Chapter Text
“Going somewhere?”
Ever since ‘the Evil Queen’ entered the ball, Emma could sense there was trouble up ahead. After all, Snow was supposed to be stealing the ring at that moment, and it wasn’t ever peaceful with those two in the same place. She had been feeling more confident during the dance, that perhaps they would be able to survive it without having to do anything to stand out, but Regina’s entrance alone made that feeling disappear. The fact that she was invited hadn’t eased any nerves either.
She had been right. Because right now, she was face to face with the Queen in person, surrounded by her guards, with her parents’ ring in possession. The guard she knocked down to save her mother’s life had escaped from Hook and alerted the others that she had aided her in her escape. Just wonderful.
“Regina, I-“ But of course she wouldn’t be allowed to finish that sentence.
“That’s a bit informal, wouldn’t you say? Show some respect, it’s your Majesty.” Regina took an intimidating step forward as she said the latter, and the guards pulled Emma back by her arms immediately after.
“Ah ah.” The Queen tutted as she struggled against their hold, “You’re not going anywhere. Snow White may have left the party early, but… I suspect your night has just begun.” The dramatic pause did nothing but increase the Princess’ anxiety of what was about to happen. She chuckled darkly. “Take her away.”
The guards forced her to walk forward, one of them growled, “Come on.” She looked at the ring in her hand helplessly as she could do nothing but obey them, and without that ring her parents would never fall in love. Everything sure seemed helpless at this point.
Once in the castle, it seemed Emma was about to get one more meeting with Her Majesty, considering the guards were dragging her some place that was a couple of floors up rather than down to the dungeons. That was good, right? She’d have a chance to explain herself, maybe she would get Regina to listen to her. Emma should have known better. She checked herself in the mirror only to see Princess Leia stare back at her; her disguise was still up.
“Kneel before the Queen.” One of the guards growled.
“Really?” She didn’t expect Princesses also had to kneel like peasants, you never really read anything about that. Besides, she found the idea of kneeling a bit ridiculous, and the cold stone floor wouldn’t exactly be comfortable.
But then a sound came from the shadows: Regina. “Yes, really.”
The Queen nodded curtly and the guards immediately proceeded to push her down to the floor, barely leaving time for her to get in a more or less comfortable kneeling position. It wasn’t like this was the first time she knelt anyway, and she almost automatically folded her hands in her lap.
“The bandit Snow White, where is she?” Regina walked towards her slowly and calculated, taking off her gloves and she seemed almost bored. As if she had done this a hundred times too many before without any results, not expecting to get any information out of this, but still trying just in case.
Emma almost felt bad for the woman, but she really couldn’t afford to help her even if she could. Her answer came out more as a mumble, “I already told your guards, I have no idea.”
“I don’t know what Kingdom you come from, Princess Leia, but here the price for aiding Snow White is steep.” Her face moved every bit like the Regina she knew from the present - future? – whenever she was threatened and returned that favor. It was the mask of a leader, which that made her wonder yet again what made her this way and kept her that way for decades.
Again she was mumbling more than anything else. “I don’t know where she is, but if you let me go I’ll help you find her.” That statement would be a guaranteed half-truth, because she would find Snow if it was the last thing she did. In fact, it might very well be the last thing she’d do would she fail, because her life was in very real danger.
This situation also reminded her of before, back in Storybrooke when she knocked over their town sign. She’d offered her services back then as well, as long as they’d let her out, and she truly had helped find Henry. Except now it wasn’t about Henry, he technically didn’t even exist yet.
She seemed interested for about half a second, when she began seizing her up, even smelling Leia. Is she honestly smelling me right now? Oh no, what if she can smell magic.
“You’re no Princess, I know a dirty street rat when I see one.” The pointed finger wagging at her made her feel even smaller than she already felt, fearing Regina would find out. “And I know not to trust such creatures.”
Regina might not know who she was really, but that hit home hard. The fact was that she had been out on the streets for a long time, and people never did consider her to be trustworthy. To hear her say it hurt even more than from others. It was the exact same situation as in Storybrooke, had the curse truly changed her that much? It’s her past version, she can’t know you. She tried to reassure herself. Henry is the only person she truly loves, of course she’d let you help her back then.
“The dungeon.” The final word that marked the end of the conversation, and the end of her freedom it would seem. At least she was still there, so there was still time.
The guards dragged her off to the dungeon and pushed her in one of the cells, locking the door behind her, of course. Even the prison guards back in Phoenix were still a bit more decent, which was something she never expected to think. She could acknowledge that the prison cells weren’t half as bad, especially compared to this. She hadn’t been in a worse place before, and that really said something, but this didn’t even have hay or anything to lay on. Just… loose stones.
“Are you alright?” A feminine voice. Well, at least she wouldn’t be alone.
“Yeah, I think so, thanks. I’m...” Remember Swan, the disguise is still active. “Leia.” She got up slowly to get a better look at her prison mate. Her skin had a gold brown-ish tone, at least in this lighting it looked like that, with decently long curled dark hair. There was a red cloak or robe covering her to keep her warmer.
“I wish I could say it was nice to meet you.” Her voice was friendly, at least her companion would be kinder than the ones about a decade ago.
“Yeah, but under the circumstances I get it. What’s your name?”
“I dare not speak it here. The Queen doesn’t know who I am and my silence is the only thing keeping my family safe.”
Well, that did sound like the Evil Queen she heard about in fairy tales, or at least what she imagined Regina to be with the stories she heard and the fear she had instilled. Nonetheless it was hard to accept with the Regina she had gotten to know, even when she just got her magic back she wasn’t all that bad. Just hurt… and possibly scared. “She’s pretty ruthless, hm?”
The silent nod affirmed it.
Then she remembered something she hid under her cloak, and took it out of there. “Here, you hungry? I swept it off the food tray on the way down.” Her smile as she handed it over gave Emma the idea she hadn’t been fed for a while now. But with the woman now in the light and up close, she finally recognized her. She stared at her in shock.
“What? What is it?”
“I.. I saw you in the village with the Queen, I wanted to help, but-“
“It’s alright, if you had tried to free me you would’ve just ended up in here a day sooner.”
“What did she put you in here for?” She seemed too kind to cause any harm whatsoever, what possibly could have set Regina off like that?
“I knew where Snow White was hiding, but I refused to tell the Queen.”
Ah, the Snow White thing, she did mention something like that in their brief exchange. But did she honestly put herself in danger to help her mother? “You gave up your freedom to ensure Snow White’s?”
She didn’t miss a beat. “Yes. I believe her to be innocent.”
“How long are you in for?” Emma asked curiously.
The woman’s brows knitted together, “Same as you. Just one more night.”
That caused her some confusion. “Really? One night? Wha- Why, is Regina going soft?”
The answer surprised her as the woman just stared at her in disbelieve, though really she shouldn’t have been so surprised. “No. One night because.. tomorrow everyone here is to be executed.”
You ought to be kidding me. She would never be able to deliver the ring to her parents, they would never fall in love, but her fading from existence wouldn’t matter anymore. After all, she’d be killed. But wouldn’t that mean her execution wouldn’t have happened technically? Because she wouldn’t have been born in the first place? Ugh, this stuff is giving me a headache.
She slowly sat down in the back of her cell, fiddling with her ring. Or well, her parents’ ring rather.
“What’s that?” The woman asked.
Emma sighed as she thought about it once more. “It’s my parents’. I guess you can call it their wedding ring.” Really the entire thought was just saddening, how long until she would fade from existence? Until the marriage of her father was arranged with the other Princess? Until the moment of conception, or well, originally?
“And they entrusted you with it?”
“Sort of… I need to get it back to them.” She stated sadly.
“Being away from family is a terrible, terrible thing.”
“Yeah, it is.” The woman probably had a loving husband waiting for her, perhaps even a child, maybe more than one. Parents perhaps as well, who knew.
“The longer I’m separated from them, the pain doesn’t dull. It worsens. Maybe because I know… I’ll never see them again.“
“If my mom was here, she would tell me to have hope. Maybe you should too. Who knows, maybe you will end up with them again.” I know I won’t. If I’m to be executed, I wouldn’t have existed, and Henry wouldn’t be there either. Henry. Neal. Wait a second. She scanned her cell to find anything useful at all.
She shook her head, “I don’t think so. I’m fairly certain they already think that I’m dead. And soon that will be true.”
There it was, there was a bit of metal string around the spoon. “Maybe not.” Emma said as she got up to fetch the spoon, twisting the metal off of it. It was perfectly bendable as hoped. “Give me your spoon.”
The woman gave her that and looked at her curiously. “What are you doing?”
But the blonde wasn’t listening anymore, she was already focusing on the lock. “It’s all about the tumblers…” She whispered to herself as she recalled her short lesson with Neal at the old fair, having bended the two metal strings to her wishes now. She poked them in the keyhole and fumbled with them. I hope I’m doing this right.
A final click indicated that she had managed to unlock it, and she twisted it to free herself. “You did it.” The woman breathed beside her, smiling in disbelieve. Who knew someone would be able to escape the Queen, after all?
Emma grinned and then turned to the other woman’s cell, pondering whether or not she should free her as well. “What are you waiting for, go, get out of here.” The woman encouraged. “Go!”
But she couldn’t help herself, she couldn’t just let this woman die in here. So, being the savior that she was, she freed her as well before setting out for the exit. Let’s hope I won’t have to face too many guards.
In the meantime Hook had assembled a little rescue party, including Red, a child of the moon. She, turned into a wolf, was able to take down some of the Dark Castle’s guards. Teamed up with Charming and Hook – though Hook was there more for his good looks – there wasn’t a place where they could run off to. They just took down a guard when Emma and the woman ran into them.
“Swan?”
Emma grinned lightly at the sight of her companion from the future, “Hook.” That was it, they would be safe now as they got through the obstacles from the other side. They’d have a fast passage out of the castle.
“What the hell are you doing here, you’re depriving me of a dashing rescue.”
“Sorry, the only one who saves me, is me. Speaking of which, I’m not gonna be around much longer until we find where this belongs.”
“I think that belongs to me.” Charming interrupted as he took his ring. Good, the ring is in place.
“Let’s get out of here, someone else is coming.” Red warned before she turned around to dash off, Charming and Hook quickly following.
“Come with me.” Emma told the woman as she grabbed her, which she did. The two of them ran away, but unfortunately the savior wasn’t around the corner fast enough with her companion.
“You two! Hold it right there!” One of the guards roared at them. Shit, shit, just great.
Emma froze into place, effectively stopping the woman, just to keep them from seeing the other three. As she turned around with her caught puppy look – you know the one – she noticed that there were about five of them rather than just one or two as she expected. No way out then, and the rest of the group didn’t seem to have heard them, or expected the savior would be able to get out of that situation herself.
She sighed as the guards grabbed them again, not even struggling anymore. She had tried all possible resistances before, they didn’t ever loosen their holds. Before she knew it, they were back in their respective cells.
“I don’t know how you got out, but that won’t happen again.” The guard growled at her, and settled in with another guard to actively guard them up close. At the very least Henry will be alive, Hook will make my parents fall in love, I hope.
Emma sighed and positioned herself back against the stone wall of her cell, but this time in the corner farthest away from the other cell.
“It was a good attempt…” The woman tried to console her, but Emma just shook her head.
“Our death is probably just going to be more painful now, thanks to me.” Whatever chance they had before, they lost now.
The rest of the day went by in silence.