Shaya

Chapter 4 - Before the Queen

Rapunzel hobbled towards the throne room. She fell on her knees before the Queen, the wound pulsing painfully. Regina was all dark: her dress, her face, her eyes. She was already furious.

" Where is it?" she asked, rage in her voice.
Rapunzel swallowed, a quick look at her. " I couldn't catch her." she began, and Regina stood up from the throne.
" You, the greatest warrior of all times, the one who killed the Bogeyman in a heartbeat, you couldn't catch a simple girl in the forest?"
" She wounded me, she caught me out of guard. And then her wolf attacked me. She spared me, or the wolf would have killed me."
" You'd have deserved." Regina hissed angrily, her fists closed by fury. Rapunzel met her eyes again.
" I know."
She stood up, standing proud in front of the Queen, calmly facing her.
" I ran away before Snow White could change her mind, so that I could come here and tell you where she's hiding before that you execute me. I'd rather die by your hand than by her arrow, my Queen. " She paused, letting everything she felt pass through her eyes, fixed in Regina's. She saw them widen, she saw her swallow. And she knew she understood something. " The girl is in the forest, two days north from here. Beware the werewolf. "
Regina stayed silent for a while, eying her with narrowed, suspicious eyes. " Why should I believe you? Why should I believe that you didn't kill the Bogeyman only to save her, and you went there just to place a trap?"
Rapunzel's look didn't change. " If this was true, why would I ever come back here?"
" To convince me you're not a traitor."
Rapunzel's lips tightened in a little smile. " I could kill you, but I chose to serve you, instead. I chose to give you the whole control on my life when with just one movement I could cut your head off. Do you really think it is logical what you're suspecting?"

Regina swallowed. She knew she was right, but the fact that she couldn't take Snow's heart was senseless. But the way Rapunzel was looking at her... she wasn't a traitor. Not at all. She really wanted to serve her cause. But her reasons, those were a mystery. Yes, Regina had believed her when she had said that Snow had to die, and she still believed that she really thought that. But there had to be something else. The same "something" that she had seen in her eyes a moment before, powerful, deep, uncatchable. She saw it, but she didn't know what it was. It just hit her deep inside, and now was keeping her from killing the warrior. She had the feeling that there was something more, something important about her, and the feeling that killing her would be the wrong thing. Totally wrong. But she didn't know why, and this was irritating her. Moreover, she couldn't just let her go, and she didn't trust her enough to send her to kill Snow again. Rapunzel had to be punished. Moreover, by punishing her, the Golden Death, the warrior feared by everyone, no matter how powerful, she would demonstrate her power better than in any other way. Everyone feared the Golden Death. Everyone would fear her. All of her enemies. She smirked evilly.
" I won't kill you" she said " It would be disrespectful. But you failed, consequently I have to punish you. If I don't, my subjects will lose the little respect they have for me. " She eyed the other woman, studying her reactions, searching for a hint of her betrayal. But Rapunzel just nodded once.
" Of course." she murmured. Confusion grew wild in Regina. None, ever, took the idea of a punishment as a right thing. Especially a punishment of hers. But Rapunzel's eyes were telling her she did. She truly agreed to what she said.
She just couldn't believe that. None ever really agreed with her, nor her father. Rapunzel saw something in her eyes, because a hint of sympathy darkened the light-blue of hers. Regina felt naked under that look, and the anger rose in her chest. " You'll be exiled. "
Rapunzel jumped for the surprise. Then pain came, clear and unhidden on her face. " My Queen I..."
Regina lifted a hand, ignoring the sense of guilt as she was used to do. " I though you were a servant. As long as I know, servants don't protest their master's orders."
Rapunzel tightened her lips and visibly forced herself to nod and kneel. " As my Queen desires. " she said with anger and pain clear in her voice, so that Regina could hear them, and remember them. " Although I think that my mistress should consider the idea of giving this servant another possibility to be useful."
" This Queen has taken her decision!" Regina replied, gritting her teeth. She was furious now. Rapunzel dared to contradict her. Was she rebelling now?! She couldn't accept this: the warrior was too dangerous. " And a change of her mind would mean only your death, servant. You failed. I am sparing you, idiotic mercenary. "
Rapunzel leaped up, rage on her face. " Let me help you and you'll never have to spare anyone's life!" she whispered, something close to desperation in her wet eyes. Regina felt really confused.
" You must have fever... what are you talking about? What you said is senseless!"
Rapunzel seemed about to say something, but then clenched her jaw and glanced down. " Please, Regina, trust me. Just trust me. " she desperately whispered, and then she was looking again in her eyes. Hope, pain, sympathy, desperation and...something else. Something that Regina couldn't understand.
" Your craziness bored me. Bring her in cell. Tomorrow I'll execute her condemn. " the Queen ordered, confused but firm, to a couple of guards. A last look to the woman hit something inside her chest. Her sad gaze was almost unbearable.