Slay Me Weaponless

Chapter 13: Camelot

"Try closing your eyes," Henry suggests, shifting from foot to foot in an attempt to look a little less bored. "Or turning in circles."

Emma shuts her eyes and spins slowly, nearly toppling over. Regina steadies her. "Do you feel anything?"

Emma shakes her head. "No. Yes," she amends, and she frowns, leaning against Regina. "There's definitely a...something. Power here." She points in the general direction of the Woods of Malice. "Power here." This finger is toward the castle courtyard, where Zelena is probably still lounging and watching the knights with blatant interest. "And power here." Her hand pauses and rests on Regina's shoulder, clasping it as her eyes open again. "How did I do?"

"You got the sorceress in the woods, Zelena, and me," Regina says dryly. "Not so sure about Merlin."

"He must be in the woods." That's Hook, who has been watching this entire scene with a disgruntled expression on his face. "We should go in there. See if we can find him."

Emma shakes her head. "Can't. It doesn't like Regina." It's an odd way to phrase that sensation that Regina had had in the woods, her magic repressed and the trees moving to lock her in. She shudders, but steels herself. They have to go if it's where Merlin might be.

Hook scoffs. "Why do we need her with us?" He glowers at Regina, who glares right back at him. He tugs at Emma's arm with his hook, pulling her away from Regina and Henry, and he lowers his voice. It still filters back to Regina, who decides, in a burst of passive aggression, to continue to stare at Hook as he hisses at Emma. "She's always with you. It's a tad obsessive, don't you think?"

Emma rolls her eyes at Hook. "She's being a good friend. I'm kind of going through something. And Regina's our best shot for helping , so can you lay off her?"

Hook's eyes flash with something dangerous, and Regina feels tension wire its way through her body, making her stiff with it. Sometimes, she is reminded that Hook is never going to be Emma's lapdog, that he is just a man who has learned to put on a noble face for the woman he's dating. There is still a killer pirate within him, one who has learned good behavior but has few regrets.

Regina, who has learned good behavior to the point that her past crimes haunt her, has long resented Hook for being brought into the fold without a quest for redemption. But rarely before now has she considered exactly how dangerous that detail about him might be. Now, when he turns to stare at her with seething hatred, she feels the dread rise up within her.

Emma must see something, too, because she lays a hand on Hook's chest and says, "Come on. I'll try again another time. We should go get ready for the party tonight." She kisses him lightly, and he deepens it, clutches onto Emma until Henry makes a disgusted noise and Hook looks up to cast Regina a stare of smug possessiveness. Hook, Regina reflects, might not be particularly sharp when it comes to adapting to new worlds or people, but he doesn't miss a thing when it comes to Emma.

Emma doesn't miss much, either, and she puts a delicate arm in Hook's but turns back to Regina. "I'll see you tonight?" she says hopefully.

Regina nods. "Wear that red gown you picked out," she offers, though she knows that Emma never will. Emma has exclusively worn white in Camelot, as though she can ward away the darkness with her outfit alone.

Regina, however, has found a wine-colored piece that she would never have worn as the Evil Queen. It's too soft at the edges, too modest, and she knows that it'll be a hit at the celebration tonight.

Another night, another celebration. It seems as though that is all Camelot does, though this is a smaller event than the norm. Arthur's birthday is this week, and he has a grand ball planned tomorrow for it. Tonight is a more intimate celebration, and only a bevy of knights and some others have been invited.