Chapter Seventeen

True Loves Kiss

A/AN: Thank you guys so much for the awesome reviews! I didn't want to be the mean authoress and keep you waiting any longer so here's chapter seventeen!

Regina smiled fondly at the raven haired girl who was now strong enough to sit up in bed. The dreamshade antidote had vanquished all traces of the poison from her body. She quietly braided the girl's hair into two childish braids.

"Thank you again for saving my life." Snow White said turning to meet Regina's gaze.

"You're welcome Snow. I would've done it for anyone." Regina supplied, patting her knee lightly.

"I cannot wait until you marry my father. You're going to be a wonderful mother!" she gushed causing her heart to plummet.

"Well I've never had a daughter before." she forced a smile, continuing to braid her hair.

"Perhaps you and father can have a child of your own. I would love to have a little brother or sister!" Snow exclaimed bouncing excitedly on the bed.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves now." Regina remarked, tightening the braid, trying to diminish the shaking in her hands.

Regina was thankful when the maid burst into the room interrupting their conversation. She wasn't sure how much more she could take of it. The thought of marrying King Leopold didn't settle well with her, especially when she was already in love with someone else.

"Your highness, the king has requested your presence immediately. There's a situation at hand." the maid informed her.

"I'll be right there." Regina nodded finishing up the final braid. She secured it in place before tucking the covers back over the princess.

"Get some rest Snow." Regina commanded kissing her brow lightly.

"Will you come back later and tell me a story?" she inquired with a yawn, tugging at Regina's sleeve.

"Yes I'll come back later if you're feeling up to it." she assured the girl with a smile before departing. She turned back one final time to see Snow snuggled under the covers fast asleep. The antidote may have cured her illness, but she still needed plenty of rest to sustain her.

She walked into the hallway to see the maid still standing there, "The king asked if I would escort you to the grand hall."

"Of course." she obliged following the maid down the long elongated hallway until they came to the grand hall. Regina walked inside to see Prince Leopold conversing with a peculiar looking man with a scar that marred the entire right side of his face. He also wore an eye patch and looked rather dangerous. He was speaking in a frantic voice to the king. A look of hopelessness was beheld in his eyes that pierced her heart severely.

"Regina…" Leopold respired once he noticed her presence. She walked towards the two men, standing beside Leopold uncomfortably. She didn't make eye contact with the stranger.

"Regina this is Rumplestiltskin. He's the king of Albannach. He needs our help." the king explained. Regina felt her heart drop when he mentioned Albannach. The color dissipated from her cheeks when she realized who was standing in front of her.

"What kind of help does he need?" Regina demanded with a bitter edge in her voice.

"I need to find out what's wrong with my Belle. I found her in the palace garden with an apple beside her. The fruit had her teeth marks on it, but I sensed that it was laced with an evil spell. I just can't understand who would do this to my Belle." Rumplestiltskin muttered running his fingers through his unruly hair.

"Your Belle? What do you mean?" she inquired, instantly perking up at the familiar moniker.

"Regina, Rumplestiltskin was on his honeymoon with his new wife Belle…They we're just married two days ago." the king expounded causing Regina's eyes to go wide with horror at this realization.

"What does your Belle look like?" Regina inquired to the estranged king.

"My Belle is the fairest in all the land. She has chestnut curls and beautiful blue eyes that resemble a summer sky. She-" but she cut him off.

"She's alive then…" Regina interrupted, contemplating this revelation.

"What do you mean she's alive!?" he snapped, alleviating his gaze on Regina.

"My mother Cora was married to Belle's father. After he died, she sentenced her to a life of servitude. She even made her renounce her title, but Belle wouldn't do it. I'm her stepsister." Regina revealed painfully, eyeing the peculiar looking man.

"Then I hold you equally responsible!" Rumplestiltskin seethed eyeing Regina threateningly until Leopold stepped between the two.

"I want to help you Rumple, but I won't allow you to speak to my betrothed that way. Cora also poisoned my daughter, and Regina risked her life by sneaking into her mother's vault to procure the antidote. She's not like her mother." Leopold defended, causing the angered king to back down.

"My mother is most likely responsible for poisoning Belle. She's always loathed her because she was everything my mother wasn't. She would do anything to be rid of her. Allow me to have a look at her in case it's dreamshade." Regina offered giving the man a sympathetic glance

"Fine." Rumplestiltskin obliged, giving her a sharp look. Regina nodded allowing him to lead her to the place Belle was being kept. Leopold followed close behind in case he dared to try anything on Regina.

She eyed the man suspiciously, surprised that Belle would choose to love a man like him. He wasn't handsome, but her stepsister was a peculiar girl. She could also tell he cared very deeply for her. She followed him into the chamber to see the ashen face of her stepsister peeking out from beneath the covers. Regina swallowed hard as she looked upon a face, she hadn't seen in months.

"I'm going to have to take a look at her chest to see if it's dreamshade. The poisonous markings would be close to her heart." Regina supplied nearing the beauty's bed. She took a nervous breath, pulling back the covers.

Regina undid the ties around Belle's bodice and pulled them open. She examined her chest and sighed when she didn't find any markings.

"Well?" Rumplestiltskin probed anxiously, analyzing her every move.

"The poison that has infected Belle isn't dreamshade. She has no markings around her heart, so I have no idea what it might be." she admitted biting her lip nervously. She looped back the strings in her bodice, pulling it shut.

"I know someone who can help." Leopold responded, gaining the attention of the other two occupants.

"And who would that be?" Ruumplestiltskin snarled angrily.

"The blue fairy." Leopold revealed and in that moment, ethereal blue light filled the room.

"Well that was quick." Regina remarked eyeing the blue jellyfish skeptically. Blue had helped her procure the antidote from her mother, but she still didn't fully trust the fairy.

"Blue, we need your help. Princess Belle has been poisoned. Do you know what's wrong with her?" Leopold questioned the lead fairy.

"Let me have a look." Blue requested with a wave of her wand, transforming into her human size.

"There's no need for Belle to be tainted by anymore magic. Just take a look at this and tell me who's magic it is." Rumplestiltskin demanded thrusting the apple into Blue's face. Blue wrinkled her nose, taking the fruit from his hand.

She examined the fruit before her face paled, "This apple has been enchanted with the darkest of magic. There's only one fairy I know who would be capable of something like this." the fairy supplied, placing the apple on the table by its stem like it was acidic to touch.

"Who is it and what have they done to Belle!?" Rumplestiltskin demanded vehemently, growing impatient with her.

Blue smoothed out her skirts, "This magic was cast by my sister, formerly known as the black fairy. She goes by Maleficent these days. She always has an intention for everything she does. The spell that was placed upon Belle is called a sleeping curse. There's only one thing that can break it to keep her from eternal slumber."

"And what is that?" Rumplestiltskin queried, his voice dropping dangerously low.

"Those who wed are not always one's true love. The only thing that will wake her up is a kiss from her true love. If you truly believe that you and Belle share true love, then your kiss should break the spell." Blue illuminated gaining his attention.

"And if I'm not?" he respired not wishing to dwell on that hopeless prospect.

"Then she'll sleep forever I'm afraid." Blue added, clasping her wand to her side. She gave him a disheartening look before turning away.

"Then all I can do is hope that it's real then." he whispered walking to her bedside. Regina felt sorrow pierce her heart as she watched a heartbroken man push erratic chestnut curls from his wife's face.

"Oh how I love you Belle-of-mine. Please wake up." he whispered into the shell of her ear. He bent over her, softly pressing his lips against hers. There was magic in the motion, an inevitability born of something stronger than the both of them. Golden light whooshed through the room, rattling the glass panes and tapestries on the wall. Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes pulling away, afraid to open his eyes until he felt a soft hand cupping his face. "Rumple…" the familiar voice quaked causing him to open his eyes to see the most beautiful woman in the world staring back at him.

"Oh Belle…" he gasped, enveloping her in his strong embrace. She ran her fingers through his hair calmingly hoping to soothe him.

"Shh…I'm okay Rumple." Belle assured him, holding onto him tightly, his body wrecking with sobs. She'd never seen him cry before and it was heartbreaking.

"I've never seen someone with such a strong love before. This is indeed the most powerful magic I've ever seen." Blue said almost speechless.

"What a relief." Leopold replied, pulling Regina close to him.

After watching Rumplestiltskin's act of true love, Regina couldn't hold it back anymore. She pushed the king away gently, "I'm sorry your majesty, but I can't marry you."

She took a deep breath awaiting his cruel punishment but it didn't come. She looked up at him surprised to see him staring at her in awe, "Why can't you marry me?" he spoke slowly without accusation.

"My heart belongs to another I'm afraid. My mother banished him from the kingdom because she wanted me to marry you. She wanted us to wed so that I could secure an heir with you. She just wants more power." Regina revealed taking the king aback.

"I can't say that I'm not disappointed with this outcome but it took great courage to admit those things to me Regina. I pledge my protection and services to you from this day forward. You may stay in Astyn as long as you would like." Leopold responded, catching the raven haired princess completely off guard.

"Thank you your highness." Regina bowed, feeling relief flood her chest. She felt so much lighter with this burden relieved.

"So can this black fairy be stopped?" Regina inquired to Blue, turning away from the tender scene her stepsister was currently engaged in.

"She can only be stopped by someone with a true heart. They would have to stab her through the chest and pierce her heart, but I'm afraid she's too powerful so anyone's efforts would be futile." Blue explained with a wave of her wand.

"I will stop her!" a voice reverberated from behind. The trio turned to a fuming Rumplestiltskin, vengeance flaring in his eyes.

"She has the ability to turn into a fire breathing dragon. The flames that burst from her mouth don't burn you but tear you apart torturously by magic. Burning to death would be a less severe form of punishment." Blue reprimanded putting no faith in him.

"Then I guess I better hope that I'm quicker than her eh dearie?" he smirked refusing to back down.

"If you're so insistent about marching off to your death, then I'll draw you up a map of her lair. I can assure you that your chances of returning are unachievable. No one is strong enough to beat my sister." Blue admonished with a disapproving glance.

"I guess the others just didn't have what it takes." he buffered, refusing to back down. There was no way some demented fairy was going to get away with hurting his Belle. She would pay in the most horrific of ways.

"Rumple…" Belle said his name like a prayer. He turned to face her taking her hands in his own, "I promise you my dearest Belle that I will avenge your name and take back everything that was stolen from you." he determined, taking her hands in his.

"You're enough." she whispered, tucking a stray lock behind his ear.

He felt his heart flutter at her declaration, "Maybe so but I will find a way to give it all back." he swore kissing her knuckles lightly, thankful she was still alive. Cora and her dark accomplice would pay for what they had done.

A/AN: Well there's chapter seventeen! In the next chapter Regina and Belle will have a heart to heart. We might just find out about Daniel's whereabouts. Gaston and Cora will have a little chat, and Rumplestiltskin will begin his journey to defeat Maleficent. Will he succeed or is his fate already sealed? Stay tuned loves! Please review!