The Enchanted Forest

Regina sat in the bath with her head resting on the stone. The water had long gone cold, and it was pink from the blood still dripping from her legs, and she stared at the ceiling. Downstairs, a party was in full swing, and she could hear the laughter from the guests that were probably wondering what happened to the Queen. She was sure Leopold had created some weak excuse about her being sick, and that meant Regina was free to stay in her room for the rest of the evening. Suddenly, a warmth spread over her limbs, healing her wounds, and she turned her head toward the door. Nothing changed from her expression, but some part of her deep down, buried under the resentment and anger, was relieved to see her mother. Cora exhaled at the sight of her and came into the room. She held out her hand, and Regina pushed herself out of the water without taking the help. Cora didn't take offense and stepped to the side.

"I thought you would be downstairs," Regina said flatly, heading into the bedroom.

"The King said you were sick."

"As you can see, I am very, very sick. Evident by the fact I am speaking to you and not having you thrown out of this castle by your ankles."

"Regina -

"Tell me, Mother. Has it hit you yet? That you sold your child into slavery for a throne that will never be yours, let alone mine? That you said yes to a man who takes pleasure in pinning me to a bed and causing me as much pain as humanly possible under the guise of being a loving husband? That you have tortured and destroyed me in every way possible while ignoring me as your daughter, instead choosing to see me as an expendable piece on a chess board? Has it hit you yet that I am utterly miserable, and that the mere thought of being your daughter disgusts me?"

Cora's response was lost when she glanced down, and she took a small step forward.

"What is that?' she asked.

Regina followed her mother's line of sight to the star-shaped mark above her pelvis, and she frowned.

"I have no idea. It wasn't there this morning."

Cora got closer, and then a flash of fear crossed her face before it was gone. Regina noticed and folded her arms, shifting to the side so her mother couldn't see the mark anymore.

"What? Why are you looking like that?" she asked.

"N-no reason," Cora stammered. Then she cleared her throat and added dismissively, "Must be a bite or something, seeing as your quarters are filthy. Who knows what kind of creature or insect is hiding in here?"

"The only unwanted creature in here is you."

Regina tensed and prepared for the backlash, but it never came. Cora flexed her fingers and glanced down at Regina's hip again before she scowled and disappeared in a cloud of red smoke. Frowning, because her mother had never run from a fight, Regina turned back to her mirror and traced the mark.

"What are you?" she murmured. "And why is my mother afraid of you?"

The Enchanted Forest - Morning Of The Curse

"Gather yourself men, we have royalty on deck."

Regina glared at Blackbeard as she walked up the ramp toward the ship, and the men around him stopped and saluted her. She ground her teeth and waved her hand, and the men waited until Blackbeard nodded before relaxing. They continued preparing the ship for their next voyage, and Regina clasped her hands in front of her stomach as Blackbeard slid down the railing toward the deck. His first mate, Tobias, came up behind him, and the duo stopped in front of her. Tobias had a glint in his eyes that promised trouble, and Blackbeard wore a similar smirk. Regina pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Listen, I have no idea why I am telling you this, but if you could please be out of the Enchanted Forest before sunset, that would be wonderful," she said. "I have something in the works that would be catastrophic for all who remain here."

"You hear that, Tobias?" Blackbeard said. "The Queen wishes to spare our lives."

"Such a wonderful ruler of the people," Tobias drawled. "It makes sense that she wears the crown."

"Yet the question remains why?" Blackbeard mused.

"Believe me, I would love nothing more than to damn you both to the depths of Hell," Regina deadpanned.

"Hardly. You love us."

Regina clenched her fist, and Tobias grabbed his neck and started choking. He fell to one knee, gasping for air, and eventually, she let him go. He gasped and got to his feet, rubbing his throat.

"Point received," he wheezed.

"No need in torturing my men, your Majesty," Blackbeard said. "We will behave."

"And there is no need to lie."

"I'm a pirate."

"Don't remind me." Regina touched her hip and sighed. "I admit that I came here also for another reason," she said. "May we speak in private, Captain?"

Blackbeard guided her away from the other men and asked, "What can I do for you, your Majesty?"

"I hear you are someone to speak with in regards to soul marks."

"Aye."

"I - what are the expectations?"

"Of a soul mark?"

"Yes."

"It is meant to connect two people."

"That's all?"

"It depends on the mark and the people. Have you had any dreams? Any emotions that do not belong to you?"

"Just the dreams, and they started this morning."

"What did you see?"

"Darkness, but it was as if I had a blanket over my face," she explained. "It was strange."

"I see." Blackbeard folded his arms and shrugged one shoulder. "From what you have said to me, it sounds as if you have a mate."

"I don't want a mate," she gritted out.

"We cannot change the path Fate has given us."

"Screw Fate," she hissed.

"Mind your tongue, your Majesty," he warned. "Queen or not, you shall respect the will of Fate in my presence."

Regina closed her eyes and turned around, pacing the edge of the ship. Blackbeard watched her patiently, and she sucked her teeth, the sound rare and unusual for the Queen.

"I do not want this, Edward," she said softly. "I was in love once, and he was taken from me."

"Love is not a solitary emotion, your Majesty," he paused and stepped closer, "Regina, this is not the end for you. We cannot change the pate Fate has given us. Open your heart to the possibility, and I swear to you all that you desire will be yours."

"Even Snow White's head?"

"Maybe," he chuckled. "Or maybe something better."

"There is nothing better."

Regina walked away before Blackbeard responded, brushing past Tobias, and she went down the ramp toward her carriage.

"Your Majesty," Blackbeard called out.

Regina turned slightly, and he leaned on the railing.

"Be seeing you," he said. "In this lifetime or the next."

Regina gave him a small, genuine smile, and then she was gone.

Storybrooke, Maine

Regina groaned as she turned off her alarm, and she grabbed at her hip. When she looked down, the mark was inflamed and swollen, and she blindly reached for the ice pack in her nightstand. She squeezed it a few times, and once it felt cold, she placed it on her hip. For ten years, it was nothing more than a strange tattoo. But for three days straight, it felt as if someone had set it on fire and left it to burn against her skin. She cursed and pulled herself upright just as the door opened, and Henry shuffled in with a weird look. He threw a book on her bed, and Regina was in too much pain to scold him for it.

"What is that?" she asked, wincing as she sat against the headboard.

"A book."

"I see that, but what kind of book? I do not recall buying it for you."

"Someone left it on the kitchen table." Before Regina could panic about someone sneaking into the house without her knowing, Henry continued, "It says that you're the Evil Queen, and that you cursed everyone here to lose their happy ending."

"I - excuse me?"

"That's what it says, and it looks too real to be just a story."

Regina rubbed her eyes because why did she raise him to question everything? She took a better look at the book and read the title: Once Upon A Time. She blew out a long breath and moved the ice pack away from her hip. She adjusted her shirt, but not before Henry saw the mark. He frowned, and she cut him off before he could ask.

"What do you want?"

"The truth."

Regina humored the idea of lying to him, of treating it like a joke, but she was so tired. She pulled the book into her lap and patted the space next to her. Henry climbed up beside her, and even in his suspicion and hesitance, he avoided bumping into her hip.

"We will read it together, okay? And if there is something wrong or something you want to know more of, I will tell you. But you can't," she paused and closed her eyes, "you have to understand this was a long time ago."

"Ten years."

"A little bit more than that," she muttered. "But essentially, yes."

Henry bit his lip and said, "I only want the truth, Mom."

"Okay." Regina opened her eyes and nodded again. "Okay," she repeated. "The truth."

Storybrooke, Maine - The Night Before Emma Arrives

"Do you think your soulmate is tall or short?"

Regina eyed Henry across the dining room table and said, "I told you I don't know what they look like. Just their name."

"Oh, right. Emma. Emma the strange blob."

Regina hummed in acknowledgement and took a sip of her wine -

"I hope she's a hot blob," he said.

-and promptly choked on it. She hit her chest a few times, and Henry winced.

"Sorry," he said.

"Can we please not have this conversation?" she asked hoarsely.

"Why? You never want to talk about her."

"Because the odds of me seeing her in this lifetime are low."

"But not impossible. True Love is unstoppable."

"Stop - didn't I tell you to stop listening to Snow's babble at school?"

"Oh, I don't care what she says. She's too happy for me. Can you imagine if I was related to her? A nightmare. But she says it so much that it's stuck in my head."

"True Love and True Mates are two different things," Regina said. "And I have a True Mate."

"Okay, but what does that mean?"

"It means that when I - if I - see my soulmate, it will be stronger. Like two pieces of a soul coming back together again."

"So even though you've never seen Emma before, your soul will know her?"

Regina smiled a little and nodded, looking down at the ring on her pinky finger. She found it in the antique shop across town, and Regina felt connected to it. She didn't know how, but the crude 'E' carved into the side of the ring next to an even cruder drawing of a skull made her pause. Her former blacksmith said it was found in the ruins of an old cottage near the Southern Isles, and Regina purchased it without second thought. Ever since, she hadn't gone anywhere without it.

"Mom?"

Regina looked up at Henry, and he frowned.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am."

"Well, can I have some ice cream?"

Regina nearly said no, but then she nodded, and Henry raced from the dining room table. She heard him moving around in the kitchen but didn't have the energy nor desire to scold him. Her thoughts were on the faceless figure in her dreams. Despite what she's told Henry, she knew enough about her soulmate to know there's darkness around her. Emma carried danger, and Regina felt a deeper part of her heart reacting to it. She tried for Henry's sake to be nicer, better, but she was the Evil Queen. Henry knew that.

Regina tapped her nail on the table and called out, "Henry?"

"Yeah?"

"Come here for a moment."

Henry came back into the room with a bowl of ice cream, and she took a deep breath, then released it.

"You know I'm not a," she paused, "nice person, yes?"

"I know."

"And you've assumed that my soulmate is not nice as well?"

"Duh. Just ask what you want to ask, Mom."

"It's not an ask, more of a statement. I don't intend to change them or myself. I plan to be who I am, and I will encourage who they are."

Regina stared at him, imploring him to get what she was saying without making her say it, and Henry took a large spoonful of his ice cream. He ate it and left the room, throwing out over his shoulder -

"I don't care! As long as you're happy," he said. "I told you that."

"That doesn't mean you can't tell me more often!" she shouted back.

"You're so needy," he said.

Regina grinned and picked up her glass. She glanced down again at her ring.

"Wherever you are, I hope you're safe," she whispered.

Present

"Hey, are you decent?"

Regina adjusted her shirt and cracked her bedroom door. Henry gave her a weird look, almost like he was expecting something, and she made a hurry-up motion.

"Oh, sorry. I just - can you come downstairs, please?"

"Sure, let me finish getting dressed."

Henry stepped back and leaned against the wall, and Regina closed the door. She slid on a pair of slacks and tucked in her shirt, unbuttoning the first three out of habit. Regina then slid on her heels and opened the door, finding Henry in the same spot.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said. "Come with me."

Regina followed him to the main floor, and she nearly stumbled down the final step when she saw someone sitting on her couch. For a moment, the dark blob in her dreams became a blonde woman with vibrant green eyes, short hair, and the type of swagger that Hook wished he had. She swallowed roughly and glanced at Henry, who shrugged.

"I was watching the window when she showed up," he explained.

Regina breathed out and looked back at the woman - Emma - who took off her hat and bowed.

"Emma Swan, your Majesty. Please forgive the intrusion."

"You know who I am?"

"Of course," Emma said. She wet her lips a little and added, "I have always known who you are."

Regina opened and closed her mouth a few times before looking at Henry.

"Would you mind -

"Going upstairs and pretending like your soulmate isn't in the living room? Sure, Mom."

Regina mushed him in the face toward the stairs, and he cackled as he ran back to his room.

"He is your son?"

Regina spun around to her visitor and said, "Yes. I apologize, he can be a little obnoxious. He must get it from his father."

Emma's face fell, and she said, "Of course. Forgive me, I should not have assumed that you were alone. Would it be better if I came by later when your husband is home?"

"No! I'm sorry, that was a bad joke." Regina waved her hands in front of her and coughed awkwardly. "His father is not in the picture. I don't even know who it is, actually, but it's just us. Henry's been in my life since he was a child, and he may have inherited some of my less than favorable traits," she said.

"That seems impossible."

"Which part?"

"The part where you say you have less than favorable traits."

Regina flushed and said, "You hardly know me."

"I know enough."

Emma tilted her head, and the intensity of her gaze made Regina want to day drink. And that was something she hadn't experienced since Henry stopped talking to her for about a year because she refused to break the curse. Regina pinched the bridge of her nose and focused on the present.

"Are you well?"

"Yes, I am. It's - I wasn't prepared for this today."

"Prior to our trip, neither was I."

Choosing to ignore that for the moment, Regina gestured to the couch.

"Would you like to join me?"

"Of course."

Emma stepped to the side for Regina to sit first, and when she did, the pirate chose to sit on the floor in front of her. Regina pulled down the hem of her dress out of habit, but she needn't worry. Emma's eyes never strayed from hers, and there was a deep sense of respect there that had Regina relaxing. She breathed in deeply, catching the faint hints of smoke and the darkest of magic wrapped around the pirate. That was a surprise. She knew Emma was dark, but that kind of magic… something tickled the back of Regina's brain, but she couldn't place it.

"Are you sure you are okay?"

Regina blinked and said, "Yes. I wasn't expecting you to have magic."

"Ah."

Emma held out her hand, and a sunflower swirled into existence. Regina barked out a laugh before she could stop it, and Emma feigned a look of offense.

"I'm sorry, but that was not what I expected," Regina said, covering her smile.

Emma just chuckled and leaned forward, tucking the flower behind Regina's ear.

"I was unaware pirates were this smooth," she murmured.

"Who says I'm a pirate?"

"The sword at your waist, the haircut, the boots, and the hat all point to the same thing," Regina said dryly. "Plus, you smell of saltwater."

"I could be a merchant down on her luck."

Regina gave her a flat look, and Emma grinned. But as she sat down, Regina grabbed her coat and tugged her onto the couch next to her. Emma sat awkwardly, and Regina cocked her head.

"Now I have to ask you, are you okay?"

"I was taught never to sit in a person's home if I had on dirty clothes," she said. "And I, unfortunately, have not had the chance to wash in a couple of days. Life of a poor merchant."

Regina rolled her eyes at the joke, and she said, "Would you like to do that here? I think there are a few pieces I own that will fit you."

"Not unless the others have a chance as well."

"Are all of you here?"

"Indeed."

"Then that's no issue. I have a home in town that has more than enough space and plenty of hot water. I can launder your clothes while you wait."

"No, I cannot ask you to do that -

Regina held up her hand, and Emma went silent.

"I wasn't asking. Now, I'll come with you back to the docks, and once I get an idea of how many of you there are, I'll escort you all to the house."

Emma narrowed her eyes and said, "You are going to be a problem for me."

"How so?"

"I am finding it hard to say no to you."

"Good, this will go a lot easier if you accept that I'm always right and just do what I say."

Emma pouted a little, and Regina stood and went to the stairs.

"Henry! Get dressed. We're going back to the main house," she said.

A door opened, and her son poked his head.

"Really? Why?"

"The pirates need to shower," she said.

"Wait, you're letting me meet pirates? Willingly?"

"You're going to follow me anyway," she sighed. "Why not just cut out the middle man?"

"Sweet! Give me like five minutes!"

Regina rolled her eyes affectionately, and she looked over her shoulder. Emma's eyes slowly returned to Regina's face, unrepentant, and Regina smirked.

"And here I thought you weren't the type to look," she teased.

"I would be a fool not to, your Majesty."

Regina shivered at her old title, and Emma put on her hat before she crossed the room in two strides. Even in her heels, Regina felt small in comparison. When strong arms wrapped around her, Regina held her breath, and Emma bent down to whisper in her ear.

"I promised myself if I ever saw you, that I would hug you and tell you that whatever you need of me, you shall have. Whatever you ask of me, I shall do. I vow to you that whatever you require of me, it will be yours."

"Do not make promises you cannot keep," Regina whispered back.

"I never do."

Regina smiled, and Emma stepped back. It took Regina a moment to notice that Henry was coming down the stairs, and she faced him as he hopped to the bottom. Emma stood with her arms behind her back, and Regina could've sworn her eyes were black. But when she looked again, Emma's hat was lower, nearly covering the top half of her face, and she couldn't tell anymore. Regina cleared her throat and put her hand on Henry's shoulder.

"Emma," she said, "if you would please escort us to your men."

"As you wish."

With a smirk and a wave, Regina, Henry, and Emma were gone. They re-appeared at the docks, and Regina nearly lost her balance once she was back on solid ground. Henry was no better, and she glared at Emma.

"That was not what I meant," she huffed.

"But I did what you asked," Emma said dryly. "I took you to my ship."

Regina clicked her teeth, but when she saw the man barking out orders to the other sailors, a strangled noise escaped her mouth.

"What the - Tobias?" she exclaimed.

The man spun around, confused, but his face brightened when he saw her.

"Your Majesty! A pleasure to see you again."

"Again?" Emma said. "You two know each other?"

"Yes. No, well, yes. He was on my guard for a few days until he decided to become a pirate and join forces with the worst man known to history."

Tobias propped his arms on the railing and winked, saying, "You loved us."

"Do you remember what happened the last time you said that?"

"Aye, but your magic is tame compared to what I have been through with that one," he said, jerking his chin Emma.

"Unless she is the next Dark One, I fail to see how that is possible. No offense, dear."

"None taken, I think."

"Hold on, Swan, you didn't tell her who you were?" Tobias asked.

"Why? She had the same dreams as I," Emma paused and looked at Regina, "Right?" she asked.

"I only had your name. Nothing more than that."

"Oh."

Tobias and Emma shared a wince before Tobias clapped his hands. The men on the ship came to attention, and Emma walked up the ramp. She stopped at the top and turned with a wicked smirk. Regina had a sudden flashback to the first time she met another pirate a long time ago, but it was impossible. That man's children either hated him or lived on the other side of the world. He made it clear that none would follow in his footsteps. But when Emma tapped her chest twice with her fist, a very familiar magic draped over her and the ship, and Regina's heart fell into her stomach. Not out of fear, but of anticipation.

"Oh, my God," she whispered.

"Whoa," Henry said.

Regina swallowed hard as magic revealed the woman who Fate determined would be her mate. Black eyes stared down at her, and a mark rested in the center of her eyes that matched the one on Regina's hip with a smile that was as cold as it was wide. Tobias hopped on the ledge and removed his sword, slicing through the rope keeping the flag in place. Regina slowly glanced at the Devil dancing with a sword pointed at a heart, and Henry grabbed her arm.

"That - that's -

"Indeed," Regina murmured.

"Perhaps a more formal introduction is needed," Emma drawled. "My name is Emma Swan, otherwise known as Captain of the Damnatus. But to a select few, my name is Emma Teach, daughter of -

"Blackbeard," Regina finished. "Edward Teach."

"Aye." Emma tipped her hat and smirked. "Pleasure to meet you officially, your Majesty."

"Holy shit! That is so cool!" Henry shouted.

"Language," she scolded weakly.

"Oh, come on. Blackbeard's daughter is your mate. I'm allowed at least one."

"Fine, then that was your one."

"Aw, man."

Regina shook her head and asked Emma, "Which child are you?"

"Pardon?"

"Your father made it clear that none of his children planned to follow in his footsteps. Yet here you stand, so I wonder which one you are?"

Emma clicked her teeth and said, "Come aboard, your Majesty. I believe it is time we had a bit of a chat."