Hi, all. I hope you enjoy this next chapter. I'm still here, but this past year has been rough. I'm doing my best to keep uploading until this story is finished. Enjoy. Also, please excuse the grammar, I haven't had time to edit as I would prefer, but I know there are some of you anxious for the story to continue.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Phase Two Complete

"God, she's awful," Mulan murmured as Snow rode among the peasants looking for compliments and flowers as they gave her flowers. Meanwhile, a troop of servants held baskets filled with enough food to feed all those gathered for two meals.

"Yup, I wanna say this is this world, but she was actually like this; being a bandit made her a better person," Regina murmured as she purposely dropped a coin, and a man saw and looked her way.

"Hey! You are prohibited from staring at the Queen," Snow called out. Regina frowned as immediately guards were upon him.

"Stop!" Regina declared. Everyone paused as the man begged.

"Please, please have mercy on me, I didn't mean too," he cried.

"Let him go; he only saw that I had dropped my purse," Regina said. Emma didn't realize when Regina had just dropped the whole purse. "He had only honest intentions to alert the guard next to me to pick it up. The guard next to her immediately gasped and reached down for the purse. Snow nodded, and the man was let go.

"Very well, we shall continue on," Snow said, turning her horse. Regina took money out of her purse and gave it to the guard.

"Thank the man for his honesty." The guard bowed to her and gave the money to the man who bowed back.

"Thank you, my Queen," he said, falling to his knees. She nodded to him and nudged her horse to walk forward.

"Why do people have a bad opinion of you?" Emma asked. "We heard not kind things when we were waiting for the ball to start."

"Hmm…I am foreign born, and while Leopold refers to me as his Queen out of possession, it is clear to everyone involved that Eva will be his only Queen. They say mean things because they can, and you should note that those rumors trickle down. In my timeline among the peasants, I changed that during the time I had Xavier." Emma nodded. Once they were all comfortably seated on blankets, servants took the horses and Snow was immediately engrossed with her friends as they made fun of peasant girls their age who they had brought to serve and embarrass along the way. Regina shook her head at it.

"What's the plan?" Ruby asked. "Now that everyone is here how do we proceed?"

"I've been thinking about that, as of now Snow thinks that she can convince Leopold of anything and for the most part that is true, but he doesn't want her marrying a peasant. Mother may be feeling weak, but she's still persuasive, none the less. She's been filling Leopold's head for years with talk of marrying Snow off to a strong man worthy enough to be called his son. Someone who can protect and expand the Kingdom while Snow rules it."

"Wait does he not expect you to provide him with a son?" Mulan asked in a whisper.

"It is expected publicly, but I am of the mind that he will see no child usurp his precious Snow." Mulan nodded.

"Understood," Mulan replied. They didn't touch their food having purposely eaten before and it was more untouched food that would go to the peasants. Snow and her friends ate bits and threw it at the girls.

"I wish I had the power to stop her, but I cannot disrupt the timeline any more than has been done so. I do what I can within the limits of what I might have done had I actually been alive. Not including the fact that I need her to stay this awful."

"Do not fret, you have so much control over tweaking the curse, these people will all have good lives." Regina nodded at Ruby's words.

"Uh how are you going to get her to meet this realm me?" David asked.

"I've told her a fable about a flower that grows among the rocks of the summer place on a full moon. I told her it would bless her future marriage with many sons that would make her father proud. She is aware of the fact that her reign is not secure without a son, and she has nightmares about that too. So, she's planning a trip there."

"She won't get it for you?" Emma asked.

"I honestly don't care as long as she goes to get it, the point is she'll never reach that flower, but she will run into a certain Shepherd looking to pay off his farm debt and save it."

"Brilliant," Emma grinned.

"Clean up, we're headed back," Snow declared. "We want to have more fun." Regina frowned.

"You two how dare you glare at the Princess," She declared. "As punishment you can pack up the entire picnic yourselves." Snow was so offended that she started crying as if she were the victim. Emma rolled her eyes so far in the back of her head, watching this version of her mother cry into Regina's arms. It didn't take her long to realize that the behavior was not at all much different. She had spent the last hour and a half torturing the girls, and yet somehow she was the victim.

"Come, let us return, ride with me." They got on their horses leaving the two girls to clean up. They would find more than enough coin and food to feed them and others.

"Have you spoken to your father about going to the summer palace?" Regina asked her. Snow nodded.

"Father says questing is for men, and that I shouldn't listen so much to your fairy tales."

"But what do you think?" Regina asked.

"I think, I want to make sure the Kingdom has an heir, I'll be the first Queen in centuries, but it shouldn't stay like that. I am doing what I must out of necessity. I must have the perfect husband so that we can take our daughters back to his land while our son rules at Eighteen."

"Exactly, the Kingdom needs heirs," Regina told her.

"I hope I find two flowers mother, so that I can have a brother, and there will be no shortage of heirs in the future. Father used to have such a big family, but there was so much disease from the peasants."

"So, I heard, but my dear if there is only one flower, you are his majesty's crown jewel, and you should bare the next heirs to the White Kingdom. When you get back, search the library for proof, I'm not allowed in to help you search."

"Oh yes, and then father will believe your story as I do," she said. Regina nodded. "Oh but he won't let me quest, he's right it is for men." Regina frowned.

"Well then we'll have to hold a contest, peasants need money right now, they will not fail you." Snow was so excited she galloped off ahead leaving Regina alone with Red, Emma, Mulan, David, some guards, and the servants.

"You three, make sure everything except the coin and food are returned to the palace." The servants bowed and turned back.

"Are they trustworthy?" Emma asked wondering if they would take it all from the girls.

"No, I have their hearts, they love me," Regina told her. "Same with these guards." Emma nodded. They returned to the palace where Ruby disappeared and reappeared as a wolf.

"Mi Cielo come here, you must be exhausted," Henry Sr. fussed. He helped her down despite her not needing any help. Cora appeared rubbing her head just as Leopold angrily stomped out of the castle.

"How dare you fill Snow's head with lies," He snapped. "Now she's trying gallivant off to the summer palace just before winter!"

"My King, I encouraged her to go in Summer if that's what she wanted," Regina replied dipping a courtesy as if she would never. "Besides, I have spoken at length to her that if she wished it, she need only order the peasants to quest for her."

"For a useless flower that doesn't exist!" He yelled. "If it existed, don't you think, you'd have had it already?"

"Well, no, my King, I shouldn't like to usurp my daughter, Snow is all I should ever need," Regina recited. He made to hit her, and she flinched as a memory hit her hard of some brutality he had once inflicted. Cora clutched her chest in that same moment. Servants ran over to catch her fearing she would faint. Leopold's hit never landed as Ruby was there and bit him extra hard in the butt just as she had promised.

"Ah damn beast!" He yelled. "Allow me to discipline my wife!" Ruby only stared at him and bared her teeth. Leopold stomped away saying that she had been not tell Snow anymore fairytales.

"Take mother in," Regina ordered. She had gone pale and looked faint herself, but she brushed off any help. They returned to her room where Cora was now sobbing. Regina was also sobbing now, but immediately went from her father's arms to Emma's when they were alone although she did go back to her father too when he was glaring.

"Is this the one who got you pregnant before marriage," Henry Sr. said.

"Yes, this is my fiancé, Emma," Regina said taking off Emma's glamour. Ruby came in and Regina got her cloak.

"You're all right?" Ruby asked. "That seemed like an intense one." Regina nodded.

"It was a particularly nasty beating except in reality it was because I was too sick to go on the picnic with Snow, but I did walk the garden for some air to keep my strength up." Regina shuddered at the memory and Cora just sobbed more in a corner. No one had gone to comfort her.

"Should we comfort her?" Mulan asked.

"No, I get hit with the memory yes, but she must live every agonizing minute of it as if she were me, we can't comfort her until she cries silently again."

"I hope she's reliving the horrible stuff she did to you as well," Emma said frowning at Cora.

"Sometimes, she just hangs in the air like she's being choked and only I can get her down. If she's lucky servants see it happen and come get me, if she's unlucky she's up there for hours. And she dreams about this world's version of me, so she doesn't sleep well. If she schemes, it must be my scheme. And if she wants the curse broken, she'll need to help me with Snow." Finally, the sobs stopped, and they wrapped a blanket around her.

"If you had not pushed me into the mirror in your world, I would have killed him," Cora told her.

"Before or after you forced me to have his heir?" Regina asked her. "How long would I have had to be under your thumb?" Regina asked her. "How long after you killed him, would you have married me off to the next powerful man in your grab for more power, and what would then happen to my son. I recall that in my youth you made many visits to a powerful Kingdom just across the water, not even a week's journey, but they didn't want me because I had too little in the way of a dowry, but an entire powerful Kingdom they could use to conquer Kingdom's like King George's." Cora looked away.

"I thought so, my suffering would not have ended, you would keep sacrificing me, and for what?"

"MOTHER!" Regina quickly hid the others so that Snow only saw her parents. "I FOUND IT!" She came in with a book.

"That's the exact one my dear, Mother look," Regina said. Cora came over and agreed it was indeed the plant from the fairytales.

"I could whip up a potion in no time at all, if you're lucky there will be two flowers and enough for you both." Snow smiled so big.

"I must tell Father, the full moon is in a few days, I have to get someone to bring them to me."

"You must, but your father he is angry with me, he thinks you don't need help, but you and I are of the same problem, our mothers, and our mothers' mothers have only had girls, we need to break the curse. He can't understand he's a man, he does his part and it's up to us to do everything else. Your womb must be open to a son."

"My daughter is right, we weren't even allowed at court anymore, because I had failed my King so, but you will not fail your father's legacy and make him the last King of the White Kingdom." Snow's eyes went wide as a little magical manipulation from Cora ensured she was determined to go.

"Well done dearie, but how are you going to make sure she casts the curse before she loves David more?"

"What do I care as long as she sends you all to the world you need?" Regina asked him.

"Leopold may try to follow you," he said.

"Let him try if her love grows for another more than him. I will kill him again." Rumple giggled and disappeared. Emma put a protective arm around Regina as they turned back to watching Snow riding out in the middle of the night with one guard, who happened to be Graham.

"Could we maybe bring Graham back with us?" Emma asked.

"I will ask him, even without his heart, he hates Snow, so he probably won't wanna be in her curse." Emma nodded.

"Come, you need to rest while you can, because when you get home, there will be no rest." Regina nodded.

"Honestly, I can't wait to be tired because of those little assholes again, and not because of my nightmares." Emma kissed her head. They got into bed and Emma gently rubbed her stomach.

"I still wanna adopt a boy, especially if this is a girl." Regina groaned.

"Oh Emma, come on we're full up," Regina pouted.

"No, we're not come on."

"Five children, under five," Regina reminded.

"Rowan will be six soon," Emma argued. Regina snorted.

"Naw, nice try, she's not even five yet, and Darien is not even pushing three, and God those two fight like sisters, I will be surprised when she fights with you."

"Never, she loves me," Emma said. "Ah well, I will just have to give off true love kisses to convince you."

"Don't you dare," Regina told her. "Emma if babies walk out of me…" Emma chuckled.

"No, love never, I wouldn't dare." Regina glared.

"I swear if I didn't need your touch so badly while pregnant, I would kick you out," Regina grumbled.

"You wouldn't even if you weren't," Emma said. "Cause you love me Soooo much." Regina huffed.

"No, true love kisses here, I don't trust Blue here or back home."

"Damn it, you let me in," Leopold yelled through her room door. Regina sat on her balcony having tea with Emma, Mulan, and Ruby. They were waiting for Snow to return. Graham had successfully led her to the flower her mother had planted. She was going to be kidnapped on the way and this realm's David would save her. Regina sighed and put down her tea.

"Very well, it is time to implement part two of the plan."

"Phase two?" Emma asked as Ruby stood up and removed her red cloak.

"Yes, you don't think he'd actually be as mean as I need him to be on his own to his precious Snow, did you?" Regina asked.

"Yes, well I mean no, but how, you can't get his heart," Emma said. Regina grinned.

"No, not previously, but Rumple won't stop me now," Regina told her. "And if he still tries to stop me, I expect you to take it, Ms. Swan." Emma gulped but nodded. Mulan stood up and easily took out her sword. Regina opened the door, and Leopold toppled in. He cleared his throat and stood up straightening his clothes.

"My King," Regina greeted with a curtsy and closed the door.

"Good, you've finally come to your damn senses and don't think you can take my heart this time, the imp won't let you."

"Of course not, my King," Regina told him as she walked away from him. He walked further in not noticing the purple magic on the door.

"You will keep that damn wolf away from me," he said.

"No, that I can't do," Regina said as Ruby came to stand right next to her. "You see she's always going to protect me no matter what I say, and she hasn't been very happy with the way you've been screaming at me for several nights now."

"You need to be punished, you've not done your wifely duty in years," Leopold growled. "And now my daughter has run off because of these stupid fairytales you've been putting into her head!"

"Hmm…yes, and I suspect she'll fall in love with the first fool she meets," Regina admitted. She let the amusement show in her voice. "She'll marry a lowly shepherd." Leopold made a noise of outrage and Emma knew that he would never accept David no matter if they were true loves or not. "You see all my fairytales will have her thinking it was love at first sight."

"You wouldn't dare use magic like that," King Leopold declared. "Not on your betters."

"Me?" Regina asked as if she were innocent. "No, you're right I wouldn't really waste my time fabricating true love for a useless girl who is barely my junior." Leopold seemed to relax that she wasn't going to fake love between Snow and a shepherd, but quite insulted nonetheless. "My magic is reserved for controlling you."

"Nice try bitch, but I made a deal with that imp, you cannot take my heart, not anymore."

"Ah, but that was when you had something he wanted. Now I hold all the cards." Regina plunged her hand into his chest and gripped his heart. It took all her willpower as he shuddered around her hand not to squeeze it to dust. "Don't worry, I won't kill you, your life isn't mine to take this time. But don't worry by the time you feel like yourself again just know I was doing what you always wanted and making Snow happy." Leopold didn't get a chance to respond as she yanked his heart out and he fell to the floor gasping. Regina looked at the blackened organ in her hand. She sneered at him as Mulan and Emma became visible and Ruby growled preventing him from launching at Regina to return his heart.

"Unhand me guards!" He yelled.

"Scream all you like, but they can't hear you," Regina told him. He struggled a bit more and called out, but no one came.

"I'll have your head for this bitch." Regina held up his heart to her mouth.

"Stop struggling and don't speak until I give you permission." Leopold stopped struggling and immediately clamped his mouth shut. Mulan and Emma let him go. "From this moment forward, you will marry your precious Snow to a man older and crueler than you. She will react so angrily that you slap her for mentioning even marrying a commoner just because they have true love." Leopold got angry anyway they could see it. He would never want Snow to marry a commoner. "I just want you to know I've paired her with a shepherd, can you imagine her shoveling shit with those pretty little hands of hers." Leopold growled.

"Don't tease him babe," Emma told her. Regina pouted slightly but continued.

"You will also announce that one of your mistresses has fallen pregnant with a true heir a son. It is not true, but the people need to know why your precious Snow will be sent farther North to marry her own uncle. What is he eighty and just as cruel and lecherous as you? I believe he already has several sons; he won't really want her pregnant I don't think. She should be the perfect piece of furniture." They could see Leopold wanted to leap at her, but the magic held him strong.

"Are you sure that won't make her hate him?" Ruby asked.

"Hmm…just to be safe, I want you to be the most loving father in between, but very insistent on her marriage. You will forget I have your heart, and you will go immediately send a messenger out proposing the marriage to her Uncle. And then you will go to bed and think about how Snow was never a good enough heir so you can tell her when she asks why." Power swirled in Leopold's eyes before he wished her a good night and walked out.

"Phase two complete," Ruby said. "Hopefully Graham's got Phase three down." They all nodded as Regina hid the king's heart.

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