Royal Blood

Chapter Twenty-Nine: First Lesson

Hey guys! Really important stuff at the end of this chapter so please read it! Thank you!

"Mmm... But that won't do." Rumple frowned, pacing around Regina as they stood outside of the vault in the nearby forest. A cool morning breeze curled around Regina's bloody arms and made a shiver spiral down her back.

With a flick of his wrist, Rumple made Regina's dirtied clothes vanish, replacing them with a riding outfit. Her hair was neatly pulled back and her skin was clean.

But her mind hadn't seemed to wander far from the thing she'd been thinking ever since Rumple had mentioned her mother.

"What is it now?" He seemed to whine, tossing his golden locks out of his crocodile face. "Having second thoughts?" A devilish giggle bubbled up from his lips, haunting the young girl across from her.

"No." She whispered, clasping her hands in front of her. "It's just that... Mother never mentioned dark magic. I never knew." I'm her mind, regina had always know her mother was secretive. That there was a darker side to her. She hadn't ever shared more than a few moments at a time with either of her daughter, which left much room for the truth to hide. But now that Regina knew, what else had Cora been keeping from her?

"Well, enough about your mother." Rumple quipped, leaning against the trunk of a tree. "Let's focus on you."

Regina blinked and stumbled backwards when she met eye to eye with the crocodile man. His scaly finger reached out and held her chin in place as a giddy grin spread on his lips. "Such innocence." He cooed, tilting his head to the side. "Now we must crush it." Rumple's teeth gritted as he made a black handkerchief appear from thin air. "Step one," he ticked, tying he cloth around her eyes. "We have to find the darkness inside you."

"Darkness?" Regina squeaked. "I... I want to fight for good. Not evil." In the darkness surrounding her, Regina felt vulnerable. Weak.

"Of course you do." Rumple giggled, hands resting on her shoulders. "Most people start out that way." Before Regina could completely comprehend what was happening, the Dark One continued his lesson. "Magic isn't about what you see, dearie. It's about what you feel." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Let's see what you can do. You'll have to dig deep to pass this lesson."

"What am I expected to do?" Regina inquired, tense from the lack of sensory input.

"Simple!" Rumple exclaimed before a rush of wind blasted in Regina's face. "Find me." He giggled, sounding further away. "Over here, dearie!" He called out, making Regina whip around as she heard him from behind her. "Close." He whispered, right in her ear. Startled, Regina jumped before reaching out for his wrist. "But not close enough." Rumple was now to her left and his new apprentice turned in frustration as the man giggled. "Magic comes from emotion." He called. "Simply think of a moment that makes you angry and, well, let the power consume you."

Regina bit her lip, clasping her hands in front of her. Her mind slowly searched for something she could use. "Well... My mother." Regina whispered as a cool wind brushed against her soft skin.

"Yes?" Rumple prodded. "Come on, catch the darkness."

"She... She never treated us as if we were hers. She never had time for me. She was ashamed. Even for father. She lied to us about so many things. Even... Even the magic. I don't really even know her." Regina licked her lips, not feeling anything different. "Nothing's happening."

"Try harder!" Rumple snapped.

Robin.

The thought was clear in Regina's head. She wanted terribly to be with him, to heal him. But she couldn't. Her mother had taken away the one thing Regina had control of. She had married her off without consent to a foul man. She had dictated that Regina was to become queen. And then she had run away. Out in the village Regina felt accepted. Valued. Robin made her feel wanted and loved. But it was taken away from her. Regina had pulled back into the confined walls of her castle. And she was meant to rot and wither on a throne but that was not okay.

A small tendril of darkness curled through Regina's veins, starting at her toes. It slowly gained momentum until Regina felt the strength of 200 men. Her body vibrated with power as her fingers reached out and curled around scaly skin.

Her eyes flew open in shock as she stared eye to eye with Rumple. He pulled his wrist free before smirking. "Impressive." He drawled, taking a moment to look around. "Now think of something nice to calm you down. To take away the edge of your power."

Regina felt wild, able to do anything. The anger she possessed from her life swelled with the darkness that came along with it. She didn't want to take away this feeling. Regina felt empowered. Strong. But then the thought of her father slipped past the rough edges of her mind. Her poor, sweet father who only wanted the best for his daughters. The man who suffered greatly from the same thing Regina did. Her mother. Anger lashed out again and power soon took over once again.

"Regina." Rumple's voice broke through her train of thought. "Regina control yourself." He commanded, watching as she fought for her control. "Keep searching."

Regina turned towards the door to the vault where robin was being held. Where he was being tortured. He had been taken away from her because of her mother. Because her mother felt as if she could rule everything going on in Regina's life. Her fists clenched as the ground below her started to shake.

"Regina!" Rumple barked, a sense of urgency in his voice.

Her father's soft smile. His gentle touch and weak stature.

Regina's heart began to calm down, the feeling of exhilaration slowly subsiding to a sense of empowerment. The spark in her fingers slowly left until she felt more normal. Fear wrapped around Regina like a dark blanket. She hadn't been able to control herself. She had wanted to destroy her mother and everything she stood for. But the problem was that instead of being appalled to the idea, Regina welcomed the power she had been given.

In front of her, Regina saw Rumple holding out a black leather bound book. She frowned, looking up at him. "Spells, dearie. You just can't summon a fireball when you need one. You've got to read first."

"But... But how are we going to get Robin out? There's no key to the chains." Regina whispered, glancing back at the door. "You said you'd help."

"Yes," Rumple shoved the book into he young girls arms. "I promised to help you, dearie. I can't release him, that'd be too messy for me to do. Plus, there's no gain if I do it. But you, dearie. If you learn how to conduct magic," a devilish laugh left the Dark Ones mouth. "That will bring a great prize. But it takes time. Learn your craft."

And with the wave of his hand, Rumple disappeared in a puff of green smoke.

***

"Are we in trouble?" The little boy asked, looking up at Zelena as she wrapped him in her cloak. He nuzzled into her chest, his big dark eyes curious.

"No." Zelena whispered, holding the boy tight in her arms. She brushed away some of his hair before rocking gently back and forth from her spot on the ground. "No sweetie, we aren't. We'll be out soon. It's just..." The older woman sighed, trying hard to explain. "It's just right now somebody is confused so they don't know where to put us."

The young boy yawned. "So we'll be saved?" He asked.

"Mmhm." Zelena agreed, thinking about her sister. Hopefully Regina was well and was figuring out a way to find them.

"Where do you think daddy is?" He asked, playing with a strand of Zelena's red hair. "And Gina?"

Gina.

Zelena looked down in shock, the similarity between her sister's name and the woman the small boy mentioned striking interest into Zelena's mind. "Close by. Maybe stuck like us..." She whispered, her mind beginning to reel with scenarios.

Who was this boy? Did he have a connection to Regina from when she ran away?

Hey guys! So I have a huge question. For my next novel, would you like another fan fiction or an original novel? No worries! This book is no where near being finished! But, I'm gettin stared and I wanted to know your opinion. So if you'd like another fabrication, please comment the number 1 on the comments in this chapter. If you'd like an original novel please comment 2! Thanks so much and I hope you enjoy this chapter!