Chapter 5: The Journey

Henry hurried through the corridors of the palace toward the Throne Room. His daughter, Regina, was about to have a baby and it fell to him to find the unaware father, the King, and lie to him about why she needed to leave the palace immediately.

Regina shared the news of her pregnancy with her father the day she found out. After performing the enchantment that made it impossible for anyone else to know, the two began discussing how they could hide the delivery. Since the baby would be born in the summer, the original plan was to have Regina stay behind while Snow and the King went to the Summer Palace. But they weren't set to leave for another week, so Henry had to think of another way.

As he reached the throne room doors Henry paused for a moment to catch his breath. He didn't want to arouse suspicion. He exhaled sharply and pushed the heavy doors open. King Leopold was sitting on his throne discussing something with one of his advisers. Snow sat by his side on the floor reading.

Henry waited patiently for a moment while the King finished his conversation. He felt nervous. If King Leopold doubted the excuse Henry told him the whole charade could come crashing down. The adviser bowed before the King and walked away. Henry took one last breath to steady himself and then spoke,

"Your Majesty."

The King turned to look at Henry and greeted him with his usual warm smile. "Ah, Henry! So good to see you."

"Thank you Sir. The Queen has asked me to inform you that she will be departing for the Summer Palace this afternoon."

The King had a puzzled look on his face. " Why is that? We are set to leave in but a week." Snow was standing next to her father now, interested in the discussion they were having.

Henry felt beads of perspiration beginning to form on his forehead.
"Yes, your Majesty, however the Queen wishes to visit the grave of her mother, at the family cemetery before going to the Summer Palace."

This, of course, was a lie. If the truth of what had happened to Cora had been made known it would have been devastating for Regina. So, with the help of Rumplestiltskin, they faked her death and had her "buried" near their family home.

The King nodded sympathetically. "Yes. She hasn't been able to visit her mother's grave since she was laid to rest."

Snow, always very sensitive to anyone who had lost their mother, said, "Oh, then we should go with her father! She might feel sad, and we should be there to comfort her."

Henry had to move the King away from this idea as quickly as possible, that was the last thing they needed.

"That's very kind of you Princess, but I will be accompanying the Queen on her journey, so she will not be alone."

"That's right, Snow." The King lovingly patted Snow's hand which rested on his arm. "You are sweet to want to comfort Regina, but perhaps we should let her and her father have some time alone to pay homage to dear Cora."

Henry sighed with relief. It had worked.

"Please tell the Queen we wish her a safe journey."

"I will, your Majesty. Thank you." With a bow, Henry left the throne room and headed toward Regina's chambers. They had already packed everything they would need for the summer, just in case they needed to leave suddenly. He instructed several footmen to help him load the luggage onto the Queen's carriage and within a few minutes they were ready to leave.

Henry climbed into a second, less conspicuous, carriage. He had one more stop to make before they left for their family home. Regina's carriage would depart first but stop about one mile outside the village and wait for Henry. He would meet her there after his task was complete.

While in his carriage, Regina's father put on a hooded cloak to disguise himself. The driver took him to the center of the village where he could find who he was looking for. It was common to hire the services of a woman known as a nurse maid to assist in the delivery of children. Since they had no idea how long it would be until the baby would be ready to be born they thought it would be best to take a nurse maid along for the journey, just in case they didn't make it to the house in time.

Henry exited the carriage and went into the tent where the villagers came to be seen for medical issues. This time he didn't try to hide the anxiety in his voice. "I have a woman who is in need of a nurse maid immediately!"

He looked around the tent for someone who could help when a middle aged woman waved her hand in the air and volunteered her services. He collected the nurse and escorted her to his carriage.

They rode in silence, both preparing for the job ahead. When they approached the edge of the village the nurse maid, Marie, became uneasy. She was confused as to why they would be leaving town. Where was this woman? The carriage came to a stop on the side of the road. Marie looked out the window for a dwelling of some kind where her patient might be waiting but she saw only forest.

Henry climbed out the carriage door and indicated that Marie should do the same. As soon as she stepped out she recognized the Queen's carriage parked a little farther down the road. Now she was completely confused.

Henry started toward Regina's carriage and Marie followed. He opened the door and gestured for the nurse to climb inside. Normally, she would have been thrilled at the chance to ride in a royal carriage but now she felt slightly afraid. It was dark inside so Marie couldn't see that there was someone else already sitting in the carriage. She sat down on the bench to the right and waited for her eyes to adjust. Henry climbed in, shut the door and sat on the bench opposite her.

As they resumed their journey Marie's eyes began to make out the forms of two people on the bench across from her. She recognized the silhouette of the man who had brought her here, but the other figure was unfamiliar. She squinted in an effort to make sense of what she was looking at, if only there were a little light. Finally she realized that if this was the Queen's carriage then the other passenger must be the Queen herself!

As if on cue, Henry slightly raised one of the shutters, letting in just enough light that Marie could clearly see Regina's face.

"Your Majesty!" Marie bowed her head in respect. There was no response from Regina or her father. Marie nervously spoke again, "I... I don't understand, I thought there was a woman having a baby who needed my help."

Henry answered her flatly, "There is."

Marie still did not understand. Suddenly Regina grabbed her abdomen and cringed at the pain. The nurse recognized this as a contraction but did not understand how it could possibly be so, the Queen did not have a large belly to indicate that she was with child. "How can this be?" She asked.

Henry was turned toward Regina, trying to comfort her until the tightness in her stomach released. "An enchantment was placed on her to hide the child."

It was not her place to ask but Marie wondered, why? She asked a more practical question instead, "How am I to deliver the child if I can't see it?"

The contraction finally over, and a little out of breath, Regina responded, "Once we arrive I will lift the enchantment. We can't take the chance that anyone could see before then. No one can know."

"And what happens after the baby is born?" If no one could know about the child before it was born, what did that mean for her? A sudden frightening thought crossed her mind, "Am I to be killed?"

Henry shook his head. "No. You won't remember that it was the Queen's child you delivered." Marie assumed that meant she would be placed under some sort of enchantment that would alter her memory.

The Queen and the man with her didn't seem threatening, in fact they both seemed anxious and worried about the labor. She decided they meant her no harm.

She had seen the Queen before and had always admired her beauty, but now there was something different about her face. She seemed troubled. Marie decided to try to ease the Queen's worries.

"Is there no enchantment to stop the pain?"

"Unfortunately no," Regina explained. "The entrance of a new life into this world is itself a magical thing. No power I possess can alter the process."

"How long is it between the pains, your Majesty?"

"Less than ten minutes." Regina shifted her weight in an attempt to get comfortable.

Marie was thinking. "And how long have we to travel?"

Henry answered her, "Three hours or less." Marie nodded as she considered this information.

"Will we make it in time?" Regina sounded a little afraid.

Marie smiled at her patient and said sweetly, "Don't you worry about that now dear, we've got plenty of time."