Swan and the Nightingale

Chapter XXI

Tea for Two

AN: Italics indicate flashbacks.

She sat at the head of the dining room table, a steaming cup of tea in front of her. Since Regina employed no servants she'd had conjured the tea and the fine china cup she drank it from by herself. She sipped it delicately and the perfect mix of bitter and tart made a corner of her mouth tug up into a half smile. One didn't stay so many years in Wonderland and not cultivate a certain appreciation for a good cup of tea.

Cora waited, and knew very well that the Gypsy knew she was there and waiting. It was a battle of wills, and Cora knew that she could out-wait the other woman. She had not gotten this far in life and not learned to bide her time.

"Cora."

The voice came from behind her, which was mildly surprising. The woman had been in the kitchen when she'd arrived. She'd been tidying up, which was servant's work and befitted her. Esmeralda had been the first to speak, a point in Cora's favor. She had chosen their positioning, though, so that Cora was now the one at a disadvantage. Sneaky little whore. She took a sip of tea.

"Gypsy."

She'd hated Esmeralda from the moment Henry had brought her into her manor. He had brought another woman into not only their home but into their daughter's life. He had brought a gypsy and had made it clear that he had loved her and preferred her and-

Fury made Cora's hands shake. She put the cup down, she would not show weakness, not to Esmeralda.

The woman walked around her and sat at the other end of the table. She looked older: white streaks in her hair and wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. Some would call them laugh lines. Cora had made sure that Esmeralda had little to laugh about over the years.

The silence was tense, heavy, and overbearing. Magic crackled in the air. Theirs was a complicated relationship, but in the end it came down to one thing, Henry.

Henry had loved Esmeralda. The sort of love that the bards sang about. The kind of love that Snow White chirped about to her little birdies. True Love. Cora knew that love was weakness. She had removed and stored away her own heart years ago but before that she had loved too.

She knew love: how it felt and tasted, how it overwhelmed senses including common and propriety. So she never begrudged Henry his love. Love was worthless. Fidelity, on the other hand, was something she valued. Something she had thought he would value as well.

He had brought his Gypsy Whore into their home. The home his late royal father had oh-so-graciously-gifted them when she'd given birth to Regina. Well, that was the official story, of course. The truth of the matter was that much of her pregnancy had been spent spinning their kingdom back into financial power.

She had worked, she had sacrificed, she had lain with him and given him a child. She had saved his kingdom. She had re-made herself from a miller's daughter into a Lady. She had been the one to secure their place in the nobility, however meager. Cora had done all of that, and plotted a path that would take their daughter to greatness.

Yet, Henry had chosen Esmeralda instead.

Even the lowliest peasant, the despised cast she had been born into, had more standing than gypsies. Henry hadn't cared about the standing she'd worked so hard to give them though. He'd chosen his gypsy. Then Regina had chosen her too.

"You are not welcome here Cora."

Yet Esmeralda was. Regina had always been an ungrateful child. She had let Henry spoil her. For ten long years, she had let Esmeralda fill her head full of foolish fantasies.

"You broke our deal." She glared at the woman over the rim of her tea cup. "I thought I made it clear many years ago, Regina is my daughter, not yours."

"Really, Regina" She tugged her willful child along the corridor. "None of this is necessary or lady-like." She let her nails dig into the soft skin of the girl's inner-elbow to hurry her along. "The King has re-routed his entire court from their journey back to the Winter Palace just for your birthday. We are all incredibly honored by his attention."

"I don't like Uncle, though. He is rude and ill-tempered."

Her reaction was immediate, she smacked Regina across her cheek, hard. "His Majesty is the King and you owe him gracious loyalty. His bloodline is what will allow you to rise to be a Queen."

Regina jerked away from her, and pulled her small arm out of her grasp. "He's not coming for my birthday. He's coming for more of your magic and everyone knows it!" She backed away farther, "And I'm not going to be a Queen."

Anger, ice cold and violent, flooded into her blood. Her back straightened and stiffened and she grit her teeth. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails bit into her flesh.

"Regina." She snapped, her voice was a weapon all it's own, like a whip. "I don not know where this insubordination comes from, but it will stop, this instant."

The girl crossed her arms her chest and raised her chin defiantly. "I don't want this new dress and I don't want to spend my birthday with Uncle. Father promised to take me riding and-"

She closed the gap between them and grabbed her defiant child by her shoulders. She gave her a hard shake, "That's enough, Regina! I am your mother you will obey me."

She jerked away again, "You're not my real mom! Blood doesn't make family, love does and you don't love me! I don't love you either! Esmeralda is my mom!"

If words were arrows, she would have surely died. If she'd had her heart, it would have surely broken. She saw red, it consumed her, white hot rage boiled in her blood. "You disloyal little snake!" She lifted her, anger and magic fueled her strength. "You have no idea what I've done, what I've sacrificed, what I have done to give you this life you hate so much." She shook the girl again and dark brown hair flew loose of it's neat plaiting. "How dare you?" She could hear Regina crying and could feel her struggling. "I will not have you destroying this life because you are an ungrateful little brat."

She pushed her hand against her daughter's chest, past the silk of her dress and the stiff linen and bone stays of her corset and into her chest. She felt a small, rebellious heart in her fist-pumping fast and furious, full of fear.

"You are my daughter. You will be obedient. You will be Queen."

"No!" She only got one word, one moment, of warning then there was pain. Rough calloused hands wrapped around her wrist and nails clawed at her face. Magic, wild and powerful, clashed against her own. It was invasive, like having fiery splinters shoved under her skin. It was nauseating and wrong, like being turned inside out. It blasted a rainbow of colors and clanging bells into her mind. Esmeralda was fighting her, forcing herself between mother and daughter.

The Gypsies green eyes were wild with anger and magic. Cora forced her magic back, and focused on her own. She had been tutored by the Dark One himself, a simple soothsayer could not defeat her. She would not allow it.

Fingers wrapped around her wrist burnt, burnt like a branding iron, all the way down to her bones. She might have screamed, or it may have been Regina or even Esmeralda. The shrill sound cut through the bells clanging in her ears. She let go of Regina's heart and the girl dropped away. The two of them, Cora and Esmeralda, stood, nose to nose, magic crackling between them.

"You witch! You heartless witch! How dare you try to remove her heart? She is a child! There is no act more monstress than that!"

Another hand wrapped around her other and a grunt of pain forced itself through her grit teeth. Reaching into a blacksmith's forge would be less painful.

"She is my daughter. Not yours!"

More pain but she fought back, forcing her own magic into Esmeralda.

"She is an innocent child! Removing her heart will destroy her! It would twist her into an unimaginable creature without love or empathy or conscience. Even you are not so cruel."

That brought Cora up short. She had removed her own heart as an adult. She had never heard of a heartless child. The idea was both intriguing and disturbing. Regina would be her perfect little princess, totally under her control. If they should ever be separated though. Cora let the idea settle over her. Regina would be an abomination-completely detached from humanity, from emotion. The idea had it merits.

Another wave of white hot pain scorched up her bones and she grunted against it.

"Regina is not one of your magical experiments. She is a little girl! Your own flesh and blood!"

Cora tilted her head, there was a chance here to make this spat end in her favor.

"She says that she's your daughter, Gypsy. You stole my husband and now my child, Home Wrecking Gypsy Whore."

Esmeralda didn't look away, Cora would give her that. The Gypsy was many things, but she didn't lack in courage.

"I did. I will not deny this. Be angry with me. Be angry with Henry. Leave Regina out of this,she is innocent."

Cora could see the fear flaring in the woman's green eyes. She relished it. "And what would you trade for Regina's safety, Gypsy?"

The fear drained from her eyes and Esmeralda's squared her chin, "You want to make a deal with me?"

Cora licked her lips. This was her chance to finally rid herself of the woman. Murder had, unfortunately, never been an option. Not if Cora wanted to live a long life. Gypsy clans avenged the murders of their own and it was never pretty. This,though, was something that might work.

"You leave. Forever. You will never see or speak or write to or otherwise communicate with Regina. If she dies, you don't come to her funeral. Disappear, never to return and I swear that I will never take Regina's heart again."

They were still grappling, locked in magical combat. Cora could feel the burn of the Gypsy's magic in her body and knew that her magic was hurting the other woman as well.

"Regina or her family."

Esmeralda counter-offered after a moment of thought.

She was trying to protect Henry. Lucky for her, Cora didn't need Henry's weak heart to control him. Besides, it wouldn't be as devastating of a blow if he didn't have his heart. His betrayal deserved long and lingering pain. Separating him from his precious true love, well he deserved no better. After all, hadn't she sacrificed her own love for him?

"I won't take her heart or the heart of any of her family members if you are gone by the rise of the moon."

"Dawn. I need to heal Regina from the harm you've inflicted."

Cora smirked and hoped it looked as cold and cruel as she felt, "And to say goodbye to your lover?"

Esmeralda pursed her lips, "Yes."

Cora sneered at that, but let it pass. Their parting would be such sweet sorrow, she was sure.

"Swear to it. Your word is your life, if you break it, you die. Isn't that right?"

Esmeralda nodded. "And if you break this deal, then you forfeit the terms. If that happens then know that I will be back for my Little Nightingale and for you, Cora."

She could feel a different ice cold magic flood through her. The gypsy magic that bound them to this agreement. The deal was done and by the morning, the Gypsy would be gone. Her house, her husband, her heir would all be hers once more.

"And I told you then, Cora." Esmeralda sat her simple white mug down on the table hard enough that it may have cracked. "That if you broke your word I would come back for Regina and for you."

Cora steepled her fingers, "I took many many hearts, but not Regina's and not Henry's. Your Little Nightingale" She sneered the pet-name as she spoke it. "Did that herself. I've never been prouder of her."

She took a sip of her tea, casually. "And my darling daughter never produced an heir. So it's quite impossible that I took the heart of one of her family members."

"Emma Swan is the mother of Little Henry, Regina's adopted son." Esmeralda countered.

It was like negotiating trade or a treaty or any other business. This entire conversation was absurdly civil and almost pleasant..

"The keyword is adopted. Family is blood." Cora wasn't sure what the Gypsy's game was, but she would play it, for the moment.

Esmeralda smirked and swirled her tea in the annoying plain mug. "Ah but in my culture family is love and adoption is a time-honored tradition. This made Emma Swan family and when you attempted to remove her heart, our deal was broken."

Cora maintained a calm facade and mulled over the words. She may have grown up a poor miller's daughter but she knew to read a contract in full before signing it. She had made, it seemed, a tactical error all those years before. She cocked a brow, "Using word choice against me, how cute." She waved her hand dismissively, "I suppose it doesn't matter now. I'm here and Regina knows that-"

"You will not go near, Regina. I left her once, I will not do so again."

Cora stood up and conjured a fireball. "You will not stop me from reuniting with my daughter."

Esmeralda stood too, "She is my daughter and you won't touch her!"

The forceful blast of magic, a strong shielding spell dissolved her fire ball and almost knocked Cora off her feet. Esmeralda had always been strong, but now she was stronger. Cora squared her shoulders and blasted back at her. Esmeralda redirected her fire with a negligent sweep of her hand. It burnt the wall and scorched the ceiling molding. Cora could feel the magic coming off of the other woman in strong waves. It was far more than she had expected or prepared for.

"Leave this house, Cora. Now."

Cora tamped down on her fury and clenched her fists. She wasn't sure she could win this fight, not without proper preparation.

"I will leave,for now." She glared at the other woman, "but know this, Gypsy Whore, I will be back for my daughter."

"Over my dead body." Esmeralda all but growled that.

"Preferably." Cora quipped then she disappeared in a cloud of dark blue smoke.

When the Witch was gone, Esmeralda sat down, hard, on the nearest char. Her heart was pounding a rhythm so hard and fast that her chest actually ached. Cold sweat covered her skin and she buzzed with magic and memories. She fixed the minor damage to the dining room with a wave of her hand. She cleaned her own cup then threw (or perhaps the better word would be smashed) Cora's tea cup into the rubbish bin.

How dare she! How dare that heartless woman come into Regina's home uninvited and threaten her!

Esmeralda went outside into the back garden and paced it. The sky above and the ground below usually helped her think. She was trying to find her calm, to center herself. It was not working. Seeing Cora, fighting her, it brought up the memories of the other worst night of her entire life.

She watched Cora walk away,numb from the fight and her vow. She watched Cora walk away without pausing to give her daughter a passing glance. Regina, an innocent caught up in their battle, lay deathly still on the flagstone floor. Esmeralda fell to her knees beside of her. She had fallen face down. She had been knocked completely out by the powerful magics. Her mother's magic, vicious and dark, had cut the girl's arms, chest, neck and face. Though she had not taken Regina's little heart,she had hurt her. She had all but mauled the girl.

Tears overflowed her eyes. Esmeralda had been so busy dealing with Cora that she had let Regina lay there to suffer and bleed.

"Oh Little One, I am so sorry."

"Esmeralda!"

Henry came, running at full speed, down the hallway. One of the other servants must have told him what had occurred. When he saw Regina's bundled in her arms he stumbled to a stop, his usually golden tan skin bleached to white.

"Oh My Spirits, Regina!"

He fell beside her and gingerly touched his daughter.

"Oh my baby girl. What did she do? What did Cora do?"

They carried Regina together, both unwilling to let her go, up to her nursery. They tucked her into Esmeralda's bed instead of her own.

She worked for hours healing their little girl. Henry held her had, whispered prayers and wiped sweat and blood away with cool rags. They spoke softly as the cared for their daughter. She told him of the deal, and of how it protected him and Regina.

She watched the man that she loved with all her heart and soul break down in tears.

"I have to leave a scar, Henry."

He looked up, weary. "A scar?"

She nodded, "I can't remove all the evidence of such dark magic, this is known. There has to be a reminder,a price. It can either be in Regina's mind or on her body. I can't-" She choked, "I can't leave her with this memory. Her own mother tried to take out her heart. She is only ten, it is too soon for her childhood to end. She deserves just a little more sweetness and laughter before she is a woman grown."

He nodded wearily, he understood the price.

"And you bear this." He took the swatch of her hair that had turned snow-white just after her fight with Cora ended. It stood out against the black of the rest of her hair. "As a token of your fight against my wife." He spat the last word out like poison, and to him it truly was.

"Yes. I used powerful magic, Henry. Destructive magic, almost murderous. You know where my journey started, how I came to be as I am. This is my price." She smiled, "And I happily pay it. For you and our Nightingale."

He lowered his head and watched. Esmeralda carefully used her magic to heal all but one wound on Regina's small body. They disappeared as if it were never there at all.

The wound that remained was a small cut on her lip. They both knew it would leave a scar on his little girl. "And Regina suffers twice. The injury to her lip and the injury to her heart when she finds you gone."

He twisted the lock of white hair around his finger, "And I will lose half of my heart and soul. We bare this price, this burden. What does Cora lose?"

He was crying again, but these were hot tears-of anger and hatred. "What does that witch pay?"

She touched his face gently, "She pays with her soul, this is known. She will never find happiness or peace, or redemption. She has cursed herself with darkness and it will follow her to her grave and beyond."

He leaned into her touch and turned it into a familiar caress. "And Regina as well."

She leaned forward, and brushed her lips across his in a soft and gentle kiss. "No. She may fall, but she will never be so lost. You will be with her, My Love." She kissed him again, and let her lips linger on his. "And I will find The Swan." He kissed her this time, long and warm, full of love and want. "And we will save our Little One."

They stayed that way all night. They talked in hushed voices as they lay on either side of the little girl they loved so much. She slipped away just before dawn, after Henry had finally succumbed to sleep. She looked down at them and smiled. She loved how the two brightest lights in her life slept together. Their dark hair and sleep-relaxed faces looked so sweet and so alike. She kissed each of them on the forehead and left.

No steps had ever been harder to take. No path so jagged and hurtful to her feet. No destiny had ever been harder to accept. Esmeralda had cleaved her soul in three pieces that morning and had only taken one of those pieces with her.

She left with her head held high, even as her heart was breaking. She'd felt Cora's cold stare on her back for miles as she walked away.

Esmeralda wiped her tears when she heard the front door open again. She didn't want to upset Regina. She was not an innocent baby anymore, but she was still Esmeralda's little one. She would do anything to protect Regina, even bend the truth a bit. The time for honesty would come, but at the moment, she just wanted to hug her Nightingale.

So she did. She walked through the house to meet her by the stairs.

Regina laughed and hugged her back. She smiled wide, and her eyes twinkled a little.

"My Little One, what has gotten into you?"

She asked, though she was reasonably sure that a certain blonde had everything to do with Regina's smile.

"Nothing, Nan, I'm just happy to have you to come home to."

She went to the kitchen for more coffee and Esmeralda followed. She watched her. She watched the way Regina unconsciously ran her finger along the small scar on her lip and the way her eyes were unfocused, distant.

She looked so much like her father. He had always looked the same after they had kissed, though he had stroked his mustache in place of a scar…

She blinked and looked Regina over again.

The Swan. Esmeralda felt a surge of excitement and renewed hope.

Cora didn't' know and would never understand. Esmeralda did, though, she always had in a way.

The Swan and The Queen would save each other. This was known.