Books and Magic
The following week Belle continued to sit Zelena's table reading, they didn't talk, just exchanged looks every time and again, especially if Zelena happened to sing behind the book she was reading. As it happened Zelena got curious about the music in this land and she found the tunes useful for a lot, like reading, house cleaning, running, dancing with Red and so on. Not to mention they made her stay in a happier mood.
She turned another taking a page of her coffee, seeing Belle look at her with a puzzled face. For the first time in six days the redhead looked at her asking, "What is the matter?"
"There is something you should know when it comes to the dagger, it is about your mother," the brunette said.
"What is that?" Zelena wondered, putting the bookmark in her book and putting it flat on the table. Red looked at them with great curiosity. She had been used to the two women sitting there not talking, but this did not look good.
"She died trying to take possession of the dagger," said Belle with a heavy sigh.
"I know that, because Snow made Regina put a cursed heart in her," Zelena shrugged.
"Yes, but Cora learned something early on she should have passed on to you and Regina," said Belle.
"How do you know that?" Zelena wondered surprised.
"There is a transcript, it is not old but... it is called the secrets of the Queen of heart, it tells about Cora. I stumbled across it In Rumple's book collection. In any cause you should read it. I tells the story about how she was banished to Wonderland and before coming here she met a girl Anastasia. She told her she about magic, she taught her. The most valuable lesson that can be taught except the power of magic and what you use it for. That is the restrictions of magic. You cannot bring back the dead, you can't make someone love you and can't change the past. The last will be valuable for you to remember if you think going back will change that she raised you. It was not meant to be Zelena or she would have kept you. That however doesn't mean she did not want you. Here read the start," she went in her purse, pushing the book over to her. She slowly got up and walked towards the door.
"Belle wait!" Zelena called after her.
"Yes?" she looked at her.
"Why are you giving this to me?" asked she.
"Because if you are going back you deserve to learn the truth, but keep in mind if you do so you will risk losing what is important to you, her," she nodded towards Red that was just then tending to a customer.
"Thank you, for this," she held up the book. Belle nodded and left her to read it, wondering if giving it to her was the right thing to do. Zelena looked at the book with wondering eyes. She opened it slowly and read the front page, "The Secrets of the Queen of Hearts. Listed as author it said Cora. So whatever it held it had to be true it was written by her her mother. A deep breath as she started to read, about how she lost her mother while she was quite young. About how her father was a drunk that did not treat her very well and that she overtook his job delivering flour. How she met the man she thought was the love of her life and how he played her. How much it broke her heart making her believe that love could only be one think weakness. Especially when Prince Leopold was letting her down for Princess Eva. That was a foul move and so she had to give her up. She wrote it with a shivery hand Zelena could tell as the handwriting was not as it should be. She didn't want to it seemed but she wanted for herself to have the best chance. Zelena closed the book in tears, from her lips it escaped, "I'm over the worst and I feel so alive. I can't complain, I'm free again. And it only hurts when I'm breathing, my heart only hurts when it's beating, my dreams only die when I'm dreaming, so I hold my breath, to forget."
Red wasn't the only one in the diner looking at her now, broken, raw, open for all to see, her tears so real as the lyrics of the song she was singing, only her voice was slowly broken into sobs. A lonely girl that never got anything of her mother, all was to blame on her father. It was then the door opened and Regina came inside, she looked over at her sister and frowned, her superior attitude would normally kick her while she was down, but this time Red saved her from doing so. She walked over and pulled Zelena into her arms, she didn't ask at all, she held her, letting her get it out. She in the end managed to get out, "She...she never wanted me. Nothing will ever change that."
"It doesn't matter, she is gone, and I want you," Red said, her tone soft as silk, as she cupped her cheek stroking it. She held her ever so close.
"I need some room, find me later," she kissed her lips, before breaking free and getting up. Slowly she walked towards the door, spotting her younger sister, "Regina."
"Zelena," she greeted with an affirmative nod.
"All well?" she required.
"Yes, you?" no sign of emotion in her voice.
"It shall be," said she, adding, "And your relationship?"
"It will be...good," said Regina signing.
"Funny for I have not seen you with Emma in six days," Zelena commented.
"Yes well..." she shrugged.
"What are you so afraid of, it is not like mother is here to rip her heart out, oh wait she already tried and didn't succeed, what is stopping you," said Zelena, her tone sounding so much like Cora it was scary.
"What...how did she know she tried that?" Regina asked shocked, she of course knew her mother met Emma in Fairytale land. Still she knew nothing about her trying to rip her heart out.
"Someone whispered it in my ear," said she with a shrug.
"Well for your info I am madly in love with her and I shall fight for her for life if that is what is takes to get her back," Regina said in a matter of fact way.
"And just how are you going to do that, do you even know like her favorite food, her favorite movie, book, film or flower?" asked Zelena, raising her brows.
"Of course bear claws and fries with ketchup, she doesn't read books but comics her favorite is x-men and her favorite x-men is wolverine, her favorite film is the breakfast club, her favorite character is Claire and her favorite flowers are blue bells and peach roses," Regina answered.
"Impressive, do you know what she is afraid of and what she doesn't like to eat?" Zelena tried.
"I rather not say even if you know what is your point," Regina hissed.
"I want to hear," a small voice said behind Regina. It was Emma, she had came inside while the two had started talking.
"You are afraid of losing Henry and myself and you are not too crazy about wasps or heights either, and you hate broccoli and liver," Regina said with a heavy sigh.
"You do care," it came as Emma hugged her hard, as she never thought she actually paid attention to what she was saying, clearly she was wrong.
"Of course I do," Regina said in a soft tone, as Zelena swept pass them and out, she needed to be alone and right now that couldn't wait. She got in her car, wishing she could have used her broom instead, after all it worked faster, not to mention there was not so many buttons and pedals to work at the time. She really hated some things in this world. Especially the fact that she had to hide her magic skills so people didn't have to find out who she was at first. Still she was trying to adjust. She drove down to the dock and parked near two benches overlooking the see. She got out of her car and walked over to one of the benches and sat down on it, letting her tears flow.
She startled hearing Henry say, "You okay, Zelena?"
"No I am not in any way okay, I found that my mother never wanted me, or never could have kept me, no one does," said she with a heavy sigh.
"If it help I don't think Emma was the one that raised me after all, I think it was...Regina," he sat down next to her.
"Why so?" she wondered surprised.
"Because when she walked into the diner that day she saw me. It was like she had seen a ghost and I broke into her house. She is too sad and and all to notice and I looked around the house. Upstairs it is a boy's room with books and all, it shouldn't be there I am sure, but it was. And the name in the books was mine with my writing, same with the drawings. She have to be my real mother even if I cannot remember I somehow know she is," said he with a heavy sigh.
"You broke into a house, not bad who taught you that?" she wondered.
"Not sure, just knew how to do it," he said with a shrug.
"Hmm," she said, looking at the sea.
"So are you really the wicked witch, I heard rumors," he said, eying her. She seemed more like a broken woman than anything else.
"I am," said Zelena, not seeing a point in lying about it.
"So you can do magic right?" he wondered.
"I can," she said and smiled at him.
"Can you teach me?" he wondered.
"Let me see if I get this right, you don't believe Fairy tales but you want me to teach you magic?" she was puzzled.
"Yes, can you?" he looked at her with hopeful eyes.
"I can but I am not sure it is a good idea," she said.
"Please, Zelena?" he pleaded.
"Alright, meet me at the entrance to the forest tomorrow after school," she said with a nod. Maybe she could use him against Zelena if that was ever needed.
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