To the Hearts Content

Friends

Friends

0o0

One day after the rescue

They came unexpectedly, a group of people that used to work in the castle, they came all together, some with families and some alone, they all came to serve the Queen and no one could figure out why.

"Why would anyone want to work for a temperamental, Evil, Queen?" Grumpy snarled

"The Queen gave us a home, she treated us well," Elise, the head maid said.

"She also needed someone to take care of her, she has these... moments, some days she doesn't eat, some days she doesn't get out of bed, there are days where she just doesn't care for herself, she can run with no sleep, no food, she's a mess," one of the cooks added under his nose.

Elise shook her head, "Any way, where is she?"

Snow looked towards the door, "I assume that she's sleeping, she got a concussion and a stab wound."

Elise's eyes widened, "Has she been sleeping long?"

David shrugged, "Well, she went to bed about yesterday noon, she hasn't come back at all."

"And when did you last check on her?"

"We haven't."

Elise just stared at them, "What do you mean 'you haven't'? She's got a concussion, you have to make sure she's alert; concussions can be incredibly dangerous!" she exclaimed before leaving the room.

.::.

The Queen's room was dark, her drapes were clipped together to keep out any type of light, there was the usual smell of apples and sweetness but it was accompanied with the metallic stench of blood. Elise watched the little lump on the grand bed very carefully for several moments, she waited for it to move or give some sort of sigh of life. When, after several minutes, nothing happened, she quickly made her way towards the Queen. The first thing she did was check for a pulse, which, thankfully, was there.

Whoever hit her wasn't holding anything back.

The shock came when Elise pulled back the covers, blood was everywhere, it caked her right leg and coated her left one, it was all over the covers and from what she could see, it was coming from a large wound she had on her thigh, it looked like someone had stuck a knife into the top of her thigh and then ran it down to just above her knee.

"Regina?" Elise shook the Queen's shoulder, she didn't stir; "Regina!" she did it more forcefully.

Regina's eyes opened sluggishly, she seemed disorientated, "Heyyyyy, whatareyoudoin'?" and she was slurring her words, this was not good.

Elise started helping the Queen out of the bed, she dragged her out and then practically carried her onto the chaise lounge, Regina didn't complain as she usually would. The Maid nibbled her lip, she grabbed a pillow and took it out of its case. She started wiping down the blood from Regina's skin so that she could see the wound better. "Mirror?" she called out calmly. She had been in this situation many time when the Queen was injured.

"Elise? It's been a while," the genie's face filled the mirror.

"Mirror, I need to talk to Julie and Robert, this is an emergency," she shifted slightly to show the wound on the Queen's leg, blood either leaking out or drying.

His eyes widened and he immediately vanished, in his place was the face of a woman in her forties and a man about the same age.

"Julie, I need you to grab me the sowing kit and I also need a basin of fresh water. Robert, I need you to come change the Queen's sheets, they're covered in blood, don't forget the healing paste!"