Live as Regina

by Mac NorthSea

On the way to Neverland,Emma is troubled by the moments in the mines she and Regina had at moment of Regina's self-sacrifice that changed everything,even Emma herself.With understanding her upbringing gave her,the Savior decides to save not only Henry but his mother as well. Doing so will take her and her family through harrowing challenges of love,duty,conflict,and magic.

30. Chapter 26

Yes, this is another chapter, after almost four months of absence. It was rather unavoidable, as life emergencies often are... It is a rather big chapter, and I must place warnings for content (as there is mention of rape). I hope it does not disappoint you after such a long wait. Drop a word, if you please.

For all you, faithful readers, who have commented and loved my story, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your kind words have given me strength to sit by my PC and write, despite all the problems in my life. Thank you!

Concept for this part existed for more than a year, long before OUaT writers have come up with their Camelot and Dark One arcs, so it is pretty different from the show. It is unbeta-ed, and I didn't have time to go through it once more to check if there are more obvious mistakes...

Without further ado, Enjoy!

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Chapter 26.

Come find me, my love.

The words, spoken so long ago, even though it had been only days since the dream visit from the brave blonde Knight soothing Regina's fears, ringed out in the brunette's too occupied mind as she stepped over the dirty snow lumps that covered the field. The words she intended to obey at the earliest convenience, needing to rest first, as she had overused her power in order to get as fast as she could to the clearing. But, as soon as she ate something, and slept for a bit, she would focus on finding her beloved, using the multitude of locator spells and scrying crystals in her possession. However, she first had to see to her children and to securing a space for them, not willing to expose them to the armies gathered around the Charmings' Palace, and the gruesome sights that surrounded it.

Regina's lids closed, as her breath escaped her heavily through the closing throat, as she fought with herself to keep the composure. She truly believed her words, Emma was alive, but it had not made it easier for her to see the uniform lying on the ground, covered in thickened blood, or to be given the sword she herself had gifted to the blonde woman months before, in a sign of respect to the fallen warrior. It did not make it easier for her to stave off the tears threatening to flow as she understood that the reunion with her loved Sheriff would have to wait just a bit longer. It did not help that she was currently walking through the battlefield, where the devastation of the day was shown in the last light of the day, the twilight only making it seem more terrifying.

The brunette sighed, wrapping her coat tighter, shivering in the cold winter air of the Enchanted Forest as the harsh wind blowing in from the sea picked up, and stepped forward, her eyes roaming the surroundings. The carnage, she had no other word of it, was absolute. Bodies were lying around, most of them bloody, some of them torn apart, but all invariably dead. One small mercy was that all the dead had Midas's colors on them, or were of the simian variety, but still she had forgotten how the battlefield looked like, what it smelled like. Swallowing hard against the stench of blood and burning flesh, she gripped the sword in her hand tighter, directing her steps toward the castle rising up nearby.

Too lost she was in her thoughts as she walked toward the gates of the Charmings' Palace, so she did not hear the hooves crunching the blood soaked snow from behind her, nor the loud huffs of the animal closing in. Only when a large black head appeared in her visual field, coming above her left shoulder, she flinched with a startled gasp, before she let the air leave her through her nose, moving the sword to her right hand, as left went up, patting the horse gently on its cheek. "Shadow," Regina addressed the steed, her voice soft and breathy, as her fingers curled into the black mane, pulling herself towards the mare and leaning into her neck, taking a moment to gather her composure. Emma had told her about the noble animal, had written about telling the horse about the woman who had taught the Savior how to ride, albeit through the memory transference, and Regina, having heard the legends of the Camelot lines, knew that the mare would know who she was.

"Regina!" the woman heard from behind her, the grief laden voice of her father calling out to her. She did not move from the warmth of the black steed, waiting for the injured man to come to her, her eyes closed. "Regina," Rumplestiltskin said once more, this time his tone softer, gentler as he hobbled to her, helped by his wife, who also led her horse by the reins. Turning her head toward him, Regina saw his dark eyes fly over her face, taking in every detail in relief, before he reached out to his daughter, his hand tremulously shaking in the space between them. But, he did not speak of his elation to see her, despite the feelings making his eyes glow with gentleness. Neither of them was ready for heartfelt exchange, not after the scene Regina had walked in on earlier. "Come, we have the whole wing set aside for the family," he spoke after a moment, squeezing her upper arm tenderly. Regina nodded and without words climbed atop Shadow, not waiting for others as she set out toward the castle.

The word that Her Majesty the Queen had returned to the shores of the Enchanted Forest spread like summer forest blaze through the masses gathering around the castle, followed closely by the rumors of the Savior's passing. So as the regal woman appeared before them on the horse that most of the castle inhabitants knew belonged to the blonde Knight, the people stopped what they were doing, standing still with their heads bowed, after they had cleared the way for the woman, letting her get to the gates unbothered. However, as soon as the Queen passed by, the members of the Black Guard stepped away from their places, and went toward the castle; now that their mistress returned, they would be by her side.

As soon as Regina reached the bridge, she pulled Shadow's mane, stopping the mare as she took in the black scorch marks and burnt bodies, her eyes widening at the remnants of magic covering it. Pressing her hand against her face, she gently nudged the steed forward, letting it pick the way through the scorched bones and melted metal, while she forced herself not to look. But, even the sound of bones cracking under the hooves of the black horse seemed to feed the horror that would inhabit her nightmares later in the day. When Shadow stopped, Regina heard someone's heavy gain come near her and quickly, the gruff voice of her most trusted lieutenant washed over her.

"Your Majesty," Damian spoke clearly, despite the hidden sorrow clawing at his insides, for he had heard the whispers. He had failed his mission, regardless of the fact that the Savior had gone by herself to her death, overwhelmed by the magic and wrath – and not even Rumplestiltskin and her friends could have stopped her from getting lost.

The brunette opened her eyes slowly and swallowed hard before she lowered herself to the ground, letting one of the villagers lead Shadow away, treating her with revelry due to the magical steed of the Savior, while she stepped closer to the tall man bowing his head before her in defeat. Regina, despite the belief of the people throughout the realms, knew her people and she knew their ways of thinking. So, the Queen could assume that the soldier before her believed he had failed her and silently waited for her to dole out punishment, as it is expected from honorable and loyal soldiers. She could not offer him words that would comfort him, but she could give him another mission, something to help keep his mind from the perceived failure. "Clear the bridge," she spoke firmly. "And as much of the fields surrounding the castle as you can."

"Yes, your Majesty," Damian spoke inclining his head and walked away to relay her order, gathering his men around him.

"Regina," a voice from the keep drew the woman's attention and she turned toward the wide open door leading into the castle, and saw the princess in charge of the Safe Haven walking slowly to her. The newcomer hurried to Aurora, taking them both into the warmth within the walls. "Regina," Aurora spoke again, her soulful eyes saying everything she could not put in words as she gripped the woman's forearm. "What can we do?" she asked instead.

Feeling her energies draining by the minutes, the brunette closed her eyes as she sighed tiredly. "Send envoy to the ship. And, tell me where Emma…"

"The Royal Wing," Aurora blurted before Regina could formulate her question. "Do you know how to get there?"

The former Evil Queen smirked with exhaustion, before she directed herself down the familiar path she had walked thirty years before. "I remember," she threw oved her shoulder, as her arm brought the sword in her hand to her chest, leaving the princess to her assignment. It took her several minutes to reach the quarters of the Crown Heir, her tiredness slowing her movements to a sluggish shuffle. When she reached the door, she hesitated over the knob before she twisted it slowly, and entered the room. Not paying attention to the living part of the quarters, she walked directly to the bedroom and collapsed onto the unmade bed, pleased that the pillows still carried a faded trace of scent her lover had left behind. Using her empty hand, she pulled the pillow to her body, curling around it, letting the sword fall onto the mattress beside her, and closed her eyes, needing a moment, just a moment to collect herself.

She woke when a gentle hand touched her shoulder, and a soft, familiar voice uttered her name cluing her to the identity of the person who had woken her. "Belle?" Regina murmured as she shifted slowly, turning toward the young woman standing beside the bed, her hand still on the brunette's shoulder, holding a platter of morsels in her other one.

"Emma always gets better with a meal after extending herself magically, so I thought…" the kind woman whispered as she looked toward the plate, offering it to the prone guest. "Snow told us what happened on the way over," she explained as she saw Regina's brows furrow in confusion.

"Us?" the brunette asked as she pulled herself up, gratefully taking the offered meal, reaching for some of the small bits of dried meat, cheese, and cut up vegetables.

"The whole council is in the living room, along with the people you brought over," the librarian said with a smile as she glanced toward the closed door leading outside. "It is rather crowded in there," she added with a soft chuckle, and in truth, Regina could hear soft murmur of voices trickling in from the other side. The younger woman sat beside the newcomer and sighed, as her eyes fell on the sword lying only a foot away, undisturbed. "I've seen her before she disappeared, and those minutes I could only watch helplessly as my friend was dying in front of my very eyes…" Belle swallowed hard, and forced herself to look away from the blade, her sadness filled blue eyes meeting Regina's. "But, if you say that she is alive… I have to believe that."

"She is," Regina confirmed surely, her hand falling over her heart as she peered into her eyes meaningfully, seeing them fill with tears as the younger woman nodded in acceptance of her words.

"Anyways," Belle said after a moment, wiping her face with her palms. "Your Guardsmen cleared the perimeter around the castle, setting the pyres downwind," she added factually. "Henry was told that the fires were in honor of solstice, which is rather believable as people are indeed celebrating it tonight." She saw Regina nod before taking another piece of meat. "Would you join us? The Commander is back, and he, with the others, is filling Emma's parents on what has happened during your absence."

"Kids?" Regina murmured in question after she swallowed her carefully chewed mouthful. She did not want her sons to hear all the grisly details of the fighting that she had seen evidence of in front of the gates.

"Ruby, along with one of the Guardsmen and Mulan took them to the Grand Hall." Belle offered to the concerned mother. "Some of the musically inclined have started a small celebration for the night, with the season appropriate songs and dances…"

"I trust the women know better than to let them participate in drunken revelries?" Regina asked with her eyebrow raised as she slowly brought herself upright, preparing to rise to her feet.

Belle smiled at the older woman. "Of course," she said gently as she moved, giving the other woman enough space to get off the bed. The kind hearted librarian watched as the brunette rose and flexed her shoulders, the dark eyes darting around the ascetic room. "She was here only to sleep," she murmured softly as the curious caramel colored orbs landed on her, "and only after someone would urge her to do so." Belle knew that the room was empty of personal touches, despite the fact that Emma had been claimed it as her quarters. The younger woman reached under the pillow Regina had left undisturbed and pulled out a worn book Regina immediately recognized and accepted it from the helpful friend. "She would read it after she would wake."

As her fingers traced the creases on the leather bound book, Regina smiled sadly, knowing quite well why Emma had been reading it. Despite the fact that the blonde had become increasingly emotionally closed off, she had not skimped out of noting down whatever she had done, writing about her nightmares and plagued sleep as well. She lowered it on the night table carefully, and sighed, before she stepped toward the door, throwing a look at the woman behind her to join her. Then, with another sigh, Regina flexed her shoulders and arranged her features into a familiar unfeeling mask. Striding imperiously into the sitting room she almost smirked at the instant hush falling over the gathered people, as all eyes turned to her. Belle hadn't been lying, it was crowded with that many people in the room, only half of them seated.

"Regina," the brunette heard, recognizing the soft murmur at once, and she looked toward the former habitant of the Charming Palace. Snow had an inscrutable expression on her face, her eyes slightly pinched, as she raised her hand, summoning her former enemy to her side, David shifting away to make a place for her on the sofa they had been sitting on. "It is amazing how long have we come since the last time we have been within these walls together, isn't it?"

"Well, a lot can happen in three decades, even miracles…" Regina murmured as she lowered herself down onto the sofa with elegance innate to her, despite her Storybrooke garbs, causing Snow to chuckle softly.

A large hand landed gently on her shoulder, the fingers lightly pressing, as she felt herself innocuously pulled into the man sitting beside her, the strong and broad chest offering her a place to lean on. It was only for the fact that she was still weary from the use of magic and the adrenalin crash from before, and the seemingly unnoticeable support that David was offering, that Regina yielded to his hold. Soft, barely heard whisper reached her.

"Do you feel better?" he asked her with concern. He had not seen her after they had emerged from the portal, but Snow had, and judging by her deeply furrowed eyebrows and lip she could not stop worrying, it had been bad. It was only moments before, when his wife had seen the brunette leave the sleeping quarters that the tension in her shoulders dissipated. He rather felt than heard Regina's hum of affirmative reply.

However, the Mayor quickly grew tired of the people watching her, so she raised her eyebrow. "Fill me in," she spoke, addressing no one in particular, however, her eyes were pinning her father down as he had been one of the few people Emma had kept in her confidence.

Rumplestiltskin started the narrative right at the time when Emma had sent the diaries over, quite skillfully telling the story of the Savior, leaving only private things out of it, allowing to the other guests to elaborate on the events he had been only told of, not witnessed. Regina did not interrupt however much she wanted to at some points, not willing to break the flow of the tale. At moments, the pixie haired woman by her side would gasp or squeeze her hand in reaction to the story, but Regina remained silent, the only thing breaking her façade the words depicting Emma's last fight with Zelena's magic, trying to restore the portal and keep the people of the Safe Haven more or less safe. The story of the blonde's unyielding sacrifice brought tears to the dark eyes, spilling over quietly, trails of wetness glimmering in the light of the room. As soon as the old man finished and stunned silence fell over the newcomers, Phillip rose from his seat, helping Aurora along and softly ordered everyone not family out of the room, inclining his head toward the Royalty that remained seated.

As soon the room cleared, Regina rose from her seat and walked away, wiping her cheeks, her back turned to the married couple and the three others – the former Dark One and his wife and son. However, her desire to escape their scrutiny brought her to the small desk in the corner where she saw the familiar clothes, carefully folded, each garment laid out separately, the dried blood crusting over the creases in the fabric. The leather boots tucked under the desk, the heavy fur cloak was thrown over a simple wooden chair, and the rest of the uniform was placed on the surface of the desk, along with the weapons Emma had carried aside her sword. Set aside was the black hauberk, a necklace with its circling pendant resting a top of it, its shimmer contrasting with the light swallowing darkness of the metal weave.

Coming to the desk, the brunette swallowed hard against the sob fighting to leave as her eyes took in the all black garments, stiff and smelly; her fingers reaching toward the turtleneck Emma had worn underneath the hauberk, grimacing as she felt the rough and rigid fabric, no doubt doused in the precious blood leaving the Savior as she had fought with the onslaught of magic. Disregarding the people behind her, Regina picked up the turtleneck and pressed it against her chest, not caring for the tears that once more slipped out of their confines, and with a sharp exhale, she sprung into motion, directing herself toward the door, her magic wrenching it open, just in time for her to pass through. She was aware that the others called after her, their rushed steps trailing behind her as her powerful stride carried her across the halls of the castle, bringing her to the hallway guarded by several men, most of them dressed in the black uniforms with her crest on their chests. She didn't even slow her steps as she passed through their guarding posts, the men wisely moving out of her way, familiar with the determined expression of their mistress.

One of the village guards, belonging to Aurora's court, looked up at the sharp rattle of someone's footsteps echoing in the hallway made entirely of stone. Straightening his posture, he gripped the pommel of his sword, ready to command to whoever was coming to stop, as he was under orders not to let anyone but Rumplestiltskin and Charmings in. Leaning slowly to a side, hoping to catch a glimpse of the person, or rather persons – as he could distinguish different feet pounding the floor, the man blanched at the people approaching his post. Seeing the former Evil Queen stride imperiously toward him, Snow White, Prince Charming and Rumplestiltskin rushing behind her, the soldier quickly stepped out of the way, opening the large wooden door, the idea of stopping the determined sorceress not even crossing his mind, despite the meeting that was going on inside. As others passed by him, not noticing his cowering stance, he sighed in relief and closed the door behind them.

As Regina's eyes took in the people gathered around the table, something inside enjoying the startling effect she had on the council. However, the first one to snap out of the surprised pause was her faithful man, jumping to his feet, his hand moving to his chest and inclining his head to his monarch. The sharp clang of the metal shook others into motion, rising from their seats. Phillip stepped slowly toward her, his eyes darting toward Snow, on the left from the sorceress, before he spoke.

"How can we help you, your Majesty?" he asked carefully, unnerved by the dark eyes looking at him. But, instead of answering him, Regina passed by him and motioned for the rest of the council to step away from the round table they had been gathered around, sighed as she saw what she had come here for. Nodding to herself in accordance as the map on top of the hardwood surface of the table suited her needs, the sorceress climbed atop of it using the chair her lieutenant had been sitting on, and with his helpful assistance, she moved to the center of the circle.

"What are you doing?" Phillip asked as he watched the brunette straighten, his motion forward stopped by Damian's warning look as the proud soldier placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Regina ignored him as she scowled at the strong lightning in the room, the glare of various torches and lanterns spread through the space too bright for her to see the results of the searching spell she was about to initiate. "Douse the lights," she ordered sharply, unwilling to squander what little of magic she had regained on such task, when she needed it for much important endeavor. Quickly, the room was filled with darkness as the people closest to the light sources extinguished the flames, leaving only several lanterns lit just so they would not stumble in the pitch darkness, before surrounding Regina in a circle around the table, while they watched her with interest, straining their eyes against the poor lightning. The former Evil Queen stood in silence at the center of the map, shrouded in shadows, before she lifted her hands, leaving her elbows firmly pinned against her sides, her spine stiff and straight as she looked slightly upwards.

"What is going on?" Snow whispered softly, her eyes not moving from her former step-mother, as she asked the old man standing beside her. Several moments before, Regina had given her the turtleneck, gently placing it in Snow's hands and she had returned to the center of the table.

Rumplestiltskin sighed softly before he replied. "She is attempting to find Emma, and she needs a map for it. The spell should point toward the specific location on it." And, only moments after a soft chanting could be heard coming from the brunette sorceress. Despite the fact that darkness covered her face, Rumple knew she had her eyes closed, as her mouth moved, her hands in front of her in the height of her chest, palms facing upwards. The air thickened around them as the remaining flames in the lanterns flickered, and the table started vibrating in the slow hum, following the rhythm of the chant.

The first one to notice something on the map was the Commander of the Imperial Army. He quickly pointed the others toward the glowing part of the map where the depiction of the very castle they were in was, not calling out as he didn't want to break the woman's concentration. But before others could wonder at the location the spell was showing, another spot on the map started shining.

"Regina's castle," David murmured softly as he frowned, the creases of his brows seeming deeper in the eerie glow coming from the table. "Isn't it supposed to show only one spot?" he whispered toward the former Dark One. As no answer came, he glanced toward the old man and saw his confusion portrayed clearly in the furrowed brows.

Another location shone, this time at the picture of the Dark Castle. And, yet another spot appeared, the place Rumplestiltskin recognized as the place where the Dark Vault was located at this time. Several more places were highlighted before Regina lowered her head down and opened her eyes, widening them the instant she took in the multitude of the targets on the map, portrayed in the overwhelming brightness coming off the colored leather.

"Her magic is too strong to find her with it," the former Dark One offered gently, breaking the silence, attracting the piercing dark eyes from the sorceress to his face. Raising his hand, he gestured toward the map. "It seems it remains behind for long after she leaves," he added unnecessarily, causing the brunette to roll her eyes at him, before she nodded in agreement. Then, she assumed the previous position and started chanting again, this time the words were different than before, making the former sorcerer hum in proud acknowledgement, recognizing the changed particulars of the spell. Once upon a time, Regina had been very stiff and unimaginative with her power, using it in most obvious ways, not even bothering to tinker with it. And, why should she? He had thought at the time, for she had garnered results she had wanted. But, now, he watched his former student change the spell to accommodate her needs, something she had never done under his tutelage, showing an enormous talent for spell crafting, the changes she was implementing instinctual and yielding the desired effects.

He quickly glanced to the people around the table, seeing only expectancy and intrigue on their faces, scoffing at their ignorance. The sound he made brought his beloved to his side, and he pulled her to him gently, smiling with tenderness as Belle leaned her head against his shoulder. With smile on his face, he looked upon his daughter with pride, as he listened to the newly altered spell weaving through the air. What people around them failed to understand was that spell crafting was a hard and treacherous work, where a simple off word, even a slightly off accent, could destroy the precious balance of the spell, changing its properties, and more often than not, it becomes dangerous for everyone in the vicinity of the crafter. To simply start chanting a new spell based on the old one, without checking if the properties had changed in suitable way was sheer lunacy, but for some reason, Regina managed to invent a new spell on the spot, a feat only great spell crafters of old could boast with. Even he, when he had been the Dark One, had not dared to use something without testing and adjusting it first, despite his nigh immortality.

"I thought you could not search for someone's life essence?" Belle asked in a murmur, her knowledge of magic, although rudimentary and only gained from books, providing her with translation of Regina's new chant. Her question drew the attention of people near them, Snow and David stepping even closer to hear the answer.

"You can if you have caught a sense of it before. And, since Regina and Emma are bound to each other in such intricate ways, she can use the connection they have to pinpoint what she needs."

Suddenly, the surface under Regina's feet started glowing again, only this time it was glowing indiscriminately, the entire map alight with the strong iridescence, even the areas where purportedly magic could not be used for scrying, such as the Infinite Forest and the Dragon Caves. "Oh," Rumplestiltskin gasped, his jaw hanging as he reached for the map. Regina's spell worked, there was no doubt about it, but the result they were seeing was indeed strange. The life essence of the Savior was somehow compatible with the life essence of the lands falling under the grouped name of the Enchanted Forest, almost as if the Savior herself was part of it, or rather the embodiment of it. But, how was it possible, Rumplestiltskin wondered, remembering Emma's ominous words they had shared before the Savior had gone to the Dark Vault.

Regina, of course, due to the knowledge she had gained from the diaries, could surmise what the light was about, chuckling exasperatedly at her True Love's uniqueness. Emma, with the blessings of the other original magical species, represented the Enchanted Forest, having become the Keeper of the Balance, the Sheriff of the Enchanted Forest – as the blonde had noted down, the disdain for additional titles obvious in the tone of her writing. Shaking her head at the obstacles Emma had unwittingly presented, Regina brought her hand to her chin, tapping it lightly with her fingers. Discarding idea after idea, the brunette glanced down at her teacher.

The former Dark One noted the look of askance directed at him, and considered the options his immense knowledge offered him, but after discarding most of them because they didn't have the right ingredients or proper tools at the keep, he shrugged, leaning heavily onto his cane and Belle. Then, accidentally, his eyes caught the bundle Snow had in her hands. Feeling his eyebrow rise in wonder, he looked toward his daughter, but before he could speak, he saw that she too had seen the blood covered turtleneck. "It could work," he spoke clearly as he motioned to Snow to give the black cloth back to Regina, knowing already what spell his daughter had in mind. Incidentally, the spell required something personal and blood of the person the sorcerer was scrying for, and the turtleneck fit the bill on both counts quite nicely.

"Torches," the brunette spoke as she lowered herself a bit to receive the sweater, catching the eyes of her lieutenant before she looked into the concerned green ones. "I am fine," she whispered gently, settling herself in crouch at the edge of the table, where Snow, David and Neal were standing, with Rumplestiltskin to his son's side.

"What just happened?" Neal asked in hushed tones, glancing around, his eyes taking in the fervent rush of the people starting up the torches they had extinguished only half an hour earlier. "That light, was it supposed to do that?" he asked, as he nodded toward the map. At his father's smirking shake of head, he scowled. "So, it didn't work?"

"Oh, it worked, dearie," Rumplestiltskin spoke softly and with rare show of pride as he reached up to one of Regina's boots, tapping it lightly as he had not dared to touch her anywhere else. They still weren't there. "But, instead of showing where our missing friend is, it only illustrated that our Savior is so much more than any of us would even dare to dream."

"So, what now?" the worried father murmured, directing his glance to the black cloth that was currently being held between Regina's firmly clenched fingers.

The brunette shifted, placing one of her hands on her knee, ready to rise, but she waited until the blue eyes lifted to her own. "I have one more thing to try, and even if it doesn't work, there are other options," she tried to reassure David, but she could see that her attempt was not successful, taking in the creased forehead and tightness around his eyes while he pulled his wife to his front, Snow's closeness doing more for him than Regina's words. With a heaving sigh, the sorceress pulled herself up, opening her blazer to ease some of the sweltering heat that had enveloped her. The men had lit not only the torches that had been used before, but also almost the same number of new ones, making the room almost too bright. However, even though it was icy cold outside, the presence of that many flames in the enclosed space brought the temperature way up, and it was worse for Regina, who stood elevated on the table.

Feeling a small drop of sweat travel down from her nape, following the line of her spine, tickling her lightly, Regina internally chuckled. In her mind, she could not but imagine Emma from her dream, fully dressed in her approximation of the Black Knights' uniform standing among these people in this very room, while she, she who had grown up in this world was there in jeans, long sleeved t-shirt and a blazer. Shaking her head lightly at her trail of thought, she closed her eyes, willing her magic to comply with a set of orders. It was a rather simple spell, but it demanded a lot of energy, and that was the sole reason most witches and sorcerers would avoid using it if they could. One other reason was the fact that a reasonably easy counter spell could neutralize its seeking powers.

At first, there was nothing. Then, a small, almost invisible trace of vapor appeared over the black sweater, growing bigger by the second, consolidating in silver mist that slowly creeped down from the turtleneck and started spreading over the map, making Regina an epicenter of the vapory circle spreading outwards. It only stopped moving when it covered the whole map, well almost whole of it. Understandably, the section that showed the Infinite Forest was still visible. Then, the color of the mist started changing, slowly turning gold, glimmering under the torches, before it vanished in an instant.

The second the mist vanished, Regina bent down, her eyes scanning over the map, looking for a mark that would denote Emma's location. However, as she looked over the leather, inch by inch, she gradually came to realization that the spell had not found the blonde, as the unchanged surface of the map laid beneath her feet.

Before her disappointment had a chance to set on her, the door to the Council Room opened, the wood slamming hard into the wall. A man of the Empire, a soldier clad in black armor with the gold lines covering it, strolled inside, his almond shaped eyes passing over the people before they settled on his superior. Three stiff steps later, the soldier stood before the commander and whispered softly into his ear, the murmur of his voice heard in the silence that followed his entrance. Garnering a nod from Cheng, the soldier moved away, but before he turned to leave, he looked up toward the woman on the table and catching her eyes, he bowed smartly, his right hand going to his chest, where a silver swan was inlaid in the hardened leather. With that gesture of respect done, he spun on his heel and left, closing the door behind him.

"The representative of the surrendered soldiers asks for an audience with the Council, to plead for mercy for his people," the commander spoke the second his underling left the room. When he had seen his lieutenant pay respects to the Savior's mate, he had forced himself not to close his eyes, forbidding himself to be pulled to the memories, still all too vivid in his mind. He had not been there when Emma had disappeared, but he had been the one to volunteer to secure the enemy's camp and the people. His men, aided by the Lockley's band, had quickly surrounded the encampment and seized control. Apart from few overzealous knights in Midas' court, no one had given them any trouble, throwing down their weapons the instant they saw the swan shapes on the armors of his men. An hour later, a young lad by the name of Jonas had offered his assistance as he had been familiar with the camp, and a subject of the daring rescue of the day before. Quickly the drab and miserable atmosphere of the camp had cleared, giving way to quiet celebrations, the people having the need to revel two separate occasions. With the Sundown, the Winter Solstice had begun, the longest night in the year, a night people of the Enchanted Forest spent around fires and home hearths, reminiscing of the hardships of the previous year and hoping for a mild winter to follow the rebirth of the Sun. Music and stories often would follow such revelries, and food would be shared with friends and family. It was a tradition among many folks of the Forest that no one should be hungry on the Midwinter Eve, no matter how small the harvest or the harsh famines following the descent of the winter colds. Cheng had noticed that even his own people had followed the traditions, the cooks of his regiment preparing mutton hot pot and rice balls, and dolling out the precious rice wine, offering the servings to the 'prisoners' they had been in charge of. Even, within the castle walls, a small company of the Imperial Guard had taken a corner of the Great Hall and started a small celebration, letting anyone join, the music from the string and wind instruments ringing out pleasantly within the walls. If he had not been greatly mistaken, even the Hero of the Empire, Hua Mulan herself had joined the musicians for a song, showing her prowess at playing pipa, thee lute-like instrument of his people, to the young shifter and the boys belonging to the Savior and the regal woman on the table.

Nevertheless, he could not forget the sounds of the mournful melody one of his soldiers had played on erhu, the two string fiddle from his homeland, the second he had joined the revelry, others joining him in playing the notes of the lament his people only offered to very important and remarkable men and women of the Empire. Honoring a stranger with this dirge was unheard of, but in his mind, it was a right thing to do, especially for the woman who had tried so hard to keep most of the people involved in this war alive.

At least what he could do was to offer a small reprieve to the dark haired sorceress, keeping others from questioning the failure of the spell. Although he was a pragmatist and what his mother would call a cold realist, deeply within his heart he had hope that Regina was right, and that Emma was alive. He had been present for several of her miracles, why not believe capable of surviving the impossible? After seeing her being given veneration from the creatures his people deemed evil, incapable of nothing but destruction, he would easily believe that the Savior was one of the wise Immortals the legends of his nation talked about. So, he stepped toward Prince Phillip and pulled him into the discussion about their captives, unobtrusively guiding him out of the room, pleased to see that most of the Council members gravitated to them, offering their suggestions. However, the Chief of the Wolves and the lieutenant of the black knights stayed behind, their loyalty to Regina coming first.

Before he ducked out of the room, he glanced back one more time, his eyes linking with the dark ones. Even though he was more than several feet away he could see the gratitude in the barely there nod Regina offered him, and in return, he brought his hand to his heart, inclining his head as well. Then, he turned and left, rejoining the prince's Council, his mind still with the former Evil Queen and her mate.

"Alright," Belle said in the silence that followed the commander's exit, and clapped her hands before she turned to the others in the room. "I think we can all agree that this day has held much excitement and that most of us need to rest. So, why don't we retire for the night and reconvene in the morning?" As she spoke, she purposefully kept her eyes on the Charmings, not drawing attention to Regina's descent, aided down by the chief of the shifters. With a passing glance to her husband, she took Snow's arm and pulling her away, she started talking about the housing of the people in the castle, involving both David and her stepson in the conversation.

"She is crafty, I give you that," Regina spoke with a sigh, leaning tiredly against the table, her hand going to her forehead, trying to rub away a low grade headache. "Is it that obvious?" the brunette murmured, glancing toward her former teacher and her father, placing her hands behind her to lean against them. She saw the old man direct his eyes toward the two other men in the room, discretely standing on the other side of the table, waiting for orders. "Ah," Regina uttered with a smirk, shaking her head at the former Dark One. "Damian, my family and I will set out for my castle by noon the latest. Secure the necessary things for the travel, and prepare to come with, along with some of the knights."

"Yes, your Majesty," the lieutenant said with his head bowed, and hurried out to comply.

The queen turned her eyes to the shifter, raising her hand in front of her, summoning him to her with a mere gesture, frowning when he lowered himself onto his knees in front of her, his eyes carefully looking down in submission, making Regina sigh heavily. Wolves and their traditions, she cursed within the confines of her mind, feeling too overwrought to deal with the life debt Emma had written her about, but understanding that she had to acknowledge the customs if the blonde's partnership with the shifters was to remain intact. "Liam," she said gently, speaking his name though they had not been introduced officially, her soft voice bringing the tall man's head up. "With your faithful service to the Savior, I consider the blood debt of your line repaid in full," Regina proclaimed clearly, making sure that her eyes were connected with the deep blue ones of the Wolf. "Rise, Liam, Son of the Moon, and stand proudly," she added as she offered him her hand.

For a moment the bulky man did not move, his eyes gazing upon the elegant limb hanging in air in front of him in wonder, before he hurriedly took it, his roughened fingers gently handling the soft hand, as he stood to his feet and bowed deeply, his forehead almost touching the hands between them. "The debt might be paid, your Majesty, but our loyalty remain to you and your mate," the chief spoke, his voice rumbling deeply in the quiet of the room. "We stand with you."

Regina squeezed the man's fingers in appreciation of his words, offering him a barely there smile before she took back her hand. "You and your people may join us tomorrow, if you wish," she said in return, knowing that a chance to leave the castle would not be squandered. After Liam smirked roguishly at her, he mumbled a good night to her and the former Dark One, rushing off to share the news to his kin and people.

"Taking your knights with you and releasing the Wolves," Rumplestiltskin murmured softly as he pulled a chair to sit down, his ribs and leg bothering him too much to continue to stand. "You should not be splintering the forces right now, it leaves everyone vulnerable."

The brunette scoffed at her father, sinking into a chair beside him. "There are ten thousand people in front of the gates of this keep. Phillip can choose as many soldiers as he likes for his new army. But, my people are coming with me, to help protect my family. And, the wolves were free from the start, here only by their choice and faith in Emma. It is their choice. I will not deny them their rights just because they are handy in fights."

Rumplestiltskin chuckled softly before he shook his head. It was interesting how much the two women seemed to share, often sounding like each other. But, instead of mentioning that to his daughter, he asked a question. "So, you are leaving in the morning?" the old man asked, choosing to drop the topic of armies and the war.

"I have the supplies I need for more extensive scrying in my chambers at the castle, and I don't think we should waste any time," Regina said, confirming what she believed Rumplestiltskin had known all along. "But, that is not why you stayed behind, is it? There is something you want to talk about, something you didn't think others needed to hear."

"It's about Emma," he whispered softly, suddenly his face tightened with grief, and his dark eyes clouded with pain for the young woman. "I have told you that she had fought Zelena for the control of the portal, but what you don't know is how she did it." Rubbing his face tiredly, he sighed before leaning back in his chair, pushing his words through his narrowed throat. "There was a red magical poison headed toward the palace, something Zelena had dug out of the Vault," he started, his eyes directed at the map on the table, not able to look at his daughter. "Somehow, Emma managed to, I guess recycle it is the right word, and force it into the portal using its magical potential to help her stabilize the passageway."

"The strange tasting magic," Regina murmured in understanding. "I wondered what that was…"

"The thing is, in order to repurpose it, she had to pull it in herself, her own body aiding her at the conversion." Rumplestiltskin shook his head, the moment he was telling about playing out before his eyes. "I don't know what she did, but somehow it… It worked." He swallowed hard and lifted his head, his eyes darting toward Regina, not quite meeting her. Then he tapped his cane, in a manner Regina had long before learned that it was his tell, a tick to show his nerves. "However, I believe that in order for it to work, some of the malicious effects had to remain behind," he added, his voice rough but silent, turning into a broken whisper when he spoke another two words. "In Emma."

The brunette lowered her head as she let the ominous words sink in. She had felt the vile presence in the magic of the portal, entwined with the Savior's brand, and it had almost made physically ill to be in its presence. To consider the fact that Emma had somehow managed to push that abhorrent type of magic through herself… To consider the pain, the sickness it would have caused to her True Love… She couldn't imagine it, and yet she knew that the blonde had thought it would be a small price to pay. "You…" she tried to speak, but her voice broke even before she could utter one word, making it sound more like a squeak than an actual word. After swallowing against the tightness in her throat, she cleared it and started again. "You think she poisoned herself to save me?" Even though she knew that the question was more than redundant, she had to ask.

For the first time since others had left them, the dark eyes locked, the pair belonging to the old man meeting Regina's in a look that shared much pain and comfort at the same time. It was a look of saddened acknowledgement of the truth they both knew. "For you and the children, there is not a thing she wouldn't do," he spoke softly, before he placed his palm against the side of Regina's face, wiping a glistening tear as it slid down her cheek. "As there is nothing you wouldn't do for her," he added heavily, sighing as he returned his hand to his cane. "Even make yourself believe that she is coming back," he murmured with anguished certainty, rising from his chair, his other hand going up to his face, preemptively wiping his eyes before anyone saw his sorrow in form of liquid.

The newcomer did not scoff at his words. She didn't even feel the anger that he doubted her. In his place, she would consider anyone who claimed that Emma had survived certifiably insane. But, she knew her Savior. She knew things about her True Love no other human did. She knew, without doubts, that her heart was telling her the truth – the blonde Sheriff was alive. She might not be in perfect shape, but she was alive.

"I know," Regina uttered haltingly to her father's back, rising slowly to her feet, using both the back of her chair and the table to lift herself up. "I know that what you saw," she continued when she saw him stop, his head turned to a side, listening to her. "What you experienced," she added as she stepped forward, her words gentle but firm. "Makes it hard for you to believe that there is any way for her to survive." She stopped her slow advance several feet behind him, one of her hands pushing the strands of her hair away from her face. "But, Emma is not like us," Regina spoke with conviction as she silently begged her father to listen. "She is so much more, more than you will ever know."

Rumplestiltskin sighed and turned sideways to look at his daughter. "Regina, her being the Savior does not make her immortal and what I saw… No one can survive it."

"Not even someone with the blessing of Unicorns?" Regina offered with gentle smugness, needing to counter his insistence of Emma's demise.

"What?" his surprised gasp sounded too loud in the quiet room, making both of them wince, before Rumplestiltskin moved, reaching for Regina's forearm, gripping it tightly. "She was Blessed?" he asked in awe, searching his daughter's face for the answer. "No one has been blessed by a magical species in centuries! It's impossible."

"Is it, really?" Regina had to ask, a soft smile playing on her lips. "After everything she has managed so far? And, didn't you hear when the commander spoke of her encounter with the Yaoguai? Didn't you say she had used their magic, even though it should be impossible? You've seen her prowess with magic. Hasn't she proven already that impossible in fact isn't in her vocabulary?"

Question after question, Rumplestiltskin could feel his conviction crumble into hope that the blonde was truly alive. She had lived through things no one had before. "She's alive," he whispered softly, a silent chuckle following his words.

The brunette smiled weakly at the hopeful expression appearing on the face of the former Dark One. "I need to find her," she said, interrupting his silent joy. "I know Zelena is a problem, and potentially a very big one, but Emma comes first."

"As she should," Rumple agreed with a nod. "While you are away, I'll stay here. After all, I am the only one who knows the Wicked Witch. Well, apart from Emma." He glanced toward his daughter, expecting a question or two about his statement, but as nothing came, he frowned in contemplation. It would seem that the diaries Emma had sent over held a bit more of the information than he had assumed. He had enjoyed the surprised and bewildered looks when Regina would seem too well informed of the events in her absence. However, it seemed that even he had underestimated Regina's knowledge of the past two months.

"You never told me about her," Regina suddenly said.

It was a topic he had inadvertently opened with his comment, but he had known that it had been coming, ever since the Sheriff had taken the information about the unstable witch out of his head. He had been prepared, even though he had hoped that the brunette would take her time in asking him about her half-sister. "When I found out about her, you were already under my tutelage. I needed you focused, without any presence that could sway you from your path."

"And after?"

"I was protecting you in some ways. In others, I was protecting myself. I wasn't about to give you an ally against me." Rumplestiltskin heard his daughter's soft hum as she opened the door for them, leading them back to the Royal quarters, a silent agreement shared between them that it had been enough of heavy topics for that evening, and they both needed their sleep.

---

Followed by his wife and Rumplestiltskin's son, right after Belle had left them to go to her room, David lazily walked through the corridors of his former home, his feet guiding him toward the quarters he had once shared with Snow. Even though the Palace seemed to be restored to its previous glory, he could not help but note the differences, slight as they were. It would appear that his daughter could not resist adding a bit of her own flair to the place, changing small bits to suit her reasoning better. The outcome was surprisingly warm and welcoming castle, one that still seemed like a home to Snow and him, but still had bits of Emma's spirit within its walls.

He opened the heavy wooden door to the royal quarters, pleased that no guards were posted in the halls, and let the two of his companions pass by him first before he too entered the room, making sure that no one could eavesdrop on them.

"Do you think it's true?" Neal asked softly, watching the woman light a match that she quickly used to start the fire with already prepared fire logs. "What Regina said, about feeling Emma?" He glanced between David and the brunette while he stepped to one of the high back chairs by the hearth, weakly sinking into it, swallowing hard against the doubts that were filling his heart. He did not miss the look the couple shared, nor Snow's cautiously optimistic smile as she approached him, taking her seat in the remaining chair, her face lit by the newly born blaze spreading over the kindling.

The green eyes that seemed amber in the dancing light of the fire found his. "When I bit the cursed apple Regina had given me," Snow spoke slowly, turning her head slightly to include her husband, even though he knew the story perfectly, having lived through it himself, "David felt the pain it caused me." She offered a loving smile to the man still standing, before she looked back at the son of the former Dark One. "When the Heartless stormed our home and almost killed him, I could sense the life draining out of him." Snow looked up toward David once more, raising her palm in the air to him, and in an instant, the love of her life came to her, gripping the offered hand gently, his other one tenderly landing on his wife's shoulder as he took his place beside her, perching on the armrest of the chair, mindful not to topple them both over.

"My daughter and your sister share a bond forged not only in True Love but in the magics they share. And, the connection between them is infinitely stronger and more intricate." Suddenly overcome by weariness, Snow sagged against the strong body of the man beside her, feeling the effects of the very long and eventful day. "So, yes," she said softly, yet with conviction of her faith and hope. "I think it is true that Emma is alive." Then, Snow grimaced, remembering something. "I am not saying she is fine or anything of the sort, for she hasn't been in a long time, but she is undoubtedly alive."

"Yeah," Neal murmured. "We saw the clothes Ruby brought," he added weakly, trying not to think of the amount of blood that he had spotted on them, missing the contorted face of the blue eyed man as an expression of repugnance twisted the muscles around his mouth.

Indeed, they had seen the clothes. When David had realized that the garments his daughter had been donning on for the better part of a month, her apparel that of a high ranking knight in the Evil Queen's contingent – one of the infamous Black Knights, David had blinked at the sudden wave of disgust and resentment toward the Savior. She had proudly worn the uniform of people who had enjoyed torturing and killing innocent villagers, people he had spent several years fighting against. People who had tried to take his newborn daughter out of his hands, using their swords to do so. Yes, Regina was reformed, he had groused in his thoughts, and Emma wore the clothes as a tribute to her True Love, and for the ease if blending in they afforded, but still… The sight of them had made him grind his teeth. He was honestly surprised that Snow had not reacted just as, or even more, violently to them and the fact that her daughter had worn them. However, Snow only seemed perturbed by the abundance of precious life liquid soaked into the leathers and fabrics.

The pixie haired woman felt David tense under her, and throwing a worried glance upwards, she saw his jaw firmly clenched as the muscles bulged out. She had noticed his strange reaction to Emma's uniform before, and now the mere mention of it brought the rarely witnessed temper out. Instead of addressing him about it, she only squeezed his hand, noticing that her quiet acknowledgement of his sudden anger brought him out of whatever furious thoughts he had been thinking. However, upon seeing that he was still upset about something, she decided to get to the bottom of it, when they had privacy to hash it out. But, for now, she would do her best to comfort him and keep the conversation going, not drawing attention to David's unusual behavior.

Luckily, Neal remained unaware, to Snow's great relief, asking another question. "What happens next?"

"Knowing Regina, she will retreat and rethink her options, searching for another way to locate Emma." The woman nodded slowly to herself, quite confident that she had judged her former step-mother correctly, as she absently brought David's hand to her lap. "In the morning, or midday, we will set out for her castle…"

"Don't you mean, your castle," David grumblingly interrupted, staring back unrepentantly at his wife, undisturbed by the reprimanding look she had thrown at him.

"Her castle," Snow insisted sharply glaring at the man by her side, before she looked back to Neal, "probably on foot, unless the Empire commander deigns to let us borrow some horses," she continued. "At the castle, she most likely has something to help her further."

"So, she is the only one who can find Emma?"

"She is the only one who knows what to look for," David joined the conversation, his voice a little brusque, but that didn't let him not acknowledge the fact that ordinary measures of finding someone could not be used to track his daughter down. "It was magic that took Emma away, and Regina is the only one I trust with locating my child," he admitted, albeit reluctantly.

"There is also the fact we have tried to ignore so far," the pixie haired woman added softly. "Emma is dangerous in her grief," she said, not letting Neal's halfhearted objection filled scoff to stop her. "I, for one, don't want to add to the already big list of problems by committing suicide in the form of rushing someone in the grips of magic-powered black hole." She swallowed as the words she had heard from Rumplestiltskin about her daughter's last moments in his presence ringed out in her mind.

She was no longer herself. There was nothing that we recognized as Emma in that body. There was only fury and vengeance – a vessel of scourge, determined to wipe out anyone who stood in her way, be it friend or enemy. No reason, only hate and pain.

"Takes a lot to frighten your father, Neal, and Emma terrified him, regardless of his attempt to pretend otherwise."

"I know," he agreed softly, tiredly, as he, too, remembered the words his father had spoken. He rose to his feet, waving in goodbyes to the couple and left the room, vaguely remembering Belle's instructions to his assigned quarters.

As soon the man left, Snow jumped out of her seat and turned, her eyes flashing as she glared at her husband. "What's with you?!"

David only raised his eyebrow at her outburst, not answering her. He slipped down into the seat Snow had vacated and placed his elbows on the hand rests, steepling them in front of him, his blue eyes regarding his wife, the anger that had been brewing in him finally allowed to surface.

"You started this when we saw Ruby," the woman spoke, more to herself than to him. "Has she done something?" But, then the realization hit her. "You cannot be seriously upset about the type of clothes your daughter has chosen to wear?"

"I can't?" David challenged sharply. "The Black Knights, Mary Margaret!" he pushed through his teeth, his jaw once more clenched in anger. "The murderous, heinous scum who hunted us down, killing indiscriminately! And, she wore their colors!"

Snow shook her head at the man in front of her, understanding that most, if not all of his anger came from frustration and helplessness, fixating upon one point of contention. She had frowned upon Emma's choice of garments, but the knowledge she had gained about the past changed how she thought about it, understanding and forgiving many deeds she had suffered from. And, with the wisdom that comes with time and separation from the events in the past, she could see them a bit differently. She could see the gray, as Emma would remark.

"What would you have her wear?" Snow asked, her voice persistent as she placed her hands on her hips. "The white and gray with the red stripe of your supposed father? The blue and gold of mine? The colors of our own resistance?" She did not move, but only gentled her voice as she tried to reason with her husband. "These mean nothing but awful history to her, especially with the connection she shares with Regina. Regina is her present, her future. Why not wear her colors? At least, until she establishes her own. You yourself have remarked how at home she looks in black." And, it wasn't like there were tailors around ready to create a new set of garments, with the post-curse state of the lands and the war, Snow thought to herself, but chose not to comment on it.

"She is the White Knight!" the man insisted, pushing himself away from the chair, his powerful and angry strides carrying him across the room, to the balcony, where he reached for the artistically carved stone fence, gripping it firmly, as he lowered his head, the sharp cold of the winter's air taking away the raw edge of his temper.

"Just because Rumplestiltskin and Henry called her so," Snow spoke softly, her shoulder leaning against the entrance to the balcony, her hand falling to her belly. Experiencing such a strong déjà vu, she took a moment to appreciate the fact that everything ended well. Well, until the next threat came. However, the current situation demanded her attention back. "We have always insisted that she is our Savior, David. That our daughter is so firmly entrenched in the Heroes' part of the equation. And, I think our beliefs let us blind us to who she really is underneath the titles." Snow approached her husband slowly, placing her hand onto his back, tenderly rubbing the root of his neck in attempt to soothe him. Then, something occurred to her. "She is a flawed human being under all of it, with all the weaknesses we all have, trying to do the best she can under the circumstances." Lightly, she forced him to turn, trying to look into his burdened blue eyes. "Despite all our desires, we cannot protect her – especially not from her own destiny. She killed, yes, but, then, we all have. How many soldiers have you slain, trying to escape George? How many men have I pierced with my arrows? Death is inescapable part of any war, no matter how we wish to spare others…" With a sigh, she came to her point, having realized the irrational burst of panic David had felt at the sight of the uniform had sublimated into anger, wild and indiscriminate. "Her actions are her own, born of necessity, regardless of what she had chosen to wear."

David looked at her in surprise, his anger diminishing under realization that Snow knew better about the reasons of his temper than himself. He had believed that it was the bad memories of black knights, and Emma's willful aligning with them, but in fact it was his fear over her questionable actions that had clouded his judgement.

"Yes, perhaps some things shouldn't have happened, but…" Snow paused as her throat tightened with emotion. "She is our daughter."

"I never wanted this for her," David murmured as he let go of the fence, leaning against it, and pulled his wife into his arms.

"I know," Mary Margaret spoke after letting out a long defeated sigh.

Their somber silence was interrupted an hour later, when Snow's best friend entered the quarters David and she claimed for their own.

---

Her eyes opened wide, the dreams disappearing in the dark of the night as she brought herself up, pushing away the fleece blanket she had used to cover her body. For a moment, she didn't know where she was, the sharp edge of anxiety and fear still present in the rhythm of her pounding heart and rapid breathing, the shallow gasps loud in the quiet of the room she was in. Then, a warm body beside her moved, startling her enough to stop her exhalation, as she waited, her every muscle tense and ready. But, instead of presenting danger that she feared, the body next to her curled into her pillow, a small hand fisting the cloth of the loose shirt she was using for sleeping.

Regina sighed, letting her lungs release the captured air, and as her eyes got used to the darkness of the room, she looked down at Kyle burrowing further into the warmth her body had left behind, her heart finally slowing down, shaking off the effects of her nightmares. Lowering her head, she kissed her son's forehead, before she slipped out of the bed, using a small pulse of magic to dress herself without disturbing her boys, who unlike her seemed to have good dreams.

She had to admire the resilience of children, especially Henry's. Even though he had understood what had happened, catching the snippets of conversations around him, he had not given in to fear, his indomitable heart evident in his ardent support and belief he had offered her the scant hours before.

Regina entered Emma's quarters, having already sent her father away. As soon she closed the door, her eyes fell on the boy standing next to the things displayed on the table in the corner, his light fingers tracing the delicate chain of Emma's neckless, his look of saddened understanding finding her immediately.

Before she could address him, Ruby approached Regina, Kyle in her arms, calling out to his adoptive mother with eagerness, as if he had not seen her for days rather than hours. As the toddler reached for Regina, the shifter tried to apologize for not covering the uniform, but with only a sharp shake of her head and pointed look, the queen dismissed her, a barely there smile offered to the wolf easing the young woman's uncomfortable stance.

"Ruby," Regina's soft utterance stopped the woman at the door to the rooms. "Thank you for looking after them," the older brunette said as she settled her younger charge against her hip.

"Of course, Regina. Good night." Ruby smiled at both Henry and the Mayor before she ducked out, closing the door behind her.

"Henry," the woman spoke softly, as she stepped closer toward her son, her heart breaking for the boy standing beside his birthmother's bloody clothes. "I will find her," she added, her promise firm, as she reached for his shoulder, gently squeezing it. She stood there, expecting a slew of questions, inquiries, accusations but none of it came. The preteen boy did not indulge his inquisitive nature, but instead, he lifted his head slightly and turned toward Regina, giving her an encouraging smile.

"I know," he said softly, his eyes glimmering in the low light of the several lanterns spread through the room. "I know you will," Henry spoke softly, with conviction, leaning into her side, his arm going around Regina's back, holding her in a strong hug. "I believe in you," he added emphatically, his faith in his mother evident in the determined voice and strong squeeze of his embrace. Regina closed her eyes against the powerful emotions filling her at her son's words. For months now, she had enjoyed her reestablished connection with the boy, truly enjoying their interaction and affection – but, as she had found out that very morning, he loved her in ways she could not have imagined, ways that she had thought had been reserved for Emma only, given her extraordinary nature. To know that she, too, shared True Love with him, that he loved her deeply and devoutly despite all the hurt and pain and suffering they had inflicted on each other in the past – it was indescribably invigorating and empowering. However, it wasn't the love part of their bond that she was inordinately proud of, even though she admired it. It was the acceptance and understanding that was intertwined with it in order to create a True Love's bond.

As there were no words to add to Henry's proclamation, Regina kissed his forehead, pulling him into a somewhat clumsy embrace, due to the other child in her arms. Then, she took them to the bedroom, getting them ready for the night, acquiescing to Henry's plea to stay with them during the night.

With another glance to her sleeping children, Regina slowly opened the door of the room, slipping through without rousing either of the boys. After she closed the door behind her, she paused, inclining her head at the scene that welcomed her, her eyebrow going up in curiosity. The warrior woman of the Empire stood before with her back turned to the brunette, dressed in a manner Regina would deem causal, especially for the warrior she had rarely seen out of her armor. Black leather pants encased muscular legs, tucked into knee high soft leather boots, and the woman's upper body was covered with a heavy silk jacket that fell over hips, intricate golden brocade strips adorning the cuffs and lapels of it. Over it was a simple hide belt, polished and clean, with the sword attached to it on one side, and a small dagger on the other. The woman herself was slightly bending over a large platter, her long hair falling over her shoulder freely, its luscious tresses shining like silk in low light of the room. Mulan seemed interested in the food presented on the platter, too lost in contemplating it to notice that she was no longer alone.

It was a rare expression of exulted wonder on the warrior's face that forced Regina to break the quiet, letting a soft chuckle slip out her as she stepped forward, a soft smile pulling on her lips as the almond shaped eyes found her. "Enjoying yourself?" Regina asked gently, as she poured a cup of fresh black tea from the pot beside the platter Mulan had been browsing.

"Mhm," the warrior replied, her hand lifting a small but tasteful looking morsel before she dropped it into her mouth. After swallowing it with a hum of appreciation, Mulan moved slightly aside, leaning onto the wall beside the platter. "Compliments of your cook," she spoke, gesturing toward the food. "He seems to remember that you are an early riser. I simply brought them here. But I don't think even he expected you to be up at this time. It's only three hours after midnight." There was a subtle question in the woman's words, the way of surreptitious query letting Regina choose whether to answer or not, and the brunette appreciated the seemingly perfunctory inquiry and the woman's unobtrusive manner.

"As you said, an early riser," Regina answered before she sipped the still hot tea. "However, that doesn't explain your presence at this hour," the Queen noted, looking at the woman over her steaming cup.

"Traditionally, people of the Empire that have entered adulthood do not sleep on this day, doing whatever is necessary to stay awake until the birth of new Sun," Mulan started speaking, once more looking over the food. Brunette stayed quiet, having a feeling that the warrior was choosing a roundabout way of answering. "Mostly, we celebrate the solstice with music, dancing and storytelling, accompanied with delicacies of our kitchens. Some, like our Elders, meditate and think upon the past year, considering their previous decisions and deeds. But, there is always a certain ceremony to it." Pausing to chew on another morsel, Mulan gestured to her clothes, the meaning quite clear to the woman beside her. The unusual and quite frankly expensive jacket was the warrior's way of adding a particular pomp to the occasion, forgoing her armor for one night of the year. "I was passing by the kitchens when an opportunity rose to assist, and unobtrusively slip away from the revelries. I can exert only so much of my patience, and after listening to boisterous soldiers telling my story many times, rather embellished and inaccurate, if I may add, I found it lacking."

"I would have thought Miss Lucas would keep you company," Regina said after a contemplative sip, taking in the smile that appeared on the face of the warrior at the mention of the shifter. It was strange to see Mulan at ease with emotions, but she could excuse it due to the rambunctious celebrations still happening in and around the palace, the soft tendrils of music and laughter even reaching the quarters of the crown princess.

"She is sleeping. Your sons were very demanding last afternoon, and I am afraid, Snow was not better."

Regina lowered her tea chuckling at the mention of pixie haired woman and sat down at the table, gesturing to her guest to join her before she focused on the food. "So, apart from offering you my breakfast, what can I do for you?" the queen asked nonchalantly, partaking in the food William had sent up.

Adjusting her sword, the guest sighed, placing her forearm onto the table. "It is more the matter of what I can do for you," the warrior spoke slowly, pushing her and slightly toward Regina.

"I wasn't aware that I required assistance," the brunette replied, raising her eyebrow as her eyes scrutinized the Empire native in front of her. Even though the words sounded sly, the tone of them was not. In fact, Mulan sounded sincere and respectful.

"Nonetheless, I offer it regardless." The warrior leaned forward, her eyes not moving from Regina's face. "Be it in a form of a willing ear and shoulder, additional guard for you and your family, or an errand girl, it matters not. I am at your disposal." It was an offer of unconditional support, the first one she had received since she had arrived to this place, not counting Snow's almost demanding insistence to do whatever was necessary to bring her daughter back. Mulan didn't look at her with sympathy and loss, as many of the people of the castle did, but with quiet compassion and firm backing. Why was she different? Why was it so easy for her to believe Regina?

"You aren't going to question me?" Regina asked as she frowned, her skepticism clear. "Or my insistence that Emma is still alive?"

Mulan reached for the pot and a cup, pouring herself tea, stalling for time as she tried to formulate what she wanted to say. Perhaps the morning of the Solstice, right after Emma had disappeared was not a good time to try speaking on the matter, but the warrior wanted to show that she had not faltered in her belief in her friend, that she had remained true and loyal to the Sheriff. Even though Emma had been gone not a full day yet, the Empire heroine could not but feel it deeply. Her friend had suffered through too much already, and she wanted to do as much as she possibly could to ease that pain, and if that meant relegating herself to a mere servant to the former Evil Queen, then that was what she would do.

"I have been watching her carefully, during the times she was with us," the warrior started, her voice soft and filled with concerned affection toward the Savior, as her fingers traced the rim of the cup, the metal warm under her skin, signaling that the tea was still hot. "I've seen her grow and change – turn into a leader unlike any I've known, and one I would follow into the heart of Darkness itself. I've seen her do things, know things, that should have been impossible. Even with our last conversation, I learned more about our Savior than I could ever dream." Mulan chuckled softly at the understatement of her words, her mind transporting her back to the previous morning, to the moment when the Hero of the Empire and the Savior stood together on the wall, their hushed conversation unheard by anyone but them. "She told me, the last time we spoke, that she was different. A creature of magic, not unlike fairies and unicorns." The sharp eyes of the Empire woman took in the fact that Regina's curious expression had not changed at her words. And, why should it, the warrior mused within confines of her mind. If anyone knew Emma's potential and abilities, it would be the woman the Sheriff had shared so much of her with. "If that is indeed true, then assigning the fallacies of our kind to Emma would be a mistake – an underestimation. And, in light of what I know and believe to be true, I have chosen not to underestimate her." Slowly, encouraging smile appeared on the lips of the warrior. "That means, not underestimating you, as well."

Regina felt her eyes tear up at the heartfelt words Mulan had shared with her, and wordlessly, she reached out for the woman's hand, squeezing it in gratitude she could not voice. Swallowing hard against the pressure forming in her throat, the brunette brought herself closer to the warrior and leaning her head to a side, she sighed. "She is still vulnerable, still mortal," she had to say, her tone barely louder than a whisper, her own words serving as a caution against believing Emma to be omnipotent.

"Which is why you need to find her," Mulan replied simply, as she turned her hand under Regina's fingers, grasping them lightly returning the comforting squeeze. Then, she rose to her feet, using her other hand to drink the rest of the tea. "I will join you in your search."

"And, Phillip?"

"He is my friend and he understands my reasons," the warrior explained simply before she smirked at the Queen. "And he knows I would follow certain shifter almost anywhere."

"And, she is coming with us, no doubt convinced by Snow and David's insistence," Regina added wryly. The Empire woman nodded once, before she turned to leave, the time to go getting near, and some preparations were in order. "Mulan," Regina called softly just before the woman was about to close the door behind her. When the almond shaped eyes peered back at her, the brunette allowed her emotions to surface, letting her brown orbs show them to the other woman. "Thank you," she spoke empathically, "for being there for her when I couldn't."

"I would do it again, for both her and you," the warrior said sincerely, before leaving Regina alone with her thoughts.

---

It was still very dark, but he could feel it in the air – the Sun would soon rise, signaling the end of the solstice. The end of celebrations. If it were a time of peace, most of the people that had been reveling would catch up on their sleep, while only those absolutely in need would work. However, it wasn't a time of peace, and with the first morning light, soldiers would return to their duties, and he would start a council pertaining to the status of the prisoners and where would they be housed.

Phillip shuddered as he pulled his cloak closer around him, standing at the top most watch tower, looking at the still blazing fires spreading throughout the fields around the castle. One day before, it had been the blonde Sheriff that had stood there, in the cold, surveying the surroundings, waiting for a real fighting to start. Only one day passed from the moment he had held his wife and unborn child to his arms, praying to live through the siege. And, now, it was he that stood there, alive and well, with all close to his heart safe. All but one.

He had wandered the halls of his temporary home long after most of the Council members had retired, including his darling wife, with his thoughts and the music rising up from the throne hall his only company. Only when he had come upon his friend on her way to her rooms, his solitude had been interrupted. The restless spring in her movements as she had hurriedly explained to him that she and Ruby would join Regina on her way in the morning had clued him in her firm belief that the Savior still lived. At his reluctance to accept it, she had only patted his shoulder and murmured words that, although he had firmly doubted it had been Mulan's intent, had caused him to feel uncomfortably warm and cold at the same time, the prick of shame lodged deeply within him.

The Witch isn't caught or dealt with. Do you really think she would abandon us in time of need, after all times she had saved us before, even to her death? Have you so little faith in her?

He had relied upon the Savior far more than anyone had assumed, and he hadn't even thought to thank her for it, other than mindless words thrown in passing, meaningless in the reality of the debt he owed to the blonde woman. It was his guilt, and his shame, that had brought him out into the freezing cold of the watch tower, as his thoughts turned to the woman who had made the victory they had celebrated through the night possible.

He leaned against the heavy frame holding the warning bell, as he thought back to the day of the unfortunate hunt he had taken his hunters on, early in the days of the Savior's dutiful exile. The blonde had saved his, and the lives of his men that day without a moment of hesitation, even engaging Ogres on their behalf. Since that day, the Sheriff had been godsend, providing them with an early warning to the impending attack, and all other instances she had managed to keep them safe. Emma had given them shelter in the home of her parents, had brought them allies, uniting the unlikeliest of comrades under her, garnering loyalty that most of leaders would be envious of. She had instructed the Wolves to chase the deer into their pens for food, having already filled the larders with other necessities to survive the winter, making it possible for the villagers of the Safe Haven to prepare for the siege. Her magic had kept the castle intact under the volleys of trebuchets of Midas's army, and even after that, she had spent the night with Belle, healing the wounded. Not to mention her wall of fire…

Ever since the village had moved, he had felt irritation toward the men who had clearly had more faith in the Savior's skills of leadership and warfare, despite the fact that Emma had not been involved in them before; having obeyed him only because he had seemed to be appointed as ruler in her absence. The irritation had turned to anger, when all the Wolves had disappeared at her call, almost followed by the Regina's soldiers, who had been left behind only because they had not been fast enough to reach her before she had gone to the cliff. That anger simmered under the surface, hidden, until the chief lieutenant of the black knights had told him that he would follow his monarch, as well as the Wolves had planned to. In truth, he had expected such news as soon as Regina had returned, but what he had not expected had been the commander of the Imperial Guard telling him that a small contingent of men, along with him, would join the Queen, leaving him at the Charmings' palace without most of soldiers who had defended the castle. To have his friend and constant companion for the last several years leave him for the Savior's family had been the last straw of his control over the indignation. However, the words Mulan had uttered softly had brought his anger to stop, and instead, there was only shame and remorse.

He had allowed his own insecurity and self-importance to cloud his mind, and forget that without Emma at the every step of the way during this war, he and his people would be lost many times over. She was the one deserving of people following her and he could not, in honesty of his newly found humility, begrudge her the loyalty, respect, and affection she had inspired in hardened warriors. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he exhaled slowly, letting all of gathered emotions flow out of his troubled heart, the visible steam of his breath vanishing almost immediately in the freezing air. Left behind was the feeling of peace settling in. He still had some good men by his side, and if he was not wrong, many of the enemy's army would join him. After all, with Midas dead and the Safe Haven as the clear victor in the skirmishes, there was not any rush to make a cohesive unit of soldiers.

The Sun rose over the water, the light flooding the fields around the castle quickly, sparking a round of joyous cheers to spread throughout the valley, and in the castle halls. The sound of boots drew Phillip's attention away from the morning vista, his eyes falling upon one of his soldiers.

"The Council members are waiting for you, Sir," the young man spoke as soon as he saw his liege look at him.

Phillip nodded in acknowledgement, and with the last glance toward the blazing trail of light on the sea water, he ducked inside, his steps quick as he directed himself toward the meeting.

---

Henry pushed the large wooden door of the castle stable, entering the large space teeming with people hurrying around as they prepared for the journey that was ahead of them. Narrowly avoiding collision with several soldiers, the boy finally ducked into the last stall, usually assigned to the King's steed, but for the moment, it was occupied by the Camelot-bred. The intelligent dark eyes followed the boy's movements as he approached the mare, slowly and with care, a sliced apple in his hand.

"Hello, Shadow," he said gently, reaching with his free hand toward the muzzle, allowing the horse to smell him in introduction. "I am Henry, Emma's son," he added softly, coming closer to the black mare. When the smart animal huffed in acknowledgement, before sniffling around his other hand, gently pushing him, he chuckled and gave her the apple, using his other hand to push back the forelock of jet black hair, scratching tenderly the skin below.

"I see you met the Savior's boy," a droll young voice said from behind Henry, startling him. He turned around with a wide smile, having recognized the tones of his friend. The boy was dressed in what Henry had learned to be a traditional groom's uniform in Snow and David's domain, carrying a bundle of black velvet under his arm, while over his other shoulder was a newly polished saddle, his fresh face wearing a large grin. "She's a beauty, ain't she? Give me a hand, will ya?"

"Sure," Henry said quickly, helping Elias to lower the saddle on the ground beside the rest of the gear. Then, following his friend's instructions, he helped get Shadow ready for the ride. However, just as he was getting ready to take the mare outside into the courtyard, where the rest of the horses waited to be mounted, a tall man wearing the armor he had seen on his mother's people appeared in front of him, a child sized cape thrown over his arm.

"Master Henry, Her Majesty is waiting for you outside," Damian spoke softly, quite aware that his gruff and large body often frightened the little ones. "And I am to give you this," he added, giving Henry the cape.

The boy smiled at the man, gesturing toward the reins he was holding as he threw the heavy cloth over his shoulder, deciding to put it on later. "Elias and I were just about to bring Shadow out for her," he offered, starting toward the now wide open door of the stable, sharing a look with the other boy under the mare's neck. As soon as the three of them stepped into the courtyard, he saw his mother standing in front of the still closed gates, dressed up in the clothes of this realm, the heavy cloak over her shoulders, Ruby and another groom beside her. And, there, behind the three of them was a magnificent bay filly, already saddled and ready. At Elias's nudge, he turned over the reins, and rushed forward, running up to his mother, holding the cape on his shoulder during his quick dash.

"Hi, Mom," Henry spoke breathlessly, eyeing the horse as he stood beside the brunette. "Ruby," he greeted the other woman after a moment. "What's up?"

Regina took the cape of his shoulder and quickly placed it over both of his shoulders, tying the straps with expertly fingers, used to the task. Then, she pulled him toward the filly, letting the shifter explain.

"This is the horse Emma used to ride before she found Shadow," the younger brunette spoke, placing her hand on Henry's shoulder as she signaled the groom to bring the bay closer. "She is well trained and obedient. Your mother and I thought she would be perfect for you."

"Really?" Henry asked, turning toward his mother and getting a smiling nod in return, he skipped toward the filly, repeating the introduction he had offered to Shadow. "What is her name?"

"Emma never got round to naming her, so I just call her Chestnut," Elias spoke from behind them, finally reaching them.

"Hey, Chestnut," Henry whispered to the horse, taking the reins from the other groom, and with Ruby's help mounted up, letting the groom adjust the stirrups for him. He waited impatiently while the others mounted up, chatting with Elias to pass the time, often throwing glances around, surprised by the sheer number of people joining them. However, not all of them were on horses. All of the shifters, aside from Red, were on foot, their chief close to his mother, a large bundle in his arms. Only when Regina took it off him and tied it to the back of the saddle, Henry caught a glimpse of the familiar hilt. But, before he could ask his mother about it, one of the soldiers carefully brought his steed to them, offering Elias his hand.

"Their Highnesses want their groom with them," the armed man explained as he motioned toward Snow and David watching them closely, Neal already mounted up beside them, after he was met with a bewildered look from the boy. "Come along, boy, we're setting out soon," he urged Elias to move, extending his arm closer to the boy. At the sound of the gate opening and the portcullis going up, the groom jumped, quickly settling behind the soldier, waving Henry as the man brought his horse to the back of the formation.

As the boy watched the people mount up, he offered a small wave to the two women astride beautiful horses, right behind them, Ruby bending low in order to speak with one of the Wolves, and nodding at something the fur covered woman said, his curious eyes following the shifter move toward front.

Henry turned forward, nudging Chestnut to stand closer to Shadow, as he watched some of the Wolves make a protective circle around the two of them. "Don't worry," his mother's voice brought his eyes to his right side, where Regina was, astride Shadow and with Kyle in front of her, in a contraption similar to the baby carrier. "They are really fast," she continued as she offered him a gentle smile. Then she raised her hand, signaling Damian to set out.

"Move out!" The loud words spoken by the Black lieutenant started the whole procession, people riding out slowly over the bridge to the hard ground before allowing their horses to pick up the speed. In the field several hundred yards away from the gates, the large group was met with the Imperial Guard contingent counting thirty men, the commander joining Damian at the front after he greeted Regina. It was only then that they were allowed to press the horses to go into canter.

Very pleased with the fact that his mother had given him the cape with a hood, along with his woolen scarf, as the cold breeze during the ride became freezing, Henry hunkered low over the horse's neck, conserving heat, having noticed that both Snow and David were using the same tactics to keep warm.

---

Two hours passed, and the riding party never stopped for a break, too eager to reach the shelter of Regina's castle soon. They didn't push the horses, but kept them going at speeds they could successfully endure for half a day and more, the time Snow had estimated that they would need to get to the castle. And, the light canter of horses allowed the Wolves to easily keep up with the horsemen. They ran through the forests and fields surrounding the roads the riders used, serving as scouts while joyously running, after spending weeks being cooped up in the Charmings' Palace.

The chief of the shifters suddenly slowed down, his eyes no longer on the land in front of him, but turned to the gray skies. Regina noticed his peculiar behavior, pulling the reins lightly, matching Liam's pace. "What is it, Liam?" she asked softly, so only he could hear her, as she too looked up.

"I think that we should stop as soon we get out of this copse," the Wolf answered reluctantly, not willing to say more to the nature of his concern.

"Here?" Regina wondered out loud, as she tried to recall anything of importance nearby but coming up short.

"We're about to have a visitor," the shifter added softly, still looking up.

Suddenly, Regina could feel something reaching out to her, a consciousness without a body, slowly sinking into her mind, its touch gentle and affectionate. For some reason, the only way to describe what was happening to her was to liken the feel to the surface meld she had had with Emma at one time. As soon as her mind made the comparison, the small clues Liam had given her fell into their place and she understood.

Quite the clever one. Listen to the pup.

"It's her, isn't it? The Last of her kind?" She murmured as the group rode out of the small forest, looking at the shifter. Liam's eyes went wide at her words, but quickly he recovered and nodded in confirmation. So, as soon as the last soldier cleared the woods, she stopped Shadow. "Halt," she said, letting the magic enhance the word, instead of yelling.

"Your Majesty?" Damian spoke questioningly as he steered his steed near to his monarch, closely followed by the Empire commander.

"Everything is alright, Lieutenant," Regina reassured her man, before she looked around, noticing that all of the Wolves were now among them. Oddly, each mount had one of shifters beside them, and the brunette quickly realized it was for added help with the horses for when the animals smelled the dragon. "Dismount," she said firmly, before doing so herself. "And, no weapons!" she ordered sharply, her fierce gaze meeting both her lieutenant and the commander, before she extended her gaze to the Empire woman in the back. With relief, she saw Liam stepping toward Chestnut, helping Henry off his saddle, gently keeping him to his side.

"Regina, what is going on?" Snow's voice filled the air, as the younger brunette walked toward her former step-mother. "Why have we stopped?"

"You'll see soon enough," the Queen murmured as she gently transferred the sleeping child to his grandmother. "No weapons," she reiterated to the Prince Charming standing beside his wife.

"What is that?" one of the soldiers spoke as he pointed to the sky, where a dark shade appeared, taking a form of a very large bird, getting bigger by every second.

"It's… a dragon…" another one murmured, as he pulled on the reins of his suddenly skittish horse.

"A dragon!" quickly spread through the crowd, the yells giving way to panicked shouts, before Regina lost her temper at the men, making a sharp metallic sound, alike a whistle, with her magic, forcing them to shut up. "No one move one inch!" she grounded through her teeth, the very earth vibrating with her words, as she glared at her men, reminding them who was in charge, for now they stood steady in their places – reminded firmly of their oaths. Oddly enough, the first person to obey was her brother, his dark eyes watching her closely with interest.

Then she looked toward Red and Mulan, her eyes gentling as she beseeched the couple silently to trust her, and to help her control the crowd. Luckily, Ruby took cues from her magical kin, noting their lack of panic and outright fear, as they stood firmly beside the horses, preventing them from bolting. Mulan, on the other hand, did not need further clues, the conversation she had had with Regina that very morning all too clear in her mind. Hers was not to question the Queen, and if Regina wanted her cooperation, then, that is what she would get. With quick steps, the warrior rushed to the bay, nudging Ruby to come along, and she smiled at the frightened boy frozen in panic beside the horse. "No need to be afraid, Master Henry," Mulan whispered gently to him, her soft hold pulling him toward her and Ruby, the two women guarding him from both sides. She did not miss a pleased rumble coming of the Chief of shifters, nor did she miss the grateful look the Queen sent her.

"Regina, what are you doing? We have to move, we're in the open." David grabbed her arm, but her hard gaze made him let go. But, before he could say anything more, the dragon roared as it landed, only twenty feet away from David and Regina, the grounds trembling under its weight and the wind rising from its powerful wings that gleamed in the winter Sun. Having prevented the noble prince by her side to draw his weapon by catching his hand, squeezing it in warning, she stepped forward slowly as she glanced toward their visitor, frowning when she heard the unmistakable sound of the blade leaving its sheath.

"Lower your sword, David," she spoke over her shoulder before she looked toward the dragon in front of her. "It is not needed." Then, she stepped closer, bowing slightly to the golden beast, her eyes taking in the magnificence of the creature of the skies.

"Well met, Guardian. Blessed are the winds that have brought Lady of the Skies to us." Regina's words ringed out clearly in the silence that followed her approach, the respect behind them causing the men to gasp in surprise, her knights stunned that she knew one of the legendary beasts by name, and the Empire soldiers recognizing that the Savior's mate was turning out to be just as extraordinary as the blonde was.

The golden eyes focused onto the woman, as the huge head hovered several feet above ground, only two yards away from the Queen. "The Sheriff spoke well of you, child," the deep rumbling voice filled the air. "It is fortunate she also spoke the truth." Then, the powerful voice gentled, as the dragon raised her head to look at the others, a growl sounding deep in her throat as her eyes fell on the man who had slain her son. "Your search is over," Guardian spoke.

"You know where she is?" Regina asked as relief filled her body.

"You know Emma?" Snow asked from behind Regina, stepping beside her husband. "Tell us," the woman implored firmly, ignoring Regina's warning hiss.

"First, the word of Midas's demise? Is it premature?" the dragon said, her eyes returning to the queen in front of her, completely disregarding Snow's demands.

"No," Regina answered quickly. "Emma took care of him personally."

"Took care of him?" David scoffed softly, too ignorant to know that both Guardian and Regina could hear him, as well as could all of the Wolves. "Don't you mean, murdered him in cold blood?" he murmured, thinking only Snow would make notice of his words.

Suddenly, the majestic beast growled, the golden head swiveling toward the insolent man. "Midas had plenty to answer for, and the Sheriff was within her rights. His end was just and timely." The cold reprimand forced both Charmings to step back, flinching away from the golden eyes glimmering with fire.

"Why won't you tell us where she is?" the pixie haired woman wailed at the beast. "We deserve to know."

"You deserve nothing!" Guardian roared, stepping closer to the couple, taking care not to accidentally run over the Savior's mate, as faint pillars of smoke rose from her nostrils.

"She is our child!" David yelled back, holding Snow to his side, placing himself in front of her.

"You cannot know the pain we…" Snow started, but the sharp shout from Regina broke her off.

"Snow, quiet!"

Suddenly, there was only silence, as the golden eyes regarded the couple with cold fury. "You dare say I know no pain of loss," the dragon hissed, the words washing over the Charmings, and over the others as well, the rumble of it felt in the ground. "When it was your True Love that killed my son!" Guardian addressed the woman, before the large head swiveled toward David. "Isn't that right, Dragon Slayer?"

Although she was familiar with the fact that the dragon David had killed on Midas's orders ages before was Guardian's offspring, Regina was quite surprised that the beast allowed that information to be known to the entire group of people. Fearing that one of them would do something to spark bloodshed; she quickly walked toward the Charmings, intending to somehow talk down the enraged creature. However, before she could even dare to speak, the large golden body moved, its powerful wings spreading to their full span as the dragon reared onto its hind legs and tail, stretching upwards and releasing a powerful pillar of flame, its heat melting the snow cover around them, followed by a thunderous roar that almost shook Regina off her feet. Then, the beast took flight, using its lift to set down farther away from the couple that had provoked it so.

"Stay quiet," Regina hissed before she pivoted around, walking imperiously toward the dragon, her glare warning anyone away from following her. She approached the still furious creature, minding its flicking tail. "I apologize," she started humbly as the golden eyes focused on her, before a gentle voice in her mind stopped her.

Do not plead on their behalf, child. They will answer to another.

"Do you wish to hear the news I bear?" Guardian spoke aloud after a moment, and with Regina's solemn nod, the creature lowered the golden head, drawing near to the woman. "The Dark Knight is no more," the beast spoke in tones that carried over the field, enjoying the anguished sobs echoing the words. "Let her rest in peace." Slowly, the large eye was covered with a scaly lid, before the golden iris again focused onto the brunette, as the dragon showed her teeth in playful smirk, seen only by Regina. "The fight against the Wicked Witch is no longer hers; you must bear her burden and continue in her stead. You must end it, for the sake of the world." Guardian carefully brought her snout to Regina and licked her forehead, before once more spreading her wings. "May we meet with better tidings, Protector."

Honored that the majestic dragon, the last of its kind, had bestowed a title upon her, Regina watched the golden beast rise up to the sky and fly away, her eyes following its flight long after it became obscured to the others, using magic to amplify her vision. Then, as Guardian disappeared from her sight, she turned toward the others, grim mask falling over her features, in accordance with the news the dragon had delivered. She walked up to Shadow and mounted up, others emulating her actions with little delay. No one spoke, as they waited upon her orders, only soft sobs of the Savior's mother heard in the clearing. With magic, Regina transferred Kyle out of Snow's arms into her own, and with a clack of her tongue, she urged Shadow onward, letting the mare set the pace, guiding her toward the White Castle, her former seat of power.

On one side, she felt the silence was too cruel to the others, especially the parents of the lost Knight. But, on the other hand, she needed the quiet to sort through what she was feeling, the traces of the meld still present in her thoughts. And, if the knowledge she had of the dragon's mannerisms and its penchant to speak in riddles and allegories was to be known, it would be shared by the beast itself. So, she kept quiet, only offering a soft, soothing smile to the boy riding beside her, and he smiled back, his eyes burning with questions roaming in his head, but the faith of the previous night still firmly shining through.

She sighed with relief when she saw the shape of her former home looming in the distance, softly telling Henry to force Chestnut into gallop, as she wanted to reach the walls of her keep as soon as possible. There, within the walls of the castle, she would be able to retire for several hours, sparing herself the questions that would no doubt start at the first convenient opportunity. Only to manage till tonight, she spoke within her mind, her words sounding both exasperated and elated at the same time to herself.

---

The sharp wind flew over his taut skin, going through his shaggy hair, as he sat on the top of the wall that surrounded the castle, his naked back turned to it, while his watchful eyes passed over the forest in front of him. Although the temperatures were below snap freezing, he sat on the hard stone, covered only in his fur lined pelt breeches and fur wrap boots, the skins he used to cover his torso folded beside him. It was his innate magic, the heat of his dual nature, which had kept him warm through the cold. It was a ritual for him of sorts, something he had learned from his father. Only those with masterful command over their Wolf could keep the magic thrumming constantly in their blood, giving them abilities their animal forms had while still human. Fighting off immense cold was one of those abilities. Another was unusually strong hearing and sharp night vision. So, as the Alfa of his tribe, Liam practiced his control every time he had time, often causing others of his clan to look at him with awe and incredulity.

This particular evening, he had chosen the farthest spot from the castle he could and to still be within its bounds, chased away from the halls by the tension he could feel rising among the members of the Savior's family. With the Sheriff's mate sequestered in her private quarters, the Black Guard turning everyone away but her boys, the others turned to each other, venting their frustration and sorrow by raging against Regina's unusually cold behavior and avoidance, hashing and rehashing the words they had heard that afternoon from the unlikeliest of sources, often sprouting accusations and theories that had made the Wolves and most of the Empire men uncomfortable, choosing to stay away from the grieving family.

In fact, most of the Wolves had taken a chance to explore the woods and the shore surrounding the palace. He had remained behind, as a self-appointed guard, his senses spread out to monitor not only the areas in front of the high walls, but also the castle itself. At his post since the Sunset, he had sat there, noting the passage of time by the various sounds coming from behind him – the change of guard the Black Knights had instantly formed, the evening meal preparations, the slow settling down for the night of the castle inhabitants until the sleepy quiet covered the ominous arches of the White Castle.

A sound came, one that should not have been made that late in the night, and Liam was instantly aware of its location. Not sparing any second to consider his actions, he threw his pelt over his shoulders, jumping of his guard place, catching himself in a roll over the snow covered ground before he started running toward the source of the sound, his feet silent on the castle grounds. Vaulting easily over the inner walls of the palace, he stopped for a moment to judge his approach.

Again, his ears picked up the sound no one but him would have been able to hear from that far away. The sound of shifting pebbles as someone walked over one of the paths in the Royal gardens. Quickly, he started climbing the tree that would place him within a range of one of lower levels of the gardens, from where he would be able to see where the intruder was. As the only way leading to the Royal gardens was from the Royal chambers, apart from scaling the walls and climbing the trees as he was now doing, he concluded that there were only two options to who the person walking over the pebbled paths could be. Either it was young Henry or queen Regina, or it was an intruder, meaning them harm. As he had not heard the large and heavy iron inlaid doors to the brunette's quarters move, neither had he heard the guard stationed at them greet anyone, he was wary to assume it was one of the Royal family.

With stealth his kind prided of, he sneaked onto the small level of gardens, the most inner part of them, hiding behind one of the pillars as he looked around to see who was making the noise which had started all of this. However, no one was there. Peeking out of his hideout, he carefully entered the garden, mindful not to step on the shifting stones of the paths, but lightly hoping over the frozen ground he watched for the intruder, his sharp eyes surveying every shadow and every nook. His search brought him to the center of the garden, where a beautiful apple tree stood, where only a small stalk had been the last time he had been there. The tree was in full bloom, its leaves deeply green and fruits scrumptiously red, despite the fact that one of the most vicious winters the Enchanted Forest had seen in its latest history had taken hold.

His mind away from the intruder, he stood in front of the towering tree, gaping at the vision that only magic could bring. Slowly, he jumped atop of the small stone fence circling this miracle, and remaining in crouch, he leaned slightly, his arm outreached, his fingers meeting the warm bark of the apple tree. Still not believing that what he had felt was true, he laid his palms over the rough surface, wondering at the source of such miracle.

"It is her gift for me," a soft whisper came from behind him, startling him into a half turn as he faced his intruder. There, under the branches of the tree, the woman shrouded in darkness stood, her eyes thirstily passing over the fruit bearing tree, gorging on the enormous sign of affection from the Savior. Then, the woman moved one step forward, her eyes falling onto the shifter. "From a seed buried in the soil, left forgotten, she had given me this…"

Realizing that this tree was something rather personal to the brunette, the shifter slowly came down, moving away from it, his head bowed in respect toward the Queen. "I apologize, I've intruded," he murmured, as he stepped backwards, intending to return to the wall, to his post.

"In worry for the safety of my family, no doubt," Regina said knowingly as she followed him, coming out of the shadow the tree provided. Only then, Liam saw her attire, making him frown. The woman before him was dressed as if she was to leave the comfort of her castle, into the freeze of the winter, the fur cloak covering her shoulders and back, the hood of it resting on top of her head with only her face exposed to the cold air. Underneath the thick cloak, she had dark leather leggings and boots lined with fur. Devoid of any jewelry, the only thing she had on that contrasted the black of her clothes, were the brown saddle bag and the bundle with the Savior's sword in it.

"You're leaving," he spoke with bewilderment, his eyes pinned on the gleaming hilt of the blade.

"Yes," Regina replied softly. "And, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Anything," he offered, the shock over his discovery leaving him in an instant. He knew that Guardian had powers he couldn't fully comprehend, and it was likely that she was the one guiding the woman in front of him in her quest.

"Only Henry and Damian know of my absence, as of yet," the brunette started as she walked with him to the pillars surrounding the inner garden. Leaning against the white marble, she peered into his iridescently glowing eyes, the yellow-golden eyes of the Wolf looking back at her with interest. "I'll come back as soon as I can, but I don't know when," she continued. "Keep them safe, at any cost," she finally whispered, her eyes fleeting toward the stairs and upwards, to her quarters, where her children were sleeping. "No matter what anyone else says, if your instincts tell you to move them, do so. Both my Captain and Henry know I trust you on this."

"The others?"

"If you can help, then by all means do so. However, my children are the first priority." Regina lifted her glove covered hand and placed it on Liam's hairy cheek, guiding his head lower, not really surprised by the warmth his skin was exuding despite the cold. The gold shimmering circles of light told her where his eyes were, and if she focused, she could feel his innate power flowing through his body, giving it strengths and senses no ordinary human would have. It was soothing, in a way, to be around someone magical, who could feel that pull deep within her soul. And, that evening, during her ruminations over the events of the day, she finally understood Emma's mysterious words from her diaries. They see me as the ultimate Alpha, she had written, and Regina had thought that it was only because Emma was born of True Love, and had its magic. But, the truth was much more complicated – and she glimpsed one part of it that day, during the surface meld with the dragon. Anyone earning the respect of one of the oldest and most powerful races in the existence of the Enchanted Forest was someone to bow down to and obey. With that in mind, Regina smiled to the chief of the Wolves in front of her, realizing that it was his dual nature that urged him to protect her and her children, as she was the mate of the Sheriff. "Liam, I am not asking you for the blood oath, and I think that you know why," she whispered gently, rubbing her fingers into his cheek as he lowered his eyes, her other hand going to the gold bangle he had tied to his belt, the shape of swan not visible in the darkness, but she could feel its lines under her fingers. "I trust you, Liam," she insisted as she brought his face to her own, offering him the matriarchal benediction of his people, leaning her lips against his eyebrow, soft words murmured under breath.

She stepped back, letting her arms fall. And, with the last look toward the Palace, she disappeared in the colored smoke. Then, his enhanced ears picked up a soft hoof fall on a small forest road, barely a stone throw away from the high walls of the castle. Rushing toward his post, he saw the black horse and its rider in the distance, pausing for one last glance of the keep, before setting off to south, the Camelot-bred taking the Queen out of his sight far sooner than he had expected it to.

With a sigh, Liam reached for the circle of gold at his hip, tracing the shape of the elegant bird, his mind on both the woman who had made this for him and the woman who had touched it only minutes before, lowering himself into the seating position, his senses already primed to detect any danger to his charges.

---

Little one needs you, child. She needs you to help her. You cannot dally for long, she might not last. But, no one can know where you are going, or why. Secrecy is still needed. When you are ready, ask Shadow to take you.

The words Guardian had shared with her hours before via their meld, in the scant moments of silence in the aftermath of the news the dragon had offered out loud, came to her as she urged Emma's trusted horse to hurry, despite the fact that they were already going too fast to actually see where they were headed. The words did not offer comfort, but inspired fear in Regina – heart stopping fear that she was already too late to help her beloved, to save her. The brunette had fought hard with herself to stay until the dead of night, needing the Charmings and Neal asleep before she would even consider sneaking out of the castle, each hour that passed making her feel as she was making a big mistake by waiting. However, Guardian had said secrecy was paramount, and she listened, despite every tenet of her being telling her to ignore it and go immediately.

In order to distract herself, she had spent time with her children, telling her eldest that she would be away for a while. Henry's indulging smile had been her only answer as the boy had sat on the lounge chair. His shining eyes, so alike his mother's, had watched her with amusement, the boy offhandedly telling her that she should bring the sword along wherever she was going to as she might need it. Later during the evening meal, she had met with her trusted lieutenant whom she had promoted to captain, an honor she had been long overdue of awarding him with. With vague explanation to please his curiosity, she had given him his orders, mentioning that the Wolf, the leader of them, would be the authority on safety of her children, simply because he had superior instincts and senses. After her children had fallen asleep, she had packed, taking only most necessary things. Among them, the flask Belle had given her in secret.

Despite the sheer number of people located in the War room, the Council session was rather short – the only goal of this meeting had been to decide where to house the prisoners. It was concluded when she, with earnest agreement from Snow, offered her own castle to the people, letting Phillip deal with the details. With that finished, she quickly left the room, her hurried steps ringing off the stone halls as she walked to her quarters. However, she was followed by someone, and glancing over her shoulder Regina could see the young beloved of her father rushing towards her, all the while, the young woman was looking around to see if anyone else was nearby.

"May I," Belle timidly started as she came to Regina, motioning to older woman to continue on towards the rooms. "May I speak with you?"

The brunette looked over the woman in front of her, surprised to see her nervous. "Of course," she offered, guiding the librarian into the sitting room of Emma's quarters, closing the door behind her. "Is something wrong, Belle?" she had to ask, as she reached for the woman, to stop her from pacing in front of the fireplace, gently forcing her to sit down, seating herself right beside the young woman.

"Wrong?" Belle looked away from her hands, into the expectant brown eyes, her bewilderment at the odd question disappearing as soon as Regina raised her eyebrow in disbelief. "No, no," the girl chuckled softly. "Nothing's wrong. Just, I've been thinking."

"Yes?" Regina prompted with a smile, amused by the speed Belle had recovered her vivaciousness.

The kind woman nodded, as if to steel herself, and stuck her hand between the ruffles of her skirt, pulling out a flask, a small metal container Regina had only read of, and gave it to the brunette, closing Regina's unmoving fingers over it, while the older woman stared unblinkingly at the engraving the flask held.

"I don't understand," Regina murmured softly as she lifted her head, meeting the gentle blue eyes.

"Emma gave it to me," Belle said in a whisper. "It's Fìorleigh…"

"I know what it is," the Queen interrupted quickly, her voice much too sharp than she had intended for it to be. "She meant this for you, Belle."

"I know," the other woman replied softly, leaning slightly back, worrying her hands as she looked down at the flask. "And, it has helped, greatly." Belle sighed. "But, I cannot help but wonder… Maybe, now it's she who needs it… If I had a way to help and I didn't, I would never forgive myself." Shaking her head to dispel the dark thoughts, the girl rose from her seat, smiling at Regina. "So, take it. And, if she is okay, you can give it back." The slightly teasing manner she spoke to the older brunette coaxed a light smirk out of Regina, and she nodded in assent, squeezing the flask firmly in her hand. "Well, then, that's all… Good luck!"

The Mayor chuckled as she watched the other woman escape from the room, leaving her to wake the boys and prepare for the journey. She knew that the young woman still harbored some well-hidden fear of the Evil Queen, and her raised voice didn't help the matters, so Regina disregarded the abrupt exit of the librarian.

Apart from the constant whipping of the strong winds caused by the incredulous speeds Shadow was managing, Regina was aware of little else. She could not even differentiate any sounds, the constant thrum of her own heart beating was deafening to her, the roar of her blood in her ears keeping her from being able to listen. And, if she could, she thought to herself, there would be nothing to hear but the incredible staccato of the hooves pounding over the frozen earth covered in day old snow. She didn't notice when the magical steed passed a thick line of trees that went along the border with the Infinite Forest. Only when the air around her changed, becoming doused with the strong scent of pines and cedar trees, along with heady feel of errant magic that permeated the place, she realized where she was, her inability to locate her beloved with ordinary means explained.

Sometime later, in Regina's estimation after five or six hours of the breakneck ride across the realms of the Enchanted Forest, a couple of hours of their flight through the woods of the mystical forest brought them to a small creek wandering around a low hillock, following the gentle slope to the West, deep in the woods, when Shadow slowed down, easily continuing on in much more sedated pace, crossing the water, her hooves breaking the ice over the stream, before stepping onto the other bank, the dark earth rich and softened by the damp. Trusting the mare, Regina kept quiet, as she sat up in the saddle, her hand pushing the heavy cloak off her head, using the slow gait of the horse to gather her bearings and to see what was around, her eyes surveying the quiet forest in front of her under the weak light of the early morning. As Shadow carefully picked her way up the hillock, the woman looked ahead, noticing a row of uniformly looking boulders planted at the top of the rise, and it seemed that the horse was taking her right to them.

Several minutes passed, and Shadow stopped, turning her head back, the intelligent eye looking at Regina with expectance, followed by a barely heard neigh. The brunette patted the neck of the animal in understanding before she dismounted, throwing the reins across the saddle. Then, she turned to the boulders, now right in front of her and came closer to one of them, scrutinizing it thoroughly. It was a ten feet tall piece of hard granite rock that was about three feet wide at the bottom, and several inches less at the rounded top. It was mostly covered in thick moss, but Regina could see dark gray patches peeking out from the green-gray coat, weathered by time. However, the most interesting about the stone was the deep engravings at the outer side of the boulder, and after several seconds of deep study, the Queen could recognize the symbols. "Elvish," she murmured softly to herself, frowning in surprise, as she traced one of the letters with her leather covered finger. And, it must have been a strange dialect, because she could not understand it, only familiar with several symbols, the meaning of the words scripted on the stone escaping her. Tilting her head, she stepped away, glancing at the boulder to the left, three paces away, and she saw that it, too, had the same symbols engraved. But, what were they supposed to be? A warning sign? A border? And, what was she supposed to do?

Her examination of the stones was interrupted by a loud snicker from behind her. "What?" Regina spoke with mild irritation as she looked back at the horse. Shadow snorted twice before she moved, walking right between two of the rocks and then, she stopped, shaking her head at Regina and neighing. Rolling her eyes at the mare, and herself, the brunette chuckled lightly before she, as well, passed by the slabs of stone. Greeted by another snicker and a restless tap of the front right hoof, Regina sighed in exasperation. "Don't you think this would've been easier if you could talk?" she said as she lifted her leg into a stirrup, before she vaulted in the saddle. When the horse snorted in suffering agreement, the woman grinned and patted the neck of the majestic steed, yelping in surprise when Shadow bolted suddenly, her reprimanding words falling on deaf ears. The horse sprung into gallop, gleefully jumping over the fallen logs or naturally formed ditches on the way, while Regina held the reins tightly, with exhilaration filling her blood, getting over the playful startle, as she enjoyed the current pace very much. She could feel the hooves pound the earth, the muscles move underneath her effortlessly. She could hear the whistles of branches passing her as well as her own excited breathing.

All of a sudden, the horse and the rider landed on a small dirt road in the middle of thick woods that looked recently traversed. Regina pulled the reins gently, bending down to investigate, noticing the fresh wheel marks pressed into the hard-packed ground. "It looks only a day old," the woman noted aloud, as she righted herself in the saddle. "Where now?" she asked, letting Shadow go wherever she wanted.

Following the road up North for several hundred yards, Regina felt a shift in the air, immediately becoming more alert, stopping them in place. They weren't alone anymore. Calling for her magic, the sorceress saw the shadows move among the trees, quickly hopping from one to another, until she was surrounded. Then, the sound of blade coming out of its scabbard was heard, and one of the shadows became solid, as a man, tall and armored man, stepped forward onto the road, standing in front of Regina, barring her way. A long lance was in his hand, the sharp tip of it gleaming in the shaft of light passing through crowns of trees, while the man himself still remained in the shade. However, the rider could see he wore a heavy hauberk with mail coif covering his head, with gauntlets and greaves protecting arms and legs. And, off the belt, a sword was hanging.

"Hold, in the name of our Queen!" the man cried sharply, lowering the tip of his lance toward them. "Surrender and you shall not be slain," he said as he drew his sword, his comrades coming out of hiding onto the road, each man with his weapon ready to fight.

But, before Regina could even move, another rider joined them, coming from behind the lancer. As soon as the others saw him, they parted to let him through, the lancer saluting him as he had sheathed his blade the moment he had seen him barreling down the road.

"She is expected, Brandon," the rider spoke simply, his words dismissal enough to others as they slinked back into the shadows of the forest, before he looked at Regina. "Follow me," he said to her before he turned around, kicking the flanks of his horse, forcing him to gallop away, returning to where he had come from.

"You better follow, lass," Brandon encouraged her, walking away from the road.

Urging Shadow to comply, Regina quickly gained on the other rider, the speed of her horse noticed by the man, who then slowed down as he looked at the brunette by his side. While his hazel eyes passed over the black clothes and cloak of the woman mounted a top of one of the most magnificent offspring of his people's unique breed. In return, he was examined and judged, as well; dark, dissecting eyes taking in his appearance. The man seemed young, in his twenties, but he did not have the air of inexperience around him. No, the rider had an edge of hardness and duty visible in the tenseness of his body, as he sat with his back straight, his left hand resting lightly on his thigh, only inches away from a dagger holster tied to his leg. As they rode through a patch of light streaming through the forest roof, the glow of the Sun fell on his face, alighting his healthy and clean copper skin of his face, devoid of beard, while his dark brown hair was cropped close to his scalp, the gentle fuzz of it tamed with oils. Despite the fact that he was dressed impeccably in deep blue velvet and brocade as a duke or count, even his leggings embroidered with silver, he had the poise of a man who spent most of his time wearing a heavy armor.

"You respect your horse," he spoke after a moment of silent regard, his voice losing all the gruffness from before, cordial tone somewhat easing the tension between them.

"She is not my horse," Regina quickly answered, surprised by his opening. "Shadow doesn't belong to anyone," she added softly, her gloved fingers sinking into the low end of the steed's mane, the gentle touch causing the mare to huff in return, her visible eye roll making the brunette chuckle. "I ride her because she lets me."

"Shadow?" the man asked with a smile.

"Name she chose. Name that suits her."

The man glanced toward Regina and hummed in response, as he guided them along the treacherous path through the dense forest, their road steadily climbing. "It is curious," he said slowly as they followed the narrow lane snaking up the rise, one dangerous bend at the time. "Not many people earn the right to ride one of the Gallant-bred, as it takes a special kind of person to do it. It is the blood of unicorns in them, you see – it seeks virtue and grace." He shook his head in amusement. "To see that the Evil Queen is one of those people…"

"Actually, I prefer Regina," the woman replied sharply, frowning slightly at the odd way he had described Shadow, and his manner of addressing her.

The man nodded contritely in acknowledgement. "Apologies, your Majesty." He then motioned for her to stop, right before they were to come to the top of the climb. "There are stories that said you have changed, that you aren't the tyrant you were before the curse. I am glad to see that they weren't just stories." He watched her with serious expression on his youthful face.

"Why?" Regina asked, as she tried to see beyond the rise, her curiosity peaked by the apparently intended pause in their journey. "Why is that important?"

"Because, otherwise you would not be able to set foot into this forest," the man spoke gently, before he urged her to climb the last part of the path, coming to a snow filled plateau on top of the wood covered hill, where a small settlement was. She gasped as she saw what only could be a village, built long ago, the magnificence of the masonry not the least bit belied by the small size of the hamlet. A few small cottages, built of blocks of stone and wood, surrounded another building, situated at the very edge of what seemed to be a cliff of the hill, or rather the plateau, which looked at a big valley below. The white marble pillars stood atop of stairs that went along the whole front side of the building, holding up a dome consisting of two slanting surfaces serving as roof. And, in the triangular space formed at the front, with intricate relief filling every inch of it, there, right at the widest point, at the center, was a beautifully carved representation of the sigil of the Order of the Red Dragon, with a twelve point crown above it.

As soon as her eyes fell on the Royal Seal of the Order, Regina gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth. Numbly, she slid from her saddle and walked toward the marble construction, passing through the village without noticing anything else on the way. She could feel the man's presence at her back, gently leading her forward, to the stairs, but she could not look away from the lifelike relief of marble with a dragon standing on a round table depicted on it. Suddenly, her foot hit the first step, making her lose her balance, and if it wasn't for the firm hold of the man that had brought her there, she would have collapsed onto the stairs.

Only then, Regina was able to look away, to lower her eyes. There – at the top of the stairs, in front of the large doors leading inside the magnificent one story building, stood a woman, with kindness and wisdom shining out of her amber eyes, as she looked at Regina, offering her a gentle understanding smile. The woman was waiting, her hands holding one another, lightly resting at her belly, the rich, dark color of her skin standing out against the whiteness of the marble surrounding her, and the purity of her white dress embroidered with golden designs. A golden circlet rested atop of her thick and silky hair in the color of burnt umber, proudly announcing that she was the ruler of these people, the ruler of this small village, but she had not needed it, for her own patient stance spoke of her royal status.

"Lady Regina," the man spoke as he slowly released the gentle hold he had on Regina, taking her hand and guiding her up the steps, toward the royal. "It is my great honor and immense pleasure to present to you the rightful Queen of Camelot, Her Royal Majesty Queen Morgan."

As soon as she had seen the seal on the top of the building, she had known that it had to do something to do with Camelot, with the knights of the Round table, the members of the Order of the Red Dragon, but she hadn't thought that the man would take her to meet the former wife of the legendary king, who had been dead for decades now. And, here, in the Infinite Forest, nonetheless.

"Regina," the queen murmured softly, a tender but small smile pulling at her lips. Then, she inclined her head toward the still silent woman. "Welcome to Dragon's Bluff," the regal woman spoke, her rich and soothing alto breaking Regina out of her stupor.

"Queen Morgan," Regina murmured as she inclined her head in greeting, accepting the hand that the other woman had offered her, not knowing what else to say to the woman who was supposedly the most powerful sorceresses of her time, a legend just as famous as her former husband had been.

The host chuckled lightly at the brunette's still dazed expression, before she turned to the man standing beside them. "Thank you, Percy. I'll take it from here." She smiled at him, and after watching him quickly jog down the steps toward the horses, she took Regina's arm, linking their elbows, and patted the guest's hand in an indulgently comforting gesture. "Come along, you have traveled a great distance to be here. You must be hungry." The monarch said tenderly as she brought Regina inside, leading her to a small terrace, where a table was already set with food. "Help yourself," she offered, as she poured a freshly squeezed apple juice into cups, giving one to her guest and sitting down, leaning against the railing of the balcony, gesturing to the other woman to do the same.

"Your Majesty," Regina started, having taken a sip out of courtesy, the cold juice relieving some of the uncomfortable warmth of the hall, as she was still in her cloak, but before she could say anything else, she was interrupted by her host, the woman who was much older than her, because Camelot had fallen thirty years before the curse she had set on the world, and the sorceress didn't look a day over forty.

"Do not stand on formality, Regina. It will only waste precious time, time we cannot afford to squander." Lowering her cup onto the table, Morgan looked at her guest, her ocher eyes seeming to see through her. "Let me make some things clear, while you eat, child," the woman spoke, as she waved her hand at the fruits and vegetables strewn across the surface of the table. "You have found yourself in the ancient forest of Brocéliande, deep within the Infinite Forest," the queen started, raising her hand to stop Regina from asking questions. "There is whole history and geography that you should know about this place and us, but it can wait. The important thing at the moment is the fact that you have found yourself in the Marble Hall of Dragon's Bluff, the House of Healing." Morgan paused, waiting for her companion to connect the dots.

"House of Healing?" Regina whispered in awe, her eyes tracing the marble covered walls before she froze, the words she had said suddenly making sense. "She is here?" the brunette breathed weakly, dropping the morsel she had in her hand, and jumping to her feet as she looked around, trying to see a way to get to her beloved. "Emma's here?"

Morgan rose, as well, albeit in more sedate manner, catching the brunette's eyes. "Yes, she is here."

"Take me to her. Now!" Regina winced at the sharp echo of her voice, before she stepped closer to her host. "Please." After a long, concerned look Morgan gave her, the Royal nodded and gestured toward left of the two hallways, leading the way. After a long winding way down, spent in silence interrupted only by the sounds of their feet meeting the hard blocks of rock that lined the steps in the narrow staircase, they came upon another hall, carved into the side of the cliff, which did not seem as empty as the entrance hall above them. Here, Regina could see several women and boys rushing about, no doubts to take care of their charges. As soon as Regina's feet met the floor, Morgan laid a hand on her upper arm, stopping her from continuing on. "Wait," the woman said, her shapely brows creased in worry. "You need to know something first," she added softly, suddenly her eyes filling with sadness, visible under the poor lighting of the torches lining the wall, as she hesitated over her next words.

"What?" The whispered word carried so much emotion, almost too burdened with it to be properly vocalized.

"She is in a really bad shape, child," the sorceress spoke softly, stepping to a small corridor of the main hall, leading her guest toward the place where currently the Sheriff was residing. Turning the latch, Morgan pulled the door open, gently stopping Regina from entering. "The magic she used, it is killing her," she said as she gently moved the brunette, shifting her into position to see into the room without going in. "Somehow, she found the way to keep herself alive, but… She did it, and she is still doing it by pulling in the ambient magic into herself, to battle the poison within her. The good news is, without it, she would have succumbed to the mist minutes after coming in contact with it. The bad news is it makes it impossible for anyone to approach her without enormous suffering. Even I, who, by most accounts, am the most powerful practitioner around, cannot stay in her presence for more than a minute without coming to the brink of death." With innate tenderness of a mother, the sorceress placed her hand onto Regina's shoulder, her fingers digging into the thick weave of the cloak. "The magic, too, is damaging to her," she whispered softly, hating the need to tell the younger woman the terrible condition of her lover, but the brunette had to know.

Regina felt hot tears slide down her cheeks as her eyes took in the scene in the room in front of her. It was a tight space, not more than ten feet from wall to wall, without any furniture crowding it. Light inside was provided by four bowls of burning oil, one in each corner, illuminating a person hovering above the center of the chamber, three feet above the ground. It was a woman, without a stitch of clothing on her, almost every inch of her ashen skin covered in still oozing welts, blood dripping off her onto the hard floor beneath, creating a gruesome puddle in a shape of a person. The woman had blonde hair, but the color was hard to recognize under layers of rust caking it. Only when her ever rotating body turned around enough for Regina to see her face, did Regina see Emma in that body that seemed broken beyond repair. "Oh, dear God," the brunette sobbed out.

Morgan closed her eyes against the pain she saw in Regina's face, knowing that it was only going to become worse. "I managed to place the room under constant magical charge, to feed her… to help her suppress the poison."

"But, she is dying," the other woman continued, her voice breaking as she looked into the dark skinned woman's face. "And, since no one can get to her, she is dying alone…" Regina spoke, her face twisting in anguish, as she swallowed hard against the tears, her fingers seeking the wall beside her, for she needed something to help her stand upright.

The sorceress nodded sadly, inability to help the blonde inside weighing heavily on her shoulders. In fact, she took it as a personal insult. Never in her time in the Marble Hall did she have failed to heal, even the wounds that had been sure to be lethal. However, the ailments the Savior suffered from seemed to be too much, even for her, Morgana Le Fay, the witch queen of Camelot, whose power was often said to rival Merlin's. "I was hoping you would have a solution."

With her eyes deeply focused on the nude body of her mate, the irises turned dark in grief, passing over every cut, every bruise and every line on it, each newly discovered injury bringing fresh tears on, Regina took a moment to think. Though she was terrified for her beloved, the wounds and condition of the Savior stark and hopeless, she could feel a trace of relief cursing through her blood, helping her breathe a little easier. Finally, she could lay eyes on her True Love, no matter in what condition she was. Finally, the wait and search were over. Now, the only thing left to do was to help her.

The former Evil Queen pushed herself of the wall and gave a miniscule nod, before she turned to her host, the dark eyes still burning with sorrow, but also with determination. Quickly, without superfluous motions, she took off her gloves, giving them to the woman that had just appeared by their side, no doubt summoned by the sorceress. Not minding her audience, she wiped the tears of her face, breathing deeply, her shoulders and body straightening up in defiance. Then, she untied her cloak, at last removing the heavy garment that was rather unnecessary in the heated halls of the House of Healing, giving it too to the young helper. "I am going in," Regina announced firmly, her fingers deftly dancing over the buttons of her elegant jacket, freeing her from its confines, glancing over her shoulder in gratitude when two gracious chestnut colored hands helped her slide it down of her body.

"She'll kill you," the older woman warned gently as she passed the jacket to the young healer's apprentice standing beside her, but she didn't do anything to stop her guest.

Regina smiled, the affectionate twist of her lips erasing the still evident traces of grief. "She is the love of my life," the brunette spoke softly, her gaze pinned on the woman she was talking about, while her hands rolled the sleeves of her shirt up. "My True Love." She looked back at her host. "She gave her life to save me. I am not going to surrender her to her death without doing anything and everything to help her. If it kills me, so be it; but I am definitely not letting her spend another minute of her existence alone!" Her voice ringed out of the stone walls of the hall, drawing the attention of other healers in it, but they were dismissed quickly with a light hand gesture from Morgan, and they went about their work. Taking a breath to settle her turbulent emotions, Regina pressed her lips before she blinked slowly. "I am going in," she reiterated in softer tones, no less insistent.

"What do you need?" Morgan said simply, her words signifying her acceptance.

"A bowl of hot water and a small towel," Regina spoke after a moment. "And, something for her cuts," she added as she lined herself up with the door, gathering courage to step inside. She didn't think Emma was going to hurt her, even in her mindless fight to survive. It was her experience of their first meld that offered her that solace, that security that the Savior's magic would recognize and spare her. But, the imagery painted by Rumplestiltskin's description of the ravaging devastation Emma's power was capable of was suddenly fresh in her mind, giving her a slight bit of doubt, enough to hesitate for a moment.

The mistress of the Marble Hall nodded toward her apprentice, sending her away to comply with Regina's demands, before she watched the woman who the world had unjustly betrayed stand there unaware of anything else but the blonde in the room. Morgan had heard the whispers that the Evil Queen had been conquered by the Savior's mercy, but to see such deep love and resolve in person warmed her embittered heart. With the knowledge that the Savior was Regina's True Love, she was not the least bit surprised when the former villain entered the room, her steps filled with purpose.

With only one step in, Regina could feel the power that filled the air, making her very bones vibrate with magic, and she shuddered, clenching her fists. After the sparsely spread magic of Storybrooke, and ravaged sources of power in the Enchanted Forest where the magic was thinly available, being in presence of so densely filled air took some getting used to. Gasping at the sensation of her own blood singing at the bountiful of power, she gritted her teeth, forcing herself to take another step.

It took her several seconds longer than she expected, but finally, she reached her beloved, stopping herself from touching the pale skin, not wanting to cause Emma undue pain. There was another reason she did not place her hand onto Emma's shoulder. She could feel the gentle tendrils of the Savior's magic swirling around her, the taste of it so familiar it made her heart weep in joy, but still different. Regina could not explain it, even to herself, but in her mind, she likened it to a way a grown man is different from the child he once had been. The power was stronger, headier, and strange, with many things about it that she could not identify, but it was still Emma's magic, the force she would recognize no matter what else was mixed in. Regina smiled as the Sheriff's power pressed against her, seeking its counterpart in her, coaxing her own levels of magic up, as the two magical signatures mingled, re-familiarizing with each other.

"Amazing," Regina heard from behind her, the awed whisper bringing her attention to the door. There, Morgan stood, looking at them with wonder. Beside her, the young healer held a large washbowl filled with steaming water, a towel thrown over her shoulder, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open, as she watched the woman most of their world feared gaze lovingly at the Savior, unharmed by the blonde's magic.

"I need more light," the Mayor spoke as she quickly took the bowl and the towel from the healer. "Thank you," she offered to the girl as she turned to bring the water in the room.

"Gwen, why don't you go and ask one of the boys to open the panels above us," the brunette heard Morgan say as she lowered the bowl onto the ground, away from the congealed blood. "And, I believe she is going to need more water."

Crouching down and dipping the towel into the hot water, Regina sighed, regarding her lover in front of her, steeling herself to come to Emma, to touch her, despite the hurt she might inflict with her ministrations. But, the wounds needed to be cleaned. Slowly, she folded the towel and rose to her feet, and she brought the wet cloth to Emma's face, wiping the dirt and blood and tears off it, unearthing the lines she had dreamed about, she had yearned for the last two months. She traced the too sharply defined cheekbones, the sunken eyes and bruised skin around them, the hollows of cheeks, her touch loving and nurturing, while she tried to swallow the anguished moans that fought their way up her throat.

She needed a distraction, something to keep her composure, because if she fell apart at the sight of her girlfriend – her soul mate – since the love of her life looked like she had suffered enormously even before the whole business with the portal, she wouldn't be able to help Emma at all. So, in order to be useful, she cleared her throat and glanced over Emma to the kind monarch that waited by the door.

"Why is she levitating?" she asked, careful not to place any inflection on her words, for she did not want to come off as accusing or ungrateful.

Morgan leaned against the frame of the door and caught the guest's fleeting look of unease, visible only in the eyes, as Regina continued to wipe the blood of Emma's body. "We cannot get to her," she spoke clearly, preparing for a very long day. After all, she was the mistress of the Marble Hall, where she healed and taught others the arts. Perhaps she couldn't help the person she had intended to, but she would help the one she could – namely Regina. And, if the only thing she could do for Regina was to keep her calm and stable, she was going to that, no matter what happened, because no one, not a single one person was going to die in her house without her doing her best. "And, leaving her on a bed for inordinate amount of time, regardless of the position, with her wounds still bleeding…" When Regina looked up at her again, Morgan saw the clenched jaw and trembling hands. "I couldn't risk infection to set in. Not in her condition."

"The same goes for clothes?" Regina queried, even though it was an obvious answer, as she used her forearm to wipe her forehead, removing the drops of sweat that had formed in the intense heat of the room.

The brunette didn't get an answer. Instead, she raised her head, her look drawn by a sound of metal sliding over stone, the high pitch of it grating. Suddenly, above her, two panels opened and strong light streamed inside, the Sunlight almost blinding Regina as it filled the room. Shifting out of the glare of the Sun, she waited a moment to get used to the brightness, before she stepped back beside Emma, continuing with the wash, careful not to look too closely, for she knew that seeing the injuries under the shine of daylight would make it impossible for her to hold it together. The shadows and oil fires had somewhat obscured the body, hiding most of the damage in the soft glow of bluish flames, making them seem less terrible.

"Regina?" Morgan called out after a moment, willing the woman to focus on her rather than to try and fail avoiding looking at Emma. But, as she witnessed the brunette's reluctance to look away, she tried to gain her attention by answering her question. "Her nudity is the reason those bowls are in there." Seeing the dark eyes glancing in her direction, she motioned to the light giving bowls. "It is a special high heat solution. With four of them burning at once, the temperature of the room is high, as you can feel."

Indeed, the heat of the room was much higher than the pervasive warmth of the hallways of the House of Healing. Though she had barely spent ten minutes in the room, Regina was already drenched, her damp black shirt sticking to her skin uncomfortably. Even with the newly opened panels above them that allowed the fresh air to stream inside the room, the heat was immense. But, the heat was not the problem. It was the fresh source of light, showing the brunette something she had not even noticed before. The hands of the blonde in front of her were not only covered in blood, but the skin itself was blistered and peeling. With grim understanding of the cause of such injury, Regina dropped the bloody towel into the washbowl and sighed heavily, stepping away from Emma, her wet hands unbuttoning the soggy shirt and taking it off, leaving her only in bra, the golden necklace her lover had used to wear around her neck.

"I need fresh water," she murmured as she walked to the door, having scooped the wash basin of the floor. "And ointment for her wounds. Something for the magical burns, too, along with bandages."

Morgan nodded as she moved from the door, letting Regina out of the room. Luckily, Gwen was also there, with one of the boys, and she sent them both off to follow the brunette's instructions, murmuring an additional request to the boy. Turning back to her guest, the ruler of Brocéliande noticed that the black shirt was now hanging of the door knob while Regina was trying to fix her hair to stay out of her face, the olive cheeks flushed and covered with sheen of sweat. However, before she could make a comment, the boy she had sent away rushed back, his arms laden with things.

"My lady," the boy spoke softly, respectfully looking away from Regina's almost naked upper body as he offered her his burden.

Regina took in the things the boy, Galen, had brought and nodded gratefully, accepting them. Apart from a jar of a green paste she assumed was one of the healing ointments, several stripes of bandages, a skin of some drink, there was a set of clothes she had seen the girls and boys of the House wear on the lower level – the light and breathable weave of linen allowing them to work in extremely warm conditions without being bothered by heat. Along with the two piece set of white linen clothes, there was a head scarf and sandals made of grass twine, completing the ensemble. While she looked over the things she had gotten, several other boys came carrying two chairs and a small collapsible table, setting it next to the door into the healing chamber that had Emma, pressed against the wall of the hallway in order not to block the entrance. Behind them, Gwen and another young woman slowly walked, both carrying heavy burden. Gwen had a large platter with the washbowl filled to brim with hot water, an also full ewer standing right beside it, and a small bar of soap was lying on folded fresh towel. The other woman brought food and drinks, rightly anticipating that both the guest and her mistress would stay there for a while.

The Mayor walked back in the room, using the small corner of the room out of sight from the door to change into the more suitable clothes, easily parting with her fur lined pants. Slipping into the white linen pants, she chuckled at the sight she was – the loose pant sleeves falling only to the middle of her calves. The upper part was a sleeveless tunic that reached slightly over hips, and the head scarf was easily fixed to keep hair of face and neck.

"You look like you belong here," Regina heard Morgan say, her gentle voice holding no trace of indulgence nor dishonesty.

"Healing arts were never really my forte," the brunette replied after she took a sip of the liquid from the skin, enjoying the cool and refreshing drink of cold juice.

"And, yet, you are here – healing," Morgan retorted, her voice light as she brought one of the chairs to sit on it. She saw Regina lower the skin away from the burning oil and reach for the wash basin, and this time she had a plan – she would ask the brunette questions about her past, providing her with enough distraction not to focus too much on Emma's poor condition, just enough to wash and take care of the wounds. Just as Regina took a swipe at the blonde's left upper arm, slowly leading up to her hand, she asked her first question. "How did you two meet?"

"Me and Emma?" Regina glanced up; her lips unconsciously letting a small smile appear on her face. "It was our son, Henry, that brought us together," she started the tale, the ease of telling this particular story helping her along as she cleaned Emma's magic ravaged hands. She told of the bitter upending the two of them had engaged in the early days of their acquaintance, of the devastation of Henry's illness brought on by the cursed apple turnover, and of the timely rescue Emma's True Love for their son had achieved. As she tenderly covered the blistered and burnt skin with the greenish paste, and expertly bandaging the hands, she told of the events in Storybrooke since the curse had been broken, slowly weaving her story of two women, who were fighting of the opposite sides of Good versus Evil battle, falling in love – believing in one another despite the overwhelming reasons to yield to doubt. She spoke of their sacrifices for each other, and for their son, winding up the tale with the daring rescue of their boy from Peter Pan's clutches and the True Love Kiss the two mothers shared. With the story finished, Regina turned to Emma, using the ewer to wash her hair, restoring its luscious blonde-ness and waviness. Her fingers slid through the wet tendrils, gently untangling the knots the lack of care had created, and for a moment, Regina could pretend that Emma was only sleeping as she used the warm water to wash the soap and blood away. She could pretend because she had managed to clean all the blood while she had talked about the blonde, and if she didn't look too closely, she could even ignore the welts and bruises covering the pale skin. It was then that the brunette stepped away, washing her hands in the remaining water in the basinet and pushing it away with her foot, not needing it anymore. She straightened and rolled her shoulders, wincing at the twinging muscles of her neck and back, a consequence of her leaning over Emma's body, before she walked to the door, picking up the skin on the floor on her way, taking the other chair set for her. Even though she was out of the small quarters, Regina made sure to keep her lover in her line of sight, too afraid to even properly look away lest she disappeared.

Partaking in light meal that the junior healers had brought over, Regina felt the keen eyes pass over her features, studying her. Morgan had not interrupted her while she had spoken, and she had a feeling that now the royal of these lands was considering asking questions. But, what the woman asked was not what Regina expected.

"What I don't understand is why she stayed behind?" the mistress of the Dragon's Bluff spoke after a while, letting the brunette eat and drink in peace. By all accounts, Morgan thought that the two True Loves would end up going back home together, with their families, but they hadn't. The Savior had stayed behind, with the former Dark One and several of their friends, while her entire family had left. It didn't make sense – not when you consider that Midas had made his move after Regina had left. So, there had to be something else, something very important - something that Emma had considered her mission.

The black woman saw Regina's jaw clench for a brief moment, almost unnoticeable, but Morgan saw that show of contention. "She had her reasons," Regina spoke slowly, her voice even, unaffected, but the queen was not fooled. She tilted her head, her amber eyes watching the brunette with interest.

"You didn't agree with them?" Morgan asked after a moment, and her inquiry brought a scowl out of Regina, who then leaned back in the chair, glaring at her host for insisting on this.

"I did," she snapped sharply, her voice low as she didn't want to attract any undue attention. "I do agree with them," Regina continued in softer tones, "but, I…" She stopped speaking, working her jaw as she fought to keep the tears away. Her temper was too raw to be dealing with this calmly, and she couldn't risk angering her host with an outburst of epic proportions. After some time, she looked up breathing deeply while pushing the head scarf of her hair. "I just hate," she started again, every word spoken with emphasis as she looked into Morgan's curious eyes. "I hate that she had to be the one to stay here, alone, in order to fulfil her duty or whatever…" Regina rose from the chair and walked slowly into the room, her eyes on her lover. "I hate that she had to be abandoned by everyone she loves," she whispered as she reached for the already dry locks of blonde hair, letting them pass through her fingers, her voice trembling under the strain. "And, I hate that she was left to clean other people's mess, once more," the brunette added, using her palm to wipe her wet cheeks. "But, she is the Savior," she said in false joyous tone after a moment, the voice getting stronger as Regina looked into the face of the woman she loved. Tracing the pale cheek in front of her, she added, "And, people need the Savior," the words echoing with anger and resentment.

"Isn't that who you love? The Savior?" the copper skinned sorceress asked gently, having risen from her seat, daring to enter the room for a brief moment, only to give Regina a bottle filled with healing lotion for the wounds. As soon as Regina looked at her, accepting the bottle, she stepped back to the safe distance, the energy surge she had experienced inside not doing any permanent damage.

"No," Regina murmured with a smile, her eyes returning to the blonde, as she opened the container with the lotion. "I fell in love with an obstinate Sheriff of Storybrooke, the woman who was never afraid to stand toe to toe against me, and never afraid to help me. I fell in love with a clumsy, awkward woman who stumbled through most of her heroic deeds." Softly chuckling at the memories her own words were stirring, she started dabbing the wounds with the lotion. "I love Emma. Her being the Savior is only a small part of who she truly is." Regina looked up, her eyes meeting Morgan's, the words Emma had spoken on Jolly Roger at the very beginning of this continuous adventure ringing all too vividly in her mind – the words she cherished deeply. "Just as the Evil Queen is only a part of me…"

The women fell silent, Morgan returning to her chair, pleased with the results she had achieved. Not only did she manage to keep Regina from concentrating too much on what she had been doing, but also she found out something new about the couple and the former Evil Queen herself. Now, came the hard part. Figuring out how to neutralize the poisonous red mist Emma had pulled in and healing the Savior from magical over-expenditure part, which Morgan conceded was seeming impossible at the moment. But, in that room were the former Evil Queen and the Savior, the two arguably most powerful magical practitioners in this world, the queen of Camelot included, and Morgan hoped for a miracle. She hoped that her friend was right and that Emma would survive this.

"I know why you wanted me to talk," the brunette noted, breaking the silence, as she capped the container with the lotion, her task done. "And I appreciate it," she said, discarding an errant piece of bandage wraps she had been using to apply the ointment onto the welts, meeting the tired amber eyes with a knowing gaze. Then, she clasped her hands. "How do we heal her?"

"I don't know," the black woman whispered back. "This thing…" the mistress of the House of Healing hesitated before she entered the room, sticking to the wall right by the door. "I haven't seen anything like it before, or even heard of it. The only thing that has been working against it was Emma's continuous suppression, but that cannot last…"

Regina nodded sharply, pivoting toward her beloved. "So, basically, you need someone who has learned about it to help you decipher it?" she asked pointedly as she brought herself to Emma, her hands hovering over Emma's torso. "Someone who has fought it before?" she offered.

"You have someone in mind?" Morgan wondered where Regina was going with it, for she had thought from what she had heard that the Red Mist had been an unknown poison, long forgotten in the Dark One's Vault, with properties no one could really explain.

"As the matter of fact, I do," Regina said firmly, before she reached for Emma, one of her hands going to Emma's chest while the other one grabbed one of the bandaged limbs, letting her innate magic establish the link with her beloved, the most intimate and fastest way of communication between them. Her move was so quick that she had disappeared into the meld without hearing Morgan's agitated voice warning her not to do that. If she had heard it, she would have been spared of what happened next.

---

Fire. It was burning her alive, from inside out and she could not breathe. The pain of the scorching heat enveloped her so suddenly that she forgot why she was even there. She did not remember why she would be there, with this immeasurable pain, she didn't remember who she was. For, there was nothing but agony. However, after an endless moment, she managed to take in a lungful of air and it helped her reorient herself. She was Regina and she had entered the mindscape of her True Love. This wasn't her pain, this wasn't her torture, and that simple realization made it both easier and more difficult for her. It was easier because she could focus now, knowing that the pain was not real, thus making it manageable and simply suppressed – but, it was heartbreakingly difficult because the torture she had felt moments before was something that Emma, her brave Knight, had been experiencing since the very second she had allowed the poisonous magic to enter her bloodstream. Only a second of it was powerful enough to destroy Regina mentally, but to feel it the whole time she had been in the House of Healing without reprieve… Regina realized that, even if she managed to exorcise the red mist out of her lover, Emma might never heal from this…

Shaking her head at her thoughts, the brunette ordered herself to focus – her mind searching through Emma's, looking for the consciousness of her True Love. Suddenly, she found herself in a dark, circular room, built out of strange stone that seemed to glow in the darkness. It took her only a second to realize that the walls consisted of the square rocks that were actually smoldering. The room was completely insulated from the outside world, with no light and no air coming from anywhere, the sweltering heat suffocating Regina. In the weak light of blazing stones, the brunette could see the woman she was looking for, sitting at the center of the room, in a lotus position, with her eyes closed. Emma was a picture of calm and relaxation, seemingly unbothered by the fire, despite the dangerous place her mindscape had become.

"Emma?" Regina spoke as she threw herself on the scorching floor beside the blonde. "Emma."

Without opening her eyes, the Savior smiled, turning her head slightly toward Regina. "You are here," the blonde murmured softly, her voice filled with relief. Then she slowly blinked, her tired eyes finding the dark ones that roamed the room frantically. "Regina," Emma whispered with adoration as she lifted her hand to touch the apparition before her – to touch the woman that she loved and lost. "I knew you'd come," she added softly, as a wide smile overcame her face.

Regina frowned as she reached for the cold hand touching her cheek, something in Emma's sluggish behavior not seeming right. Wincing as the searing heat licked at her knees, she peered into the blonde's face, seeking answers, but it was Emma herself who provided them.

"Am I dead?" the Savior murmured as she leaned her head forward, lifting her other hand to Regina's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "No, I still feel pain and exhaustion…" she whispered in disbelief as she looked over the face she had thought she was never to see again. "I don't care. You are here." Emma tilted her head as she sighed in wonder. "With me."

Grabbing Emma's hands, Regina shook her lethargic lover, the terror of her realization forcing her to move. The Sheriff thought she was dead. "Emma!" she said sharply, "I am here." Faced with the lazy smile of the blonde, she brought her hands to Emma's cheeks. "I am here with you."

Cold fingers covered Regina's as Emma peered into her eyes with affection. "Oh, I know," the blonde whispered tenderly. "I know you are here," she repeated obliviously, nodding at her words uncoordinatedly, her motion severely disjointed and weak. "You are always with me. Whenever I needed you to remind me that I wasn't alone, you were there, standing before me, more beautiful than ever, telling me that you love me, that you'll see me soon. That I can go home in a little while." Emma removed one of the gentle hands of her face and brought it to her lips, kissing the knuckles lovingly. "You always give me the will I need to go on," she murmured against the warm skin under her lips. Then, nuzzling into the other hand, still on her face, she closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. "But you being here is not the question," she said after a moment spent gazing in the stunned dark eyes. "The question is whether you are alive."

"You don't think I am?" Regina gasped in horror, as her realization had been confirmed.

"No, I don't," Emma replied, and the brunette saw the anguish manifesting itself clearly in the tortured gray eyes as they feasted on the familiar features of the olive face. "But, for some odd reason, I believe I am," the blonde continued, not moving her look from her love's dark swirling eyes. "And, my magic is offering me comfort as it has before. Or, this is some weird purgatory…" She chuckled at the idea, the brittle laugh making Regina shiver. "As far as I am concerned, this is heaven," Emma spoke, gesturing wildly to the room that was holding her captive and cooking her alive. "You are here."

Taking the cold hands into her own, Regina brought Emma closer to her, letting the blonde lean her head against her shoulder. "These are your only options?" she asked slowly, trying to reason with her ill beloved. "Dead or insane?"

"I saw the portal explode, Regina," Emma murmured slowly, explaining. "After everything I've done, it collapsed. You were gone. And, I… I felt it. I felt you leave me. No one can survive the destruction of the vortex."

"Like no one can survive the explosion of Marbh Teine?" Regina replied pointedly. "Like no one can survive the poison of the mist? Like no one can emerge victorious after facing the very Darkness that had created the first Dark One?" At the end of her questions, Regina raised her voice at the obstinate woman in her arms, trying to snap her out of her somnolent and delusional state.

Emma lifted her head from Regina's shoulders and squinted at the other woman. "Why are you yelling at me?" she asked curiously.

"Because you're being ridiculous!"

"I am not," Emma insisted softly. "I just…" She broke off, hiding her face in Regina's shoulder, refusing to continue. The brunette could feel the hard swallow of Emma's throat and a small shudder that passed through the weak frame in her arms.

"Just what?" the former Evil Queen prompted gently, pressing her lips against the cool forehead. She felt arms going around her middle, holding her firmly as Emma burrowed deeper in her shoulder, a deep sigh, more felt than heard, following.

"I don't want this gone," the blonde mumbled into the warm skin of Regina's neck, her breath tickling the brunette. "I don't want to wake up and find out that you are truly gone."

Regina tightened her hold over the blonde, as the words reached her. "Oh, Emma," escaped her lips.

"Judging my luck with people," Emma started speaking again, and Regina could remember the instances her lover was talking about, as the memories played out vividly in her mind, each one showing an instance when the Savior had been abandoned, feeling of desolation and loneliness clutching her heart. "You would be. And, that…" Emma's voice broke off as a harsh sob left her. "That would mean not only that I lost you but that I didn't save you," she continued after a moment in a halting and painful whisper, her hands clenching on Regina's back, gripping the light tunic the brunette had on tightly, the engulfing embrace almost crushing. "It would mean I failed. I am the Savior and I failed to save the most important people in my life." Slowly, the Sheriff lifted her head and brought her lips to Regina's, kissing her chastely, before she spoke again. "So, if this is a dream that my magically fried brain cooked up for me, I don't want to wake up. Ever." Her tone turned insistent at the end, as she leaned in to kiss Regina again. "And, if I am dead," she continued, a small trace of impertinence so typical of the Sheriff of Storybrooke evident in the falsely light tone as she winked at the woman in front of her, "well, there is nothing I can do about it, now, can I?"

It was excruciating to see her lover so deeply convinced that she was dead, but Regina could see why Emma was so insistent in her belief. When someone had been left behind their whole life, certain expectations and doubts formed, and anything that went against them would be discarded as a wishful thinking or a hopeless dream. Especially now, when Emma knew she was dying, and hallucination of her True Love was more likely than Regina actually being there.

"What if I am not dead?" Regina whispered into Emma's ear, still holding her tightly against herself. But, before Emma could respond, her head already shaking, the brunette just squeezed Emma's shoulder. "No, just listen to me. Can you do that?" Her words were followed by a barely there nod from the blonde. "What if, while I was in the vortex with others, I used my considerable power joined with Nova's to pull the Jolly Roger out of the portal, back where we had come from? What if I got it out before the vortex collapsed and I used another bean to make another jump, successfully this time?"

"Wait," Emma blurted as she pushed herself away from the loving embrace. "You're saying…" she started speaking, her disbelief visible in the furrowed brows and narrowed eyes, but Regina interjected.

"I wasn't inside the portal when it blew," Regina insisted, inclining her head in emphasis. "You gave us enough time to escape. Emma, you did save me. You saved us." The Mayor brought her left hand to Emma's chin, grasping it firmly with her fingers as she leaned in, connecting their foreheads. "I came to find you and I won't let you wallow in your pity and guilt, when I am here, right in front of you! Alive and real!"

Emma blinked at Regina's strong voice, frowning. "If what you are saying is true…" she started hesitantly, her voice filled with doubt, interrupted by an exasperated chuckle from her beloved.

"Humor me," Regina offered with a smile, shaking her head at the strong disbelief Emma was showing.

The blonde raised her hand in appeasing acceptance of Regina's words, before she continued talking. "If what you say is true, that means that…" Emma froze as her eyes grew wide, before she jumped to her feet, wildly looking around, her hands gripping Regina's upper arms. "You are here in the meld!" she said loudly, with a trace of panic coloring her voice, before she looked at her beloved. "Regina, no! It's too dangerous for you to be here!"

"I am not leaving until you tell me how to heal you," Regina asserted firmly, as she stood in place, waiting for Emma to calm down. "Please. We didn't go through everything just for it to end like this." She brought the blonde's face to her own and kissed her passionately, letting her fingers tangle into the tendrils of Emma's hair. "I am not losing you!" she said, every word enunciated strongly.

Emma stepped back, breathing deeply as she watched the teary dark eyes look back at her with intensity she had never seen before. "Alright, so, you know about the mist," she managed to say after she got her breath back, her demeanor suddenly sharper and more focused, as she still held Regina with wonder.

"Yeah, it's something old from the Vault," Regina confirmed, pleased to see her Sheriff somewhat herself again.

"Very old," Emma added as she considered something. "It is not an ordinary type of magic either. The principles today's curses and spells use do not apply to it. So far, I could only determine that it is like a very toxic flood. It keeps destroying everything in its way; no matter the dams and walls you place to stop it. Eventually, it eats through everything I keep throwing at it."

"So, what? We wait it out, and keep throwing energy against it?" Regina asked incredulously. "That is not the solution, Emma. We both can see that!" The brunette gestured toward the walls that enclosed the chamber they were in, still glowing with heat.

"I don't know!" Emma snapped suddenly, ripping herself away from Regina's hold, throwing her hands up in the air, before she brought them to her face, rubbing her eyes. "I don't know, Regina," she added after a moment, her voice gentler as she offered a conciliatory shrug. "When I pushed it through me, I didn't think about after part." Before Regina could say anything, she waved her hand to stop her from commenting. "All I can say is that it has a purpose, and until it fulfills it, it will not stop."

"Destroying…" Regina agreed softly, seeing Emma nod. However, something occurred to her and she raised her head. "But, how did you make it help you stabilize the portal? It wasn't so bent on destroying, then."

"I wasn't really thinking then. I don't know what I did… I guess I somehow gave it a different purpose…" Emma returned to her previous position, right in front of her True Love, gathering her gently in her arms, as she leaned in and returned the kiss. "You need to go," she murmured against warm lips, her heart beating stronger with every second Regina refused to part from her. "Regina," her soft whisper turned cautioning as she brought her arms to Regina's shoulders, passing them over her back.

"Okay," the brunette acceded, lowering her head as she initiated a crushing embrace, loath to release her beloved.

"I need you to promise me something," the blonde said as they separated from their hug.

"Anything," Regina breathed out, even though she had a feeling she would not like Emma's request.

"You will not return into the meld until I am healed," Emma said firmly, her grip on Regina's shoulders tightening. "You can merge your magic with mine if you think that would help, but do not form the link."

"Emma," Regina shook her head, but the insistent hold of her lover stopped her from objecting. But, it was Emma's feverish look in her tired, bloodshot eyes that had lost all traces of green, which convinced her to comply. The Sheriff was still worried about her safety, and if promising not to risk exposure to the mist by their meld would keep Emma focused on healing herself, then Regina would swear on the grave of her daddy, if need be. "I promise," she offered in a tight whisper, her words causing Emma to visibly relax.

With another kiss instead of goodbyes, Regina prepared to break the link, but a gentle touch at her elbow stopped her. "Talk to me," Emma whispered demurely, looking toward the glowing walls. "I like the sound of your voice," she explained quickly, glancing at her before again looking away, the vulnerability in her eyes so endearing and tragic at the same time. Regina smiled and squeezing Emma's forearm closest to her, she nodded.

"I will," she promised before she felt the link between her and Emma's consciousnesses dissipate.

---

It had turned eerily quiet in the halls of the House of Healing, the lack of footfalls on the stone steps and floors so unusual for that time of day. Ordinarily, there was at least someone walking the corridors of the three levels of the cliff-side infirmary, one of the healers doing the inventory or watching for the torches to always be lit. However, as the House of Healing did not have other guests in need of help other than the Savior, the witch-queen assumed that her pupils had decided to give her and Regina space, due to awe and veneration they were feeling toward the person that had been personally delivered by the Last of her kind's magic. It wasn't only that she had been brought into Brocéliande by Guardian's intervention and taken care by her behest, but also the fact that even the first level novices at the healing arts could sense the power of unicorn whiffing off of her, and coupled with the knowledge that she was the Savior and True Love Born, it made for a very awe-inspiring personality. There was also the fact that the White Knight of the lore suffered from a malady that their mistress, the chief healer of the Marble Hall, could not even treat, let alone heal, and that inspired fear, for they had yet to see her fail, and the prospect of the first one being the Savior was a daunting one.

Morgan did not mind the silence, nor the absence of her novices. If she needed them, she could summon them easily enough. No, the lack of curious eyes was welcome, she thought as she watched the two women in the small room, a cell, really – both oblivious of the world around them. She dared not to move her eyes away from the True Loves, because she feared that Regina's reckless move would result in her having not only the Savior as the patient, but also the former Evil Queen, suffering from the same poison, the one she could not heal.

During her sentry, the royal noticed that Emma's wounds had started healing, the welts and open cuts slowly closing up and replaced by new and undamaged skin. Even the violent red of the burns under the bandages lightened, leaving the healer with confusion. As far as she knew, and she knew only what her friend had told her of it, the meld exerted the power, it did not conserve it, and healing while in meld and fighting off the poison of the mist was supposed to be impossible. And, then she understood, her bewilderment turning into concerned relief, as she let her gaze continuously sweep over the two women. It was the access to Regina's power that healed Emma, allowing the Savior to use the temporary boost to redistribute her own power in her fight against the thing that was killing her, giving her more time and better chances.

The wise amber eyes scrutinized the brunette before the mistress of the Marble Hall, the familiar features of the former Evil Queen not the only thing of interest for Morgan. As Guardian had delivered the Savior, the dragon had left her with a message, one that she had not understood at the time, but now, as she watched Regina wield her power with fearless respect, like one a swordsman would give to his faithful blade, she realized what the words truly meant.

Soon will come a time for your heir to learn, dear friend. Teach her, as you would your own child, for she is already close to your heart.

Morgan had thought that the cryptic words related to the patient in her care, as she had assumed that the most powerful of all sorcerers would be named as her heir, for she had none of her own, and she was the last of her line, with all others gone from the Enchanted Forest. But, as her eyes feasted on the woman she had known since the day she was born, she considered the words from Guardian. The message had more sense with Regina in mind, as the former Evil Queen was indeed close to her heart, being the child of a man she had once considered one of her closest friends, young Henry Dordéan, as her father used to call the easily excitable boy, too curious for his own good. Hummingbird, her father, Marcus had used to call him affectionately, and he shared his care for the boy with his youngest daughter, thus creating a friendship that had endured Regina's mother, the fall of Camelot, the Dark One, and even Regina's husband. Morgan had been present at Regina's name day at Henry's request, and even though she had not been near the child since that day, she had enjoyed the tales her friend would tell her whenever he would come to her, his travels allowing him to visit her regularly. And, always, she had sent gifts for the girl with him, greatly saddened that she could not participate more in her life. But, Henry had warned her of Cora and Rumplestiltskin, and with everything happening in her own kingdom and homeland, she didn't have the patience to go against them. After the Camelot's fall, Henry had extracted a promise out of her that she would help Regina, but only if he was not around and Regina had love in her heart.

She had smiled when she had listened to the brunette speak of the son she shared with the Savior, her heart squeezing at the mention of the boy's name – the love Regina had for her children was insurmountable, rivaled only by the love she had for the blonde Sheriff. And, now, as she watched Regina stand beside her True Love, Morgan felt that it was finally a time to make good on her promise. However, that meant that the witch-queen would have to explain the history of her family to Regina, along with many of the family secrets, in order to teach her magic to the brunette, and some of those secrets were painful. Nevertheless, Morgan decided it was time, and as soon Regina was willing, the tutoring would start – the stories of her magical line to be told first.

Quickened breathing of the Mayor brought Morgan's attention to the brunette, just in time to see the dark eyes peek beneath the slowly opening lids. For a moment, Regina seemed to be disoriented before the anguished swirling eyes rose to meet the amber ones, the sadness and torment quite visible in them, along with the quiet contentment caused by finally being able to talk with Emma. "Regina?" Morgan called softly, edging somewhat into the room, ready to jump in if need be.

"She is in tremendous pain," Regina murmured sadly, her hand tenderly passing over Emma's collarbone, gentle touch meant to soothe as much as it could. The skin under her fingers was cold, like Emma's hands had been in the meld, and it worried her deeply, even though the brunette could see that the wounds were gone. "She doesn't have much time."

The witch-queen closed her eyes tightly at the woman's barely heard whisper, the words hitting her strongly. "Did she know how to…?" Morgan asked hesitantly, waiting for some directions. Seeing Regina shake her head in response forced a sigh out of her, at a loss how to help the Savior.

"She did say it was like a flood…" Regina said after a moment, her hands returning to the Savior's chilled skin, as she looked at Morgan, her eyes hardened with resolve. "We can try overpowering it, the same way Emma has been keeping it at bay," the brunette suggested.

"Alright," the healer agreed with a short nod, rubbing her hands together, ready to finally do something to help. "So, I assume, you need me to enhance the intensity of the magic field?"

"Yes, and I will join my magic with Emma's," Regina added, determination emanating from her in strong wave, as she focused on her objective, directing her power into the body in front of her, careful not to sink into the mind link, although she could feel the connection call to her. She wanted to delve into Emma's mind, to see her Sheriff again, but she had given a promise, and she intended to keep it, and instead of allowing herself to accept the welcoming embrace of the Savior's consciousness, she gritted her teeth and willed her and Emma's energies to work together against the poison flooding the blonde's bloodstream.

"We can have more magic users here," Morgan offered softly as she adjusted the intensity of the magical levels in the room, frowning at the outpour of raw power now present. "They could help with the feed."

"No," Regina said, not looking up. "Too much of it and it would kill Emma, regardless of the mist," she maintained, her voice soft and firm at the same time. Her hand pressed hard against Emma's chest and it sank through the bones and flesh, her fingers enveloping the weakly pulsing organ in a gentle hold, Regina trying to recreate the same method the Savior had used on her when the manticore poison had been killing her. Slow and strained beats of the heart in her hand forced Regina to hurry, the impending collapse of Emma's defenses frightening enough to shake the brunette's barely mustered confidence, and with a softly whispered plea for her efforts to work, the former Evil Queen closed her eyes and focused on streaming her power right where it was needed, attacking the red mist in the body.

Seconds ticked with every gradual thump of Emma's strained heart, slowly turning into laborious minutes. The only sound apart from the barely heart hum of the charged air was the ragged breathing of the Savior, accompanied by the soft exhales of the witches fighting for her life. The bronze colored sorceress stood beside the pale naked body of the Savior, for the first time able to remain in her presence for longer than several moments due to the overcharged air and Regina's direct magical feeding link, her magic joining well with those of the former Evil Queen and the Sheriff. And, the treatment seemed to be working, Morgan noted silently within the confines of her mind, albeit too drawn out for it to be effective. The magic that they were using in order to stop and overcome the red mist was burning Emma from within, and despite the fact that it was the only way they had for helping the Sheriff, it seemed that it was killing her quicker than the poison – and both Regina and Morgan knew it.

When the tortured organ stuttered in its sluggish rhythm, Regina stopped, pulling her hand away, afraid that she was doing more harm than good at this point. With frustration and fear evident in her every move, she threw her hands away from Emma's body, and stepped back, a soft growl coming from her as she clenched her fists in impotent anger. "This isn't working," she barked sharply, her right hand flying to her forehead, while the other one rested on her hip. "Damn it," Regina cursed under her breath, not knowing what to do next, aware that her hostess was watching her silently, out of ideas. The dark shadowed eyes returned to the nude Sheriff, still levitating at the center of the room, while Regina thought back on everything she had shared with Emma during the meld, hoping a small bit of information had managed to float to her consciousness, just like all the memories she had shared with the Savior had found their way to her brain. While she was looking internally for a solution, she reached out to her True Love, holding her hand and whispering softly into Emma's ear to hold on, to keep fighting.

The witch-healer quietly stepped out of the room, giving Regina her space, the urging pleas, though spoken low, were much heartbreaking, and the old heart of the Camelot Queen could not bear the sorrow they caused in her, her own scarred and grief-laden spirit crumbling under the anguish she felt. She sat down heavily on the chair Regina had been using earlier; Morgan closed her eyes against the burning sensation under her lids, her breath leaving her in a long and helpless exhale. However, when she heard the rapid thuds of someone rushing down the circular stairs of the Marble Hall, someone wearing heavy and hard boots, she straightened and looked toward the first landing, expecting to see one of the soldiers she had under her rule, her anguished expression quickly disappearing under the burden of leadership. But, it wasn't just an ordinary soldier who jumped down onto the floor of the lowest level of the House of Healing. No, it was her most trusted man, the last knight of his order – Percival the Virtuous, out of his extravagant clothes, a simple set of work garments on him, and he seemed in a great rush.

"What has you in such a hurry?" Morgan spoke gently as she raised her hand toward him, a simple wriggle of her fingers allowing him to her side, the man grasping tenderly for it as he leaned down a bit.

"The Gallant-bred is missing from the pen, and none of the people had seen her," he said in low tones, his eyes darting into the room before looking away. "But, there is a herd of unicorns five leagues to the West," he added, clearly remembering the horses' penchant to roam and meet up with their kin. "She-Wolf has crossed the border; she will be here in couple of hours." He then crouched down. "Guardian sent us a message. She said that the Keeper of the Balance must survive, or we are all doomed."

"Then, I am afraid we are doomed," Morgan replied heavily, her eyes slowly shifting away from the worried face of her knight to the two women in the chamber.

"So, she's…" Percival murmured in disbelief, his head falling down in dismay.

"Not yet, but…" The queen had no heart to speak the next word of her sentence, even though it was heard all too clearly in her silence. Soon.

Suddenly, there was a movement in the room drawing the attention of the queen and her knight. Regina stood there, a new wave of determination feeling her as she looked toward the two people watching her. "I have an idea," she spoke clearly, her eyes glowing with hope and resolve. "I need your magic wielders."

Morgan had risen from her seat the very moment Regina had uttered the first words, and now she only waved Percival away, letting him deliver the message to the others. "What happened?" she asked, coming closer to the brunette.

"She said it has a purpose, and that she had somehow changed it when she forced it out of herself, thus managing to stabilize the portal. What is in her right now is the residue of the magic she had pushed through herself. We are going to get it out."

"How?" Morgan waited for a moment before she started talking again. "If we strip her magic away in effort to take out the mist, we'll kill her."

"That is why I need you," Regina said firmly. "You know things about the craft I cannot even conceive of, and I am sure that somewhere in that repertoire is a way of isolating the foreign magic in someone or something."

Morgan hummed softly in agreement, her lips creasing in a small lopsided smirk as she saw the brunette's knowing gaze directed at her. "Yes, there is something, but you are forgetting one thing. She won't let me near her." But instead of loss of vigor Regina had been portraying, her cautiously countering words only brought a sassy smirk from the former Evil Queen.

"You are going to teach me," Regina said, her posture and gleaming eyes reminding Morgan of stories people had spread about the Evil Queen, her ruthlessness and willpower. The self-assurance the brunette showed in the face of her dying lover, daring the allegedly most powerful sorceress in the Enchanted Forest, had to be admired, and Morgan did admire Regina for her boldness and grit.

"Am I now?" the Queen of Camelot replied, clasping her hands in nonchalance, truly enjoying Regina's power play. She wasn't going to refuse, but she wanted to see the woman's next move.

"Keeper of the Balance must survive," Regina uttered sharply as her eyes narrowed at the black sorceress. "I don't think you will let your pride or your trade's secrets stand in the way."

"So, you heard," Morgan sighed, before she nodded in acceptance. "Alright, I'll teach you." However, before Regina could even blink, she added, "But, there are conditions which we will discuss later."

"Sure."

Shaking her head, Morgan entered the room and with clear and simple instructions, she slowly guided Regina how to find the particular type of magic and single it out of the mix. With the added help of her junior healers, the queens worked tirelessly, their combined effort slowly yielding results.

"Easy," Morgan murmured softly in Regina's ear, standing right behind her with her palms splayed over Regina's shoulders. "Don't try to constrain it, just guide it out," her voice directed the former villain as she was trying to bring the mist out into the air around them, with the others ready to contain it. "Don't force it, just coax it toward you. Easy, easy. That's right." The guiding never stopped. "Think of it as a wild wolf, child. You cannot beat it into submission. You either kill it, or set it free into wilderness. We tried killing it, it didn't work." At Regina's pointed look, Morgan chuckled. "Think of it this way – enclosed and trapped, it can hurt us. In the wilds, we can shoot it, or send our dogs after it."

"You don't care much for the wolves, do you?" the brunette noted breathily, the strain her magic was putting on her considerable.

"On the contrary, one of my best friends is a Wolf," the older woman replied easily, as she patted Regina's shoulder. "Now, focus."

At last, half an hour later, the last of the poison left Emma's body, the malicious red mist swirling and crackling in the magically charged airs, the young craftspeople catching it deftly in their net of protective bubble, forcing it into a small container. As the last trace of it disappeared, Emma's skin lost that strange pinkish tinge to her pallor and the strangled breaths eased somewhat, but the Savior herself seemed unreachable.

Regina frowned as she leaned over the still hovering body of her True Love, her slow moves quickly becoming frantic as she could not feel Emma's magic, when it would ordinarily rise to meet hers, without a fail.

"What's wrong?" Morgan asked, quickly brought back to Regina's side by the brunette's sharp gasp.

"She is not reacting to my presence," Regina spoke without looking away, her hands reaching for Emma's face, her fingers gently moving the lids of her left eye apart. When the white of Emma's eye welcomed them, Morgan acted with speed, grabbing the brunette's arms.

"She is only passed out," the healer spoke with certainty, as she brought Regina's hand to Emma's heart. "It beats stronger than before, and steadier. She breathes normally, as well. And, we can still feel her magic." Morgan ticked off the signs that the Savior was getting better. "She has been through a lot, a lot longer than you think. Let her rest."

"She needs a proper bed. And, a normal room."

"Of course," Morgan said soothingly, motioning to one of the more strapping young men in her employ to lift the Sheriff. Only, before he could actually come closer, Regina summoned a white beater and underwear onto the blonde, allowing her at least some modesty, now that people could actually come near her. After telling the burdened man in which room to put the blonde, Morgan excused herself with other business, calling after Regina to announce her visit at the later time, guessing that the brunette would like to catch some rest as well.

---

Again, at the top of the stairs of the Marble Hall, this time shrouded in the darkness of the night, stood the Queen of Camelot, expecting another traveler in her home. And, right on time, a small two wheeled cart pulled by an old and sturdy mule rolled into the village. Morgan smiled at the sight of the rickety old thing her friend still insisted on using, its cargo space packed with wooden boxes, bottles and jars with a random pelt thrown here and there. As usual, one of the wheels creaked, its high pitch whine quite familiar to Morgan's people, and those of them who were out and about stopped to shout a happy greeting to the newcomer, a gruff and short response coming to them from the driver of the cart.

"Yeah, yeah, it creaks," the driver grumbled good-naturedly at the welcoming smirk Morgan was directing at her. "But, creaky wheels for the creaky bones. It's rather fitting, isn't it?"

"You're not that old, She-Wolf, and given the endurance of your kind, you aren't going to be that old for a while yet," the host replied with humor opening her arms for the other woman, welcoming her into a heartfelt hug. "Speaking of old, how is your grandmother?"

"She'll outlive us all," the newcomer said with a gentle and affectionate laugh as she thought about the matriarch of the Wolves. "Now, that the news of Queen Regina's arrival had spread, she is itching to go out of the Forest and meet with her." The Wolf chuckled lightly before her easygoing manner turned serious. "I met with Guardian, and passed along the news, but when the queen would arrive, I do not know."

"She is already here," the sorceress spoke in reassurance as she smiled at her friend. "And, the Savior no longer hangs on the verge of death."

"That is truly good news," the shifter murmured as they entered the great hall of the House of Healing, shrugging a heavy cloak off her shoulders. "I know how worried you were about the Savior and her health. I just didn't expect her True Love to be here so quickly." Her deep blue eyes, unlike her sons, held star shaped circles of silvery gray right around the pupils, however it only added to their magical glow aided by her species' traits as she looked around the hall in the darkness of the evening. She followed her friend to the private wing of the Marble Halls. "Where is everyone?" Indeed, it was odd for the Marble Hall to be so desolate at this time of evening, seeing that the hall served as a communal center of the village, with a dining hall and a library being only some of the rooms open to the villagers.

"Giving the guests some space, I'd assume," Morgan replied as she poured them some of mulled wine. "I think Percy is leading a quest of finding the Savior's Gallant-bred and making sure she is safe."

"Does that boy ever stand still?" the shifter asked before she took a sip of her wine, seating herself in one of the soft high back chairs Morgan had in her private rooms, shifting it lightly toward the happily crackling fire in the hearth.

"That boy is older than you," the sorceress remarked with humor, before she answered her friend's question. "I think that my choice to remain hidden for these particular events in the Enchanted Forest isn't sitting too well with him."

"He wants to get out and help fight the good fight?" the newcomer asked rhetorically, causing her friend to hum in response. "Have you changed your mind?"

"About going outside?" Morgan looked at the shifter's curious eyes. "No, I haven't. But, it doesn't mean I won't help any way I can from here. Aileen, I already welcomed the Savior and her True Love into Brocéliande. And, I've decided to take Regina in to teach her the craft. Isn't my allegiance clear?"

"You don't have to justify yourself to me, dear Morgana. I know your heart on the matter." The Wolf, Aileen, spoke gently, offering her friend a soothing pat on her forearm. "Now, tell me about that craft teaching business. I wasn't aware you were considering it."

The rest of the evening, and most of the night passed in conversation between the two friends. The simple session of filling each other in on the events of the past days turned into friendly discussions on history and magic practices, especially used in healing. The Wolf, the shifter-village's appointed healer and spiritual guide had a different perspective to offer to Morgan, who had been part of truly powerful people where magic and the crafts had been used in everyday life, treasured and respected. Later, in the evening, the women reminisced of their pre-curse times, often bursting into laughter over an anecdote, helped by the generous offerings of mulled wine.

---

Despite the sheer exhaustion, and the still tingling nerves burned with too high levels of magic coursing through her system, Regina could not relax enough to sleep. Even though she did keep her eyes closed, her other senses kept careful watch on the prone woman beside her, lying in bed, deeply unconscious after the ordeal she had been through. Turned to her side, with her arms tucked under her chin, Regina breathed slowly, her inhales matching Emma's, wishing she could sink into restful slumber. Instead, her own body was too busy cataloguing the ways it had made sure that the blonde was truly beside her. The gentle warmth of the body next to her provided a constant reminder, along with soft breaths, that Emma was indeed there, by her side. A familiar scent, mixed with the healing ointments, provided a soothing comfort to the brunette, one she hadn't felt since their last night together, at Tri-point.

Giving up her hope that she would fall asleep, the older woman rose from the bed, slowly shifting away, loath to cause any disturbance to her True Love, and dressed into her clothes, folding the linen garments at the foot of the bed afterwards. Now, that the air in the room was not so heated, there was really no need for her to be out of her own comfortable clothes, not that she had anything against the clothes she had been given. Mindful of the stone floor, she walked carefully to the beautifully carved window, its arches being the most extraordinary thing in the room. Even though the stone itself had been hard red flecked granite, the intricate details of the curvatures were simply breathtaking, the low lighting of newly lit lantern only enhancing their astonishing presence. There, along every bend of the stone was a carved vine with leaves, and in the weak shadow light they seemed alive, with leaves flickering with each move of the flame. Beneath the arches, up to the middle of the window lengthwise was a stone seat, with fur and pillows draped all over it. And, on the other side of the window was a heavy velvet drape, its outside facing surface layered with pelt. Seeing the curtain used to close the window, in a manner of speaking, Regina smiled to herself. During the first days of the curse, she had been in awe of the world she had ended up in. The plumbing, the electricity, the central air, cars… It all managed to amaze her, and frankly, terrify her at first, until she had gotten used to it, and then accept it for what it was – every day convenience. But, not here. Not in the world where magic existed naturally, and where all the people still used their own two hands for work, be it in the fields and farms, or doing various crafts. Here, an extravagance such as glass panel on the windows was just that – an extravagance, one most villagers could not afford.

Now, she had no doubt that Morgan could deck these windows in most beautiful works of art if she wanted to, but this look – the stone arches and curtains, they reminded Regina of purity and simplicity, something that a healer would greatly appreciate.

She stood by one of the arches and peered into the dark, the fog lifting of the grounds of the valley bellow hiding much from her view, but it didn't bother her. In fact, the empty landscape of thick mist helped her focus more on her own thoughts and memories. As her mind was no longer occupied with overwhelming desire to find Emma, she could consider the place she had come across, and the people she had found here. First, it had been a long held belief that Queen Morgan left the Enchanted Forest after the death of her son, Mordred, retreating to Avalon as the rest of Camelot folks had done, the mystical island protected by the true Lady of the Lake, a woman of considerable power no one knew anything about.

There had been stories that Lake Nostos had been the home of the Lady of the lake, but the stories, as usual, had been wrong, and David had not slain the Lady of the Lake, but the lady of a lake. In truth, her daddy told her that the island of Avalon was not in any actual lake, but far of the shores of Camelot, in the Endless Sea, and the reason the people called it the lake was because of the phenomenon that appeared when the Lady allowed Avalon to become visible to the people of the Enchanted Forest. The sea waters around the ferries would turn sweet and fresh, as if a brand new spring had produced it. Due to the rules of geography even the children of this world knew, any large body of sweet water is called a lake, not a sea…

Regina's thoughts turned to her host. Camelot had fallen with both the death of King Arthur and the disbanding of the Knights of the Round Table, and that had happened when Regina had been six years old. She remembered, because her father had taken her to see the procession of Camelot citizens leaving the shores of the Enchanted Forest, and it had been a huge deal for a young child that had not been much away from her home. By some luck, her daddy had managed to get to the front of the procession, where the body of still breathing Arthur had been carried, only two of his Knights accompanying it. Remember this day, he had whispered into her ear at the very moment she had seen the mists of Avalon appear and the ferry dock to the pier. Remember this day as a sad one, for Camelot has fallen – not because of evil and enemies, but because of darkness of people themselves.

She hadn't understood the words he had told her that day, but she had always remembered them, along with the amazement she had felt at the sights that she had seen that day.

But, if her calculations were true, Morgan was well in her eighties by now, and she looked not older than forty did. And, Regina had a feeling that youthfulness the queen possessed had nothing to do with magic, or at least not the kind she was familiar with. So, the thirty two years that had passed since the fall of Camelot, not including the twenty eight of the cursed years, and somehow, in that time, Morgan had remained unchanged. And, not only Morgan. The man that had brought Regina to the House of Healing, Percy, was none other than Percival the Virtuous, one of the youngest Knights of the Round Table, she had realized. One more man came to her mind as she considered the strange youthful appearance of the Camelot people. A former Knight turned mercenary, one that she had seen plenty of times during her married years at the White Castle, sneaking into the King's quarters at all times of day and night, no doubt because Leopold had been one of his most generous and prolific employers. The man Snow had regarded with kindness and childish affection one awards the most famous knight in the world. Lancelot of the Lake. He too had seemed too young for his age, taking into account that he had been over thirty when the civil war in Camelot had broken out.

Even though it was curiosity she intended to learn more about, Regina's mind turned to another topic. At the same time, she turned away from the window and lowered herself onto the stone windowsill, sinking against the comfortable pillows, her eyes going to the woman on the bed, the soft light of the lantern beside her not strong enough to reach the blonde, hiding her in the darkness of the room. But, Regina could make out her face, and hear her breathing. Only now, she could fully comprehend the stories others had told her, the tales about Emma's adventures in the days leading to the battle. Now, that she wasn't looking for her beloved, she could fully take them in. Belle had told her about the encounter with Zelena and the Dark Matter, as the young librarian had called it; Commander Cheng had told her about her decisive and brusque actions against the Empire soldiers, along with the destruction her attack on the mountain keep had wrought. But, it had been her own lieutenant that had shared a story that reflected Emma's doubts most clearly, as he had described her frenetic laughter filled moments. She hadn't found the time to talk to Ruby or Mulan in depth about Emma's emotional status, but she had gleaned some of it from a few pointed comments she had heard from those two women. It had seemed enough at the time, as she had been preoccupied with finding Emma, rather than learning about her mental state.

However, in the quietude of the night, Regina could not shake off the feeling of heartbreak the memory of Emma's dazed and amazed look when they had seen each other in the link, the grief and pain burdened eyes gazing upon her with revelry and awe. Obviously, with each instant of having to deal with something traumatic and hard, Emma had lost some of her faith that she would meet Regina again, finally giving up completely – thinking Regina had been only a specter of her mind, created by her own magic to ease her passage to the great beyond. With that dazed look directed at her, Regina had understood that her greatest fear she had felt in Storybrooke had come true – she had been away for too long, and the isolation had left a large, seemingly ineradicable mark on Emma's psyche. And, only because Regina remembered the kind words of Doctor Hopper about traumas and their healing, she remained somewhat calm. She had no doubt that the blonde, and her, had a long road in front of them to recovery, despite the fact that the time was the commodity they could not afford. Not in the time of war. All too soon, she would have to leave and go to her children, hating to leave them alone for much longer, but she was frightened of what it would do to the blonde, because, despite Emma's miraculous healing, brunette knew the Sheriff could not leave the House of Healing for a long while yet.

Suddenly, her mind made a sharp turn to Henry. She had glossed over the impact of the Curse of the Forbidden Path, but the truth was that she still could not wrap her mind around the idea that she shared True Love with her son. It seemed impossible, and yet it had happened. Long before, at the time of the kiss that had broken the curse that created Storybrooke, Rumplestiltskin had excused Emma's bond to Henry with her Savior-ness and being a True Love born, his overly complicated explanation being boiled down to – the rules of the game hadn't applied to Emma because she had been born of True Love. But, this? With her taken into the account? It simply was too strange. Oh, she did not doubt for one second that her son loved her, immensely so, but why would she of all people have two True Loves in her life? Was it the Savior's blood in Henry's veins that allowed him to connect with her that way or was it something else? Or was the thing about being equals and balancing each other in the True Love coupling true, and because she was Emma's counterpart, she was allowed the same luxuries? Or, perhaps, it was her newly awakened power that was able to simply overcome the curse itself? Or, the curse in Henry recognized the small tenet of Emma's magical signature in Regina's magic and reacted to it? She didn't know, and the thing was, any of these options could be true. Perhaps, she would ask Guardian about it the next time she saw that glorious beast of the skies.

A soft knock at the door interrupted Regina's ruminations, startling her into movement. She looked toward the door; surprised to see that now everything in the room was visible, bathed in the dull light of dawning skies. Her thoughts had kept her occupied through the night, Regina realized as she crossed the room and carefully opened the door, her eyes falling onto the young woman she had met earlier.

"Gwen, right?" Regina murmured softly instead of greeting as she stepped out into the hallway, even though she doubted they could disturb Emma. "What can I do for you?"

"Mistress Morgan sent me to ask if you need anything, and to announce that she would bring breakfast shortly, as she assumes you do not want to leave Savior alone?" the girl managed to rush through, her pitch rising toward the end in question.

Regina smiled tiredly at the junior healer, and nodded, both in answer and in acknowledgement of Morgan's visit. "I wouldn't mind some extra furniture for the room, Gwen," she said softly opening the door, as she let the other woman see the bareness of the quarters she and Emma had been put in.

"Of course, your Majesty," Gwen bowed shortly before she dashed away, her hurried movements making Regina shake her head in amusement. In her estimate, it would take only minutes before someone showed up with a table and some chairs, and probably something more…

And, indeed, only a minute later, she saw three people walking down the hallway towards her, each one carrying something. As she opened the door of the room to let them pass by her, Regina was surprised by the silence that followed their moves, the wooden furniture making nary a sound as it was assembled. A small square table and two simple stools were placed against the wall across from the bed, and the two men that had brought them left without a word, offering only a short nod to Regina. However, Gwen stayed, fussing over the table cloth and stool pillows. Only when the crisp withe sheet was arranged perfectly did Gwen step away, whispering to the brunette that the mistress of the house was already on her way, excusing herself shortly afterwards.

As she was expecting Morgan, Regina left the door open, her feet taking her to the bed, where she checked on Emma, using her tender fingers to spread the soft silky blonde strands over pillows. The sheriff's breathing had not changed during the night nor did she look closer to waking up, her non - responsiveness worrying her True Love.

Moments later, the brunette heard a soft chuckle from behind her, her attention drawn to the woman entering her room. Despite the fact that Morgan was one of the most famous sorcerers, and a queen with many loyal subjects, the woman was carrying the heavy metal tray filled with food and a pitcher with her hands, unbothered by the burden. Lowering the tray quietly on the freshly set table, Morgan still held that gentle smile that Regina had seen on her seconds before.

"What's funny?" the guest asked carefully, remaining by Emma's side. As she watched Morgan take her seat on one of the chairs.

"Not funny. Interesting." Motioning to the table, the older woman invited the other to join her for breakfast, her silent summons answered almost immediately. "Long ago, in the time of the first Men, the concept of Balance of the World was imagined as a duality, the pair consisting of two opposites, which together made harmony. Back then, people still devoutly believed in gods, and the duality took its anthropomorphic form in Divine Parents. Even now, some of the ideologies exist, mostly within the Empire, Agrabah and the Infinite Forest."

"You think it has something to do with us?" Regina asked nonplussed as she perused the food the other woman had brought. "Because Emma is the Keeper of the Balance?"

"No, you misunderstand me. It had nothing to do with Emma's titles. I just realized that you and Emma have slipped into the archetypal roles of the Divine Parents, with Emma assuming the role traditionally assigned to a man." But before Regina could comment on those words, Morgan continued, her eyes imploring the brunette for patience. "It has nothing to do with the gender. Or, at least, in theory it does not." After a moment of pause to collect her thoughts, the other woman added. "What I meant is that Emma, whether by choice or fate, became a warrior, defender and destroyer, using sword and magic as her tools. She fights. But, you. In the time you've spent here, you have been the nurturer, the healer."

"A Divine Mother..." Regina uttered in understanding. "But, Emma can heal, too."

"Yes, and quite well from what I hear. The roles aren't fixed, nor should they be. You would use the tools and traits the situation you are in demands. That is the true show of balance."

"Okay," the brunette mumbled hesitantly, still not understanding where Morgan was going with this. She reached for a cup in front of her, bringing it to her lips and sipped the strange sweet and sour liquid in effort to stall, but the taste of it was oddly refreshing and soothing at the same time, deepening her bewilderment, as she looked down at it, peering into the clear liquid, trying to guess what it was made of.

The witch-queen smiled at the younger woman's frown, knowing that her random topic had confused Regina, but, in truth, she was nervous about talking with the newcomer. Partly, it was because she feared awakening the famous temper of the Evil Queen by telling her things about her past that would certainly change some opinions of the events Regina had witnessed or heard of. The other reason – well, the main reason was, she had to share so much of her own personal pain in order to tell the story and that was something she never desired to do. Years passed and she had finally learned to put it to rest, and now, with this story, old ghosts and scars would most certainly show up again. However, despite her reluctance, Morgan understood the necessity of the conversation, not only because she had chosen Regina as her heir, but for Emma's wellbeing as well. So, gathering her courage and steeling her will, Morgan lowered her cup and entwined her fingers in front of her.

"I think it is time for you and I to have our talk," she started, outwardly seeming firm and insistent even though her heart was still hesitant to be so exposed. Her words brought Regina to attention as she, too, put down her drink and looked over at her, her eyes fleetingly glancing to Emma, as if to check on her. "First, there is something you must learn about Brocéliande." With a steeling breath in, Morgan started speaking.

"Brocéliande is sequestered part of the Infinite Forest that belonged in my family since the first man bearing the name of Gorlois of Tintagel, the name my father shared with him, founded the Tintagel line of sorcerers. As he also had come from those who wielded a great power and possessed vast knowledge of the crafts, my forefather foresaw the need for secrecy and retreated into the Infinite Forest. In his meanderings through the magical forest, he found a place shrouded in mystery. Immediately, he sought to understand what was happening there and so Brocéliande was created. You see, this small part of the Infinite Forest exists in a different dimension, and that made it be slightly out of Time itself. My ancestor learned that every time he entered this land, he would stop aging, but he wasn't frozen in time. After many explorations, he also noticed that hardly a day would pass in the rest of the world during his stay in Brocéliande, despite the fact that he remembered the Sun setting down for more than ten times. Gorlois singlehandedly placed each of the border stones, carving them in an old Elvish dialect his family was fluent in and dousing them in his blood, binding this land to those descending from him. With his son, he founded a village outside the borders of Brocéliande, keeping it secret even from his own people, fearing that his kin would become too dependent on the strange effects of time that place had. His son Cador, years later, found a mystical island, with similar properties as Brocéliande, and considering it his own right, he claimed it in the name of our family. However, in the recent years the island had shed its shroud of secrecy, becoming a thing of legends."

"Avalon," Regina gasped in wonder.

"Yes," Morgan confirmed softly, before she continued on. "Slowly, the Tintagel line became more and more powerful, its members worshiped and feared throughout the realms. The wizards and witches of my family were the advisors in many courts in history of the Enchanted Forest and the rest of this world, and many others. However, slowly, malicious darkness grew in the world, corrupting and destroying it. Kingdoms and fiefdoms fell under it, with the remaining folk running in fear. One of Cador's great grandchildren stepped forward to help, and he used his considerable power to bind the Darkness into one mortal being, containing a soul, and thus the first Dark One had been created. Fearing revenge from the creature he had made, the wizard retreated into the Infinite Forest and ordered his family to close ranks. No longer did the Tintagel line sorcerers travel the lands, but the people in need would come to them, if they dared to cross into the Forest. But, isolation had its costs, mostly the lack of knowledge of the outside world, so the Guild of Authors was born. Those were the people of our line, chosen to record the events of the world, foresworn to be truthful in their observations. Right up to my father's death, the title of the Author would fall on one of my blood, groomed for it since birth, understanding the responsibilities of the role. But, afterwards, thanks to Merlin's meddling, it fell to ordinary humans, who often could not resist the temptation of the power their quill possessed. Soon, the last Author had to be captured and punished for his willful and whimsical writing that somehow had changed some details of the events he was reporting on."

"Wait, wait," Regina spoke, waving her hand in front of her, completely disregarding the pointed look the sorceress directed at her. "You made the Dark One? Why would you do that?"

Morgan closed her eyes tiredly at the reproach in Regina's voice. "The alternative was much worse." The dark skinned woman sighed and clasped her hands on the table, leaning onto her elbows as she drew herself closer to the center of the table and Regina. "This way, all that malice was at least somewhat contained." When she saw the brunette's outrage evaporate from her posture, Morgan reached for Regina's hand, squeezing it gently, her soft fingers contrasting with the other woman's. "And, that is the only reason why your teacher knew of our existence and power, trying to gain some of it unsuccessfully for decades, before my father swore that if Rumplestiltskin did not yield his pestering, he would count the millennia from the Pandora's Box at the bottom of the Endless Sea."

Regina did not miss the strange inflection of Morgan's gentle voice as she mentioned Rumplestiltskin as her teacher, the narrowed eyes telling her that the Queen of Camelot had known the truth of Regina's origins. But, as the older woman did not mention anything else of the former Dark One, the Mayor decided to let it be for the moment, as she truly was not in the mood for another discussion of her fathers. "How did you meet Arthur if your people were in isolation?" she asked after a moment of silence given to her to absorb the new information.

"To tell you that, I must begin the birth of my eldest sister," the healer spoke softly, a tender smile passing her lips as she mentioned her family. "Elain was born first, pride and joy of my father, the leader of our people. In honor of her arrival, he had sent word to the kings and lords of the realms, offering them his assistance only in time of need, and only if it did not cause harm to others. Not many dared to travel to him, but those who had often were rewarded not only with help but also with tokens of the Tintagel line, which signified given help and offer to come again. And, shortly after Elain's fifth birthday, when my other sister, Nimue, was not even a year old; a scrappy boy with mud and dust covering his face and light brown hair, barely standing at four feet, stumbled into the village, having only dirty ripped clothes on his body and a golden token firmly gripped in his hand. He only managed to utter his request to be taught magic before he passed out from malnutrition and hard conditions of the journey the boy had faced on his way to there. Moved by his determination, my father decided to foster the boy, bringing him up as one of his own, teaching him the crafts as he had done later, with us. The boy would later grow up to become a most famous wizard you know."

"You grew up with him?"

"Indeed I did. Even though he was different from us, we accepted him as our brother, and Vivian and I adored him when we were children, as sisters often do their big brothers. Even though he was more than fourteen years older than I was, he would often stop what he was doing to help me with my practice or chores. He also helped my father teach Vivian and me the simpler forms of magic when we were young enough to start with the crafts. He was the one who consoled me when Elain had run away from us for reasons unknown at the time. He was also the one who guarded Nimue, Vivian and me on our way to Avalon, where Vi would take her place as the chief sorceress of the island, the Lady of the Lake. He was the one that helped me bring my ill sister and her newborn son to Avalon to heal, giving the babe name Galahad.

However, it all changed when King Uther rode into our village, at urging of his good friend, the king of the neighboring lands, with his son sitting in front of him, in the saddle. The young man had been hit by a poisonous arrow during a hunt, and none of the healers at Uther's court knew how to heal the prince. I was eighteen at the time, already helping my father with his work at the House of Healing, and when he alone brought Arthur into Brocéliande, I was the one that nursed him to health. It was then that I got to meet my future husband." Lost in the memories of the time long past, Morgan tapered off, her eyes gazing into the distance, before she visibly shook herself to present. "In the following years, Arthur spent more time in our village and in Avalon than at his father's court, and when I was twenty four, our relationship was crowned with marriage, the rites presided over by both my father and Merlin in the castle city that my husband would name Camelot, where he would create the Order of the Red Dragon, both in commemoration of our time spent at the Dragon's Bluff and his father's name that he had inherited.

Right after we were married, he was taken to the sword stone where the famous blade rested, waiting for its rightful owner, by one of the priests from the abbey at Avalon, while my sister came to me with one request I could not refuse. As the island was not a place for a child, both my sisters, one in spirit and other in person, were imploring me to take in the boy and raise him as my own, even though the world would know him as the boy from the Lake."

This time it was a knock on the door that interrupted Morgan in her tale, but she saw the way Regina's eyes widened in surprise when the younger woman realized who had been the boy. With a somewhat relieved sigh, the Mistress of the House of Healing gestured toward the door, the magic she wielded opening them quietly, showing a young girl standing there, her hand still poised to knock again. "I beg your pardon, your Majesties," the young woman spoke softly but without fear people usually held while talking to Royals. Regina had noticed that before, as well, but she had been engrossed in Emma at the time, but now she saw the affection Morgan had for her people, as the older woman rose from the chair and walked to the newcomer.

"It is alright, Briana," the Mistress of the Marble Hall said soothingly as she stepped in front of the young woman. "What is it?"

Regina saw Briana lean in and nervously glance at her before speaking further, her voice low, but still loud enough for the brunette to hear the next words. "One of Brandon's men is here, with news about the border." After making sure Morgan wanted it discussed in front of the stranger, the young light brown eyed healer continued. "It is deteriorating at more accelerating rate, and the men think it would flicker out in three days' time."

"I see," Morgan murmured with a slightly concerned frown, before she smiled at the girl and nodded. "Tell the messenger that I will see to it shortly. Thank you, Briana." With a gentle pat on the young woman's shoulder, the sorceress sent her away and closed the door of the room, returning to her seat. "Now, where was I?"

"You just told me that you raised Lancelot," Regina remarked in amused disbelief. Then she gestured towards the door. "What was that about? Isn't Brandon one of the guards on the road here? And, why do you have guards, if there is blood magic in the stones circling this place?"

"Yes, Brandon is the Captain of the Guard, and he indeed guards the border because the blood magic is failing. And, before you ask, it is crumbling because an heir to the Tintagel line hasn't been announced since the last one died, and Gorlois placed some very strict guidelines for the magic in place. One of those was the fact that there must be a contingency for the current ruler of his people, for if the person in charge dies without an heir while the border is still active, Brocéliande would be unreachable to anyone."

"So, why didn't you name one after your son's death?" Regina asked softly, mindful that the topic was a sensitive one.

"I did. As Elain's son, Lancelot had been chosen to serve as the Heir, even though he refused to be the next Lord of the Tintagel lands. But, your mother killed him to serve her own goals and I was left without kin in the Enchanted Forest." Shaking her head at the brunette's lack of response, Morgan sniffed softly, getting herself more comfortable on the sturdy chair, using the wall as back rest. "Right, so, Lancelot," she murmured as she pressed down her dress, before she looked at Regina, ready to continue. "Camelot flourished, our son was born, and we lived fifteen years of peace and prosperity, guarded by our loyal knights, Lancelot among the first." Morgan sighed and bit the inside of her lip as she brought her fingers to a simple gold chain bracelet on her left wrist, it holding a great deal of meaning to her. "Mordred was a joyous and happy boy, so filled with life and with most gentle soul, but he was different that the rest of us, and the secret of it weighed heavily on him, turning him moody and isolated, out of fear to be found out and publicly ridiculed, or worse, exiled. And, constant badgering of his father's Captains to learn how to fight and kill had often brought him to tears, as he did not want to shed blood. He did not see honor and glory in that." Regina noticed that the bracelet had a runic inscription on a small plate, the letters making a name, the name Morgan spoke with utmost love and heartbreak. Mordred. "One evening, he confided in me that he wished dearly that he had been born a daughter, and that I or Merlin, as the best in our fields, perhaps could do something about it."

The former Evil Queen swallowed against the tightness in her throat as she realized what Morgan was telling her. Thankfully to her exposure to the 'World Without Magic' and its intricacies, Regina had learned a lot about sexual identities and preferences, but she also knew how cruel and judgmental her own world could be, and more often than not was to the people who dared to say that they had been born of wrong gender. If anyone had found out about Mordred, it would have been only his royal blood that would have saved his very life. "Did they…?" she tried to ask, fearing that she already knew the answer.

Morgan inclined her head slowly in answer. She cleared her throat and after a suffering sigh, she spoke. "I was blamed for it. People thought I had done something unnatural to conceive him and now the fair king was paying the price for falling in love with a witch from the Infinite Forest, where only bad things live. It gave Merlin a great opportunity to usher a new queen for him, more acceptable one." The scorn in her voice was too obvious, even though the woman showed no outward signs of her displeasure and disdain at the memory. "Not that I blamed the silly girl, she was too dazed by the riches and prestige…" The sorceress reached for her cup and drank deeply, before she smiled sadly at Regina. "It broke my son's heart and he changed. He became vengeful and obsessed about punishing his father, waiting for his moment. I tried to stop him, but I myself was hurt by how easily Arthur could disregard me… Anyways, we went back to my birth home, where my sister Nimue welcomed us with the news that our father was dying from an unknown malady, and only at his deathbed, he shared the secret of his demise, two years later. By the time I could wrap my hand around it, the news of the new queen's infidelity reached the ears of our loyal subjects in Camelot." Morgan chuckled humorlessly as she leaned onto the table. "It appeared that Guinevere grew bored with Arthur's inattention and with the empty life of a trophy bride and sought excitement elsewhere. Namely, that excitement was with one of the Knights of the Round Table, Bors. However, when the King discovered them, he flew into a terrible fit of jealous rage and drew his magical sword and slew the knight kneeling right there, the man having thrown himself in front of his lord, begging for forgiveness and mercy. That very act of unreasonable madness was what sparked the fracture of the Order and the civil war. I was told later that it had been the moment Excalibur had stopped protecting Arthur, deeming him unworthy of its loyalty."

Regina rose from her seat and walked to the window, her head spinning as she understood that most of the stories around Camelot's fate were false. Suddenly, the words her father had spoken on the day of the funeral made much more sense. But, how had he known, she wondered as she placed her hand against one of the two pillars supporting the arches of the window, looking outside, her gaze passing over the entire valley below the cliff. "I thought it was Lancelot who was involved with Guinevere," the woman noted softly, before she leaned against the pillar with her hands that were pressed against the small of her back, the caramel eyes gentle as they met with the amber ones. "I think most of the world does."

"It was a clever effort to discredit Lancelot, and many of the knights believed it, because his infatuation with the young queen was a poorly hidden secret. In fact, everyone but the king knew about it, but because Lancelot was too honorable to do anything about it, no one said anything. Not until after Arthur had killed Bors and sent Lancelot away with Guinevere to kill her and bury her in the Marches, where her body would rot for eternity." The older woman sighed heavily as she, too, rose from the chair and walked not toward the window, but to the bed, looking upon the laid up Savior with inscrutable expression on her face. "I am sorry that it worked."

"I assume he didn't kill her?"

"No, he took her where he knew no one could find her, providing shelter and sanctuary for her. Unfortunately, she fell ill soon after, and perished. If I had to guess I would say that her heart was broken and her soul fled her body, escaping the unbearable pain of existing in the world where she had witnessed a man she had been married to turn into a savage beast, and the man she loved killed right in front of her, with half of the realm baying for her blood. Lancelot even came to me and asked me to try and heal her, but I could not. In his grief, he accused me that I could not get past over the fact that she replaced me and that was the reason I let her die. He returned to his king, refusing to speak to me again, for a very long time. But, Arthur descended into his madness and one by one, his knights were killed off in the war, and Mordred grabbed his chance to get his revenge. At the eve of his twentieth birthday, Mordred faced his father's army with his men, at Camlann, where the two armies fought almost to the last man, and where the both men I loved dearly received their mortal wounds." Quickly, the woman brought her hand to her eyes, wiping the tears away as she turned away from Regina in effort to hide her pain. After several minutes she used to compose herself, Morgan continued her tragic tale. "The only people walking away from that battle were Percival, Bedivere and Lancelot. Dear Bedivere arranged for Arthur to be taken to Avalon with my blessing, taking Excalibur with him, to return it to the Lady of the Lake, and he chose to go with his king to the island, leaving these shores forever. Percival chose to remain by my side, and dear Galahad… He saw the man he considered his father figure use the magical sword on the boy he loved like a brother, and he saw Mordred's sword pass by Excalibur and give a mortal wound to his own father. Something that should have not happened if Excalibur still was loyal to Arthur, but as it turned out, Arthur's mad attack on Bors broke the sword's enchantments, rendering him nonresponsive to the man that had wielded him solely for the kill of an unarmed man. Lancelot lost everything that day, everything that mattered to him, and from that point onward, he was only a shell of the man he had been before. Not only did he lose his family, but he lost his king, the very ideals he believed in and most of the people still believed that he had been the one to betray Arthur."

"So, he turned mercenary," Regina commented under her breath, causing Morgan to direct a sharp look her way. "My late husband used his services often, and so did the other kings…"

"Well, he had to earn his living somehow," Morgan spoke with false frivolity in her voice before her awkward smile fell of her face and she grimaced in pain. "What was left of Camelot went to Avalon, and the few that decided to stay followed me here, away from the world." The woman gestured to the walls of the room, her motion encompassing more than just the Marble Hall.

The Mayor pushed away from the arches of the window and slowly she walked to her prone beloved, gently lowering herself onto the bed and reaching for Emma's hand, needing a tangible connection with the woman after the upsetting history Morgan had shared with her. "I would have thought you would have left to Avalon, as well. To be with your sisters. But, instead, you are here…"

"I remained here because I could not abandon the man I loved as a son - no matter how much he hated me."

"And, after he died, why did you remain?"

"I wanted to bring his killer to justice. And to keep a promise I made to a dear friend of mine." Morgan directed a meaningful look at Regina, one that the brunette did not understand. "But, until I could do any of those two things, I chose to stay here, away from the eyes of the Enchanted Forest, allowing my name to pass into legends and stories."

"You hid, you mean," Regina remarked bitingly. She didn't know where the venom was coming from, but the idea that Morgan's presence in the world could have changed the history was strong in Regina's mind. It could have made it better. Or worse, she realized suddenly.

But, before she could offer an apology to her host, Morgan made several hurried strides to Regina's side of the bed and stood before the seated woman, her towering height inspiring tinges of fear in the former Evil Queen. "I am not hiding," the woman bit through her clenched jaw, every word enunciated and cold, as she pinned Regina with her blazing eyes. "My people and I are not out there not because we are cowards that are waiting for dust to settle, as you might be inclined to think, but because we do not belong to this world anymore, Regina!" Morgan said, her words getting heated with passion as she glared at the younger woman in front of her. "We are relics of time that never was, and we have no business in deciding the fate of the people who live and fight out there today." Suddenly, the sorceress sighed, her fiery temper fading and she sat beside Regina, taking one of her hands into her own, her still sharp look encompassing both her and Emma on the bed. "People revered Camelot, seduced by its promise. Only few realized that Camelot was a noble and remarkable idea, but it had never come to fruition."

"What do you mean?" the brunette asked softly, after she heard the quiet admission from the woman next to her.

"Camelot fell at the very moment my…" Swallowing hard to stop herself from misspeaking, Morgan glanced away for a moment before she continued on. "Arthur decided that power was more important than the very principle his order was built on: Humility, Righteousness, Honesty, Mercy, Love, and above all else, Loyalty. He was too easily seduced by Merlin's whispers in his ear." Morgan's tone turned wistful at the end, a long suffering sigh escaping her as soon as she finished speaking.

"You still love him," the younger woman spoke in whisper after a moment.

"He was my love," Morgan replied softly. "He was weak and forgave him for it, a long time ago. But, what he did to our son… That, I could never forgive, no matter how much I still love him." At Regina's sympathetic look, the sorceress cleared her throat and released the other woman's hand, patting her thighs, the slightly awkward move signaling the end of the current conversation. "But, that is not important right now," Morgan spoke as she rose from the bed. "I don't know if you caught the part about Brocéliande having different relations to Time, but I feel the need to underline that Emma has been here a lot longer than you think."

"I did catch that but you derailed me with other things," Regina answered with restraint, not willing to jump at the woman again for no reason. "How long?"

"Three weeks up to the moment you arrived."

"So, what, two weeks here is one day outside?" Regina quickly calculated, her eyes going to the Savior, as she considered the fact that Emma had been in pain a lot longer than she had imagined.

"Yes," Morgan confirmed. "As you can see, it is rather useful anomaly."

"That is why your family built the House of Healing here, because it provides you with additional time…"

"Right."

"You never told me what happened to Merlin. And, your other sister? Nimue, was it?"

Morgan smiled at Regina, a soft chuckle leaving her lips. "Perhaps, another day," she promised. "But, now, little afal, as I cannot do anything about your mother, I want to fulfil my promise to the dear friend I mentioned." The older woman let her smile widen at Regina's startled expression, knowing that particular nickname would bring a lot of memories for the brunette.

"Afal?" Regina murmured in daze as she looked up toward the Mistress of the Marble Hall. "That is what daddy used to call me when I was a child." At Morgan's knowing smirk, Regina narrowed her eyes. "What is this?" she asked immediately, her countenance changing drastically as she was ready to defend herself and Emma with the magic already coalescing in the air around her. "Some ploy to… What, hurt me?"

"I may have given you a lot of leeway, but I will not tolerate your baseless accusations when I have been nothing but good to you and your True Love," the Queen of Camelot and the last remaining descendent of the Tintagel line spoke with steely edge to her voice, unbothered by Regina's attempt to amass magic in the room. "You do not talk to me this way, Regina," she reprimanded strongly, standing firmly in front of the former Evil Queen. "Your father raised you better than this."

"You know nothing of my father," Regina threw back.

"Oh, I know plenty of both of them," Morgan replied with a sneer. "But, I know all about Henry, more than you'll ever know," she added firmly, and then, when she saw Regina hesitating, she chose to attack. Or, rather, simply disarm. She grabbed Regina by her chin, the touch giving her enough to cut off the brunette from her magic, and then she gentled her hold. "He was a friend of mine. One I was very sad to lose." The experienced sorceress understood that her guest was suffering from simple overload of information, on top of exhaustion and emotional distress, and being so off kilter, she had reacted instinctively when one of the old wounds had been poked strongly. Morgan knew how Henry had come to meet his end, she knew the madness that had followed the woman in her hold, but she did not blame Regina for his end. She blamed Cora, Rumplestiltskin, the White monarch, even Henry himself, but not the child drowning in her own pain and misery. "I am not here to exact revenge or anything like that, Regina," Morgan whispered soothingly into the frozen woman's ear, bringing her gently into her arms and lowering her down onto the bed, letting Regina lean against her. "The promise I made to your father was to help you and teach you when he is not around." She placed her fingers under Regina's chin, bringing the tearful dazed eyes up to look at her. "He hoped I would get a chance to be in your life properly, now that you are away from the Dark One and the Queen of Hearts' dangerous influences."

"How?" a weak voice asked after a long silence that had enveloped the room. Morgan looked at the woman, pleased to see that the shock had been replaced by inquisitiveness, the younger queen slowly gaining her composure back. The healer waited for Regina to elaborate on her question, lifting her hand to move the black tresses hiding the other woman's face back. "How did you meet him?"

Instead of answering immediately, the Mistress of the House peered into Regina's face, her eyes boring deeply into the swirling dark eyes. Morgan then turned away, rising to her feet, and took Regina's cup off the table, filling it up with the fresh batch of the drink. Then, she crouched in front of the other woman, placing the cup into the still trembling fingers. "King Xavier was one of the few who dared to visit us, especially when one of his boys was ill. Henry was our favorite. He even had a special name, courtesy of my father." Urging Regina to take a sip, she placed one of her hands onto the woman's knee, squeezing it lightly in encouragement. "Later, he would often visit me in Camelot. Arthur and I were guests at his wedding, and we, with my sisters were there on your name day. I remember holding you in my arms, while Henry stood proudly by my side, looking at you as if you were the whole world to him. And, you were."

"I doubt that was still true in the end," Regina commented weakly, the memory of that day, forever branded in her mind.

"Did you know that he had come to me right after your banishment?" Moving herself to the bed, beside Regina, Morgan inclined her head with earnestness in her gesture. "He had felt terribly guilty for wanting execution to take place. He said that he had hoped that you would at least find peace, if not happiness, for he hated the fact that you were letting your pain and desire for vengeance blacken your most loving and kind heart." Morgan touched the brunette's left hand, needing her attention. Suddenly, a folded piece of paper appeared right above Regina's palm, before it dropped onto the welcoming hand. "This letter was sent six months after Snow's wedding. You should read it." Leaving Regina with it, the older woman quietly moved to the door, pausing at the door to add something else, but seeing the brunette stare at the wax seal at the letter as her eyes filled with tears, Morgan changed her mind and left.

The red wax circle was unbroken, the indentation of her father's sigil still intact, even though Regina could see that the letter had been read, many times. The paper had turned yellow and worn due to passage of time, the creases along the fold lines deep, but she could still recognize the specific brand her father had been using for his communiques. Gently and with care, Regina slipped her finger under the seal, unfolding the letter, gasping as she saw the familiar cursive flowing over the page. But, as she straightened the paper, something fell out of it, hitting the stone floor with a soft, barely heard clunk, drawing her eyes towards it. There, on the ground, lied a necklace, the one she had not seen since she had carelessly flung it away many years before. A thin golden chain with the pendant shaped as a circle with an apple tree in it. Slowly bending over, Regina took it in her hand, letting the pliant metal flow through her fingers onto her palm, her thumb passing over the apple tree in remembrance. It had been a birthday gift from her father, and he had given it to her right after he had returned of one of his travels, while she had been still a child. With the necklace in her hand, Regina clenched it into a fist and looked at the letter, reading the words that had been written more than thirty years before.

My dearest friend,

It is with great regret that I write you this letter, instead of visiting you as I have promised, but I dare not leave the castle at this time. Also, it is very likely we will not see each other again, my friend, for my darling daughter is exceedingly determined to evoke the Dark curse, preparations for it consuming her completely. So possessed by it she is, she no longer notices anything other than what she needs for her task, having forgone meals and sleep entirely.

I sincerely hope that she will find what she is looking for on the other side, as I only want her to be happy. But, I fear, even if there is hope for her, Regina would not seize it, too submerged into the darkness her mother and that wretched creature had inflicted on her.

As it well may be we will never see each other again, I feel the need to offer my deepest gratitude for your friendship. Your guidance and compassion has often given me strength to endure, and your family has made me feel more accepted that mine ever had, and for it, I am forever in your debt. Because I have you in my life, it has been infinitely richer than I had ever hoped. I also hope your ward has not given you much trouble, because last time I saw him I offered several remarks that weren't much appreciated.

However, this old man has a favor to ask. Do you remember the promise I made you give? If, for any reason my daughter returns to the Enchanted Forest, would you keep it? If she does return, I believe she will be in need of help and guidance, Morgana, and there is none other I trust more than you. Especially with her life.

With much love and adoration,

Yours,

Henry Dordéan

Regina frowned at the name signed at the end, recognizing the elvish word for a type of bird. Morgan had said that they had given her father a special nickname, but she didn't think he had accepted it so willingly, signing his name with it. However, it did explain how he had come with the endearment for her. Little afal, he had called her, and now that she actually thought about it, she realized it meant little apple. That was why he had given her an apple tree necklace and the tree itself; because those had been the things he had associated with her.

Folding the paper carefully, she placed it at the nightstand, twining the chain around her fingers, so it would stay in her hand, as she pulled herself up on the bed, settling herself beside Emma's head on the pillow, taking the blonde's hand in her free one. Leaning against the headboard, Regina turned onto her hip. She sniffed, hard, before wiping away her tears, and closing her eyes, she breathed heavily, using Emma's presence as her focus in order to keep herself under control, for she feared that after many things she had learned that day, if her composure crumbled, she would need days to return to some semblance of being okay.

---

"Did you tell her?" Morgan heard from behind her as she passed into the main hall of the House of Healing. Without bothering to stop or turn around, she continued walking towards her private quarters, knowing that her friend would follow her there without a question. In the silence interrupted only with soft footfalls of their feet, the Mistress of the Marble Hall arrived to her destination, a small sunroom off the living quarters and directed herself to the open glass panel leading to a narrow but long terrace. Placing her elbows at the railing, Morgan lowered her head and sighed heavily. "That bad?" Aileen spoke commiserating with her friend, her palm landing gently on the older woman's shoulder the moment shifter joined her outside.

"It wasn't bad," Morgan murmured, leaning her head to her right, knowing Aileen would hear her perfectly. "Exhausting… gut-wrenching…" With another tired sigh, the sorceress glanced at her friend. "I don't think I have told anyone the story of my life in one setting. Until now."

"I cannot imagine how it must feel like," the Wolf spoke gently, as she brought Morgan into a side hug, her arm going around the queen's back, squeezing the opposite shoulder. "And, her?"

"I left her with Henry's letter," Morgan mentioned after a small shrug.

"Do you think it wise?" the shifter asked gently, her concern evident in the lowered timbre of her voice. "Her father must be a very sensitive topic, and after all this…" Aileen gestured to the lower level in a wide sweep of her palm. "The emotional backlash must be pretty brutal for her right now."

"I know," Morgan exhaled, pushing away from the railing, her hands going to her face, rubbing it in an exhausted motion, before she placed them back on the stone fence, only now she was facing the glass panels of her room. "But, it was necessary. She needed to know that Henry was my friend, and that she is safe here, regardless of her mother's and her deeds in the past." The sorceress pressed her side to her friend's, as she focused onto the dark blue – silver eyes. "She has to trust me."

"Poor child," Aileen commented with a soft exhale. "And, Geilgeis?" she asked with interest.

Morgan looked at her friend and chuckled gently at the name the shifter had bestowed on the Savior. White Swan, indeed. "Unchanged," the healer spoke, frowning in concern at the mention of the blonde. "I don't like it. With her self-healing and the unicorn blessing, she should be well on her way to recovery. This long to be entirely unresponsive…" Shaking her head, Morgan grimaced with worry.

"She did spend weeks under that red mist thing," Aileen offered. "Who knows what residual effect it might have?"

"It's not that I am concerned about. It's the magical overload." Morgan started pacing down the length of the balcony, as she told her friend about Regina healing Emma. "The amount of magic in that room, Aileen, it could have teared the world apart."

"You expected her to show symptoms of overcharge," the Wolf concluded after a moment spent following Morgan's rapid steps with her eyes.

"Frankly, not only show the symptoms, but the whole range of them in full intensity." Stopping her fast movement, the queen looked toward the door to her quarters. "As the matter of fact, I keep waiting for the summons."

"Do you think Geilgeis is in danger, right now?" the shifter asked, moving away from the railing, ready rush out if need be. "Should we go down?"

The sorceress entered her sunroom and went straight to the crystal decanter on a small table right beside some chairs, pouring a hefty portion into one of the glasses, before she turned toward her friend and inquisitively gestured to another glass. At Aileen's nod, the older woman poured the drink again, this time in moderate amount, before she gave the glass to her friend, draining her own in several quick gulps. Exhaling at the sharp bite of the spirit, Morgan lowered herself into one of the chairs. "Regina is with her, if anything happens, she will know." Tapping her finger against the arm rest, the chief healer sighed. "As for the danger... I don't know; I've never had the Keeper of the Balance as a patient before. Anything is possible with that one."

"But your gut tells you that it is coming," the Wolf insisted after she took a sip of the stiff drink.

Morgan looked upwards with exasperation. "It also tells me that I am overly agitated and emotionally drained and that it can contribute to misinterpretation of events..." she added tiredly, rubbing her eyes.

The Wolf woman reached over to her friend, clasping one of the bronze skinned hands. "Well, you know I am here to help."

"I do, thank you."

The two women fell silent, as they let the warm rays of the winter Sun bath them, caressing their faces with light. Occasionally, the healer woman of the Wolves would sip the drink in her hand, her other one still holding on to Morgan's, proving a quiet grounding presence for the woman who had lost so much in her life. Closing her eyes against the glare of the Sun and leaning back, Aileen thought back to the day when her friend had found out that Lancelot had been murdered. It had been the last straw for the strong woman, breaking her already too scarred heart, and since that day, Morgan had been different. Withdrawn and aloof, the woman had committed herself to a lifetime of isolation, the only goal in her mind had been to find the woman who had killed her sister-son. But, when the news of the Savior had spread through the land, and that Cora had followed the blonde to another world, the sorceress had reluctantly decided to finally join the rest of her family, and live out her days in Avalon, away from the worldly troubles of the Enchanted Forest. However, when the word of the newly reformed Evil Queen had reached Brocéliande, the Queen of Camelot had gained a new fire in her eyes, stopping all preparations for the long journey to the mystical island. It had been then that Aileen had learned about Morgan's final promise to Henry, the kind man she had met once or twice during his visits to the Infinite Forest.

It had been he who had recommended the Infinite Forest as a place of refuge, his subtle manipulation bringing them right into the fold of Camelot folks. With his intervention, Morgan had offered the Wolves an abandoned village for their usage. Later, the healer had learned that it had been one of the three main settlements of the Tintagel line, abandoned after the fall of Camelot, when most of the ancient family had chosen to leave the shores of these realms. As a prospective healer with unusual talent for the medicine of non-magical variety, Aileen had been invited to Brocéliande where she had gained a lifelong friend in the Camelot queen.

Thinking about her own village, the shifter opened her eyes as something occurred to her. "Hey, I just remembered," she spoke softly after a long time of silence, hours having passed since the last spoken word. "In my cart, there is a parcel. Grandmother sent over several pelts from the white coat deer." Aileen leaned over in her chair to her friend, smirking slightly when she had seen that her sudden speech startled the other woman.

"White coat deer? Why?" Morgan frowned, quite surprised by the words the shifter spoke. White deer was native only to the Infinite Forest, deep in the west, and notoriously hard to catch or hunt, their speed the least of worries for hunters. Their natural habitats were usually high on the slopes of mountains, in areas quite treacherous to pass, and many lives had been lost while trying to climb the most inhospitable part of the mountain range in the Infinite Forest. Risking the lives of the precious Wolves seemed so unlike Althea.

The Wolf shrugged as she rose from the chair, offering her friend a hand. "It's for the child, she said. The Savior needing a proper coloring and attire for her station, or something..." Guiding them to the stables where Aileen's cart had been put away, the shifter glanced at Morgan. "I thought, perhaps, to let Rhain, or maybe Selwyn, take a look at it and see what they could make for Geilgeis."

The Mistress of the Hall smiled gently at the other woman's proposal. Showing the skins to the cobbler and the tailor did seem like good ideas, so she nodded in agreement, her hand passing over the soft, pliant leather roll in the cart. She was ready to offer a suggestion, when the young healer she had sent to Regina that morning came out of the Marble Hall, running straight toward her with a panicked expression on her face.

"The Savior is seizing," Gwen uttered urgently the second her feet brought her to her Mistress. The announcement was enough to set both women into a hurried hold, as Morgan had already summoned the magic for the transporting spell. With Aileen in her arms, the witch-queen disappeared from the stables, her precise move landing them only short steps away from Emma's bed.

---

She had fallen asleep, Regina realized as her eyes opened slowly. She was lying beside her True Love, her head dangerously close to Emma's shoulder, almost leaning on it, while she still had Emma's hand in her own grip, her other hand tucked closely to her chest, clenched into a fist, with the necklace still in it. With a slowly released sigh, the brunette shifted her head so her chin would touch the shoulder in front of her, and gently threw their arms around Emma's belly, still lying on her side.

"I know I should be patient," Regina whispered softly into the blonde's ear. "And, let you rest and heal in peace. But, I worry, darling. With every second gone without seeing your beautiful eyes, my concern grows stronger." She brought her nose closer to Emma's neck, the sharp herbal scent of the ointment she had lathered over the Sheriff's skin slightly unpleasant to her, but Regina didn't care much about that, because she could detect the familiar fragrance of her beloved underneath.

As the lids slid slowly over her eyes, Regina cleared her throat discretely. "But, until you are ready to join me, I will honor your request," she added in half whisper, her exaggeratedly formal speech more for Emma's benefit than her own, the blonde's humorous and sarcastic genuflection coming to Regina's mind, bringing her to weakly smile at the unconscious woman, before she started speaking. She began with the most important topic of all, their children.

But, as she was telling Emma about Kyle's impressive catching up, Regina noticed that the hand in her hold was no longer cool to touch. At first, she had dismissed it because hand holding normally did tend to heat up the palms. However, only minutes afterwards, she noticed that the shoulder she was leaning on was uncomfortably warm, as well. Tapering off, she brought herself up onto her elbow and peered down at her beloved, her eyes widening at the flushed skin. Quickly, she brought her hand to Emma's forehead, hissing in frustration when her fingers encountered unnatural heat.

Jumping off the bed, Regina didn't even think about it, but the second her feet landed on the floor, the door to their room swung open, the sturdy wood slamming the stones of the wall quite hard, the noise of the hit reverberating strongly throughout the corridors.

Hardly even reacting to the startling sound behind her, Regina uncovered the Savior, frowning at the heated but dry skin the blonde exhibited. "Gwen," her voice spread through the infirmary level as she was trying to think of the most suitable way of bringing Emma's fever down.

Then she saw a muscle in the Sheriff's arm twitch. "No," Regina murmured helplessly as she watched another twitch appear in Emma's right leg. "No, don't you dare do this!" she said as she kneeled beside the Savior's limp body, her hands expertly moving her beloved onto her side, witnessing the spasms spread over the entirety of Emma's body.

Her panicked shouts brought the young healer to their room, the girl managing to catch only a glimpse of Regina struggling to keep the Savior steady before she tore out in full sprint, no doubt to find and inform her Mistress.

Knowing that help would arrive soon, Regina summoned a piece of stiff and thick leather, managing somehow to place it in Emma's mouth just in time before the muscles of the blonde's jaw grew tight, snapping it close, but not doing any damage to the teeth and the tongue due to brunette's quick thinking. However, the convulsions were getting stronger and Regina had to use all of her strength to subdue her beloved, earning several hits in the process.

"Oh, damn it," Morgan's voice sounded from behind Regina, and the black sorceress quickly joined the younger woman on the bed. "We need to bring the fever down immediately," the witch-healer concluded as she patted Regina's arm in both consolation and encouragement. Then she turned to Aileen. "Take her to the baths," she commanded, gently moving Regina out of the way, so the shifter could lift Emma's body into her arms.

"The second floor?" Aileen asked, as she carefully passed through the door, mindful of her precious cargo.

"No, too late for that," Morgan shook her head as she squeezed by Aileen urgently. "There is one right around that corner." As soon as she gestured the direction, the shifter rushed away, the other two women following her in step, until Morgan held Regina back. "Have you ever dealt with cases of overcharge before?"

Visibly holding her temper in check, Regina frowned at the question. "Yes, but I've never seen this…"

"One thing you must remember, Regina," Morgan spoke as she brought them to the washroom, where Aileen was already lowering Emma into freshly poured water filling the lowly sunken rectangle of carved stone. "Not a single speck of magic can be used around her while she is suffering from overcharge this intense." Then, hurrying into the bathroom, the sorceress kneeled beside the stone tub and touched Emma's forehead with her hand, sighing in slight relief as she didn't detect a rise in temperature. "How long can you stay in there?" she asked her friend, drawing Regina's interest, because she saw no reason for not being able to stay in clear water for long. Until she realized the water did not give out any vapor of steam. Not even thinking, she threw herself on the floor beside the tub and ducked her hand into the water, her hiss of pain as her knees landed on the hard stone superseded but the yelp she let out at the frigidity of the water.

"Regina," Morgan cautioned, her voice filled with both warning and persuasion, when she saw the anger building in her future pupil, the expression of Regina's face growing darker with each second passing. "It is necessary to lower her core temperature," she said firmly, rising to her feet slowly, with her arms in front of her, as she glanced over to her friend, who was watching the former Evil Queen and the benefactor of her family with guarded amazement. Aileen was sitting at the bottom of the pool, in the cold water, Emma's head limply leaning on her vest covered chest, while the rest of her body was submerged in the two feet of water in the tub, her skin already losing the flushed look.

"So, she can die of hypothermia, instead?" Regina countered angrily, setting herself down on the floor, her eyes pinned to her True Love, unable to deny that the water worked.

The older woman sat beside her and chuckled softly at Regina's recalcitrant comment. "No need to be dramatic," she said gently, sharing a teasing smirk with Aileen. "It is only for a short while."

Right in that moment, Gwen entered with two more healers, Regina recognizing both of them from earlier. Needing no instructions, they created a makeshift cot beside the sunken pool, on the other side from the two queens, covering it in soft towels and blankets that could be easily removed if need be. While the two boys puttered around the bed and the rest of the supplies they had brought with them, Gwen rushed outside, returning only a minute later with several bottles of different colors and sizes in her arms. "Good girl," Morgan murmured softly in praise as she took one of the bottles out of her arms. "Will you bring Aileen a spare change of clothes," she addressed one of the boys, as she motioned the shifter to bring Emma out of the water, the young healer nodding and leaving without a word.

"She is still convulsing," Aileen noted as she rose to her feet with the Savior's tense body in her arms. Instantly, Gwen and the other boy reached for the unconscious woman, gently lowering her on the pallet, even though it was difficult with Emma having spasms in their hold.

"But, it isn't as bad as it was before," Morgan replied as she guided Regina to sit beside Emma. "I know that this is incredibly terrifying, but we must persevere with calm heads," she said to the brunette, tenderly squeezing her shoulder in support.

Regina swallowed hard against the obstruction lodged in her throat, and placed her palm against her belly, feeling her innards rolling in fear. "What do I do?"

"Her body is fighting off the effects of the excessive magic passing through her system," the sorceress started gently, gesturing to the girl with the bottle. "That, in itself, is a dangerous situation, but Emma is also weakened by the effects of the mist," she added gravely.

"I don't need you to recap what has happened," Regina suddenly snapped at the other woman, her sharp tone causing Aileen to growl lowly at her. Ignoring the Wolf that was climbing out of the pool, the brunette continued, in slightly restrained voice. "Tell me what to do."

Morgan raised her hand in both conciliation for Regina and show of restraint for the shifter. "The thing is, the stronger the attack of overcharge, the faster it works and the less it lasts. Our only job at this point is to keep Emma alive long enough for her body to recover from it."

"Keep her alive?" Regina gasped, almost falling over at the words the black sorceress uttered.

"And, prevent as much damage as we can," the shifter added in low tones as she crouched a bit away from the cot, so that the water dripping of her clothes would not soak the bedding.

"How?" the brunette breathed in desperation as she looked at the new person in her vicinity, absently concluding that this was the She-wolf Percival had announced, recognizing the subtle trickle of shifter's power around the woman.

"Right now, we ease her muscles from cramping, so they would not snap tendons along them," the newcomer said, gesturing toward the bottle in Morgan's hand. "That is a muscle relaxant and combined with a massage, it should do the trick." The Mayor nodded at the wolf-healer's explanation, also giving permission to Morgan to pour the liquid into a small cup Gwen had already brought to her. "Oh, and by the way, my name is Aileen," the shifter added as an afterthought.

"Regina," the former Evil Queen replied inanely as she watched the Camelot Queen force Emma to drink the concoction. Aileen only smiled at the woman, quite understanding the woman's response. "Come on," she said gently, nudging the brunette into action. "Let's start."

As she brought herself onto her knees for easier access to Emma, she realized that her necklace was still wrapped around her fingers, so she quickly placed it around her neck, it joining the one she was carrying for Emma. Then, she cupped her palms, letting Gwen pour into them the mixed oil blend she would later learn that was made of mixing eucalyptus, lavender, basil, and peppermint oils with almond oil, created specifically for soothing spasms and muscle and tendon pain caused by overcharge. The slightly sharp and refreshing scent of eucalyptus and lavender enveloped the room as she gently spread the oil over Emma's leg, her hands rubbing it deeply into the skin, while Aileen did the same for the other leg. The two women worked in baited silence, manipulating the muscles of Emma's arms and legs to relax, while Morgan monitored the Savior for any changes in her condition.

"She is getting hot again," the sorceress warned after a while, her words forcing Aileen and the healer boys in action, lifting the Savior and lowering her in the water, with the shifter already in it to hold Emma's head above water level.

The only reason Regina wasn't the one in was the iciness of the bath, one that Aileen could endure without much trouble, whereas Regina would contract a pneumonia afterwards. But, that did not mean that the brunette didn't spend her every second beside Emma, prostrating herself by the edge of the pool so she would be close by, watching the blonde's face for any signs of betterment.

Time and time again, they would repeat it all, and so hours passed. The Mayor could barely move her fingers anymore but she would still knead the tremoring muscles of her beloved, her tears falling silently when the Savior would moan in pain, too much taken by her feverish dreams to know reality. Many fears Emma confessed that night, each in the form of waking nightmare caused by the high fever, each a cause of pain and guilt and remorse for the former Evil Queen. Even though she was by Emma's side the whole time, watching, listening, consoling, she did not miss the grave looks Morgan and She-wolf would exchange, nor did she miss the faltering beat of Emma's heart, weakened by the strain, first from the red poison, then from overcharge. She knew that her beloved would not be able to endure for much longer. That high and persistent fever would have been deadly for any man, but the Sheriff held on, only by the skin of her teeth.

The morning came quietly, almost unnoticed. Morgan was leaning against the wall closest to the pallet, while the shifter was laying beside her, soaking up on her warmth, the regular ice baths taking their toll on the strong countenance of the Wolf. The two women, although beyond exhausted, held on to their waking states, watching the young ones lying beside the bath tub. Regina was whispering something in Emma's ear, hoping that at least her voice would help with the terrors the blonde had experienced that night, firmly holding her hand, as if the pressure alone would be enough of an anchor to keep the blonde in the realm of the living.

But, then, the shifter lifted her head in a sudden move, her frown filled with agitation. "Quiet," Aileen ordered, as she brought herself up to her knees, leaning over the Savior's pallet, her hand urging Regina to heed her. "She is not breathing," the Wolf spoke urgently, quickly placing herself at Emma's head, opening her mouth widely and lifting her chin. "And, her heart is stopping," she added quietly, ready to give the breath of life, glancing up at her friend. However, when she saw Morgan's clenched jaw and widening nostrils, she faltered. It had been truly amazing that the Savior had lived this long.

Regina saw the woman hesitating and in powerful raging move, she pushed her away. "I am not letting her go," she screamed at the people in the room and placed her hands on Emma's chest, thanking all the gods she had learned CPR in Storybrooke. "You may have given up," she said, instead of counting the beats. "She may have, as well. I am not going to." Lowering her head down, she breathed out, filling Emma's lungs for her.

"Regina," Morgan spoke after several repetitions, her voice only a heartbreaking whisper.

"No," the brunette snapped, continuing on with the CRP. "Come on!" A rib cracked under her strength, but she pressed on, mumbling numbers under her breath, interspersed with anguished pleas for Emma to react and not leave.

"Regina," the Camelot sorceress tried again, but the dark eyes that glanced up at her were blazing with fire, the rings of purple, pink and white swirling with the molten dark, the force of Regina's look taking Morgan's breath away, and sending a shiver along her spine. The woman in front of her was radiating so much power that she dared not stand against her, even though Morgan was more experienced and knowledgeable in the crafts.

Suddenly, Regina stopped, her eyes losing the additional coloring, and the magic tapering off. However, she did not seem lost in anguish, as one would expect of someone who had just lost their loved one. No, the brunette still held her determined expression, however, it was rather focused on her hand, than on Emma. And, the others saw why it was. Her hand had started crackling, electricity running along her skin, the bluish glow of the power lighting her face in an eerie light. She pressed it against Emma's heart and the second she touched the bare skin of the blonde's chest, the Sheriff convulsed with the power running through her. Once more, Regina repeated her move, only this time, when she pulled away, the shifter could hear something that had not been there moments before. A heartbeat, weak and slow, but there, followed by a shallow breath taken by the Savior. It was followed by another, and yet another, its rhythm becoming stronger with each new beat.

The former Evil Queen sat back on her haunches, her breath leaving her in short spurts, as she trembled, not knowing whether to cry or laugh, and somehow doing both, gathered in Morgan's hold. However, her blubbering didn't last for long because, the very second Aileen confirmed that Emma was going to be fine, Regina passed out, her eyes rolling in her head and her body limply leaning onto Morgan.

"They are truly meant for each other," the shifter said gruffly, her voice holding the edge of her emotions. "Each fighting to their last breath, not giving up on the other."

"They are bonded beyond anything this world has ever seen," Morgan agreed softly, cradling Regina's head onto her shoulder.

"Do you think it safe to move them?"

"Yes," the sorceress spoke to her friend. "I believe Emma's overcharge is over, apart from maybe simple case of exhaustion. They will be much more comfortable in bed, and they deserve the rest." She did not need to say that the two women would be watched over until the danger truly passed. So, with the help of the younger healers, Aileen and Morgan moved the two women into the room they had been using previously, settling them gently into the bed. The sorceress pulled the curtain over the pane-less windows, preventing the daylight from bothering her charges, before she sat down onto one of the chairs, preparing herself for the vigil, letting Aileen take the first sleep.

---

Regina's eyes snapped open, the brunette startled awake by a soft murmur of her name coming from very close by. Taking a deep breath, she turned to her side, lifting herself onto her elbow, looking down at the still sleeping woman, barely recognizing the blonde's features in the darkness of the room.

"I don't think she is having bad dreams," a whisper came from the seat by the window, hidden in the darkness, making Regina look toward the owner of the voice, where she only saw the two eyes glowing slightly in the dark. As she frowned, peering into the shadows to confirm the identity of the intruder, Regina heard a strike over some kind of stone, creating sparks in the darkness, and immediately after a small candle was lit, its weak flame casting light on the familiar woman's features, the warm expression on the shifter's face welcoming Regina.

"Aileen?" the royal spoke softly, her confusion clear in the small furrow of her brow, as she brought herself up into the seating position, throwing one arm around her knees to hold herself up. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her other hand pulling the blanket around her.

"Did you really think you would be unsupervised after what has happened?" the Wolf said in answer, her gentle voice barely louder than a whisper from before. Then she took hold of the candle and rose to her feet carefully, so she wouldn't dislodge any of the pillows and furs on the window seat, walking up to a simple chair beside the bed, the one Camelot-Witch had been using earlier, and she sat down, placing the light source onto the night table. Noticing Regina's look at Emma, now that there was more light in the room, the shifter spoke again. "Except from occasionally murmuring your name, she is sleeping firmly, on her road to recovery. Morgan bound her ribs, and she said they were healing nicely and quickly."

"How long was I asleep?" Regina asked, not looking away from Emma, even though the other woman was right behind her.

"It is only evening now, child. Morgan reckons you should rest more, at least for several days." At Regina's soft snort of sarcastic disbelief, Aileen smiled, leaning back, crossing her arms over her chest, quite ready to spend the rest of her vigil in such position. As she crossed her legs, she noticed a discrete look directed her way, the brunette conducting a scrutiny of sorts. Catching dark eyes in her gaze, Aileen smirked at the royal. "No need to be shy around me, your Majesty. You can ask your questions." Leaning slightly forward, the Wolf winked at the woman, her strange eyes drawing Regina's attention. "But, if I seem familiar to you, it's because you have saved my family."

"So, you are related to Liam?" the brunette prompted, as she pulled herself back, fluffing her pillow behind her back, all in effort to make herself more comfortable. Aileen chuckled when Regina fussed with her blanket, tucking it over her uncovered shoulder, before she looked at the shifter, waiting for an answer.

"He is my son," the Wolf replied simply. "My eldest and pride of my people."

"I have no doubt," the monarch replied quietly, in agreement. "I have left him in charge of protecting my children, because I know he is worthy of my, and Emma's trust." At the mother's proud and pleased smile, Regina sighed softly, thinking of her own children, missing them dearly. But, it had been Henry who had told her that Emma needed her more for the moment, and it made it easier for her to stay away, although not much. "Have you seen him since Emma took him from the village?" she asked gently.

"Once, a couple days before the battle," the shifter replied. "One of his men had died and the Savior brought him and the body into the village, for the burial rites." Regina had heard of the man's demise, Liam himself having told her of it. "It is not unusual for us to spend much of the time apart," Aileen said sadly. "However, it doesn't mean I am not hungry for any news of him."

Smiling at the subtle plea for stories of Liam, Regina nodded gently, before she told the Wolf about her more than capable son, most of her words inspired by Emma's accounts from the diaries, but several things she had to say from her own experience with the Chief. Not long afterwards, Morgan came with the food, relieving the Wolf-healer from her shift.

"I didn't think I'd see you up for a while yet," Morgan spoke softly, mindful of the sleeping woman, as she brought a bowl of fortifying broth to Regina.

"I never was for much sleeping," the brunette replied with a meaningful grimace, before her face was overtaken by a grateful smile for the food and company. She glanced toward Emma and sighed. "Lately, dreams did not provide the escape or comfort, one should hope for."

The Camelot Queen smiled in understanding as she sat down, her amber eyes taking in both the women on the bed. "Hopefully, that would change now," she said, looking pointedly at the blonde.

Regina hummed in agreement, eating the fulfilling warm soup. In short time she was done with it, leaving the bowl beside the candle, as she settled back in her previous position, her eyes on the older woman watching her.

"You want to know, don't you," the older royal spoke after several moments of steadily building awkwardness. "About Merlin?"

"Actually, I was about to ask about daddy, but I won't say no to that story."

Morgan snorted at Regina's eagerness, crossing her legs. "It's not a pretty one," she prevaricated, rolling her eyes at the brunette's raised eyebrow.

"Like most ones involving people with power," Regina noted wisely.

"Alright, then," Morgan sighed unhappily, brushing off some lint off her silk covered knees. "You remember I told you Nimue remained in the Infinite Forest, with our father?" Receiving confirmation in a form of a nod, the sorceress continued her tale. "On his deathbed, our father shared his well-founded suspicion about the cause of his illness, pointing his accusing finger at the man he had adopted as a son. Merlin had come to him, demanding the control over the Authors to be given to him, because he had presented himself as the only viable choice of the successor left, since I had been married and too busy with the court and children, Elain had disgraced father with the child out of wedlock, Vi had been ordained as the Lady, and dear Nimue would not amount to anything in his humble opinion. Father, of course, had refused him, telling him never to return to the Infinite Forest. Shortly afterwards, he had fallen ill. My sister and I had been too shocked to learn about father's accusations and we hadn't done anything regarding them, as we were too busy with the funeral arrangements and grief, until the news of Guinevere's betrayal reaching us, pushing the issue completely to the side. Vivian came to father's burial, remarking an oddest thing to the two of us." Morgan looked at Regina, noticing her attentive expression. "You might have wondered why Lancelot is called that, if his birth name was Galahad," the sorceress said with a pointed look. "At the time he had come to live with us, Elain had written me, telling me to think of a new name for the boy, because she wanted to protect him from her sins. And, so, I came up with Lancelot." She smiled at the memory of the young boy, too eager to rush into the Knights' practicing grounds. "No one in the know thought it odd at the time, until Vivian spoke of Elain's reaction to the knowledge who had given Galahad his name. Namely, my sister was overcome with rage and anguish at the same time, locking herself up in her quarters for weeks, confessing to Vivian that she had believed Nimue had named him, because she had mentioned the name before. And, the reason she wanted another name for her son was, as Vivian learned, Elain didn't want Merlin to know who the boy was, as he knew his birth name." Unable to sit still, Morgan stood up and walked slowly to the window, pulling the covering for a bit, to let some fresh air in. "While I was away, trying to heal Guinevere, Elain had snuck back into the Enchanted Forest under a disguise, meeting with Nimue at their childhood spot, where she shared a secret, one so dark and damaging that the mere action of shedding light on it broke Elain completely. Visiting our father's grave, she waited for me to return, before she left for Avalon, swearing that she would never leave the island again. She died not long after, despite Vivian's best care."

Regina listened to the story carefully, her frown deepening with each new detail, before her eyes widened in realization, when something she had learned from Emma had helped her understand the reactions of the eldest sister. "Lancelot was a child of rape," she whispered in disgust and sorrow, the last for the woman who had suffered. "And, Merlin was the culprit."

Morgan was leaning against the wall, looking out of the small part of the window uncovered, her body almost hidden in the darkness, but Regina could see the twisting features of grief, anger, and betrayal marring her face. Clearing her throat, the sorceress spoke again, acknowledging Regina's supposition. "The man who was our brother in everything but blood had done us so much harm… And, yet, none of us could really believe it. Not until Nimue shared what Elain had told her. But, while we were dealing with our outrage, our brave sister concocted a plan to get justice for Elain and our father, luring Merlin into an expertly set trap, right here within the borders of Brocéliande. She used magic to make herself look exactly like Elain, sending a message to the wizard that she wanted to meet him, throwing in some forgiving words. But, when he showed up, coming to her, Nimue unveiled herself and entombed both of them in one of the caves not far from here, the dragon magic preventing Merlin from setting himself free. You see, the spell Nimue used was an old one, one our father never had taught to Merlin. As long as a trace of her remains in that cave, it shall remain sealed, and since her body cannot be removed from there, that is likely to be for an eternity."

"Did Lancelot know?" Regina asked softly, wiping her tears of her cheeks.

Morgan nodded sadly. "He learned of it shortly after Elain's burial, two months after Arthur and Mordred had died."

After a while, Regina brought her hand to the apple tree necklace around her neck. "What does my father have to do with all of this? That is, I presume the ward he spoke of was Lancelot."

"Henry was the reason Lancelot returned to me. When you were about to be married, you and your family were moved to the White Castle. There, Henry met with Lancelot, and already knowing my side of the story, he convinced my wayward boy to let go of his grudge he had held against me for Guinevere's death." Morgan turned away from the window and sat beside Regina, taking her hand into hers. "Lancelot told me the exact words Henry had told him. A broken heart can be just as deadly as any mortal malady, he had said to my boy, and Lancelot to me."

"When was this?" Regina asked with a deep frown, something about the phrase familiar.

"Right before your wedding night, about the time your teacher reappeared," the Camelot royal said meaningfully, knowing that Regina had realized why Henry had said that. "It was then, he made me promise not to interfere in your life for as long as Cora and Rumplestiltskin were part of it, no matter what." Bringing her other hand to Regina's face, she wiped away an errant tear, before she offered a saddened smile to the younger woman, squeezing her hand. "But, all of that is in the past, Regina, and you, I am afraid, have the future to worry about. So, I am going to leave you to get some more rest." Patting Regina's knee in goodbyes, Morgan rose from the bed, and quickly left, giving the brunette no time to say anything in response. The former Evil Queen chuckled softly at the sorceress's escape, and lied back down, her brief foray into the waking world leaving her tired and sore. With her face, and body, turned toward Emma, she fell asleep only inches away from her True Love.

Three more times she woke to find someone else in the room, either Morgan or Aileen, standing, well sitting, guard over them. The healer in the room would engage her in small talk to pass the time, sometimes bringing her food. Then, Morgan came to her with a peaceful smile, the third evening of their convalescence. The sorceress told Regina that the vigil was over, because both her and Emma showed definite signs of improvement and healing, and all they needed was more rest. Placing a gentle affectionate kiss on the top of Regina's head, the Camelot Queen smiled softly at the women in bed. She murmured that the food would be delivered every meal-bell and that they should join them outside when they were ready. With a gentle squeeze of Regina's shoulder, Morgan said her goodbyes and left.

---

Once more, the brunette startled awake, in the middle of the night, the slight shift of the bed alerting her to movement near her. Blinking away the last remnants of her sleep, she looked around in the soft light provided by two candles that were almost burnt out, left behind by the healers. It was visible enough for Regina to see a figure sitting at the foot of the bed, back turned toward the brunette. "Emma?" the Mayor murmurs softly, not moving, as she was overwhelmed with joy that her beloved was finally awake, and there was no need to rush – so Regina took her time, letting her eyes pass over the beater-covered body in front of her, most of the shoulders obscured by the wavy unruly hair. Slowly, Regina brought herself up, bending her knees and propping herself with her left arm placed behind her, her other arm unconsciously reaching out for the seated woman in front of her. But, as she drew closer, Regina noticed that the blonde was too still, her shoulders and back tense, almost vibrating with apprehension. "What is wrong?" she asked softly, shifting her own body so she could sit beside her.

However, the moment the bed yielded under her, Emma turned her head to look at her, her eyes flying over Regina's features, the poor lighting preventing the brunette from seeing much apart from the longing gaze passing over her. With a heavy sigh, the Savior opened her mouth as if she were to say something, but then she changed her mind, shaking her head, and pushing away from the bed, her steps weak and halting before she reached the table, leaning heavily against it, her eyes not moving away from Regina.

"You don't have to keep it in anymore," Regina said gently, as she glanced worryingly over Emma's shaking knees and bare feet on the cold stone floor. "There is no need for you to be strong for me, or anyone else," she added softly, remembering Archie's cautious warnings. "Share your burden with me, my love." As she spoke, she brought herself up to her feet, her each action exceedingly slow and careful, noticing how the much beloved eyes vigilantly followed her every move, each inch that took Regina closer to the Sheriff caused the blonde woman to get more tense. Almost, as if Emma was afraid of her, of what she might do. Or be, the royal concluded sadly. She was afraid, terrified even, Regina realized, because she believed her True Love was not real. Casting a look around them, she could see that the room was somewhat mirroring their last meet, with the dimness and lack of windows – the curtain not seen in the shadows. It was too similar to the place in Emma's mind, and the parallels were making Emma extremely wary and fearful.

"You still don't think I am really here," Regina murmured softly, coming closer to Emma, so close that she could feel the heat coming off of the pale skin before her. If only she moved her hand for an inch, her fingers would touch the beloved in front of her. The former Evil Queen had an idea how to help Emma come to her senses, her thoughts making her chuckle within the solitude of her mind.

With careful moves, the brunette stepped around the Savior, coming to her side and bringing her head beside Emma's, almost cheek to cheek. "Can't you feel my breath over your skin?" she asked in sensual whisper before she blew a warm breath at the bared neck, enjoying the sigh of goosebumps appearing afterwards, followed by a barely there shiver. Lifting her arm, she placed her palm onto Emma's, squeezing it lightly before she pulled her hand upwards, letting her fingers trace the soft skin on the underside of the forearm, coming to the crease of the elbow. "My fingers, don't they seem real?" Slowly, she brought her fingers down to Emma's palm, intertwining them with Emma's for a moment, before she lifted it and brought it to her cheek, using her own palm to press against Emma's, letting her own heat warm the slightly colder skin of her lover. "Do you not feel me?" She noticed the pulse quickening in the hand she was holding, followed by heavier breathing and slight tremors shaking Emma's frame, as the woman in question swallowed hard, her eyebrows brought closer in expression of disbelief overpowered by reluctant hope. "I am here, Emma," Regina uttered insistently, slowly tracing her hand up Emma's, reaching the blonde's shoulder and neck, gently winding her fingers into the soft tangled strands. "I am alive and with you, here," she said, gently pulling Emma's head down, bringing it closer to her own. "All you have to do is accept it."

Shuddering, Emma closed her eyes, allowing Regina's insistent hand to guide her head, and she leaned her forehead against Regina's, a harsh sob fighting through her body the very second they met. "Regina," she gasped, feeling the warm lips touching hers, lightly but lovingly, and after a long moment of just experiencing the soft contact, Emma responded, sharing a chaste but heartfelt kiss with her True Love. Breaking the kiss, Emma moved her hand of Regina's cheek, gently guiding it into thick dark hair, while she brought other onto Regina's hip. Murmuring softly her name, Emma pulled the brunette into a clumsy, unsure and slow hug, as if too long had passed since her last human contact.

"I am here," Regina would respond to each murmur of her name, placing her lips over Emma's temple, with her hands roaming Emma's back and neck, worried by the shivering the blonde exhibited. But, when a quaking sob broke out of the Savior, Regina felt Emma's knees buckle, and only due to her reflexes and shift in balance she prevented them from ending up on the hard floor. Wasting no time, she brought Emma to their bed, inelegantly arranging the covers over them because the blonde refused to let go, her weeping moans overtaking her completely. "I am here, my love," she whispered into the ear that wasn't currently pressed against her heart, embracing Emma firmly in her soothing hold, her heart hurting as she watched the strong woman in her arms fall apart.

Hours later, Emma's body was too exhausted to continue crying and sobbing, and the blonde's breathing evened out, but Regina knew that the woman was not sleeping. No, Emma was still holding her beloved tightly, her ear firmly pressed to Regina's chest, where she listened to the strong beats of the steadily working muscle underneath. The brunette used her fingers to caress Emma's back and neck, often passing through the blonde tresses, gently untangling them, letting the Sheriff absorb the affection in silence, once in a while lifting her head to kiss her love on the forehead, slowly lulling her in restful sleep, following her shortly.

In the morning, the brunette was wakened by a soft one sided conversation happening in the room. "Don't worry, Geilgeis, we'll have our time later," Regina heard the shifter speak to her beloved, before leaving the room, having removed the curtain from the windows and brought food and some clothes for Emma. In the light of the day, she saw her lover turn to her, the tired eyes still not returned to their previous coloring, but they were close enough.

"Hey," Regina murmured softly, bringing herself closer to Emma, their noses gently touching.

"Hey," the blonde responded affectionately, her voice coarse from the night before, saying nothing more. And, she did not need to, all her emotions clearly shown in her eyes, as she took in her beloved's face in the bright light of the morning, made more beautiful with a loving smile Regina gave her.

Regina yearned to kiss the life out of the woman in front of her, but she didn't want to rush Emma, especially not after the previous night. She would follow the Savior's lead in intimacy; however, her honorable decision did not lessen the desire coursing through her body, the fire fanned by a soft upturn of Emma's lips. However, the blonde found a way to douse the building craving by a simple uttered word.

"Others?"

Smiling at Emma, Regina pulled away from the blonde, but not before landing a gentle peck on Emma's cheek. Uncovering herself, she got out of the bed, dressed only in the linen shirt Morgan had provided for her. "Tell you what, why don't you get dressed and join me at the table, and I'll tell you everything you want to know," she said over her shoulder, picking a piece of bread of a platter on the table, before she tossed it into her mouth. Then, passing Emma on her way to the window seat where the rest of her clothes were placed, she teasingly touched the blonde's shoulders with a smirk on her face.

Having quickly dressed up, the women sat at the table, and in between bites, Regina told Emma the happenings in Storybrooke, not going into much detail but covering all the important things, most elaborately speaking of their children. When she saw the curiosity and desire to learn more of Henry and Kyle's adventures, the brunette started telling stories about the kids in more detail, making Emma chuckle softly at some of the anecdotes. All the while she was speaking; Regina scrutinized her beloved, taking note of the lessened emotional response and unwillingness to look away. The Mayor sighed with the realization that it all seemed unreal to the Sheriff, although the truth seemed to be slowly sinking in, with each new story and gentle touch.

Even though Regina shared most of the things of the past two months in Storybrooke, she was careful not to mention her encounter with the spy from Oz, and subsequent curse on Henry. Not because she believed Emma didn't deserve to know, but because Emma's reaction to Sidney's attack had not been dismissible. The blonde had pushed away from the table, ready to crush the man with her bare hands, even after Regina had told her of the resolution, and such volatility of temper was hardly helpful in Emma's emotional and physical recovery.

So, in interest of Emma's recuperation, and her own, Regina suggested that they go for a light walk, to ease the blonde into everyday routine, especially after such a long time of unmoving, and, right after their meal, slowly, the two women set out. At first, the brunette thought that their expedition was about to end even before it had started, as she realized that to go outside, Emma would have to climb three sets of stairs, spiraling upwards. However, the Savior sighed heavily at the sight of the winding staircase and bravely started the climb, smiling weakly at her beloved when Regina when she insisted that they take a small break.

"Oh, dear, I did not think you would be going anywhere today!" greeted them as they stepped onto the marble floor of the ground level. Regina turned, smiling at the woman approaching them in a rushed walk, placing a soothing hand on Emma's shoulder, her subtle touch showing the blonde that it was all right and that the woman was a friend. "Not ones to dally, are you?" Morgan asked rhetorically, as she led them to her private quarters. "Come, please, have a seat," she offered as she flagged one of the boys in white linen uniform. "See that our guests are moved to the private quarters on the first level," she ordered him before sending him away, already pouring the women tea.

Regina accepted both cups, passing Emma's along, as she was seated closer to Morgan. "I was tired of the room, and it would do us some good," she said, looking into Emma's eyes, easing the suspicion in them, before she directed her look at their host, taking a sip.

"Well, I must say it is lovely to see you up and about, Keeper," Morgan spoke, not missing the tightening of the skin around Emma's eyes. Sharing a look with Regina, the sorceress tried again. "Do you prefer Savior, or Sheriff?"

Emma lowered her cup, swallowing her sip, before she looked up to the black woman in front of her. Regina had explained in broad strokes who the sorceress was, and how helpful she had been, but Emma did not know her, and thus, didn't trust her. However, since Regina was vouching earnestly for the woman, with all the looks and touching her thigh discretely, the Sheriff was prepared to play nice, as it were, with the woman. "Emma," she said in her raucous low voice, before she cleared her throat. "I prefer Emma," she added, slightly louder, but with the similarly rough quality to her voice, the product of not speaking for a long time, and the fever. Then, to ease some of the expectant tension, she continued. "When I am not in the position of power and responsibility, that is. When I am, Sheriff and Savior would do." The slight quirk of her lip clued Morgan on the teasing, at the same time when Regina's soft chuckle did.

After that, the three women settled in a short chat, Emma keeping to one word answers, as they drank their tea. When they were finished, Morgan looked at the blonde and smiled. "I assume you are going to need a bit more than what you have on now to go outside?" she asked, making Emma look at herself with a frown. Dressed in deep green velvet leggings, a thick matching velvet jacket and sheepskin boots, Emma looked very beautiful, but it was not enough to protect her from the cold of the winter.

"I have something for that," Regina replied, summoning the bundle she had left on Shadow's saddle, taking out the sword out of it. Giving the sword back to its rightful owner, Regina had to smile at the cautiously delighted look that passed through Emma's eyes as she reached for it. Then, the brunette turned to the remaining bundle and with one hand gesture, it turned back into its previous shape, placing it over Emma's shoulders, settling down on them perfectly. The rich black velvet fitted with fox fur on the underside flowed over Emma's body, showcasing her powerful figure impeccably. "There," she said, with her hands on Emma's shoulders, gazing lovingly upon her hero.

"Indeed," Morgan agreed, her voice breaking the adoring look the two women had been sharing. "Well, have a good time on your walk, and we'll catch up later."

With another smile for their host, Regina led Emma outside, letting the blonde take in the surroundings, as they strolled about the village. Then, as they passed the last house, they walked toward the walled part of the cliff, the place obviously serving as a viewpoint of sorts, with the benches and all.

"What's wrong?" Regina asked softly as they sat down, having witnessed Emma's false starts several times. "Are you in pain?"

Emma shook her head in answer, before she turned toward the village. "They speak…" she started, before she had to clear her throat again. "As if, we are on vacation. Without hurry." The frown marring still pale face deepened. "And, you do the same."

Regina nodded in understanding, before she kissed the blonde's forehead in effort to ease the burrows. "I forgot to tell you about the way time moves here," she murmured as she brought Emma in a side hug, narrowing her eyes in worry when the blonde leaned tiredly against her. "We are on vacation, of sorts. It is because two weeks here equal one day on the outside of Brocéliande, and that gives us time we need. Time you need."

Emma hummed as she took in the knowledge her lover shared with her, before she lifted her head, deciding to say something that had been troubling her since Regina had done that small piece of magic on her cloak. "There is something wrong with my magic," she whispered, looking away from Regina, afraid that her admission would cause an unforeseen reaction. But, she didn't need to doubt her beloved, because brunette used her finger to bring Emma's eyes back to hers, caressing Emma's cheek gently.

"You have suffered through a very serious magical exhaustion overcharge," the brunette spoke softly. "It might take a while for it to build back up." Then, she brought her finger to Emma's lips, stopping the wallowing comment before it could be formed. "You have the time. Take it. Don't worry about it."

"Time," Emma mumbled, kissing Regina's finger before she pulled her hand away, holding it in her own. "Because it moves differently," she added absently, as she looked over the cliff, her eyes noticing a river and bare patches of land below, as she sighed tiredly. "Why not?" she sighed with exasperation, leaning her head against Regina's shoulder. "It there is the Infinite Forest, why wouldn't there be a timeless one?"

Regina softly snorted at Emma's familiar frustration with the magical places and objects, pulling the other woman closer. "It is a lot to accept, I'll give you that."

"After everything, it's really not."

Truly, Regina could agree that after everything they had learned and found out, one more mystery did not add much to the pile. So, she did not say anything more, nodding in agreement when Emma suggested that they return to the House of Healing and find their new quarters. Getting directions from ever prepared Gwen, the two women slowly walked down to the first level of the cliff-side infirmary, admiring the spacious hallways and open view from the windows, providing ample light to the corridors. Turning right, after passing several doors on their way the women came to the large double doors, with one of them opened, and the same boy from before stood at attention beside it. "My ladies," he addressed the women when they came close enough, inviting them inside. "Compliments of my Mistress," he spoke as he gestured over the large space, serving as both the living room and the bedroom, one side of the room covered in windows in its entire length. To the side, there was another door, smaller and unobtrusive. "Private washroom and latrine are through there," he gestured towards it. "If you need anything, someone is always around on this level."

"Thank you, Keith," Regina recognized Aileen's voice coming from behind them. She and Emma turned around to see the woman carrying something large in her arms as she waited by the door. "I'll take over from here." When the junior healer left the room, the shifter walked in, depositing her burden onto the freshly made bed. Then she walked slowly around Emma, her eyes narrowed in inspection, judging the blonde's general health. "If your muscles are sore, a massage would do you good," she commented. "You'll find everything in there," she pointed toward the bathroom, before she turned to Regina. "Don't put much pressure on her rib. It's healed but…" Then, as she went to the doors, she looked over her shoulder. "Have fun," she added with a wink before closing the door behind her.

The second Aileen had left the room, the Mayor had walked to the bathroom door, and now, she stood by it, peering into the dark room. With a small magical surge, she lit the candles lining the walls of the room, providing gentle light, intimate and warm, perfect for relaxation and enjoyment. "Come on," she urged as she walked in, inspecting the racks of oils, shampoos and bath salts, and towels, chuckling at the sunken bath, or rather bathing pool in the floor. But, unlike the one Emma had been taken to cool down, which was only three feet deep, this one was twice as deep on one side of it, and on the other it was four feet, and fitted with a sitting bench in the pool, so one could sit comfortably and still have their head above the water. And, there, on one side of the pool, a foot away from the edge was strange block of leather in the floor, along the entire length of the pool, all of its eight feet, and four feet wide, raised an inch above the soft limestone lining the floor. Crouching down, Regina pressed her hand against it and gasped as it yielded under the pressure. "It's a pillow," she exclaimed with exhilaration, as she looked at Emma. "Come, take your clothes of," Regina said immediately as she walked over the rack she had inspected earlier, picking up several pristine towels and a small bottle of lavender oil.

"The Wolf said to have a massage if my muscles are sore," Emma said, as she eyed the raised pillow reluctantly.

"And, they are not?" Regina asked suspiciously, raising her eyebrow as she looked back at the blonde, over her shoulder. "You are moving too carefully to pass as fine, Emma," she added slowly, her insistent look finally convincing the Savior to comply.

"I am different than before," Emma mumbled as she took off her clothes, sighing as she saw Regina place a large towel over the pillow, and bring several bowls of strange smelling oil closer to it, lighting them with her magic. Becoming busy with her boots and leggings, she turned her back to brunette, in effort to hide at least some of her body from the dark eyes.

"Yes, all that stone carving did wonders for your physique," Regina commented as she came closer to the blonde, her hands landing gently on Emma's shoulders.

"It's not just carving," the blonde muttered with self-deprecation, her look falling down to her hands, hands that had wielded weaponry that had sent hundreds to their deaths.

"I know," the other woman said gently, encircling Emma from behind, using the height her still dressed feet provided over her lover to lean her chin comfortably on top of Emma's shoulder. "You have turned into quite a warrior. But, it doesn't make you a monster. Or any less beautiful."

"I did things," Emma tried again, before a soft hand touched her cheek, turning her head toward the brunette by her side.

"Your friends were very keen on telling what has happened in the time I was away, sharing most if not all of their observations of you. You yourself have written me most detailed reports on your deeds, Emma. I know that what you were forced to do does not lie easily with you, but that is the price of war."

"Did you speak to Cheng?"

"He did fill me in on what had happened at the mountain keep, Emma. But, those were not deeds of a monster, dear." Regina sighed as she saw Emma's unconvinced look. "Did you react a bit over the top? Perhaps, but considering the day you had up till then, it is more than understandable."

"I singlehandedly killed almost a thousand people that day," the blonde spoke with an edge, as she stepped out of Regina's hold, bringing her hands to her face, unbothered by her nakedness now. "It was a bloodbath."

"They didn't surrender, Emma. They were the Empire soldiers on the foreign soil – invaders, as the matter of fact, and they did not heed your words to surrender unless they wanted to suffer consequences." Regina leaned against the small cabinet Emma had placed her things on, giving her beloved space, but still trying to reason with her. "If you had walked away without involvement, what would have happened?"

"They'd live," Emma answered quickly, before she sighed again. "And attack the people of Enchanted Forest."

"Could you live with yourself if that had happened, when you had been in position to stop them?"

Regina's pointed question forced Emma to answer truthfully. "No."

"And, didn't Commander Cheng tell you that sometimes his people answer only to a show of force?" Getting only a nod in answer, Regina continued, approaching Emma cautiously. "You did what you had to, to save your friends and prevent a greater loss of life. Is it regrettable that so many people had lost their lives that day? Yes, of course, but you had no other choice." She saw that Emma was on the fence about it, and she realized she had one last thing to say, coming closer to her lover, taking her hands in her own as she looked into the troubled eyes. "Take Mulan for example. She is the best warrior in Phillip's army, isn't she? There isn't one who could stand against her, not even in Midas's regiments. Right?" When Emma agreed with a murmur, she continued. "Imagine a full regiment of warriors like her, marching on your friends. Do you think anyone could survive such attack?" Lifting herself on her toes, she kissed Emma chastely before she added. "You stopped that from happening." When Emma grumbled under her breath in response, Regina chuckled softly and pulled her toward the already prepared spot, forcing her gently to lie down onto the towel covered pillow. "Now, close your eyes and relax."

"You love doing this, don't you?" Emma mumbled as she turned her head to a side, letting her eyelids close, appreciating the gentle scent of lavender spreading through the heated air of the bathroom.

"My hands on your body?" Regina spoke seriously, as she straddled the blonde, seating herself on the Savior's thighs as she pressed her hands onto the small of Emma's back, causing the blonde to moan with pleasure. "What's not to love?"