Regina sat alone in her study. She stared over her courtyard as Grace played with classmates that always seemed to be running in Jefferson's halls. The toddler played like it was any other day. And it was to her. No one told her of the bad thing that happened. She shook her head, wishing she could be Grace for just an hour as she twiddled her thumbs and stewed over what she was going to do.
The court was already pressuring her to continue with the competition. Though at every suggestion, or the beginning of every suggestion, she would remind them that they were the ones that ran screaming with the crowd while she tried to defend her country from her mother and her lover. She would also remind them that Emma's kidnapping happened on their land during their competition. And every time that would come up, the court members would stick their tails between their legs and back off.
She took in a deep breath. Gods, what it would be like to be Grace, peaceful and happy and innocent for just an hour…
Three soft, staccato knocks came to her door, "Yes?" She didn't turn to see who was there.
"Your Majesty?" Charming asked as he shut the door behind himself.
This was when Regina turned in surprise, "King Charming…" She looked at her desk, "I know—"
"That's not—"
"I know how long it's been." She looked up to the White King, "I know it's been a week and some. Believe me. I know."
"And I know that you know how long it's been." Charming approached the desk and sat in one of the guest chairs on the other side, "I am not here to yell at you. I am not here to take any anger out on you, and I'm sorry I did so earlier."
Regina stared at the man before her. She watched tears form in his eyes.
"She's my little princess." He looked into Regina's innocent brown eyes and knew immediately why Emma loved her so. He rubbed his face, hoping the unshed tears would go away, "She wasn't supposed to happen. Snow… there was a time that she was told she'd never bare children. And then, Emma came to us." He took a moment to breathe, "She's my little princess and I've learned more about her in these last two weeks than I have in the last 6 years. I didn't know she could dance anything but the waltz, I certainly didn't know she could dance with such passion. I didn't know that she watched her mother and myself. I didn't know we were examples to her." He shook his head, "I honestly had no idea that she still looked up to me; I thought she thought of me as an ever-pending obstacle."
He looked up to the Shadow Queen, "And I certainly didn't know that she had magic." He scooted forward and offered his hands to the brunette before him. After she took them he continued, "I know that you are the reason she is so passionate, the reason she runs the other direction when her mother says 'potential suitor,' the reason behind her sneaking out at night and for entire weekends." He gave her a charming smile as he released Regina's hands and stood. "I'll do everything in my power to make sure that no one ever questions the authenticity of the Battle Royale, that it needn't be finished, if we can find her and bring my little princess home."
"You mean bring her back here?" Regina asked.
"That's what I said." Charming swallowed, "This is her home. You are." He turned to the doorway and took a few steps, "I assume she proposed before you both decided on this competition?" he turned back at the door.
Regina laughed through a sudden cry and nodded, covering her mouth as she pulled her emotions back in, "She proposed the night we met."
Charming chuckled, "When you know, you know." He looked down, "She give you a ring?"
"She did. Her grandmother's. The snowdrop diamond."
Charming nodded, "You know, I was once given a charm to find Snow. Granted it was my mother's ring, the one Snow wears on her wedding finger and it was the Dark One that did it because your mother and he were fighting. And he only decided to help to rile your mother up after she put Snow in a sleeping curse, but he charmed the thing and it glowed brighter when I got closer to her…" He took a breath, "Maybe Snow's mother's ring can be charmed to do the same?"
~0~0~0~0~0~
Of course it was the damn ring.
Regina had sectioned herself off in her bedchamber for a few hours at the end of each day and had worked well into the nights. She had tried enchanting Emma's sword to no avail. It was her lucky sword, her favorite. The only one she ever used.
To enchant something in the way she needed, it needed to be personal, something with an emotional attachment to the owner.
Of course it was the damn ring.
You finally realized it was the snowdrop and not the sword?
The Shadow Queen missed her White Princess so much her conscious mind was beginning to argue her every move and thought like her lover, even sound like her lover.
The ring is more important than the sword. The ring is more important than anything I own. The ring means that I get you in the end.
Regina looked up and around, "Emma?"
I love you, Regina. I've loved you since I first saw you on that park bench.
"Emma?!" Regina closed her eyes, "Where are you?"
Just know that I love you. I need you to know that I love you.
"I do." Regina's lip began quivering and tears fell freely. It was in this moment that she heard the pain behind Emma's words. Somehow, some way, she was channeling into Regina. And her princess thought she was going to die. She could hear it in her tone, hear it in the pain. She choked on a sob, refusing to let Emma go without her hearing it back, "I love you, too."
~0~0~0~0~0~
Regina gathered all of the royals and the favored knights in her study. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen."
"Evening." And other various greetings came from the royals.
"As you well know, the Battle Royale has been put on hold until we are able to get the White Princess back in play." She started, "I have a way to find her." She looked to the White King and Queen as she said her last words. "I'm not asking for you all to join in my crusade, I'm actually asking you not to, but I am giving you forewarning that I will be on my way to find her come morning." She took a breath, "You are more than welcome to stay here or go to your respective castles."
"I'm going with you, Regina. You can't stop that." Chip said angrily.
"Chip—" Red began to scold her son for not addressing the queen with respect.
"No! I'm going."
"Chip I need people that know what they're doing here." Regina tried. "Knowing my mother and the Dark one, they will, if they know we're coming the will send someone or something here, or they will come here the minute I leave and try to destroy my kingdom—"
"My mothers are well equipped to do pretty much anything they want."
"As are my fathers." Arely said.
"And my cousins." Artie added.
"And my grandparents." Dunstan's response came soon after.
"I know my parents have fought a battle or two… alongside some of the people in this room, I'd presume." Alexander stepped forward.
"My King and Queen can defend themselves and with their permission, I am joining you, your Majesty." Gustave crossed his arms.
"My King and Queen have also allowed me to fight at your side, your majesty. And I don't think that you can argue with all seven of us." Patrick gave her a smile.
"You have no choice. We're going with you." Alexander added.
"Well…" Regina swallowed, trying to gather her emotions, "We leave at dawn."
~0~0~0~0~0~
Regina, covered in black leather and magical, form-fitting armor, stared at Emma's belt on her bed. The daggers, sword, tomahawk and even her slingshot lay sheathed attached to the belt.
She looked up at the head of her bed, her head dipped low still.
"I'm not going to ask how you got out of your room, passed the Briar Rose, the guards and the probable 10 people you were sure to run into before getting in here." She turned her head to the frizzy blonde hair that caught her vision. "I'm just going to ask the only thing I seem to able to ask you lately: What do you want?"
Maleficent gave a cocky smile, "I have my ways… Aurora was asleep and the guards were changing posts. It was actually quite easy." She paused a moment before answering the woman's question. "I want to ask you not to die." She stepped into the room. "Because if you die, then we all lose."
"If I die, then it'll be because I had nothing to live for." Regina took a quick breath and glared to the other woman, "And you'll be dead at that point anyways, so what would it matter?" She inhaled sharply looked down apologetically, "I'm not going to die." She whispered. After a moment of silence, she turned back to the bed.
"Regina!" Maleficent called after her in a panicked tone. It was as if she hadn't said what she wanted originally.
Regina turned her head to the side as she walked, "I'll try to find it before it's too late." She turned back to the blonde as she ran her hand over Emma's sword on the bed and prowled to the tiny box on the nightstand. She looked back over to the blonde once she opened the box and stated what she meant explicitly, "I promise. I'll try to find her heart before it's too late. The rest of yours too."
Maleficent nodded, thankful, regretful tears in her eyes, "Thank you." She mouthed.
Regina nodded, "Go back to bed. You shouldn't be up, wandering around my castle like you own it."
Maleficent gave the other woman a cheeky half smile and turned to leave the queen's quarters, "I'll wander anywhere I damn well please. I have a reputation to protect. Just because I'm human and utterly defenseless and frail, doesn't mean you can stop me."
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger…"
The frizzy, blonde turned at the door, "Ain't that the truth?" She said before ducking out.
Regina let her eyes travel down to the tiny box in her hand, the snowdrop diamond ring inside, "I'm coming for you, my love." She set the ring box down as she took the ends of the belt and wrapped the weaponry around her waist. Once finished with the belt, she turned to the ring box to find the ring hovering a few feet above it, waiting to be placed on her finger. She put her left hand out and let the ring do what it wanted; it found purchase on her ring finger, seemingly knowing that's where it belonged.
She moved to the entrance of her quarters and with a deep breath, she walked out.
~0~0~0~0~0~
"Your Majesty, you can't go!"
"Think about what you're doing!"
"Why are you doing this!?"
"If something happens…!"
"ENOUGH!" Regina yelled at her court members.
When they caught wind that she was planning to track the White Princess down, they called an emergent meeting to tell her she couldn't.
"I can go, and I am going." She took a calming breath, "And, something will definitely happen." She paused for dramatic effect, "I'm going to destroy the dark one and my mother." She gave them all a cocky grin, "And then I'm going to bring the White Princess back and we shall marry."
"But you can't do that!" Lord Big Shnoz cried.
"Oh, but you'll find that I can, Lord Smith." She pointed at him, a zipper formed on his mouth and zipped tight, "Anyone else want to tell me I can't marry for love?" Her tone was threatening and a menacing, angry darkness seemed to be looming around the court.
"We can't allow you to magic your way to getting what you think you deserve." The oldest member of the court, Lord Richard Van Dyke said. He was kooky and odd, but when he spoke everyone listened; he never said much, he always blended and let the other members do what they would. It was known that when he spoke, it was important. "And though you may actually deserve love," He gave his queen a look, "The competition must go on. When the White Princess returns and if she wins… then we can discuss changing laws, but until then, we respect the laws of our elders because they are the laws that work."
Regina blinked, a single tear making its way down her cheek. "Yes, Lord Van Dyke." She licked the front of her teeth before looking down a moment, gathering herself. She snapped her fingers, releasing Lord Big Shnoz from his zipper hold. "I must go for I am the only one that can find her. And I am not going to let the dark one and my mother destroy the life of yet another person."
"Who will reign while you're gone?"
Regina smirked, "Grace."
"…Grace?"
"Grace, Jefferson's little Grace?"
"The one and the same." Regina magically produced a signed scroll to the effect, "I'm afraid you can't argue this one, it's signed."
Lord Van Dyke couldn't help but chuckle, "It seems you've bested us, My Queen."
"I always do." Regina swallowed hard as she stared the white haired and mustached man down with all the respect and dignity she could muster.
"Yes." He nodded, not about to argue that fact, for it was the gods' honest truth.
Regina nodded once with him and turned, "Once the competitors, and the White King and Queen are ready, and the royal guard and royals of the other nations, all of which have volunteered to stay here and help Grace with her duties—" She gave the court a pointed look, "we're leaving." She stepped off her platform in her courtroom and walked out.
~0~0~0~0~0~
"Graham." Regina stared at his old huntsman clothes—the clothes he's always been most comfortable in, "You clean up nice."
"You know you're not going without me." Graham gave his queen a serious look.
Regina gave him a nod put a hand on his face, "I know I can't tell you not to go with me. And I knew you were going to say that very line, so yes. I know I'm not going without you."
"And if you think he's going it alone, you'd be wrong, my queen." Captain Hook stepped up in his usual dashing garb. "None of us could let him go it alone." He gestured behind him to the hatter, Pinocchio, the Genie and Bae.
"Jefferson." Regina's tone was scolding, "You need to stay with Grace."
"Grace is in good hands." The hatter gestured to the many royals that were seeing off their young princes and best knights.
"Grace needs her father."
"Yes, and you might need to send the dark one and your mother somewhere else." He tapped his hat, "You can't get my hat without getting me."
"It's true. I've tried." Pinocchio interrupted.
"When have you tried?"
The two men had a staring contest. "I try things." Pinocchio finally said.
"Not by yourself. You always make me or Hook, or Graham come along with you!"
"I do not!"
"'Oh, come on, Jefferson, the wilderness is good for you!' You only feel that way because you were once a tree!"
"How dare you!" Pinocchio pointed to his best friend.
Jefferson was just getting started though, "Oh, Hook! Have you ever heard of a burlesque show?"
"Pinocchio!" Regina looked from Jefferson to Pinocchio in scolding. "A Burlesque show…?" Pinocchio simply ducked his head ashamed that Regina found out—not ashamed that he went.
"Oh, Graham, you wanna go get a beer?" Jefferson continued on.
Pinocchio crossed his arms, "What is weird about that?"
"Nothing!" Jefferson said, "You just didn't ask me, your best friend."
Regina rolled her eyes at the last statement, "If I let you two come, you need to contain yourselves." She crossed her arms, showing her seriousness.
"Yes, your majesty."
~0~0~0~0~0~
Emma looked up to her grandmother, "Do you really think she's coming after me?"
"Did you tell her to use my ring?"
"…Yeah…"
Eva smiled, causing Emma to smile in relief, "Then she's on her way."
"How do you know?"
Eva pressed the flat of her hand against Emma's heart, "Because you do."
Emma's smile sobered, "Are you all in my head? Have I invented you to keep from going insane?" She paused in thought, "I guess that doesn't make sense…"
"No, inventing conversations with a very dead person to prevent insanity does not make sense." Eva looked to her granddaughter, "I assure you, Emma, I am very real. I know because I can tap into each of my loved ones and my families' loved ones feelings, their true feelings. Their feelings even when they don't know their feelings."
"Can you ever tell me what I'm feeling when I can't classify it?"
"No, dear. That would be cheating." The spiritual being chuckled.
Emma cracked a smile as best as her beaten face could at her grandmother's laughter, then looked down. And after a moment, "If I'm so powerful, how come I can't get out of these shackles?"
"You can."
"I can't. I've tried every spell and magic I can think of, I've tried prying them off with my hands, I've even tried biting the chains… nothing's worked."
"Something will. You just have to think. Think about everything that you came here with."
"I came here with nothing."
"You came here with something. Unintentional it may have been and though it is not here with you, it still came with you."
"Is this some riddle about my inner self?" Emma, despite her desperate situation, deadpanned.
Eva laughed, "No, Princess. It's a riddle about what came here with you. Think."
Emma tried. She tried to think hard.
She came up with nothing.
Eva was walking around looking at the other seats and shackles in the room. She fingered a pair while she spoke next, "Your Regina is an awfully cheeky little thing, isn't she?" She looked back to her granddaughter, hand moving from the shackles to clasp her other.
Emma looked up in recognition, "My axe."
~0~0~0~0~0~
Emma had been trying to summon her axe for the last hour or so. Nothing was working. She huffed a great sigh, "Why my axe? Why is it so important?"
"You know why." Eva gave her granddaughter a look.
"Because it's cool looking? Blue?" Emma gave her grandmother a cheeky, questioning grin despite her pain.
"Emma, dear. Be serious." Eva couldn't hide the amusement in her voice.
"I am serious. It's blue." Emma felt the silent scold at her sassy sarcasm, and looked down in thought. "Honestly, Grandmother, I don't know. I found it in an old, abandoned cave when I was seventeen. My father had given me my sword two years prior and I wasn't afraid of anything I might encounter. And it was just… there. It was embedded in the wall like it was Excalibur." She looked down, "I thought it awesome. I couldn't leave without it… So, I didn't. I walked over to the wall and plucked it from its home. And when nothing happened after a safe period of time for something disastrous to have happened, like it always does in any good narrative, I left."
"I know. I watched you, my dear. I watched the many different scenarios play out in your head before you decided it safe to head forth." Eva sat in front of her granddaughter, "So, tell me about what you dreamed that night even in the safeness of Regina's arms?"
"What I dreamed that night?"
"Yes, that night that you went not to your parents, to your castle, but to your home, to Regina with your axe. Tell me what happened in that dream."
Emma stared at her grandmother, "It's real?"
Eva bit her lip as she watched realization dawn on the blonde, youngest version of herself.
The White Princess looked to her grandmother, finally answering the woman, "The last of the Pure Ones before myself embedded it magically into the wall and the one that can take it is the strongest and most pure of heart in all the lands? It's really Excalibur for the Pure Ones?"
"Yes." Eva nodded.
Emma gave her grandmother a determined look, "I'm the strongest in all the lands." She grit her teeth, stretched her arm closest to the door as much as she could and reached out, a new wave of resilience coursing through her.
They heard muffled, scared, surprised cries in the castle vents, but it was no time before the axe burst through the door and made its way to the chains that held the White Princess down. As soon as the axe made contact with the shackles, the magic within them that had held her in was dead, and the metal of the shackles shattered as if it were glass.
"Now what?" Eva asked.
"Now, I kill the dark one and his poor excuse for a mistress." Emma gave her grandmother a sincerely, malevolently, stunning smile.
AN: Welp, there's today's chapter. Have yet to decide if I'm going to post tomorrow…
Tell me what you liked, didn't like? Don't you want to take Charming home with you, put him in your pocket?
Thoughts and feels? Please Read and Review!