The Evil Queen's Daughter - SEQUEL

Chapter 29

Regina created a fireball in her hand and stormed through the wooden doors. "Where is he?" She yelled, "Mother, where is Roland?" The Queen watched as Cora appeared in a cloud of smoke next to her. "You needn't worry, dear. I'm helping you."

"Helping me? How the hell is kidnapping her son helping me?" Regina replied, placing her hands on her hips.

"What I'm trying to show you, my dear, is that in the end, it isn't good or evil that wins, but power." With a flick of her wrist, the small boy appeared in front of her, his dimples still showing through his terrified expression. "Mama." He whined, "What's going on?"

"Don't worry, Roland." His father replied, pulling a bow and arrow from his back, "She's not going to hurt you. Not unless she goes through me first." Cora laughed, using her magic to freeze the thief to the spot. "It's not you I'm worried about." She marched towards her daughter, "No, this is about me and you."

"I couldn't agree more, mother."

"I'm not going to hurt you."

"But you will hurt him." Regina said, turning her gaze to the boy within her mother's grasp.

 "Not if you listen to me, not if you do what I say."

"And what is it you want, mother?"

Cora smirked, before walking up to the frozen Robin Hood. "You really don't have the best taste in men, do you?" She remarked, earning an eye roll from her daughter.

The next few seconds happened almost in slow motion for the Queen. Not because of any magical spell, but because she'd experienced this before. Her head started spinning, and by the time she'd managed to stable herself, it was too late. Cora had ripped his heart out of his chest, and was now holding the beating organ in her hand, giving her daughter an evil smile.

"No." Regina managed to choke out, "No, mother. Please."

While Cora knew that her daughter loved this man, she also knew that love was weakness, and she couldn't let her daughter give in to such a trait.

"Grandmother, please, you don't have to do this." Nila grabbed her arm, pleading for her to stop. Instead of reacting in any sort of way, or freezing the girl in her spot, Cora handed her the heart. The girl held it in her hand, listening to its consistent rhythm. "Why have you given me this?" She asked, never removing her gaze.

"Crush it." Cora instructed, without adding anything further.

"What?" Nila whispered, the tears falling freely down her face and landing on the pulsing organ. "Crush it." Cora repeated, "Crush it. Do as I say, and your brother lives."

While her daughter may not have, Regina knew exactly what was happening. Her mother was trying to darken Nila's heart. And the Queen knew, better than most, that once you darken your heart, it only grows darker...and darker.

"I, I can't." The girl stuttered, knowing she wouldn't ever be capable of doing something so evil. "Yes you can. Do it. Do it now."

But still, Nila refrained from doing so. For as much as she knew she couldn't do this to her father, she also knew that Cora wouldn't find any trouble in choking the life out of her Roland. "Make your choice. Your father or your brother."

"Mother, stop this." Regina commanded, turning to her daughter, "Nila, you don't have to do this. There is another way."

Cora used her magic to suffocate the small boy, causing him to choke and splutter. "I wouldn't count on that, dear." Nila watched in total horror as her brother fell to the ground, his face turning red. All she had to do was squeeze, right? Crush Robin's heart and it would all be over. It wasn't as if her magic would have any effect on Cora; within the time she would spend conjuring up her powers, the witch would have already ended Roland's life.