Chapter 7

Enchanted Forest.

'Mirror mirror on the wall, show me who I want to kill most of all.'

Regina is lying down on the couch right in front of the fireplace, as the sun is slowly setting behind her.

'As you wish, Your Majesty.' The face of the Genie disappears to show the person who changed Regina's life forever. Snow White.

The young woman is looking outside the window of her bedroom, gently caressing her belly. She's worried for something and Regina couldn't be happier to notice it. At her wedding, Regina swore she would've destroyed her happiness and that's exactly what she's going to do.

'Snow? Snow, what are you thinking about?' Prince Charming asks getting closer.

'Are they back?'

'Not yet.'

'What if it was just a mistake?' Snow turns to look her true love in the eyes. 'It was too dangerous, even for them.'

'They'll be fine, Snow.' He holds her hand, rubbing his thumb on her skin.

'I will never forgive myself if something happens to them. It… it was a mistake.'

'They know what they are doing. Trust them. They've been through worse than this.'

Regina rolls her eyes looking at them. She can't handle how optimistic they can always be, no matter the situation. But there's something that upsets Regina even more – the fact that they always find a way to survive and to stop her.

'I hope you're right.' A bittersweet smile appears on Snow's face.

'Now, let's go and get some rest.'

'I'm fine. I don't need it. I want to make sure they are fine.'

'Then do it for the baby. She could born anytime soon.' Charming says gently placing the palm of his hand on her belly. 'And you know Regina is going to cast that curse.'

'Yes..' Snow nods. 'Yes, you're right. Let's go to bed.'

Charming closes the window before to walk toward the bed with Snow. The image of them disappears as the mirror turns black again.

'Before you can even imagine, Prince Charming!' Regina says standing up. Nothing can stop her from getting her revenge. She's just so close now.

Rumpelstiltskin's curse is ready; all she needs is the heart of the thing she loves the most. But there's only one thing she needs to do before to sacrifice her beloved horse, Rocinante. Regina needs to be the young and naïve girl that she used to be before her mother forced her to be Queen. Riding Rocinante for one last time, she wants to visit Daniel's grave. She needs to explain him that she's doing it for him, that all the pain and suffer she's inflicted was to vengeance his death. To tell him goodbye before the curse will separate them forever.

'Her Majesty!' Someone screams in the hallway, getting her attention. She turns and sees the Huntsman walking fast towards her. 'I'm sorry to bother you, Her Majesty, but we have a problem.'

'A problem?'

'Some people broke into the castle and stole something.' He says standing in front of her.

'What did they take?' Regina must control herself.

'We don't know.'

'Then what are you doing here?' She raises her voice, feeling the anger growing inside her. 'Find them and take what they stole from me. No matter what, you must bring their leader to me.. alive! Am I clear?'

'Yes, Her Majesty.' He walks away fast.

Regina walks over the balcony, leaning on the railing. The anger is taking control of her. Her hands tremble, feeling the urge to burn something. Or better, somebody. Thinking about what she saw in the mirror, she's sure that behind all this there is Snow White and her boring husband. Snow was worried for somebody, and then suddenly someone broke into her castle.

'Dear Snow..' Regina says looking down at the kingdom from the highest tower. 'You let other people do your dirty job, but you can't stop me. I'll get my revenge.. for Daniel.'

###

The sun eventually set behind the dense forest. The stars are shining so bright up in the dark sky.

This is unbelievable!

Regina is slowly losing all the patience she's left. She stands up and starts walking toward the hallway. The long, dark blue dress perfectly fits her body. A wide neckline and the rhinestones on the corset highlight her chest. Wearing that kind of dress is one of the best things of being the Queen, Regina loves it.

'Her Majesty!' The Huntsman says walking toward her in the hallway.

'Where the hell have you been?' Regina stops right where she is, letting him gets closer.

'I'm sorry. It took longer than we expected.'

'So?'

'We followed those.. thieves to the middle of the forest. They were more like.. bandits. I brought few men with me but..' the Huntsman lowers his face, breaking the eye contact with her. 'They were too many for us.'

Regina breathes deeply, as she turns around and takes few steps away from him. From bad to worse in a couple of minutes. What does she has an army for? They had one job to do – bring their leader to her and kill whoever try to stand in their way. And they failed. Was that hard to fulfill? Did she ask for the impossible?

'What happened?' Regina says calming herself down as best as she can.

'We did what he had to. We attacked them. I believe they just took some gold from you, nothing else..'

'You believe?' She scoffs, with a bitter smile on her face. 'What about the leader?'

'He.. He's escaped. I never saw that face before.. I don't know who he is..' The Huntsman is clearly scared now. 'I'm sorry, Her Majesty. But..'

Regina turns to look at him, but he's looking down at the dark grey pavement under his feet. She raises her arm fast, and with her magic, she throws the handsome man against the wall, across the room. His feet can't even touch the ground.

'What I should do with your apologies, huh?' Regina says angrily, walking towards him. His body starts contorting against the wall as she slowly closes her hand, preventing him to breath. 'You failed, Huntsman. Do you have any idea of what can happen if those thieves are working for Snow White?'

'Please.. Her.. Majesty..' He barely says trying to catch some air. 'There.. is.. something.. you.. should.. know..'

Regina looks straight into his eyes for a very long moment. All she can think about is Snow White and the curse she has to cast. She'd never let her win. Right before he's about to lose consciousness, she lowers her arm, allowing him to breathe again. The Huntsman coughs repeatedly, barely standing on his feet. 'Talk!'

'There was a woman..' He says between the coughs. 'We brought her to the castle.'

'Where is she?'

'In the dungeon. The guards are waiting for me to interrogate her.'

'You've done enough!' Regina raises both her hands and disappears in a cloud of violet smoke. In a blink of an eye, she's in the dungeons of her castle. Only the fire torches light up those endless dark and dirty hallways. Regina rarely goes in that area of the castle, she leaves the dirty job to the guards.

'What's your name?' One of the guards says right around the corner.

Regina stops, hiding behind the wall. She waits for an answer long enough to realize that the woman wouldn't talk. Starts walking, she appears in front of the cell. The woman with a white dress and dark red cloak masquerades her fears as soon as she meets Regina's glance. 'Answer the question.' She says walking in the cell leaving the wooden door open.

The peasant's hands are tied behind her back, with no way to escape from the rope. Looking straight into Regina's eyes, she keeps her mouth closed. No intention of speaking.

'Leave us.' Regina says to the guard who immediately follows her order and walks outside. With a slightly movement of her fingers, Regina closes the door behind her, putting a spell on it. 'Why don't we settle this woman to woman?' Another quick gesture of her hand and the rope around the peasant's hands falls at the ground, giving her the chance to freely move her arm. 'Better?'

'Yes.' The woman says huskily, massaging her reddened wrists.

'Oh.. you do have a voice then.' Regina smiles evilly. 'I don't like wasting my time, so.. what did you steal from me?'

The woman refuses to answer the question. Trying to avoid Regina's glance, she keeps looking around.

'I can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice.' Regina takes a step closer, frightening her even more.

'Your reputation precedes you.'

'Then you know that, one way or another, I'll get what I want.'

'We.. we just stole some gold.'

'Some gold, huh?' Regina starts walking around the woman. She's quite as tall as Regina, her brown hair falls on her tiny shoulders. She's strong, Regina has to admit it, but she's irrelevant like all the other peasants.

'We heard about the curse. We thought you didn't need it anymore.'

'Do you work for Snow White?' Regina asks without pay any attention to her words.

'N.. No.'

Regina stops right behind her. 'You hesitated.' She whispers to her ear. 'You do work for her.'

'No! I don't, Your Majesty.' The woman says stepping away and turning to her. 'I'm not lying. I never met her.'

'You live with a group of men, hiding in the forest. Far from the villages. You have no home, always looking for something better..' Regina is now looking straight in her eyes. 'That kind of life that makes impossible for you to have a family. And you're telling me that you never met Snow White?'

'You're right. That's my life but I chose it.' The woman says standing her glace. 'I chose to live in the forest with those men, my family. But I can live with the consequences of my decision. Can you?'

'How dare you?' Regina raises her voice.

'You have magic! You have this castle, jewelry and gold. And yet, you can't appreciate any of it, because all you want is Snow White's heart.' She says provoking her. 'You hurt and kill people who get in your way, but you also innocent people. Can you live with that?'

'You know nothing!' Regina gets angrier every second.

'But I can't blame you. You clearly don't have the most important thing.'

'And what's that?'

'Love.'

'Love is weakness, my dear.' Regina says remembering her mother's words. After Daniel died, she built a wall around her heart. A wall nobody would be able to tear down.

'If only somebody loved you..'

Regina doesn't let the woman finish her sentence that a fire ball appears in her right hand. She can't handle hearing those words. She had love, that kind of love a woman always dreams about but it'd been taken away from her, because of Snow White. She would've done anything to have her Daniel back, but it's impossible. Not even true love's kiss worked that night in the stables.

'Do it!' The woman says catching her attention. 'Kill me! Turn me into ashes, right now.' She takes a step closer, reducing the distance between her and Regina. 'Nothing I'll say would change your mind.'

'You're playing with fire.' Regina is trying so hard to not burn this woman alive.

'You want people to tell you the truth but here's a thing – truth hurts, Your Majesty. Whatever you like it or not.'

'That's enough!' Regina throws the fire ball few inches from that woman's head, hitting the wooden door behind her. She grabs her face, pulling her closer. 'Did you say goodbye to those people who love you so much?'

The woman opens her eyes wider. Her fate is sealed, there's no way for her to make it out alive.

'You'll never see them again.' Regina smiles proudly at her. 'You'll die tomorrow.' She pushes the woman away, walking over the wooden door. She lifts the spell and opens it.

'Nooo!'

Regina turns around fast enough and finds the woman behind her. The woman raises her hand but Regina grabs her wrist right in time. She has a knife only few inches from her throat.

'Brave woman.' Regina says knowing that woman could never harm her. 'But bravery won't save your life.' She pushes the woman at the ground and, helping herself with some magic, she takes the knife. 'Enjoy your stay, for as long as it lasts.'

Regina laughs, walking outside and locking the door behind her.

'You can kill me, but it won't change anything..' The woman screams from the little window of the door. 'Do you hear me? Good always wins!'

Regina keeps walking, ignoring every single word that woman says. But, despite all her efforts to keep the emotions inside, she can't stop thinking of what she said earlier.

If only somebody loved you.

Daniel's face is still so clear in her mind. If she closes her eyes, she can feel his gentle touch on her skin. The way he usually cupped her cheek in his hand before kissing her. Daniel might be dead but he's pretty much alive inside Regina - in her memories, in her heart. It hurts hearing those words, especially from someone who doesn't know anything of what she's been through. Of how much she's suffered in the past, when the only thing she ever wanted was to be free and happy. Regina lowers her face and see Daniel's ring on her finger. Stopping a silent tear from rolling down her cheek, she takes a deep breath. 'I miss you.' She barely whispers before to disappear in a cloud of violet smoke.

I know.. no Robin/Regina scenes in this chapter, I'm sorry, but since I changed what happened in the Enchanted Forest I needed to explain it.

I hope you enjoyed it anyway. I promise, a lot of things will happen in the next chapter. Stay tuned.

Thank you so much.

Daisy