Lithium (Once Upon a Time)

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Price

Storybrooke, 28th December 2012....

Regina: As I slept, entangled in my beloved's arms, the shiny sun screamed for me to wake up. In a gentle touch, it kissed my cheek and it's hot rays compelled me to rise from the bed, as much as I wanted to embrace Emma.

I obeyed the sun's wishes and lifted my majestic body from last night's beloved slumber.

A queen doesn't stretch her body, so I just walked, very gracious, and picked up some clothes. My mayor suits were always irresistible. Much more comfortable than the tight dresses I used in the Enchanted Forest.

Today was a special day, one filled with joy as long as sorrow. For it may be the day where I woke up with Emma Swan in my arms, but it was also the day that reminded me of the price of said happiness. Of what I had to pay to have the savior.

The memories kept coming and condensing themselves in dark clouds placing above my mind. I decided to whisk them away. That day was already terrible, why should I make it even worse by remembering every detail of that tragedy.

I decided to simply dress my black coat and buy some flowers, just like Mrs Dalloway, but instead of a party, the Evil Queen had a much darker event to be planned.

A walk through the cemetery, the house of a painful memory lane. In my vault, I'd find the one I should pay my respects. The one whose life meant so much to me, that taking it was the only way for me to achieve everything I had. The town, Henry, Emma, and yet she was missing.... Cruel wanting.

Enchanted Forest, before the first curse....

Evil Queen: The pirate had piercing blue eyes, his hair was cut short, just has his beard. And like an ocean of pitch black ink it suited him very well, along with his dark clothing, his tiny chest hair and the silver necklaces he carried around.

But of all the jewelery he had, probably stolen from famous buried tresuares, there was one that stood out. A hook made of metal. A wavy piece of harbor he took for a hand.

Captain Hook was ready to use his "artificial hand" to take the life of my most valuable chess piece: the dark one's girlfriend, Belle.

I couldn't let him take what he wanted, so with a flick of my wirst, the hook disappeared and poofed itself in my hand.

He looked shocked, his eyebrows wrinkled, as he found his weapon of choice missing.

"She's not useless." I said, making sure the pirate would understand the importance that Belle played in my rivallary game against the dark one. "She's my most precious chess piece." I explained, closing the door of the cell and walking towards him, in my majestic purple dress, as my eyes got lost in the hot figure of the pirate.

"Do I look like I'm playing a game of chess?" He asked, in a rude tone. "My hook, if you please!" He demanded, so I placed the hook closer to my chest, so he wouldn't take it.

"No."

The pirate undertood he wouldn't take what he wanted by being unpolite, so he came closer with a much hotter look, his eyes were so enchanting they could steal anyone's heart.

"They asked me to be gentle." He said, in a seductive tone.

"Is that anyway to address a queen?" I asked, in a defensive tone. "I know who you are, captain, and all about the crocodile you wish to skin. But she can't give you what you want. Luckily for you, I can!" I explained, poiting to Belle's sleeping body.

"Oh, really, how?" He looked intrigued.

"Care to join for a drink?"

We were know in my throne room, where the view was explendid, the birds chirped in the sky and all the surroundings gave the sense of vastity that our realm possessed.

"Things are about to change in this realm." I said, walking as I pointed the hook to the expledid view of my palace. "Radically." I said, placing the goblet of wine in the pirate's hand and he couldn't help not to look at me in an intense way, as his eyes melted into mine. "I have plans to enact a curse that will take us all to a far away land. In this place, there won't be magic, so you can kill your crocodile with a mere flick of your wirst."

"Seems like you have a plan, what's stopping you?"

"In order to cast this curse, I need to dispose of someone."

"An assassination? Very well... Who do you want me to dispose of?" He asked, as he looked more and more curious.

I stared at him, with a broken, yet powerful look, revealing the answer to his biggest doubt.

"My daughter."