Thunder boomed overhead and across the valley as the night sky was lit up with sounds of exploding fights in the hills surrounding the White Kingdom. This kingdom has been through many wars and strife, battling with the Evil Queen, even though she's not the queen. No one dares to remove her from the castle since she's the most powerful sorceress in the land.
Grandfather's castle has been shielded and protected by magic that no armies can go through.
When the White Kingdom tried to invade the throne, the invaders were pushed back several times; which resulted from the Evil Queen's celebration that stretched for days. This kingdom, my kingdom remains proud and fights for victory and one day we will take over my mom's former throne. The great jubilation had resulted in celebration because, for the first time, we defended the Evil Queen's curse when she tried to enact it throughout the Enchanted Forest. The Dark One is forever in prison somewhere in a cave, driving himself crazy. One good thing about this, the Evil Queen will not release him.
Although, we realized that the Enchanted Forest royalty system stumped from one crisis to another, trying to save our Enchanted Forest. Yet again, Evil Queen won since it's only stalled. Today is the day that the Enchanted Forest had been anxiously anticipating for months. The new war is coming.
The Evil Queen is not Regina, but Cora. Regina is the daughter of the Evil Queen. The people feared the most happened in the spring, a day Evil Queen's militias arrived, taking over one castle to another like hungry locusts. The White Kingdom fought hard to keep them at bay until we couldn't hold them any longer, and now a retreat was in process. We lost our home and now we live on small farming land. Burning homes, carts, shops people, and everywhere even the roadways. A young girl listened to the sounds of war, blonde curly hair with hazel eyes.
Emma Swan looked up into the heavens for a long moment, closed her eyes, and pray for the fairies or anyone to bring them victory. She felt confident that one day, people will rejoin together. They have to listen. She knows that Enchanted Forest is on their side, not the Evil Queen's. Emma is one of the most determined spirits and one that desperately wanted to head to the hills and fight against the militias. She's the Savior, but she doesn't know it yet.
A loud explosion made Emma jump at the noise, the militias fucking doesn't know when to stop, it lasts all night and still lasted for days. There's no beauty in Enchanted Forest anymore, like bees feeding the flower, the militias killing the bees. The hope Emma remains, "Oh, that must destroy several Evil Queen's weapons, yes!"
Emma noticed that her horse was standing next to the wagon out so late, patted the horse, brown strong horse, "I'm sorry it's loud for you." The horse shoved his head towards Emma, and she giggled at the animal's playful nature. "I'm sure the Evil Queen will be defeated. We defeated her when she enacts the curse and many times before her. She will know the full force of our people. As Father Henry as said, 'if you have people and good magic on your side, you wouldn't need anyone else."
"Emma! Come inside, sweetie." Snow White, a woman whose skin is white as snow and her hair is black as raven with sparkling eyes, came out of the farmhouse and put her arm around her daughter's shoulders.
"I was talking to Zeus, Mama. I think we are winning. Listen, Mama. That's our people fighting back!"
Snow sighed, "God willing, we all will come out of this alive."
"We will. Father H said we have our people and God on our side. Our people will fight for us. They believe in us and that means we will win!"
"Don't call the reverend 'Father H."
"Why?"
"It's not respectful. Father Henry is a man of honor who helped us defeat the Evil Queen's curse. We should show him respect."
Emma gazed up at her mother with a dubious look on her face, "I didn't think he minded, Mama."
Snow White silently laughs and shook her head. She kissed the top of Emma's head, "you are going to give me a lot of grief as you grow older, but I love you."
"I love you too," Emma replied as she put both arms around her mother's waist and hugged her, "why is Papa's horse outside?"
"Papa is going to hitch the wagon to Zeus, and we are going to Neal's cabin."
"Now?"
"Yes. I want you to come inside and help pack."
"Why are we going to Neal's cabin?"
Snow White sighs at her constant questions, "Emma. We don't have a lot of time," kissed Emma's on the top of her golden yellow hair before going back inside. Emma scowled. She looked back at the horse and gave him a final pat then gave him another then walked back to the farmhouse. "I don't know why we are going to the cabin but we will be seeing a lot of Evil Queen's militias getting routed." She found two suitcases sitting near the kitchen, so she navigated around the suitcase and entered the kitchen. The smell of homemade bread permeated the room. Five loaves were cooling on the table, and another two were in the oven. Her mother had taken out pickled vegetables that were stored in jars from their pantry.
Snow gave Emma a white bed sheet that had been ripped into long strips, "take these to Papa and tell him I'll be ready in about thirty minutes."
Emma collected the makeshift bandages and quickly walked the short distance to her room. She knocked and entered when she heard a faint 'come in.' Lying on her bed was Nala, Sima's childhood friend and well-known to Papa when he was King of Enchanted Forest once upon a time. Sima is only a few years older than her, and her leg has been torn from the knee down and a large bandage was wrapped around her lower leg. Two other men were sitting near the bed. Emma's father, David Charming, won over Snow White's father and married her. Three of them are former Enchanted Forest soldiers, Nala's older brother, Abu, and her brother's best friend, Spike, and the town's only surviving medic, although Emma doesn't think he was a real doctor. They have been living on the farm for about a week to get Nala well enough to travel.
Nala nodded in thanks when she took the bandages from Emma. He gazed lovingly at his daughter and smiled down at the upturned face. "I'm so proud of you. You have been a big help to our guests, and for that, you will be rewarded for your fighting spirit. Don't be afraid."
"I'm not afraid, Papa. Our family and friends, our brothers and sisters will beat them back to where they came from, won't you, Sergeant Nala?"
Three of them turns to her with a smile and hopeful look, Nala's brother reached out to her, "we will win, little sister." Abu bent down and kissed the top of Emma's blonde curly hair, "we will be victorious."
Emma tilted to Papa, "Mama said she would be ready in thirty minutes." Papa took the fresh bandages from Emma, "Good. Now I'm going to change the bandages. Why don't you take him and help him load the wagon?"
"Alright," Emma nodded and wanted two soldiers to join her before they left the room. They greeted Snow before Abu picked up the blankets and headed outside. In no time and without Emma's help, the wagon was ready.
Emma kept her white magic in secret and practiced it secretly without her parent's knowledge or anyone for that matter. Her magic is pure white and has no hint of darkness inside of her when her parents were worried once upon a time that she would be evil. They made a desperate wish to take the darkness out of her and it is one of the biggest regrets they made because they brought my darkness into someone else and send it to Land Without Magic for, they were afraid that person will return and destroy Enchanted Forest.
Right now, she's practicing ducklings, making them jump as she laughed until Spike sat down on the upturned bucket near the barn. "What are you doing?"
"Do you think I can get a sword?"
"You're too young, kid."
"I'm only a few years older than Abu!"
He changed the topic, "how did you learn Latin?"
"My mother tutors me and wants me to learn different languages for one day I might rule the White Kingdom."
"Say something in Latin then."
"familia mihi est causa surgendi.
familia mihi est sola cadendi causa."
He chuckled and was impressed with her perfect Latin, "what does that mean?"
"Family is my reason to rise, and family is the only reason to fall."
Emma tries to teach a few Latin languages to Spike, unsuccessfully I might add. It sounded funny to her ears as he speaks with an accent. "You'll be amazing, Ems."
Emma laughs at the nickname Spike overheard from her father. "I want to see what's out there beyond Enchanted Forest. I want to travel."
"At the moment, a lot of bad men."
"After you defeat the bad men, I want to leave here and visit all over Enchanted Forest."
Their conversation was interrupted when they were joined by Abu and her brother. Emma watched them as they loaded supplies, blankets, and cushions for the ride for the wounded soldier. The time had come for them to leave.
"Papa, are you going with them?"
David took Emma's hand and walked her to a nearby chair. He sat down and took his daughter in his lap. "I have to go with Nala and the boys around the gorge to evade the Evil Queen's."
"Why can't they do it? I thought you were coming with us?"
"I want you and Mama to go to the cabin. Don't come down until I come to get you. All right?"
"All right, but why do you have to go?"
David hugged Emma tightly, "I know the secret around the White Kingdom and Evil Queen's throne. Do you remember that summer we went hunting and James caught that wild pig?"
They sat in silence for a moment with the sounds of men fighting getting closer. Emma sniffed and grimaced at the smell of smoking in the air.
"You will be back, right?"
"I will be back."
"You promise?" Emma asked as she looked up at Emma. "A promise is a promise, Papa."
"No, I can't promise, Emma. I promise I'll find a way back to you and Mama. I'll always find you."
"But Papa …"
"Emma, we are going to try and stop the Evil Queen's militias, but you must do your part. You have to be strong, Emma."
"a hero?"
David silently laughs, "that's right. Whatever happens, my little savior, you have to be courageous and never let anyone or anything stop you. If I don't make it back, your mama is going to need you."
Emma stared at the ground for a long moment, "I don't want you to go, Papa!"
"If I don't go, my baby, how are we going to win this war? Remember our brave brothers and sisters fighting for our freedom and bringing back our home." David turned Emma's face towards him, "I love you, my baby."
Emma threw back her arms, "I love you even bigger, bigger than the tallest mountain in Enchanted Forest."
"Only that much?" David teases, making Emma laugh. He tenderly kissed her on the cheek, "Be brave, be strong and listen to Mama while I'm gone. Can you do that for me?"
"Yes, Papa but …"
"Shhh," David wrapped his strong arms around Emma and kissed her on top of her head, "be a Savior."
"Yes, Papa." Emma used the back of her sleeve to wipe her eyes, "I will be brave."
"I will always love you. You are my favorite daughter."
Emma looked up at David, her green eyes glistening with tears, "I'm your only daughter."
"That's why you're my favorite," David replied as he gently tapped Emma's nose. Emma watched David walking to Mama, putting his arm around her waist, and even in the darkness, Emma could see how much they loved each other. She has never seen anyone look at another person the way her parents looked at each other. They are each other's, true love.