A Kingdom Divided

Chapter 8

A strangled cry escaped Regina's throat as she watched blood seep from her mother's chest. Cora treated her badly over the years, that was true, but she still loved her. Maleficent turned towards the group, lips curled into a cruel smile. "Well, well. My prisoners have returned with a gift." She spoke.

"What did you do?!" Regina screamed, falling besides her unmoving body. The woman's face was pale and her eyelids didn't even flutter as the princess cried her name and shook her. "This kingdom is mine. And my revenge will be fulfilled." The villain snarled.

Regina glanced up at Emma, whose face was pale white. She suddenly remembered Emma's parents. "Regina!" The young woman looked up to see her father hurrying towards them. Maleficent raised her hand and froze him in place. Cora began to cough and gasp in her daughter's arms.

Emma knelt beside her friend, surprisingly worried about this woman that had caused Regina so much pain. "Mother." Regina breathed, smiling in relief as the woman's eyes fluttered open. "Regina. You're alright." Cora reached her hand up to cup her daughter's face.

"You're going to be okay." The brunette said, her confident voice wavering. Cora's eyes flicked towards Emma's, then in front of her, looking at something they couldn't see. Regina nervously glanced at the blonde. "Mother, this is Emma. She can heal you. She's- "

"Special." Cora finished, her brown eyes meeting Emma's. The blonde shifted nervously and started to back away. "She can heal you." Regina said. The Queen reached her hand out and caught Emma's, stopping her from moving. "I meant she's special to you, dear."

"Enough of this." Maleficent snapped, moving towards Henry. Emma and Regina both jumped up with Ruby behind them, leaving Belle to comfort the dying Queen. "Don't hurt him!" Regina pleaded. Maleficent snapped her head towards the women. "Why shouldn't I? They ruined my life, took my daughter away from me!"

"No, they didn't." Aurora stepped forward with Phillip close behind, holding their newborn son carefully in her arms. A look of confusion crossed the dragon's face. Quickly it was replaced with anger. "I should have destroyed you when I had the chance. You and your prince. And now you've created spawn to carry on the family name." The woman spat.

"Maleficent, this is your daughter. Your Lillith." Emma said. "You're lying." The villain said, not taking her eyes off of the family. "My mother thought she was doing what was best. She had no idea you were even my mother. She thought she was taking in a helpless child. If she had known she would never had treated you like she did."

Maleficent carefully stepped forward as the princess held out the rattle. "I remember this. From my dreams. This was mine. Or it was meant to be." Aurora said, looking down at her sleeping son before handing him off to Phillip. "My Lillith." The dragon whispered, reaching her hands out to touch her.

Aurora smiled at her. "It's so hard to believe." Maleficent said. "It came as quite a shock to me too, believe me." The young woman giggled. Then she grew serious once more. "We'd like you to be a part of our family. Watch our Stefan grow up and someday become King."

A stray tear escaped the woman's eye and rolled down her face. "Emma!" King David yelled, entering the ballroom with his wife right behind him. The villain snapped to her senses and turned to greet the approaching couple. "You took everything from me! For years I was going after Briar Rose and her family when all along I was attacking my own daughter. The last piece of family I had. Now you're going to pay."

Before Aurora or any of the others could stop her, the woman had turned herself into her large dragon self. The ground shook as she stepped towards the royals. "Emma no!" Regina screamed as she watched the blonde launch herself at the monster. Maleficent turned towards Henry, ready to end him.