From Knight to Night

Chapter 8: Clarity

Emma paced across the floor of Regina's chamber, silently waiting for the King to approach. She had been pacing since she had arrived just a few minutes prior, attempting to keep a level head so she was prepared for his arrival. But Emma was having a difficult time staying focused. Her cheek still felt the remnants of Regina's hand, never having lost the phantom sensation of it still placed there, held against her.

Emma groaned loudly. This was not the time to be distracted. She walked over to Regina's vanity and placed both of her hands against the back of the chair there. She dropped her head, using her arms to hold herself upright as she attempted to breathe evenly. Suddenly raising her head, she came face to face with her own reflection in the mirror in front of her. She stared at it, silently questioning herself over the ever-growing feelings she had developing for the Queen. Would she ever be able to hold them at bay?

Emma's eyes dropped from the mirror and scanned over the table of the vanity. She began to study the items there - the hairbrush laid to the side, the bottles of perfume gathered in the top left corner, a pair of gloves left folded from a day's use. Emma admired what she saw, and before she could stop herself, pulled her hand from the back of the chair and reached towards the gloves, wanting to feel their soft leather and, somehow, Regina.

A knock sounded at the door, a hard thrashing against the wood that startled Emma, her hand mere centimeters away from the gloves she had sought. She spun in her place, turning towards the door of the chamber. Her heart began to race as she knew it would be the King, coming to see Regina for the night. This was the moment she had planned for all day. If she failed here, the whole elaborate setup would have been for nothing, and Regina...

Emma cut off the thought of what would happen to Regina if she didn't succeed tonight in convincing the King of the events going on within the castle. A knock sounded at the door again, and this time the King voiced his annoyance for waiting.

"Open the damn door, Regina!" The King bellowed from the hallway. Emma's anger began to brew beneath her skin, but she held it in check as she walked towards the door of Regina's chambers. She stopped directly in front of the frame and stood there for a moment, readying herself for the King and his reaction to what he would soon find out.

Regina would not lay with him this night.

Placing her hand on the latch of the door, she pulled hard and yanked it towards her, making it open wide to the foyer in front of her. The King stood there, his features already showing frustration and anger. But upon seeing Emma standing there, she watched as his expression turned dark, the anger personified and consuming him layer by layer as it moved through his body at seeing his wife's personal guard stand before him, instead of the Queen herself.

"What are you doing here?" He growled, his voice almost a whisper and deep. His eyes pierced Emma's with a cold stare, menacing and dangerous. "I thought I told you to be gone this night," he continued. "Where is my wife?!" He let the last word be shouted, filling up Regina's chamber with his booming voice. But Emma held strong, not flinching at his raised anger, and standing stock still as his body consumed the evil boiling within him.

"Your majesty, something has come up. Your father-in-law has fallen ill," Emma began to explain. The King seemed to listen to this information, and though he did not calm the way Emma had hoped, he didn't speak, prompting Emma to continue. "Regina is with him now. She has been with him sinc—"

"Why is Cora not seeing to him?!" The King shouted. Emma silenced her words, allowing the King to cut her off, then continued once he had ceased his yells.

"She is not here today, your majesty."

"Where the bloody hell is she?!"

"I was told she had business to attend to in a neighboring village. However, I am not sure as to the reasons for her needing to be there."