MERRY CHRISTMAS SWANQUEENERS!

Emma barely had any time to process what was happening before she saw her father lift his sword in the air to strike Regina. The blonde screamed and lunged at her father, grasping for the handle of the sword. "Daddy, no!" Emma shouted, practically climbing onto the man's back, truly not caring that she was barely clothed and defending the one person her parents truly despised. "Don't hurt her!" Emma added, beating against her father's back as she tried to keep him away from Regina. Charming shoved Emma off of his frame, and went straight for the Queen; who was scrambling from the bed in an attempt to dodge his attacks.

It was moments later that Snow White heard a commotion from down the hall, quickly she rushed out of her room and to the sounds. "Oh my, Emma… Emma leave the room, hurry! It's her, it's the Evil Queen, Emma go!" Snow White shouted at the top of her lungs.

He grabbed Regina by the hair and slammed her against the wall, electing a loud shriek from her lips. She wouldn't use her magic though. She wanted to fight for Emma. The king put the sword against her throat, not enough to cut her.

"No, I won't go." Emma shouted at her mother as she picked herself up off the ground. "You don't understand… Y-you can't hurt her!" Emma shouted once again before bursting out into tears.

"What did you do to my daughter?" He hissed. "What spell do you have her under"
Regina shook her head, swallowing hard. "I didn't do anything to her."

"You're lying!" Charming screamed in her face, pressing the sword a bit more, causing Regina to gasp and tense in slight pain.

"Daddy there isn't any spell!" Emma pleaded. "I'm not under a spell, I haven't even really seen her use magic! Just stop, please! Daddy, I-I don't want you to hurt her!" Emma screamed, crying as she made her way over to the man. Trying to grab the arm that held the sword once more. "Gina go… Go if you can and I'll find you." Emma added, looking to the woman whom she now knew that she loved.

Snow rushed over to Charming as well and grabbed his other arm. "Charming, stop this. This isn't how we handle things, she needs to be formally punished for her crimes. She was banished and still decided to enter our Kingdom - and tomorrow she will be executed, just take her to the cells." Snow said rather calmly, always having been calm under pressure. "Emma, darling, please you can't think anything she says is the truth, if this woman has led you to believe she feels for you it's only a trick… She's evil, you'll understand one day why we have to do this…" Snow spoke once again to Emma who merely shot her an angry glance.

"Gina go… Please, I don't want them to hurt you, I can't let them kill you…" Emma spoke to the brunette as she cried. The blonde then mouthed the words she had wished to say the first night she and Regina had spent together. "I love you."

Charming let down the sword, but gripped Regina's arm hard and pulling her from the wall. She looked at Emma and whispered, "I love you too." Just then two guards came into the room, both grabbing one of her arms and proceeding to pull the queen from the room roughly, their hands practically bruising her arms on contact.

Charming huffed, turning his gaze from the guards as they left to face Emma. "Your mother is right. Regina's evil and deserves what she'll get. You're too young to understand, but understand this - she does not have feelings for you, she's seduced you; brainwashed you even." The prince snapped, returning his sword to his sheath as he put his arm around his wife's shoulders.

Emma shook her head. "You don't know that, you can't… You weren't there, you know nothing about me or my feelings for her… You know nothing about her! She's not evil!" Emma shouted at her father, moving quickly to slap him across the face.

"Emma, don't!" Snow shouted. "You cannot speak to us this way!" she added, glaring at her child.

Emma shook her head once again. "If you kill her, you might as well kill me too, because I won't be too far behind. I love her and that's all there is to it. I love Regina and there isn't anything you can do about it… H-how can you stand there and deny me of love? Of what you and Momma share? How dare you keep us apart like this?" Emma began to cry once again.

"What you and her share is NOT love!" Charming yelled, his anger full force after being slapped. "It is not real! Not only is that woman evil, she is a WOMAN Emma and we will not allow this! We should have had the Evil Queen executed years ago and tomorrow morning, it will be done." The prince snapped. "And you? You'll be staying in here until it's done so!" Charming motioned for Snow to exit the room, the man following suit and locking the princess's door from the outside.

"No!' Emma screamed, moving to pound her fists against the wooden door; praying someone might hear her cries and free her. She collapsed to the floor after a few moments of doing so, crying out for Regina as she held her arms tightly around her torso. Fearing that she would never again see the brunette.

Half an hour later, the blonde composed herself and quickly dressed in trousers and a blouse before slipping on her boots. She then ripped the sheets from her bed along with the covers and pillow casings as well. After another half an hour, Emma had made herself a rope long enough to escape through her bedroom window, which she did so. After which, the blonde began to sneak around the castle in search for the woman she loved, hoping she wasn't caught trying to free Regina.

The Queen lay half awake in her cell, her arms and legs bruised from being moved around so roughly; half dressed in her underclothes, covered by a blanket. Her cheeks were tear stained, fearing not for her life, but for Emma's. She heard the oncoming running footsteps, and ignored them, not caring who was coming.

"Gina…" Emma whispered, entering the area to which her parents had cells for prisoners. Regina sat up upon realizing was the princess, and wrapped the blanket around herself. The blonde quickly avoided a guard before quickly grabbing a set of keys from a hook on the stone wall. "Gina, I'm getting you out of here." Emma added as she approached the cell, using one of the many large keys to unlock it; pulling open the cell door as fast as her strength allowed her. She extended her hand to the Queen, which she took. Emma held the woman close as Regina laid her hands upon her chest, kissing her passionality.

"Come on, we have to go now before they notice I'm missing." Emma added in a hushed tone of voice.

"We have to get out of the kingdom." She whispered back. "My magic doesn't work here, we need to get out of the kingdom."

The blonde then quickly swept Regina up into her arms and began to carry her towards the staff's exit. Knowing that most of her parent's servants were either busy or sleeping in their quarters. "We'll take my steed, I'll get you out, I promise." Emma whispered as she continued to carry Regina out of the castle and towards the stables in which her horse was placed inside.

After saddling her horse and readying it to leave, she caressed Regina's cheek lovingly, and smiled. "I love you." Emma said softly.

"I love you too." The Queen whispered in return. Her frame slightly shook from the cold air, and her lack of clothing; but the idea of being able to escape with her love, escape to a place without fear, warm her heart.

Just as loud outcries from the castle could be heard throughout the land, Emma knew then that they had very little time to escape. "W-we have to go now!" Emma said hurriedly before helping Regina onto the horse, and then climbing on afterwards.

"All we have to do is get out of the kingdom! If we can get to my castle, we're golden." She said in a raspy tone, tightening her arms around Emma's waist. She placed a small kiss upon the back of Emma's neck lovingly. "Thank you for saving me." Regina whispered again. "My white knight."

Emma smiled and tugged on the reins, causing her horse to jolt out of the stables and gallop away from the White Kingdom. She had nearly gotten them out and over the border before an arrow was fired and she felt the sting of pain in her side. Though she continued to force her horse to ride off. Not wanting this to be for nothing, not wanting her love to die because she couldn't handle being shot by a bow. It would not end like this, not for them. True love was stronger than an arrow; stronger than disapproving parents; and stronger than anything the would ever face.

"Regina… A-are we out yet?" Emma questioned as the pain began to consume her and her vision began to blur.

Regina waved her hand, and gasped happily as a new dress appeared on her frame. She quickly helped Emma stop the steed and dismount, magicking the arrow out of her side; healing her wound as fast as her magic would allow. "Yes, we are. My castle is just up the ridge. Come on!" She said hurriedly. She had one idea in her mind. An idea that could save both of them. She took Emma's hand in her own and in a plume of smoke, they appeared in Regina's enchantment room.

Emma clung to Regina, amazed at how quickly the pain had subsided. "Regina, h-how did you?" Emma asked, clutching her side for a moment before looking to the brunette. She shook her head. "I-I don't care, I'm here and I'm with you. That's all that matters." Emma added before quickly kissing the brunette, feeling a sense of safety and belonging.

Regina kissed her back, smiling lovingly. "Emma ..." she said quietly, pulling back. "It's not safe here anymore for us. Not just because you're the princess and I'm the evil queen, but ... because we're women. No matter what we do, we'll always be hunted. And that's no way to spend a life together. Now ... we don't have to do this, but I have a way out." Regina lifted her hand, opening her clenched fist quietly to show a small magic bean in her palm.