A/N: So I've decided to post longer chapters 2x a week instead of shorter chapters every 2 days ! Hope that's cool, let me know what you think ! Hope your all enjoying the story... We still have a long way to go ! Reviews are always welcome. Enjoy ! DM x

Trigger warning: mild torture

Chapter 7

Cora was sitting in her study, her huntsman lay chained, bleeding and unconscious at her feet. She had been debating what to do about the whole Regina, Emma and the Duke situation for most of the afternoon and her huntsman had born the brunt of her indescison. She had thought initially just to give the girl back to the Duke and be done with it but after seeing Regina's reaction and the fact that Regina had begged for Cora to spare the girl all she really wanted to do was punish Regina for that reaction.

Cora let out a heavy sigh, she really didn't need this now not with the annual offering and festival in two days time, that's when the most cruel, twisted and malious punishment for Regina sprang to her mind.

"Mirror" Cora snapped and almost immediately the genie appeared before her in the large ornate mirror across from her desk.

"Yes my Queen" Came the deep voice of her once lover, now just a prisoner and her slave.

"Get me the Duke of the northern borders" Cora commanded, to which the genie instantly disappeared only to be replaced by the Duke a few moments later.

"How can I be of assistance your majesty" The Duke said with hesitant curiosity.

"Sir James, I believe I have found a solution to this dispute between yourself and the Commander" Cora said authoritively. "It appears that the Commander has taken quite a liking to this blonde so I would like to offer you my innocent in exchange".

"Your innocent ?" James asked with obvious confusion to which Cora merely rolled her eyes at his lack of understanding.

"Yes, my innocent. The girl who was to be the offering at the festival of Baccas and believe me my lord, she is of a much better quality than the one you have lost" Cora spat out angrily, angered by what she's having to give away just to teach her daughter yet another important life lesson.

"Your terms seem acceptable" The Duke replied sensing that refusing the Queen's solution wasn't a viable option. Cora nodded and smiled deviously.

"Thank you for your cooperation Sir James. I will have the girl sent to you first thing in the morning" Cora said as she waved her hand dismissively and just like that the Duke was gone from the mirror and the genie reappeared in his place.

"Pardon me my Queen, but its unlike you to allow to let the Commander get away with this knight in shining armour routine" The genie asked cautiously.

"Oh, believe me my friend she isn't" Cora smirked with sinister glee and dismissed him with a wicked laugh. 'Did you really think I'd let you get away with this Regina?' Cora mused darkly as she looked down at her huntsman with distain, and gave him a good hard kick which caused the semi conscious man to groan before her wicked laughter was the only thing left to be heard.

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Emma was roused from tormented dreams about the Duke, Cora and who Regina really was by a loud, sharp knocking on the door to the bedchamber.

"Excuse me miss but you really should rise" Came the young sweet voice of Elsa, one of the castle maids, from the other side of the door. Emma sat up rubbing her eyes at the blinding midday sun before stretching out her stiff muscles and eyeing her surroundings curiously. Regina's room was as luxurious as any bedchamber you would expect to find in the castle and yet it was almost Spartan in appearance, it seemed to lack life and emotion, it felt cold. Emma was pulled from her thoughts by the unfamiliar voice once more.

"Miss, you really need to rise now" Elsa tried again.

"I'm up, you can come in" Emma said fee!ing somewhat uncomfortable talking to the unknown woman through a thick oak door.

"I beg your pardon miss, but no one is allowed to enter the Commander's bedchamber without her express permission" Elsa replied alarmed by Emma's suggestion.

"Oh" Emma said as she hopped out of bed, rushed across the room and opened the door startling Elsa in the process who nearly dropped the fresh towels she was carrying. "Sorry about that" Emma said apologetically as she placed her hand on Elsa arm in a placating gesture.

Elsa froze at the contact, she hadn't been at the castle long but long enough to be wary of those who the Commander took to her bedchamber. Emma immediately removed her hand from Elsa's arm and looked at her sheepishly, confused as to why such a simple gesture provoked such a reaction from the young maid. Elsa mentally shook herself and pulled herself together before speaking again.

"The Commander sent me to attend to your needs, I have prepared you a bath and some fresh clothes should be arriving soon" Elsa informed the blonde nervously. Emma felt confused, in comparison to everyone else Emma had met at the castle so far, Elsa appeared to be a nice, normal girl but was thrown by the way her behaviour seemed genuinely scared and a littlee stand-offish. Emma accepted the towels that the girl was nervously thrusting in her direction to which Elsa gave her a small grateful smile.

"I shall go and get your lunch miss, is thier anything else you require" Elsa asked hesitantly, looked to leave again as fast as she could.

"I don't think so" Emma said thoughtfully and just like that Elsa was gone leaving Emma asking the door to call her Emma. As Emma slowly adjusted to the shock of Elsa's hasty departure she slowly made her way towards the bath chamber. She couldn't help but think about the maids strange behaviour, Emma had always had the ability to get a sense of people very quickly and she felt that Elsa was in fact a nice, kind natured, sweet young girl probably only a few years younger the herself, a girl who probably needed a friend in this place just like her and Elsa probably felt exactly the same way Emma felt, like a tuna fish swimming amongst sharks.

Emma pondered this as she sat in the tub, she felt out of her depth. The last few weeks had been scary and intense and for the first time Emma found herself truly missing the comfort of home but she felt tied to Regina, like it was her destiny, she couldn't leave not yet anyway. Emma also felt that Elsa's strange behaviour had something to do with Regina, something she wasn't clued in on. Ever since she had arrived at the castle, Emma felt that she was missing a huge bit of castle life, like she was being sheltered from it, what was it that everyone was hiding from her and more importantly what was it that Regina was trying to protect her from. It was like a jigsaw puzzle without all the pieces. Emma decided that Elsa was probably the best way to find out what it was that Regina was so desperate to keep hidden. Regina herself had always acted a little strange around her ever since they met a few days ago but Regina's deflective behaviour had become even more extreme since they had arrived at the castle, but first she needed to test out her theory about Elsa.

When Emma eventually got out of the bath, she found fresh clothes waiting for her. As she dressed she heard someone moving about in the sitting room and assumed it was Elsa returning with food. Emma's stomach growled at that thought, Emma loved her food and she felt like she was starving so headed into the sitting room.

"Jesus. Who's coming to join us" Emma exclaimed as she saw the mountain of food Elsa was currently laying out on the table.

"Excuse me miss, I'm not sure I understand?" Elsa replied confused by Emma's reaction. Emma hadn't seen so much food in all her life, even back home the three of them wouldn't be able to eat it all and her dad's love of food was one they shared.

"Is this just for me?" Emma asked disbelievingly.

"Yes miss but if you want something else I'll have it cooked and sent up" Elsa replied quickly hoping she hadn't offended the mysterious blonde with her choices.

"No, no it's not that, its just isn't this rather alot for just one person, there's no way I could eat all of that" Emma said quietly, quickly realising this was probably normal in the castle and her reaction to it wasn't helping to put the young maid at ease. "Would you like to join me?" Emma asked hopefully but Elsa just shook her head polietly in response. Emma decided to go out on a limb and test her theory about the young maid.

"Please, I insist there's far too much food for just me" Emma said in her friendliest tone, the moment she saw Elsa begin to reconsider her refusal, Emma added jokingly "You don't want me to tell the Commander you refused me do you ?". Emma realised her mistake the moment Elsa froze, Emma had never seen anyone look so scared in all her life and immediately tried to rectify her mistake.

"Hey, its OK I was only joking, look its fine honestly, please go if you have too" Emma said apologetically and was relieved when the young maid began to relax a little. "But I really can't eat all of this and I would really enjoy the company" Emma said pleadingly with sincerity in her eyes.

"I can stay for a little while, but then I really must get back to the kitchens" Elsa said weakly and Emma smiled brilliantly at her, making Elsa relax immensely.

"Good, I kind of feel a little lost and alone right now" Emma said truthfully as she gestured towards the chairs. Both blondes sat down and began filling thier plates but Emma could tell that Elsa was still feeling slightly scared and very uncomfortable so decided if she truly wanted Elsa to be her friend then perhaps she needed to offer up a bit of herself first, so she started with the truth.

"Please don't be scared of me, I mean you no harm, I'm just looking for a friend" Emma said staring at her plate. Elsa could hear the truthful desparation in Emma's voice but before she could reply Emma continued. "I just feel so lost right now, two weeks ago I was just a normal girl starting life out on her own now I'm being held at the Dark Castle, not sure if I'm a guest or a prisioner. I feel as if I've been thrust into a world I was unprepared for, I'm scared, I'm lonely, nobody talks to me, I feel like everyone is hiding this massive secret I'm not allowed in on and the Commander is..." Emma ranted tears now flowing freely and small sobs breaking out from her chest. "The Commander is, I don't know what the Commander is, is she kind, is she the hero that saved my life" Emma sighed into her plate but raising her head to look Elsa dead in the eyes before finishing "Or is she the monster everyone tells me she is?" Emma asked, her gut telling her she didn't really want to know the answer.

All Elsa's walls came tumbling down at the sight of the now distraught young woman sat opposite her and in that moment knew they had found at a friend in one another. Elsa wasn't sure Emma actually wanted an answer to her question and in all honesty didn't have one anyway.

"I'm not sure how to answer that" Elsa said as she reached out and took Emma's hand with reassuring smile, which was enough for Emma to start regaining some of her composure. "I've only been here a few months" Elsa began. "And for most of that time the Commander has been out on patrol" She added not really knowing how to comfort Emma.

"But you've heard stories, you must have?" Emma asked hopefully.

"Like I said I haven't been here very long but long enough to know and witnessed enough cruelty and suffering to last a lifetime" Elsa said quietly aware that the walls could hear. "The Queen is dangerous Emma and the Commander is her weapon" Elsa stated watching as Emma started to draw her own conclusions and saw the fear Emma felt with that statement. "Emma please listen to me. I have seen the depths of the Queen's cruel, twisted and sadistic ways of getting what she wants, and her unwavering thirst for power" Elsa said taking a solemnn breath before continuing, "She's relentless, unforgiving, malicious and manipulative and you should be scared of her if she has taken an interest in you, and I doubt even the Commander would defy her" Elsa said honestly fearfulful about what the Dark Queen wants with her newfound friend.

Emma sighed. "To be honest I don't know what either of them wants from me, part of me wants to run so I don't have to find out but a bigger part of me feels bound to the woman who saved my life, I kind of feel that I need to stay to see where this connection I feel with the Commander will take me and where it all ends" Emma replied solemnly.

"Running wouldn't do any good anyway" Elsa intercedes. "If the Queen wants something from you then she will have it whether you run or not. When her huntsman escaped she burnt down the entire Dark forest to find him, then ripped out his heart so he could never disobey her again" Elsa said knowing full well she wasn't making the situation any better, but knew the blonde needed some truth.

"I heard rumours that she could magically rip out people's hearts but I never really believed it" Emma said curiously..

"She can I've seen it" Elsa replied praying that was not what the Queen intended to do to Emma. The rest of lunch was filled with an awkward silence as neither woman knew what to say. It was long before Elsa started to clear way the dishes,

"I really must get back now, but I will return later to help you dress for dinner" Elsa said with a kind smile as she made her way towards the door.

"Thank you" Emma replied as she followed Elsa to the door. "For everything" Emma said sincerely as she opened the door for the maid. Elsa just nodded and hurried off down the corridor her arms full of dishes. But as Emma tried to move out into the corridor to see her off she was stopped by two guards who were posted outside Regina's chambers.

" I'm sorry miss but the Commander has ordered that you are to remain confined to her quarters" One of the men said irritably. Emma just huffed and retreated back inside.

Once she was back inside she went and sat by the fire while she contemplated what the Queen was likely to do about the Duke situation. She thought that maybe she would be better off being returned to the Duke because if she she wasn't, what was the Queen going to do with her and could Regina protect her from it it even if she wanted to.

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The late afternoon sun was unrelenting as it shone down fiercely upon Regina and her sparring partner Ruby, both women watching each other cautiously waiting for the next attack. Ruby lunged forward with a body shot which Regina deflected easily before countering Ruby's next attack with a side step and a glancing strike which knocked the sword clean from Ruby's hand, the next thing Ruby knew she was looking at the sky with Regina's sword at her throat her face smirking with victory. As Regina stepped back, Ruby still continued to lie on the floor exhaustion finally winning out for a few moments before raising herself to her elbows and looked at Regina expectantly.

"OK, so we've been at this for hours now. Are you going to tell me what's really going on, or are we going to keep pretending that you need the practice" Ruby probed gently.

"It's nothing maybe you just can't handle the pace anymore, wolf " Regina snapped slightly unprepared for the question, she had been in her own thoughts most of the day, her anger from earlier only slightly dissipated by the sparring. She still hadnt got a clue what to do either and that kept her distracted. Regina knew who she was, or thought she was. Why did she care about Emma and why did she care what happened to her?. It just wasn't like her, why did she save Emma from the Duke? The truth is, there was a time when she herself had often done what the Duke attempted. What was it that this blonde had over her? Regina kept thinking back to her encounter with the blue fairy.

"Commander ?" Ruby said trying to pull Regina back from wherever the hell she was. "Commander" Ruby tried again, but still nothing. "Regina" Ruby said loudly, knowing that should get her attention. It did but all it earned her was a death glare. "Look I know were a bit complex, but I still like to think you can talk to me, if you want to" Ruby said cautiously, knowing she was treading into dangerous territory in regards to Regina's ever so extreme personal boundary issues.

Regina knew she should of let Ruby become her friend years ago but despite what she thought Regina still kept the wolf at arms length, although if Regina really thought about it Ruby was still the closest thing Regina had to a friend other than Daniel and perhaps Mulan but neither one of them was here. Her army should be arriving tomorrow but still hadn't received word as to which time of day. Maybe Regina did need to get everything of her chest, she felt so weighed down by her lack of understanding maybe outside perspective was what she needed.

"Not here" Regina said firmly. Ruby jumped to her feet, thrilled yet surprised by Regina's acceptance. It was probably only the second time Regina had ever accepted her offers to listen or talk too despite how many times she had offered. Regina quietly lead them back through the training yards, depositing their weapons as they did so. Then through the courtyard and out towards the gardens and it wasn't long before they found themselves by Regina's favourite apple tree. Regina sat down by its base, closed her eyes and let out a wistful sigh. The tree reminded Regina of happier and much less darker times, back when she was a child and her stepfather was still alive and it always seemed to relax her somehow. Cracking open one eye, Regina saw Ruby still standing looking awkward, and gestured for her to sit, which Ruby did without hesitation.

"What I am about to tell you must not be repeated to anyone" Regina said staring Ruby straight in the eyes until her wolf gave her a small nod of understanding. "About four months ago...". Regina began. She told Ruby about her attempted suicide and its intervention from fate via the blue fairy. She told Ruby how the blue fairy had told her about a young blonde woman who would be Regina's salvation, lead her on a path of redemption and help Regina slay her own darkness. Then five days ago, Emma walked into that tavern. Regina told Ruby what had happened that night with the Duke and how Regina saved her life and so much more. She told Ruby about how they were summoned by the Queen and how the Duke was demanding Emma's return. Now she was waiting on her mother's desicison. "..and the only thing I do know is that I feel bound to Emma like no one else before and if i'm truly honest and was to believe what the blue fairy said is true, then I just feel that Emma was the blonde she was talking about, I'm almost sure of it" Regina finished with certainty. Ruby just sat there in a shocked almost catatonic state her mind rapidly trying to process everything Regina had told her and confessed too.

"Are you just going to sit there gawking at me or are you going to say something" Regina snapped irritably. She had just bared her soul and Ruby was looking at her like she had grown two heads. Ruby opened and closed her mouth a few times like a goldfish as her brain tried to form words. "This was a complete waste of time" Regina spat bitterly and began to get to her feet. Ruby finally snapped out of her trance and reached out grabbing hold of Regina's arm to stop her leaving.

"No, wait" Ruby practically shrieked. Regina just glared at the invasive and offending hand on her arm causing Ruby to throw her hands up in immediate surrender. "Look, I'm sorry, its just, its just a lot to take in, you know?!" Ruby said gently with guilt in her eyes, Regina just sighed and sat back down.

"State the obvious why don't you" Regina said with disappointment, she had hoped Ruby would have so answers but then again she had hoped she would of had some too by now. They sat there in what seemed like a never ending silence until Ruby finally spoke,

"So let me get this straight, the blue fairy told you that this girl Emma was your happy ending and would help you become something more than you are now?" Ruby said choosing her words carefully.

"Didn't I just say that" Regina irritably, as the wolf was just rehashing what she had already said.

"Yeah, it a really long winded kinda way !" Ruby joked trying to ease the tension that filled the air. Regina just rolled her eyes disapprovingly.

"If you've got anything to say will you please just get on with it, for the sake of my own sanity" Regina sighed with annoyance, relaxing slightly at Ruby's attempt at humour.

"Well if I was you and emma was my chance at happiness I'd grab it with both hands and never let go no matter what the cost was" Ruby said like it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"Well your not me and your don't have the Dark Queen as your mother" Regina snapped, it wasn't that easy, it would never be that easy.

"True, I don't have a mother remember" Ruby shot back angrily, Regina's comment stirring painful memories deep within, pain inflicted by the Dark commander.

"Mind your place, wolf. I spared your life that day" Regina said sternly, effectively shutting the door on that particular conversation. Ruby knew she shouldn't of brought the subject up as soon as the words fell from the mouth, the memories were just as painful for both of them.

"Look the only thing that matters right now is what Cora decides to do about the Duke's demands. Once you know that answer maybe the rest will be easier to figure out. But I will say this" Ruby paused to check she still had Regina's attention. "If Emma makes you happy, then don't give up on it, fight to keep it God knows you deserve some" Ruby said sincerely, she really did mean every word. She wanted Regina to be happy, there was a time were she thought she was the one to do that but it just never played out that way.

"And mother ?" Regina asked. "She will never let me be truly happy you know that" Regina said with sad honesty.

"Well we will figure that bit out when we get to it, first let's wait to hear her decision at dinner" Ruby said with an air of finality as that was all the advice she could think to give right now. "Speaking of which we should probably head back you don't want to be late" Ruby said as she got to her feet.

"Now why would I want to miss yet another life altering desicison made on my behalf by my own mother. Look at what she's accomplished already" Regina said with self defacating mockery.

"Yeah she certainly puts the evil in evil Queen, she's done some pretty fucked up shit over the years, especially to you" Ruby said compassionately.

"You don't even know the half of it" Regina said bitterly her eyes filled with shame and guilt, and got up before the two of them silently made thier way back inside.