Wonderstruck
Chapter 30
Author's Notes: Oops. I was supposed to post this last weekend and it got away from me. Sorry about that. I've got the next chapter all ready to go too. May post that later on today or tomorrow if I get a wild hair. We'll just have to see what happens. Anyways, the plot is continuing to thicken and we're finally starting to get somewhere. It's kinda taken it's sweet time honestly but I promise there is method to my madness. As always if you feel the urge, please let me know what you think. It really does help motivate me to continue working on this and the other pieces I'm starting to wade back through. ~ Scarlette
"Your Highness and your wife. Welcome." Queen Ariel was all smiles and beautiful shining red hair that she shared with her son. Her daughter had the same eyes though and the dark hair of her husband.
The capital of Sunfaire was a beautiful place, full of the same jade wood and beautiful blues that gave the Kingdom the appearance of the sea faring nation it was.
Boisterous and fun; Queen Ariel filled up the space with her bright smile and hair. She bounced down the stairs of the dais, sandstone giving the throne room a bright appearance that reminded Regina of Agrabah's palace. The large jade wood throne had a large carved back with a large water basilisk snake twisting around the image of the sun. It was beautiful and very like a sea faring nation. Ariel was wearing a more traditional gown than her daughter, light blue with a slate gray sash in the fashion more favored in the western Kingdoms, square neckline and sheer sleeves. The pearl and silver tiara on her head was beautiful and delicate. It matched perfectly with the string of pearls around her elegant neck.
"Thank you for having us your Majesty." Emma offered, shifting so that her hand brushed the back of her wife's.
Regina looked back and offered her a small smile.
Melody shifted and moved around to stand beside her Mother. "Hello Mother."
"You were out in the wood again."
"Just went to greet our guests." Melody offered her Mother a mischievous smile, which her Mother returned.
"Don't tell your Father."
"Never."
"I hope she didn't cause you too much trouble."
"Other than scaring us to death, no…she was no trouble at all." Grumpy muttered.
"Did you pretend to be a bandit again?"
"It was only for fun…and only because I could mostly."
"I apologize if she caused any trouble."
Melody grinned at Emma who glared back at her for a moment. "No, she was fine."
"She was an excellent guide through the Jade Wood your Majesty." Regina offered noting the smirk on Melody's face directed towards her wife.
"See? No trouble at all." Melody offered, her smirk growing wider as her Mother turned towards her, the expression was wiped away as though it had never been there.
"Your brother is with your Father looking over a new fleet of ships. They'll be back tomorrow at the earliest."
"So it's just us and our guests Mother?"
"Yes, I'm sure you will find ways to keep yourself occupied." Ariel clapped her hands as she twisted to face their guests. "Won't you join me for lunch? I'd love to hear about your wedding. Unfortunately we were unable to attend. We had pressing matters with our allies in Arrendale."
"Of course your Majesty. The good of the Kingdom always comes first." Emma offered.
"Indeed, I'll allow you all to rest up for now and I'll send a servant to retrieve you. Oh this will be wonderful." Ariel's grin was as bright as Melody's was mischievous.
"Would you care to explain to me why you and Melody are so at odds with one another?" Regina asked as soon as she and her wife were shown to their quarters. She arched a dark brow as Emma shook her head and began to pace.
"She's infuriating. She always has been."
Regina hummed and moved into her wife's path. She gently pressed her lips to Emma's causing the thin pink lips to tilt upwards at the sweet, chaste gesture.
"I can see that about her but what has you acting like a cat that's been rubbed the wrong way?"
"Does that mean I get to claw her eyes out?" Emma asked hopefully.
Regina shook her head, curls flying. "No, I'm afraid not. Can you pull that cord in the corner, call for a servant girl. I want to change my dress before we have lunch with Queen Ariel, this one is just too thick for the heat here."
"I'm not very fond of how muggy it is."
"I never thought I'd say it but I miss the cold of the North. You won't even want to cuddle tonight when we go to sleep. You'll be too warm for that." Regina teased making Emma stop and stammer out a never too warm for that!
She laughed as the blonde stalked over to do as she had been asked. Regina carefully pulled the pins on her hair, letting the curls fall down. It had been the one concession she'd made when she'd dressed that morning which had grown steadily messier the longer they'd traveled.
"Leather was not made for humidity."
"I'm amazed you haven't lost half your fluids wearing them for this long." Regina called back, moving to a beautiful slate gray privacy screen.
"Your Highness?"
"My wife would like help changing her dress."
"Emma, would you pull out the white dress with the lace sleeves from my trunk?" She called.
"I can get it your Highness." The girl offered, dipping into a light curtsy.
"Thank you but I'll bring the dress. Regina do you need her…"
"Josie your Highness."
"Josie's help getting your dress undone?"
"Please, I can't reach the ties at the top."
"Yes, your highness." The girl smelled like sea salt and when she moved past the blonde, her light blue cotton shift dress barely brushed her fingertips. Emma arched a brow but didn't say a word as she moved to dig through the black wood trunks. She shifted through materials until she found the beautifully embroidered cream colored dress with the gold lace sleeves. It was a pretty combination of their Kingdoms' colors. She liked the way it fit Regina and showed off her slender finger. It was a light silk with a square cut neckline. Shifting around she drew out her own clothes, a simple silver tunic and a pair of soft cotton breeches. She'd have to endure the boots but her wife had a pair of silk flats she could wear that would allow her body to breathe a bit more. She drew them out from the bottom of the trunk and moved around the screen.
Josie had removed Regina's heavy dress and was currently helping her out of the thicker undergarments.
"How you didn't die of a sun stroke I'll never know."
"I was never in the sun darling." Regina pointed out with a small smile over her shoulder.
"You're married your Highness?"
"We are." Regina offered, smiling softly. "Does your Mistress encourage you to have a free tongue?"
"I'm sorry your Highness…I…"
"It's all right dear. I like it really. I prefer my servants to speak with me as does my wife."
"She's right Josie. But to answer your question we've been married almost nine moons now." Emma offered holding out the dress.
"That's wonderful your Highness. I can see how happy you both are."
"We are happy." Regina sighed as her corset came undone. "Must I put that back on?"
"I think you can go without. This dress isn't that tight around your body. You're slender enough without it. I don't know why you insist on wearing one. No one in the North wears one."
"Your Mother would disagree with that statement seeing as she wears one every day." Regina stated dryly.
"Perhaps you're right. Are you married Josie?"
"No, your Highness I'm not. I want to be but sadly no one has made me an offer."
"I'm sure it'll happen. You're still young."
"I can always hope your Highness." Josie smiled softly as she pulled the lacings on Regina's new dress tight and began to criss cross them doing them up swiftly.
"Would you like me to do your hair your Highness?"
"Yes please, that'll be wonderful."
"Yours as well your grace?" Josie looked at Emma who shook her head.
"You don't need to worry about my wife, her perfect Princess curls are envied by all including me." They shared a soft smile as Regina moved towards the small vanity.
"Your Palace is lovely your Majesty." Regina offered the Queen as they walked through the beautiful rock gardens and beautiful fountains shaped to look like fish, mermaids, and various other sea creatures. Where the palace of Wintersend was jagged like icicles, the sandstone palace of Il Mira jetted up in clean cut geometric lines and spiral towers with high beautifully shaped domes interspersed with thick jade wood beams. The paths were made from large beautifully shaped shells pushed down into the sand to make it flat and easily accessible. She glanced over her shoulder at her wife who continued to cut her eyes at Melody who merely grinned at the attention. There was a tension there that still wasn't explained but she would leave it be for now.
"Eric had it built for me. He knew I missed the sea so he put this as close as he could. The cliffs give us a natural defense and the bay where Il Mira proper lays, houses many of our Navy's fleet so we're well protected." Ariel grinned happily.
"I'm glad to hear that." They fell silent for a moment.
"If I may be so bold…"
"You may, go ahead my dear. What can I do to help you?"
"We…Emma and I…need to get to Eamira. Particularly we need to go to Arrendale and then elsewhere."
"Arrendale would be easy for us…Elsewhere not so much."
"Why don't you say what you mean? Emma? Your wife seems to have trouble saying what she's thinking." Melody chimed.
"Don't you ever insult my wife." Emma spit out ready to draw her sword to defend her wife.
"She means no disrespect but it is true…you're holding something back from us. What is it? Surely it can't be that bad."
"We've kept our mission mostly quiet to ensure safety." Regina offered waving her hand to stop Emma from doing something stupid.
Green eyes met her honey brown eyes and studied her for a moment. "What is it?" The Queen repeated.
"We need to go to the Abyss."
Ariel and Melody exchanged a look. "Why would you want to go there?" The Princess of Sunfaire asked. "What in the Valaar's name is so important there?"
"The Knights of Fortune."
"Come again?"
"Why would you need sellswords from across the sapphire sea?" The Queen asked, cocking her head as she studied the couple now standing side by side where they had stopped in front of a large sandstone fountain shaped to look like a girl sitting on a seashell brushing her hair with a spine shell.
"The Ogre Wars are taking it's toll on the Winter Kingdom." Melody surmised. "And you think that a group of sell swords would willing defend your home?"
"We don't really have a choice. Our people are dying Melody. And if Wintersend falls…"
"It won't be long until the others fall as well." The Queen completed the thought of the Winter Princess.
Emma dipped her head. "Yes, your Majesty that's exactly what will happen."
"My husband won't approve of what you're going to do." Ariel said softly, folding her arms. "He won't allow a ship from our Navy to pass through the waters of the Empty Bay. If a ship flying our colors enters that bay…"
"It's a slavers paradise."
"Yes, run by a group of slavers…that operates with the blessing of the Yorian Empire. They buy slaves there you see to use as bodies for their war against the Kredians." Melody offered what she knew and Ariel shook her head.
"We cannot allow our ships to go there." She repeated.
"What about a pirate?" Regina asked, reading between the lines. "A pirate would know the waters of the Empty Bay and likely be able to get around in the Abyss easier. Would that satisfy everyone's needs?"
"A pirate won't sail to Arrendale and then to the Abyss. The ship would be shot down the moment it gets anywhere close to Arrendale's docks."
"So what do you suggest your Majesty? You've shot down almost everything else." Emma asked.
"You need a smuggler…a privateer that works closely with our navy but keeps their association with us quiet. And I know just the person you need to seek."
"Where would we find this Privateer?"
"Where else? Drinking in the Iron Harpoon Tavern." Melody said with a bright grin.
"Greetings and Salutations are to be heaped upon you kind Sir." Rumplestilskin dipped into a bow, grin firmly in place as the elderly man sitting on the small cot in the servant's quarters he was given glared at him.
"What do you want Dark One?"
"Why that's hurtful!" Rumplestilskin grabbed at his chest as though the words themselves burned where his blackened heart rested. "Here I was merely checking on the welfare of an old friend…"
"You were doing no such thing, you were spying." Venar folded his arms, cocking his head to glare at the man before him.
"You're leading her astray I see."
"I am doing no such thing."
"You spin such pretty tales…about Eamira. You know as well as I that those…texts she seeks are completely useless."
"Perhaps to you but not to me." Venar sneered. "I know what they contain."
"Really?"
"You who sees all truly sees nothing."
"You want to get her to the holy land yes?"
"It won't be that difficult. Her thirst for knowledge drives her relentlessly. Combined with her need to please and she truly is perfect."
"Her magic is still being suppressed. She needs a teacher."
"And you're just the one to offer aren't you?"
"Me?" His gold eyes widened comically as he laid a hand against his chest. "Well I never gave it much thought."
"I'm quite certain you did, your black heart doesn't hide anything not from someone that knows what you are Rumplestilskin. A being with a corrupted piece of magicite at your very core."
"Now you're just trying to wound me."
"Is it working?"
The gold-scaled man tapped a long finger against his chin, with a shake of his head his fluffy loose curls went flying around his head. "Not in the least."
"Didn't think so."
"I will teach her. Our Monster."
"Our Savior Rumplestilskin. Never forget what Regina really is. She is pure power and he who controls her…controls the world."