Chapter Five

Heartless (part one)

Days turned to weeks and weeks to months and months to years, but still Anya expected nothing from her queen. The young redhead aging gracefully to her awkward tween years, not quite a woman...but not quite a child either. Anya's magic had advanced greatly for her age, no doubt due to the magic in her blood...but still not quite where Regina wanted it.

"Where are we going Regina?" Anya called again as the queen led her further into the crisp green jungle. Flashing the black clad woman a lopsided grin, her ponytail swaying behind her as she tried to keep pace with the queen.

"We're almost there." Regina insisted, the blunt discomfort in her tone bringing Anya to a halt. There was something wrong, the girl could tell. Her mother was usually so cheerful around her...except for sometimes, when Anya could swear it was like she didn't recognize the girl but those days once few and far between had multiplied as of late, Anya watching as Regina distanced herself from the child. Something had to be wrong but she couldn't tell what.

"Maybe we could bring back a friend for Ivory?" Anya questioned, pushing a tree branch out of her way. "It's been so long since she's seen another rabbit." but her questions fell on deaf ears, her hope diminishing as the queen ignored her.

"Here is fine." the queen muttered as they came to a small clearing. Looking around, making sure no one was around.

"Is everything alright?"

"What? Yes of course, we're just here to practice." Regina confirmed a little too quickly, dusting off her dress. "Fire." Anya hesitated, earning a scalding look from the queen. "I said fire." Anya nodded, taking a deep breath before waving her arms, fire flying out at the tree tops, the leaves catching in the sparks, the scene before her beginning to collapse under the flames. "Air." like a trained dog Anya obeyed, another deep breath seemed to twist the wind of the meadow on itself, crushing weight snapped the trees, debris falling to the ground, the tree finally hitting the ground. The fire spreading. "Put it out." Anya attempted to obey, the wind picking up, concentrating intently on the orange flames her wind just blew them farther, spreading closer and closer to the fiery headed girl. Her heart beginning to pound furiously in her chest, the girl finally falling apart, abandoning magic and lifting her hands to shield her face from the heat.

Unable to put out the fire Regina stepped forward, a subtle snap of her fingers extinguishing the blazing inferno.

"We'll work on it." The Queen announced, reaching out a hand to help her up.

"I-I'm sorry." Anya stuttered. "I'll get it though I promise, just let me try again."

"It's alright today...I actually had another lesson in mind...a more advanced lesson, if you think you can handle it."

"Yes! Anything!" Anya exclaimed in excitement, her eyes bulging but instead of even smiling at her enthusiasm Regina got down on her knees, placing both hands on Anya's tiny shoulders.

"Anya...I need you to be honest. Do you trust me?" taken off guard by her question Anya hesitated, her emerald eyes searching Regina's in confusion, finding some sort of dread behind them.

"Y-yes of course. You saved my life, why wouldn't I trust you?"

"Then you must trust what I am about to do is for your own good." the queen replied, rising to her feet, a simple wave of her arm bringing a herd of rabbits rushing from their hiding spot within a nearby bush. Anya smiled, her joy short lived as Regina singled one out, trapping it with magic and pulling it forward, it's shaking and trembling form pathetic and scared.

"Anya..." The queen took a deep breath, bracing herself for the reaction to come. "I need you to rip out its heart."

Heartbreak struck her eyes, her soul shattering at the mention of the deed as the redhead stumbled away from the queen.

"What?" Anya cringed, staring shocked at the queen's face. "N-no...how could you ask me that?"

"Do it." the queen replied forcefully, holding the rabbit up to the child. "Anya, please...it's the next step in your training."

"No."

"It's for your own good Anya...I want you to be able to protect yourself." The queen lied, denying that, perhaps Anya was too young to take this step.

"No!" Anya screamed, getting worked up, her heart thundering in her chest. Who was this woman? Her queen would never have asked her to do this. She was always kind...firm but kind to her. Why would she even ask this of her?"

"I cannot continue to teach you magic if you don't do this." Regina reasoned, her plea falling on deaf ears.

"Fine." the child yelled back. "If this is the price then I don't need to learn magic." she surprised herself by yelling, magic was her freedom...but there was no way she could do what was asked of her. She ignored the obvious look of hurt in her mother's eyes. Watching her shattering heart reflected in her shimmering eyes.

Neither of them spoke for a moment, even the wind fell silent around them as the bunny whimpered. Regina was the first to break eye contact. Looking away in defeat.

"Alright." she muttered, placing the white rabbit on the ground, watching it bound away. "You're right...I shouldn't have asked this of you." but her apology didn't seem to affect the child and Regina was saddened to see the look of horror in the child's eyes. What had happened could not be undone. Anya would never forget this side of Regina. Not her mother or even her mentor, but a monster.

"Come along." Regina snapped, turning her back on the child so she couldn't see the heartbreak in her eyes. The child staring at her in confusion as the queen pretended nothing had happened. "We don't want to be late for supper."

The night passed in silence, Regina locked herself away in her chambers, leaving Anya alone to wander the halls, skipping her evening lesson had left her with more free time than she knew what to do with. Taking the time to spoil Ivory and ponder the day's events. She'd never seen that side of Regina. Even if Anya did have the heart to do it she would never have been able to return to Ivory, knowing that she'd taken the heart of what could have been her brother or distant cousin. She would never be able to look Ivory in her little black eyes again!

Finding her reasons satisfactory Anya retired herself to a night of dreams, hoping that by tomorrow, all would be forgotten.

Anya awoke to a silent morning, the air still unsettled by the previous day. Entering the banquet hall she found her mother, smiling brightly at her.

"Good morning...you slept late today." Anya stared at her puzzled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes to read the clock...usually she was awake a full hour before at the crack of dawn.

"I'm...late?" she yawned but the queen only laughed it off.

"It's alright it happened every now and then. I was thinking today could be...our day off. Just to relax." There was something strange about the queen this morning...she was just... too kind...too lenient. Glancing over her shoulder Anya could see a table full of sweets rather than the usual breakfast.

"Dessert?" she asked, glancing at the clock again, almost worried she'd slept through the entire day. But once again the queen only laughed, the chuckle coming off forced.

"Do you like it? I thought it would be nice to have something sweet for a change." Anya stared at the queen's obvious attempts to win her back...and she wasn't sure if it was working. She kind of just wished they could go back to the way things were instead of all this awkward tension hanging heavily in the air.

"Um...Thank you." The redhead said uncertainly, sitting down at the table, sparing another unsure glance at Regina before helping herself to an éclair. Anya had always loved the cream filled delicacy...but the chocolate frosting had always been too much for the queen. So the child was surprised when Regina too helped herself to an éclair, smiling as if it too was her favorite. It was just too odd for her, this pushover side was just too out of character...She was trying too hard.

As the day went on and Regina excused herself to her chambers Anya decided to stroll through the woods, gentle twirls of her hand bringing the leaves to dance around her, the smooth wind she created, calming to her unpleasant day.

It wasn't until the bushes began to rustle did she stop, grinning as she eased her way towards the bush, searching for another rabbit.

"It's alright...you can come out." she comforted, reaching her hand into the shrub.

A hand gripped her solidly inside the bush, causing the girl to scream, pulling herself free she stumbled desperately away, collapsing in a sitting position her dress flared along the ground around her. Gasping as a boy rose from the shrubbery appearing to be about the same age as the young princess. Anya sucked in a breath to scream but the boy lunged for her, covering her mouth with his hand.

"No, no, no please don't scream." he begged, his heavy Irish accent strange and foreign to the spoiled child. "I didn't mean to startle you, oh please don't scream." They stared at each other for a second, the child finally pushing his hand away and stumbling to her feet. Eyeing him warily.

"Who are you?" she demanded, observing the boy's dirty reddish-brown hair that fell all the way to his ears, his clothes torn and in rags, his shimmering brown eyes almost pleading with her.

"I'm Dimitri." he answered obediently. "And you?"

"...Anya...What are you doing here?" she questioned, circling him, unsure of how to feel about this little intrusion.

"I-I was hungry...My brother and sister are starving we don't have any food a-and I heard that the queen had food and-" he trailed off, catching his folly as Anya's gaze sharpened.

"You were going to steal from us?"

"N-no! I mean yes but...maybe. Please don't call the guards." he begged. His thick accent drawing her curiosity. She couldn't remember the time before she lived with Regina and therefore found his accent...odd...did all peasants talk like that?

"I'm not going to call the guards." Anya answered after a moment of silence. The boy sighing in relief.

"Thank yo-"

"But you have to leave now." She demanded, holding her head up high, her stance straight as she'd seen the queen do when she was being forceful. "You don't belong here."

"But I don't have any food." He pleaded. "My siblings, they could die."

"Isn't it your parent's job to supply food?" Anya asked, raising an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be at home doing chores or something?"

"My...My parents are dead." sucking in a breath the princess fell silent, sighing as she drew herself closer to the boy, glancing around as if to make sure they were alone.

"Here." She told him, reaching into her purse, pulling out a trio of pastries. "I swiped these from breakfast this morning...they should still be good. The boy's eyes shimmered with gratitude, diving quickly into the desert.

"Thank you!" he cried out through his chewing the child biting her lip not to scald him.

"Shah, be quiet they'll hear you."

"Thank you." he repeated, whispering his thanks again before wrapping the other two desserts in a towel, sliding them carefully into his bag.

"You need to get out of here." Anya told him. "If the guards see you they're going to stop you...trespassers aren't allowed." She warned, her mind reeling. Should she really be letting him go? Her mother would be so angry to know he got away...what if he came back? If it got out that the castle was giving away free desserts things could get nasty, they could have beggars every other day!

"You're so nice." Dimitri fawned. "I can't believe you're here with the evil queen." Anya paused, turning to glare at the boy in disgust.

"Excuse me?" she snapped, horrified. She'd given him food and he had the nerve to talk that way about her mother.

"My mother is not an evil queen." Anya snapped, crossing her arms in a fit, the harshness in her tone causing the boy's eyes to widen in shock.

"I-I'm sorry I didn't know you were, I mean didn't know the queen had kids." he gasped in confusion, holding his hands up in defeat, backing away, almost terrified she would lash out at him.

"How rude." Anya pouted, looking away. "If you really knew her you wouldn't think she was evil."

"I'm sorry." the boy repeated as if begging for his life. "I've only heard the stories in the village and..." he trailed off, a cruel glare from Anya silencing him.

"You need to leave now." she said simply. Dimitri nodded, turning and stumbling away, breaking into a run as if escaping while he could. Anya spared him one last glance, watching him for a moment before letting out a growl of frustration.

"Wait!" she called out. Taking off after him in a mad run. "You're going near the guards!" The boy slid to a stop, turning back to her as she caught up. "Gosh you can't even escape right, how did you get in here?" she scalded a little harsher than intended. "If you want to get out undetected you have to go this way...come on." she told him, her tone softening as she led the boy through the woods, bringing him to an old bridge over a river, leading into another forest.

"It may look old...but it should hold you."

"Are you sure there isn't another way?" Dimitri asked uncertainly. "It doesn't look safe."

"Come on." Anya pushed. "Don't be such a baby. Besides it's the only way out without a checkpoint. After another frightened glance Anya rolled her eyes, stepping out onto the bridge. "See it's perfectly safe. Come on." she said waving for him to follow as she balanced her way across the wooden planks, the boy following closely behind. It wasn't until her heel caught in a hole that the plank gave out, shattering under her weight and dropping the princess.

Anya squealed in fear as she fell, opening her eyes to stare down at the roaring river 10ft beneath her, her heart thundering fearfully in her chest, her entire body hanging limply. Looking up Dimitri had her hand firmly in his.

"It's ok!" he told her. "I've got you!" it took him a moment, but after minute of hard work Dimitri was able to pull Anya to safety. "S-see?" he gasped, flashing her a clever grin. "I told you I got ya." the child broke down into laugher, both of them sprawled out on the ground Anya's heart fluttering in relief. She thought for certain that he was going to drop her...that she was going to die.

"Thank you." she finally gasped, both smiling as they sat up, a mutual friendship passing between them.

"I'm sorry I was so mean to you earlier." Anya muttered reluctantly, folding her hands tightly.

"And I'm sorry I insulted your mum." Dimitri apologized, his ruffled hair making his face just too adorable for Anya to not forgive him. It wasn't until the wind chilled her that Anya's gaze turned up to the red sunset sky.

"Oh no!" she gasped, hurrying to her feet and beginning carefully across the old bridge, watching each step. "I'm going to be late if I don't get back soon."

"Yea me too." Dimitri nodded, picking up his bag and turning away. Stumbling to a halt before turning back, watching Anya make the final skip onto solid ground. "Wait!" he begged, bringing the girl to spin to him, her red hair and dress twirling. "So this is our hide out?"

"What?"

"This bridge...so I can see you again...this will be our secret spot."

"Dimitri I don't think that's a good idea-"

"Noon tomorrow?" he pushed, the girl hesitated before giving in.

"Noon." she smiled, casting him one last bashful smile before vanishing into the forest.