Chapter 43

They had left Columbia shortly after dinner. Regina made her wait until they had eaten. She didn't want to be hungry on the road. She knew that Emma would drive for the most part. She could only hope that Birgit and Shannon slept when she did. She didn't know how Emma would react to anything they told her. They were Fae and not mere Men. Emma didn't understand that and Regina knew it. She could only wonder if Shannon realized that Emma didn't know much about the Fairy Tale World. She knew that she was going to have to explain a lot when she got back, but right now, she didn't want to it in the car. She would need help to make Emma believe, even when the truth was in front of her face, sometimes.

Emma drove through the night. She watched as they all slept on the road. She didn't mind. She wanted to get back to her family, to her son; she wanted to go home. She knew what that mean to her. She knew what it meant to Regina. And, now, she was going to give it back to Shannon and Rhiannon. A smile crept across her face at the thought, as Regina's hand found its way across the console and to her lap. She intertwined their fingers and just held her hand.

"We still need to talk," Regina said, upon waking to the early signs of the sun over the horizon.

"I know," Emma replied, knowing that Regina would be waking soon because she was always an earlier riser no matter where or when they had gone to bed. It was like Regina's brain functioned with the sun. If the sun was up, then so was Regina. But, that never explained their long nights. Emma dismissed her line of thinking as quickly as it had started. She smiled deeper at her lover.

"I love you."

"Love you, too."

"Do you forgive me?"

"I don't know. I don't know what you did. I don't know what you promised him. Everyone knows that making a deal with Rumple never works out in your favor. I just don't understand. Why would you go to him without talking to me first? You couldn't tell me what was going on? I…we…I just…we are in this together and you did this without me," Emma stated.

"I know."

"You promised me that you wouldn't do that. You told me that if something was bothering you that you would come to me, and we would figure it out together. You didn't give me that option. Did you not trust me enough? Is that it? Do you still not trust me?" Emma asked her.

"Dear, no…I trust you implicitly."

"Then why?" Emma asked her.

"I was scared."

"Of what?"

"The future he proposed for Henry."

"And you didn't think to tell me about it?"

"He told me that if I completely bound my magic it would keep Henry safe."

"And still you didn't tell me?"

"I know. I am sorry. I was worried about Henry. The future that he showed me…."

"Could have meant nothing. He is the master manipulator and you let him scare you. I know that you have a past with him, but Regina even I know better than to trust him that much. Why? Why couldn't you just tell me? We could have tried to see something together," Emma said.

"I…he…Rumple knows how to get to me. He knows how to get what he wants from me. He made me evil enough to cast his blasted curse just so he could see his son. How would I know that he showed me something false and what would it prove? Henry is his grandson and he wants a relationship with him. We both know that. He is his last link to Neal."

"I know that. Trust me; I can never forget that. I just…I…Regina we are supposed to be partners in everything, especially Henry. If he is in danger, we need to stop it. What do we need to do? What was the future predicted? What did Gold tell you? What did he show you?"

"I don't want to think about it."

"You have your magic back, now. I don't think that we have luxury anymore. I need to know what Gold saw happen to my son. Tell me, Regina," Emma demanded.

"What he showed you has changed, my Queen, your son is important to the future, but he will not suffer like the Dark One showed you. You punished yourself enough that the powers have relented. Your son will live. He will be a great man. His heart will lead him to be the best ruler that his people will ever know," Shannon said, leaning forward.

"Excuse me?" Emma questioned.

"I am sorry for interrupting your private conversation, Queen Emma, but I have the gift of sight. I knew that Regina was coming and that her companion, you, had become a friend of the family. I knew that you weren't going to hurt me. I know that you are going to help Regina uphold her blood oath to my mother, Queen Rhiannon."

"No offense, kid, but I am not queen. I am not even sure that I am real princess. Look, I know who my parents are, but I don't subscribe to the Fairy Tale Law very well. Marrying Regina should be proof of that," Emma answered.

"I understand your misconceptions concerning your birthright, my Lady, but I am not talking about it. While your mother and father are the ruling monarchs in the Enchanted Forest, you and Queen Regina rule over your small kingdom of Storybrooke. It is a fair assessment. You may not be exercising your birthright there, but the people respect it in another form."

"What?"

"You and Regina rule over Storybrooke. She comes up with the law and you enforce them. You are this realms literal royalty. But, it doesn't matter what title you take. You were destined to lead your people. Henry, however, was not. There will be another to take his place."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"The prophecies concerning me also concern Henry. Birgit, well as Bridget, finally figured it out. She sorted out the last of the Pendragon Cycle Prophecies concerning my family. It seems my mother may have seen more than the Dark One this time, and that is why she made the blood oath with Regina. She knew what was to come and she knew that Regina would be the only one who could prepare the way for the Greatest Heart to rule," Shannon stated.

"Listen, kid, I like you but don't threaten my son," Emma demanded.

"She's not," Regina said, squeezing Emma's hand tighter.

"She just said…"

"That Henry wouldn't be ruling our people, meaning Storybrooke. She also said that there would be another. Someone else from your line, Emma, will take over the town. It could possibly be one of your sisters," Regina explained, hoping that she was right.

Emma seemed to ponder the explanations that she had been given. She wondered what they actually meant, but Regina's clarification made sense. Henry had already been knight and crown as the crown prince behind her. He was in line to be King of the Enchanted Forest. He was the Prince of the Winterlands and Summerlands. Emma shook her head. It couldn't be that easy. Nothing with this mission had been easy. Henry becoming King couldn't be that easy, either.

"Well, why the Hell didn't she just say that?"

"She did."

"No, she said that…on, never mind."

"Re ilyamenie sina tenseo?"

"When it concerns, Henry, yes, she is. Shannon, please, she doesn't speak Elvish. I would appreciate it if you spoke only English when she is around. It isn't fair for Emma, and I don't want to have to translate everything for her. It gets tedious in the middle of conversation."

"As you wish, my Queen."

"Thank you, I think," Emma told Regina.

Regina was surprised that Emma hadn't pulled the car over yet, due to their conversation. She knew how bad Emma wanted to get home and she wondered now if that was her pure motivation. She just wanted to get back to Storybrooke, so they could get back to their mundane existence. Regina watched her. She loved her but she knew that Emma was still trying to process what Shannon has said. She was trying to poke holes in it and Regina wondered if she was right this time. Her explanation seemed too easy, too.

"Would you like to see?" Shannon asked, reaching towards Regina.

"Would I like to see what?" Emma asked.

"The future," she replied.

"No, I don't. I believe in making our own destiny. I know that it was a prophecy that I would undo the curse and I did. I wasn't a child, I was an adult and I had no idea what I was doing. Now, I know what could happen, but I still believe that I have some say as to what happens to me. I don't want to be worried about what is to come."

"He will be a great king," Shannon told them.

Birgit woke up at that point. She looked around the car and saw that it was still night. She listened to the words coming from Shannon and then saw the look on Regina's face.

"Who will be?" Birgit asked.

"Henry, he shall be a great king with his great heart," Shannon said, and Birgit's eyes got wide as she realized what Shannon was saying.

"My Queen?" Birgit questioned.

"Yes, Birgit?"

"Your son, what house does he belong to?"

"House?"

"His ancestry?"

"He was born from the House of Charming, which Emma uses Swan, but he was adopted into my house. I gave him my father's name and his coat-of-arms. Why?"

"The fosterling of the House of the Wolf…"

"What?" Emma asked.

"Your mother is she daughter of Leopold the White?"

"Yeah, so?"

"The gray heart…the foster-ling of a foster-ling…Henry is the new…"

"Yes, he is," Shannon answered before Birgit finished her sentence.

"Henry is what?" Regina asked.

"A very special boy," Shannon answered quickly.

"You're lying."

"What did you just say?" Birgit asked defensively.

"She is lying. She knows more. She is lying. I can tell. What is Henry? What aren't you telling me?"

"It doesn't matter now," Shannon replied.

"Oh, no, it definitely matters now. It concerns my son, so it matters and it matters now. So, spill it. Talk. Tell me: what is my son?" Emma demanded.

"He is the foster-ling of a foster-ling, the son of the Gray Heart."

"The what?" Emma questioned.

"He was adopted, Emma. He was a foster child of a foster child. He is your son. You see things in gray scale, unlike your parents who only see things in black and white. He is the foster child of a foster child, nothing more," Regina told her.

"No, there is more, isn't there?"

"Isn't there always, Emma?" Shannon asked, as if Emma already knew the answers.

"Ro i' aran en' Tir Nan Og…Pendragon?" Birgit mumbled but it was more of a question asked towards Shannon. Shannon nodded subtly hoping that Regina and Emma couldn't catch the movement in the rear view mirror. Birgit reached over and touch her knee letting her know that she caught the answer.

"What?!" Regina asked.

"It will come to pass, Regina. There is nothing that can stop it. No matter what happens, he will be king," Shannon told her, but offered no more explanation.

"Over my dead…" Emma started, and Regina let go of her hand, not wanting to pull on the anger and fear that had begun to roll off of Emma at the news.

"Emma, shut up," Regina told her, before turning as much as she could to face Shannon. "Show me. Show me his future."

"Regina…" Emma warned.

"Not now, Emma."

"My queen, I don't think that it is wise for you to know…"

"Shannon, you will show me," she commanded.

"As you wish, my Queen," Shannon replied, reaching blindly forward for Regina's hands.