A Promise Kept
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters contained within nor the shows from which they appear in. Any coincidence to real life is unintentional. This story is not used for profit and is for entertainment purposes only. Quote used is from Batman Begins, another thing I do not own any part of. I do not own the story Snow talks about nor the line from Kingdom Hearts.
Summary: Snow and Emma return to Storybrooke but something is amiss. Henry and Regina strive to find the true Emma and to that extent they contact a Dream-Walker: Morganna. (Swan Queen, Regal Red Belle teamwork, Regal Cricket, Evil Regal Mafia Coven, Mills family reparation, Merlin/Morganna)
Author's Note: A Promise Kept is second in a series of three connected stories, centering on Regina Mills, Henry Mills and Emma Swan. The prequel to this story is called Regina's Most Dreadful Nightmare. It is not necessary to read that story to understand A Promise Kept, however, many elements will slowly crop up over the course of the story, and it will be an important aspect of several points made in the story and ensuing sequel, so I would highly suggest reading it in conjunction with A Promise Kept. It may not seem that way, but the names used to identify characters are used deliberately. I'm including a quote from Batman Begins as I feel it resonates strongly with the series.
Please read this link to my tumblr for an idea for how I will be handling the Regina/Henry dynamic.
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Chapter Notes: Thank you all very much for taking the time to read this series and your continued support! I cherish all of your comments, alerts and favourites. I love to read your thoughts! How did this beast come to pass in such a short time? Emma's face from Sunday was worth it and I'm glad that the issue of Archie being 'dead' was solved quickly. But Henry's lines…Espenson to save the day! 'Those two idiots' will now live in infamy. Be forewarned that the next chapter in APK will be shorter than usual, due to how I want it to end. Also, the battle is coming up soon and then the sequel will begin! It's going to be a mixture of RMDN and APK, so if you have any title suggestions, please send them my way! I will be placing a poll on my FFN profile shortly with possible titles. It centers more on Emma and Regina because Swan Queeeeeennnnn.
"…But I know the rage that drives you. That impossible anger, strangling the grief until the memory of your loved one is just…poison in your veins. And one day you catch yourself wishing the person you loved never existed, so you'd be spared your pain. Your anger gives you great power. But if you let it, it will destroy you."—R'as al Ghul, Batman Begins
"Wait a second, you let Belle go and swap out the fairy dust? And use magic?" Regina inquired of Gold incredulously.
"Much the same as you and Henry, dearie, I have been working together with Belle," Gold adjusted his tie.
Regina smirked. "So you 'let her go.'"
Gold scowled. "I just said that we were working together. I don't 'own' her." He paused. "Anymore." Regina continued to smirk at Gold, her superiority irking Gold to the point of him grinding his teeth.
"Mr. Gold, Mom was talking about the movie." Henry chuckled at his spot next to Regina, their heaving shoulders and twists of their lips a perfect parallel. "Beast tells Cogsworth that he let Belle go because he loved her."
Gold gaped at Regina for several moments before shaking his head. "It would seem you sapped Miss Swan's poor sense of humour from her when you gave her your healing touch."
That shut Regina up. It was her turn to frown while Gold basked in his triumph. Henry secretly found it amusing. They had been taking light–hearted jabs at each other to pass the time while they waited in Dreaming. Morganna's 'clone' was waiting with them and acted as a liaison for them and Emma's group, so they could set up a time to use the portals. Gold said they had a few hours left to kill before morning came in Storybrooke, and Henry was happy to spend some extra time with his mother. She had been in a relatively chipper mood since they parted with Emma and he had to admit her joy was infectious.
"Uh, Mom?" Henry tugged on her sleeve to get her attention. Her expression softened immediately as she turned her attention to him.
"Yes, Henry?"
Henry felt nervous under her gaze. He knew that she had insisted he had free reign to ask what he would of her and a part of him was apprehensive at the potential power he could wield over her. He doubted that she would hesitate to do anything he asked of her. There had to be something he could do to help her find her true self and show his belief in her.
"Do you remember when I said that I saw you wearing different clothes when we were here last time?"
Regina nodded.
"Can you like, show me something from the past or something?" Henry caught a hint of a frown on Regina's face at his wording.
"That should be possible," Morganna piped up. "All Regina has to do is concentrate on her memory and let go of her inhibitions. Shouldn't be too hard," she teased and Regina scowled mightily at her.
"Could you show me how you met Morganna?" Henry edged closer to Regina when he caught sight of Morganna's puzzled look. "I wanna know how you got the feather."
Just like that, the world around them transformed from gray to a beautiful landscape filled with lush forests and rolling hill. The trills of girls' laughter rang loud as well as heavy hoof beats and Henry turned to see two horses galloping towards them. They slowed to a gentle canter and stopped a few feet from Henry and he felt his mother stiffen as she gazed upon the riders.
"You were right, Regina, it was wonderful!" A young girl giggled atop her position on the horse, snuggled tightly against a youthful version of Regina.
"I told you," Regina laughed and she gave the young girls ribs a quick tickle but not enough that she fell off the horse.
"Here, Princess," a man called gently to the little girl as he dismounted his horse and stood in front of the girl and Regina, arms held wide.
"Daniel!" Henry gasped with recognition and turned to see his mother. He grabbed her hand and she smiled tightly down at him. If that was Daniel, that must mean that the little girl was his grandma, Snow White. Regina, apparently sensing his thoughts, nodded.
"Thank you, Daniel," Snow answered politely as she extricated herself from Regina's protective embrace and into Daniel's. He swung her a bit before setting her down on the ground. Regina gracefully jumped down from the horse, much to Snow's amusement. "Show–off," Daniel muttered but dropped a kiss to Regina's cheek.
"Regina, can you do anything?" Snow incredulously inquired, gazing wide–eyed up at Regina.
"Of course not, Snow," Regina said. "…but generally, yes," she teased.
Henry tilted his head in confusion. He looked up at his mother. "I thought…"he paused. Somehow it didn't feel right to bluntly point out Daniel's death. He knew the thought of it hurt his mother deeply and he had no wish to pile on further pain on her. Henry started to regret asking for her to relive this memory.
"Henry," Regina whispered and she kneeled before him, taking both his hands. "It's alright."
"But he was your heart and he made you happy—"
"And so do you," Regina cut off swiftly. "I cannot allow myself to grieve for Daniel forever. That led me down to the path of the Evil Queen. If I don't make peace with his…deaths…then I cannot change." She swallowed and Henry wondered if she was trying to swallow her feelings. "…and you know that I want to."
Henry nodded rapidly. "I believe in you."
Regina smiled openly and Henry remembered a time where he could count the times she smiled like that on one hand.
"Thank you," she murmured and was glad that Gold and Morganna had stayed silent.
"And you believe in yourself?" Henry questioned. Regina appeared bewildered and struggled for a response before Henry's attention was turned to Snow who had emitted a cry for help for Regina.
"What is it, Snow?" Young Regina asked, worried, as she and Daniel raced to Snow's side. Henry and the others followed them to the edge of the forest where Snow was pointing behind a large log and thick shrubbery. Regina pulled Snow to her front in order to shield her from danger. "Daniel…"
Daniel navigated through the foliage and bent down for several moments. Snow gripped Regina's hands as if they would protect her from the world. Henry could see how close the two were, even though they had likely known each other for only mere hours. It must have made the impending betrayals much more severe. His heart hurt at the thought.
"They're okay!" Daniel called to Regina and Snow. Henry craned his neck but it was difficult to discern any shapes on the ground, let alone Daniel. "Regina, could you help me?"
"Of course," Regina replied and paused when Snow gripped her hand tighter. She brought a hand to cup Snow's cheek. "I won't leave you."
Snow stared up at Regina for a moment and nodded.
Henry's mother emitted a forlorn sigh from his side. He looked sideways at her and her morose expression filled his heart with hope. Whereas the old Regina would have had an expression of scorn, if anything at all, this Regina was clearly making an effort to feel all of her emotions and it was evident she felt more pain than anger. It was a step in the direction of steering her away from evil and Henry grinned to himself.
"Let's take them back to the horses," Daniel's voice cut through Henry's thoughts and he returned his attention to the living memory. Daniel had a dark–skinned boy dangling in his arms and Regina had picked up a young girl with midnight tresses, who Henry surmised to be Morganna.
"Snow," Regina gently called and Snow shot wide eyes to her. "Daniel and I need you to help us. We need you to lead the way and look out for anyone else. Do you think you can do that?"
Snow nodded eagerly, her eyes taking on an excited sheen. Henry wondered just how long Snow had looked at Regina like that. He sometimes looked at Emma like that but the way Snow had peered up at Regina and the way she enthusiastically led the way back to the horses was something he was unfamiliar with. Snow viewed Regina as her hero: that much was certain, but there was a certain kind of love and acceptance in her movements, as if she never wanted to be apart from Regina. It was a little overwhelming to Henry's eyes and he wondered if his mother had ever felt suffocated from the affection. He was curious as to whether or not Regina and Snow had loved each other too much.
Henry and the others followed the vision, his mother's grip on his hand alternating between loose and fierce. He considered it progress that she had not relinquished her hold. Perhaps she needed the action to ground herself. For whatever reason, Henry knew he would not let go.
"I'll spread out the blankets," Snow offered and grabbed said items from their spots on the horses. She laid them on the ground and immediately sought out Regina for approval. She smiled and Snow looked ready to burst from the action.
Daniel and Regina laid the bodies on the blankets before Daniel went to the horses to grab two canteens. He brought them over and kneeled by Regina and Snow. Regina and Daniel shared a worried look as Snow hugged Regina from behind to peer over her shoulder at the prone figures on the blanket. A small cough drew their attention and the young Morganna stirred with a groan.
"Careful," Regina warned Morganna. Morganna's eyes shot open with an alarming alacrity and she stumbled over her hands as she struggled to distance herself from Regina, Daniel and Snow. Her every movement was like that of a frightened animal and she looked around and when her eyes landed on the young boy found with her, she scrambled to his side to shield him from the others.
"We're not here to hurt you, we only want to help," Daniel spread his hands palm up to show his good–will and lack of weaponry.
"What's your name?" Snow asked and made a move to get closer to Morganna.
Morganna's eyes were wild and her movements jittery. The second Snow started to move towards her, Morganna recoiled and a shimmer broke the air in front of her and fumes of blue started to pool around her hands.
Regina tensed immediately and grabbed Snow back and held her against her chest. "You have magic," she stated. Morganna seemed to draw no comfort from the statement. "My mother has it, too," Regina attempted to quell the storm cloud that was Morganna.
"We're not afraid of magic," Daniel murmured and stayed where he was, though his eyes constantly darted back to Regina, as if doing so would connect him to her.
Henry supposed it did.
Slowly, the clouds around Morganna's hands began to dissipate and an exhausted look came across her face as she slumped against the body of the boy behind her.
"My name is Regina," Regina softly said and offered a tentative smile. She still gripped Snow close to her, unwilling to let go until she felt the situation was safe.
"Morganna," Morganna whispered and it was painful to hear. Her voice sounded hoarse from disuse. Daniel made an ostentatious show of taking a drink from the canteen and swallowing before handing it to Morganna. She took the item and greedily took a gulp before moving to sit behind the boy. She kept her eyes trained on the others as she cradled his head in her lap. She tapped his cheek several times. "Lancelot. Lancelot, wake up."
The boy emitted a grunt and slowly peeled his eyes open. Like Morganna, his body tensed immediately and he moved to ensure his position in front of Morganna.
"We won't harm you," Regina said.
Lancelot turned his head just enough to look at Morganna. She nodded slowly and he let the tension leave his body slowly. She gave him the canteen and they spent several minutes alternating taking drinks and keeping watch.
Snow fidgeted slightly in Regina's arms but made no further effort to get out of them. "Why were you two in the forest?"
Lancelot and Morganna engaged in silent communication for several moments. "We're running away."
Snow looked aghast at the idea. "Surely your parents are worried!"
Lancelot shook his head. "Our parents are dead."
Regina and Daniel shared a look while Snow still appeared confused. "Then why are you running away?"
Morganna looked ready to burst into tears. "It's because I have magic."
Regina frowned. "Just because you have magic doesn't mean you're a bad person," she said, accurately interpreting Morganna's body language.
"Our village didn't seem to think so," Lancelot crossed his arms. "Morganna's done nothing wrong."
"Lancelot," Morganna said.
"No, I'm not going to abandon you to those, people," he spat. He turned to face Morganna fully. "We're family, Morganna. They will never be able to take that from us, and I will never let them take you from me."
Morganna gave a watery smile and she moved into Lancelot's arms for a long while. Regina's arms around Snow slackened but Snow pressed herself back into Regina's body as if to offer her a modicum of comfort. Daniel finally moved to join Regina and he began to rub her back and hair intermittently.
"There's a boat nearby that is leaving today for a land where magic isn't looked down upon," Daniel softly said. Morganna and Lancelot broke apart but stayed close together.
"Really?" Morganna's eyes widened at the prospect of a land without persecution. "Where is it going?"
Daniel smiled. "A land called 'Camelot.'"
"That's enough!" The older Morganna choked out and Henry and Regina turned to look at her. Her face was open and honest and the pain was evident in her features. The area around them shattered and the grey backdrop of the world filtered thought the cracks until they were in the neutral environment once more.
Henry gazed up at his mother who was sharing a similar hurt look with Morganna. "I'm sorry," he whispered to the both of them. His mother smiled down at him. Morganna tore her eyes to the side in an effort to compose herself.
"Well, now you know how I met your mother," Morganna said and her voice was surprisingly clear. Henry thought she must have learned that from his mother. "She, Snow and Daniel took me and Lancelot to the docks and helped us get to Camelot. I gave your mother the feather months later, to repay the debt I owed her. I can transform into a raven and Snow saw me when I came to Regina so I taught her how to talk to birds."
Regina cleared her throat. "You never owed me anything, Morganna."
Morganna stared. "There's always a price, Regina."
Shaking her head, Regina gripped Henry's hand tighter. "Not always, Morganna. There are things that are given freely."
"Like 'love'?" Morganna scoffed and it appeared to Henry that she was just putting on a front to protect herself. Just like Regina, he wryly thought.
"Regina is right," Gold finally spoke up. There was something off in his face, a trace of gentleness that Henry typically only saw when he was looking at Belle. "Magic always comes with a price, but sometimes all the magic needs is love, something that can be replenished just like hate. What Regina, Daniel and Snow did was done out of the 'goodness'," he snickered, "of their hearts. There was no cost because it was something offered free of charge."
Morganna folded her arms around her middle defensively. She peered at Regina curiously and Henry could see the little girl peeking from under her eyelashes. Morganna's body suddenly contorted and she cried out, her body shimmering slightly. Gold moved to her side quickly.
"What's the matter?" He asked, careful not to touch Morganna.
Morganna slowly raised her head and Henry shivered from the dark look in her eyes. "Merlin."
"Merlin!?" Emma echoed stupidly. She felt pretty stupid because that was pretty much her lot in life in this world. The sense that she didn't belong where she was supposed to was jarring and it made her feel even more on edge. Despite this Merlin guy chaining Morganna to the wall with magic, Emma could feel the air pulse with the undercurrents of Morganna's rage. Even though Morganna was their unwilling ally, she wasn't quite sure she could trust Morganna if she were released, considering her mom had kind of butted her head into Morganna and Merlin's business.
Merlin turned to face her, a politely curious look on his face. "And you are…?"
Snow stepped in front of Emma and Emma had to fight the urge to glower at her. "I'm Snow White and this is my daughter, Emma."
Emma longed for a family and she knew that one day they could have it all, but it irritated how her position as daughter was more important than Emma, herself. She guessed it probably wasn't intentional on Snow's part and that she was over–compensating for their time apart but she was still pissed all the same. Yeah, Emma was her daughter, but she was a grown woman. In Storybrooke she was the Sherriff. Emma was certainly capable of introducing herself.
"Do you mind telling us why you attacked Morganna?" Emma shifted to a more assertive position behind Snow. She knew Snow was being protective and considering her track record in Fairy Tale Land, she sort of needed the hovering a little bit.
Merlin furrowed his brows at her. "Morganna attacked me first."
Morganna's scoff echoed across the walls. "Don't give me that high and mighty spiel, you hypocrite. As if you weren't sneaking up on me for an attack or like you haven't done it before to me. Quit pretending you're so righteous," she sneered and Merlin turned to glare back at her. "Which method are you going to try this time? You just going to 'capture' me or will you kill me this time? You've been so close before," she goaded in a low tone, almost sultry to Emma's ears.
"Why are you trying to kill Arthur?" Merlin demanded instead.
"Wouldn't you care to know," Morganna loftily replied and twisted her wrists in her bonds, looking away disinterestedly.
"Damn you, Morganna!" Merlin roared and launched himself forward, hands going immediately to crush Morganna's windpipe. She had a crazy gleam in her eyes and a slasher smile that creeped Emma out. He gave a grunt of surprise when Mulan yanked him off Morganna and slammed him against the wall, her sword resting centimeters away from his throat.
"Release her," Mulan demanded, her eyes steely.
"Why are you defending her?" Merlin questioned instead and Emma felt a crackle in the air and knew he was about to perform magic.
Mulan twisted her wrist and butted Merlin's jaw with the hilt of her blade. The magic died down instantly as he lost consciousness and Morganna dropped down to the ground. "This will only last for several moments," she said and stepped away from his body.
"Morganna," Snow pleaded and Morganna glared crossly at her.
"You're lucky that I need you alive to get to Storybrooke," Morganna spat derisively.
Snow looked properly chastised for a moment before pulling herself up. "Morganna, we had a deal. You would have come with us to Storybrooke, even if we had to place Merlin in the cell. Which is precisely what we're going to do," she said as she bent down to grab Merlin's ankles. Aurora hastily came to her side to assist her in dragging Merlin's body into the cell. After they had successfully maneuvered him inside it, they stepped out and Snow turned to nod at Morganna. Her face blank, she raised and then dropped her hand, the cell door shutting instantly.
The sound seemed to have been the final step in rousing Merlin for he shot up off the ground and scurried to the bars, a frightened look on his face.
"That was Rumplestiltskin's old cell," Snow informed him calmly. "Your magic is negated. Now, are you going to explain why you tried to have Morganna killed?"
"It doesn't matter," Morganna tersely interrupted.
"It does," Snow stubbornly insisted. Emma suddenly understood where she got her obstinate nature from.
"Morganna," and it was a broken whisper as it left Merlin's lips. Emma caught a twitch in Morganna's left hand. "We were friends, all of us. Arthur…"
"…betrayed me!" Morganna snarled and she stomped aggressively toward the cage before stopping next to Emma. She looked curiously at Emma.
"…what?" Emma dubiously asked.
Morganna chose not to reply and looked back at Merlin, continuing in a less hostile tone. "He was supposed to love me and he betrayed me, just like you," and the last word was broken in such a way that Emma thought of Neal.
Merlin appeared to ponder that for several moments, his mask almost as good as Morganna's. What a pair they'd make, Emma thought to herself. "Lancelot believed in you," he said quietly. "He was upset when you left him behind."
Morganna's face cracked. "I had to."
"He went looking for you."
"I know."
"Abandoned everything for you. Everyone," Merlin was trembling and if Emma didn't know any better, she would say she saw love painted on Morganna's face as she watched him.
"And look where that got him, "she said at length. "Killed by Cora."
Merlin's anguished look momentarily vanished. "Cora?"
"Regina's mother," Morganna lifted a shoulder. "Mother of the 'Evil Queen.' I'm going to another world with Snow and Emma to exact my vengeance upon her."
From behind her, Snow frowned at the statement. Emma didn't agree with it, either, but she had to admit she had beef with Cora. Especially now that she knew Henry was in danger from her. She would protect him from anyone who dared mess with her son. She would rather have Cora killed than to live in constant fear that she would somehow hurt Henry. The only thing that gave her pause is how Regina would feel about that and the thought itself hurt, knowing that a part of her wanted to spare Regina's feelings.
"That can't be all," Merlin guessed and he smirked at Morganna. "You still can't find him."
"You hid him well," Morganna begrudgingly admitted. "But even he can't hide forever. It's not in his nature and you know it."
"What made you hate him so?" Merlin sounded genuinely befuddled. Emma wondered why he was so adamant on knowing the reasons behind Morganna's actions but remembered that she and Snow were much the same way with Regina. Emma wanted to know for Henry and Snow needed to know for herself, for the lifetime of regret and heartache suffered between them.
"How did you get like this?"
Or perhaps Emma wanted to know for herself.
Morganna looked at the ground pensively for several moments. "He's no longer the man I knew."
"Yes, he is," Merlin insisted. "He's understanding and kind, not like Uther. I'm sure if we just sit down and talk we can…"
"No, we can't, Merlin!" Morganna hotly denied. "It won't work because Arthur and I cannot agree and we will never do so! We have gone past the point of no return. He won't listen to a word I say nor I to him."
"What is it that came between you two?' Merlin asked.
Emma had been in a lot of bad situations before and she instinctually knew when shit was about to hit the roof. Morganna was getting ready to reveal something huge and Emma was mildly surprised that the closed–off woman was so frank and honest. She looked around to see her mother, Mulan and Aurora huddled together, like it would protect them from the ensuing shitstorm.
Morganna's voice was hollow as she stepped close to the cell, her faces inches away from Merlin's. "Our son, Mordred."
"You have a son with Merlin?" Regina screeched incredulously. "The man who has been hunting you down in the name of his king, Arthur? Peon of light?"
Morganna scowled and crossed her arms. "Don't even start, Regina. You're one to talk."
Regina tilted her head back, hackles rising. "What are you talking about?"
"Morganna's abilities as a Dream–Walker allow her to see through to the soul in The Dreaming," Gold explained from his position irritatingly close to Regina. She had no idea what possessed him to stand so close to her but she firmly kept herself between him and Henry, throwing him a suspicious glance. "She's seen what's in your heart, dearie," and there was something sneaking about in his tone, fighting somewhere between mocking and teasing.
Regina didn't like it.
Henry kept looking between Morganna and Regina quizzically like he was trying to solve a complex problem in his head. "Are you talking about Emma?"
Morganna unleashed an impressed look at Henry. "I'm certain you're the pride of your mothers, little boy."
"I have a name," Henry huffed petulantly.
"Of course, Henry," Morganna amended softly. "Not quite exactly to what I was referring though," she murmured and cast a knowing glance at Regina who felt herself flush against her will. This was not the time to consider her visions but, knowing Henry, he wouldn't forget about it and would bring it up again sooner or later.
"Why isn't he with you?" Regina asked instead, hoping to move the conversation away from her.
"I met my sister in Camelot. Half–sister, really," Morganna said. "Her name was Morgause. The night I discovered I was pregnant, she came to me with a vision. She was a Seer and she foresaw that Mordred was going to be killed by Arthur. I couldn't let that happen," she stared wistfully into the distance. Regina recognized that look. Morganna was remembering a moment where it was all uncomplicated, full of hope, life and love, where that was enough. It wasn't hard for Regina to understand how Morganna had gone down the slippery slope of darkness when she finally realized that her love for her child wasn't enough, just like her experiences as an outcast as a child.
How the people she cherished most in the world betrayed her, and she them.
How she had nothing left.
How no one believed in her.
Henry tugged on her hand, drawing her focus on him. "You've got that look on your face, Mom."
Regina frowned softly. "What look, dear?"
Henry smiled forlornly. "Where you go to a lonely place."
Regina's heart thumped painfully at his words. Her son was so kind and intuitive. Sometimes she had to wonder whether that was because of or in spite of her. Then she remembered the memory of her long lost self that he had recently witnessed and the time in her life where she was just like him.
She thought it was maybe a combination of both and for a fleeting moment she believed in her heart again.
"But it's not so lonely anymore, is it?" Henry questioned. "You've got us to pull you back. Me and Emma," he amended. "Our family."
Regina felt her heart stop at his words. "Do you really think so, Henry?"
He nodded emphatically and Regina knew that if he believed in her heart so strongly, she must as well. If she didn't believe in it, no one would see it and no one would believe in her.
Not for the first time, Regina thanked Emma from the bottom of her heart.
"I understand, Morganna," Regina tore her eyes away from her son to see Morganna's sad look at their joined hands.
"Yes, I suppose you do," Morganna stated.
"If you don't mind my asking, where did you go?" Regina inquired.
"To me," Gold cut in and the outraged face Morganna usually wore when he spoke was replaced with a melancholy one. "She knew that she would have to go to a place where he would be safe, where he could be free," he emphasized with a look to Regina. She stiffened.
"He gave me passage to Wonderland," Morganna supplied.
Regina furrowed her brows. "So that's how you met my mother."
Morganna nodded. "Yes. I arrived at the White Queen's castle and she offered me sanctuary if I rescued Alice from your mother."
"Alice! You had to rescue her?" Henry echoed excitedly.
Morganna gave him a small, indulgent smile. "Yes, I presume you are aware of the illustrious Miss Alice. She was next in line to have her heart taken when I arrived. Luckily, Cora wasn't expecting me to have magic so the advantage afforded me a small window of opportunity. I was able to bring Alice back to the White Queen and in exchange, Alice and the Queen looked after Mordred in my absence."
"You left him?" Henry questioned. Regina could sense the hurt in his voice and knew he was thinking about Emma and Regina's rejections of him. She tenderly caressed the top of his head and he gazed up at her with an inscrutable face she was simultaneously proud and weary of. He finally smiled at her and it felt a lot like forgiveness.
"To protect him," Morganna clarified. "Arthur knew of the prophecy and he had orders sent to kill Mordred. I couldn't allow that to happen, so I had Morgause change the prophecy so that it was to portend that I would be the one to kill Arthur."
Henry frowned for several moments and Regina mulled over the statement as well. "But that would just seal in his fate as the one who killed Arthur," Regina said at length. Morganna looked stricken at the thought.
"It would turn him against Arthur," Henry added and Regina felt her heart soar at how connected they were that they were able to draw the same conclusions. "I mean, he would be mad that Arthur was trying to hurt you and it would only make Mordred resent Arthur. Even if he was under the influence of Alice and the White Queen, he could easily give in to the darkness in his heart. No matter what kind of influence he had, it was ultimately his choice." He looked up to Regina and she wondered if he could read her mind for he continually set her heart at ease.
"I just want him to be free," Morganna whispered and it was so painful to Regina's ears that she felt guilty holding Henry's hand.
"Wait," Regina said, excited. She smiled at Henry and Morganna in turn. "When we create the mirror, you and Mordred can be together! You and he can reside in Storybrooke while Arthur returns to his land."
Morganna was taken aback by the possibility. "I did do it before, but I don't think it's going to be that easy this time."
Regina frowned. "Why is that?"
"Because Arthur and Mordred are in Storybrooke, dearie," Gold said.
"Our son?" Merlin's face paled considerably and Emma was 90% sure he was going to faint.
Morganna nodded tightly and hung her head slightly, the curls of her hair drawing a curtain around her face. "I just want him to be free," she whispered. Her head raised and there was defiant gleam in her eyes. "There's no reason he should be punished for a crime he hasn't even committed."
Merlin shook his head in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me, Morganna? I would have believed you. We could have worked through it together and it wouldn't have come to this."
Emma was unable to discern the look on Morganna's face. "Would you have, Merlin? Or would you have done your duty to Arthur and protected his life at all costs?"
There was an anguished sort of howl behind Morganna's words, evidence to the fact that she must have agonized for years over the answers to those questions.
"…I did it for you, too," Morganna mumbled, leaning her head against the bars, Merlin's head coming to rest next to hers immediately. Emma had to look away. "I don't belong in your world, love, I never have. We're too different; your light too bright, my shadow too dark."
Emma felt herself choke a little.
"I couldn't make you choose between me and you."
Emma's back began to burn and there was a foreign tingling on her left ring finger.
"Would you truly have been able to turn your back on all you were on nothing more than a belief?"
"I will never leave you."
Emma blinked. She heard her own voice again, that same promise.
"You did," Merlin whispered and Emma couldn't tear her eyes from them.
She wanted to scream and rage and break things like they broke her. Every instance of her life pounded on and pierced her heart, every betrayal and disappointment an acute pain throughout her body. She kept coming back to the moment Henry died in the hospital and how her love had saved him and how she couldn't help thinking that Regina's love wasn't enough. Emma looked at Regina and truly believed in her love for Henry and when she had met Regina again in The Dreaming, that love she perceived was nearly tangible, just enough that Emma thought she could touch it if she wanted to. There was something about how Regina looked at her that made her heart beat faster and with each new encounter, Emma could understand Regina more and it frightened her. To have that much in common was something she was unaccustomed to, not since Neal, and even then, there weren't such horrid things to bind them together.
Regina could understand the complexity of Emma's heart better than her parents ever could, more even than Henry. Morganna's words about turning one's back on all one ever knew was something Emma experienced several times herself and knew the pain of one being unable to deliver on that promise to her. She did it with Neal and with Henry; Neal having failed her in their promise to be together. Regina had done it with Daniel and he was taken from her. Emma understood that place of broken promises. It was little wonder to think of how Regina had fully turned her back on herself and whittled away all that made her who she was.
But Emma had also seen Regina begin to bend to pick up the pieces. Every once in awhile she could see it in how Regina treated Henry. It was rare and far too infrequent but those little glimmers made Emma realize that there was something left in Regina's heart worth fighting for.
It made Emma's heart worth fighting for.
She knew she was changing because of Henry and because of Regina, even. When she saw Regina, when she healed Emma, Emma knew that Regina had the capability to become herself again. Emma knew that she herself had begun to change and she had Henry and her parents to believe in her. Regina had been alone but now she had Henry and Emma was determined to be there, too, because if there was one thing she knew, even when she had been furious with Regina, was that she could never leave the damned woman alone.
There was too much of Emma in Regina.
Merlin and Morganna tilted their heads through the bar and the brush of their lips was no more than a whisper but it was enough to release a gust of magic in the dungeon.
"True Love," Snow whispered and Emma turned to face her mother. Snow had an expression of calm tinged with sadness and Emma knew she was thinking of her husband. Charming. She fought back her own grimace. No wonder Regina had such an obvious disdain for it. Pet names like that got old for those not involved. And that one was something special. She cringed, knowing the line was coming. "True Love always finds each other."
Emma saw Morganna peel her eyes away from Merlin to give Snow a despicable look. "Really, Snow? That line aside, True Love has a Happy Ending and there is none in sight for us. You and your 'Prince' belong on the same side but all people will fight for their Happy Ending and it is never pretty. There are casualties and it will get to the point where you'd rather it be gone than have to subject yourself to the pain of fighting for a future that won't come to pass." She gave a smile that Emma saw when she was told she'd have to be moved to a different foster home. "There are no Happy Endings in any world for some people. Or love that is on different sides."
"You won't know that," Emma mumbled, barely audible but everyone turned to look at her as if she had shouted it from the mountain top.
"How do you mean?" Merlin asked and when Emma looked up she saw that his hand was resting on Morganna's forearm, an action she was sure was unconscious but possessive and reassuring at the same time.
"The two sides can have a middle ground, they just need to believe in each other," and Emma felt her mother's eyes burning into her. "Now you two know the truth and if you talk to Arthur together, well, I can't say either way definitively, but there's a huge possibility that he will listen to you both this time. You won't know until you try."
Emma remembered how it felt to have both Henry and Regina on either side of her, supporting her and how she had always wanted to feel that way.
Morganna was possibly more broken than Regina, Emma thought. Regina had Henry for years and that slowly chipped away at her darkness but Morganna had been alone, or had she? She wondered if Morganna had chosen to communicate with Mordred in Dreaming. "Have you talked to Mordred in your dream world?"
"'Dreaming'," Morganna clucked disapprovingly. "And, no, darling, it would have been possible for people to trace him if they got too close to me. I couldn't risk it. My love for him wasn't greater than my wish for him to have a free life."
"Let's try, Morganna," Merlin pleaded and Morganna faced him again.
They stared at each other for long time and Snow shuffled close to Emma and gave her arm a hug. Emma smiled thinly at the gesture.
"I still hate you," Morganna declared unevenly.
"I still haven't forgiven you," Merlin shot back.
"But I think it's time to make that mirror," Morganna smirked and stepped away from the cell and used her magic to raise the door. Merlin wasted no time and squeezed through the bars as soon as he could and buried his face in Morganna's silken curls. She held him and rocked their bodies gently and Emma thought it looked a lot like love.
"So you and Merlin are going to talk to Arthur about Mordred? How old is he? I wonder if I know him," Henry squealed excitedly. Regina was filled with fondness for him.
Morganna gave a surprised smile. "He's not too old, Henry. He would be around the physical age of nine."
"If he's in Storybrooke, he would go by a different name," Henry explained.
"Everyone got different memories when the Curse was enacted," Regina sheepishly admitted. "Sorry."
"It's alright," Morganna smiled and for a moment Regina saw the young girl she once knew. "He got to live for years without the burden of knowledge from our world. Thank you for that. I know that many others aren't happy about it but I think some might be, Mordred included."
Regina pursed her lips. People were upset because she had done so without their permission. Things had calmed down since the Curse broke initially and that was all due to Emma. Miss Swan.
"Archie's not a cricket," Henry gamely offered and Regina let out a small laugh.
"And I don't look like an amphibian anymore," Gold smiled and Regina instantly felt her defenses rise, noticing that Morganna and Henry looked aghast at the statement as well. "I thought we'd agreed to a truce, dearie?"
"A truce, yes, not a session of hand–holding and Kumbayahs," Regina replied.
Gold shrugged in that dismissive way he usually did when hiding something. It infuriated Regina; it had for years. "It's the Saviour's magic at work, I'd wager."
"What?" Regina and Henry chorused. "What's Emma got to do with your good behaviour?"
"Feelings from Dreaming and the 'real' world can transfer. I'm sure you felt Emma's magic coming off Morganna? My guess is that she…had a hand," he gave a pointed glance at Regina, "in helping Merlin and Morganna come to an agreement."
"Emma has magic?" Henry's voice was tiny.
Regina took a deep breath. Gold had just confirmed her fears and hopes. "It would appear so, dear."
"I remember we talked about it before, but you weren't sure," Henry looked up at her.
"I know," Regina sighed. "Truthfully, I had hoped she didn't have to face the burden of magic, but she is a child of True Love…" she trailed off. She didn't want to think of the prices Emma would have to pay for her magic. The thought of Emma unwittingly using her powers and having to pay for them in ways she wasn't prepared for brought an ache to her heart.
"But there's always a price," Henry gulped and his expression was so morose Regina found herself stooping down to look him in the eye.
"I'll take care of her, Henry," she promised quickly and was dimly aware that it was a foolish and infeasible task. "I'm sorry; there are too many ways that promise can be broken. I'll look out for her," Regina amended.
Henry beamed at her. "You can teach her how to use it, right?"
Regina pulled her head back. She brushed off the quickening of her heartbeat. "I don't know if I'd be the best teacher, Henry, my magic hasn't exactly come from the brightest of places."
Henry shook his head. "That doesn't mean that it can't be used for good. If you believe in your magic and in your heart, I'm sure you can teach Emma and use magic without having to resort to the ways you did as the Evil Queen. You can be the Black Knight," he intimated conspiratorially and Regina didn't fight the grin that surfaced.
"Well, after we bring Emma back and take care of Cora, we'll see," she said.
"Speaking of which," Gold shuffled closer to Regina and the urge to move away wasn't as strong as before. "…it would appear that she and Hook have just obtained the tainted fairy dust."
"How can you tell?" Regina asked, straightening.
"The fake dust is infused with some of my magic so that it would trick Cora. It activates when it's trifled with," he explained. "This, however, does present a problem."
"What?" Morganna asked. Regina knew she was anxious to reunite with her son. She only hoped that it would turn out well for Morganna.
"I think it's a sign that they are about to make their move and we still haven't a clue what it is," Gold looked at Regina, their gazes locked in a contemplative stare.
"We need to bring back Emma and the others first," Regina insisted. "Another magic user—"
"Two," Morganna pointed out with a hint of a smile.
Regina nodded. "Well, that will only help in derailing their plans. We will have to draw them out," she solemnly looked at Gold.
He nodded faintly and Henry cleared his throat. "If you two are going to use yourselves as bait, we're going to have to find someone else to make the mirror in our world. Maybe we could get Nova to help?"
Regina coughed politely into her hand to cover up her disbelief but Gold simple cawed with a raucous laugh. "Nova? She's a mite unpredictable, Henry."
Henry pouted at the reactions. "Well, I'm not gonna ask the Blue Fairy. There's something creepy about her and Emma told me she lied to my grandparents about the wardrobe."
Regina saw similar looks of disgust on Gold and Morganna's faces. Creepy, indeed. The blasted fiend was responsible for crushing dreams and granting wishes only when they suited her. She was discriminate in who she chose to help but she guessed her personal issues with the Fairy were nothing compared to the murderous expression Rumplestiltskin wore.
Morganna came to stand in front of Henry and laid a hand on his shoulder. Regina was surprised she didn't feel a flare of protectiveness in her at the action. "We will construct the mirror straight away, Henry but I'm afraid we won't be able to communicate until you finish making yours. Please, make haste." There was tenderness in her eyes that Regina couldn't quite place. "And, Regina?"
Regina snapped to attention. "Yes?"
Morganna peered at her seriously. "Good luck."