Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Once Upon a Time.
Author's Note: Here's a fairly short chapter for you. Since finals are now over (thank goodness!) I should be able to post more often. Enjoy, and as always, R & R!
I so enjoy your comments :)
Emma woke early in the morning. Well, it was early for her. It was almost eight o'clock. She stretched her arms above her head, enjoying the last time she would be in the most comfortable bed in the world. Her brow furrowed when she began to hear excited whinnying from out her window.
She stood up and stretched her legs, walking over to the glass. Outside she saw a collection of white and black horses, all running about in a massive paddock. How she hadn't seen it the day before, she would never know. Before she left the window, she saw the form of her son walking up to the fence and patting a white horse on the muzzle.
Emma quickly dressed herself in her usual ensemble and ran down the stairs, narrowly avoiding some of the newly-awakened woodland creatures. She walked briskly outside, but Andrew stood in her way of her son. "Walk slowly, Emma. Horses don't like it when you run up to them."
Emma nodded and slowed her pace. "Henry, why are you out here? We're going to leave now."
"But Emma, look! This one likes me. Andrew says her name is Epona."
Emma looked to Andrew, who nodded and said to her, "She's a Lipizzaner mare. As I recall, your father has an affinity for picking fine horses, like Epona. He had one identical to her back home." He punctuated his statement with a loving pat to the horse's neck.
"Do you think I could ride one, Emma? Can I?" Henry asked, running his hand through the mare's mane.
"I don't know…" said Emma, looking desperately to Andrew for help.
With a good-natured smile he replied, "He can ride one, with my help, of course. I know how much you wanted to leave for Regina's house, but I think Henry has another idea on how he wishes to spend the day. I can get you a horse, too. Both of your parents were great warriors astride horses."
"Yeah! Come on, Emma. We can go back to town later. Can we ride horses?"
"Sure, but we have to go home later, okay? All your clothes are at your, er, at Regina's house."
"Okay. Let's go ride!"
Andrew set them up on a couple of bay mares. These weren't the show horses they had seen outside, but they were beautiful in their own ways. They both had even, smooth gaits and went slow enough that Henry could hold on. Emma was a little more reserved with her riding, but Henry kicked his mare straight into a trot, nearly falling off, and enjoying every minute of it.
When Emma had grown more used to being on a horse, Andrew decided they should go on a ride around the grounds. Before they could leave the paddock, however, a massive ebony black horse came galloping over to greet Andrew.
With a chuckle, Andrew reached up and patted the massive equine on the neck. "This is Orgetorix. He's Armina's prized Friesian stallion. He's got a brilliant mind, but I think only the Queen of Beasts can handle him. The King, well, I've never been able to ride him. I think he likes her better."
Andrew saddled up a Morgan gelding and led them around the grounds. They passed by some of the former gypsies turned subjects of the Beast Queen. The grounds really were beautiful Emma had to admit it: the queen did have style.
~Meanwhile~
Armina sat in her study, reading through old magick books, trying to find a way to reverse the transportation curse that had brought them here. She already knew that she needed Regina to complete the last part of the prophecy. At that thought, she got out of her chair and walked over to her bookshelf. Finding an ancient-looking book with aged leather binding, she went back and sat down. Gingerly she opened the book to examine the pages of the prophecy given to her by the Sibyl of the Wild Forests.
Armina read the book quietly to herself. "When the world of old ceases to exist, three queens shall rise. The Good Queen, the Evil Queen, and the Indifferent shall rise from the ashes of the world. The Good shall defeat the Evil through the Indifferent, and free those under the Evil's oppressive reign. The Evil shall serve the Good, but not without the third queen, who shall be the catalyst through which the world will be spared." She read the Latin without a second thought; it was second nature.
Armina took in the words, and continued. "The Evil shall be most easy to find. She shall hold the power over the land, and shall hold great magick. The Good shall be equally as easy. She shall be called Fairest of Them All, and she shall have many to help her. The Indifferent will know who she is, but shall not declare it until the time permits. She shall be the most difficult to find. When the three reverse the spell, this sibyl promises all will be well."
She shut the book and rested her face in her hands, willing the headache that plagued her to go away. The evil of Regina's magick was an unanticipated issue, but it was easily fixable with a little quiet and meditation.
The sounds of leather boots coming down the hall made her panic and shove the prophecy into one of the desk drawers. She sat up a little straighter, and waited as the boots stopped at her door.
The door opened and revealed the human Rumpelstiltskin, wearing clothes appropriate for hiking. He had on blue jeans and a button-down shirt coupled with the aforementioned hiking boots on his feet. He gave her a slight bow. "I have come to ask if I should start looking for Regina now," he said, his charming brogue still around from his time as Mr. Gold.
"You may go, but I probably should inform you that I confronted her last night in the depths of the forest. She has little more than half her power left; I took the rest. She will be weaker, but she's still stronger than a normal human man," Armina explained.
"I think I can handle her, my queen. After all, I do have to prove my worth to you," he said with a smile. "I thank you for being so…gracious to us last night. In my past experience with your majesty, we were less than…cordial with each other. Why the change of heart?"
"Who says I've had a change of heart? I do what I must to get what I want. I want Regina caught, and I'm much too busy finding a way to reverse the transportation spell to go looking for her. You know her habits, Rumpelstiltskin, and I know you can track her. You know how much of a manipulative beast I can be, Rumple."
"You have an awful lot of faith in me to be doing this, your majesty. I don't think I can really trust you."
"You shouldn't. Never trust me, Rumple. You know better than that."
He gave her an unsure half smile, than bowed again. "I'll…go catch a witch, then."
"Yes you shall. Don't disappoint me, Rumpelstiltskin."
He nodded and backed out of her study, promptly shutting the door behind him. He would catch Regina. He was the only one Armina trusted to be able to catch the little snake. Regina was fast, but she was predictable. If anyone knew her habits, it would be Rumple, and Armina counted on that.