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Capture and Release	By : TaylorKing Category: M through R > Once Upon A Time Views: 9636 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I own nothing Once Upon a Time related, or its characters, and make no money from it

Chapter List
- 7
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- 9
“Regina, don’t be angry.” Prince Henry watched his daughter pace back and forth across the parlor rug. “I never wanted to lie to you. I only wanted to help you.”
            “You’re getting very good at handing me over to kings without my consent.” Regina turned her head to snap at him.
            “Regina.” Henry sighed heavily. “You could be happy here. Why won’t you just let yourself be happy here?”
            “I’m supposed to just be happy with a man who decided he was going to come and claim me?” Regina spun on her heel. “Hardly.”
            “But King David-.”
            “I get it.” Regina hissed. “I get it. He decided he was in love with me-which he claims to be so passionate about-and went through this grand romantic gesture to save me from a certain execution. In the last week, three different pieces of jewelry have appeared in order to try and show his dedication.”
            “He’s trying to-.”
            “Bribe me.” Regina folded her arms over her chest, and Prince Henry was fairly certain he hadn’t seen her this angry in awhile-and that was saying a lot. “That’s all they are-bribes. Leopold did the same thing. If he gave me enough jewelry, it would keep me appeased, keep me from being miserable in his loveless marriage and burdening him with complaints.”
            “It’s not-.”
            “It is.” Regina glared at him. “It’s the same situation: only a different, younger king.”
            Who was better in bed, and better looking, but she was not about to say that to her father.
            Prince Henry shook his head sadly.
            “I hate seeing you unhappy. But once, you told me that you just wanted love. You have that now, can’t you just embrace it?”
            Regina stopped pacing and sighed heavily. She shook her head, pain and anger crossing her pretty face.
            “Because I’m tired of not getting a say in my own life. I can’t just love him because he loves me.”
            “But he’s a good man, genuine. He’d protect you from anything-and anyone.” They both knew Leopold wouldn’t have done that. “Regina,” he got up and moved to stand in front of her. He reached for her hand, bringing it up to his lips lightly. “I know you just want to be happy. You can be happy here. It will just take some time on your part.
            “That was your same argument on Leopold.” Regina set her jaw, a look of frustration settled into her eyes as her lips pressed into a tight line. She yanked her hand from her father’s and spun away.
            She stormed out of the room, passed Charming who gave her a confused look when he met her in the hallway. On the staircase, she paused and looked back at both men.
            “Stay away from me-both of you.” With that, she disappeared up the staircase.
            Charming looked at Prince Henry. The older prince held out his hands and shook his head apologetically.
            “I’m sorry.” He left the doorway where he’d been standing to join Charming in the hallway.
            “We knew honesty would have negative results.” Charming sighed, watching where she’d disappeared upstairs.
            “David,” Prince Henry looked over at him, “perhaps it’s best to give this up-at least for a little while. I’ll take her back to my estate. You can visit, maybe build a new relationship with her there and things will work better.”
            Charming, however, shook his head.
            “I can’t do that.”
            “David,” Prince Henry sighed, “this isn’t working. If you keep her here, she’s going to turn more violently against you. You’ll never get what you want from her.”
            “That may be true,” Charming agreed, “but I won’t get it letting her go either. If I let her go, then she got exactly what she wanted. She wins. Right now, I’ve at least impressed her by pulling off this plan. If I let her go, I’m back to being the gullible Prince Charming. If she wins that battle over me, who knows what she’ll decide she can win. And if that blocker comes out, we are right back to where we started.”
            “You could approach the Dark One again, or one of the fairies, see if there’s something they can do to permanently stop her magic.”
            “If there was, I’m sure they would have done it by now.” Charming leaned against the wall at the foot of the stairs. “Look, Regina has to understand she doesn’t just get her way because she threw a fit. I have to make sure that I have exhausted all of my options before I give up on her-and that I perhaps have a better relationship with her than I currently do. She at least has to like me before I can just let her go off.”
            “Well, you’re not winning her with jewelry.” Prince Henry advised. At Charming’s confused look, he added: “Leopold did the same when he was gone for a long time.”
            “Ah.” The look of realization hit Charming’s face. “I didn’t consider that.”
            “Leopold did more damage to her than either of us realizes.” It was hard to acknowledge for both of them. Prince Henry hated the idea that he had put his daughter into such a position, Charming hated the idea another man had so tarnished the woman he adored.
            “I can get through to her.” Charming told him. “I know I can.”
            “I’m beginning to believe Regina,” Prince Henry chuckled. “I haven’t decided if you’re arrogant or really that optimistic.”
            “A bit of both never hurt anyone.” Charming smiled at him. “Trust me on this one, we will be together.”
***Scene****

                                                Prince Henry didn’t stay much longer. After he’d left, Charming went to the parlor. There, he poured himself a glass of whiskey and collapsed into a chair to drink it. He’d taken only a few sips when there was a knock on the door. It opened before he could call out.
            “Your Majesty,” the butler appeared in the doorway, “you’d best see to the…Queen.”
            “What’s wrong?” Charming let his head come to rest on the back of his chair, sighing heavily.
            “She’s…well….”
            “Well what?!” Charming exclaimed, turning to look at the man.
            “She…attempted to remove the blocker.”
            Charming slammed his glass down on the table. He pushed himself up from his chair and stormed out of the room to the staircase.
            He’d about had it with his Queen.
****Scene****

            Charming threw open the door to the bedroom. Regina turned to face him, her eyes daring him to fight her on this. Sure enough, the left sleeve of her gown was folded back, and there was blood on the skin.
            “When, praytell, did you take a knife?” Charming asked. The captain of the guards had handed it over to him in the hallway. “And do you really think I don’t have someone watching you?”
            Regina said nothing, she just turned away from him. Sighing, Charming crossed the room and spun her to face him by her upper arm.
            “Let go of me!” Regina pulled back angrily. “I don’t want your help. I don’t want anything from you.”
            “Would you just let me look?!” Charming snapped. He was still stronger than her, and he could still overpower her. He turned her arm over.
            There was a cut beneath the blocker, nearer to her wrist. It wasn’t deep, and Charming could still see the faint indent of the blocker under her skin. The bleeding had stopped, but the blood had still dried on her arm.
            “Does it hurt?” No response. “God damn it, Regina.” Charming shook his head as he stepped back from her. “I have no idea what to do with you.”
            “I’ve got a few suggestions.” Regina looked down at the blood on her skin. “Or are you still convinced you can force me to love you by holding me here?”
            “You want to go?” Charming shrugged, motioning towards the door, “go. Go and see how far you get with the villagers still out for your head. It’s your choice.”
            “Take the blocker out and I can do anything.”
            “Ok,” Charming nodded. “And what are you going to fight for now? Snow White is out of the kingdom. And what are you going to fight with? Your guards are in prison.”
            “I didn’t say I was going to fight.”
            “Oh. Ok. So then what are you going to do with yourself?”
            “I’ll-.” He’d thrown her off guard. The expression on her face showed that. She was fighting for a response and clearly didn’t have one.
            “That’s what I thought.” Charming sighed. “Then perhaps you’d rather stay here, where you’ll at least have access to staff ready to wait on you, food, all of your belongings and a variety of other necessities. Or are you insistent on making yourself miserable?”
            “I’m not making myself miserable!”
            “You aren’t?”
            “My father will be glad to have me.”
            “I’m sure he’ll be thrilled. So you’re going to go sit at his estate and keep an eye on him? How devoted. What else will you do?”
            Regina was silent. Her lips folded into a frown.
            “That’s what I thought.” Charming nodded. “You don’t know what you’ll do with yourself now that you don’t have Snow White to obsess over. You’ve lost sight of how to do anything that will make you happy.”
            “That’s not true.”
            “Are you going to go out and seek love again? Find someone else who will love you with your reputation? Without question? Someone who isn’t afraid of you?”
            “So I’m supposed to love you because no one else will want me?” Regina stepped further back from him. “You endear yourself to me more and more every day, Charming.”
            “I’m stating the obvious, Regina. People are afraid of you, and they hate you. Leaving here, even to go back to your father’s, isn’t going to perfect your life.”
            “Fine.” Regina snapped. “Fine. No, I don’t expect to find love again-because the love of my life is dead. And there will not be another.”
            “You mean Daniel?” He almost enjoyed the look of shock on her face. “Did you really think your father didn’t tell me about him?”
            “You know nothing about that.”
            “I know enough.” Charming got up, moving closer to her. “He was your family’s stable boy, and you loved him. You two were engaged, you wanted to run off together, and your mother killed him. He’s buried on your father’s estate.”
            “You have no right to-.”
            “I know about losing people you love.” Charming murmured, reaching out for her hand. “I’ve lost before. And if something happened to you, I would kill the party responsible for it.” That took the anger off of her face for a moment. Charming squeezed her hand gently before releasing it and stepping away from her. “Get that cut cleaned up before it gets infected, or starts bleeding again. And if you think I’m going to give you a second chance to hurt yourself, you’ve got another thought coming.”

            ****Scene***
                                    They spent the next four days moving around the castle while ignoring each other. The only times they were actually in the same room was for meals-Charming was leaving nothing to chance now with Regina’s attempt at removing the blocker.
            He had not told Prince Henry, but he had an idea. If nothing else, Regina needed to see how things really were in the villages. It needed to be done carefully, under secure guard. He was taking her with him. They would only go to the smaller, quieter villages.
            It was while he was putting together all the pieces of this plan that fate intervened. He was alone in his library when one of the maid’s came in.
            “Your Majesty, you have visitors.”
            “Oh?” Charming looked up.
            “One of them is…the Blue Fairy.”
            Charming’s face showed his displeasure. Blue had been one of the most adamant that Regina should be executed. He was not keen on having her in the same castle as his queen.
            “Send her in.” He nodded, frowning.
            A moment later, the blue ball of light was buzzing around him. It was followed by several of his guards.
            “Your Majesty.” Blue smiled as she bowed.
            “Blue.” Charming leaned back in his chair. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
            “I need to speak to you about….” She sighed. “Some things that are going on in the villages.”
            “Do tell.” Charming folded his hands.
            “There is….a good bit of hostility towards the queen in the villages. It’s leading to uprisings. Something has to be done to calm them down.”
            “To begin with, the Queen’s execution is off the table.” Charming stared at her. “We had an agreement.”
            He saw the look of disappointment on her face. He knew he wasn’t supposed to, but it had shown just the same. His anger rose. Granted, things were not great with Regina right now….but he was not about to kill her. Not after they’d made it this far, and after the promises he’d made.
            “Of course not,” she quickly recovered. “How…is the Queen?”
            “She’s fine.” Charming nodded. “I have to say, I’m not sure how comfortable I am with you here. In my home. So close to her.”
            “I mean your queen no harm.” Blue held up tiny hands in defense. “Light magic doesn’t do that-that’s dark magic’s place. Something your Queen is incredibly familiar with.”
            “What do you want?” Charming asked, annoyed.
            “I want you to go to the villages and calm the villagers down. I want to you to advise them that everything is all right.”
            “The Queen is powerless.”
            “They don’t know that. You need to go and tell them, explain to them that she’s no longer a threat.” Blue fluttered around him too much like a bug for his liking. He didn’t like disliking a fairy so much.
            “All right.” Charming gave in partially because he wanted her to leave, and partially because he knew she was right. He was the king, and he needed to calm things down. It had been his decision to save Regina, and if he was going to hold this title, he needed to be the one to reassure them the Queen would not rise to power as she had before.
            “I’ll go tomorrow,” he promised the fairy. “I’ll talk to my guards tonight to map out the worst. I’ll go to them.”
            “I’d give the Queen extra protection if I were you, Charming.”
            “Understood.” Charming stood up. “But she’s perfectly safe here as long as she doesn’t leave the castle.”
            “Good.” Blue smiled. “Perhaps on my next visit…she’ll be up to company.”
            “Stranger things have happened.” He was mentally reminding himself that he himself had not actually spoken words to Regina in four days. It couldn’t last forever.
            “I hope it continues to go well for you, your Majesty.” Blue smiled. “You deserve it.”
            He got the feeling she wanted to add more, but she didn’t. Charming simply smiled his thanks.
            “I’ll walk you out. Thank you for making me aware of the situation.”
            “You’re incredibly welcome.” The fairy flew beside him as they walked to the main hallway. “Well, your Majesty, I will see you….”
            Her words broke off. Charming turned to follow her gaze and saw Regina posed at the top of the stairs. Her glare was set into the fairy, and for the moment Charming was just happy she was displeased with someone else.
            “I will see you soon.” Charming turned back to Blue.
            “Yes. Goodbye, your Majesty.” She flew quickly out of the door. Charming smiled, and then turned to the stairs.
            “How does it feel to know that you can terrify a being like that?”
            “I rather enjoy it, honestly.” Regina smirked, strolling down the stairs. “I thought I’d lost my touch, but no, I’m still terrifying insects.”
            “Fairies.”
            “Same thing.” Regina folded her arms across her chest, glaring at the door the fairy had flown through. “What was she doing here, anyway?”
            “She came to inform me the villagers are less than thrilled with the fact that you still live.” He smiled, watching as her angry glare turned back on him. “Oh what? I didn’t make them hate you.”
            “No, you’re darling Snow White did.” Regina snapped. “And her equally appaling father.”
            “I’m not in the mood to have this argument with you.” Charming sighed, turning away from her. “Although I will say, I wasn’t pleased she stopped by…but now I’m rather glad she did.”
            “Why is that?” Regina gave him a look he was so familiar with that he almost enjoyed, even though she was clearly calling him an idiot without saying the word.
            “Because you haven’t spoken to me in four days-and now you’re talking to me.”
            “You know what, Charming? You are the most arrogant-.”
            “Regina,” Charming started walking down the hallway, “I do have other things to do tonight. Save it.”

***Scene***
                                    He had gathered six of his best soldiers, including the captain. A quick conversation indicated to him that his soldiers knew about the uprisings.
            “And no one mentioned this to me?” He looked around the room.
            “With all do respect, your Majesty,” the Captain of the Guard appeared a bit ashamed, “we thought you had more important things to deal with. It is, in honesty, why you have soldiers. Our job is to handle these uprisings.”
            “But apparently you didn’t.” Charming sighed. “So now I have to go out.”
            “I am sorry, your Majesty.” The Captain lowered his head. “I’ll go with you.”
            “No,” Charming shook his head as he paced around the edge of the library table, “you’ll stay here. I need someone I can trust here with the Queen.”
            “Of course, Sire.”
            “The rest of you are coming with me. We leave first thing in the morning.”
            The soldiers nodded. Charming wondered just how bad this was going to be. Maybe he wasn’t cut out to be king. At all. There were days that returning to being a shepherd sounded like the best idea he could imagine.
            ****Scene***
                                    Surprisingly enough, things did not go terribly in the villages. Charming found quickly that the villagers had more respect for him as king than he had realized-it was Regina they truly hated.
            “You must trust me.” He had pulled his horse onto a hillside so everyone in the crowd could see him. “Have things not been better for you since the Queen’s imprisonment?”
            The villagers murmured. He saw some nods, heard a much calmer tone amongst them.
            “The Queen is powerless.” He assured them. “She remains in my castle, without magic. I promise you: she will never hurt anyone again. If you trust in me, you will see it. The Evil Queen is gone. The woman who remains is just as ordinary as you or I.”
            The looks on their faces indicated that some of the unease was gone. Charming smiled.
            “Keep up your farms and your trades. Continue preparing for winter. Send riders to the castle if you need assistance, and we will do our best for you. I care more for the safety and prosperity of my people than I do myself. Trust in me, and I will not fail you.”
            Maybe he was better than he thought, maybe he doubted himself to easily, but when the villagers cheered him, he realized he actually felt good, momentarily enjoyed being king.
            “Your Majesty, if I may?” The soldier on his right asked as they rode on.
            “I’m listening.” Charming glanced over at him.
            “There was no way we could have resolved this. The villagers want you, they respect you. They will listen to you. If we tell the Queen is no threat, they get more alarmed because the Queen’s methods were to send her guards. If you come, it shows how unlike her that you are.”
            Charming hadn’t thought of it quite like that, and it made him smile.
            “Perhaps I’m better at this than I thought.” The soldier chuckled.
            “I’m inclined to agree, your Majesty.”
***Scene******

                                                It was moments like this, when things were going their best, that they always seemed to take a turn for the worst.
            When Charming rode up to the castle, the Captain of the Guards came running from the castle.
            “Your Majesty!”
            “What is it?” Charming landed on the ground in one motion. He didn’t have to ask if it was about Regina.
            “The Queen-.” He gasped. “She-.”
            “She what?!” Charming pressed.
            “She was attacked.”
            Charming felt his legs go weak in fear. After everything had gone so well, had he come home to find the one thing that mattered most gone?
            “She’s fine!” The Captain held up one hand in reassurance. “She wasn’t hurt. I stopped him in time.”
            “Who?”
            “Marius Alexander.” Charming frowned. The soldier named was from an area that had been regularly attacked by Regina’s Black Knights. It didn’t much surprise him that the man had held a grudge against the Queen.
            But now he realized he had something worse on his hands-the danger had penetrated his own castle.
            “I’m going to see her.” Charming started for the castle. “Tonight, the Queen goes nowhere alone. I want only the best with her-and outside her bedroom all night. Chose well.”
            “What are you going to do, your Majesty?”
            “Tomorrow,” Charming called over his shoulder, “she goes to her father’s estate for the time being.”

***Scene****

                                                In her bedroom, Regina was apparently trying to keep herself angry, but her pale complexion, and the fact that her hands kept shaking gave her away.
            “Are you hurt?” Charming rushed across the room to her, taking her hands in his. She was still so shaken, she didn’t even argue with him. Instead, she simply shook her head no.
            “I’m all right.” She nodded, taking a step away from him. “So much for your theory on safety.”
            “I’m sorry.” Charming reached for her hands again. “Regina, I never thought-.”
            “You clearly didn’t think this out entirely.” She pulled further away from him. “After all of your talk, someone still tries to slit my throat.”
            “Tell me what happened.” Charming had heard a brief tale as he made his way to her room, but he wanted it first hand from her.
            The incident had apparently shaken Regina more than she was prepared to admit. She wrapped her arms around herself, turning from him.
            “I was here, alone. He…let himself into the room. I wasn’t surprised, I know the guards come in. But he grabbed me from behind, and…he put a knife against my throat. He would have killed me….if your Captain of the Guards hadn’t come in at that moment.”
            Charming let out a slow breath.
            “I left the Captain specifically in charge of you. We both owe him a great deal.”
            “I assume you’ve taken care of the other?” Regina glanced over her shoulder at him, raising an eyebrow.
            “He’ll be executed on grounds of attempted murder of the Queen.” Regina smirked at his words.
            “I didn’t think you had execution in you, Charming.”
            “Trust me,” Charming crossed to her, moving directly in front of her, “I will kill anyone who tries to hurt you.” Regina rolled her eyes.
            “Especially now that we’ve proven I’m not safe here as you so often claim.”
            “I’ve thought of that.” Charming sighed. “Tomorrow, I’m taking you to your father’s estate until I can sort through my staff and make sure this place is safe again.”
            “Like I’ll return here with you.” Regina looked entirely too thrilled with these results.
            “You are the only person I have ever known who can turn someone attempting to killing them into a victory.”
            “I never dreamed it would be so easy to use someone’s anger against me to get what I wanted in the end.” Regina smiled, and it was an arrogant smile he’d seen on her. Charming had to remind himself she could have been murdered only a few hours earlier. Otherwise, he might have strangled her.
            “We’ll discuss your return later. We’re not quite ready for that part yet.” Charming advised. “Pack your things tonight. I have my best guards-picked by the Captain-watching you tonight. You’ll be safe.”
            Regina no longer looked thrilled. She suddenly looked frightened again.
            “I’m not sure of that.”
            “Guess you’ll have to trust me.” Charming gave her a serious look. Regina frowned.
            “I haven’t trusted you yet.”
            “Oh, that’s not quite true.” Charming almost laughed as he reached up and laid one hand on her cheek. “Women don’t let men they don’t trust tie them up during sex. You trust me to some extent, Regina. We both know that. But I don’t blame you for being frightened.”
            She quickly turned her head away, staring back out at the early evening sunlight. Charming wished for nothing more that she would reach out for him, let him comfort her. But she was content to stew in her own anger and fear. Her own stubbornness would be her undoing. That was one thing of which Charming was certain.
**Scene***
                                                The next morning, Regina didn’t look as though she’d slept well. Charming also knew that the fact that he was waking her up earlier than normal wasn’t helping anything.
            “I’ll feel better with you at your father’s,” he told her as the carriage started off across the countryside. “I’ll leave a few of my guards there. But hopefully, no one will know that you’re there.”
            Regina was staring out the window, her long dark blue gown lying smoothly around her. Her fingers were clasped together in her lap. While she still held herself with her normal confidence, there was something about her that seemed uneasy.
            “Regina?” Charming asked gently. “Are you all right?”
            “Yes, of course.” She frowned out the window. “I was just thinking…it’s frightening when someone can get that close to you…so easily.”
            “I should have given you better security.” Charming meant it. He’d been up thinking about it most of the night. It was his stupidity that had got them into this mess. He had sworn to protect her, and to keep her safe, and because of his staff, he was taking her away from him.
            Would he be able to get her back? Could he win her over when she wasn’t in his castle? In all honesty, he didn’t know.
            They rode in silence for a while. The carriage was surrounded by his guards. Charming wasn’t afraid on this trip. Across from him, Regina dozed, apparently not frightened by the trip either.
            Charming himself had lulled nearly to sleep by the carriage wheels when a shout brought him to attention. The shout was immediately followed by the sound of a commotion outside. His hand went to the sword at his belt. Across from him, Regina jolted awake.
            “What’s wrong?”
            “I don’t know.” He realized that the carriage had stopped. “Stay here.” Charming reached for the carriage door.
            It was then that he heard a thump from outside the carriage that sounded too much like an arrow hitting. Suddenly a face appeared at the window.
            “Your Majesty!” The Captain called in. “Attack! Stay inside!” Charming pulled his hand away from the door. Regina met his eyes across the carriage. He saw fear in them.
            “It’s all right.” He reached for her hand, squeezing it. “It’s why we have guards.”
            An arrow hit the outside edge of the window. Regina gasped, her eyes flying towards place where the arrow now pierced.
            Shouts echoed from outside the carriage. Charming was certain he heard the phrase “…the Queen!” from outside. He didn’t need to see what was happening. Another scream from outside. This one of pain. Which side, he wasn’t sure. Actually, how many were attacking, he wasn’t sure.
            “Your Majesty!” A voice called from outside. The noise was too near them, too close to the carriage. Charming didn’t waste time trying to find out what was going on. He simply did the only thing he could think of. He threw himself across the carriage onto Regina.
            “I’ve got you.” He murmured, wrapping his arms around her. His left arm wrapped around her head, his hand cupping it. His right arm held her upper body to him. “Nothing’s going to-Ah!”
            Something had penetrated his arm. He was almost certain it was an arrow. He’d felt it slice through the flesh but he wasn’t about to move to find out for sure.
            Regina’s chest rose and feel rapidly beneath him. Angry voices came from outside. The guards apparently had everything under control now. The door was easing open.
            “Your Majesties?” The Captain was leaning in. “Anyone-?”
            “Yes.” Charming pulled back. There was an arrow in the muscle of his left arm. But neither he nor Regina had to say it. If his arm hadn’t been there, it would have been her head. Regina looked at him, trembling.
            “Your Majesty, you’re hurt.” The Captain reached in. “Let me-.”
            “No.” Charming took hold of the arrow, braced himself and pulled. The arrow hurt just as much coming out as it did going in. Now that it was out, Charming shrugged off the blue cloak he was wearing. He turned his arm, examining the wound.
            “Let me-.” Regina murmured. He was already ripping the fabric to expose the gash.
            “It’s all right.” He looked from her to the Captain. “It’s only a flesh wound. It will heal. Who was it?”
            “Locals, we believe. They must have heard from someone at the castle. No one could have been close enough to know otherwise.”
            “An inside source.” Charming held the fabric of his cloak against his arm. Blood was already soaking through. “I’ll need stitches when we get to the estate. But I’m all right.”
            “You’re sure?” The Captain asked. Charming nodded.
            “Send a rider ahead to alert the Prince. Tell him the Queen isn’t hurt.” He looked at Regina. She nodded, dark eyes wide in her pale face.
            “You’re certain, your Majesty?” This time the Captain turned his question directly to her, looking her over closely.
            “I’m certain.” Regina swallowed hard. “I’m fine. Let’s just…get out of here. Please?” Charming gave the Caption a quick look and motioned away.
            “As the Queen wishes.” The Captain stepped back, closing the door behind him. They heard the voices from outside before the carriage started again.
            “We have to get to safety. Then we’ll sort this out.” He assured her.
            “I’m not arguing.” Regina stared at him. “Charming-.”
            “Regina, I mean it. It’s just a flesh wound. We’ll clean it, stitch it, I’ll be fine.”
            “No,” Regina shook her head. She seemed to be in shock. Perhaps it was too much in such a short amount of time. “If you hadn’t….”
            “Let’s not think about that, shall we?” Charming arched a brow in her direction.
            They were silent for the remainder of the trip.   Charming kept mentally checking himself. He felt a bit out of sorts, but that was probably just adrenaline from the attack and from being injured. His arm surprisingly didn’t hurt that much. The bleeding was slowing, which was good. He carefully pulled the cloak fabric off and dabbed lightly with just an edge. They’d been lucky.
***Scene****

                                    When they reached the estate, the Captain lifted Regina out carefully.
            “Father!” She fell into his arms.
            “Oh Regina.” The Prince held her tightly. “What on earth happened?”
            “We were attacked, by who I’m not entirely sure.” Charming stepped out carefully.
            “What happened to your arm?” Prince Henry eased Regina to the side so he could get a better look at Charming.
            “That would have been an arrow meant for your daughter’s head.” Charming sighed. “We were lucky.”
            “Apparently so.” Prince Henry kept one arm on Regina as he stepped towards the door. “Come inside, I’ll have one of the servants look at your arm.”

***Scene****

                                                            “Regina isn’t safe anymore at my estate.” Charming’s arm had been stitched and bandaged. It still ached a bit, but he could ignore that. “She had to stay here-at least until I can sort out my staff.”
            “I don’t think you should go back either.” Prince Henry leaned back in his chair, carefully balancing his coffee cup on the arm. “You’re not safe either.”
            “How so?” Charming hadn’t thought of his own safety. He’d assumed he would be so well liked, no one would hurt him.
            “Well, if you want to kill the Queen, you kill the source of her protection. Without you to protect her, she’s fair game to anyone.”
            He hadn’t thought of that at all. But the Prince was right.
            “Killing you is easier to get Snow White back into the kingdom, and to get her on the throne.”
            “Not that I care who holds the throne,” Charming muttered, “but I’d prefer neither Regina nor I end up dead over it.” He sighed and got to his feet, beginning to pace the room. “What do you suggest?”
            “Stay here, until you can fully investigate your staff. You need to know everything about everyone. Then you might be safe to return.”
            “The soldiers I left earlier are bringing the men they captured back to my estate.” Charming leaned against the wall. “They’ll be questioned there, and we can find out who the insider was that told them we were leaving. We’ll get this straightened out.”

****Scene****

                                                Outside the kitchen, the cook and a young red haired maid watched as a stable hand approached.
            “Queen’s like a damn cat, she has nine lives.” The stable hand stated as he joined them. The cook snorted his approval.
            “Shame the King had to get hurt. Can’t even say it was worth it, since the bitch still lives.”
            “Well, I might have something to help that.” The stable hand reached into his pocket. From it, he withdrew a tiny glass vile, only about an inch long. It contained a clear liquid. “Put a couple of drops of this into her dinner tonight. That should cut out a few lives.”
            The cook took the vile, held it up to the light.
            “What is it?”
            “A quick acting poison. You give her enough, she’ll be dead before she hits the floor.” The cook smiled.
            “Wade give this to you?”
            “Sent it with a rider from the castle. They weren’t expecting the King to bring her off so quickly. Has to be done here.”
            “Well I’ve got no problem with.” The cook slipped the vile into the pocket of his apron.
            “Are you sure…?” The maid looked nervously between the two men. “The King said that the Queen is harmless….and she hasn’t done anything. And Prince Henry wouldn’t-.”
            “Hasn’t done anything?” The stable hand turned to her. “Have you forgotten the Queen’s reign? Have you forgotten what she did to this countryside?”
            “No, but since she was apprehended….”
            “Prince Henry’s blind to his only child.” The cook grumbled. “And the King’s obviously under some spell. Once the Queen’s dead, the spell will break and he’ll seek out Snow White again. Then Snow White will be our queen.” He turned to face the maid directly.
            “You just make sure you give her the bowl I tell you. We don’t want to accidently kill the King, or Prince Henry.”

****Scene****
                        Regina was silent as the three settled into dinner at the dining room. Charming wasn’t feeling much like conversation either. Prince Henry simply glanced between the two of them.
            “Did you tell her?” He leaned back the maid placed a bowl on the table before him.
            “Not yet.”
            “Tell me what?” Regina looked suspiciously at Charming.
            “I’m going to stay here as well.” Charming told her. “It isn’t safe for me to go back either.”
            Regina glanced up at the maid who put her soup down in front of her. The girl did it quickly, immediately turning away and hurrying out of the room.
            “It’s…probably for the best.” She picked up her spoon, idly stirring it through liquid in the bowl.
            “I agree.” Prince Henry looked at his daughter. “We can’t take any risks. Not with either of your safety.”
            Regina nodded, not responding as she brought a spoonful of soup to her lips, taking a small taste before slipping it between her lips.
            “I take it the risks weren’t on your radar when you formed this plan.” Regina ate another spoonful of soup.
            “Well, not exactly….” Charming had to admit she was right about that. He’d assumed that he, at least, was perfectly safe. Regina shook her head, putting her spoon back into her soup.
            Suddenly, a strange look crossed her face. Her hand raised to her throat, touching it gently before the look on her face changed from confusion to fear.
            “Regina?” Charming pushed his chair back, his eyes burning into her. Sudden fear crept through him. Something was wrong. Badly wrong.
            Regina opened her mouth, but no sound came out. One hand gripped her throat while the other held onto the table. She made a strange, choking sound; her eyes squeezed shut and she suddenly slid from the chair. She fell to the floor on her back, the hand holding her throat landed beside her head as the other fell across her stomach.
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Capture and Release