I apologize for taking so long with updating this story. I do love working on it, however I've been quite busy with school. Tomorrow is my last day of school as well as my last exam. Hopefully after that I'll have more time to write.

I also apologize for any mistakes in this chapter or any of the previous. I do edit but some things slip by without notice.

Reviews are encouraged. I adore hearing from all of you!

Love always, Hayley

Chapter 6:

At dinner, Emma sat next to Regina. The brunette queen looked up slowly at her new companion, if she could be so lucky to call Emma that so early on in their knowing each other. Emma smiled softly at her, her eyes communicating that although they didn't know each other well and had only met the day before, Regina had a new friend and she was no longer alone. Regina felt so at home in this castle, and knew deep down that she shouldn't, for it was too good to last. If she grew used to this loving environment it would only hurt more once she had to return "home" where things were cold and rough. Regina did however smile back at the Princess. It wasn't Emma's fault this couldn't last forever, after all.

The lasagna that David and Regina had made together was served, after which was Snow and Regina's apple pies. Regina felt proud when she ate the food she helped to make. She had been unaware that she was capable of doing something like that—making dinner, feeding the people she spent time with. It almost felt…rewarding. And it tasted quite excellent! Although she was sure that was due to Snow and David's experience, as opposed to her lack thereof. All the same…

"I enjoyed very much making dinner with you, David," she spoke up, feeling quite brave regardless of her husband's presence. "Thank you for teaching me your recipe. It's quite delicious."

David winked at her. "Perhaps you could perfect it with time." He gave her a smile fitting to his "charming" name. "Give it your own southern twist."

Regina smiled. She felt so welcome here. She turned to Snow. "You have my thanks also, Snow, for teaching me how to bake those gorgeous apple pies. Although I'm unsure I'd ever be able to get it right without your assistance."

"In time," Snow smiled encouragingly at her, preaching words similar to her husband's. "Practice makes perfect, you know."

At this point in the night, Arik decided to speak up. He grew tired of listening to Regina act as if she belonged in this northern castle. She needed to remember her place and he was happy to remind her of it later on in the night.

"We'll be staying after dessert to discuss…" his eyes wandered over towards Emma before he changed his direction of conversation. "Just don't leave the table, Regina."

"Yes, my King." She responded immediately, as if trained.

Emma watched the exchange, hot anger flushing her cheeks. Regina was technically only a year older than she, and yet the entire castle treated her as if she were still a child. Battle plans could not be discussed around even the Princess. Although this kingdom would one day belong to her, battle tactics that would tell the fate of it were not to be heard by her ears. It infuriated her. Another thing yet that angered her was the way Regina was treated by her so called "King". She'd spent the better half of the day with Regina and watched as the southern Queen laughed, smirked, teased, and seemed quite sure of herself. As if she were excitedly testing unknown waters. Yet here, at the table, her blissful words of thanks were instantaneously shut down by her husband's rough nature. Nobody deserved to be treated like that.

"I know of the battle tactics," Emma informed Arik with an icy tongue. He may have some sort of power over Regina, but he held none over the northern Princess and Emma was more than happy to use that to her advantage. She turned her attention to her parents. "I wish to stay and discuss them with you." She requested.

Snow winced at her daughter. "Your father and I have discussed this, Emma, we don't think you're quite ready to be a part of a conversation so—"

"That is ridiculous! On what grounds am I not ready?!" Emma demanded to know, standing in frustration.

"It appears, Princess, that you are quick to react," Arik pointed out. "Perhaps this is one reason why they see you as too immature to sit in on adult conversations."

Emma was fuming and she shot a harsh glare at the King of the south. "If you please, King Valentin," his name tasted bitter on her tongue and it was heard with a coldness in her tone. "This discussion is between my parents and myself."

"Emma," Snow's voice held a tone of warning. "You should be more polite to our guests."

Emma could not believe her mother. Since when was Snow accommodating to abusive, overbearing kings?! Perhaps once she realized he was abusive and grew too afraid to speak up for herself. Emma growled in her mind. This is not in the least bit fair.

"It's my kingdom as well, mother, and it is my duty as Princess to know what is going on—"

"It is your duty as Princess to do as the King and Queen tell you to," Arik butted in again.

"My King, If I may—" Regina tried to stop him from stepping where he wasn't welcome, for he knew not much of where boundaries lay. If he was aware, they went ignored.

"You may not," Arik said harshly.

Regina fell silent.

Suddenly Emma didn't respect Regina nearly as much. She had started to try to stick up for what she believed in, indeed, but that had not lasted long. She allowed herself to be silenced by this man who was seeming to be quite rotten and had to ask herself how badly hurt Regina must have been by him every day and evening to be as controlled as she was. She gave Regina an incredulous look. One that begged to know how she could just sit there in silence.

"Emma," David tried to calm the table down. "We have discussed this before, although perhaps not at the length that you would have liked. You are merely sixteen years of age and although this kingdom does also belong to you, you are not ready to take control of any sort of battle strategies pertaining to the ogre wars. Kindly finish your dessert, apologize to King Valentin for your tone, and then go wherever you wish so long as it isn't this room."

Emma did not finish her dessert. Neither did she apologize to King Valentin. She pushed away from the table, shot Regina a look that told her quite sarcastically to enjoy her "adult conversation" and then made her way out of the room, storming up the castle stairs to her bed chamber.

She could not believe how her parents guarded her so. It enraged her to no end but she had no say in the matter, this she knew. That did not mean, however, that she would stop fighting. Nor did it mean that she was going to sit on her bed and do nothing, not at all. She only needed them to think that was where she was staying.

After waiting for a long pause, she slowly opened the door to her chamber. She would be stopped by guards if she tried to listen in downstairs. Taking a deep breath, the young, adventurous Princess found the door to the chamber where Regina and Arik were staying. She opened it just as slowly, to prevent anyone from hearing it, although she sincerely doubted they would.

Sneaking into the room, she saw that the bed had been made, (thanks to the servants) and that nothing seemed to be out of place. Clearly, King Arik was already getting comfortable here as Regina was. The difference was that Arik's comfort was shown in his lack of keeping up his "nice man" act. He was starting to show his true overbearing nature and roughness towards Regina, and it was only the second day. Clearly he was lacking in patience.

Emma wondered if there was anything in particular Arik taunted Regina with, or if it was just his own body and verbal abuse that scared the queen. Starting to see Arik's intentions towards Regina, Emma supposed that was enough. That didn't however stop her curiosity.

She turned to a trunk on the far side of the bed—the side nearest the window. Opening it, she could see that it was Regina's trunk. It was full of dresses, an old yet gorgeous brush…and a necklace? Emma decided she would find out more about this later. She wondered why Regina wasn't wearing it now.

Closing Regina's trunk, Emma felt a pang of guilt. Her anger at her parents and at Arik had fueled this search throughout the Southern King and Queen's room, and it was a betrayal of trust to sneak through Regina's possessions. Just before she closed the trunk, she noticed the pair of riding pants that Regina had worn earlier—the ones that Emma had thrown towards her—folded neatly in the corner. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of them as the recalled her day spent with Regina.

Brushing off the smile, she moved on to Arik's trunk—a man whom she cared not if he trusted her. His trunk was full of nothing abnormal, to her slight disappointment, and she closed it in haste as she heard the large double doors downstairs open and close. Hurriedly, she rushed out of the room and back into hers, practically diving on to her bed.

Her stealthy nature had always suited her well. She smirked triumphantly to herself as she took in the fact that she hadn't been caught. She usually wasn't, and that was how she always obtained so much information. She was sneaky, although not completely untrustworthy. If someone had directly asked her what she'd been doing, she might have said so. However, no one would ever think to ask her such a thing, because although Emma didn't often act the Princess she was expected to, it was also true that no one expected her to act such the investigator.

Emma reached over for her journal on the desk next to her bed and opened it, acting as if she'd been there the whole time. Her decision was that if no one was ever going to tell her anything, she was going to have to figure it out on her own. That was something she was not above doing.

She pulled out a quill and ink and started to write down her observations in her journal. Quickly, she found herself going off on a tangent once she started to describe Regina.

I didn't expect her to be anything like she is. The poor girl is obviously abused, but I'm hoping to find out how and change it before the month is up. Let me correct myself…she's a woman, not a girl. I believe I recall mother and father saying that she's ruled the south with Arik for nearly twenty four years. If she's posing as seventeen that would make her almost forty one years. And yet she acts like she's in her early twenties at best. She's not given any freedoms in the south—that much is clear. She's given more here, but she still seems afraid to speak up.

It's apparent she enjoys my parents' company. I found a necklace in her trunk and am wondering why she hasn't worn it yet. It seems to be one of the only pieces of jewelry she owns, besides hair pieces and the ring on her finger signifying her "marriage". I may have only known her for a day but it's enough to know that she deserves better than that bastard Arik.

She is quite beautiful, I admit. I didn't expect someone so…young and full of life. She's sarcastic, as I am, and strong, when not in the presence of her king husband.

I'm not going to try to justify going through her trunk. I'm aware it's only been a day and I've already broken her trust, unknown to her. I don't love what I did…I was angry. She didn't try to stand up for herself. She started to defend me at the table and then stood down immediately, without any fight. Of course, she doesn't know me enough to subject herself to more torture on my account. It was selfish of me, I can see that now. She's quite private but perhaps that's just because I'm too nosy. I know not what she said about herself to my parents while I wasn't around. Perhaps her ass of a husband was right. Perhaps I'm too young to understand the battle tactics of my kingdom, or to understand Regina or her life…but I would very much like to. It's an odd sort of feeling I've never felt before, but I would really like to spend more time with her throughout the month. As much as I can before she leaves. That is, unless she thinks of me as a child also. In which case I will know how foolish I am.

. . .

Later in the night, Arik and Regina were having a heated discussion in their chambers. He was furious with her for being so relaxed in this castle but even more so with himself for allowing her so much freedom. It was his first impression to tighten the reins on her. However, he could see that she was already gaining a sort of spit fire attitude. She'd clearly spent more time with the rebellious young princess than she should have been allowed. And only after a day. He could not imagine how defiant Regina might be after a month.

"I forbid you to spend any length of time with the princess. Spend more time around the people your age—Snow and David—"

"Are hardly my age," Regina protested. "They're younger as well. By far."

"But not as much so as that unruly Princess of theirs. I respect the king and queen as monarchs however not as much as parents. They've raised her with far too much leniency, as I do not intend to give to you." Arik leaned against the back wall.

"I am hardly your daughter as she is hardly unruly. It is not up to you to raise me as it is not your job to meddle in her parents' affairs." Regina was sounding a lot gutsier than she felt, and unluckily enough for her she could not yet hide the fear in her eyes as her tone tried yet failed to mask it. She sounded sure but her voice wavered once. Once was all it took for Arik to laugh and realize he was at no risk of her becoming disobedient. She was still terrified of him, this he knew and took great pride in.

"If I were you I would watch your tone, Regina. You have no authority over me and you will not pretend so in front of the king and queen ever again. Am I understood?"

Regina remained silent and he stepped forward to enforce his power over her. He grabbed her wrist tightly. "Am. I. Understood?" he repeated himself, leaving a mark from his nail on the inside of her wrist.

She gritted her teeth and through them muttered a response that sounded a lot like, "Yes, my King."

He relinquished his hold and she pulled her arm in towards herself, rubbing her new wound and turning her head to the side to hide her anger and fear. She pressed her lips together tightly. She felt she would much rather share a room with Emma than with Arik. Although she found this thought quite odd—that she would rather share a room with a stranger than with her husband would seem absurd to anybody else who heard what she was thinking. But at least with Emma she felt that she was heard. At least with Emma, she felt like she could be herself and say anything she felt like saying. With Emma, she felt safe. And she could say so about Snow and Charming as well.

Regina glared so hard at the window that it flew open, by accident. Her magic tended to go a bit astray when her emotions got the best of her and this was something that Arik had been taking note of. He wondered what would happen if she got upset enough while he took his pleasure but pushed it to the back of his mind. That was a worry for another time.

"I don't want you cooking or baking with the king and queen anymore, either. You came to this kingdom to keep up an image and listen to us discuss battle tactics. You did not come to learn how to act the way a servant does."

Regina turned her attention back to Arik and narrowed her eyes. "Snow and David do not have any less respect because they help to cook and bake in their own kitchen. In fact, I daresay they have more respect. They are friendly and kind to their servants—"

"And they do the servant's work for them, so clearly being kind does not make them more productive, now does it?!" Arik's face was turning red and Regina closed her mouth again. She knew her arguments were invalid. He would never listen to her no matter how strong her arguments may be. In his eyes she was nothing but a sex slave. Something she absolutely loathed him for and she would never forgive her mother or father for letting it happen, let alone encouraging it as Cora so often did. "DO YOU FORGET YOUR PLACE, WOMAN?!" her thoughts were interrupted by his angry yell.

It startled her and she scolded herself for jumping when he raised his voice and got in her face. After nearly twenty four years it wasn't as if she was not used to things like this. She took a long, slow deep breath.

"Momentarily, my King." She said softly. "You have my most sincere apologies. I'll not forget my place again." For the night she had given up. She'd spoken up more to him tonight than she ever had in her life and it had gotten her nowhere—her spirit for now was crushed.

He shoved her towards the bed and took her as he did nearly every night. She laid silently and did not resist. He whipped her when she was completely unresponsive and left a red mark on her midriff. Squeezing her eyes shut tightly, she allowed herself to become a bit more responsive to his movements.

Once he had fallen asleep, she sat up in the bed, teary eyed, and wrapped a gown around herself, making her way towards the window. She stared out it, at the deep blue sky. A tear slid down her cheek. She wondered what her life might be like if she was better at practicing her magic, or if Daniel hadn't run away. Although she knew thoughts like that were useless. Daniel wasn't there and she was horrible at magic. She knew she was stuck in this fate forever. The curse would not break and Cora would not take it away willingly.

Together, Regina and Arik along with Regina's parents would outlast every monarch in every kingdom. She would pretend to rule at his side whilst serving merely as a figurehead and sex slave. She was doomed to him for the rest of eternity. Another tear slid down her cheek. This was not a fate she wanted to stick with. She couldn't help but be jealous at Emma's life. The Princess was just that, and treated as such. Her biggest problem was not being able to listen in on a meeting. If only that were Regina's largest irritation.

She sat at the window all night and eventually fell asleep there, trying to come up with ways to get out of this, albeit in vain. She'd been here for twenty four years and hadn't come up with a solution yet.

She knew now that she would never get out on her own.

What she needed was a savior.

If only the fairy godmothers she read about were real.