Wonderstruck

Chapter 17

Authors' Notes: Let me start out my three part apology by saying that I've been super busy, super sleep deprieved, and still dealing with a shit load of school crap. It's done now. I officially have my Master's degree and I'm at a place with my business where I can breathe. If you want really awesome bath products for Christmas gifts check out our Once Line or any of the other lines really over on Esty. My store's name is The Nerd Spa. I started working on this a few days before my final paper and test was due in my last class and I've been working on it on and off since then. I finally finished it last night. I'm going to try to get back on a regular writing schedule and all that. I say this but the reality is it may not happen. I hope you enjoy and as always if you'd like to let me know I'd appreciate it. It may actually help me get hit with the inspiration stick once again. ~ Scarlette

Regina looked up from her book as her Mother stormed into her room. She threw the book to the seat beside her and stood up curtseying lowly to the older woman.

"The contract your inept Father signed is unbreakable." Cora's anger was palatable and the younger woman felt her stomach drop to her feet. It never boded well for her when her Mother was this angry.

"I'm sorry your Majesty." She offered with a low dip of her head.

"It's sealed and signed and with it your wedding will take place for I have no other child to offer in your place."

"I'm sure there are ways to get her Majesty's wishes without breaking the contract." Regina offered carefully then dipped her head when her Mother's cold eyes turned on her. She flinched when the older woman stepped closer.

"The Valaar blessed you with a beautiful face Regina. And nothing else; you were such a disappointment."

The princess swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed down the tears that formed in her eyes. She had always known her Mother hated her because she hadn't been a strong male heir but to hear it so bluntly still cut her deeply.

"But I've made do with you and I've bided my time so far. I'll merely have to…recalculate how this will affect my plans."

"I will do what I can to ensure your Majesty's plans come to fruition though I must confess I'm unsure what they are."

"It shouldn't concern you Regina. You're not meant to understand. You don't have the means."

Regina dipped her head, "Yes your Majesty."

"Get dressed for dinner, we have things we need to put in motion. Wear something lower cut."

The younger girl blinked but gave a small nod as her Mother stormed out just as she'd come in.

Regina took a breath and shook her head as the tears started to fall down her cheeks. She wasn't supposed to let her Mother hurt her anymore.

"You look beautiful," Emma breathed as Regina dipped into a low curtsey before her. The dress was of a lower cut but still modest enough that she could get away with it. It left her shoulders open however, which was still quite scandalous especially for the more conservative north. The blood red color didn't do much to make it anymore modest.

"Thank you your highness, " The younger woman offered her a small smile as she rose back to her slight height.

"I'm glad we've gotten a few moments to ourselves."

"Not long, we have to have dinner with our Mothers soon and if they believe impropriety has taken place…" Regina trailed off. They were hidden here in the gardens for the time being and she tried to ignore the chill that shot through her with so much of her skin exposed.

"It won't take long." Emma promised. She reached into the pocket of her cloak and pulled out a small necklace.

"I found this in Raithewell's castle. The stone I mean…I'm not very good at jewelry making but I didn't want anyone else to see this so I did it myself." The stone glowed a light purplish pink in the dying light of the sun. Regina gasped as she reached out, her fingers coming in contact with the warm stone. It was a rough cut, shaped like an oval but hard at certain edges. Emma had wrapped it in silver wire and placed it on a plain black leather cord. Immediately the stone flared with life before it settled back into the same glow as before.

"Do you know what this is?" Regina breathed as she looked up at Emma with amazed eyes.

The blonde shook her head with a small smile. "It did that for me too and I thought it was beautiful. I couldn't leave it there. Then I thought about you and it just seemed like…it belonged with you somehow." She shrugged, "I haven't shown it to anyone. I wanted you to see it first."

"Emma, it's beautiful but I don't know that it's safe for me to have it."

"What do you mean?"

"It's magicite. Do you know what that is?"

"I've heard of it before but nothing extensive."

"Magicite is pure. It's um…I know you know what the suncryst is."

"Only vaguely. I know Raithewell was said to be gifted with its power by the Valaar and that he became the ruler of all the Kingdoms of the Enchanted Forest. When he died, his children each became the ruling families of the separate Kingdoms. We're all descended from them."

"Magicite is what the Suncryst is made up of. It's um…it's said to be a large shard of magicite."

"So…this came from the suncryst?"

"More like the suncryst came from the magicite. It's supposed to be blessed by the Valaar and infused with their power. That's how Raithewell became the King of Kings. He had their power and their blessings."

"So this is just magicite?"

"I think so."

"So why does it react that way?"

"What do you mean?" Regina didn't lift her eyes to her fiancée's so fascinated by the rough hewn stone in front of her that continued to sparkle and shine with different colors. Red then blue then green then purple and orange with spots of yellow. It was fascinating to see the way the stone reacted. It seemed to be playing on their emotions as though it understood everything happening around it.

"Whenever you or I touch it, it reacts. It sparks like it's alive."

"Magicite is alive…it's pure…untainted…I'm not sure how to explain it."

"They say the ancients used it to fly…"

"Supposedly…that's been lost to time I believe."

"Only the fairies or dragons fly now."

Regina nodded, "Yes I think it's best that way. Too much power in the hands of man…can't be good for anyone. I think that's why the gods took away the suncryst." Her small, gloved hands twisted as she studied the magicite in her hand. She was positive that's what this was. She blew warm breath onto the stone and delighted when it lit up with a spark of orange and yellow through the pinkish purple of the stone. She smiled brightly as it reacted once again. "Do you have any idea how rare this is? Magicite isn't known to exist in the world anymore."

"I thought they had found a vein of it." Emma's brow furrowed. The snow was beginning to fall around them and she wondered how much longer her fiancée's smaller body would be able to handle it. Though she was lovely…the open shoulders and lower cut of her dress weren't good for the cold.

"Two hundred something years ago." Regina looked up at her with bright eyes and blushing cheeks.

"You know a lot about all this."

"I…history fascinates me." The younger girl offered with a small shrug. "When you took me to Raithewell's hidden palace, I started reading up on him and that's how I found out about the suncryst and then magicite. There isn't much known though they believe the diamonds the dwarves mine have similar properties to the magicite of old, they're weaker and not nearly as capable of power as them of course."

"I think a lot of things have similar properties in this world." Emma shrugged, "I mean the dwarves are really only present in Wintersend. Their bodies are more equipped for the cold then humes are. There are other creatures out there too. Not quite like us but capable of higher thought."

"Yes, I'm well aware of the cold here." She forced herself not to look back at the piece of magicite. She shivered and Emma stepped forward, offering her own cloak. Regina smiled softly and shook her head. "No, I'm all right. We need to get back but not before I give you this."

"What is it?"

"In our kingdom, we don't do bonding bracelets." Regina smiled softly at Emma's confused expression.

"In Agrabah they use a method of inserting ink beneath the skin. It's permanent, non-removable no matter how much time passes. I um…I thought perhaps it was something you and I could have done. It's barbaric by my Mother's standards but I think the sentiment behind it is very universal and very sweet."

"So…you want us to have this ink done?" Emma's brow furrowed as she watched her fiancée smile with the snow dancing around her head and kissing her dark hair, it made her look like a snow angel and she almost couldn't resist the urge to press her lips to hers for just a brief moment.

"Well yes but that's not actually my gift for you it was just something I thought of." The princess smiled softly as she stepped forward slipping a simple gold apple charm from her bracelet. "I have a good friend…she's very private so I doubt you'll ever meet her but she is um in possession of strong magicks. I know how your family feels about magicks though so I don't mention it lightly."

"My Mother isn't fond of humes having powers but she's fine with the fairies. So…is she a fairy?"

Regina paused looking down and then nodded, "Yes, she is." She offered the small lie. "But as I said she's very private…when I was young I went to stay with her for a summer. And she gave this to me. If I was ever in trouble, all I had to do was think of her and the charm would glow to let me know she'd gotten my message. I asked her about another one and she gave me this. It matches mine. So if you ever get in trouble and you need me, I'll know and I'll come to you." She smiled as she held it out and Emma took it reverently.

"Does it work both ways?"

"Yes, my charm will let you both know that I need you. And yours will let her and I know that you are in need of assistance. She's um particular though so I doubt she'll come unless it's life threatening but at least I'll be there." Regina smiled as she watched Emma flip the simple apple charm over in her hand.

"What does yours look like?"

Regina smiled, "It's a lyon flower."

"Like the flower on our banner?"

"I thought it fitting given our impending marriage."

"Did she make it for you?"

Regina shrugged her small shoulders and then gave a small nod. It would be better if Emma didn't suspect she'd conjured them herself and set the spells in them without the help of Maleficent. The older girl smiled at her and she smiled back.

"It's beautiful. Thank you. I um…I guess I'll have to start wearing jewelry so I can keep it with me." Emma smiled brightly at her and Regina shook her head with a small smile.

"We should get back before anyone suspects we're missing."

"That little piece of magicite…it can't do much can it?" Emma asked, noting her younger fiancée palmed the piece of stone reverently not at all concerned about the roughness of the stone or the wire she'd attempted to make pretty enough to wrap around it.

"No, from what I read the shards of the suncryst were quite large and…corrupted. This little piece…it's weak because it's old. At most the colors in it are just pretty. Nothing more." Regina smiled at her. "I'm sure it hasn't seen the light of day in a long time. So I imagine it's reacting to that."

"You speak of it like it's a living thing."

"It is. Read up on it." The younger girl offered her a mischievous smile before she was gone, the fabric of her dress swishing across the snow covered stones.