Okay! It's been a while since I've updated this one huh? Anyway, we left it off with Regina the Queen and Emma the Thief on their way to Regina's kingdom, though Emma doesn't know she's currently brushing arms with her mother's mortal enemy, nor does Regina know of Emma.

As promised, our two leading ladies are still going to be bantering, because I just can't resist some good snark.

So we'll see how that all progresses below! Enjoy!

"Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe we're walking in the direction of the Dark Kingdom."

Regina prayed to the gods that she would be granted the patience to survive this ordeal without finding a magic-less alternative to burning this entire Forest down and the insufferable thief with it. Without turning, she called back, "And what if we were? Is that too much for the great thief?"

The thief just chuckled, shaking her head. "Not at all, but what that would mean, is that you're the Evil Queen."

The royal visibly bristled for the quickest fraction of a second at the mention of the moniker, before she was once again impassive. Best to play dumb while she was powerless. "Is that so?"

"Indeed, though I am curious as to why the Evil Queen would allow herself to get captured as such and then be walking on foot with a thief such as myself. Unless you lost your powers."

She admired the deep thinking that went into this theory. Clearly the thief was well-versed on her, despite her earlier comment on not being too privy on royals. "A fascinating though incorrect theory. It just so happens that I am visiting the Dark Kingdom, and would rather not make the long trip back to my kingdom."

Emma didn't believe that for a second. The woman who was ready to head in the wrong direction all of a sudden knows that she is closer to the Dark Kingdom than her own supposed kingdom, not to mention that all of Storybrooke was hiding because the Evil Queen was out and about travelling, and wouldn't be entertaining a guest because of that. But it was best to not question. If she was the Evil Queen, Emma had to be double careful. "So, pray tell, how did you plan to protect yourself?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you're a powerless royal just passing through the Enchanted Forest without any weapons, and currently without your guards, what would you do if you were under attack?"

Regina scoffed, nose scrunching in disgust. "I was under the impression that this was why you invited yourself to accompany me all the way back to the Dark Kingdom."

The thief didn't miss the slip with 'back', but she decided to file that away for another time. "Ah, but if I remember correctly, you were convinced you didn't need my company, leading me to think you believe yourself well prepared if the Ne'er-Do-Well gang returns."

The Queen didn't want to keep entertaining this moronic conversation, so she just kept walking, ignoring the thief.

After some minutes had passed, Emma piped up, "I can teach you to fight, if your pride can take it."

Regina whipped around, ready to give the thief a piece of her mind, no matter if she had to do it with a branch. No one made jabs at her pride and lived to tell the tale. So with an icy tone that she was sure would convey the message of 'Mind your tongue or else' she asked, "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

Either the message didn't get across, or she was just foolhardy, because Emma shrugged, walking a bit to stand closer in front of the Queen, but still at a respectable distance. "Just that you seem like a very proud person, as royals are wont to be, meaning you think that getting someone to teach you to fight would paint you in a weak light, and asking for it of your own accord would shoot down this image of a powerful royal you have built around yourself. So instead you just act menacing and intimidating, knowing people won't mess with you, because they fear you. Your weapons are words, but I'm wondering if perhaps you'd allow me to teach you so at least you aren't defenseless if someone from the Ne'er-Do-Well gang should decide to finish the job."

Although Regina would never admit it out loud, she had to hand it to the thief, she was smart, and had hit most points correctly. But she had magic, learning to fend for herself with something as mediocre as a sword served her no purpose, so she shot the idea down in case the thief got any ideas. Turning around to continue walking towards her kingdom, Regina shot back, "Again a fascinating theory that you're incorrect about. I have no interest nor the need to have a thief teach me anything, not to mention it'd be a waste of time. I wish to go back to m- the Dark Kingdom, not spend my time with pointless practises."

"Ah, but we'll have to set up camp sometime, and perhaps soon, as darkness is beginning to fall, and travelling at night is not recommended."

"Oh really? And why is that? Don't tell me that you are all superstitious and timid cowards."

"Far from it," Emma responded with a scowl, even if the other woman wouldn't see it as she wasn't looking at her, and the hood took away the full effect her glare could have. "But there are some bands that target nighttime travelers who, like you, are naive enough to think powering through to reach your destination is a wise idea."

"How is that not cowardice? Besides, can't you just coordinate a temporary truce with them to let us pass? Budding thieves or something?"

Emma didn't miss the dismissive and scornful tone the Queen spoke in. But she still deigned with a response. "That is our truce: As long as we're off the roads at night, they won't come after us."

"Well then we'll just travel off the road. I'm sure your excellent sense of direction and your expertise can get us to my destination without getting caught by them?"

"Nope. Wolves."

"Seriously? And what, if we're camping they'll just ignore us?"

"Precisely. Because we're showing them we're just travelling, rather than infringing on their hunt, which they take to mean a breach of their boundaries. And you don't want to have wolves thinking that, they can get pretty territorial."

"Sounds to me like you're just making excuses to get us to make camp."

"It's politics, your Highness. We all live in this forest and we've learnt to share our space to make sure everyone has their ground. All the bands of thieves within this forest have specific boundaries and markets that they go after, and they stay out of the pickings of other thieves. The same goes for wolves and other predators that may decide to take up their home here.

"Think of it as diplomacy. You wouldn't barge into someone else's kingdom and take control of everything just because it was convenient to you at the time..." Emma paused for a second before adding, "actually, you probably would do that."

Regina was thankful that the thief couldn't see her face because she couldn't stop the grin that broke out on her face. The thief had galls, she had to to give her that, lesser men had peed their breeches just being in the same room as her, and this thief was unapologetic. "Perhaps, but very well, today has been a rather long and strenuous one, so I will acquiesce to your camping idea."

A few hours later they had made camp near Amazon Grove, a place Emma had discovered a while back that perfectly provided a place to rest. She had finally talked Grumpy into eventually hollowing out the tree so it could be used as a miniature safe haven away from Storybrooke, but for now the thick canopy tree served as a good shelter from the elements - especially since they didn't have any tents to do that for them.

Emma had gotten a fire going, and was preparing their dinner, a freshly caught rabbit that she had captured just before they reached camp. She had seen the look of apprehension the Queen threw at her, but it was either that or nothing.

"If you want to freshen up a bit at the pond, you can do so, the water's clean. You can take this cloak to dry yourself afterwards."

Regina went to do that, splashing some water on her face and her hands. She had taken the offered cloak to dry herself, unsure why the thief was carrying an extra cloak and another sword, almost as if they belonged to someone else. So when she returned, she sat on a log by the fire, beside the log the thief had propped for herself, and decided quell her curiosity. "Why exactly are you carrying an additional cloak and an extra sword?"

"A...friend of mine had been nearby your carriage when the fire attacked, but he got knocked out, so I sent him back to my camp with my horse where he could get treatment. Thing is, he had dropped his stuff before rushing into the fire, but I hadn't noticed until after I sent him off."

Regina glanced at the hooded thief, noting that the fire still didn't light her face enough to see what she looked like. "And your horse is smart enough to know where to go all by itself?"

"For the most part. Plus he had company." Emma wasn't really willing to offer more than that or explain Henry. So she cleared her throat and stood up. "Well the extra supplies served for one thing, sword training is much easier with real swords rather than sticks."

Regina raised a haughty eyebrow. "And here I thought you were just trying to interest me into making camp by any means possible. You want to teach me in how to handle a sword?"

The thief turned back to face her, the light from the fire casting a more dramatic shadow over her face. "Is that not what I said I would do? What sort of companion would I be if I didn't?"

"Companion? You are certainly assertive towards a Queen."

Regina heard a scoff, and then an amused sigh as the thief mockingly bowed, and said, "Could I interest her Highness in allowing me to teach her the basics of sword-fighting?"

Since the thief couldn't see her, Regina allowed herself the smallest hint of a smile. "Very well, but no funny business or tricks."

As the Queen stood, Emma held out a sword with the hilt out towards her, gripping the blade. With a chuckle, she said, "Far from it, if anything, I should be the one worried as you'll now have a weapon to use."

Regina took the grip in her hand, and smirked. "Well then, you'll just have to hope you give me no reason to use it."

Far from being intimidated, the thief just returned the smirk. "Now, let's see your stance."

She took up what she believed to be the correct stance, only to get the thief to tut. "If I may correct your position, your Highness?"

Regina knew she was being mocked, but still responded. "Yes, you may."

Suddenly, she felt a boot worm between her own firmly planted boots, spacing them apart, widening her stance. "Always keep your feet spaced out. You want to be balanced with a wide stance. Keeping your feet stuck together as they were and you're like a board in the wind: one strong gust and you're going to topple over."

Next, Regina felt hands on her shoulder, but they were comforting and gentle, rather than the expected roughness. "Don't be tense. You need to be relaxed so you have more flexibility to counter-attack.

"Lastly, keep your sword closer to your body." Regina hoped her minuscule flinch wasn't noticeable as a warm hand - no longer gloved - clasped itself around her own hand holding the sword, and brought it closer to her chest.

She wondered how they must look now, A queen learning a proper sword fighting stance from a thief, the latter standing behind the queen, one leg planted firmly between the Queen's dress skirt, left hand on her shoulder, and the right one over her own hand. It certainly had all the marks of being an intimate moment.

"Good, much better." Emma stepped away from where she had been standing, mentally slapping herself. She should not be getting so close to a woman who could potentially be the Evil Queen. Though at the same time, she wondered if perhaps her mother had exaggerated. Powers or not, this woman hardly seemed the evil sort. At most she was cold and demanding, but so far she hadn't received death threats. She took her own sword out and smirked. "Now, for some simple sparring."

While the rabbit finished cooking, Emma and Regina traded a few jabs, dancing back and forth as Emma gave her tips. Emma had managed to get a few touches in, though she was using the broad side of her sword, and so avoided actually hurting the other woman.

Regina, for all her efforts, couldn't get a touch in edgewise, but she had to admit that by the time they sat down to eat, she had a smile on her face that she just couldn't hide. And the thief saw it. "I'm guessing you enjoyed our little training session?"

But of course, Regina was stubborn, so she gave a noncommittal hum and said, "Informative at most."

"Whatever you say, your Highness," Emma chuckled before adding, "perhaps we'll continue our lessons another day?"

Regina scoffed, "Another day? You sound very sure of yourself, Thief. You don't even know where I reside."

Emma just shrugged. "I'm sure I'll find a way to seek you out."

"I doubt it. But I trust that this...lesson will be kept between us, and you won't go boasting about it to all your fellow thieves?"

"Of course. After all, who'd believe me?"

After dinner was done, Regina decided to take a look at her manacle in more detail. The thief was putting a protection charm of some sort that she had gotten from her pouch, so Regina was alone to try and see if she could find some weak point in the object and pry it off. She would loathe having to go to Rumpelstiltskin, even if he had supposedly turned a new leaf with his beau, the bookworm.

"If you glare at it a little bit more, you might get that bracelet to run away in fear." Regina almost jumped a mile as she heard the thief return.

Regina ignored the jab, and instead asked, "Done putting the protection spell?"

The thief nodded and grinned. "Yeah, anyone tries to invade, we'll be notified."

"What happens if it's a mouse?"

"The protection spell is smart enough to know what we want to be protected from."

"What if some predators disguise themselves as mice in order to bypass the protection?" Regina was sure the thief was preparing to argue, so she just smirked.

But instead, she returned the smirk with one of her own. "Don't worry, your Highness, if that happens, I'll protect you."

Regina's expression fell in record time, sobering up immediately.

Emma thought she should at least try to inquire on the manacle that the royal had been glaring at. "So, what's up with the bracelet? You were pretty adamant in trying to take it off."

"It's nothing. And I don't want to take it off," Regina responded icily.

"Don't want to, or can't?"

She really wanted to take the woman down a peg. How dare she be so arrogant! In a way it was impressive, though at the same time, Regina was used to people reacting a certain way towards her. But she didn't want to respond to the thief, because responding would mean explaining, and Regina wasn't about to do that. So once more, the subject was changed. "What are we supposed to sleep on?"

If the thief was bothered by the subject change, she didn't show, and instead just plopped down in front of the canopy tree, back resting against the base of the trunk. "Sleep on? I'm sleeping against this tree, you're welcome to join me."

"I am not sleeping sitting upright against a tree trunk!" Now Emma could see the prissy queen. Up till now she had held her tongue quite nicely, Emma had been betting with herself as to when she'd crack. It seems bet #10 had been the clincher.

"Well, your Highness, it's either that or you can sleep on the ground."

If looks could kill, Emma would already be 6 feet under with a mountain of dirt above her. "I am not sleeping on the ground. Don't tell me that you don't have any sleeping bags with you?"

"Sorry to break it to you, but it wasn't in my itinerary to go camping today. So no, no supplies. If you're truly that fussy, you can always use the cloak. Lay it out like a sheet and sleep on it."

Emma clearly wasn't helping her case in preventing her murder by a queen who may or may not be evil in the middle of a forest. "And what, pray tell, would I use as a pillow?"

She thought wildly for a moment before saying what she was sure would be the final nail on her coffin. "Well you can always use my legs. I promise I don't kick in my sleep."

The queen stood mute for a few minutes. Meanwhile Emma was trying to think if she should take this to mean she should get a head start and run as far away as she could, trying to prevent being murdered. But she stayed stock still, and then, "Very well, I don't suppose I have much of a choice."

And so Regina went up to the thief, set down the cloak perpendicular to the thief's left thigh, and then carefully laid down on her side so she was facing toward's the thief's stomach. She tracked her eyes upwards, and was surprised she could see a little bit further into the hood. It was still shadowed, but now she could make out her eyes faintly, staring at her with something akin to admiration, and wonder.

"Well, good night. I want to be able to get an early start tomorrow, so I hope you're an early riser."

The thief chuckled. "Of course, your Highness, good night."

Emma opened her eyes and was greeted with darkness. The embers from the fire had died, and everything seemed peaceful enough, only the night sounds of the forest filling the air. Glancing downwards and she found what had woken her. The queen had been gripping tightly onto her thigh, sleeping peacefully. She had to smile at the sight. If this truly was the Evil Queen, then Emma was just about ready to claim that the moniker didn't fit the woman at all. The woman in front of her was adorable. Perhaps a bit high-maintenance, but the banter that they had was something Emma revelled in.

Glancing a the arm on top of her thigh, she saw once more the leather bracelet that the queen had been studying. It didn't look to be decorative, it almost looked like a shackle, the black leather seemed constricting and bleak. She gingerly went to grab the wrist covered by the manacle, and brought it closer to her face, while simultaneously leaning forward so that she didn't have to raise the arm so high. Looking at the underside, Emma saw that there was some kind of clasp, but it didn't look like it could be easily undone.

But then again, that manacle hadn't been tested against Emma Swan. With as much care as she could, she put the wrist back on top of her thigh, making sure the palm was up, and went to grab the tools from her pouch. In a few seconds, she got to work.

Half an hour later, Emma had heard a faint click, and the clasp became undone. Along with it came the smell of apples. She hazarded a guess that it was probably the queen's magical signature.

2 years ago Red had taught her how to recognize magic users by using smell. According to her, everyone's 'signature' was different, which made it hard to distinguish body scents and perfumes from the signature. But training the nose made it possible to distinguish whether the smell was the signature, or just a fragrance. Emma sometimes still had trouble distinguishing the two, but she was sure this was a magical signature.

Now she took the bracelet away, closed it back again, and stuffed it into the compartment below her quiver of arrows.

Once more settling down, Emma couldn't help but wonder what would happen when they parted ways tomorrow. But one thing was for sure, before next week came, she was going to visit her again.

As Regina came to, she noticed that the bed she was on felt very strange. It had a very comfortable pillow but the mattress was stiff as hell. Opening her eyes, she remembered where she was and immediately proceeded to jump far away from the thief.

"Morning your Highness, sleep well?" It seemed the thief had been awake. For how long, Regina preferred not to know.

"I've had better nights." Truth was, despite the unorthodox bed, she hadn't slept this well in a very long time, but she wasn't about to admit that.

"Come on, I'll see if I can grab us some quick breakfast and then we can head out. If we make good time, we should arrive at the edge of the Forest by noon." Emma stood up and grabbed her quiver and bow, looking for small game they could quickly munch on before setting back on their journey.

She also wondered how long it'd take the queen to realize her magical powers were back. And what would happen then.

Apparently a really long while.

Emma had been expecting that within 10 minutes she'd have a fireball headed towards her face - which, according to her mother, was the Evil Queen's signature move - and yet the other woman hadn't said a peep about her magic.

And now they were at the edge of the Forest, the noon sun shining on them. A few miles away lay the gates for the Dark Kingdom.

"Well, I believe I can take it from here."

Emma turned to look at the regal woman beside her. "Very well, your Highness. I wish you all the best."

Without waiting for a response, Emma turned to walk back towards home.

"Wait."

Regina wasn't sure what possessed her to want to do this, but she was feeling particularly generous. Once the thief turned to face her, she said, "Thank you. For rescuing me and the training."

The thief smirked. "And nothing for my charming company? I'm wounded."

She scoffed. "Be grateful that I'm actually thanking you."

Emma could see the hint of amusement in the queen's eyes, so she tilted her head downwards in a small gesture of respect. "You're welcome. Perhaps we shall see each other again."

Once more she received a scoff. "I doubt it. I don't think your people and mine mix particularly well for us to get acquainted."

"Oh? Who said it was going to be a social call?"

And that was this chapter!

For those wondering why Regina didn't notice her magic was back, everything shall soon be explained to you. I say soon and then end up taking months, so "soon" is a relative term. I was mostly referring to the fact I'll touch on it in the next chapter.

I'm hoping that their 'relationship' seems natural and not rushed, so please let me know your thoughts!

And don't think Emma will leave Regina alone! She was already plotting, perhaps the Evil Queen will receive a visit from the mysterious thief?

Speaking of mysterious, next fic to be updated will be Such a Heavenly View! Then it's The Kissing Booth!

Let me know what you thought about this chapter!