A/N: This is where it starts to get dark and twisty and will only escalate from here ! Now are we ready to meet the Dark Queen ?!. As always let me know what u think. DM x
Trigger Warning: Magical Violence
Chapter 6
They had been riding for many hours now and it wasn't going to be long before they arrived at the castle. Regina slowed thier pace allowing herself a little longer to feel the comfort she found as Emma slept peacefully, resting against her as she sat in the saddle in front of her. It's was nice, it felt... Regina wasn't sure exactly how it explain it she just knew she wished to revel in it a little while longer so she did as she watched the sunrise.
Emma finally woke just as the Dark Castle came into view on the horizon. Emma couldn't remember what it was she dreamt about she just knew it made her feel warm, safe and loved. As they came down onto the approach to the castle gates, Regina straightened a little, Emma immediately sensing the shift from Regina to Commander and adjusted herself accordingly, the happiness and comfort they had been feeling was replaced with a sense of fear and dread as they entered the castle gates.
Regina rode straight to the stables were she gave very clear, concise and abrupt instructions on how to care of her horse. Emma thought that perhaps it was a little over the the top especially as these men were the grooms of the Queens stables, but just like Daniel had warned her Regina was definately very particular when it came to her horse and who was allowed to handle him.
As they made they're way through the castle grounds Emma found herself in awe, the Dark Castle was everything she imagined it to be. It was huge and looming with grounds that spread out into the distance until they reached the edge of the Dark forest on the western horizon. It was magnificent and powerful and as soon as they entered into the main foyer they were immediately approached by one of the stewards.
"Excuse me Commander, but the Queen wishes to speak with immediately and waits for you in the throne room" He informed them polietly if somewhat nervously. Emma had already noticed that most of the servants she had seen since they're arrival looked at Regina with a mixture of fear, uncertainty and in some cases even what looked like sympathy. The small man lead them down a long corridor with huge black oak doors at the end, and Emma just looked around in awe and wonder. Regina gave the sleeve of Emma's dress a little tug to gain her attention.
"Emma, listen" Regina whispered to her so the man leading the way could not hear them. Emma turned to look at Regina with a curious gaze. "Please don't not say or do anything, let me handle it. Promise me" Regina said firmly the last thing she needed was for Emma's habit of speaking out of turn to make the situation any worse. Emma saw the pleading look in Regina's eyes and gave her a firm nod agreeing that she'd keep her mouth shut, well try to at least.
As the entered the throne room, Emma was overwhelmed by its grandure but mainly by the way it made her feel. She felt threathened, scared and insignificant like a bug that was about to be squashed, her instincts making her freeze up. Regina noticed Emma freeze up next to her and gave her a light, unnoticeable shove in the small of her back guiding her through the room until they stood before the Queen who sat in her throne looking at them with a mixture of disdain and disappointment. Regina immediately dropped to one knee, whilst Emma still stood frozen like a statue, her brain finally caught up when Cora gave her a questioning glare and clumsly drops of onto her knees also.
"You summoned me, your majesty" Regina says nervously as her eyes were trained to look at the floor.
"Yes I did" Cora snapped although her attention remained fully on Emma. "This blonde whore of yours has given me a problem, and you know how I don't like problems" Cora spat as she sneered at the young woman in question her eyes full of disgust and contempt. In that moment Emma's fear disappeared briefly as became overwhelmed with anger, she was not a whore and really wished people would stop calling her that, she was still a virgin after all. Emma shook slightly as it took all her self control not to glare at the woman sat in the throne sneering down at her.
"Please forgive me your majesty but I do not understand how Emma has caused you a problem" Regina said nervously in a near whisper before looking up to see her mother with a smirk on her face and realisation in her eyes. Regina knew then that she had made a fatal mistake.
"Oh, the whore has a name does she ?!" Cora said with a cruel amusement that made Regina's skin crawl. She should never of let slip Emma's name because in doing so she had ultimately told her mother that she felt something for Emma and that never ended well for anyone Regina had ever felt things for. Cora chuckled with evil delight as Regina confirmed her suspicions as she watched realisation followed by panic cross Regina face.
"You see the problem is this" Cora began almost disinterestedly but Regina knew better. "The man you took this whore from was the Duke of the northern borders and heir to King George's throne. He is demanding that I return what was taken from him or pay him some kind of compensation for his loss and the injuries he sustained" Cora bites out angrily. No one would dare to demand anything from the Dark Queen but yet to refuse could lead to a war between the two kingdoms and it made her blood boil. Emma's stomach plummeted at this news, the anger at being called a whore violently replaced by fear terrified that the Queen would send her back to the violent man Regina had rescued her from.
"Please your majesty, please don't send me back to that monster" Emma blurted before she even realised she had spoken, her eyes filling with tears. Cora let out a hearty laugh,
"Oh, my dear girl, you are surrounded by monsters, you arrived with one" Cora laughed wickedly and missed it when tearful emerald eyes filled with hard defiance.
"Regina is not a monster. She saved me. She's a hero". Emma said challengingly, her words full of belief. Regina's body started to shake as panic set it, no one spoke to the Queen like that and survived. This situation had rapidly spiralled out of her control. Cora's laughter abruptly died at Emma's declaration, her face filling with dark rage as she bolted upright and used her magic to place a tight hold on Emma's neck raising her slightly off the floor as she began to slowly magially squeeze Emma's throat until she couldn't breath.
"What did you say?"Cora growled dangerously.
"Mother, please don't" Regina pleaded in a desperate whisper like the frightened 12yr old girl she used to be. Cora immediately snapped her attention to Regina releasing the stranglehold she had on Emma as she turned to face her daughter. Emma feel ungraciously onto the floor her throat burning as she struggled to regain her breath. The room was suddenly filled with an almighty crack as Cora smacked Regina across the face, knocking her to the floor and causing blood to spill from her lip. Cora looked at her daughter with an angry disappointment, that Regina had seen so many times before.
"Begging is beneath people like us Regina" Cora ground out irritably. "We take what we want, and right now I want this pathetic excuse for a daughter out on my sight, and take that blonde whore with you while I consider what to do. Mark my words Regina, if you make one more wrong move I will not hesitate to give your whore to my huntsman to play with" Cora smirked with wicked intent. "I expect to see you at dinner, I will inform you of my decision then. Now get out of my sight" Cora said dismissively and turns back to sit on her throne.
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As soon as she was dismissed Regina leapt up from the floor and hastily fled the throne room dragging Emma firmly with her, they didn't stop until they reached Regina's personal chambers on the other side of the castle. When they reached the doors to Regina's chambers she pulled Emma through so forcefully that she ended up losing her balance and landed in a heap on the floor whilst Regina slammed the door behind them.
"Have you any idea what you've just done" Regina growled angrily. Emma looked up from the floor, those warm chestnut eyes she knew were filled with a rage and darkness that Emma had never seen before. She was honestly terrified in that moment as she was finally seeing the monster behind the legend of the Dark Commander and not the Regina that she knew.
"Regina, I'm sorry, I didn't, I mean I couldn't help it." Emma blurted in a panic. "I was trying to defend you". Regina could see the fear in Emma's eyes and her heart ached a little but she's still to consumed by her rage to react to it, stalking into Emma's personal space, hauling the obviously terrified young woman to her feet.
"I do not need defending, not by anyone and certainly not by you" Regina spits out menancingly into Emma's face and drops her to the floor again. Inside Regina a war is raging her self control falling to keep her inner monster in check so with all her strength Regina turned and began to walk away before she did anymore harm.
"Cora's right, I am a monster, always have been and I always will be" Regina growled out full of self loathing as she hit the door in frustration.
"I don't believe that" Emma says with so much certainity that Regina almost believes her, but she doesnt. Not yet.
"Then your a fool" Regina bites back as she moved to open the door. "I will return just before dinner, I'll have one on the maids sent up to prepare you a bath" Regina snaps irritably not sure who she was more angry with, herself or Emma and storms out the door, slamming it shut behind her.
For a long time Emma just sits staring at the door scared and shell shocked. It was like none of it had really happened, like she was watching all these things happen to someone else. For the first time since meeting Regina, she had felt scared of the woman and she wasn't really sure how she felt about that. It was like Regina was two people, her Regina; the woman who rescued her, cared for her and the woman Emma was sure that her heart belonged to and then was the Dark Commander, scary and unforgiving, a monster created from darkness and pure evil. But the fact of the matter was that they were both the same person and Emma knew she couldn't have one without the other. Her head told her to flee, to escape from the darkness inside Regina and the threat of what the Dark Queen was going to do with her but her heart and soul told her she had to stay, to fight for the woman she loved and help set Regina on a new path, because even the evilest deeds can be redeemed by true love and maybe just maybe that was the connection they felt.
Emma suddenly felt very sleepy, she was both emotionally exhausted and tired from their journey to the castle, as she got up and laid down on the soft bed in Regina's bedchamber only thing that she knew for certain, was that she couldn't leave and in a way she never could, she was tied to Regina forever no matter how dangerous it was.
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Regina decided to head for the training ground to blow off some steam, between her mother and Emma they had provoked her inner rage to a level she had not felt in a long time and subconsciously tightened the metal bracelet around her wrist. On her way to the training ground Regina stopped off in the servants apartments to look for Granny, the head cook. Granny was a kind lady but could be a formidable enemy if you found yourself on her wrong side. Granny had cared more for Regina than anyone else had her entire life, granny had witnessed all her pain and suffering at the hands of the mother and every cruel and twisted path of fate, that caused Regina to become the monster she was and yet loved her still. To Regina Granny was a constant slither of red in her blackened heart. It didn't take long to find her as she was nearly always in the kitchens and today was no different.
"Hello, Granny" Regina said as she walked over to where the old woman was rolling out pastry on the table. The old woman stopped what she was doing and looked Regina over with an intense scrutiny that Regina was so used to seeing, but with Granny it always came from a place of care.
"You've lost weight" Granny chided gently. Regina looked down at herself and realised Granny was right her clothes were a little baggier than they were the last time she was at the castle a few months ago.
"I guess I missed your cooking" Regina said with a small grin which made the old woman let out a small chuckle, before nodding in agreement.
"I'm glad to see you made it back in one piece this time. Now what do I owe for this unexpected visit ?" Granny said kindly but knew Regina was unlikely to be here without reason.
"I was hoping you could send one of the maids up to my rooms to prepare a bath for the young woman who is staying with me and attend to anything else she needs". Regina replied somewhere between an order and a request. Granny raised a curious eyebrow it was unusual for Regina to give her orders even though she had every right too.
"Ah, yes. I heard you returned with someone, the castle is abuzz with gossip over your new pet and how the upset and angry the Queen is about it" Granny said with interest.
"Emma is no pet !" Regina snapped although immediately regretted her outburst, she really needed to stab things.
"I can see that" Granny replied understandingly, if somewhat a little surprised but it was the knowing smirk that followed that made Regina shift with unease. How could this woman possibly know or understand anything she felt for Emma when Regina still wasn't completely sure herself.
"I won't have people gossiping about something that is untrue" Regina said trying to cover her outburst.
"Of course you wouldn't because everything people say about you is true isn't it?" Granny replied challengingly with a gentle fire in her eyes. Regina just sighed and gave up, it was pointlessly trying to hide anything from Granny.
"I just don't want Emma hurt or damaged anymore than she has to be, she doesn't deserve any of this" Regina said with a bitter tone as she waved her hand, gesturing around her.
"Neither did you" Granny replied gently knowing it would likely provoke Regina's anger. Regina shot Granny one of her infamous death glares.
"This isn't about me" Regina bit back with venom. Granny just shrugged dismissively and effectively cutting off her own line of conversation.
"I'll send one of the maids up shortly" Granny said as turned her attention back to the pastry on the table. Regina nodded in thanks and then started to leave but when she reached the doorway a sudden thought struck her like a slap in the face.
"Please could you not send Ariel or Belle or TInk for that matter" Regina asked nervously. It was no secret around the castle that Regina often used the maids as an outlet for both her physical and emotional needs, victims of the darker aspects of herself but she wanted those things kept secret from Emma for as long as possible, and when the time did eventually come she had no idea how she was going to explain them. Granny was no fool she knew why Regina didn't want those three anywhere near Emma and although she had half a mind to decline Regina's request as Regina had only herself to blame for her actions, the way in which Regina spoke about the young woman told Granny that she was important and the only thing Granny truly wished for was for Regina to find love and happiness.
"Elsa should be back from the orchard soon, I shall send her straight up when she arrives" Granny said with a warmly and knew she'd done the right thing when Regina's face softened as she gave Granny a thankful and relieved smile. "Now get off with you, I'm sure you have more interesting things to be doing than watching me make apple tarts" Granny said dismissively and with an accepting nod, Regina resumed her mission and headed for the training yards.