face the one who had snatched her. It was Myrtle. Once again, the woman who seemed to be the only one suspicious of the activity around in Oz stood in front of her with her finger once again pressed to her own lips.
"Hush, child. We haven't much time. I overheard the guards giving orders for you and your queen to be eliminated in the early hours before you awaken. The guards will be here any moment to raid your room," she whispered to Emma just as the sound of clinking armor echoed in the hallways. Emma quickly turned her head to peek at the hallway outside of her room. In the distance, four guards were walking toward the room, swords already drawn. Emma quickly looked back to Myrtle, panic starting to arise in her eyes.
"I need to get to Regina."
"Yes. You must hurry to her. You don't have much time. We must get you out of the city before you're found," Myrtle pushed Emma forward, running alongside of her as they started back toward Regina's room. As they started nearing the room, Myrtle stopped and gripped Emma's shoulder.
"I will be able to spare you five minutes by distracting the guards. Get the queen and head toward the East wing. You'll see a flight of stairs. Head down the stairs. Turn left. You'll see a photo of the Emerald City on your right side. I will meet you there. Hurry!" Myrtle turned and started to run in the opposite direction, giving Emma enough time to get Regina out. Emma didn't waste any time, as this was yet another reminder of what she had to accomplish on her journey to the past. Pushing into the bedroom, Emma slammed the door shut behind her and locked the door.
"That really was fast. When I said hurry back, I didn't mean you had to run," Regina said with a small laugh as she'd just finished slipping the last of her dress back on. The look of panic on Emma's face caused her smile to fade quickly.
"Emma, what's wrong? What's going on?"
"Grab your things, Regina. We've gotta go. Myrtle's bought us some time, but not much. Guards are on their way to kill us," Emma started to grab for her sword, attaching it to her waist as fast as possible.
"What? Who's Myrtle?" Regina asked as she stepped back into her shoes.
"I'll explain later, but we have to go. Now." Just then, there was a knock on the door. Three bangs by a large fist in metal echoed against the thick door as they both turned to look in that direction.
"Queen Regina, open up!" a deep, baritone voice hollered as the banging started a few more times.
"We have to find a way out of here," Emma whispered as she turned to start looking for another exit out of the room. The only option she could find were the windows.
"Don't even think about it, Emma. There's no way we're getting out of here through the window! We're too high up and will fall to our deaths!" she hissed in a whisper.
"What other options are there?" Emma asked, but before an answer could come out, the door slammed open. The walls echoed with the force and three guards came in immediately.
"All right, you two are coming with us," the leader spoke as he stepped in front with his sword in hand. Two guards behind him held crossbows pointed directly at each of them. Emma quickly drew her sword in response.
"Like hell we are," she growled in response as she held her sword in front of her, prepared to defend them both. Eyes focused on the man in front, Emma raised her sword and rushed forward toward the leader. Both crossbows turned onto her and fired just as the leader raised his own sword. The first arrow brushed by her while the other slid across her cheek, leaving a gash on her cheekbone just as the two swords collided with one another.
"Emma!" Regina called out, her eyes filling with rage as she raised her hand to throw a fireball toward one of the guards. The impact threw him back against the wall and left him there to flail as he tried to put the fire out as quickly as possible. The second guard raised his crossbow once more toward Emma and fired, but this time, Emma was quicker than he had anticipated. She turned quickly to step in front of the leader just as the arrow hit him in the back. A loud grunt escaped his lips as his eyes opened wide in surprise. He slowly dropped to his knees before falling onto his stomach with an arrow still in his back.
Emma's eyes lifted just in time to see him start to raise up once more, but her sword swung forward, knocking his crossbow away from him. Fear filled his eyes just as she brought that sword up to his throat, pushing him back against the wall with the blade only moments away from ending his life.
"This is your one chance or I kill you right here. What are you after?"
"P-please don't kill me. I have a family…" Emma heard his plea and pressed the blade closer to his throat.
"Tell me what I need to know and I won't. Why were you sent to retrieve us?" she gave him only moments to respond. There was no time for this.
"The Wizard! He told us to bring you to him because the Wicked Witch was sent to collect you. I swear! That's all I know!" Emma turned her head to look over toward Regina. The Wizard of Oz and the Wicked Witch were co-conspirators. This was what Myrtle meant by trust no one.
"Fine. Today's your lucky day," she whispered before she brought the handle of her sword down onto his head, knocking him out swiftly. His unconscious body slowly fell to the ground in front of her. Emma didn't hesitate to turn toward Regina, who was already heading for the door.
"Let's go before more come," Regina said as she came out of the doorway, ready to fight whoever got in her way. Turning out of the room, they started toward the hallway. Myrtle's instructions echoed in Emma's head as they started for the stairs. Hurrying down the stairs, they could hear guards yelling in the distance. Find them! Hurry! Don't let them escape! The words only prompted them to run faster.
As they hit the bottom level, Myrtle stood behind one of the statues to remain hidden, waiting for them just as she said she would. She quickly waved them over.
"Hurry! We haven't much time!" she pushed on the wall where the photo of the Emerald City was just as she previously described. "This secret passage will get us out of the city safely!" she pushed the door open and ushered Emma in. Just then, the sound of footsteps rumbled onto the steps nearby.
"Watch out!" Myrtle shouted just as the sound of a crossbow releasing sent an arrow in their direction, aimed at Regina. Myrtle shoved Regina into the passageway, taking the arrow in her stomach. She fell back against the wall, just in time for Emma to catch her.
"Myrtle! No!" Emma held Myrtle's body in her arms as she slowly started to crumble.
"C-close the door before they g-get here…" she started and Regina quickly slammed the wall door shut, locking it and sealing before the guards could infiltrate the secret passageway. Emma slid her sword into its sheath and focused on holding Myrtle, who was starting to bleed profusely.
"Myrtle, we have to get you out of here. Just hang on, okay?" Emma whispered, her voice trembling with panic just as she lifted the old woman up into her arms and started to carry her.
"Leave me, child. I'll only slow you down," she whispered weakly.
"No! We won't leave you! We're going to get you medical attention! We have to find the Good Witch of the North. She can help us!" Only then did Myrtle give the faintest of smiles.
"G-get...us out...and I..I will show you...the Good Witch.." she whispered in between ragged breaths. They were losing her. Myrtle wasn't going to make it. Emma couldn't allow another casualty in this quest to protect Regina. This couldn't happen.
"Just hang in there, Myrtle. You're gonna be all right. Just stay with us!" Emma said as they ran through the secret passageway that would eventually lead them out of the city and away from the evil plans the Wicked Witch and now the Wizard had in store for them. Emma could only hope that they would get to their destination in time. They just had to. There were no other options. Myrtle could not die.