Chapter 56

Regina was alone in the room. She still couldn't believe that Emma wanted to get married, but she'd made her case. Regina had relented and Emma had gone to find Blue. They would wed before Coraline so she would know that they were together when she goes to her tomb. They would give her some peace and happiness as she goes to fight the Darkness within.

Regina sighed. Was she actually ready to marry Emma? She felt herself holding her stomach. She couldn't stop thinking about Coraline. Would she be okay in that well? She knew that there was nothing that she could do for her. She was the Dark One now. There was no way to cure that except death. And, Coraline would die before she let anyone else take on her burden.

Regina looked over at the mattress in the room. She had conjured it for her Emma to lay on, to try to get some rest, but rest was something that she was afforded. There simply was no rest for the weary or the wicked. And, in Regina's mind, she was both.

She had started pacing again. Her magic was just below her skin, but thanks to the room, she wasn't leveling the building. She needed to control herself, but she wasn't sure that she wanted to. She ran her hands through her hair and curse in many different languages. Almost thirty years in this world, she'd spent time learning to curse in other languages just in case she might need it someday. Little did she know at the time that the curses then were just words, they didn't mean anything because there was no magic. But, now that she had magic, she took relief that they still had no power. They were just empty words that helped her express her anger, without the use of magic. They were safe, even if they weren't very queen-like.

There was a knock on the door. Regina stopped pacing. She merely stared at the door. She willed it to open because she no longer had the energy to go to it and open it. Seconds later, there was a softer knock as they door opened slowly. It revealed Tink behind it.

"Regina?"

"What Moth?"

"Well, it is good to see you to, majesty," Tink replied.

"Has something happened?"

"No, nothing has changed. Belle is in with her now. I came to check on you."

"Why do you care?"

"Regina…"

"I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me," Tink told her. "I can still hear your wishes, even if I can't grant them. I am still trying to help you. Attacking me isn't going to do anything but piss Blue off."

"It will make me feel better," Regina said absentmindedly.

"Will it really?" Tink questioned.

"No," Regina answered dejectedly.

"Regina, I want to help. I want to cure her of the darkness, but it is beyond our magical ability. Trust me, we've tried. All we can do is delay its all-encompassing power. We've protected her heart to buy us time, but that will only last for so long. We keep pulling the darkness from her and let it fade into the world. The small doses aren't bad for everyone. We can't pull it all out of her. It has become part of her. We can only do what we can do. We can't stop it, but we can slow it down. Being angry will only make you feel worse. Love your daughter. That is all she wants from you," Tink told her.

"I know that."

"Then what else has you this upset?" Tink asked her.

"Emma wants to get married," Regina stated.

"So? What's wrong with marrying her? She is your True Love. You're pregnant with her child. Things aren't that bad for you two. You love her, don't you?"

"Yes, I love her. By the gods do I love her, but she wants to get married now. She wants Blue to do the wedding. Like she wants to get married right now in front of Coraline. She seems to think that it will help Coraline's transition if she knows that her parents are married before she succumbs to the darkness. I don't know how that will work. She knows that we were married when she was a little girl. Coraline knows that we love each other. She is the representation of our love. She is the embodiment. What does a quick marriage prove?" Regina asked.

"Maybe she needs to more to make it more real for her," Tink stated.

"Am I not enough for her? Is Coraline not important? What should I do?"

"I am sure that you know the answers to those questions. You know that Emma loves you. I think she wants to celebrate that love with your daughter. She doesn't mean to pressure you into it, but she feels that she needs your support. I think she is doing this because it will help her deal with the loss of Coraline even though she is gaining Remy in her place. Do you love her enough to give her this?" Tink questioned as she got closer to Regina.

"Yes, absolutely. I would do anything for Emma. She knows that. Coraline knows that."

"Then, marry her."

"But…"

"No, buts, Regina. Marry her. Give her this. You both know that you can have a lavish wedding later. She wants her daughter to see the happiness that you both create with each other. She is hoping that an act of True Love will somehow help her deal with the pain of the darkness. It is the only thing that Emma can think of doing. She loves you. She loves Coraline and she doesn't want to lose her. She loves you but even I can hear the pain in her heart. She fears what will happen when Coraline is gone. She fears the anger and the hatred that will fill you both."

"I am angry. I am furious, but not at her. Not even at Snow. I am fucking pissed at Rumple."

"And you have every right to be," Tink replied.

"But, this marriage?"

"Do you love her enough to get passed your past with Leopold to marry her?"

"Yes."

"Do you love your daughter enough to show her how much you love Emma?"

"Yes."

"Then marry her. Give them both the hope that they are both so desperately searching for."

Regina looked at the petite blonde. She knew that Tink had a point. There was no real reason that Regina shouldn't marry Emma. Her past didn't dictate her future. Emma was so different than Leopold. She had nothing to fear with Emma. Emma loved her completely. She loved Coraline, or Remy even though she was still in womb and growing strong. Emma hadn't left her side. She hadn't run when things got bad. She'd dug in and crawled her way to Regina. Emma had done everything that she knew how to do to prove herself and her love to Regina over and over again. It was time for Regina to step up.

"I will," Regina told her with a new smile on her face.

Tink smiled at her. She knew that Regina was fighting her own demons. Marrying Emma was the least of her problems. She hadn't really left the room since Blue had brought her in there. She was trying to center herself and fight anger that was building because of Coraline's "death."

"Good. Now let's work on a dress for you. You might not be having a palace wedding, but you are still a Queen. And, Emma is a princess. You should be dressed accordingly."

"Do you think that Snow will convince Emma to dress up?"

"I don't think that you have to worry about it. If Snow doesn't, I am sure that Blue will. We both know what a stickler for the rules and royalty that Blue is," Tink replied.

"You would think so, but she makes me wonder sometimes."

"Who? Blue? Why?" Tink questioned.

"I think that she has her own agenda. She is the fairy godmother for the House of White, but she has come to grips that includes me via marriage. And, with me marrying Emma, it will be twice. She has no choice but to accept me."

"But, that isn't enough for Blue and you know it," Tink mused.

"That's true, but she is helping me. She called me 'Majesty' earlier. I think I'm finally growing on her. But, then again, the bug always has a reason to do what she wants. She supports Emma and Coraline because they are the descendants of Snow. I am just not sure what her true angle is with me. Do you know anything? Is there some reason that she has decided to support me?"

"I haven't heard her say anything."

Regina regarded the fairy before her. Tink was telling her the truth, but she wasn't sure that Blue would even tell Tink about Regina. She knew that it was Blue's duty to support everyone, but Tink was the only one of the fairies that had ever supported her.

"We both know that she'll side with Emma, Tink."

"She might, but she knows that you love each other. For Blue, that is all that will matter. You are also True Loves. She can't go against that. She knows that. She can only support you both."

"Support us both?" Regina asked.

"She will support you both because of your love for each other. You are marrying Emma. That means that she is in your corner. Plus, I think that she had re-evaluated her stance on you. She has seen what you have done with the town. She knows that you are planning to continue to support the town. She supported Snow giving you back the mayorship. She is not dumb, Regina. She wants to help you. She wants to help Coraline," Tink explained.

"I am not sure that I will ever be prepared for Blue to be in my corner, Tink."

"Well, get used to it. You are about to be a Charming," Tink told her.

"I don't think that I will ever be a Charming, dear. Emma isn't even a Charming. She is a Swan. Besides, I was already a White and now, I will be one again be default."

"That is true," Tink said laughing.

Regina laughed with her. She needed this levity. She was glad that Emma was on her side.

Ruby was pacing around the well. She didn't want to do it, but she had promised Coraline that she would. She wouldn't go back on that, now. They didn't have the time to fight about it. She had to get the top ready and quickly.

She whipped out a tape measure and started making notes. She would go to Geppetto. He would be able to help her set the form to make the new cement cap for it. She didn't know what else to do. She would talk to Regina about placing some son of wards around the well to protect it. They would need to give themselves and Coraline enough time and warning should something unsavory happen.

She didn't want to think about contingency plans, but they needed to. It wasn't like they knew what would happen once Coraline was lowered, powerless, into the well. Coraline didn't even know. Her future stopped as soon as she became the Dark One. Nothing that she knew of her future or Remy's early life into early adulthood would matter because it wouldn't have happened. They were trapping the darkness within Coraline within the well.

Ruby got everything she needed. She knew that with her brute strength, due to being a Wolf, she would be able to lift the slab on top of the well. She didn't want to have to do it by herself, but she didn't want to ask Regina to help her close in her daughter. That would be just barbaric. No, she would do that part on her own and the call Regina to the well to help with the spells needed to keep it closed and put up the wards needed to protect it.

She ran back to town. She hoped that t would alleviate the building anger inside her. She knew that Belle would be an outlet. Belle had told her as much with her mouth and her fingers earlier in the day, but Ruby didn't feel right going to her to keep doing that. She didn't want to use Belle. She would find other ways to blow off steam in the coming weeks.

She slowly entered Geppetto's shop. He looked up from his woodworking. He gave her a lazy smile which she had no choice but to return. She looked behind him and saw a young Pinocchio sitting there whittling something down.

"Hello, Ruby. What can I do for you?" he asked her.

"I need your help in a project."

"Of course."

"I need to make a cement top."

"Cement?"

"I know, Geppetto, but wood just won't be strong enough."

"Alright then, Ruby. What did you have in mind? How big do you need it?" he asked.

She handed him the sketches that she'd made and the measurements. She watched as he looked them over and then gave her a quizzical look. He shook his head and went over to a stack of lumber.

"I can help you. It will be ready tomorrow. I am thinking that is a necessary thing, no?"

"It is."

"Does she know where you are putting it?" Geppetto asked Ruby point blank.

"She does," Ruby answered, and then realized she was bouncing from foot to foot when he gave her a strange look. "She does because she knows why I'm doing it. I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks."

Ruby was walking home when her phone rang. She pulled it out and looked at the caller ID. There were two calls, one from Belle and the other from Regina. She didn't know which one to answer first. So, she let them both go to voicemail. She would then listen to them and call them back accordingly.

She knew that it might trouble them, but she had a lot on her mind. She needed this time away to think. The more she worked on the well, the more upset she got. She knew why Coraline chose her, but that didn't make it any easier. She knew that she was basically burying her niece alive. It just wasn't sitting well with her. She knew the reasoning behind the action, but she was beginning to question the sanity of it. She just wondered how a concrete slab was going to keep her in the well. She was the gods damned Dark One, now. If she really wanted out, she'd get out.

She sighed as she neared town. She just went to Granny's. It was autopilot. She went behind the counter and poured herself some coffee before taking a seat on a bar stool on the other side of the bar. She looked at the stainless wall panels behind the counter and nursed her coffee. Her thoughts were everywhere but where she wanted them at the moment. She just needed this moment to herself. She hoped that everyone else would understand.

"Chin up, Girl," Granny told her, pouring her some more coffee.

"How do I know that I am doing the right thing?"

"Does it hurt in your heart?"

"Yeah," Ruby replied.

"Is it something that needs to be done for the greater good for the whole of the town?"

"Yeah," Ruby stated.

"Did Regina tell you to do it?"

"Ha ha, yeah, she did," Ruby said with a slight laugh.

"Then you are doing the right thing. She wouldn't let you do something that didn't need to be done or something that would hurt the town. She loves this town as much as she loves you, Emma, Henry and Coraline. She isn't going to do anything to jeopardize it. So, what's going on with you, Girl?"

"Coraline is dying," Ruby said nonchalantly.

She knew that Granny wouldn't tell anyone, but the shock on her face was more than enough to worry Ruby some. The woman actually gasped at the news. She was sure that it wasn't what Granny was expecting at all. It would have been easier if she and Regina were just fighting over something trivial, but they weren't. They were both in in agreement and it was the hardest thing that either of them had faced in years. They were losing Coraline...to the Darkness...now.

"How is Regina?"

"Blue has her locked in a room at the Abbey. I don't think that she's been out since we found out. I've spoken a little with her. Emma's been with her, too. Ruby got me out of there for a little while earlier today. I needed it, but I think I should be heading back."

"Wait and take some food with you. I'll make everyone's normal orders. Now is not the time to break down, Girl. You need to be there for your sister, Emma, and even Snow. They are all going to need you now. And, don't forget to let Belle in. She can help you. She loves you, that one does. Just remember that it isn't weakness to love someone, Ruby. Don't make the same mistakes Regina and I made," Granny told her before heading back into the kitchen.

Ruby stayed at the bar as Granny requested. Her thoughts drifted to Belle. She begun to wonder if she should tell her everything. She wanted to share the burden, but she didn't know if she should. She needed to talk to someone besides Granny and she knew that Belle would understand. Belle loved Coraline as much as she did. Sighing, she pulled out her phone and called her.

"Hello?"

"Belle…"

"Where are you?"

"I'm at Granny's."

"I'll be there in a minute. Don't move. Ruby, I'm coming to you. Okay?" Belle asked her.

"I'm here."

"I'll be right there."

"Okay," Ruby answered mechanically.

She hung up the phone and put it away. She looked through the window into the kitchen and saw Granny hard at work. She smiled. Leave it to her Granny to make sure that everyone was taken care of no matter what crisis or catastrophe was going on around them. She had to laugh at that. Granny always looked for the brighter side of the issue. It was how she dealt with being a Wolf for so long.

True to her word, Belle sat down next to her a few minutes later. Ruby never asked her where she had come from. She was just glad that she was there now. Silently, Belle comforted her and slipped a lone arm around her back, pulling her into her smaller frame. Ruby went willingly.

"Let's go sit down in the back booth. We can talk and no one will really hear us. What's Granny doing?" Belle asked her as she led Ruby to the booth.

"She's making food for everyone."

"That's nice," Belle replied.

"It is."

Belle watched her as she nursed the cup of coffee she'd brought from the counter. She was about to say something when Ashley came over and refilled Ruby cup and gave Belle one, too. She smiled up at the petite blonde and muttered a thanks, watching her walk away.

"What's wrong besides the obvious, Ruby?" Belle finally asked her.

"We are going to kill Coraline."

"She isn't going to die und you know l Belle said matter-of-factually.

Ruby looked up and stared into her brilliant sapphire eyes. She sighed. She should have known that Coraline would tell Belle. She knew that Belle and she were together. She wouldn't want Ruby to share the burden alone because she could see how it was destroying her inside. She knew that Ruby would need an outlet and Belle was the perfect thing for her.

"She told you?"

"You knew she would eventually. She still thinks of us as aunts and friends. She still thinks of me as a sister because it is easier for her to do so. She didn't want you to be burdened by yourself, Ruby. She loves you. She knew that you would burden yourself over putting her in the well."

"Regina knows," Ruby replied.

"Of course she does. She's Regina. She'd've found out on her own as well. But, we both know that either you or Coraline would tell her. You would be able to help yourselves. You both love her."

"We do," Ruby stated.

"When?"

"When what?"

"When will you do it?" Belle asked her.

"After they transfer Neal's heart into her. Blue is already planning the funeral for the town. It will be sometime after that, with just Regina and me," Ruby explained.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No."

"What about Emma?" Belle asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Coraline doesn`t want her there. Regina isn't supposed to be there, either, but I will need her help putting up the wards that will keep the well sealed. I don't have magic. Besides, Emma will be dealing with Henry and Will and the rest. I am sure that..." Ruby started.

"That she won't want to see her daughter entombed?"

"Yes," Ruby answered dejectedly.

"I'll stay with her, then."

"Thank you."

"She's asked me to help you with the last command that she'd given you. It is actually part of the tasks she's asked me to do. I don't know how we are going to do it, but I will look into for you. You've got enough to worry about with the well. I can do this."

"You're going to brew a memory potion?" Ruby inquired giving her a look.

"Don't look at me like that. I was with Rumple long enough to learn some magic and potion making. No, I've never done it, but I know how to follow a recipe. Why do you think that Regina is so good at cooking? Potion making isn't much different. All I need to do is find the right recipe and ingredients."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Ruby asked, worried about her.

"I can do this, Ruby. I need to help you do something. Besides, I'll be sitting with Coraline. I am sure that she has some thoughts about what I should do. Look, I know that this is dangerous, but I get the reasoning behind the measure. It is a drastic act, yes, but one that I think is needed. She made valid points about not wanting Remy to be affected by her death. Would you want that?" Belle asked her.

"No, I wouldn't."

"Then, let me do this. I can do this. I'll be okay," Belle told her trying to reassure her, but knowing that it wouldn't be enough to alleviate the pain in Ruby's heart.

Emma found Blue in her office. She had magic books strewn around her desk and she was pouring over them. Emma knew that the fairy wouldn't give up, but it was nice to see it in person. She barely registered that Emma had come in, but then she reached out for another book. When she didn't find it where she wanted it to be, she looked up and then saw Emma.

"Something wrong, Princess?"

"No, Blue, not yet."

"What brings you here then? Shouldn't you be with Regina or Coraline right now? Do you need something? I left Tink and Nova in charge while I continued to look into some things."

"I know. They are doing a good job. But, I needed to talk to you personally about something."

Blue dropped the book on her desk and sat back in her high-backed leather chair. She looked over the blonde and noticed that she was upset but not overly so. She wondered what Emma was thinking.

"What is it?"

"I know that Granny has done most of the weddings for the town since the Curse lifted, but I was thinking about doing something a little more...magical," Emma just straight out told her.

"More magical?" Blue questioned skeptically.

"I've been doing some reading..." Emma started.

"Reading?" Blue quipped, cocking an eyebrow and giving Emma her full attention now.

The brunette looked at the blonde. She wondered what she actually wanted and if Regina had agreed to it. She already knew that she would help Emma, but she was surprised that Emma had come to her about this now. She knew that Emma was impulsive. She was like Snow in that manner, but this just seemed a little over the top even for her.

"Yeah, while we were doing research for Coraline, I came across some passages that I found really interesting and it got me thinking. I know that the timing seems off, but I want to do this for Coraline."

"I'm listening."

"I want to have a hand fasting with Regina," Emma told her, as she finally got more comi0nablc in the chair across from Blue's desk, her viridian eyes shining.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Well, I am sure that this was more of a surprise for the Queen then for myself. Are you sure that you want to do this, Emma? It isn't just a simple ceremony. This is bonding of your souls."

"We are True Loves. We are already bonded. This would be for Coraline though. She would see our love more tangibly. I think it will help us deal with her transition and her coming birth."

"Emma...you have to understand while I might agree to do this for you, Coraline is not the same child that is growing in Regina. That is Remy. Coraline has no memory of this time line. She has changed so much in order to protect Neal and herself that she has removed the need for her to come back in time to save us. When she finally succumbs to the Darkness, I don't know what will actually happen to her. Having this ceremony isn't going to help her. I'm afraid. It'll be merely a loving gesture for her to see."

"I understand that, but I think it will be more."

"Want to explain that?" Blue questioned, sitting forward and resting her hands on the desk.

"I get where she is coming from. I didn't grow up with my parents either. While I am sure Ruby and Belle did a good job with her, I can see it. But that isn't the same. She always had to wonder why she didn't come first for us. She didn't see that she did because of what happened that day to her. She took it personally and I would have, too, from a child's perspective. She had no reason not to question it. There was no one there that could prove to her otherwise," Emma explained.

"I am not sure that is the same thing."

"She fought for us the only way she knew how. She survived the Black Queen. She took the fight to the Black Queen when she was tired of hiding. She wanted to do something heroic in order to deserve her position as the last remaining royal heir to any throne. She did what I would have and I can't fault her for that. She couldn't have known what she was getting herself into." Emma told her.

"No, she couldn't. And, she paid the price for it, too. She was tortured for sixty days. I know you've seen the scars on her back. She can't escape them. I've done what I could for her, but I'm not as omnipotent as some believe. But, Coraline rebelled knowing who she was. You didn't. You rebelled because it is in your nature and you felt abandoned," Blue countered.

"I was abandoned. And, so was she. We abandoned her. I didn't stay in the castle with her and Regina. I rode out to fight the coming Darkness and I perished because of it. When Regina heard of my death, she walked lo hers leaving Coraline with Belle and Ruby. If that isn't us abandoning her, I don't know what is. Yes, we were fighting for the realm and our kingdom, but did we stop to think about our family? I don't know, because I wasn't there...rather I haven't done it yet."

"She came back to stop it from happening. I believe that she has. We seem to have found the cause for the Blackness and we've stopped it. She's also found a way to save your little brother, Neal at the same time. I am not sure whether that is a causal effect or not, but it doesn't matter. She's completed her mission. So, forgive me if I don't understand why you think you need to marry Regina for Coraline's sake. It just doesn't make any sense to me," Blue told her.

"Why not?"

"Why are you really doing this, Emma?"

"I want her to know that she is loved."

"Is that all?" Blue questioned.

"Yes."

"I don't believe you."

"Believe me or not, will you do it?" Emma inquired with a slight anger in her voice.

"Tell me why you really want to do this and I'll consider it."

Emma huffed. It was now or never, she guessed. If she couldn't tell Blue, then she knew that she could never tell Regina the truth either. What was it about that gods damned fairy that made talking to her so easy? Emma huffed again. This isn't what she wanted. She wanted Blue to just say yes and that would be the end of it. She would tell Regina and they would be wed by the end of the night.

"Well?" Blue quipped.

"Fine."

"So?"

"I am afraid."

"Of what?" Blue asked, now completely changing her direction of thought at Emma's admission.

"Of failing Regina and Remy."

"Why?"

"I failed Henry."

"I am sure he wouldn't think so," Blue answered.

"I left him. I abandoned him like I was abandoned. It was a choice and I made it. I've paid for that choice since that day, but I wouldn't change it. Regina has done a wonderful job of raising him. I couldn't have asked for a better mother than her for him."

"Then you didn't fail him. You gave him up because you knew that you weren't a position to raise him on your own. You made a hard choice, but it was the right choice. I am not saying that because it brought you here to break the Curse. I am telling you that because it is the truth and you know it. You knew what it was like in the system and you didn't want that for him. I looked at the adoption paperwork once upon a time, Emma, for my own curiosity. You gave him something that you'd never had: a loving home and a consistent lifestyle. You were in prison and had no family."

"Yeah…"

"Would you have come for him after you got out if you had a family and a stable lifestyle?"

"Yes."

"Then there is nothing for you to fear about Henry. He understands it. He loves you. He was confused about everything in the beginning when he brought you here, but I think that all changed in Neverland. He saw you and Regina working together. He saw how much you both loved him. He finally found out how broken you were when you gave him up. He thinks that it was fate due to the Curse, but he hasn't had to face a choice that large for an adult, yet. He is getting there, but until then, he will only see it through the eyes of a child. Kind of like you do when it comes to your parents, but it is also understandable. In your cases, experience is the only teacher you had to go by," Blue told her.

"And it was crappy in my case," Emma added.

"Coraline doesn't have that. Yes, she doesn't have her parents, but she is loved and cared for. It is just by her aunts. She never has to wonder about that. She knows that. It took her coming here though to see how much love she actually had. She let one situation cloud her thoughts for years, kind of like her other mother. When she realized what she was and what she could do, she went on her quest, like you. So, why do you think her seeing you many would help her?" Blue asked her.

"Because it would show her how much we love her."

"By you marrying Regina?"

"Yes."

"I still fail to see how that will show her you love her."

"We will be giving her hope."

"Hope?"

"Yes, hope," Emma replied.

"And, how will that give her hope?"

"We will be a united front for her. She will know that it is with our love that she was conceived. She will know that our love will always fight for her. I don't want to lose her, but I know that I am. I understand the fact that she is also gr wing inside of Regina, but they are the same. They won't be the same. They can't be. Like you said, experience is a great teacher. They won't have had the same experiences so Remy and Coraline, while being our daughter and looking the same, won't be the same person. Their souls should be fundamentally different."

"I can see that," Blue stated, but then asked. "And, your hand fasting to Regina would give her what?"

"It would let her know that we are doing everything for her."

"I still don't set it."

"She wouldn't be a bastard," Emma finally said.

"And, there it is. There is the truth you've been hiding. Why are you afraid of her being a bastard?"

"She wouldn't be in line for anything, right?"

"How does that matter? We are here and not in the Enchanted Forest. You being married doesn't matter. She would still be a princess of the realm. Henry is received as one."

"Because he is male!"

"You don't think that if something happened and we ended up in the Enchanted Forest that Regina wouldn't take care of that minor technicality?" Blue asked her.

"I am sure she would, but I don't want that to be an issue. I love Regina. She loves me. I am not going to leave her. She is the only one for me and she knows this. We've created this wonderful being that will be born in a few short months."

"Tell me why you need this," Blue demanded.

"I need Regina," Emma replied.

"Then, why didn't you lead with that?"

"Because I am being selfish."

"Yes, you are, but after everything that you all have been through, I believe that you are entitled to be just a little bit. And, I can also see how this will give Coraline some hope. She knows magic and True Love. This will help her to continue fighting. Hopefully her memories and her experiences here with the love of her mothers and her aunts will help her find a way to tame the Darkness inside. I can't promise that it will work. I don't see the future. But, I can hope for your and Regina's sake."

"Don't forget about Will. I know that this is destroying her. She hasn't been back to the Abbey since we found out about the Darkness. We are never going to stop loving her or fighting for her, Blue."

"I would never ask you to," Blue told her.

"Will you do this for me? For us? For Coraline?"

"I will do the ceremony, but you need to talk with Coraline. She deserves to know why you are doing this. She needs to know that you are naming her an heir with this ceremony, too. She and Henry will be the next in line to your mother's throne. Neal would be after her. Do you think that would bother her now that she is giving up her life for him?" Blue asked her.

"No, I don't. She would see it as fitting. I think she knows something that we don't. I think that she knows how the hierarchy would be in enacted if we ended up going back to the Enchanted Forest. I've studied history enough to know how ascension goes for royal families."

"Meaning what?"

"Henry would become the High King. Coraline or Remy would be the Queen of the Winterlands and Neal would be the King of the Summerlands. They would answer to Henry, but still have autonomy over their respected kingdoms. Our family would still reign," Emma told her.

"Does that matter to you or Henry?"

"No."

"Then, why should it matter to Coraline?" Blue asked her.

"Because it is her birthright."

"And, it is yours, too, Princess…"