Royal Blood

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Dark One

Cool wind floated into the large room, blowing out two of the four candles. It was early morning and the sun still hadn't risen. The only noise that penetrated into the large room was the whistle of Robin's breathing. Regina's left cheek lay against the cool stone ground, a dried patch of blood right below her lips.

Shivering, the girl slowly started to wake and realize where she was. Her skirts rustled as she sat up and looked at the man before her. Robin hung, his torn arms held back by metal chains. His eyelids were shut, his chest barely moving. Regina knew he needed help. She knew he couldn't hold on for much longer. Regina watched in silence, knowing she couldn't kiss him. Couldn't wake him.

The young princess stood up, watching as clumps of dried mud fell from the folds of her skirts. There had to be something in this vault to help her rescue Robin. Turning on her heel, Regina remembered the room full of weapons and books by the base of the stairs. The had to be something there.

Padding back down the hall, Regina found herself faced with shelves of weapons. Books lined the outer walls as weapons hung from shelves and sat on tables. Silence swelled around her as  Regina stood, her large chocolate eyes flicking from object to object.

Wind blew in from the open door at the top of the stairs, rustling the pages of an open book behind Regina. Her head snapped around to see an empty shelf except an open book. Taking two steps forwards, Regina peered down at the golden pages where black ink littered it's thin skin. Names tangled and twisted, slithering across the two pages. Confusion caused Regina to lean forwards and the pages immediately turned back. Regina gasped, drawing back as one name appeared in gold.

The Dark One.

Dark tendrils of Regina's matted hair brushed forwards as the pages swam in black swirls. "The... Dark One." Regina whispered, reaching out to flip the page.

As her fingertips touched the paper, a shock flew up her arm. She yelped in pain and drew back, cradling her left arm. Her heart pounded against her rib cage as Regina crept away from the book, turning back to the entrance. Regina's eyes widened but fear swallowed her scream as she stared at the figure before her.

Standing at least a head taller than her, a figure stood in a black cloak with an intricate mask over what should have been a face. A small dagger hung from a belt on the left side of his hip.

Silence hung in the air as Regina struggled to speak. Her throat had become very dry and her lips struggled to move. "Who... Who are you?" She sounded like a little girl- so weak and shy. The man before her chuckled, making anger bubble up in Regina's belly. "How'd you get here?" She demanded, pulling her shoulders back.

A green, scaly hand slid out from the cloak and gripped the mask, pulling it so that the mask fell to the ground. There before Regina stood a man she recognized. A man she was related to. In front of her stood the man her sister married long ago.

Rumplestilskin stood three feet from her, his face different than the last time she had seen him. Shock stunned Regina for moments, letting silence lapse over.

"What... What happened? To your face?" Regina asked, gripping her skirts in fear. Rumples skin looked as if he were a crocodile, his eyes larger than normal. He smirked before liking his lips.

"What do you think, dearie? I've become the dark one." Stepping closer, Rumple's eyes flicked back, glancing down the corridor. "And I see you need help saving your precious boy toy."

Regina frowned as she stepped back from the approaching man. "My what?" The Dark One chuckled, pacing around the room.

"Robin, dearie." He answered. "You want him to be freed. To heal him. To love him again." Pausing in hi strain of thought, Rumple glanced back over his shoulder. "Isn't that right?" Regina nodded, watching in awe as the husband to her sister skunked across the room.

"Yes."

Rumple smiled, tapping his fingers together. "But you don't know how. You're lost. Frightened. And you think that I can help." Stopping in front of a shelf, Rumple toyed with a candle before turning to face her. "Do you know how to fix this? Do you know what I will do? How I work?" Regina shook her head, oblivious to his plan. "I make deals, dearie. I can't simply snap my finger and free him."

Frowning, Regina clasped her hands in front of her. But before she could question, Rumple began to speak again. "I'll teach you my trade so that you can do it yourself."

"You think I can wield magic?"

A giddy laugh bubbled up from his chest, his golden eyes flashing with mischief. "Oh, darling, you come from a family of dark magic. In fact," Rumple toyed with a charm around his neck before glancing in Regina's direction. "Your mother is quite the weirder. And your sister has strong potential."

Regina's eyes widened in surprise. She'd known her mother to be cruel, but never had she shared the detail of magic.

"Don't believe me?" Rumple reached for a small box and held it close to his chest. "What do you think happens to the staff your mother doesn't like? The Lords that find themselves at your mothers selection?" One scaly finger flicked open the box and he tilted it towards Regina. "She takes the hearts of those she can't control. Crushes those of her enemies."

Inside the gray box was a red heart, glowing and beating. Regina's stomach lurched as fear slithered through her veins. "No." Regina whispered. "That's... You're lying."

"What do you think is going to happen to your thief?" Rumple cooed, snapping the box shut. "Your mother doesn't like the idea of you running away with some villager. Wanted you to forget. Why do you think your memories were so hard to hold on to? Now that your memories are back in your precious head, your mother is going to do the same thing she's done before." Regina's heart sped up as her mind reeled in frustration. But before she could process much of what was happening, Rumple spoke again. "Make a deal with me, dearie. I'll teach you dark magic if you defeat your mother by rescuing your thief."

***

Silence. Zelma pursed her lips, stepping closer. A little boy cowered in the corner, sucking his thumb. Unruly, curly brown hair covered his head as ripped cloths hung on his shoulders and hips. Her heart swelled as pity slowly seeped into her veins, motherly instincts taking over.

"Oh." Her voice was low as Zelena crouched, reaching out her hand. The boy looked as if he was from an outer village, his skin tan and his eyes dark. She assumed he didn't speak the palace tongue and instead spoke the language of trade.

Zelena cleared her throat, knowing her sister was better at translation. "Don't be afraid. It's alright."

The boy didn't budge.

Sighing, Zelena slowly moved to sit on the floor. "What's your name?" She asked, tucking a strand of bright hair behind her ear. "My name is Zelena." The boy slowly moved towards her, stopping to examine her damp clothes. "It's raining outside." Zelena mentioned, licking her lips. "It wasn't scary though. Just rain."

The Queen couldn't think of one reason why a small boy would be in a cell at the palace. Children weren't jailed for stealing and the little boy in front of her wasn't capable of any real crime.

"Do you like rain?" She asked, crossing her legs. The little boy shook his head, scrunching his face up. "It's too cold, huh?" Zelena looked around the cell and sighed. This was gonna take a while.