Thank you very much for reviews. Here's another chapter. I hope you'll like it.

Chapter 8

They found a drier spot on the stone floor and Zain put his cloak under Regina, Emma covered her with hers. She still hadn't woken up. Emma was sitting next to the brunette, playing with her dark hair, staring out to nowhere. Zain first paced up and down the small cell, then he sat down on the cold, wet floor, leaning his back and head against the solid wall. He looked very calm under the circumstances.

Well, what else should he do? Yell that they didn't do anything and that they wanted to talk to the king? Ridiculous. Yes, that was the word Regina would use. Emma smiled to herself, focusing her view on the queen again. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and suddenly she felt movement. Regina was stirring, turning from one side to the other. Emma opened her eyes. Despite the coldness Regina was sweating.

"Regina!" Emma breathed out, feeling relief.

Regina muttered, she couldn't recognize the words. Zain looked at them. The brunette coughed and slowly opened her eyes, eyelids still heavy. "What…where…?" She looked around in attempt to recognize her surroundings.

"We're in the dungeon." Zain explained.

Regina sat up abruptly. Her hand shot to her head, which was aching like hell. "Owww!" she cried out in pain.

"You don't look good. We need to get out of here."

"We have to wait for the king. Escape is not a good idea and it won't resolve anything. We need the map anyway," Zain said. "And it's not possible to escape these dungeons. We're a few feet under the surface." He looked back at the wall opposite them. They could barely see anything, because there was only one torch lighting the room.

"But she needs help, it might be only a cold or light flu but there are no drugs that can help her here I suppose. Maybe some herbs might help? One way or another, she can't stay here." Emma was determined to convince the guards to do something for Regina.

"He's right, we have to wait." Regina coughed again.

Right in that moment, the solid wooden door opened and two guards stepped in bringing food which could barely fill one person, let alone three. Emma took a breath to speak but the guards surprised her. They took Regina by her arms, pulling her to her feet, dragging her with them out of the cell. Emma jumped to her feet but they already closed the door. Frustrated she yelled probably all the curses she knew at them and in the end she kicked the door.

The guards ignored her and dragged Regina up the stairs to the hall to see the captain. He was standing in the middle waiting for them. They threw her to her knees before him. She was trying to stop the pain in her head by not moving too much, but it was really hard to stay conscious.

"You're not as strong as the other two. Maybe you can tell me something, huh?" He rounded her, that smirk on his face again. "What are you doing here?" He faced her.

"We're travelers, searching for a way ho…" He punched her. Blood appeared in her mouth. Regina felt sudden nausea from its metallic taste. She tried to spit it out but it just trickled down her chin. Stealthily she waved her hand, but nothing happened. The captain noticed the movement and laughed.

"Hahaha. Your magic is useless with me. I'm not that stupid to stay unprotected in this war with hags like you! Now, tell me what you're doing here. And I want the truth…or…" He nodded to the guard behind her. The soldier took out his whip from the hook and lashed it in the air. The whip made an echoing sound that was very unpleasant for anyone's ears. The captain grabbed Regina's face with his hand, squeezing her cheeks achingly.

"You can end up with very ugly scars on your back or worse," he breathed into her face.

"I told you we are…" Strong hands ripped clothes on her back in two. "…we are travelers…" The tip of the whip found its way to her back and left her skin with a dark red bruise. The guard was trained well; because he knew bruises caused by a whip hurt more than bloody wounds. She breathed out through her clenched teeth. He slapped her a few more times, till the captain gestured him to stop. The captain waved his dagger before her eyes. One man held her hands behind her back. "Maybe this will untie your tongue." He lightly crossed her neck from up to down with the sharp blade of the dagger. Blood started to spill slowly from the superficial wound.

Regina shuddered. "We are travelers…" Another cut this time deeper, on her shoulder. "…searching for…" On her forearm. "…a way home…" Right under her collar bone. "…travelers…" Across her ribs, ripping her shirt, blood soaking through it. He continued for more than an hour.

"So you're not gonna tell me the truth. Hmm, it's a pity. Maybe another time, when your wounds are healed enough." The captain turned to his guards. "Take her back down!"

They carefully brought her to the dungeon and opened the door. Emma was the one pacing this time. Her head snapped up when the door opened and Regina was put on the floor. One of them still stood in the doorway when the other one went out. Emma got to Regina in less than a second. "What have you done to her?!" She almost had tears in her eyes from anger.

The other soldier came back and handed her a little chest. "I don't want your stupid chest!" she yelled, turning back to Regina, stroking the unwounded side of her face.

"There is something that can help you heal her." He extended his hand again. This time Emma took the chest.

The guards left the room, locking the door. Emma and Zain took Regina to her makeshift bed. She coughed, more blood slid down her chin. Emma opened the chest the soldiers gave her. There was a small bottle of alcohol, some bandages and ointments. She cleaned Regina's wounds and applied the ointments. Then Zain helped her to wrap it with bandages.

Another day… or was it night? …all of that happened again…and again… the captain didn't have mercy on her. In the dungeon they had no idea what time it was, how long they were locked there. They just went through their routine. Eating, sleeping (if that was even possible) and taking care of Regina. She was very weak.

The brunette herself left the world of time somewhere in the middle of it. She didn't feel the pain anymore; she couldn't hear or see anything. When she finally opened her eyes, she could see light. Its sharp rays hurt her eyes so she closed them again. Unable to move, she engaged all her senses in an attempt to feel something. But it took all her strength and she fell into the dark, timeless abyss again. After an eternity of falling she was pulled back to the conscious world. She couldn't see more than that light again, but she could feel at least, she was not lying on a hard floor but in a comfortable bed. No movements, no sound, just the feeling of warmth and the softness of a mattress, breathing out the cold air of the abyss that remained in her lungs. From far away, she heard muffled sounds, not sure if it was real or just her imagination. She didn't dare open her eyes, as if she really wanted to know what was happening.

She didn't care.

"Regina?" The voice sounded familiar. "Regina?" Again.

"She's probably passed out again, miss." Another voice from the darkness.

Footsteps. More and more. Pacing on the hardwood floor covered with a thick carpet. She forced her eyes to open but it didn't last long, as if they had a mind of their own, they fell back closed in a second. But someone must've noticed she opened them.

"Madam? Can you hear me, madam?" Someone put a cold hand on her forehead. She didn't like it. It made her stomach turn and she became nauseous.

"Regina? Regina!" The voice came closer. "Regina…"

"Mmmmm…" was all she could get out.

"Regina, I'll kill you myself if you won't tell me you're here!"

The brunette attempted a smile, but it hurt. "I'm…here…" she breathed out.

She heard a long exhale of relief. "Ok. That will do." Again, that pacing.

"Miss, we'll let you know about her condition," another voice said.

The pacing stopped, as if the person thought for a while and spoke again, "I'll come back later."

She heard the door creaking and then only muffled voices and shuffles. She felt sick again. She concentrated all her power to her heart, feeling her blood sending it through veins to all parts of her body, strengthening her. After a few minutes, or hours she fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.

Sharp light hit her eyelids again. She's learned not to open them; not even caring about hands touching her, concentrating all her power on her healing. But when the person came, she felt new power radiating from her, regenerating her much more than her own. Of course, when she was regenerating herself with her own power, it took her energy. This was given power, given strength.

One day she woke up and opened her eyes. No pain. Slowly, very slowly, she shifted to a sitting position. It took her some time but she made an assignment she has to manage. There wasn't much light there. It was probably sundown or dawn. She was alone. Her whole body felt like she was on needles, burning little scars all over her arms and back, her stomach. She dived back to the pillows and stared to the ceiling for a while.

The door opened and someone walked in. Blonde hair appeared in her view and she turned her head a little.

"Regina?" Emma said nervously.

"Yes, Miss Swan?" Regina replied with typical venom.

"You're back." The blonde looked everywhere but not at her.

"Indeed I am." She stared back at the ceiling.

"I…we hoped so. Well, I'm glad you are. And stop calling me that." She looked at the brunette finally.

"What?" Regina felt soreness in her throat, her voice trailing off.

"Stop that Miss Swan thing. After all we've been through… You should call me Emma."

"All we've been through? And what is it, Miss Swan? You haven't experienced anything in this world yet." Regina smiled a little.

"Oh, ok. So I haven't met an old hag who wanted to make a slave of me or kill us, I haven't met her evil daughter who couldn't do magic but was building a magic army and I haven't escaped her. Oh! And I haven't walked into the king's castle and let them hurt you and I haven't been locked in the dungeon. And…I surely haven't found Henry."

"Welcome to my reality," Regina stated with pained look.

"Oh, don't play the victim. You cursed all those characters just for your personal vengeance, for one person. Really, Regina? What can be so painful that you have to hurt the others so much?"

Regina didn't answer, immediately. But she did, after a few minutes, when Emma turned to go. "You're not the one to judge me," she snorted.

Emma opened the door and left the room. Outside in the hallway she cursed herself. She wanted to come to Regina, to bring her into better mood to joke with her, maybe tease her, but not to argue with her about that.

That's for your skills, Swan. Excellent! Just excellent!

The servants were bringing Regina food all the time. She could bath or rest or read or anything she wanted. It took a few days before she left her room. What surprised her was the guard waiting at the door.

So we're still prisoners. Just in comfort.

She talked to Zain about their position. Still prisoners, but the king came and ordered that they be put in the castle, out of the dungeon, till they find out who they were. He didn't want to talk to them without Regina being fully recovered. They took care of her for a week.

The next evening they were invited to have diner with the king. They dressed in the clothes servants gave them.

"Welcome, welcome, my dear guests!" the king greeted them at the table. "Sit please."

They sat down and suddenly full plates appeared in front of them. "Eat and drink." He smiled.

They didn't protest but ate slowly. The king himself ate from everything. When he had enough he leaned back in his chair and they did the same, but still a little bit tense.

He looked at them. "I don't believe you are spies," he lowered his voice, almost whispering. "And I apologize for my captain." Emma took a breath to speak. "He's been punished for what he's done." He calmed her with his hand. "I can't stand this kind of behavior in my land. I trusted him."

The three of them just glared.

"I haven't introduced myself. My name's Edric. I'm the world-ruling knight." He bowed a little.

"Ruler of this world," Regina stated.

He nodded. "Indeed. A world in a world."

Emma looked puzzled, so did Zain.

"Who are you and what are you doing here? And how did you get to this land? As I was assured, it's not possible anymore."

Zain spoke, "I was commander of Alda's soldiers at her castle. These two ladies are travelers from far away. They want to go home."

The king remained silent. After half a minute he asked, "And how did you get here?"

"Well…" Zain didn't really know.

"We came to fairytale world and met an old woman at the cave. Emma promised her help so we had to stay there. We knew who she was but tried to fight her and we won. We escaped through the cave's portal and killed her. Then we met the Duchess. Alda offered us a trade. If we helped her with her fields she would give us horses and supplies for our journey, and show us the way. But Zain warned us about her and we ran away, she wanted to kill us. He told us we could find help here. So we came to your castle. And you know the rest of the story." Regina trailed off, her head spinning again.

"Okay, fine. You can get anything you need here. But where do you want to go from here? There's no way of leaving this country." He looked at them curiously.

"Well, what about that map of yours?" Emma asked.

"Ah, the map!" he sighed and lowered his head to his chest. He scratched his beard. "That map was our doom."

They were puzzled. "You didn't destroy it, did you?" Emma asked in panic, imagining staying here forever.

"No, no," he said quickly. "You know, I achieved this title by serving a former knight, performing tasks, very difficult tasks and helping people. As a new world-ruling knight I came here, I could. The former knight led me here, with his map. This land was a gift from four creatures, the real four creatures that created this world and the map. They gave us this land and map to travel to the others but not to bring strangers here. But once, merchants came back with two women. They presented themselves as healers and we welcomed them here warmly. We had small wars and bad things happened here as well. It was a normal country only without threat from neighbors.

"But when these two came everything changed. They've done evil things, killing a lot of people, torturing them slowly, playing with them. At the end they wanted to occupy the whole country. That's when I banished Althea from our land and sent her through a portal away from the others with help of the creatures. Her daughter didn't have magic and hadn't done things like Althea, so she was allowed to stay. But the creatures were disappointed we broke the promise so they took the map and never came back."

Emma groaned. She knew what that meant.

Zain and Regina knew too of course. They looked at each other.

"Why don't you stay here?" Edric offered.

"We can't. There are people who need us." Regina protested.

"Then I can't help you with a way out."

"Do we have any chance of getting the map from the creatures?" Emma asked with a strong, firm voice.

That surprised Regina, because she thought of Emma was the last person who would go for another journey.

"Who knows? They are generally thought as good. But they can be cruel if you are. They are very old and very wise. Rest for a while here and I'll tell you where you can look for them."

He smiled and gestured them to go back. They stood up and turned to approach to door. "Oh, and you're not prisoners anymore!" They turned to face him. "But I still don't know your name, noble woman." He looked at the brunette.
"Regina. Queen of Enchanted Forest," she said proudly.

The king frowned. "I thought Snow White was queen."

Regina gritted her teeth a clenched her hands to fists. "She's a traitor."

He smiled at her knowingly. "I've seen a lot of things on my journeys. I wouldn't be surprised by any story. You can keep me company in the gardens sometime. I'm sure it can help you to recover as well." He stood up and left the hall.

Regina stood there, her neck and face still red. Emma touched her shoulder. "Come on, Regina. We're over that."

She shrugged Emma's hand off. "Over what? What do you know about all of this!" she yelled and disappeared through the door and up the stairs as fast as she could.

Emma just stood there, dumbfounded. Ok, easy on her. But how can she tell everything to the king and not to me?

Little bit overrating herself, aren't you, Swan?

Yeah, talking to a stranger is easier. She had to admit.

A few days after they were ready to go. Everything packed up, new clothes, weapons, tents, horses, they had even got their pouches with gold and gems back.

"Go right after leaves of fall," the king instructed them. They shook hands with him and jumped into the saddles.

Regina stayed down on the ground and quietly talked to king a little more. Finally she did as her companions had and they spurred their horses to set off for their journey to the creatures' dwelling.

We got some developments here at last. Waiting for your opinions on that.