Royal Blood

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Kill

Bright pink and orange faded into a darker purple as the sun set in the sky. The wind whipped the tall blades of grass as Regina looked out over the valley bellow. One hand ran back and fourth on her father's tombstone as the other rested at her side.

Over the past few days, Regina had softened up around Leopold in hope that he'd learn to trust her. It was the only way she'd be able to get close enough for the kill. She'd spent tireless hours listening to him talk and pretending to enjoy his company. Many nights she'd even found herself pushing him away in the halls of her own chambers.

And as if her own plans weren't enough, Graham had needed her approval on everything he did. With no improvement on finding Robin, it had become hard to trust him with the overthrow of her kingdom.

But now was the only time she'd be able to get peace of mind before everything went down. So clearing her head, Regina sighed and opened her palm to summon a glass of whiskey. She took a long swig before wincing at the bitter taste. Regina hadn't had any since the late nights at Robins camp.

Sensing she wasn't alone anymore, Regina tensed just as two large hands descended on her shoulders. "It won't do you any good to be out here." Leopold mumbled before starting to knead her back and shoulders. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she recognized a thrum of magic just like her own.

Curious, Regina turned to quickly search over the man before her. "Why not?" She downed the rest of her glass before flicking it away with a puff of purple smoke.

"Because you're just going to sit and mope out here like you do with that forest boy." Regina's jaw clenched as she balled her hands into fists, willing herself to stand still. Her first instinct was to snap his neck with a flick of her wrist. But she reminded herself that his death should be slow and painful.

"Where have you been today?" Regina muttered through gritted teeth.

Leopold shrugged before brushing past her to the overlook. "No where special." He lied, looking back over his shoulder. "Why?"

Regina closed her eyes, envisioning the magic she sensed. Her hand met something solid and as she opened her eyes, she saw she was face to chest with her fiancé. Whatever he had on him was in his jacket pocket. "No reason." She pulled back. "I've been thinking-"

"As you always do." Leopold chuckled. Again, Regina had to swallow down the itch to throw him across the meadow.

"I've been thinking," Regina started again, "of what we could be together. I mean, with my power and your connections, we could really rule the entire realm. Don't you think?" The young woman glanced over her shoulder to watch the slow smile develop on Leopold's face.

"What are you saying?" He asked.

"That we could be a lovely team." Regina replied, hoping she was going in the right direction with this conversation.

The thrum of outside magic pulled at the back of her mind before it was whisked away with conversation.

"You know, you aren't the weak child you were when we first became engaged." Leopold observed, luckily not facing his fiancé.

Regina bit her lip for a moment, trying to soothe her seething mind. "Maybe because you tried to kill me." Regina offered, crossing her arms.

"Ah, yes, but luckily I failed." The sky shifted to darker colors as the stars began to appear. "And look how far you've come because of it!"

"Yes." Regina looked down at her hands before taking a deep breath. She couldn't take much more of tonight's conversation. "Well, it's getting late and I've got an early morning ahead of me." Another lie slipped from Regina's bright lips as she made her way back to her pig of a fiancé.