A/N: Sorry it's been a while guys. Know I said I'd be posting every other week and I got behind due to work and school starting back up again. However Since I've been behind I have 2 capters for you hope you enjoy them both.
Also thank you for the awesome reviews and follows and faves. Best parts about writing this story other than writing it is this.
After the Knighting ceremony Emma had joined her new friends: Raven, Shan Yu, Lancelot, and Kovu and his wife Kiara. It was drinks all around in the Poisoned Apple in the tavern nearest to the castle so they wouldn't end up blacked out drunk on the night before the infiltration planning was to begin. It was a small tavern frequented by mostly the Queen's soldiers and workers who were lucky enough to have the day off. Though the air inside smelled of stale ale and the smoke from pipes, cigars, and cigarettes filled the air it only added to the ambiance of it all. Smirking at how happy she felt to never have to be in her station of princess again the blonde smiled happily, but it only lasted so long.
The five were sitting around a table located in the back corner of the candle lit room while wenches and bartenders served drinks and took coin. However as Emma drank her ale the blonde couldn't shake the feeling something bad was going on that she couldn't place.
Noticing her new friends and fellow soldiers frown Mala nudged her lightly, "Hey, you okay?"
Staring at the bottom of her tankard now empty from her seventh...no her ninth glass? She couldn't remember, "Yeah. Just got this feeling that something's wrong."
Nodding her head Nala reached out covering the other woman's forearm, "Maybe it's just nerves for tomorrow?"
Looking around the room Emma swept the shadows looking for something, anything to tell her what it was, but she still couldn't place it, "Yeah maybe."
"Good now drink up. We don't get to celebrate a newbie to our ranks very often, only drink to their deaths." Kovu spoke up haven been listening to the conversation.
Laughing the two blondes picked up their tankards and refilling before diving back into the amber liquid with vigour. Though the ex-princess still felt that nagging feeling in her gut Emma blocked it out having too much fun with her friends to care.
The brown burlap sac and metal shackles around his wrists had the guard squirming, his breath deepening with each step he took and the clanking of metal against bars made him flinch as he was shoved forward onto the ground.
"Do you know why you're here?" the gruff voice questioned hoping this would be over before it even began.
Unable to see his captor, but able to know him by voice the blinded guard gulped in fear. The Huntsman only questioned the guard every two weeks so something must have changed. It didn't bode well to him if they found the letter Lady Red requested he have a messenger deliver to the Dark Palace.
"I-I swear I don't know what you're talking about!" he proclaimed hoping his lie would go undetected but the smack upside his head told him otherwise.
"Oh really?" the snarl warned of pain, "That's not what our messenger who has been traveling back and forth between the kingdoms tells me."
Knowing there was no way out the guard prayed for forgiveness, "Fine, fine I'll give you the letter. Lady Red sends them every patrol change since I'm never changed and no one bothers to asks questions." he rattles off knowing it would preserve his life.
"Red?" Graham questions thoroughly confused thinking it was the guard he had in his possession sending the letters, "What do you mean Red has been sending the letters?"
Feeling relief with the less harsh tone directed his way the guard relaxed, "She pays me to send letters to the Dark Palace, but I don't think they make it there cause the messenger's always back before dinner most times. Other times it's late into the night but still before the dawn."
Rubbing his chin Graham removed the sac from the guards eyes then kneeled down to remove his shackles, "Thank you for the truth. I expect you to relinquish your arms and armor by the morning. For your service to the crown and todays honesty you are allowed to live."
Scrambling to his feet the guard had never felt so much better about anything in that moment, "Th-thank you m'lord. It shall be done." He ran like the ass and coward he was, tail between his legs.
Waiting for the man to have gotten enough of a head start the huntsman sighed looking at the letter in his hands. Running the letter through his fingers Graham left as well with strong strides to find Snow.
Hands clasped behind his back the huntsman was able to track his lover easily to her bedchambers. Knocking on the door he awaited permission to enter.
"Come in," her melodious voice called from the other side.
Sighing in contentment Graham allowed himself in only to feel the pang of jealousy hit him hard. Snow was just coming from the bath towel wrapped around her body soaking up the droplets of water that cascaded down her porcelain figure and the disheveled bed told all he needed to know.
"I thought you and Charming no longer had that kind of relationship," he growled with a predatory look in his eye.
"I had to do something to get him to shut up about not having made the right decision with Emma," she responded ignoring his anger towards her husband and King.
With no room for argument the huntsman reeled his anger in remembering cause for his return, "I have found the one sending letters across the border."
Piqued by this development Snow smiled, "Oh?"
Handing over the letter Graham had a solemn expression on his face, "It's Red."
Red paced the length of her room wearing away the stone floor as the wolf waited for Snow who'd said she needed to speak with her. She couldn't help but feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up alerting her of danger. Snow had decided to enter at that moment with a smile on her face and a calm air about her along with David who was smiling happily as well.
"Red," SNow acknowledged as the wolf stopped pacing by her dresser watching the King and Queen closely but also catching something different about the woman.
Discretely sniffing the air the wolf smelled a third person in the room. Graham's sent was all over the Queen and it was all she could do to hold her tongue from saying anything, "My Queen," she bowed her head in respect then turned to David and did the same thing.
"I hope you're doing well with Emma's leaving," the raven haired woman seemed to be genuinely sad that her daughter was no longer with them.
More like the idea of not having Emma be the princess they wanted. Red's thoughts supplied before caking on a smile, "Of course, but is there a reason you needed to see me?"
Wrapping his arms around Snow David's eyes held a proud glint, "We're going to have another child and we wanted you to be the godmother again."
Eye's blown wide the woman couldn't believe what she was hearing, "Y-you're pregnant?"
"Well not yet," Snow's eyes drifted sadly to the side, "but with Emma being proven a traitor we need an heir." Clenching her fists and jaw Ruby couldn't believe at how easily they talked or replacing Emma, her friend and cub.
"So what do you say?" the Queen's eyes narrowed when her friend didn't respond to the honor of having been given the chance to be a godmother.
Knowing it would hurt her friend greatly, but the brunette couldn't let another pup replace Emma, "I'm sorry but I cannot."
Removing Charming's hands from her stomach Snow confronted her friend, "And why is that?" she spat.
Getting up in Snow's face Red's eyes flashed yellow, "Because you killed her best friend and lover! Because you would replace the best thing that's ever happened to you!" she spat trying to control her wolf. Usually she had amazing control but when it came to the protection of her pups she was feral.
Hurt registered in Snow's eyes before turning her back to Red, "So it's true. You're the one who helped her escape and have been sending the letters over the border."
Taking a sharp intake of breath Red was still and unmoving. No, no, no, no. She cannot know. There is no way. Taking her silence as admission the Queen shed a tear knowing the woman who'd become her best friend betrayed her she couldn't help but feel a pang in her chest that Red had filled.
"I never thought Graham could be right. That it was one of the guards framing you for treason, but sending letters across the border to someone at the Dark Palace...How could you?" she demanded feeling the arms of her husband encircling her with regret.
"Because I love someone who resides at the palace," the wolf admits proudly in the face of Snow who seems to weaken and smile at the mention of love as if almost able to forgive her transgression, "And I will always love her."
No longer able to feel sympathy for her friend at the mention of loving a woman the friend that was Snow no longer existed and in her place was a bigoted Queen only able to rival that of her fathers bigotry had she truly known him. White unmarked skin connected with Red's face as the slap reddened under the force executed from the slap, "How many will the bitch take from me? First my daughter and now my friend."
Rubbing her cheek Red admitted the truth SNow was too blind to see, "You pushed her away. You were the one who couldn't accept her. She was not taken away. You threw her away," the wolf stood firm in her resolve.
Snow seemed to crumble at the accusation but as soon as her walls went down they came back up with a ferocity that Red's never seen, "And you threw away our friendship for a woman. I don't know how I didn't see the similarities before. It wasn't the Evil Queen that corrupted my daughter it was you."
Growling Red lunged at Snow, and before this point she could have never imagined laying a hand on her best friend, but even friendship can be severed by a closed mind. Before any attack could be made against the Queen though David through some pixie dust in Red's direction knocking her unconscious and sending her into a deep sleep.
The next time Red awoke she shifted her hands only to find silver chains burning against her wrists and collar chaining her to the walls behind her. The burning was pure agony and she could feel her strength waning as the silver poisoning etched into her skin. It had only been mere minutes before she succumbed to the pain drifting into the blackness of unconsciousness.
She didn't know how long it's been but her weight has deteriorated and her muscles were seemingly no more. It was hard to even pry her eyes open in that moment. When she did though a spark of life came back to those green eyes as that voice filled her ears.
"Red."
A/N Haha best you didn't expect that. Well lets see what happens in the next chapter shall we? Also comment/fave/follow the usual please and let me know how I'm doing.