AN: I forgot to tell you guys in the last chapter, but if you're interested, I have a larger image of the cover image for this story as well as a map of the lands posted on tumblr. If you go to my tumblr (there is a link on my profile page) and go to the fanfiction link, you can see them there.

Hope you enjoy.

"Your mother… is alive?"

Regina held Emma tight. She couldn't let the blonde go, "Yes."

"But I thought you said that you came to reign because your parents died?" Emma didn't struggle against the brunette; she was more than happy to let the woman hold her like she wanted. She could tell that Regina needed to do this right now.

"I said I came to reign because my father died. My mother long before… perished."

Emma stared up at her, "I don't know what that means…"

"Regina?" Bae strode into the bedchambers and quickly averted his eyes, pretending he saw nothing.

Regina didn't let go of Emma though, which is what he was waiting on. "What, Baelfire?"

He looked at Emma and saw how Regina was holding her before he looked to the queen, "Dinner is almost ready." He spoke.

"Of course." Regina stood and snapped her fingers, changing Emma back into the suit she put her in earlier and herself into a backless, flowing dress. She stood up and after helping the princess up, she kept her hand.

As the pair passed Baelfire, he coughed, "Regina?"

Regina turned to him exasperated, "What?"

He stared pointedly at laced fingers, "You can't do that." He finally said.

Regina nodded, "Of course." She stared at her adoptive brother, "Keep her close. At all times."

"Yes, my Queen." He nodded as the Shadow Queen poofed from the bedchamber. He turned to the White Princess, "What happened?"

Emma shook her head and shrugged, "I don't really know… That Maleficent bitch-witch came, turned me into a dog and locked me in the bathroom… but I did hear her say, 'She sent me here,' and then Regina just held on tight." She took a breath, "Said that 'she' was her mother…"

Bae looked down, "Come. We must go to the dining hall."

"This isn't good. She isn't good, is she?"

Baelfire gave her a pointed look as he escorted her down the hall.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"GENIE!" Regina yelled in her office.

"My queen?" Genie looked lost as he poofed into the room.

"Show her to me." The Shadow Queen indicated the map turned mirror behind him.

"Are you—"

"Show her to me. I need to know where she is. What she's doing."

By the tone of voice, Genie knew something was wrong. He walked over to the mirror and touched it. He looked to his majesty, waiting for absolute certainty on this request.

"Show me my mother."

The Genie closed his eyes and summoned an image of Regina's mother.

Regina knit her brows as she watched Cora gaze at herself in her mirror. Then, it was as if she knew. She wasn't looking at herself anymore. She was looking straight to Regina. She blew her daughter a kiss, but both women knew she was giving her the kiss of death.

Regina turned from the mirror and the Genie was quick to make the image fade to nothing, "My Queen?"

Regina stood straight, holding her head high, "Let us go to dinner."

"Is it to do with the White Princess?"

"Yes."

"You know what that means. It's because she's a Pure One."

"I know. And you're not supposed to know that."

The Genie gave her a look telling her that he and all the advisors knew everything. He didn't comment on that though, instead he moved forward, "We've got to do something. We should find them."

"Yes, but we can't. We can only see into their castle, and not know where they are. How convenient their dark magic is to screw up your signals." The queen crossed her arms.

"So, what are we to do?"

"We're going to go to dinner." Regina gave the Genie a look before leaving. For some reason all she could think about was one night early in their relationship. It was such a simple night. She didn't know why it was suddenly at the forefront of her mind.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Emma watched the Shadow Queen mill about her bedroom as she sat on the windowsill.

"How long are you going to wait for me to turn around and see you?" Regina asked as she sat on her bed, facing away from the White Princess, as she settled to put lotion on her legs. She looked down at her floor and saw white and blue smoke forming. She smirked and looked up to find a cross-armed, stern-faced Emma.

"How did you know I was over there?"

"I've got magic of my own, you know?" Regina smirked when Emma stamped her foot. "I used a more powerful spell than you've been using whilst sneaking up on me to tell me when you're near." She gave the princess a winning smile.

"That's no fair." The younger woman huffed as she moved onto the bed and settled behind her.

"That's completely fair!" Regina turned to the blonde, waiting expectantly for a kiss.

Emma was all too happy to fill the silent request and pulled back with a smile, "I love you."

Regina smiled back, "So you say." She was still unsure what she was expecting from the other woman. She'd come into her life, pronounced her love after five seconds and now, three months later, here she was, here they were feeling so comfortable. She looked into those green orbs and leaned in once more.

"You're falling in love with me and my pureness." Emma grinned.

"It is not because of your 'pureness', because you are a Pure One… You know that, right?"

Emma gave the brunette a wide, cheeky grin, "You just admitted that you were falling for me."

Regina laughed and shook her head, "I did, didn't I?"

~0~0~0~0~0~

"For tonight's meal, I decided on a different seating arrangement." Regina said as everyone gathered in the dining hall.

"Because all the other meals have had the same one?" Shrek whispered to Artie and Fiona.

Emma heard as well and normally would have had the same snicker on her face as her father, but she knew Regina was changing the arrangements for her. She knew that that feeling of something bad a couple nights before was already rearing its ugly head.

Regina continued without comment to the ogre. "I've decided that it's high time I got to really start knowing the contenders for my hand, so the remaining four will be sitting with me and everyone else will sit with whomever they please." She smiled the most regal of smiles and waited for Artie, Alexander, Chip and Emma to make their way to her table.

Emma made sure to get to her first and sit at her side. Alexander found residence at her other side, Chip sat next to Emma and Artie between Chip and Alexander.

Regina looked to the young princes and princess and gave them all a graceful smile that almost made Emma think what happened before was all in her head. But as the Shadow Queen turned to glance only her way, she could see the utter terror hiding away.

Before Emma could try to do anything, Regina turned back to the other contenders, "So, did you all go exploring the lands?"

"We were going to go after dinner." Chip provided.

"Yes, see if there are any good underground clubs and all of that since it will be dark." Artie added with a wink and a chuckle.

Regina laughed along with them, "And who all is going?"

"I think all of eight of us…" Alexander said, "The eight that were officially competing for your hand that is."

Regina looked to Emma, "You as well?"

Emma nodded, "I originally agreed, but as the day has pressed on, I'm feeling awfully tired. And if we are due for battle tomorrow, I need all the rest I can get."

Alexander turned to the princess, "You aren't the type to rest before a fight…" He knit his brows, "Is the battle a free for all? Will she get to use her magic?"

"'Yes' to the first and 'no' to the second." Regina said simply.

Emma gave Alexander a look, "See, I told you. It'd be unfair." She smirked.

The dinner progressed with lively conversation and comebacks from the contenders. The four of them were so entertaining that Regina almost forgot about her mother and her avoiding that fact with thinking about that night with Emma three months into their relationship.

Almost.

~0~0~0~0~0~

She was thinking about that night because it was the night she admitted true, unbridled, ugly, open feelings for her. She admitted that she was falling in love with her. Revealing her feelings for the young, White Princess was the scariest thing she'd faced in her entire life.

It was the scariest thing in her life except for her mother. They were conflicting with each other because one led to good and the other perpetually led to bad.

"My Queen?" The Genie walked over in the middle of dessert.

"Yes, Genie?"

"I need to speak with you privately. It's a matter of some urgency…" He tried to sound calm and collected.

Regina stared at him a moment before turning to Alexander, "I trust you can take care of the group while I'm gone, Prince Alexander?"

"Gladly." Alexander said as he the other Princes and Princess stood as the Queen walked out of the dining hall.

"What is gods' names?" Alexander looked to Emma.

"She'd fear in her eyes." Chip stated for the group.

"I know." Emma looked at her dessert and poked at the chocolate frosting.

"Do you know what's wrong?" Artie asked.

All at the Queen's table were speaking in hushed tones, knowing that whatever had caused Regina to accidentally show her fear was much too great for the other royals to handle.

"Nay." The princess shook her head, "But I've never seen her look so disturbed—"

"Scared." Chip corrected gravely.

The blonde princess relented a half nod, "I've never seen that look in all of our time together."

"And how much time have you had?" Chip asked almost silently.

"I've been in love since I was 16, good Prince." Emma told him honestly, "Four years."

"Can I ask what I'm going to assume is an obvious question?" Artie looked at the three others, interrupting the broment between Emma and Chip.

"What, Artie?" Emma looked at him with a smile.

"Why are we here? I mean, why don't you two just… I don't know, elope some place that allows same-sex marriage and then that will be carried over the borderline and that will be that?"

Alexander shook his head, "That's not how it works, not for royals. Not for us. We have a special set of rules to follow. We can't marry the same gender unless the land we reign and the land the partner lives or reigns are both for same sex marriage."

Artie looked down at the table, "Oh." He filled the silence for no other reason but to fill the silence.

"This competition is a loophole." Emma added softly.

Chip took over for the princess, "There are no rules or laws against a Queen or King allowing the same gender in a competition for her hand. But the rules and laws surrounding the competitions state that the winner is to marry the Queen or King no matter surrounding circumstances."

"I guess I still have a lot to learn about all this stuff…" Artie looked down.

"You're a child." Emma shrugged, "You've plenty of time."

"And you didn't grow up in your castle. You didn't grow up a prince. Other royals or court members or lords and ladies might expect more from you, but the commoners, the people that most of us actually see as human will hail you for coming from what they know." Chip added.

Alexander finished their point for them, "You'll be a good ruler because of that."

Emma's fist tightened, she'd begun thinking of the Shadow Queen again. But she refrained from slamming her fist against the table like she normally would have. She huffed a breath and made to stand.

"Where are you going?" Chip's calm voice stopped her movements.

"I'm going to talk with her."

"And tell her what? That everything will be okay? She's the Shadow Queen. She knows and has endured more pain than all of the other kings and queens combined. She's been cast down and labeled evil, when all of us can clearly see she's not. She's filled of fear, Princess. She's filled with fear; the toughest of all royals is fearful of something. Everything will clearly not be okay."

Everyone stared at the prince with wide eyes. They'd never heard him talk so much or so passionately about anything until this evening.

"No." Emma sunk back to her seat, "I guess not." Her voice was solemn.

"There must be something we can do…" Alexander sighed.

The blonde princess looked at all of them as epiphany struck, "There is." She stood, determination in her every movement. "Meet me in the library in an hour." She started to turn from them, but stopped, "And suit up."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Arely, Dunstan, Gustave, Patrick, Alexander, Artie, and Chip gathered in the library. Emma was nowhere to be found.

"What are we doing here?" Gustave asked.

"We are meeting the White Princess." Chip looked coldly to the other man.

"Why?"

Chip grit his teeth and didn't answer the knight.

"Did you not hear me, Prince?"

"I heard you. I just don't know what the answer is."

Arely stepped into the conversation, "Wait, wait, wait… We're meeting here all suited up, ready for some kind of battle—which, by the way happens to be your competition tomorrow—and we don't know why we're here?"

Alexander piped up, "We know it's to do with the Shadow Queen."

"The Queen? What's wrong?" Dunstan asked.

"She'd fear in her eyes." Chip repeated for the third or fourth time that night in a gruff voice.

"… And?" Gustave asked. When the rest of the men gave him annoyed looks, he continued, "I know I may seem bitter because I was booted from the competition, but I assure you, my query is genuine." He looked to Patrick, "Sir Patrick, you know of where I'm coming from… What King or Queen doesn't fear something for their kingdom?"

Patrick did know where Gustave was coming from. But before he could put in his two cents, Emma barged into the room, the large library doors echoing as she entered. On her belt two daggers, a tomahawk, a pickaxe, a slingshot and her sword were sheathed; and in her hands she carried a battle-axe.

"It's not just her kingdom she fears for." Her voice was hard.

All the men in the room stared at the small arsenal carried on her person.

"I seem to be a tad underprepared, love. I've only my sword…" Arely finally broke the stunned silence, "What exactly are we doing?"

"We're going to Maleficent."

"Gods! Are you insane?!" Alexander asked.

"She's evil in the purest form." Patrick added.

"Nay." Gustave looked to them both, "She's a lost soul in comparison to the two that taught her, her wicked ways."

"The two that taught her?" Artie asked.

"The Dark—" Gustave's voice broke. He knit his brows and tried to scream but no sound came out.

Emma walked over to him with a small glowing orb, "Don't say his name. Don't say their names." Her tone even harder than when she first came into the library. She gave the knight his voice back, "None of you have to come. But I'm going to Maleficent and I'm getting answers. I don't have time to wait around for thoroughly thought out decisions. Either you're coming with me, or you're not." She looked to each of them.

"I'm with you." Chip walked from the cluster of princes and knights to stand at her side.

"Me too." Artie was quick to join.

"I've always done what I'm supposed to, and that lost me the competition. I'd say it's high time I use the adventurous heart my grandfather gave me and say 'yes' when the opportunity strikes for a change." Dunstan joined the three.

"Love, you had me following you when you walked in that door holding a battle-axe." Arely smirked, lightening the mood in the room only a bit as he joined.

"I am a knight first, a puppet for my king and queen second, and a lover—and as you've seen not a very good one despite my reputation—third. But always a knight. First and foremost a knight. A queen, a very good queen, is in trouble. I'm to go to battle." Gustave came forth.

"Gustave is right." He looked from Alexander to the rest, "I'm a knight." He looked to Alexander again, "Al?" He whispered.

Alexander looked to Emma, "You shouldn't go."

"Me?"

"If you go, and if something happens to you…" Alexander gave her a serious look, "She'll be heart broken. And there is nothing more terrifying than a woman with a broken heart."

Emma took a step towards Alexander, "Well…" She held out her hand, "We've to make sure nothing too bad happens to any of us then."

"And make it back to battle each other in the morning…" Artie piped up, "For half of us, that is."

Emma grinned at the youngest prince, "Precisely Artie, precisely." She took one of Alexander's hands then took one of Chip's hands, "Gather in a circle; we're about to go on a short, rough ride."

Once all the men gathered in a circle and joined hands, Emma poofed them out of the library.

Red and Belle rushed in a moment too late. "I thought you said they were in here?" Belle asked.

"They were." Ruby pointed to the center of the room. "It reeks of magic. The White Princess took them somewhere."

"The White Princess did what?" The White Queen asked as she and the Shadow Queen approached the library. "Emma told me that she and the remaining princes were going to stay up reading all night, that's why the Shadow Queen and myself came here…" Snow looked from Belle to Red, "Hello, Red." She reached out and took the brunette's hand.

"Hello, Snow." Red smiled and moved just the tiniest bit closer to the White Queen, squeezing the proffered hand.

Regina looked from the two holding hands to Belle then back to the other two women. She was about to comment on the thick tension when Belle made her move.

Queen Belle had had quite enough of the touching between Red and Snow. She took—more like ripped her wife's hand from the White Queen's, keeping it for herself, "Hello, Snow."

"Belle." Snow looked apologetic, but her tone didn't convey any form of remorse.

"So, where did they go?" Regina asked as a new tension settled between the three women before her.

Red looked anywhere but the Shadow Queen, "I'm not sure."

AN: Thoughts and feels? Read and Review!