Chapter 25

Snow made Charming ride out with her and Neal as soon as she got the raven from Emma. She was happy to know that granddaughter had come back, but she was also worried. Emma's words weren't happy. They were strange and worrisome. It was the main reason that she decided to ride out so quickly. She figured that her daughter needed her. She had no doubt in her mind that Regina couldn't handle the situation, but there was something in the way that Emma told her that Coraline was back in the Enchanted Forest that tugged on Snow.

They'd arrived that morning, much to Regina's surprise. Snow and company had been greeted warmly and shown to their suites in the castle. Regina wasted no time in helping them get settled. Charming and Neal decided to go check on Will and the other knights. Snow was talking to Regina in the war room, catching up on castle gossip when a new blonde entered the room. They were gossiping over maps of Ulfland and the boarders of their kingdoms.

Snow had heard to the Silver Army, but she'd paid no attention to the rumors because they seemed so far away. Upon hearing that they were in Ulfland and shooting Wolves, Snow became concerned. She was raise a small force and send them to the boarders for patrol and to leave word that any refugee Wolves were welcome in the Summerlands. Regina agreed with her effort and did the same for the Winterlands.

"Hello, Quinn," Regina addressed her.

Snow watched their interaction. They seemed familiar, but not at the same time. There was an uneasiness between them, but Snow couldn't understand the strain between them. She looked from the blonde's soulful hazel-green eyes to Regina's dark eyes.

"Sorry, Snow. This is new knight for my kingdom and friend of Danni. Ser Lucy Quinn Fabray of Lima, Ohio and New York, High Elf of the Winterlands, I would like you to introduce you to Queen Snow White of the Summerlands," Regina stated giving them both formal introductions.

"Majesty," Quinn replied, bowing deeply.

"High Elf from Ohio? Last time I checked, Ohio wasn't filled with magic. How did a High Elf end up in Ohio before coming here?" Snow asked.

Quinn laughed. She was still trying to coming terms with finding out that she was a descendent of some really well known High Elves. She had been doing research with Regina into all their backgrounds since Danni had awoken.

"I am not sure that I can give you an answer that would appease you, Highness. It seems my family crossed realms many generations ago. I am the youngest in my family and I never knew that I was anything other than who I was told I was growing up. I am just as surprised as you are. Honestly, I believe that Wilhelmina was the only one that had any clue as to our origins."

"Will?"

"Yes," Quinn answered.

"Is there something that you needed, Quinn?" Regina asked her.

"I am supposed to be meeting Danni at the armory, but she wasn't there. I was wondering if you knew where she might be. I've even checked the stables. Her horse was there, so I don't believe that she's gone for a ride," Quinn replied.

"So, not at the stable or the armory, have you checked the library?"

"Yes, my Queen, Belle was the only one there. And, I didn't want to disturb her. She was still researching Red's condition and the best way to handle it. She was also trying to figure the origins of the Silver Army. She's been searching for the markings that Santana and I drew out for her," Quinn explained.

"Hmm, the only other place I can think she might be would be the archery fields. She reminds me of Emma when she does that. They both like to beat out their frustrations. If I was you, I'd get your quiver and head out there. I'm sure that I saw Emma heading that way a few hours ago. You should go join them. I am sure that they would love to have someone else to compete against. With your new found abilities and eagle eyes, I am sure that you can give them a run for their money. Have fun, darling. Explore your abilities," Regina told her.

Quinn smiled and bowed. She backed a few steps away before turning and leaving. Snow watched the younger woman and then turned back to Regina. She was just giving Snow a smirk.

"Who is she?"

"A friend of Danni's."

"Is Danni what Coraline is going by here?" Snow asked.

"She's changed her name again as to not confuse the people and Remy. She's adopted the name of Danielle Gallia. Belle has informed me that it is her way of changing the name that she used for the longest time in her life. Gallia is another name for French. So in essence, she is still our Coraline, but because Belle and Red named their daughter Danielle Coraline in her honor, she goes by Danni. It was one of the few things that kept her feeling close to home in New York."

Snow just nodded. She understood on some level. She was both Mary Margaret and Snow. She could understand why Coraline would take the name of Danni.

"Danni? I like it. So how have things been? Is she…"

"No, she is quiet and withdrawn. We've tried talking to her. We've tried doing things with her, but she retreats. She's lived without magic for a few years and she seems happier for it."

"Really?" Snow asked obviously worried for her granddaughter.

"She does, but I think it because she can't give into the temptation of using her powers for getting her way. Her moral compass and upbringing are still at war with the darkness that the powers of the Dark One give her. She has gone down a dark path and she is afraid. I understand her pain, but she tells me that I don't. I've tried to talk with her about things that I've done, but she just brushes it off. All of it, like it was nothing," Regina told her.

"What does that mean?"

"She's told us that she is closer to four hundred years old. And, unfortunately, I'm inclined to believe her. There is a sadness that she can't seem to shake and she believes that she has to prove herself to us. Emma's tried to explaining to her that we will love her regardless because she is our daughter, but she doesn't feel worthy. She told me that she has laid waste to entire realms just because she had the power do so. She has Emma's conscience with my wrath and it is a very dangerous combination for her. She learned to cope in New York with her friends, but being here…. I'm afraid that she is tempted to let loose and she is holding on to that piece so tightly that when the coil breaks, we will all be in trouble. I don't know what to do but allow her to do the things that she knows will help her," Regina stated as she dropped her quill and pushed the parchments and maps in front of her away.

"You knighted her companions?"

"I really didn't have a choice. Will would have done it or Danni would have, especially after their hunt to get us a herb that brought Danni back to us. Don't ask. It's a long story."

"When is it not a long story with us?" Snow asked her with a little mirth.

"True, but this was different Snow. They rallied to save her without thought or worry. They dawned armor and rode out into a world they didn't know or understand. They mounted up and rode away, following Will out into the unknown just because their friend was sick and needed there help. There was no thought in their action. It was all passion and loyalty. And, it almost cost Santana her life. I can never repay them for that," Regina told her.

"But, Quinn?"

"She is still trying to figure out what it means to be an elf. They aren't from here and some of them are taking it harder than others. She reminds me of Emma just after the Curse broke. She wants to believe, but she can't because it wasn't what she was taught. She has two worlds worth of information swirling in that intelligent brain of hers and her heart can't reconcile which one is the truth. I think that the only reason that she is still here is because Danni is."

"Do they have a history that Will should be worried about?" Snow asked, seeing a look in Regina's eyes that she couldn't quite place.

"No, not like that. Nothing like that at all. They have a complicated history and it all revolves around Quinn's wife Rachel. But, that is their story to tell," Regina stated, shaking her head before continuing. "I've never had someone show me such loyalty until Emma, and even now, I still don't understand it beyond my depth of love for her. Emma demanded loyalty as soon as she waltzed into Storybrooke with Henry. Maybe is it part of the Charming charisma and charm. I don't know. But, Danni surrounded herself with four people who were willing to walk away from everything that they knew to help her. And, now, none of them are completely sure about their futures. I can't help but feel responsible for that. I didn't do more to keep Danni here. I wasn't the mother that she needed when she needed me. She's chosen four strangers over her family. And, now, we've ruin their lives, too."

"We haven't ruined anything. They chose to follow her and I am sure that she warned them against it. Emma fought us all tooth and nail until she fell through that portal trying to save you. It wasn't until she was back here that she realized that we were real and that her life might have been different had she actually grown up here. But circumstances being what they were, she didn't. She didn't have a great home life and I have no one to blame but myself for that. Sure, I can be mad at you for the Curse, but David and I were the ones that chose to put her in the wardrobe. We could have fought differently. Emma still might have broken the Curse even as a child. The problem with that, is that we don't know what would have happened had we done things a different way. We can never know. Danni, however, came back to right a wrong and she succeeded. But, in her victory, she found her own curse."

"I know that all too well, Snow," Regina hissed.

"I know that, Regina. But, listen. Your daughter left because she knew that Remy was growing inside of you. She knew that the baby to be, that her coming birth might be marred and tainted by the history that she knew, that she'd stopped, and she didn't want that gloom and doom hanging over her. It wouldn't have been fair to Remy and we all know it."

"But, she fled with no intention of really returning here," Regina countered.

"You can't fault her that. She did what she thought she had to do to protect our family. She'd saved her mothers, healed her young uncle and managed to make sure that she was still going to be born. All in all, the only thing that sucked was the Will was left alone after finally meeting her True Love. We still had each other," Snow explained.

"I know that."

"Then, you need to give her time. Trust me when I say that I know that it is hard. Emma and I were best friends until the Curse broke. Then I went from being her friend to being her mother. She clammed up. She wouldn't tell me things, because she'd already told me things. Now, imagine being Danni. She can't just walk away from her family because that it all she ever wanted, just like Emma. She still came back to help when Belle went for her. So what, she brought some friends with her, and those friends happen to be magical, too. She's here and she's chosen to be here. She might not stay, and that will be okay. She's an adult. You can't make up for the time you lost with her. You can't try and be something that you never were for her. All you can do is be there for her, tell her you love and support her decisions," Snow told her.

"When did you get so smart?" Regina asked, realizing that Snow was right.

"After a very long discussion one drunken night with Emma."

"I hate that my daughter almost shared a similar fate," Regina mused.

"She didn't have her parents, but she did have her aunts. I am glad that she had someone that loved her and cared for her when none of us were there for her. At least she had that. They never let her forget who she was. They gave her the life that we couldn't but we tried to anyway. We can never be sorry for that," Snow stated.

"No, we can't, but I can still regret it."

"No, you really can't, Regina."

"Why not?" Regina asked her turning on her.

"Because YOU weren't the one that did it. Sure, her mother sent her with her aunts to save her, but YOU aren't that Regina. She altered the time line completely. You regret something that you never actually did. She is still upset by events that will never happen. She can't help that, but you can. You can still be her mother and love her. You can still be there for her and give her the support that she so desperately wants. Be the person that she wants you to be and stop trying to make up for things that you never actually did," Snow told her.

"I don't know that I can stop thinking about her not having us…"

"I understand that, but you can't let it cloud your judgement. You have to step up and be her mother without being her mother. It will be hard. Trust me, I know. Emma and I had to talk more than once in order for us to come together. Sure almost losing each other helped us, but I was the one that had the most to learn not her. So do you. You have to remember that she is adult and you weren't there to raise her. You have no say in how she makes her decisions. She does everything based on what she knows," Snow explained.

"I know that."

"Then use that knowledge. Meet her somewhere in the middle. Find a way to talk to her alone. Talk to her. Don't be her mother, be her friend, and be someone that she is willing to come to if she has a problem. She hasn't had that. Find some common ground and you'll find out a lot more about your daughter. Trust me on that one," Snow told her as she stood up from the table.

"Where are you going?" Regina asked her.

"To the archery range," Snow answered.

"Why?"

"Because, I have a standing training session with my daughter every time I visit and I would hate to disappoint her. You are more than welcome to come as well, but I understand that you might have more to deal with here. Take care of the kingdom, Regina. But, never forget your family."

Regina watched her go. She knew that Snow and Emma had a relative strange relationship considering they were parent and child. She guessed that she never appreciated it, but now being in a similar situation, she was glad that Snow was actually on her side. She was one of the few that could actually help Regina see what she was possibly doing wrong and help her find a solution.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized how much she and Snow had gotten closer in the last few years. Sure, it had been for Emma's sake, but now she could see Snow as more than a child that couldn't keep a secret. They could have been great friends and possibly sisters if things had gone differently. She shook her head as a small smile crept across her face. She realized that she and Snow made a formidable team. She had to laugh at that. Mortal enemies that were stronger together than they were apart. Her mother would be rolling right now if she could see her. She could help the laughter that erupted. She knew Snow would find hilarious, too. They really had wasted so much time at each other throats that they couldn't appreciate each other, but now as co-queens of the realm, they were nearly unstoppable. She could only imagine what would have happened if she hadn't spent so much time going after her when they were younger.

She sifted through the parchments on the table. She grabbed a few and then headed for Ruby's quarters. She would give them to Belle and let her look over them. Belle had become a great friend and a powerful ally over the years. And, she knew it wasn't because of Red.

No, their friendship steeped from their love of Coraline, Danni, Remy, whatever name she was using. When Regina learned that Danni had given Belle some magic before, it explained a lot of the auburn-haired woman's new found talents. Regina had to give it to her for being discreet with her power. She was smart enough to keep it small enough that no one ever knew or suspected. She figured that Belle had seen what dark mark could create and she knew that she didn't want that in her life.

She found a new respect for Belle when she learned that she was the only one that kept her memories of what happened that fateful day in Storybrooke. Sure, she was angry with her for keeping the truth and helping Coraline hide her symbolic death, but over time she'd come to understand why she did it. She wasn't mad at Belle anymore. She was pissed at the misfortune that befell her daughter and the situation that had been created. If she could, she'd take the darkness from her. She knew also that Belle and Coraline wouldn't allow her to do it.

She knocked quickly on the door. Belle opened it and took the parchments. She met Regina's eyes and they had an unspoken conversation. They had come to understand each other with their micro-tells and non-verbal cues. They had learned to seek each other out and knew what needed to be done, even if the other didn't want to do it. No, they said volumes with their eyes and the only one that might have any inkling what they were thinking was dozing in the corner of Red's room where she'd taken up residence since announcing Red's pregnancy. For now, they were safe. Tomorrow, however, would be another battle in the library for more knowledge.

"I'll look them over and see. If we need to change courses, I'll alert the captain via raven. Is there anything else?" Belle asked her aloud.

"Maybe…I don't know, yet. Once I do, I'll come find you. I have an idea. It's a long shot, but it just might work. I just don't want to get anyone's hopes up."

"Finish doing whatever it is that you have to do. We'll meet in the library after dinner. I should have this done by then and any new strategies that I can think of based of this new information. Don't worry about Red. Santana likes to sit with her after dark and talk. I am not sure what about it, but I know that it helping the young Cana," Belle replied.

"I am sure that she is. Santana seems strong enough though. I am sure that having Red is helping her tremendously. They'll both pull through. They've both been through more than their fair share of heartache and trouble. I just hope that we can have peace and joy for longer than a few years, for everyone. I am seriously tired of all the fighting."

"You aren't the only one," Belle stated.

"Take care of her Bookworm."

"I will, Regina, my Queen," Belle said with as much respect and candor as she could, giving Regina a deep bow, before closing the door.

She wandered through the halls of the castle. Too many it would look like she was almost lost, but she wasn't. She was actually pacing and thinking. She was trying to figure out how she could get Coraline…Danni alone so they could talk.

By the time she realized what she was actually doing, she was near the stables. She went ahead in, seeing that she could actually talk to her tack master and horse trainers without any of the knights and other "horse" people being around. They were surprised to see their Queen so informally, but they liked it. She seemed very genuinely concerned with the horses, their training and their upkeep. After their usually reports and walks, the stable master showed her the horse that Danni had taken a liking to since she'd awoken.

"She's a good mare?" Regina asked.

"Yes, Majesty, a champion. She's a skillful horse. She knows the land and the kingdom. She is swift and has been taught on how to serve a knight. She always seems to be thinking ahead of the rider some days on the trails. She can spot danger before most of us can," he replied.

"Her name?"

"Her name, Majesty?"

"Yes, she must have a name," Regina stated.

"We've never named her, Highness. We were going to present her to you or Queen Emma to give to someone of the troop. Well, that was until Ser French started taking her out. Wilhelmina wouldn't allow anyone else to touch her after that," he explained.

"Ah, then I guess we shall have to have Ser French name her," Regina said, brushing the mane of the horse away from its chestnut blaze.

"Aye, Majesty, we should."

"She comes from good stock, though?"

"Yes, Majesty. She is actually descended from your father's horses. Her father is the grandson of Rocinante. Her sire was his son and her dom was a prized horse from the Golden Kingdom. She was a magnificent specimen, Majesty. A jet black mare with fire in eyes and a blaze just like hers in a gleaming white. They called her Lillebrand. I'm told it meant 'Little Fire.' She was spirited horse, but smart too. But, she was nothing like fiery chestnut of Dorado. Together, they had three colts and two fillies. You've given them all as gifts to the other kingdoms except for her and for your breed stallion, Sombra Oro, the horse that Ser Wilhelmina rides," he said.

Regina didn't seem surprised. She knew that Will would make sure that she had best stallion in the stables to ride, especially if he was a well-trained war horse. She just shook her head. She also should have realized that her father had bred Riocinante for her. But to know that his offspring were in her stables gave her a joy she hadn't felt in years. And, she decided that she needed to share that with Danni. Perhaps, they could bond over horses like she had with her father. Then, she would present the mare to Danni. Not as a gift or bribe, but as a token of faith, love and accomplishment. She was still Regina's knight after all.