Finding Love

Chapter 11

REGINA

"Where are we headed now, Regina? Where is Snow White and her husband?" My father asks with a mark of concern written on his face.

"I sent the two idiots back home to take care of preparations there. Rumplestiltskin needs to stay in that cell or chaos will rain down on everyone. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have become the Evil Queen." I whisper looking out the carriage window at the lush forest.

"You still haven't explained where we are headed. The castle is the opposite direction." He says calmly.

"We're going to Rumplestiltskin's Estate. We aren't far from it and I'd rather not poof there when she could be ready to attack anyone who enters the place. Her magic is unpredictable when she's scared or angry." I shake my head. If it wasn't for my father I wouldn't know of Evi's condition and why mother always kept us an arms length away from my sister.

"You didn't tell Snow or the Prince about her issues, why?"

"Because if they knew the truth, they'd have put her in a cell like her father, Daddy. I can't have that. A hero would sacrifice you to save the kingdom, but a villian would sacrifice the kingdom to save you." I reply, holding back my tears and looking away from him again.

"You still consider yourself as a villian?"

"Yes, now unless you wish to walk home, I'd stop talking." I threaten, not wanting to talk about the issue any longer.

A few minutes pass and I hear a thump, letting me know the carriage has stopped. I frown because we're still a good ways from Rumple's castle. "Coachman? Why have we stopped?!" I yell in frustration.

No one answers causing me to get even more pissed off. I have a feeling something is off and I intend to investigate.

"Be careful, sweetheart." My father begs as I step out of the carriage onto the road. I turn to see the coachman is on the ground with his throat torn out. It's as if some kind of animal lifted him up and slashed its claws in his throat to keep him from talking. What kind of animal would kill for fun and leave the body to rot without eating anything?

I spin around constantly searching the woods to see any sort of creature but nothing moves. "There's nothing out here, it must have flew away." I say to my father as he too climbs out of the carraige to help investigate the disturbance.

"It did!" He shouts, ducking behind the carriage. I look up just in time to see a giant bird like creature swoop down in effort to attack me.

"I don't run from monsters. They run from me." I growl, trying to hit it with one of my fireballs but it dodges and grabs me by my arm lifting me up into the air.

My father grabs my foot and uses all his strength to pull me back. The creature's sharp claws tear through my arm as it loses it's grip on me. I fall back with my father to the ground staring up as the monster tries flying back down towards me.

"Get down!" I hear a man yell and an arrow quickly follows the voice into the flying monster making it fly away to safety.

Out of breath I'm still on the ground staring up at the sky with wide eyes. What in the hell was that?! I wish I had gotten a better look at it. All I saw was sharp teeth and big black wings.

"Milady?" The stranger says offering me his hand. "You're injured." He says in concern.

"It's 'Your Majesty.' And I'm fine." I respond looking back down at my arm which is bleeding and hurts like a bitch.

"A simple thank you would suffice." The man says with a small smile.

"We didn't ask for your help." I reply in a bratty tone, not liking the fact I got rescued by a mere peasant. I do love that accent though.

"Well I'm greatful for the assistance." My father smiles at the man with kindness.

"Robin. Robin of Locksley. And these are a few of my Merry Men." He says gesturing to a few other men that appear from out of the woods.

"King Henry Mills." He says introducing himself and shaking hands with the man.

I roll my eyes and push myself back onto my feet. "Now that we all know each other, what the hell was that thing?!"

"I have no idea. We've never encountered the likes of it before." He answers looking up to the sky where distant shreeking from the monster could be heard.

"Well, it seems we'll have to walk after all." I shrug, looking from my father to the thief. "That is unless you planned on stealing from us, theif." I raise an eyebrow at him as if daring them to lift a weapon in my direction.

"Ah, well I won't deny that we came out here intending to steal that chest full of gold on your transport. But seeing as you are injured and I just saved your life, how about we escort you to the darkones castle." He says in a civil manner.

"Hmf, fine." I huff in defeat. My father has a side grin that I can't understand but then again he's always happy when I don't kill other people after they make me irritable.

EVIDENCE

Humming to myself, I started spinning. I hadn't brought any money with me from Wonderland, nor did I steal any from my sister or Hook. Once I saw the spinning wheel, I knew I could just make my own money.

Spinning straw into gold was the only activity mother never questioned or placed snide comments on. I feel like she knew it was something I needed to do. She after all, was the one who taught me how.

I picture the one scene I always cultivate in my mind and sigh as I imagine him begging for his life and him being the one in the cage trapped in his own mind for eternity. Blood lust sure does do the trick when using dark magic.

"Evidence?" I snap out of my thoughts to see Regina staring at me with a grim expression.

"I was hoping you wouldn't find me sis. I guess I lost track of time." I shrug wrapping up the gold string and placing it in my bag.

"You can't confront him. He'll only use you and lock you away like one of his precious objects. He's worse than mother! Please, Evi I can't let him know you exist. You can live a peaceful life." She begs, slowly approaching me.

"No! I need to meet him. If you had another chance at love, wouldn't you take it?! He's my chance. A chance to have a parent who loves me for me!" I yell then use my magic to toss her against the wall.

"Evidence, she's trying to save you from yourself. We both know why, so why don't we go home and have a nice cup of tea, hmm?" Henry says gently.

"I don't care if Evelyn shows up!" I snap at them. How can they not trust that I have myself under control? "I'm leaving and I'm going to find him! I don't care about the bloody cost!" I whisper, tears in my eyes. I poof myself a few yards away from the castle and pour the locator potion on the tea cup. This better work.