Dinner that evening was a quiet affair. There were no guests to entertain as the jousting tournament in a nearby town was still going on. The king was attending the last day so it was only Cora and her two daughters seated at the grand table.
"How are your dancing lessons going, sister?" Zelena asked.
Cora caught something in the way she spoke and narrowed her eyes at her other daughter.
"Fine" Regina replied without hesitation
"Do elaborate" Zelena added innocently
"Is something the matter?" Cora asked
"No, mother" Regina replied.
She desperately hoped Zelena had no more information on her than she did a couple of days ago. She was taunting her with the little she knew already.
"Zelena how is Sir Dorin getting along in the jousting?" Regina shot back.
Her sister's countenance fell. She would have no idea of course. Her interest in Sir Dorin only extended as far as his squire.
"Oh how you do jump around conversationally" Cora spoke before Zelena could.
She just glared at Regina who sliced her veal triumphantly. She could not have less of an appetite but appearances were important.
"I believe you rode again for the first time today, Regina" Cora changed the subject completely.
"Yes mother" Regina replied with a smile.
She remembered the brief exchange she had with a very flushed Lucy before taking Rocinante out that morning.
"M-Majesty" she had stammered "you, you haven't ridden in months"
"Yes Lucy, I'm well aware of that. How quickly can you have him saddled?" Regina asked as she took her riding hat and crop from the shelf they had lived on, unused for too long.
"He'll be ready in no time, miss. I was away to take him for a hack." She replied
"Do you have his bridle to hand?" Regina asked
"I'll get it, ma'am" she had practically ran to the storeroom to retrieve it.
Regina thought she heard whispers, but who else would have been there at that time of day? She cleared her throat and the whispers stopped.
"Here it is, miss." Lucy bound out of the room and passed it over with one hand. Regina noticed she was keeping her left hand behind her.
"Do you need anything else, miss?" she asked, blush creeping up her neck.
"Besides the horse?" Regina asked.
"Right" Lucy went to it.
"Is everything alright, dear?" Regina asked following her to her steed's stable. She glanced at the closed door to the bridle room as she passed and noticed Lucy grab a towel to wipe her hands as they went.
The thought that came to Regina's mind shocked her. It couldn't be. Had she just interrupted Lucy being intimate with someone while she was supposed to be working? Her mind leapt to her and Emma just moments ago. She supposed it was hypocritical of her to be as shocked as she was.
Before long she was on her horse and away. She felt more like herself than she had in weeks.
"Come on, Rocinante, let's go" and he broke into a gallop at her words.
"It was wonderful" she smiled genuinely. She always felt free when she rode. Cora seemed satisfied and Zelena, delightfully disappointed.
Emma turned on her toes to Pip's playful flute. He smiled as he played, watching her. She hadn't yet tied up her hair for the lesson and it bounced on her shoulders.
One hand on her hip and one straight by her side she skipped airily around the room, fluttering in every turn, until Pip broke into something livelier. She tapped and kicked in time, laughing as she went. She no longer flew, she stomped and clicked her heels in the air.
He sped up the rhythm in challenge and she met it, speeding up her measured footwork. This was their old game. Emma spun on the spot as she tapped the wooden beams and kicked the air. They sped up with each other and she laughed, raising her hands above her head.
The door to the room flew open with a crash. Pip continued playing as guards went straight for him.
Emma turned to him then froze on the spot. She couldn't move a muscle but for her eyes that looked frantically around.
"Get off me" Pip said as they shoved him towards the door.
Emma tried to shout his name but the sound was wrangled from her. She heard a smack as he hit the ground. The flute rolled past her on the floor.
She struggled with all her strength. A formless, almost animal noise issued from her as she watched him dragged from the room.
The Queen entered the room and Emma dropped to her knees gasping for air.
"Good morning, dear" Cora said cordially.
Emma tried to get up. Cora held her hand out and she was slammed into the floor again.
"No dear, no need to get up" she looked around the modest room.
"Pip" she said "that's a fairly common name, is it not?"
"Yes, Majesty" Emma said quietly, watching her from where she knelt on the floor.
"Tell me, what is it short for?" She asked
"Philip, ma'am" Emma replied
"Not Pippin?" Cora asked, circling Emma and coming back to stand in front of her.
"No ma'am" she said, fighting the instinct to keep her eyes on Cora at all times. She kept facing forwards.
"Not…Pinocchio?" she asked, lightly.
Oh no, oh no, oh no… Emma thought
"That's what I thought. Not your brother at all, is he? He doesn't have any family does he? Because he wasn't born, he was made" Cora stated.
Emma didn't speak. Cora seemed to be enjoying herself. She saw no reason to fight just yet, she didn't know what she wanted.
"There are any number of crimes I could try and hang Mr Pip on, if I wanted to give him a trial at all which at this point I would consider extremely charitable" she smiled at Emma.
"The thing is dear, my daughter has a very important ball coming up. She is going to secure her future and the future of this kingdom in one night, and bring honour to her family."
Emma's heart hurt.
"Yes dear, the life of royalty is not an easy one. I'm sure you know that, you have plenty of experience interacting with our class, do you not?" Cora asked
"Yes ma'am" Emma replied
"So you know nothing can ever come of my daughter's…interest in you" Cora fixed her eyes on her
Emma felt sick. She remembered the feel of Regina's lips on her own.
"A little girl's crush, dear, nothing more. But still, a little crush that could harm her chances of a profitable union. You see how it could turn into a big problem." Cora paused to take in the diminutive stance of her opponent
Emma's knees started to ached. She wanted to stand up and look into the eyes of the woman threatening her. The way she spoke about Regina sickened her. She wasn't a little girl, she was a grown woman for gods' sake.
"I know you are a professional. I have to say I admire a woman who can make something of herself. You have an exceptional talent and I would hate for all your hard work to go to waste." Cora said
That seemed genuine enough. Emma still didn't speak.
"Musicians, however are ten to a penny." Cora said
There it was. That was the threat. She was going to hold Pinocchio as her hostage, her insurance. Poor Pip.
"I'm sure you get my meaning, dear. I will release Mr Pip and absolve his crimes in this kingdom on the day of the ball. I don't want either of you here any longer than necessary. This is providing you hold up your end of the bargain of course." She smiled coldly
"Which is, ma'am?" Emma asked
"You will make no attempt to romantically engage with my precious little daughter, nor will you influence or interfere with her notions of the ball" Cora said "Or poor Mr Pip will be a real boy no more"
Emma tasted bile at the back of her throat. She swallowed it down and looked up at the Queen. She had a look in her eyes Emma had seen before. It was the look of someone holding all the cards. It was confident, arrogant and powerful.
"Don't you think that's fair?" she said
"I don't think it's necessary, ma'am" Emma said.
Cora smiled. It was sickening.
"Oh I do. And when you leave here I'll send you on with my highest recommendation. You'll be welcomed in any court in the land. All I'm asking for in return is a little…peace of mind."
Emma didn't trust herself to speak without being sick. The sound of Pip hitting the floor, the flute rolling away from him, Regina's scared, thrilling kiss from yesterday, all of this was spinning around her mind making her dizzy.
"You can take the day off, dear. Maybe head out to the stables, perhaps you could use a ride" Cora sneered.
Her eyes lingered on Emma, drinking in her victory. She'd taken everything from her in one fell swoop, pushed a pin right through her like a butterfly in a display case. And now was she threatening Lucy on top of everything else? How did she even know about that?
"M-Mother?" Regina's voice came from behind Cora.
"Oh you are punctual, darling. That's one thing you will always do better than your sister" Cora turned and for a moment Emma knew she was visible to Regina, kneeling pathetic on the floor.
Regina's eyes widened in fear and her snapped back to her mother.
"You have the day off from dancing dear, you need to be fitted for your ball gown." Cora put a hand on her shoulder and turned her around.
Emma felt Cora's will press down on her, she couldn't get up if she wanted to, and she didn't want to. She wanted to sink into the floor. She managed to look up far enough to catch Regina's concerned expression as she turned at the end of the corridor.
What must she have looked like to her? Emma heard the guards in the distance laugh.
The Queen seemed to be everything everyone said she was, and Emma had survived her first brush.
Poor Pip.