Bindings of Glass
Chapter 6
"This is lunacy Regina." Lilia snapped angrily as they rode through the trees.
"She won't help me you know that." Regina snapped back staring over at Lilia.
"She'll help me. You don't have to do this." Lilia shook her head.
Regina pulled the horse to a stop and slid down from the horse looking up at her. "It's the only way to convince them what I say is true. If you bring me in, she'll believe you and she'll help us look."
"But you would still be imprisoned. Why would I put you in that situation?" Lilia pulled the horse to a stop pulling on the reigns so that she was looking over the right side of the horse at Regina. Regina stared up at her, her dark eyes resigned.
"You have to. It's the only way."
"What about your mirror? Your magic mirror that will show you anyone will it not show you Emma and Henry?"
"They're shielded from my sight. I've not been able to find them since we've been here." Regina sighed softly looking down.
"But you still sensed they were here?"
"I knew they were, Emma and I…I've always known she was here. Henry too." Regina said softly her head still down. She looked so utterly defeated Lilia didn't quite know what to do.
"Do you really want to do this?" She asked. "I don't know that I can. Regina I'll be handing you over to the lions and there is no telling what they will do to you."
"I'll be fine. I just have to find my family and this is the only way."
"Will you let me talk to Snow before you do this? Will you give me the time to find out if she would help me find your family before you martyr yourself?"
Regina frowned, "She's not going to agree Lilia. You cannot tell her how you got the information. She'll never believe it didn't come from me. They're all terrified of the creature in the mines. They'll never believe it came from anyone other than him. No one else speaks in riddles like that so it's him they'll suspect. And you will be subject to ridicule and likely locked up for helping me break in because I know the break in has been discovered by now. It's best if I take responsibility. You bring me in, talk to Snow and we'll convince her that I won't tell her anything unless I'm allowed to come along."
Lilia reached up grabbing her ever present braid and twisted the lower part around on her hand as she stared at Regina, "alright."
Snow stared in shock as Lilia rode into their castle gates. It was the first time she'd seen Lilia since they'd made their arrangement yet here she was and she wasn't alone. She was holding the reigns of another horse and sitting on the horse with her hands bound in front of her was none other than her former stepmother. She looked pale, drawn like she hadn't slept or eaten in a while but she was still there and she stared down at her with anger and a bit of defiance in her brown eyes.
"What is the meaning of this?" James asked standing beside his wife with his sword already drawn in front of them.
Snow watched with some sense of morbid fascination as Lilia dismounted her horse handing the reigns to a nearby guard and walked towards them.
"I thought it would help my cause if I brought you the one who caused you so much pain majesties. She's weak enough that you won't have any problems with her sorcery. Trust me. I know." She smiled at them both but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Snow? What is this about?" James turned to look at his dark haired wife.
"You didn't tell him." Lilia shook her head as she watched Snow try to stutter out a reply to her husband's question.
"What didn't you tell me?" James asked his eyes shocked at his wife's non-reply. They were always honest with each other. This was the first time she'd ever kept anything from him.
"I didn't want to get your hopes up." Snow started.
"I offered to help look for your missing daughter." Lilia explained. "And I may have a found a link in your wife's worst enemy."
"What?" Snow flipped around to look at the blonde warrior.
"She took our daughter?" James asked his eyes widening a bit.
"No. But she may know something. She hinted at it to me and I thought it was best I bring her here for the three of us to try and figure out just what she knows and if it might benefit us to know it."
Snow frowned staring at Lilia. "And you're okay with this?"
"I told you before I have an expecting wife at home and a three year old. I have no interest in Regina anymore my only thought is to make up for our past Snow. For my part in what happened and besides that there's a child out there without her mother and father that's not something I can live with and I know as her parents you're both devastated."
Snow stared at her trying to read the truth in her eyes before nodding. "Take her to the tower. We'll deal with her later." She motioned the guards to take her step-mother and watched as they drug her rather roughly from the horse. Though Regina was just as pretty now as she had been all those years ago there was an almost defeated hunch to her shoulders that she'd never seen but her eyes remained clear and a bit bitter still. She watched as they drug her up the stairs and into the Great Hall of the palace obviously not trusting the woman to walk on her own or perhaps taking revenge for their Queen's cruel treatment at the woman's hand.
Lilia watched keeping her face blank just as she always did when she knew better than to reveal anything. She turned to the royals. "It's late. I suggest we get some rest before we deal with her in the morning."
"What have you found out from her exactly?" Snow asked though she knew Lilia was right. They could do nothing as the blackness of true night began to set in.
"Not much. But I do know that your daughter is alive. We've just got to figure out where she is exactly." Lilia frowned as she glanced over at James who still looked rather hurt by his wife's secret. "James," She spoke his name softly turning towards him, her blonde braid fell over her shoulder as she twisted to face him. He looked at her, his eyes a bit glassy. "Do not blame your wife. She didn't know how trustworthy I was given my past history with her step-mother. She didn't want you to get hurt if I couldn't come through. She was only looking out for your best interest."
Snow frowned but didn't say anything as Lilia tried to defend her actions to her husband. She knew she had been wrong not telling James about Lilia's offer of assistance but the woman was right. Though she had forgiven her for the role she'd played in the hurt of her family she still didn't trust many people given her history with them. And she didn't want to fully trust Lilia only to have that trust betrayed. She looked down as they continued up the stone steps and into the great hall. It was something she'd have to figure out how to best deal with now that she knew Lilia could be trusted. She had no desire to harm Regina not anymore anyways. Before she wouldn't have minded going after the woman but she had made her peace with the fact that she had harmed Regina just as much as Regina had harmed her and they were both responsible for the way their relationship rotted. She had a child now and a husband not to mention a Kingdom of her own. What good would it do her now to harm her step-mother? What sort of example would it set for her people and her child if she were to take vengeance like some petty thief in the night? It was unfitting and she would have no part in it.
James set his jaw not saying anything but giving a small nod to be certain that he had at least heard what Lilia was saying even though he still seemed quite upset with her for not saying anything. "I'll take you to your room Lilia." He offered quietly.
"Thank you, it's been a long day and I have a feeling you two need to speak so I'll find my own way. It's not that complicated from what I can remember assuming I'm to stay in the same room?"
"Yes that will be fine." Snow spoke softly allowing Lilia to bid them good evening before she headed up to her own rooms with her husband.
They walked quietly through the hallways Snow with her head slightly bowed as she waited for James to talk to her. She knew she had been wrong but she really was only trying to keep him from getting hurt. Did that make what she did so bad?
They pushed open the doors to their bedroom which was decorated much the same way it had always been, light and airy with little touches here and there to remind Snow of the woods she'd lived in for so long. Though she'd been forced there she had enjoyed it to some extent. The air was fresh and the animals didn't seem to mind her presence.
"Why didn't you tell me?" James finally asked as he undid his belt which held his now sheathed sword.
"I didn't want to get your hopes up and frankly I wasn't sure if I could trust her. She and my step-mother had an affair behind my father's back when I was a child and I'm part of the reason they were found out."
"That's why Regina hates you so much?"
"She blamed me for Lilia's death. We were told by my father that she'd been killed when a group of savages raided their village. A battle axe in her back ended her life. I couldn't say I wasn't upset about it because I was. Even though she hurt my father she was always kind to me and she did seem to love my step-mother."
"Obviously she doesn't given she brought her here in chains."
"She said she was married to another woman and they were expecting a second child. I didn't quite believe her but I thought it wouldn't hurt to have an extra person out looking for our daughter. Lilia is quite the warrior I figured if anyone could find her it may be her. She was able to kill a panther by herself with no help from anyone."
"That doesn't exactly mean she's the best tracker in the world."
"Obviously not but she found and bound my step-mother and brought her here to help us find our child. That counts for something but what I'm not sure."
"Do you really believe Regina would've let herself get caught like this?"
"What do you mean?"
"I find this a bit hard to believe like you. I still don't know that we can fully trust Lilia. You said it yourself she and your step-mother had an affair behind your father's back and that Regina blamed you for Lilia's death. Lilia obviously came back with the intention of being with Regina again even if she claims to have a pregnant wife and child."
"Yet she brought Regina here to her worst enemy's home. I think you're right that we should be cautious around her but I don't think she would intentionally harm our daughter. She's a child even my step-mother has lines she won't cross and I think that would be one of them. And I doubt Lilia is truly that evil. She was always very careful with the children she was near. I don't think that would've changed."
James set his jaw staring at his petite wife before nodding. "Alright, I'll listen to what Lilia has found but if I think it's too dangerous you and I will seek things out on our own."
Snow nodded in agreement knowing she should listen to her husband. Though she was head strong and stubborn she knew she had lost the upper hand when she'd not told James about Lilia's involvement. It would be better to let her husband take charge of this to give him some sort of outlet for they were both worried that they'd never see their child again. Yet Snow being a mother and highly in tune with her surroundings and that of her child knew that Emma was still alive out there somewhere just waiting to be found. Only problem was they had to find her.
Author's Ending Notes: Dammit I cannot stay away. I'm waiting for chapter 8 which should make you action junkies happy. Or at least make you read late into the night. As always reviews I love them and would appreciate them. I'm just getting off work for the night so it's always nice to wake up tomorrow and see them. Anyways, nothing in particular to say other than beg for reviews but you know. Enjoy it guys. I tried hard to make this one work. I don't feel like I've got as good a grasp on Snow and James as I do on Regina or rather what I've done to her. We'll see what happens next with her I'm going to assume she'll twist and turn and show shades of gray anyways. Let me know if you like what you read or don't. It helps trust me especially as the plot on this thing deepens.