Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

It was a long week for Emma Swan and the other knights of the Swan Kingdom. Rumors of the Dark One arising were spreading like wildfire in the corners of the Swan territory. Even though, most believed them to be false, David's father had sent knights to all of the small villages to evaluate the validity of the rumors.

Emma had been paired up with one of her oldest friends, Mulan. They had been assigned to the region by the border between their kingdom and the Desolate Forest, which was also the region that was the farthest away from Regina's castle.

Mulan was good company to be with, but Emma still felt empty inside. There was a void inside her heart that only Regina could fill. She couldn't believe how accustomed she had become to being in Regina's presence. Being away from her has proven that she was too involved with the heir of the Mills Empire, and she didn't give two damns about it. The most important thing on Emma's mind was how to return to Regina as soon as possible.

"You're not heading back to the castle?" Mulan asked when she saw her friend steering her horse to a different road from the one leading to the Swan Castle.

"No. I'm going to see her. These lies about the Dark One's return can wait," she answered. Yes, she had told Mulan about the love of her life. If Emma Swan couldn't reap the one of the benefits of friendship by telling one of her most trusted, loyal friends about Regina, whose else could Emma tell? "Tell Ruby I said hi!" said Emma as she giddied up the horse to the path to Regina's castle.

"Emma, wait!" shouted Mulan.

Emma stalled and said, "What?" in a slightly exasperating tone.

"Ruby will kill you if you don't go visit her soon, you know? She misses you."

"And I her," Emma replied in a softer tone. Ruby had been her lady-in-waiting until after she and Mulan got married and Ruby moved out of the Swan Castle to Mulan's house. "I'll visit soon, I promise!"

Mulan nodded in agreement and, after hugging each other, they went their separate ways. Mulan went back to her home and Emma rode on to the Mills Castle.

Emma climbed the trellis to Regina's room, and even though she was exhausted, the thought of having Regina in her arms gave her the will to keep on going. She thought about all the things she would do to the brunette. The quiet declarations of love she would whisper to her ear. The gentle kisses shared between them as they lay in bed. The loving caresses as they took in each other's images before finally being able to fall asleep in peace.

But, when Emma walked into Regina's room, there was no welcoming gesture from her lover. In fact, the room seemed as if it hadn't been inhabited for a while because of the dust and the sheets covering the furniture.

"Regina?" Emma asked tentatively.

"I'm afraid Regina is not going to join us," a voice said as a candle was lighted. Emma jumped in surprise and immediately recognized the two people in the room: Cora Mills and one of Regina's cousins, Robin.

"Where is she?" Emma demanded.

"She's arranging the last few details before her wedding," Cora answered in a saccharine tone, "The poor thing had been so stressed, and you helped her a great deal. You were such a stress reliever. Alas now, it must end. She wishes you all the best."

The words Regina said a while ago echoed in her mind, "I'm a marionette in my mother's and grandfather's game." She knew Regina didn't love Leo. She knew the brunette wouldn't marry him willingly.

"I don't believe you," Emma spat, "I want to see her."

"She was sorry that she couldn't come to tell you herself. But, she gave me this item to give you," Cora extended a hand towards her, "She said you'd believe me when you received this."

Emma looked at Cora suspiciously and reluctantly opened her hand to receive what Cora was handing to her. Her heart stopped when she saw the black Star Tears pendant she had given to Regina during their last day together.

"This can't be," Emma muttered, closing her fist around the rock, "I don't believe you!"

"I'm sorry, dear. Now, I must go." Cora pretended to sympathize, but Emma was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even hear Cora's lies, "Robin, please be so kind and walk Emma to her horse and make sure she leaves the castle."

And with that, she was gone.

Robin grabbed Emma by her arm and dragged her out of Regina's room and towards the castle's main gates. They walked in silence, nothing to say and each other lost in their own thoughts. Emma felt as if she was detached to her body, as if this was not really happening and she was walking through a nightmare. Robin's grip on her arm was unnecessarily strong, but she didn't care enough to wrench her arm from his grip. They reached the entrance where a soldier was standing with Emma's horse.

"Oh. Regina also told me to make sure to give you this," Robin said in a sinister tone before Emma could get on her horse.

"Huh?" was the only thing the blonde managed to say out loud.

A punch connected to her jaw and she tumbled backwards before she could even understand was happening. Emma felt her body crash against the soldier who was holding her horse, but he didn't do anything to protect her. Robin delivered another punch to her gut, and Emma felt all the air leaving her body.

She dropped on her knees and a boot pushed her to the ground. Emma fell like a leaf in autumn, with no resistance.

"Don't ever come close to her again!" she heard Robin's voice before she felt her back receiving a hard lash from a whip, "She's ours!" Another lash. "She's our queen and you're scum not even worthy to be on the soles of my boots!" A third lash.

Emma tried to stand up. She tried to get on her feet and fight back. She wouldn't go down like this, for gods' sake, she was a Swan! But, before she could gather the energy to do so, Robin spoke again.

"Help her to get on the horse. We don't want her bleeding out on our lands," he ordered the soldier as he dropped the whip and walked away.

The soldier did as he was told. And in no time, Blackjack was carrying Emma as she hunched over in the saddle, barely holding on the reins and the pommel of the saddle. She rode away from the castle, away from the Mills, and most importantly, away from Regina.

She didn't know what hurt more, the physical injuries or the emotional turmoil. But at least, the physical ones would heal with time.

The blonde knight thought that she couldn't go to her castle looking like this, it would only start an unnecessary war. So, she steered her horse and went on a different road, the path, which Mulan had taken earlier that day.

The injured blonde reached her friends' small cottage as the last rays of the sun shone on the land.

"Emma!" she heard Ruby yell in excitement. Ruby thought that Emma came to keep her promise to visit. The world around her started to fade away from her eyesight while she struggled to stay awake. She heard Ruby calling her name again, in a more panicked tone as she fell from the horse, "Emma! Mulan! Mulan, come help me!"

She had never heard Ruby cry out in horror.