The Evil Queen's Chambers

Chapter Six

Emma had just finished eating.

After asking Emma to tell her all about how they became friends, Regina demanded that food was brought to them before she began. The banquet they were served was fit for a Queen. They sat around a long, oak wood table, with toppling bowls of food.

Emma didn't know if she was just being paranoid, but while they were eating, she couldn't help but notice the tremendous amount of eye contact between her and Regina. Emma would look down at her food, and she could feel Regina looking at her, but when she looked up, she would quickly look away.

Emma thought to herself "after what I've told her so far, I can't really expect a different reaction. I mean, how do you react to someone appearing from the future and telling you that all your vengeful hopes and desires won't be fulfilled, but you'll actually turn to good and start to like it?"

Regina looked up at her once again. "Enough food, I think. I want to hear the story of, well, us." For some reason Emma had to take a deep breath at this, at the 'us', as if there was a 'them' to tell her about.

In a puff of purple smoke, they appeared back in the Evil Queen's Chambers. Emma had become accustomed to Regina's magic tricks, so was unsurprised. The intense, sweet smell still remained in the room, and the bed covers had been changed to a blood-red linen with black gothic swirls sewn into the edges.

Regina sat next to her on the bed and nudged her, "how about you start then, I want to know about it all." "Okay," agreed Emma, knowing she didn't really have a choice, "but I don't know how much I can actually fit in. Here we go." Regina's eyes were wild with anticipation, staring intensely at Emma.

"So, at the start, it's safe to say you did not like me. What I remember the most from the start, is when you told me that you would 'destroy' me if it was the 'last thing' you did." Emma was half-laughing, and turned to Regina, who was smiling and nodding, "sounds about right. I am the Evil Queen after all."

Emma continued, "we had been warring for a while, mostly over Henry, so I decided to cut down your apple tree. As you can imagine, you were not happy. As you came from your house, shouting at me, I told you that you had no idea what I was capable of." Emma laughed, looking at Regina, who laughed back, a familiar glint in her eyes and said, "damn, you told me. Fiery." Unintentionally, as she was saying this, she winked at Emma. Emma's throat felt dry, and she tried to pretend she hadn't just taken a deep breath at this.

"...I'll continue. There was so much tension between us. It never really disappeared, but at one point, we were forced into dropping it. So we were coming out of your office, and you warned me that I need to be 'careful' about who I 'got into bed with', referencing Rumplestiltskin." Just as Emma said this, Regina smirked and inhaled deeply, her eyes almost laughing at the fact she actually said that. "And then I opened the door to exit, and it blew up in our faces, just like that. There was a huge fire, and I looked into your eyes and you thought I was gonna leave you behind. I mean, you saw me as your enemy. But I saved you, and I carried you out of the building." Regina seemed to smile faintly at this, "no doubt I showed my...thanks," laughing, as she knew herself far too well.

Emma rolled her eyes whilst smiling, then went to continue. "Not too long after that, I agreed to leave town. Instead of letting me go lightly, you spiked an apple turnover and hoped that I would eat it. But Henry ate it instead, and we had a huge fight while he was dying. But true love's kiss saved him, and from then onwards, I think you vowed to become a better person, if not for yourself, for Henry."

Regina smiled, "I truly love this boy, this Henry. I named him after my father...But none of this tells me exactly how we become friends? I mean, so far I am doing my best to hurt everyone around me, this doesn't surprise me. Emma, I nearly killed him, your son, how did you forgive me?"

Emma knew she had risked Henry's life many times, but added, "you did, but we put that bed to rest a while ago, he was your son too. I entered his life out of nowhere, when you had looked after him for all that time. Events from then onwards are what built our friendship, instead of tension, we, well at least I, felt our relationship develop on an emotional level."

Regina had started to feel warmth grow inside her since meeting Emma. She wanted to know more, and believed Emma's every word. "Tell me more," encouraged Regina, putting one hand on Emma's arm, smiling at her.

"Well, as I have told you, I am the saviour. If you hadn't guessed, this means I have magic. And there was a time when this Wraith was reeking terror in the town. You claimed that a Magic Hat would send it away, but you couldn't get it to work. And the strangest thing happened, I touched your arm and it started spinning. I still don't know if that was my magic, or," Emma couldn't believe she was saying this out-loud (in case Regina suspected what she had), "something else... But anyway, then I fell into the portal. I had pushed you out of the way, and in saving you, I paid the price. In the end it's you who rescues me from the portal, and welcomes me home, with Henry by your side."

Regina smiled at the idea of the unusual woman she becomes, she saves Emma, for Henry and for herself. She suspected maybe she saved Emma for another reason, too.

But maybe not one that had been acknowledged by either of them back in Storybrooke.

They sat in silence for a few seconds. "But that isn't the only time you sacrifice yourself for me, and for Henry." Emma went to continue, when Regina raised her hand and shook her head. "No, don't continue. I have an idea," Regina said this with excitement, her eyes shimmering in the candle light.

The familiar purple glow appeared, this time, bringing a dream catcher. "I heard that there were these ancient dream catchers you could use to see memories, Emma. I won't fully believe this until I see it. I can put this to your head and view them all. We can view them...together?"

Regina couldn't believe she was enjoying this. Just the other day, she could have sworn that nothing could ever fill her soul with warmth. But ever since she met this woman, she knew she felt different. "Sure," Emma replied, smiling up at her.

Regina used the dream catcher, and a liquid-like orange, sparkling liquid, seemed to evaporate out of Emma's head. Suddenly flashes of Emma's memories appeared in the dream catcher. First, all the tension and the girl-fights. Regina was laughing at these, Emma's description hadn't done them justice. "You didn't tell me I cut my hair...and them clothes!" exclaimed Regina in shock.

Then the Magic Hat memory flashed up. Regina noticed the deep emotion in her eyes when Emma touched her arm and helped the Hat work.

Then there was a new memory. Regina could see she was absorbing the magical energy from an object. But her eyes were pooling with tears, she was looking up at Emma, saying "Let me die as Regina." But Emma came back, and her eyes were teary too. Emma looked into Regina's eyes, and said, "you may not be strong enough, but maybe we are." Then Emma risked her life, her and Regina were shaking as they consumed the magical energy. After seeing this memory, Regina looked up at Emma, who was staring down at the dream catcher, smiling widely and squeezing at Regina's arm.

Then there were more memories. Storybrooke was being consumed by another curse, and Emma and Henry were the only ones who could escape it, so Regina had to sacrifice her happiness, Henry. Emma looked up from the dream catcher and tilted her head at Regina, who was staring intently at the dream catcher. "You took my hand and you said, 'my gift to you is good memories'," echoing Regina's voice in the dream catcher.

Another memory. Emma and Regina seemed to be aboard a boat, and they were putting Henry's heart back into his chest. He came back to life and they both hugged him. They both observed the way they had looked at each other when hugging him, as if they knew there was an unbreakable, but almost unspeakable bond between them both, as two mother's, as who knows what else.

So many more memories flashed through the dream catcher, from Regina encouraging Emma to use her magic, as it works when brought on by her "instincts". Regina turned to Emma after seeing this, "does that mean you saved me out of instinct all those times?" laughing as she teased Emma. Emma smiled and shook her head, her eyes alight with happiness.

One final memory flashed up, Emma and Regina were working together, undercover. Emma had looked into Regina's eyes, and Regina, viewing the memory, laughed at what Emma said to her, "my superpower may not be perfect but with you Regina, I always know when you're lying."

The dream catcher stopped whirring, and the glowing orange faded away. "You can always tell when I'm lying..." declared Regina, who was looking down, thinking about this. Regina turned to Emma, and felt herself moving towards her. She couldn't stop it, she had felt this overwhelming feeling ever since she saw this woman, and for once she didn't feel darkness in her soul.

She leapt onto her, putting one arm around her waist and the other in her hair, pulling her into a kiss.

Emma felt the warmth of Regina's lips on hers, and was so shocked she pulled away. "What...are you doing?" asked Emma, who had started shaking everywhere. Her skin felt alight.

"I don't...know," replied Regina, feeling guilty for kissing her so fast. Emma looked up into Regina's eyes and felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her back. She had kept her feelings in for far too long, so what if this is the Evil Queen? This woman is the Regina she loves too. She admitted it. She loved her.

She moved into Regina's arms and kissed her hard on the lips, moving her hand round to the front of her dress. She was just about to start untying Regina's corset when a puff of purple smoke surrounded them and Emma found herself in red-silk pyjamas and looked over at Regina who was in gorgeous, deep purple ones. "Red looks great on you," rushed Regina, pushing Emma down onto the bed. They were intertwined, with Regina on top of Emma, pressing her breasts on Emma's.

As they were kissing, the wind outside the room started blowing loudly, and rain started to hammer down. As Regina and Emma made love, all the mirrors smashed around them, filling the room with their magic. The room was alive with breathless moans and the rustling sounds of the bed sheets.

They had denied their innermost feelings for far too long.

*

Heavy droplets of rain pounded down from the angry vessels in the dark lavender sky. Bright yellow lightening streaks cracked through, proceeded by a reverberating thunder a few seconds afterwards.

Hook had been sat with Red and Snow White planning their route into the castle, when all of a sudden a storm had forced them to seek shelter overnight. They found themselves in a small cave almost covered in ivy. "We'll wait here while the storm calms down, we should get some sleep," declared Snow confidently.

Truthfully, Hook was trying to avoid conversation with Red and Snow, as it meant he may slip up and call Leia Emma or refer to himself as Hook. Thankfully, it was night-time, and they all fell asleep. However, in the morning, he knew that being in this enclosed cave with them meant unnecessary small talk, so stood up after they had all woke up and declared, "I quite like storms. It reminds me of Leia..." he stopped for a second, trying to come up with a reason why. "...We first kissed during a storm, alike to this one. I think I might go for a short walk to remember her, I miss her."

Snow and Red both smiled at this, "go for it," Snow said, building a fire. "Just return when it ends because then we can set off, it should only be a 2 hour walk from here. Hook nodded and then left, trudging through the muddy leaves and being soaked by the incessant rain, the aftermath of the storm.

He had decided only 10 minutes into his walk that he needed to contact Rumplestiltskin, as he was anxious that the Queen had harmed Emma, and that Snow and Red were not prioritising the rescue of her. Even though they were happy to help, they probably could have entered much sooner than they were planning to.

Just as he could no longer see the ivy covered cave, Hook found a clearing surrounded by dark, overbearing trees. "A perfect place to contact the Dark One," declared Hook, proud with himself. He had desperately wished that he wouldn't have to do this, but not only did he worry for Emma, he wanted to know that Rumplestiltskin could definitely secure their way home. He crouched down onto a fallen tree stump, sighed, and shouted, "Rumplestiltskin!"

Just as he was about to shout his name for a second time, the Dark One appeared adjacent to Hook, still visibly shaken by their last conversation, but equally as sarcastic as his normal self. "Yes, dearie, you just can't get enough of me, can you?" Rumple sneered, obviously happy with himself for once again insulting his old enemy. Hook rolled his eyes, but wasn't angry, just tired. "Tell me, is Emma safe? How do I know that she hasn't been killed by the Queen? Or hit by the storm, alone somewhere in a cellar? I can't stand not knowing, Crocodile."

"She has been injured? Hasn't she? Tell me?" Hook ordered. Rumplestiltskin laughed in his normal high-pitched range, and said, "I believe Emma may have started the storm, somewhat... Hook. But maybe the Queen had more of a contribution to it...too" he teased. "What does that mean?" scoffed Hook, visibly confused. "I suppose you may find out, later. All you need to know is that Emma is fine..." he stopped, smiling teasingly, "very fine... To say the least. She has not escaped, no, but is okay nevertheless."

Hook was confused, but took from this that Emma was safe, and that was all that mattered. "Okay, Crocodile. But tell me, have you figured out a way to send us home yet?" Hook queried, anxious that everything was going too smoothly. "Perhaps," teased Rumplestiltskin, "say I had not, though. Do you think summoning me every waking hour of the day is a good tactic for speeding up the process, dearie?" Hook didn't have the energy to argue with him, so simply replied, "probably not."

He noticed that the storm had subsided completely now. The thick conglomeration of clouds had separated, and the sky had turned into a rich blue colour. Just as Rumple was leaving, Red and Snow had ran up, just in time to see a lasting remainder of his black smoke, dissipating into nothing. Hook bowed his head, shaking it, as he knew they would suspect this and become reproachful towards helping him.

"I know what it looks like," declared Hook, walking up to them. "But you can still trust me. I didn't tell you I was contacting him because, well, I was asking about Leia, asking if she was still safe. You wouldn't have wanted me to contact him as he is the Dark One, and all magic comes with a price." Red tutted at him, "it's almost like you've rehearsed it. What do you think Snow?"

Snow folded her arms, and spoke honestly, "I wanted to help you, Charles. But the truth is, I know Regina, the Queen, has contacted him so many times too. How do I know this isn't a plot to trap me in the castle? You could be leading me to my death...I'm sorry. I cannot enter with you. As soon as I saw him disappear, I lost my trust in you."

Just like that, Hook felt as if he had lost all hope at ever saving Emma. He was speechless, exhausted with lack of sleep and warm food. And most of all, lack of Rum.

"However," Snow began, "I will leave you the map I spent time creating, with the quickest route highlighted." Red cut in, "you may be selling Snow out, but when I am the Wolf, not much can hurt me. I shall come with you, only close enough to sniff out the location of your Leia, and then I will leave."

Hook felt relieved, and decided that this was probably for the best anyway. "I never intended to sell you out, Snow. But I understand why you wouldn't want to take the risk. What do I owe you?" he asked, hoping she wouldn't charge him. Fortunately, Snow replied, "I felt bad taking it anyway, so nothing. Looks like I will have to find payment elsewhere. Good luck on your journey. And Red, stay safe okay?" Red nodded, and put her hood up over her hair.

With that, Red and Hook started on their 2 hour journey to the Queen's castle, unknowing of the events that had just happened, in the Evil Queen's Chambers.