Author's Note: Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to read, review, favorite or ask to be alerted for this story. I'm glad that you're enjoying the story. I hope that you will continue to enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. (No, this does not mean it's almost over. It's hardly even started!) This chapter has a lighter tone to it then the previous chapters, as I think Regina's sarcatic witt came out as I was writing it. Hopefully you'll like it. Let me know if you didn't or if you did. :-)

Also, I'm in the works of writing a Belle/Rumpelstiltskin SwanQueen story. But I won't start posting any of those chapters until I've actually finished more than two chapters and feel like I can handle writing/posting both stories. So, just keep your eyes peeled. :-D

On with the fun.

Chapter 4
'The Enchanted Ball'

-Night of the Ball-
-Present-

The sigh beside her draws Regina's attention away from her inspection of the White Castle. She ignores it. It is the third time in the last fifteen minutes that Maleficent and guests have made it clear they are unhappy with their current position.

They sit hidden in the shadows a good four clicks from the castle, her handheld mirror allowing for a scope to see how heavily guarded this ball truly is.

The difference is certainly noticeable. The guards have increased their patrols of the area and there are a few lone bounty hunters still around the castle's walls. In comparison to the first time she arrived four days ago there are hardly any bounty hunters and most certainly none as talented as that woman. Ha, the poor dear never knew what she was truly in for. That's what someone got for calling hersoft!

Another sigh, but this time it comes from her right and Regina grinds her teeth together to keep calm. Why she had listened to Maleficent and allowed the red queen, and old dame to join their party, she honestly doesn't know. Hopefully if things turned sour the two old bats wouldn't get themselves killed. She doesn't even like these two women. But, she couldn't tell Maleficent not to invite her new best friends. After all, Maleficent had needed to associate herself with someone else after she had left. Regina couldn't blame the shapeshifter for her choice in wanting, and needing, company. She could however blame her and curse her for choosing these women as her new associates.

"Whhaat!" She snaps, not even looking at her friend until she's fully pronounced the question.

"Why do the Princes and Princesses get to ride in beautiful carriages and we're hiding in the shadows? We, well some, of us are Queens." Says the impatient Queen, her eyes falling to a figure hidden further in the shadows then they three are.

This time, Regina herself sighs. "We, weren't invited."

"Oh, that's right." The Red Queen answers, and Maleficent pats the woman on the shoulder and just like that the purple and black caped woman is smiling and looks eagerly towards the castle.

"So…what's the plan?" The boredom in the shrouded figure's voice really, really, grates against Regina's self-control. She can't go off and kill one of her few allies the fourth day she's back in this realm. If she did, this time she would have to run away from killers skilled with weapons of a very different kind than knives and bow'n'arrows. And honestly? She's had enough of running through her own forest in fear to last her the rest of her long lifetime. She had no intentions of making that long lifetime any shorter than it had to be because of her dislike of an insignificant woman.

Regina feels her head fall, her chin resting against her chest. "For the last time…the plan is…"

-The White Castle-

The colors, the spectacular colors always fascinated Regina. The twirl of a woman's green skirt beside a skirt as red as blood or white as snow truly perplexed and captivated her. The mix and blend of the colors of every woman's dress or man's suit, the different shades of blue for each Kingdom's uniforms, how it all just creates a beautiful plethora of difference brings a smile to her face every time. The slightest difference in pigmentation of the men's uniforms is easily caught by the eye at an event like this, even if any other day you would suspect they all wore the same uniform even across the borders of kingdoms. Anything of a different nature is easily spotted at a ball such as this.

So, it is with a great sense of satisfaction that the moment she steps through the door to the large open galley of the ballroom, everyone's eyes, or those closest, turn to her and her deep black gown. Black hasn't always been her preferred shade. Now however she doesn't go a day without wearing something in it.

Regina once used to despise black for its bleakness and much preferred a soft mahogany brown or deep forest green, as she had once been complimented by a beloved Queen that the two colors made her eyes look endless. Now, many years later and several tragedies after such a compliment was bestowed she hides her eyes behind dark eye shadow and eyeliner, making her eyes seem empty and lifeless. Much like how she once felt.

Tonight she is not empty or lifeless, she is the opposite. She is filled to the brink with excitement, and maybe a bit of anxiousness, but she is very much alive, lively even. Whether she was expected here or not, she cannot keep from feeling welcome. After all the guards had moved so quickly to greet her the moment she stepped into their sights. The poor incompetent fools. They were busy now taking a much needed nap. They would wake in a few hours of course, unawares and unharmed. Though, some of them might lose their postings for their ineptness, but they had failed in protecting their monarchy, so they should lose their jobs.

After all these years you would think the monarchies would realize mortal men with swords were no match for a trained witch. Oh well, their loss. She is far too busy to dwell on the stupidity of the realms Kings and Queens, she has a crowd to entertain after all.

The people mingling closest to the doors she has just stepped through, however, seem surprised she is alive much less standing before them.

Oh the poor dears, they must have thought her long dead. How sad for them to be proven wrong.

Looking directly into the eyes of a woman brave enough to stare openly at her she tilts her head to the side, in thought. With the smallest hint of a twitch in Regina's lips the woman cries out, her gloved hands coming quickly to cover the sound. The sight of her dress flapping behind her as she races from the hall and the man she stood beside chasing after her aren't even a sight Regina deigns herself to watch. Everyone else, however, finds the scene fascinating. She hadn't even done anything. It seemed the cowardly woman's fears taught her, her own lesson.

The collective gasp that moves through the crowd as she inclines her head or smiles a devilishly evil smile at those brave enough to look her in the eyes follows her until she stands before the royal families. And my, are there many.

With just a quick look she can make out Princess—well it would be Queen now she supposes—Aurora, Cinderella, Snow White, and beside them their true loves. Slightly behind the women are their broods. There are also two other royals that Regina does not recognize. No matter, they're of no real significance to her as they do not even recognize her.

My, there were quite a few young men with Aurora's eyes, two of them standing tall in their uniforms in front of their mother and sister. There are several men in uniforms, who are not Aurora's sons, surrounding the royal families as well. It seems the guards graced with an invitation are as eager as always to die for their Royals.

Poor chumps.

It also appears that Aurora was the only Princess-turned-Queen who has more than one child, though for the life of her Regina can't see through Snow White or King James to get her first glimpse of the birthday girl.

Pity, she so wanted to give the girl her birthday gift before blades were drawn.

Now that the shock of her arrival is wearing off of those around her she wonders if awe or fear would be upon the birthday girl's face. The blonde Princess clutching tightly to Cinderella has taken to being mightily frightened. Cinderella who still tries feebly—in comparison of Snow and James—to stand in front of her daughter, looks a bit braver than her child, but frightened nonetheless.

Oh, would you look at that! Aurora looks like she is going to be ill as a familiar cackle reaches her ears, and she finally looks away from Regina.

How lovely.
Everything is falling into place.

It sends a thrill down Regina's spine that makes her fingers tingle with her wish to do magic.

Behind her, Maleficent's cackled giggle sifts through the room putting a stick upon everyone's spine as they stand on edge. The crowd gathered waits on bated breath to see what is to come of this altercation, none of the uppity young lords, ladies, dukes and duchesses move to assist their Kings or Queens. Good, since if they did Regina would have to forfeit early on.

The bystanders remain still, looking forward to the show as much as Regina herself is looking forward to it.

Without even looking Regina knows that Victoria, the Red Queen, is walking beside Maleficent. The tap of her heels echoing through the eerily silent hall. And from the left is Lady Tremaine's exasperated sigh. Regina can practically feel the Lady's eye roll. Not that she blames the woman. She too has already rolled her eyes at the pathetic expressions upon each of the Royals standing before her.

"You will kneel before their highnesses." An arrogant guard thinks he can tell her what to do.

"Pfft…no, I will not." Regina huffs at the very idea of it. "I will, however, greet them formally."

Twisting to her side a bit she makes a grand gesture of bowing, her eyes holding Snow White's as her back bends and her arm waves dramatically in circles before moving to wrap around her waist.

It is all a show. She does not bow to anyone, but just to be civil she will grant these idiots the show they want. "Your majesties…" her eyes grow a bit darker as she holds Snow's gaze. "Surprised to see me?" Alive?

They should be. Surely they thought their plan had been foul proof, except they hadn't realized just how skilled one could become when fighting for their lives.

Regina thinks she may be imagining it but Snow White flinches, just the slightest bit at her question.

'Hmm…interesting.' Certainly something to think on, for now she settles on standing up straight once more. Most are surprised by her show, including James. He doesn't seem able to tell if he should be sending the guards at her to restrain her while she's 'defenseless' or stand there looking like a chump in his shock.

"What…" Snow is the first to break the silence of the monarchies, though her left arm is still around her back presumably keeping her young daughter out of sight. "…why have you come?"

Why has she come back, is left unsaid because although Regina learned to despise the woman before her, Snow was never unintelligent. The young, well somewhat young Queen knows very well why she is here.

"My, my, my, it seems the mirror was wrong all along. You are no longer the fairest of them all." Regina laughs, and is thankful to hear Maleficent's join hers. "Time, my dear, has not been as kind to you as it once was."

Beside Snow, James goes to grab his sword, a snarl upon his lips. His action causes the guards who are not five feet in front of her to mimic his actions seeing them as permission to engage. Sighing, Regina shakes her head. With the simple action of extending both her arms, as if preparing for a hug, the guards fly through the air, where they land? She doesn't care.

The sound of them falling atop unsuspecting guests however does make her feel a bit guilty. The people they fell on were innocent after all.

The only two guards left are Aurora's sons. She may have use for them, so she just takes their swords and shoots them up to the high top ceiling of the ballroom where they'll remain embedded for as long as she sees fit. "Now…where were we?"

"You had just finished insulting me." Snow declares, dropping the challenge right at her feet.

Regina has always loved challenges. "Was I?"

The glare the witch receives is answer enough. She looks to the ceiling, the two hanging swords bringing a smirk to her face, her head shaking just so from side to side as she does. "Oh….alright, I'll play nice." She wouldn't enjoy it, but she would play nice. "For now."

It is the only thing Snow White can ask of her at the moment. The shock—there seems to be a lot of that going on tonight, and oh how she revels in it—upon her face at the promise mimicked by the other Queens before her, is beautiful.

"Why are you here?" James questions, his voice as gruff as his beard. He should shave it off in her opinion. It looks like he's trying too hard to project an air of maturity that he has yet to gain, even if he might be a bit older than her now. He still looks like the young naïve Shepard thrust into the role he was never meant to fill.

Regina watches him, his eyes looking for the guards she sent flying at the corner of his eyes, or maybe looking for a getaway route should things go sour. She knows not which the King is truly doing. Either one is futile. The guards he hoped would appear, all of them that had surrounded the castle, were fast asleep thanks to Maleficent's curse. They would wake by morning and only have a minor headache. So, his rescue by his hired guardsmen was of no use. They would not come. Should he try and run with his family she would simply follow. There was, after all, much they needed to discuss. Like, oh…say the bounty on her head!

"I…uhh, mother! Let me see! I am, I-I-I ammm not afraid of the witch!" Regina feels her lips slip forward into a smirk at the sound of an impatient child. He should be afraid of her she thinks.

Yet the jostle at Snow White's right hip is finally strong enough to have the matriarch of the White Castle twisted to the side, revealing not one offspring, but two. The birthday girl—or woman—is in a breathtaking maroon dress, with pulled back blonde hair and her face partially visible as she is too busy looking off to the side. That sight does not surprise Regina as much as the honey brown hair atop a small boy no older than seven years old beside his mother and in front of his older sister.

It seems she was wrong in her assumptions that Aurora was…

Regina's eyes shoot away from the boy standing in front of his sister in his navy blue suit, his short sword drawn unsheathed and pointed at her as he stands in front of his sister much like James stands in front of Snow. How cute…except the young woman he stands in front of has captivated her.

No…
Taking a closer look at the jawline of the Princess and soft rosy cheeks, set jawline and the thick swallow as gruff as it had been on the falls, she's stuck. Frozen.
…it can't be.

"You…" Regina hisses, the profile of the Princess just enough for her to recognize her. The hiss is enough to pull the Princess'…no huntress'…eyes away from whatever she had found so fascinating in the crowd. The light blue eyes meet Regina's and the witch feels her heart begin to pound against her chest. Her breathing quickens and she looks from side to side as if expecting the bounty hunters she had knocked unconscious twenty minutes ago to appear around her once again at the ready to end her life.

Dropping back two steps she glares at the hunt—Princess before looking between Snow and James.

Maleficent seems worried, the touch of her friend's hand upon the small of her back is clear in its question and support. Swallowing the lump in her throat Regina sees that the huntre…ugh…Princess' parents seem as surprised at her outburst as she is at seeing the huntress.

Snow and James surely are loving parents, and by the stiff posture and pleading look upon the White Princess' face, her parents are as unaware of her side job as Regina was of her true linage.

The daughter of her enemy is naturally meant to be her enemy, but to be a feared enemy? Who knew Regina could even feel fear when in relation to Snow White's brat.

Fate, Regina decides, is a bitch that has it in for her.

Swallowing, she knows she has to salvage her plan but it takes her a moment too long to be convincing. "…must be the birthday girl." She steps forward once again, at the head of the evil triangle. Maleficent is still weary of her reaction and at the tingling sensation at the base of her neck, Regina knows that her friend is reading her mind, looking for answers that she cannot voice with their present company.

"You…you stay away from her!" The boy cries as he pushes at his sister's legs, making her take a few stumbling steps back. If only he knew that he had no real reason to protect his sister, she was more than capable of handling her own.

Regina's eyes soften as she looks at the boy though, she cannot help it. Her heart aches in her chest at the sight of him. He looks so much like his parents it's almost as sickening as it is sweet. "Oh sweet boy, I have no interest in your sister." Beyond perhaps using her as target practice.

This news seems to startle the boy and he is now unsure who to stand in front of, his mother or sister. His feet move him from one place to the other, looking back and forth between the two beloved women in his life. His inability to decide which he should stand in front of is forestalled at the sound of someone else speaking to her.

"Why have you come?" Cinderella finally opens her mouth to speak.

Regina wonders if they will realize they've all asked the same question, just in different formats. And she's yet to answer them.

"Yes, why is it that you've come?" The broken silence is shared by Aurora, who seems more conflicted than Cinderella. There is not so much fear in Aurora's eyes but curiosity. How interesting.

Except, the beauty of their questions is they are not solely directed at her. No, they may be saying them to her, but their eyes fall to who they intended the questions for. Maleficent slides up so she is standing to Regina's right and Lady Tremaine to Maleficent's right. Victoria stands to Regina's left now. A powerful foursome even if she doesn't want to admit it, that and they look fabulous. Victoria is in Red, her in black, Maleficent in her deep black-and-purple, and Lady Tremaine in forest green. Their gowns seem to exude more power than they rightly should. Standing opposite their 'good' counterparts they are truly the polar opposites of the monarchs in front of them.

"You, you've been nothing but…" Aurora clears her throat, "…kind in the last few years. Why have you come with her?"

Owtch, so it seems that Maleficent wasn't as forthcoming with information as she thought she had been. Seeing the slightest shift in stance, Regina turns her eyes to the young Prince standing in front of Aurora. He seems uncomfortable and as he looks to Maleficent his eyes show a conflict Regina sees matched in her friend's eyes.

Oh for the love of magic!

Regina elbows Maleficent and glares at the witch who had met the Prince's eyes and seemed to be getting lost in them. No wonder why Aurora thought Maleficent to be kind, it seemed the love her friend had spoken of stood before them all. He was handsome, fit, and Regina could only assume kind as he was Aurora's son. Still, leave it to her dearest friend to fall in love with the child of her enemy. That would also explain why Maleficent had that enchanted painting of Aurora's castle. It would make it easier for her to sneak in and him to sneak out and then back in again.

That was where the problem lay for Maleficent's unrequited love. Not in his indifference to Maleficent's love. No, he loved Maleficent, of that Regina was sure. She could see it in his eyes. The age did not even factor in, it seemed. No, it was in the fact that Maleficent was his mother's sworn enemy.

'You and I will speak of this later.' Regina promised her friend, knowing the other witch could hear her voice clearly in her mind. Her only answer was the slightest inclination of Maleficent's head.

"Just to make this clear, Aurora…"

"You will address my mother by her title!" Oh, my my. Regina looked to the boy who'd growled out the order and smiled at him slyly. The boy had spunk. No wonder why Maleficent was enthralled.

"I will address your mother as I see fit, boy. Whatever power you think her title holds means nothing to me, so why say it aloud? I address her by her given name, the name that truly holds power, and the name I have known her by it her entire life."

Aurora placed a hand on her son's shoulder to keep him from doing anything rash.

Good, at least she understood the levity of the situation.

"As I was saying, my friends have come with me to ensure that I am not left ambushed by the bounty hunters after my head. They've simply come at my behest. I had wished to have this conversation three days ago, but due to unforeseen circumstances…" Regina looked plainly at the huntress who'd remained quiet throughout the entire gathering, "…it had to be postponed. So, what better time than when the entire realm is gathered to celebrate a beloved Princess' birthday?" Really, what were these royals being raised to become these days? Bounty Hunteress? Lovers of their parents natural enemies? Ha! She should have come back ages ago if this is what she had been missing!

"Then say what you've come to say, and leave." Snow White requested, though to Regina's ears it sounded like the Queen was begging.

How drawl…

"Where is the fun in that?" Maleficent asked. "It has been such a long time since we've had any fun…"

Cinderella could not seem to keep her mouth shut now that she'd opened it. "Your fun is gained at the expense of others."

"Oh do quiet yourself girl, you of everyone should not speak of expenses paid by others." The evil stepmother cooed darkly as she stared at her former ward.

The insult hit its mark perfectly, even if it was a low blow. Cinderella looked as if she were going to be sick she turned so green. Her daughter was quick to reverse their positions and stand in front of her mother. Maleficent's love interest rushed to the Princess' aid in keeping Queen Cinderella upon her feet, and the flare in magic at her side alerted Regina to her friend's emotional state. Jealousy never did look good on a witch, she should know better than any.

'Calm yourself, my friend. He is just being chivalrous.' Regina assured, trying to keep this event from turning into a bloodbath. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to be injured. Especially Maleficent, or Snow White's youngest, who was now trying to help everyone sit Cinderella down onto the ground.

"Enough! That is enough!" So, the huntress did know how to speak. What a surprise. "None of you were invited and frankly none of us could care less about what you have to say. I for one have no interest in hearing some useless threat from old hags like you."

Now…the girl had crossed a line.

"Emma…" Snow White hissed, the slap of her hand grasping onto her daughter's arm echoed through the air between the two groups.

Regina couldn't help but smirk a bit, internally of course. Her eyes clearly saying what she did not aloud: Now you've done it.

"HAG!" Victoria screamed, her face turning as red as her dress, her hands fisting the material about her waist. The moment she lifted the skirt away from the floor Regina knew this was not going to end well. The only one still armed was James and his little doppelganger.

James' sword was also the only sword Regina could not magically take from her foe as it was enchanted. She simply let the young Prince keep his sword because he was well, he could look, he was…alright fine! He was adorable and she did not wish to scare him unneededly.

Seeing the trouble the woman was mere moments from causing—a flash of Victoria charging towards the monarchs lasted for two seconds before the red Queen was run through by James' sword, the blood almost as red as the woman's face. His next swing would be aimed at Regina's own neck. It seemed the King had been biding his time, just waiting for such a moment to take action but Regina would be damned if she let him have his moment of glory. As once his sword cut her own head from her body he would charge towards Maleficent. And that was something she could not stand for. Maleficent was to be no one's victim.—The vision left her quickly and she shot her eyes to Victoria. Once again cursing the fact that the Red Queen in their plans.

The Queen's cheeks were already turning a deep scarlet. After this was all over Regina was going to enjoy telling Maleficent exactly where she could stick her ideas to bring 'help'.

Regina sees Victoria's weight shifting. She groans as she takes a step forward, a little too hard on her bad leg, quickly waving her hand over Victoria's head before Victoria had even taken her second step forward. The mist that grew around the Red Queen enveloped her completely in milliseconds. Maleficent seeing Victoria disappear and Regina herself racing into the fray of royals grabbed a hold of Lady Tremaine's hand and disappeared as well in a puff of purple smoke.

Opening her arms Regina flew towards the group. James' blade cut through nothing but black smoke as he stood in front of his family and friend. His sword clanged against the tile floor of the ballroom, sparks flying as he turned his head around furiously looking for her.

Cackling, the sound bounces off the walls as she appears behind the same group she'd stood before seconds prior.

Grabbing a hold of her pray, Regina meets Snow White's eyes as the Queen turns to stare at her, her eyes widening at the sight of Regina's hands on the Princess' shoulder. The Princess in question turns her own head just in time to watch Regina smirk before everything around her is nothing but a blurred mess.

"NOO…" Snow White's cry leaves her throat seconds too late.

They're already gone. The Evil Queen's visit is over and with her exit so too does the ball end.

End Chapter Four

After this chapter the POV shifts to Emma's and will then most likely return to Regina's. Depending on which character the chapter is about will dictate the POV from here on out. Hope you liked. :-)