Every Single Word

chapter three

A/N ~ Tatiana Mills and her blue dress to the top (mobile) or the side (laptop)!

Tatiana had the idea to take Avalon's heart out of her body and into a box until they contacted Zelena.

Of course, Merlin and his knights had to object. And of course, Regina told them calmly, to shut up and listen. "The Princess for the time-being is stable and the curse that my Wicked sister has cast upon her is now put to a halt."

Then Merlin asks, "Yes, but how is that possible?"

"Do you really want to know?" Tatiana asked.

"Yes, really." Merlin said.

"I put my hand into her chest and ripped out her heart. Just like this." Tatiana says, pulling her white glove off and demonstrates using Merlin.

Merlin lets out a choked gasp, and looks up at Tatiana. She grins at him. He slowly returns the smile, quite shakily, but there.

"Good boy," she purrs into his ear, causing him to let out a shiver.

Gwaine asks the first question. "What does this have to do with Avalon?"

Tatiana turns to him, smiling slightly. "It has everything to do with Avalon. Look at Merlin's heart. It is red, no dark spots, no bad things. Avalon is eating herself up about something and I can't get ahold of it. But," Tatiana reaches down and pulls Avalon's heart out of her body, pushing the fragile thing into Merlin's hands.

Lancelot lets out a strangled cryand pulls his sword out, pointing it at Tatiana's throat.

She lifts an eyebrow at him when he can't seem to break her skin.

He sighs, and puts his sword back in it's scabbard, motioning for her to explain or he really will cut her throat. Looks like he has as good of a heart as Avalon's, then. Good. She deserves someone good.

"Her heart, as you can see," Regina gestures for Tatiana to do her thing, and when the pain shows up, it's still eating at Avalon's heart. "Is very fragile. And she has a good heart." Regina points to the part that's not eating itself up.

"She's fighting," Tatiana says, fascinated. Not even herself, who had a good heart when Zelena poisoned her had been able to stop it from eating her and causing her to have neutral magic. Tatiana lays the back of her hand on Avalon's forehead, and smiles. "She's fighting. Which means if we keep her heart out, and freeze it, keeping it in this box... she will be safe until the curse wears itself out." Regina has Tatiana's box, that is a beautiful brown wood and a dead red heart as the lock.

"Or until we get ahold of Zelena." Regina adds.

The knights and Merlin take a moment to adjust to this, and they all feel reluctant. What would happen if something goes wrong? Or someone steals the box?

"No one will steal this box. I can make it smaller." Tatiana mutters a spell under her breath, then the box slowly but surely starts shrinking into the palm of Regina's hand. "I will have the box with me at all times, and no one will touch Avalon's heart if I have anything to do with it. As much as you all do not think so," Tatiana pauses, then continues. "We are here to help Avalon. And we are sorry that she had to endure this at all, but our Wicked sister... she does what she wants, and does not care much for anyone but herself. We care about Avalon. We just need your permission to take care of her,"

Elyan hesitantly speaks first after a few seconds. "I think it is okay if she eventually recovers."

Percival nods and stands next to Elyan. Gwaine hesitates, setting his hand on Lancelot's shoulder, and walks over to Elyan's side. Leon, being the great knight that he's become, goes over to Elyan's side.