Once Upon A Time ~ Book 1

Chapter 10 - The Forbidden Fortress

The queens dark carriage rode through the snowy mountain forests of the Forbidden Forest. Until it reached its destination. A huge, dark castle, towering over the Forbidden Forest.

"How are you dear?" asked an elegant woman, with curly blond hair, sharp, piercing blue eyes, strong features and she held a staff with an orb on it.
"I'm doing fine." said the Evil Queen, who sat in an armchair, in the dark castle, next to a warm, burning stove.
"Are you?" said the woman pouring a drink. "If it were me, I'd be simply tortured, watching that flack of Snow so happy." she sat down in another armchair next to a tiny, black unicorn. "Weren't you about the same age when you were to be married before she ruined it all?..... Yes you were." she held up her glass.
"Yes, it was about the same age you were when that Sleeping Beauty got the best of you, my dear Malificent."
"I soldiered on. As you will, too. Hopefully."
"Enough games. You know why I'm here. I need my curse back."
"It's not yours anymore. A deal's a deal. I traded you my sleeping curse."
"Which failed. Undone by a simple kiss. Now please, return what's mine."
"The Dark Curse? Really? You must know that not even it's unholy power can bring your loved one back from the dead. Have you considered a pet?" she strocked the black unicorn. "They can be quite comforting."
"The only comfort for me is Snow White's suffering."
"Well, it's her wedding night, I doubt she's suffering right now."
"I need that curse." she said leaning forward. "I know you keep it hidden in that orb above your staff."
"Hidden for the good of all, old friend. Whoever created that monstrosity makes the two of us look positively......moral....... Who did give it to you?"
The queen stood up. "Where I got it is none of your concern." she said and she enlarged the flames of the fire. "Hand it back."
Malificent sat up. "Must we do this?"
"Alas, we must." she said and she took some of the flames from the stove.
Malificent got up and flew accross the room, as the queen threw the flames at her, but she created a shield.
Then the queen waved her hand and the weapons around the room began to clatter and flowed towards her. She pointed them towards Malificent. The unicorn gave out a shriek and the queen pointed them at it.
"No!" Malificent screamed and she flew towards the unicorn and created a shield, causing the weapons to simply hit of it.
The queen waved her hand again and the giant metal lantern from the large cyling fell and around Malificent. The metal wrapped around her legs, waist and chest. The queen waved her hand again and she was pushed against the stone wall. Malificent gasped for breath.
The Evil Queen bent down and picked up the staff.
"Love is weakness, Malificent." she said staring at the orb."I thought you knew that."
Malificent stared at the queen. "If you're going to kill me, kill me."
"Why would I do that?" she looked up at her. "Your my only friend."
"Don't do this..... This curse...... There are lines even we shouldn't cross." said Malificent.
The queen turned the staff around and bashed it of the ground, causing the orb to shatter. She picked up the tiny scroll of parchment.
She continued. "All power cones with a price.... Enacting it will take a terrible toll."
The queen examined the writing on the scroll.
"It will leave an emptiness inside you..... A void you will never be able to fill."
"So be it." said the queen looking up at Malificent and rowling up the scroll and she turned and walked away."

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The Evil queen stood in a clearance in the Forbidden Forest, surrounded by her minions. A fire was burning in the middle of the clearance.
"Who among us is tired of losing?" she asked.
The queen looked around, but no one replyed.
"That's why I called you here m." she said. "To put an end to our misery."
She threw the scroll into the burning flames. "Today we claim victory...... And move to a new, better realm...... A place where we can finally win."
"And we'll be happy?" asked a blind witch.
"I guarantee it." she said. "But first, I need something from you..... A lock of hair from those of the darkest souls." she looked around. "You must trust me...... Because if you don't, there are other ways."
She moved her hand and the black, dark, twisted branches of the trees surrounding them grew larger and crept closer. The queen smiled with the pleasure of power.
Her minions coward and moved in closer. The blind witch drew a blade from her cape and cut a lock from her thick dirty, rope like hair. A gnome plucked a hair from his beard and finally a ogar riped a hair from his head.
"A wise decision." said the queen and she walked around them with a basket and they put their locks of hair inside. The branch's of the trees grew smaller and folded back into the forest.
The queen tiped the basket over and the locks of hairs fell into the flames. "All that remains is the final ingredient." she said.
The Valet held open a box in front of her and she took from it a heart.
"A prised heart.... From my childhood steed....... The glorious beast whose passing will fuel our victory........ Let my wrath be unleashed." she said and she threw the heart into the flames.
The flames expanded and grew. It then formed blue, green smoke that expanded even more, it grew and grew. Thunder crashed and lightning shot. Then suddenly the smoke dissapeared leaving only a tiny fire.
The gnome laughed histarackly. "Yeah, you really unleashed something there." and he continued laughing until the queen waved her hand and he suddenly turned to stone.
The queen turned on her heal angrily.