A/N: ***Trigger warning: this chapter contains violence.***
Chapter 5
As the weeks passed, Regina spent more and more time with Eala, even helping with the farm work, ensuring they had more time to spend together, once the daily chores were complete.
Life was drastically close to perfection.
"Regina! You stayed out all night again!" Tink scolded one morning as Regina rushed back to the castle. "You have to be more careful when you sleep over at Eala's. The King will be up soon."
"Well, technically I didn't 'sleep over' at Eala's…because we didn't do any actual sleeping," Regina said with a naughty smirk.
"I don't suppose it was because you stayed awake cleaning the house and catching up on your reading." Tink laughed, teasing Regina.
"We made love all night, Tink. All night long. We passed out from exhaustion a few times only to wake up thirty minutes later to continue. It was the most intense experience of my life," Regina said, her face turning bright red as she recalled the night she had just spent with Eala.
"How romantic." Tink smiled. "Now get going, before someone finds out that you're missing!" Tink said, pushing Regina toward the castle.
Regina was so late that by the time she made it to the servant passageway, it was already filled with the castle servants rushing around to prepare for the day. To avoid getting in their way, she decided to walk through the castle instead.
"Regina?" a small voice called behind her as she was approaching her bedchambers. She sighed, disappointed. She almost made it to her room without being spotted.
"Good morning, Snow," she said, turning to face the King's ten-year-old daughter, Snow White.
"What are you doing up so early? Where are you coming from?" the noisy child asked.
"I…uhhh…" Regina stuttered, not prepared for the question. "I went on an…early morning ride…through the forest…" Regina said, doing her best to hold back a yawn.
"Oh. That sounds nice. Maybe next time I can come with you," Snow suggested.
"Umm…yeah, maybe. I need to change. I'll see you later, Snow," Regina said, stepping quickly into her room, slamming the door behind her. She had no intention of changing her clothes anytime soon, as she rushed over to her bed, flopping down instantly, exhaustion taking over her body. She climbed under the covers, pulling the blankets over her head, as her eyes began to close on their own. The scent of Eala radiated from her skin, as visions of her Soulmate flashed through her mind as she fell fast asleep.
Regina was more careful the next few weeks, making sure to leave Eala's slightly after the first light of dawn, to ensure she made it back before anyone even knew she was gone, crawling back into bed, and sleeping for several hours.
"Regina?" she heard as the door to her bedchamber opened slowly, a small head popping through the crack. "Regina, are you feeling alright? You're still in bed, and it's the afternoon. And you didn't come down for lunch either."
"I'm fine, Snow," Regina said, rolling over under the covers.
"Then why are you still sleeping?" Snow asked, asking far too many questions for Regina's tired mind to process.
"I went on another early morning ride this morning," she answered, hoping the child would get the hint and leave her be.
"Oh. I was going to ask if you wanted to go on a ride with me now. I guess you're too tired for that," Snow said, disappointment in her voice.
"Next time," Regina said, yawning wide. "I'll see you later." She knew she needed to spend more time with Snow, but all she could think about was spending more time with Eala.
Two days later, Regina rushed toward the forest, running as fast as she could to meet Tink, who was waiting for her as always.
"Have a great time. And remember, make sure you're back on time. We can't have the King finding out about your infidelity," Tink warned.
"Is it infidelity if it's with your Soulmate?" Regina laughed, climbing onto her horse quickly.
"I think it's infidelity if you're married to the King, that's for sure."
"Please don't remind me," Regina said, rolling her eyes. "I'll be back on time, I promise!" Regina smiled, saying goodbye to Tink, before taking off in a full gallop, rushing off to be with her love.
Eala was waiting for her outside when she arrived, clearly a little worried.
"I'm so sorry I'm late, Mo Ghràidh. His daughter kept asking me stupid questions when I was trying to get away. I got here as fast as I could," Regina said as she jumped off Rocinante, barely having time to secure his reins, before rushing into Eala's arms.
"It's okay, Mo Chridhe. I was just getting a little worried, that's all," Eala said, wrapping her arms tightly around Regina.
"You were worried about me?"
"I'm always worried about you. Every moment we are apart, I worry," Eala said, kissing Regina's forehead. "The only time I don't worry is when you are securely in my arms."
"Well then, we better get inside. Wouldn't want you to keep worrying." Regina smirked as she grabbed Eala's hand.
"I like the way you think," Eala said. Regina shrieked as Eala scooped her up in her arms, carrying her into the house.
A few short minutes later, they were naked and in bed, completely wrapped up in each other. They were so engrossed in one another that they didn't hear the sound of horse hooves approaching, or the small head of black hair and pale white skin peeking through the front window, watching in horror as they made love.
A few hours later, after a brief nap caused by exhaustion, they found themself once again in the throes of passion. Eala was settled in between Regina's legs, her tongue thrusting deep inside her, as Regina moaned and called out her name, both of their bodies damp with sweat after hours of making love.
Without warning, the door was kicked open, and in filed royal soldiers, standing guard, waiting for further orders. Eala quickly threw herself on top of Regina to protect her, before she could even process what happened.
Then, without warning, the King entered, his face red with anger.
"ARREST THAT WOMAN!" he screamed, pointing to a very naked Eala.
"What? No! Why?" Eala asked, clinging to Regina. The guards instantly grabbed Eala, pulling her off Regina, who immediately pulled the blanket across her naked body.
"FOR VIOLATING THE QUEEN!" he screamed, pointing to Regina.
"The Queen?!" Eala asked, fear and confusion in her voice. "Regina?"
"Please, don't do this!" Regina begged, rushing over to the King.
"You saved my daughter once. That is the only reason I am not having you arrested as well. Now get dressed immediately!" the King spat, violently throwing Regina's clothes at her.
"Regina!" Eala screamed as the guards tied her hands behind her back and pushed her out of the door.
By the time Regina made it outside, Eala was on the ground, still naked, as the guards kicked dirt into her face.
"Stop that!" Regina screamed, trying to rush toward Eala, only to be stopped by one of the guards.
"Get away from her!" the King screamed, grabbing Regina's arm so hard it left a bruise. "I'll deal with you later!" He pushed her into the arms of a guard, who lifted her onto her horse, which was being led by another. Regina looked behind her to see Eala being thrown in the back of her own cart, which was now hitched to one of the royal horses.
"Eyes forward, Your Majesty! " the guard who was walking beside Regina said, smacking the back of her head so hard Regina's ears started ringing.
Silent tears fell from Regina's eyes as she stared forward, listening to the sound of Eala's cart being pulled behind her.
Eala was found guilty of treason and treachery and sentenced to death. She didn't even receive a trial. Regina spent days begging and pleading with the King to spare Eala's life, promising never to see her again if he allowed her to live. Her efforts fell on deaf ears, and Eala's execution date was quickly approaching.
"You have ten minutes, Your Majesty ," a guard said, pushing Regina toward the bars of the cell in the dungeon of the castle.
"Regina?" Eala said, her eyes quickly trying to adjust to the figures in the darkness as the fire from a torch brightened the room. "You came?"
"Of course I did, Mo Ghràidh," Regina said, reaching out for Eala through the bars, their foreheads both smacking into the cold metal. "Open the cell door!" Regina demanded, turning toward the guards, anger filling her eyes. "This is the last time I will see this woman, so the least you can do is allow us to touch."
"You can touch through the bars," the guard barked back.
"I am your Queen, and I demand you open the cell door," Regina said, using her title in Eala's presence for the first time.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty , I am not loyal to you. I am loyal to the King. You are nothing but a pretty whore," he spat.
"What did you just call me?" Regina growled, her teeth grinding in anger.
"Regina…" Eala whispered, gently touching Regina's arm through the bars of her cell. "Regina, let's not waste time with him, please." Regina's entire demeanor changed instantly at the pleading sound of Eala's voice. She was right. They were wasting precious time.
"Eala…Eala, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault…" Regina cried, completely ignoring the watching guards. "I tried. I tried so hard to save you, but it didn't work." Eala reached through the bars to gently wipe the tears from Regina's face.
"It's not your fault, Mo Chridhe," Eala said, cupping Regina's face. "Why didn't you tell me? That you're the Queen?"
"Because…I needed you to fall in love with me, not my title," Regina said, fresh tears welling in her eyes.
"I will always love you, Regina. No matter what your title is, I will always love you," Eala said, tears running down her face now.
"I will always love you, Eala."
"It was you, wasn't it? You paid off my debt," Eala asked, trying to compose herself.
"Yes, that was me," Regina admitted.
"Thank you." Eala smiled.
"You're welcome," Regina said, trying to smile.
"Five more minutes, Your Majesty ," the guard said, mocking Regina with his tone.
"Eala, there's something I need to tell you, before…before…" Regina couldn't finish the sentence. She didn't need to; Eala already knew.
"Shh…" Eala said. "Don't think about it. What did you need to tell me?"
"My friend, the woman I came into the tavern with in the beginning. Her name is Tinkerbell, and she's not just my friend, she's also a Fairy. Her job is reuniting souls that have been separated. She reunites Soulmates," Regina said, pausing to collect herself. "Her magic led us to the tavern that first night. It led me to you because…because…because you're my Soulmate, Eala." Fresh tears began to fall down Regina's face.
"I know." Eala smiled, wiping the tears from Regina's face.
"How? Could you see the magic too?" Regina asked.
"No. I could just tell. The moment you walked into the tavern and I saw you for the first time, I just knew. I knew you would one day be the love of my life." Eala smiled. "It was love at first sight."
"It was love at first sight," Regina repeated, smiling at Eala. Eala slowly removed her hand from Regina's face, reaching behind her own head, unclasping her swan pendant.
"I want you to have this," Eala said, handing Regina her necklace. "Something to remember me by."
"I could never forget you, Mo Ghràidh," Regina said, clipping the necklace around her neck, stuffing the pendant under her dress. "I will never take it off."
"It's only fitting. I never took it off while I had it." Eala laughed.
"Time's up, Your Majesty !" the guard said, taking a step forward, grabbing Regina's arm to pull her away.
Regina snarled, pulling her arm out of his grip. "Take your hands off me, or I'll remove it for you. And take a step back, please." The guard took a tentative step back, giving them a little more privacy to say goodbye.
"Regina…" Eala said, her voice so weak. They both knew their time was up.
"I can't do this, Eala. I can't say goodbye," Regina cried.
"I can't either. I can't do this," Eala cried, her voice echoing off the walls with Regina's. She grabbed the front of Regina's dress, pulling her as close as she could.
She pressed her lips against Regina's for the last time.
"I love you, Mo Ghràidh. I'll always love you," Regina cried.
"I love you more, Mo Chridhe," Eala cried, clutching Regina, their foreheads resting against the bars of the cell. "I have loved you since the moment I saw you…"
"And I will love you until my last…" Regina whispered as she felt her body being pulled away from the bars by the guard.
Regina could hear Eala crying out for her as she was dragged kicking and screaming out of the dungeon. As she was dragged away from her Soulmate.
The next morning, Regina laid buried in her bed, the blankets pulled tight up over her head. Today was the day. Today was the day that Eala was scheduled to be executed. She wasn't going to go. She couldn't bring herself to watch as her Soulmate was killed in front of her. She had cried all night, until she no longer produced tears.
She was just starting to finally drift off to sleep, when the doors of her bedchambers were kicked open, startling her.
"Get up," the King demanded as he strolled into her room, followed by her handmaids. "You have an important event to attend in an hour, and we must make sure you look your best." He smirked as he instructed the handmaids to pull the blankets off Regina's body. Regina opened her eyes to see Tink among the women who were forcing her out of bed. "I'm so sorry , " she mouthed when she made eye contact with Regina. Tink's eyes were red and bloodshot. She had been crying as well.
The women pulled Regina out of bed, her body practically limp, as they began to prepare her for the day, dressing her in her best for Eala's execution.
The guards had to drag her out of her room and into the courtyard, where a wooden pole was already erected in the center. The guards held her off to the side, keeping her from running away. A small crowd of people began to gather in the courtyard, all waiting for the public execution.
A few minutes later, two more guards appeared, escorting Eala to the center of the courtyard, her hands tied behind her back. Her face was even paler than usual, her eyes red from the tears that have already been shed. As they approached the pole in the center, they tied Eala's arms around the pole, securing her in place.
"You have been found guilty of Treason and Treachery, as well as violating the Queen. How do you plea?"
"The only thing I am guilty of, is falling in love," Eala said, her voice sounding so weak.
The King laughed, gesturing for the executioners to proceed. "Unfortunately, love isn't enough to keep you alive. Any last words?"
"I LOVE YOU, MO CHRIDHE!" Eala screamed, before the executioner pulled a burlap bag over Eala's head.
"I LOVE YOU TOO, MO GHRAIDH!" Regina screamed back. She tried to turn her head away, but the guards held her head forward, forcing her to watch.
Five archers stepped forward, arrows already notched in their bows, awaiting instructions. A minute later, they raised their bows, the tips of the arrows pointed at Eala. Regina's head went fuzzy as the muffled voice of the King gave the instructions to loose the arrows.
The sound of the bowstrings reverberated in Regina's head as she watched five perfectly aimed arrows leave the bows, each meeting their target.
Eala's chest.
The only scream that sounded was Regina's as she was forced to watch the scene. Eala didn't scream; in fact, she didn't make a sound as the arrows pierced her chest. She simply fell to the ground on her knees, her hands still tied behind the post being the only thing keeping her from completely collapsing to the ground. Regina managed to break free from the guards and rushed to Eala's side, quickly working to release her hands from behind her, carefully lowering the woman to the ground, ripping the bag off her head.
Eala was still alive, just barely, as her terrified eyes looked back at Regina, pain washing over them. One of the arrows must have pierced one of her lungs because she was gasping for air, never able to fully take a deep breath. She tried to speak, but each time she opened her mouth, she choked on her own blood that was rising and escaping from the sides of her mouth.
"Shhh, Mo Ghràidh. Don't speak," Regina whispered, pulling the dying woman into her lap. Eala's blood soaked through Regina's dress as she held her dying Soulmate in her arms.
" Mo Chridhe… " Eala mouthed, the words still absent from her lips.
"I will always be yours, and you will always be mine. From now until the end of time. And although right now we must be apart, you will always hold my heart. I know one day we will again be together. Until then, I will love you until the end of forever," Regina whispered into Eala's ear before kissing her on the forehead. Regina held her tight, as Eala took her last breath.
Eala died in Regina's arms.
As soon as she was gone, Regina let out a loud and guttural scream of pure pain as she clung to the body of her Soulmate, her tears mixing with Eala's as they fell onto her still face. The King smirked as he watched her weep in sorrow, proud of the pain he was causing her.
"This is all your fault…" Regina growled, her eyes now black with rage as she looked up to meet the eyes of Snow White standing next to her father. "I promise you, I will destroy your happiness, if it is the last thing I do!".
In that very moment, a spark of darkness ignited in Regina's previously pure heart. A darkness that would one day consume her completely.
Henry sat at his desk, concentrating extra hard on his homework in front of him. He rubbed his eyes idly as he tried to focus on the words in the textbook when he heard a familiar ping come from his closed computer off to the side. He quickly abandoned this school work in favor of ripping open the computer, quickly clicking on the email app.
His face lit up when he saw the sender of the email. He had been waiting for this very email for weeks. Clicking on it quickly, his eyes scanned the email in front of him. He smiled impossibly wide as he read the words on the screen.
He was right. Or at least he thinks he's right. Everything was falling into place. All he had to do now was wait for the right moment to move into the final phase of his plan. All he had to do now was wait.
He closed his laptop and focused back on his homework when his mother knocked on his door, letting him know dinner was almost ready. He continued to smile as he skipped down the stairs to join his mother for dinner.
A/N: Woah, that was a doozy. Please remember my notes in the beginning, MCD with be temporary, since I am physically incapable of writing a non-happy ending. Please don't hate me.
That being said, what do you guys think so far? I know you're mad at me, but please keep reading. It get's better, I promise.
