Chapter 14 Regina

Regina ended up spending the rest of the day with her mother. Who was hell bent on having Regina try bunch of gowns for the official meeting with the Charming. Cora wanted Regina to look her best. Regina did her best to keep a soft smile on her face to not let her mother notice the denial in her heart regarding this union. Although she understood where Cora was coming from, her heart was not in this marriage. She wanted to scream at her mother to make her understand how wrong this felt to her. But she knew her mother didn't care.

It was now nightfall and Regina was finally by herself in her room. She laid in bed with just one thought going through and it was of Ruby. Although she couldn't help but feel deep in her heart that there was something horribly wrong regarding Ruby. She prayed for Ruby's safety and well-being, she just hoped that she would get to see her again soon.

Emma on the other hand found herself back in her room on the bed. She looked around and noticed her father standing by her window looking out at the night sky and two guards waiting inside by her door.

"Ugh…." Emma groaned as she held her head with one hand and used the other to get up from the bed.

"What's going on?" She questioned as she didn't feel fully well.

"The guards found you unconscious away from the kingdom. What were you thinking leaving that far away in your condition?" Charming questioned with a tired tone in his voice. Emma didn't bother answering she didn't feel like giving an explanation.

"It doesn't matter anymore. They should have left me there to die. That's what I deserve anyways." Charming was instantly in front of her after she made that statement. He moved Emma's feet to the side and took a seat on her bed.

"Emma, please don't say that. No father wants to hear those words coming out of their child's mouth." Emma just gave a blank look to Charming. And Charming couldn't help but feel defeated.

"I know you are saddened by your friend's death but know this her fate was sealed the moment she decided to take your life" Charming stated feeling no remorse behind his words.

Emma finally broke out crying letting those repressed tears come out and the feeling of sadness and regret wash over her. Charming couldn't help but hold his daughter in his arms and let her cry on his shoulder.

"You know I am here for you, Emma. I will always be here for you" Charming reassured her. Emma just cried more and more. It was nonstop and she couldn't help but hold on to her father tighter for support. The sorrow she felt in her heart she felt no one could understand. Charming signaled the guards inside the room to step out which they did, leaving the door open. This provided them a little bit of privacy.

Emma slowly let go of her father's embrace and wiped away at her tears. "I cannot marry Princess Regina. I will not betray Ruby in such a manner" Emma declared after a little while once she had gathered herself. Charming stood up and walked back to the window. He leaned against the open window and let the night breeze wash over his face.

"I see, so that is what this has been about" Charming answered back. He thought back on what he had heard from the beast's mouth.

"It was never going to work out between them, you know as well as everyone else, a union between werewolves and humans is absolutely forbidden in each kingdom" Charming explained the obvious. Emma's anger was coming back to her. She stormed up from bed and stood next to her father.

"I will not marry her, father, that is my final decision. You cannot force me" Emma declared looking straight at her father with unwavering determination. Charming took hold of her shoulder and smiled a soft smile at her.

"I understand where you are coming from, Emma. But this union is necessary for survival of both of the kingdoms" Charming said as he turned away from her. "You might not agree now but eventually you will understand, I am sure of it" Charming didn't even wait for Emma to retaliate as he signaled the guards to open the door and let him through. The guards stepped out behind the king but stood at attention outside the room to keep watch over Emma.

Emma was left confused and dejected by the revelation again. It was if her words had no meaning or weight to it. Her parents did not care about what was going on with her. They decided to put this marriage before anything else. She now stood where her father was standing in front of the window and looked around at few people who were still out and about. But for the most part it was guards all around doing their regular patrol checks. She leaned forward as she placed her elbows on the windowsill and buried her face into her palms in frustration.

Then a thought a crept in her mind. 'Regina!'

She didn't know how to take things with her, what would she even say to her best friend's lover. She was a traitor to Ruby, and she was sure Regina would not be forgiving of her being the reason behind Ruby's death. But she needed to speak with her as soon as possible. To Emma speaking Regina seemed like the only option for her to make things right, as right as they can be.

The next couple of days went by agonizingly fast for Regina's liking. With no sign of Ruby anywhere, Regina was left with emptiness in her heart. She felt abandoned and hopeless. She cursed herself for falling for the wolf and now look at her fate. She was left discarded on the side with no signs of where Ruby could be. To make matters worse, her mother was having the time of her life, it almost felt like Cora was mocking Regina.

It wasn't like Regina didn't sneak out again, oh yes, she did, even with stricter overwatch on her Regina sneaked her way out and pursued the apple tree where Ruby and she met for the first time. She waited that past couple of night under the apple tree expecting to see Ruby any moment. But that moment never came not even when she stayed until sunrise. She spent those few nights screaming for Ruby's name or stupidly enough hoping to be slaughtered by other beasts roaming around at night. But of course, that wouldn't happen. At this point, she had completely given up and didn't even bother arguing with Cora any longer. Regina was going to let fate decide her destiny.

It was the opposite for Emma, she felt as if the days were dragging on. Her stunts to escape and go see Regina didn't come true. Her parents made sure she was not out of sight. She felt like a bird in a cage as if her wings were chopped off of her. She couldn't help but notice the complete change of behavior in her parents. Firstly, the way her father spoke of Ruby so causally knowing fully well how much Ruby meant to Emma. Then the very obvious 'union' between their kingdom and the evil queen's kingdom. And then to top it off, the sheer force of compelling Emma to agree to the said union like their life dependent on it. All of this combined left Emma very troubled.

"I am going to meet her tomorrow, Red. And I swear I will make this right" Emma spoke as she looked at the sky from her room window.

Ruby was not doing great. Granny had been doing everything in her power to take care of Ruby, but it was getting very difficult. Ruby had not been properly awake since the moment Granny rescued her. Ruby was going in and out of consciousness every day and the only thing coming out of her mouth was the one name Granny now hated hearing the most. 'Regina!'

Granny felt exhausted and drained. She looked over Ruby patiently waiting for her to finally wake up. Ruby was still thrashing in her sleep to the point where her wounds opened up several times and Granny eventually had to tie her down. Fever, chills, screams, and grunts were the common theme Granny had been dealing with the past couple of days and nights. Although, Granny had thought about letting Ruby go and put her out of her misery, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She rather stay up day and night tending to Ruby than to give her such a dishonorably fate. There was still so much Granny wants Ruby to do for herself and their kind. She is not about to let Ruby die and waste her potential.