Regina's Rose

Mustard Seeds and Runes

I get up from whatever pity party I was having and walk over to the Charming's apartment. Not bothering to knock.

"We need a plan to stop my mother."

"Quartz? Are you okay?" Emma asks completely disregarding my statement.

"I'm fine-

"Are you sure? You know we would never judge you if you weren't." Snow interrupts me and I look to her, my annoyance slowly growing.

"Yes, I-

"Speak for yourself, I think she deserves a little bit of judgment." David chimes in and I huff.

"Are you done?!" I raise my voice and they all go silent. "Great, now the topic at hand, stopping my mother. I have the workings of a plan but I am a liability so it may have to be rethought out."

"You're calling yourself a liability?" Emma asks skeptically and I turn to her with an eye roll.

"Yes, because I am one Swan. Clearly I am easily swayed by my mother's influence if I wasn't we wouldn't be in this mess." I huff in annoyance.

"Okay," Snow steps in. "What about the plan?"

"She said workings of a plan. Are we going to trust that?" Charming asks and I turn to him, glaring as I'm tired of his stupidity.

"Do you have a plan at all?" I ask and I feel Emma's eyes on me. She hasn't stopped staring at me since I stepped in the apartment but her stare now holds a weight to it that I don't have time to decipher.

I have people to protect.

"Take the fight to Regina. Show her she can't take us down without a fight." Charming answers.

"That's not a plan that's a death wish," I walk over to their pantry hoping to find ingredients for a potion. "You charge in with a sword, a bow and arrow, and a savior who can barely work her magic you're dead at the doorstep. Snow first."

"Does your great plan include snacking, your highness." Charming mocks and I close the pantry unsuccessful.

"Not a basic potion ingredient in sight. I'll handle that later." I say mostly to myself, they are useless, well not Emma. "Emma I will start teaching you magic, Charming get the dwarves monitoring the apartment in shifts, Snow I will get you a protection potion first as you are most at risk. Emma, come with me." I call as I begin to leave the apartment.

"Since when were you a battle strategist." Charming scoffs and I freeze as I reach for the door.

"Since sixteen when you started calling for battle."
_________

Enchanted Forest

"Your highness, Snow White's forces are on route to storm the castle!" A knight burst into my room as I was reading. My heart hammering in my chest.

"But the Queen is fighting them on the other side of the enchanted forest." I raise up from my bed.

"It appears they have divided their forces in order to claim the castle. The knights left at the castle need direction." He informs and my eyes widen.

"From me? What about Grandfather?" I ask.

"Your highness, the Queen took her father with her for company. You are the only leader in the palace."

I fall into an anxious silence. I'm only sixteen and last time I was out in battle I almost got my mother imprisoned.

But I know defense plans and procedures like the back of my hand as my mother is always on the offensive. I knew I'd have to know a way to protect her and this family after the first battle. And though I hate to give credit to Pan he's the reason I have experience in defense.