The king raised his hand and smiled again as he lowered it. Ingrid struck out before he could. A stomp of her foot caused ice to form around the ships. Regina made a wiping motion with her hand, cracking the ice and causing the ships to sway. All at once the cannons of hundreds of ships began firing, but the rolling ships began firing wildly, hitting each other and anything in their vicinity. The rest didn't aim at the wall like they had before to break it down. Instead, they fired straight at the top where the three queens stood. All three raised a magical shield to protect themselves against the onslaught. For a long few moments Regina's hearing was shot and she closed her eyes against the harsh wind and snow flying up from Ingrid's wall. She couldn't hear and she didn't see Ingrid trying to get her attention. Only when she chanced a peek at a moment of quiet that she noticed that the top of the wall had been riddled with holes and was crumbling. She looked to Ingrid and found her back to back with Elsa. Elsa was holding the shield while Ingrid tried desperately to reform her wall. Regina took a deep breath and converted her shield into a net. The cannonballs that hit it seemed to stick to it. Elsa slowly lowered her hands and looked at her in surprise.

"Wait for them to reload and send them back. Understand?!" Regina yelled.

Elsa nodded and tried to speak to her but she couldn't hear anything besides a dull ringing. She whispered a quick spell to protect and restore her hearing and with a nod of confirmation from Elsa, she used magic to pull back the net. Elsa held up her hands and thrust them forward, sending all of the cannonballs back at the ships. The others stopped firing as their own weaponry took out their lead ships.

For a moment, there was a quiet and stillness. Ingrid finished repairing her wall and just to spite the king, raised another in front of them. With four walls of ice and snow protecting the harbor, they'd never do any damage, nor reach the city.

"Can you give me a distraction?" Elsa asked.

Regina exchanged a grin with Ingrid and rubbed her hands together. "Absolutely." Ingrid leaped off the wall, a ramp of ice materializing at her feet. Regina followed, blasting off with a quick flame spell from her feet. She summoned her magic in her hand, pooling it for a single fireball that grew larger and larger in her fist. "Sanguma." The force spell sent the fireball hurtling back to the harbor. Ingrid unleashed her ice meteor strike at the same instant and both women teleported back to the city docks. They didn't need to see the destruction. The water splashing over the walls gave them enough of an image. Elsa teleported to their side as well. They could hear roaring and cannons firing from beyond the wall.

"That snow monster won't last long but at least we have a moment to breathe." Elsa said. "One of us should move around to the flank, in case they try to get around us."

Regina scoffed. "Both flanks are good. I told you, I handled it."

/

In Storybrooke, winter had firmly taken the town by storm. A thick layer of snow blanketed everything in sight and the town looked deserted most of the time. It was almost too cold to go anywhere or do anything and anyone would think Emma was crazy to be out in this weather, but she was. She scowled as she came to the witch's driveway and saw that Zelena hadn't cleared it off. She spotted paw prints leading up to the door and scowled again as she exited her car and trudged up to the door. She almost collapsed against the steps when she reached the porch.

"Are you trying to die?" Zelena asked, opening the front door. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I need your help."

"Get in line and in the house before you freeze to death." The witch turned around and she followed, closing the door behind her and welcoming the warmth of the hearth.

"How long will you be gone?" Belle and Ruby were in the living room. The werewolf was strapping a scabbard to her back while Belle slid the sword into its sheath.

"Don't know. Regina didn't tell us a time." Ruby said.

"You can come too." Zelena smirked as she patted the librarian on the head before going to retrieve her broomstick.

"What use would I be?" Belle asked.

"What's going on?" Emma interrupted. "Something happen to Regina?"

"Something about a war or attack or something." Zelena shrugged, returning to Belle's side. She conjured a green and white wand in her hand and handed it to Belle. She also conjured her green emerald necklace and turned Belle around to put it on her neck. "There you go, dearie. That's how much help you'll be. Come with us. You don't have to fight, but this will help you protect yourself and I get to show off a little bit for my favorite girls."

"What war?" Emma demanded.

"Someone is attacking Arendelle, I believe. Regina needs us to help make sure they don't do anything sneaky."

"Then I want to go too."

Zelena giggled. "No. Don't be ridiculous. Is that why you came here? To find a way to talk to Regina?" She asked, seemingly amused. "Listen to me, you should go home and be with your family. Find someone else to be with. Regina has found her happy ending. She's having children, she's met Ingrid's nieces. Pretty soon she'll be joining the royal family. It is inevitable."

"I just wanted to talk-"

"What are you going to say?" Zelena interrupted. "Look, I know I am the last person to be singing the song of protective older sister, but at this point you are annoying me now. Are you going to ask her for a chance to be with her? Ask her to split up the family she is currently building so you can pursue her? What kind of relationship would that be when she doesn't want anything to do with your family and your son? No amount of talking will ever change that. The mere fact that she has chosen to eliminate you all from her life should be proof enough that she is not meant for you. Move on, dearie." Zelena snapped her fingers and Emma found herself back in her car. In the blink of an eye she and her car were teleported back to her parents house and she sighed as she got out to go inside. Henry was playing video games and her parents were in the kitchen making dinner.

Snow gave her a bright smile. "Hi, Emma. What are you doing out? Isn't there supposed to be a blizzard headed this way?"

"I went to see Zelena but she sent me away."

"Why would you need to talk to Zelena?" David asked.

"I needed to talk to Regina. She's busy anyway. Turns out Arendelle is at war."

"What?" All three turned to look at her and she shrugged.

"What?"

"Do they need help?" Snow asked. "Is it bad?"

"Bad enough that she called in Zelena, but I don't know anything. Zelena wouldn't tell me." Emma said, heading for the stairs. "I'm going to bed."

"Are you okay?" Her mother inquired.

"Just fine." Except for the fact that the woman she loved wanted nothing to do with her. After everything they'd been through together she couldn't even get a chance to be with Regina. She would never get one now. Zelena was right. She would have to move on…

/

Regina smiled when she spotted the flash of green light that came with her sister's arrival. She heard explosions and the sky lit up with green lightning in the distance. The howl of a wolf accompanied the destruction of Eogan's splinter army on their right flank.

"You called Zelena?" Ingrid said.

"And another friend that you haven't met yet." Regina grinned. She heard the wingbeats before she saw her. Maleficent seemed to materialize out of thin air, barely able to be seen in the darkness. Flames poured from her throat, blasting through every ship she passed, decimating all in her path. She dove, grabbing one ship by its mast and dragging it behind her, sent it crashing into another ship. Her attack was followed by the bright red fire of Lily as the scarlet dragon unleashed a wave of flames that swallowed a dozen ships.

Ingrid and Elsa stared in awe and wonder as the Great Beast and her princess dismantled the left flank. Regina only smiled and looked at Eogan, who was watching in horror as his army was shattered.

"It cost me a fortune to get her attention, but Mal loves a good battle and it's apparently good practice for Lily." She grinned at Ingrid, who returned it wholeheartedly. Both looked to Elsa for their next direction and found her glaring daggers at the king. "Elsa, are you okay?"

"No." Elsa said.

"Something's wrong with her." Ingrid whispered.

Regina silently agreed. Whatever Eogan had said to her really set her off. "I wonder what Eogan told her."

"I can't imagine it was anything good, but let's go collect him. Maybe we can find out and put a stop to this war."

Both women approached the edge of the wall and were prepared to leap off of it again, but Regina felt something strange, something that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. It was a sensation similar to when she felt someone shooting at her. Ingid touched her arm, looking at her in concern. She raised her hand before she even thought about it and caught the dart that would've hit Ingrid in her neck. Ingrid's eyes widened when she saw it. Regina stepped in front of Ingrid as she smelled the tip of the dart.

"Get off the wall." She ordered, pushing Ingrid back.

"What? Wait-"

Regina didn't wait for her to ask questions. She pushed Ingrid over the edge of the wall and grabbed Elsa to do the same. She caught another dart aimed for the queen but this time multiple darts had been fired and two managed to slip past her defense, one hitting her in the shoulder and another in her side.

"Regina?" Elsa reached for her but Regina roughly pushed her over the side of the wall after Ingrid.

Mal! They have a sharpshooter. Far left flank. I've been poisoned. Be careful. She heard a distant roar and felt her legs give out. She dragged herself over to the edge of the wall. Everything was fading so fast. Pain spread from her neck all across her body and it became difficult to move. "Fuck…" Her magic wouldn't respond to her command no matter how she tried to call it. She felt a fireball spark in her hand, but it fizzled out, so she attempted to call up a small fireball, just a tiny flame...and her magic erupted. The blast cracked two of Ingrid's walls and blew her backwards and the next thing she knew...she was falling.

"Regina!" Ingrid's call was lost to the wind. She expected to feel even more pain when she hit the water, but instead she hit something soft. "Regina!" Ingrid's yell was accompanied by a rush of icy wind that nearly burned her skin. She felt her arms seize up and then everything went dark...

/

When Regina came to, she was in Ingrid's bedroom on her bed while a gentle fire crackled in the hearth. She looked around and noticed Belle sitting to the window, watching whatever was going on outside. "What's happening? How long have I been out?" Regina asked.

"A week." Belle answered, glancing over at her.

"A week?! And the battle's still going on?" Regina tried to sit up and Belle came to help her. The bookworm shoved some pillows behind her to prop her up and went over to the fireplace to start spooning some stew into a bowl. While she did so Regina listened to the echoes of cannonfire outside. The castle walls shook and dust sprinkled them from the above. "What's happening in the battle?"

"When you got hurt, Ingrid called off Mal and they tended to you. Lily and Elsa were having a tough time holding back the king. They managed to dock a mile down the coast and moved in people bit by bit but Zelena and Ruby took care of them. It's been chaos ever since." Belle handed her the bowl of stew and Regina curled her lip at the smell. There was little meat and more herbs than stew that she assumed was supposed to have some sort of healing component. "Mal said you would hate it but it would help you. Also, you might want to hurry."

"Why?"

"Ingrid's worried about you. Part of her is focused on you and not the battle. So eat up."

Regina nodded and scarfed down the stew, trying not to taste any of it. When she had swallowed the whole bowl, Belle gave her another one. Belle only smiled when she narrowed her eyes at her.

"Mal was explicit in her instructions." The librarian gave her a sweet smile and she scowled as she ate another bowl of the wretched stew. As disgusting as it was to ingest, she did feel much better and more energized after eating it. She got out of bed and left the room with Belle following after her. As soon as she stepped outside the castle she was greeted by the signs of war. Ingrid's walls were cracked and broken, huge chunks had been blown out of them and because of that there was some damage to the city. A few cannonballs managed to breach their defenses and knock down a couple of towers or tear up some tiles on the road. Zelena was sitting on the ground nearby, panting, while Ruby stood over her.

"Zelena!" Regina called. "Where's Ingrid?" Zelena simply pointed to the wall. Regina teleported to the top of Ingrid's wall and looked beyond at the harbor full of broken ships. Ingrid and Elsa were side by side, trying to push the ships back, but one look at her lover told her that Ingrid was exhausted. Her movements were more forceful than when she commanded her magic and she constantly paused to catch her breath. Mal was seated on the top of a tower, her gaze turned towards something in the distance. Lily was still in the air, sending out waves of fire, but her flames were drastically smaller than before Regina passed out. Everyone was tired. They needed to end this. She looked around for Eogan. His ship had moved further back, sheltered by those he had left, but he could still be seen yelling orders to the poor souls he was sending against the queens. Regina raised her hand and fired a ball of blue light into the sky. Ingrid was by her side in an instant and threw her arms around her.

"I was so worried about you." Ingrid whispered. "Maleficent said those darts were poisoned. You were cold and pale and-and-"

"It's okay." Regina said. "Calm down. I'm here."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up."

"It's okay." Regina kissed Ingrid's temple. After a moment, the blonde stepped back and wiped her eyes. "We need to end this."

"I know."

"I have an idea. Knock down the wall."

"Are you sure?"

Regina nodded and Ingrid waved her hand. They called Elsa and teleported back to the docks. The great ice walls started to sway and slowly pitched forward. They landed one after another and sent a shockwave across the harbor. Regina stepped forward, sending out another wave of magic that pushed the offending ships back and drew the king's vessel forward. Ingrid launched an ice spike up from the water, spearing the ship straight through the hull. She raised her hands, lifting the ship clean out of the water. Her arms shook and Regina put her arms around her as she released her magic and breathed deeply, too tired to do any more. Elsa landed on the deck of the ship and the king unsheathed his sword, but before he could swing it ice began crawling up his legs. Elsa stepped away from the blade and said something to him that Regina was too far away to hear. With another burst of magic, King Eogan was a block of ice.

/

Later that evening, Regina found Ingrid in the hot springs. She sat down behind her lover and began to wash her back for her.

"I feel like I haven't bathed or slept in a week."

"You've been fighting nonstop to keep those bastards from invading."

"And yet magic cannot compare to a hot bath and a warm bed." Ingrid let out a sigh, slumping forward. "How is everything outside?"

"Don't worry. Mal and Zelena have everything under control while Elsa takes a rest. Eogan is still on ice." Regina leaned forward and started massaging Ingrid's shoulders.

"We almost had that son of a bitch three different times while you were unconscious." Ingrid hissed. "He just kept sending his men into battle, to their deaths. I tried not to kill them. I just wanted them to stop, to-"

"Ingrid," Regina said gently, "War is war, my love. People die."

"I know, but I don't have to like it. Why would they keep following him?"

"A crown commands loyalty." Regina replied. "There's no telling what he promised them. He is an ambitious man and some people gravitate to that."

"You just watched your friends and fellow soldiers die in battle. You're fighting dragons and magic users in a fight you have no hope of winning. Why? At some point you must realize that your numbers aren't enough."

"Ingrid," Regina said. "It's over now. I can't explain to you why people do what they do, why these certain people did what they did," She touched Ingrid's shoulder, who turned around to look at her. "But, know that you protected a lot of people by fighting. You protected their homes, their city, your city and your home. Focus on the good you did." Ingrid gave her a smile and leaned forward for a kiss. "Here, let's get you out of the bath and into bed. You could use some rest-"

A knock at the door made them both spin around. "Um, your majesties, Queen Elsa calls you to the throne room to pass judgement on King Eogan."

"Already?" Regina frowned. She looked at Ingrid with concern, who was close to falling asleep any moment. She helped Ingrid up and used magic to dry her off and clothe her.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Let's go get this over with."

She kept a close eye on Ingrid as they walked to the throne room. Elsa was sitting on the throne, looking just as tired. She wore a simple pale blue dress with her hair down and she was slumped to the side with Anna talking to her quietly next to her. Seeing her in such a state woke Ingrid up and she was quick to rush to her niece's side. Regina walked over to her friends and family, standing off to the side. Lily and Ruby were the only ones not present.

"Thanks for this, Mal. You too, Zelena."

"If you ever need to cause some destruction, you can always call me, Regina." Maleficent smirked.

"I'll have your payment when this is over." Regina said.

"Forget it, I changed my mind." The blonde waved a hand dismissively. She took a step forward, looking down at Regina. "It has been brought to my attention that you are expecting and I was not notified." Regina flicked an eyebrow as Mal pretended to be offended. "I am your dear Maleficent. I expect to know that my friend is pregnant and in a new relationship that is apparently her happy ending. Had you called me earlier, we could've celebrated."

"Called you on what?"

"You have a magic mirror." The dragon retorted. Regina rolled her eyes, but smiled when she heard the dragon purr. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, Mal." She glanced back at Ingrid, who was still talking to her nieces. "Where's Lily and Ruby?"

"Keeping watch. Eogan's men have stopped attacking for the time being."

Regina nodded slowly. "I should go check on Ingrid. Thanks again." She made her way over to the throne. Elsa seemed a little more awake now. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes." Elsa said, standing up. "It's time to pass judgement."

"I'll thaw him for you." Ingrid volunteered. Anna helped her sister back onto the throne and ran off to get her something to drink, leaving Regina with the queen.

"You've not been yourself since this began." Regina said softly. "When you came back from talking to Eogan, you were very upset. What did he say to you?"

Elsa's hand curled into fists and Regina didn't even react to the snow falling around her. "He is a despicable man. A vile, disgusting man. He said some...nasty things about what he would do when he took the city." Regina arched an eyebrow, watching the normally composed queen tremble with rage. "Things he would do to us...to Anna." The wind started to pick up in the throne room and ice began forming on Elsa's hands. "I've never met such a repulsive creature in my life."

"They don't get any less repulsive." Regina scowled and glared at the thawing king. She'd met men like him before. She knew that there would be more men like him in time. Men who believe that the world belonged to them, that were cruel and vicious and wretched in every way.

Regina reached out to touch Elsa's shoulder and the wind started to calm down. Ingrid glanced over at them. Regina gave her a nod to let her know that everything was in hand. "It's okay to be angry, Elsa. No one expects perfection and forgiveness all the time from you. If they do, they are a fool. Some people are just monsters. There's no other way to put it." She thought of the monsters she'd known in her life and it made her scowl that the first one that came to mind was her own mother. She shook her head and looked up when Eogan crashed to the ground. He let out a groan as he moved, his joints cracking as a sheet of ice fell from his clothes.

Two of Elsa's guards swiftly kicked away his sword and grabbed him by his arms to shackle them behind him. They dragged him to the foot of the throne and dropped him like a ragdoll.

Elsa took a deep breath and straightened up. "King Eogan." She called. Regina took a step back and walked around to stand next to Ingrid. The king raised his head and scowled when he realized where he was. "Every time our families come into contact with each other, chaos tends to follow. Each time, it's been your family trying to take Arendelle or provoke its ruler." Eogan opened his mouth and Elsa raised her hand. An ice spike rose from the ground, just beneath the king, stretching up to rest against his throat. "Shall we run through the list, your majesty?" Elsa asked.

"Your family has-"

"Your family has conspired to steal my kingdom more than once now." Elsa hissed. "Your baby brother was here not too long ago actually. He seduced my sister and tried to behead me! And you return and bring an army to my doorstep, threatening my city and my people. I showed your family mercy before, tell me, King Eogan, why I should do it again."

"I don't want your mercy." Eogan hissed. "You sullied the reputation of the Southern Isles, made us and our allies into fools." He spat at Elsa and received a kick in the gut from the guard to his left. He doubled over in pain while Elsa rolled her eyes.

"You did that all on your own." The queen said.

"So you did all of this to restore your reputation?" Ingrid asked. "You sacrificed those men for your reputation?"

Eogan took a slow breath and looked up to meet Elsa's eyes again. "The Southern Isles was famous and glorious. The most powerful of navies, well positioned for trade, holder of vast lands and riches. But when the mystical queen of the magical and wondrous city of Arendelle speaks, the world seems to listen." He chuckled darkly. "You are a child. A danger to the world and your own city, as you've already shown my brother." Elsa stiffened and Regina noticed her clench her fist again. Eogan smiled. "You needed to be eliminated. You and your precious city."

"And then you would lead the Southern Isles to greater glory in war campaigns across the world?" Regina said mockingly. "How unoriginal and foolish."

"Foolish?!" Eogan hissed, struggling against his shackles.

The doors of the throne room opened with a bang, causing everyone to look towards them. Ruby walked in, dragging a man behind her by his foot. "Apologies for the intrusion, your majesties, but Lily picked off this one trying to rally the men." She dropped the whimpering man next to Eogan. He was scrawny with blonde hair that was turning gray and a thick mustache.

"Duke of Weselton." Ingrid curled her lip in disgust. Regina found herself doing the same. She knew all too well that he was the bastard who tried to seduce Ingrid and then tried to manipulate her sister, Helga, when his advances were rejected. She wanted to set him on fire just looking at him, whimpering and pleading for his life. If Elsa didn't kill these men, she probably would herself.

"Please, Queen Elsa, mercy!" He said, trembling as he bowed to the throne.

Eogan rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Weaselton! Whining like a little dog the moment you are apprehended. Where is your backbone?!"

"You said you had a plan for her magic." The duke whimpered. "It was just a dart?"

"It was more of a plan than yours!"

Elsa frowned, listening to them bicker and ultimately called her guards. "Throw them in the dungeons. I will ponder their fates and dispense a verdict in the morning." Once the men were gone, Elsa let out a sigh and rubbed her temples. "Is it wrong to want to kill them both?"

"Absolutely not." Ingrid answered.

Elsa glanced around. "Queen Maleficent, Empress Zelena, may I call upon your counsel?"

"Of course." Mal smirked as she and Zelena joined them around the throne.

"Empress?" Regina muttered. Zelena only smirked in reply.

"If you are going to ask me what I would do in your situation," Mal said, crossing her arms, "I am uncertain."

"Really?" Regina said, looking at Mal as if she were crazy. "You mean your first decision wouldn't be to burn him alive?"

The dragon only grinned. "Of course, but you all are not me and I am not the one he attacked. This war may have more consequences than just gaining an unfavorable reputation. If one even cares about such a thing, I know you humans are particular about it."

"How so?" Elsa asked, giving the dragon her full attention. "I know that killing him would turn his allies against us. I've already been calculating the toll it would take on trade and our economy, as well as the cost of war."

"That is one thing, yes, but it's much larger than that. This King Eogan is the eldest son of his royal family. I've been told that he has twelve brothers. If they have been married off to other kingdoms or other nobles, that is essentially twelve more enemies you would have to face, twelve more armies coming to get revenge for their brother's death. Not to mention any allies you might not know about. Such a chain reaction is not certain if you were to kill Eogan, but it is worth considering. If you were to show mercy again, others might think you were weak and that there would be no repercussions if they were to try something similar. If it were me, as Regina suggested, I would burn Eogan alive and destroy his ships. If his people come to avenge him, they would burn as well. However, this is coming from a dragon, which you are not. I'm sure human rules of war are much different."

"On top of all of this," Zelena added. "That dart that hit Regina should also be a concern. It was coated in a powerful toxin that causes paralysis and halts the flow of one's magic. That's why Regina wasn't able to heal herself. If Ingrid hadn't caught her when she fell, she would've drowned. Those darts were meant for you. Now, I doubt those two idiots know how to make something like this and it would cost a pretty penny to have someone else do it. Finding its source should also be a priority. It sounds like someone who is more than proficient in magic and if their loyalty can be bought, they could be just as dangerous as any army."

Elsa nodded slowly and stood up. "I'm sure everyone is tired, so pick whatever room you like to sleep in. I doubt the rest of Eogan's men will do anything tonight. I'll put some men on guard." She turned to her guests and dipped her head. "Thank you for your assistance in this matter. I will find some way to repay you and I will take your advice under consideration and I encourage you to return home to your families." She looked at Ingrid. "All of you."

"What? Elsa-"

"You are pregnant, Aunt Ingrid." She nodded at Regina. "So is she. You should be focusing on your family, not a war. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you or your children. Please." She turned to leave, calling for Anna as she did so. Anna gave them a little bow as she hurried after her sister.

Once they were gone, Regina instantly turned to Ingrid. "Bed." She commanded. Ingrid sighed as she teleported away. Regina teleported after her and waited until she was under the sheets. Her beloved was asleep within moments. Regina smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek before teleporting back to the throne room. Mal had waited for her. Zelena was gone, probably off to find Ruby and Belle. She accompanied Mal to a nearby balcony and from there they could see the carnage left by Eogan's attack. The harbor was littered with broken ships and bodies. There was some damage to the castle as well. Off in the distance she could see Lily sitting on the top of a tower, lazily swinging her tail as she kept watch. Other than that, it was a beautiful night. Quiet and serene, as if the air had not shook with the sounds of cannonfire and screams only hours before.

"Do you think Elsa will go to war?" Regina asked.

"I think she wants to. Eogan attacked her home, threatened the lives of her people and her family." the dragon let out a soft chuckle. "She wants to kill him."

"She should."

Mal only shrugged. "Tell me something, please," She tilted her head and gestured around them. "Ingrid and Elsa have the power to freeze all of Arendelle in minutes. They've both done it before. Why didn't they do it this time?"

It was Regina's turn to shrug. "They're similar to the heroes, I suppose. They'd rather have peace than war. Besides, Elsa did it without meaning to and Ingrid was heartbroken at the time. I believe that they're stronger than they think they are. Perhaps it never even occurred to them."

"You say that as if they don't know their limits."

"So far, they aren't known to have any."

Mal looked at her with new interest. "Explain."

"Well, neither one was properly trained. Both of them spent their lives hiding their powers instead of learning about them. Elsa spent half her life locked away in a room and Ingrid spent most of hers locked in an urn. They did freeze the city, with no effort. That didn't even graze their limits and they don't actually know what they are. There's no telling what they're capable of."

"Hmm." Mal smirked. "Fascinating. Your children will be remarkable. Two powerful bloodlines such as yours…"

"You think so?"

"I do. Blood is powerful."

She could only imagine what her children would be like. Would they have her magic or ice magic like Ingrid or something completely different? Would they even have magic? Would they be more like her or Ingrid? She took a deep breath to calm her growing nerves. They would have to devise a new way to teach them because she was not going to teach them magic the way Rumple did her. Then it occurred to her that maybe she and Ingrid could brush up on their magic skills in order to teach their children when the time came. There was no clear way to tell if their child would have magic or when it would manifest considering she had started learning at eighteen and Zelena was making trees levitate in infancy. However, the uniqueness of Ingrid's magic would make it difficult. She wasn't even aware if there were others with their kind of magic. While she seemed to be in perfect control of her powers, it wouldn't hurt to get a better understanding of them. "You wouldn't happen to know an ice dragon, would you?"

"No. Why?"

"I just think Ingrid might like a better understanding of her powers. To teach the children when they're ready."

"Don't they have magic trolls or something here that know everything?" The dragon commented. It was something to consider. "I'd like to be a godmother." Mal said suddenly.

Regina instantly narrowed her eyes and faced the dragon. "Why? So you can study my children?"

"That would be one reason." Mal admitted. "But I also would just like to help you. If you ever need me, you need only call me. Besides, you humans are fascinating creatures. Annoying, numerous, delusional...but fascinating."

"Delusional?"

"Yes, this weird thing that all humans apparently believe that they're the greatest things in the world. Obviously they haven't met a dragon before."

"Obviously not." Regina smiled. "But thank you, Mal. I'll discuss the godmother thing with Ingrid."

"Is marriage in your future?" The dragon inquired.

"I don't know."

"Hmm. You should consider it. Happiness is fleeting, my dear Regina. Take it while you can." And with that, the dragon smoothly stepped over the railing and jumped off. A few moments later the black dragon could be seen flying over the city. Regina would spend the night at the harbor, clearing away the destruction, moving the sunken ships, lifting the dead from the water and making repairs to the docks and the castle as she did so. All the while, her thoughts were far away. She and Ingrid had some time before they really needed to worry about the kids so they could afford to focus on Arendelle. She knew Ingrid wasn't going to let Elsa go to war without her and she knew she would follow Ingrid into any battle. That's if Elsa chose to. The Southern Isles and Weselton had already attacked, it was already an act of war. No one could fault Elsa for retaliating. Only her concern for the kingdom kept her from beheading the king and the duke instantly. Tomorrow would be interesting for sure.

Regina busied herself with reparations for most of the night while she waited for the queen's decision.

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