It's quiet. Much too quiet Mulan thinks. She looks over to the archers on the left of her who've somewhat moved back into formation.

"Is it over?" Robin asks as he too looks on confused.

"Why are they just standing around?" Mulan wonders.

She notices it first. Beyond where Queen Emma and the others are standing looking down at their dead enemies.

Movement. Banners. Crests. She realizes she had seen the same banners and crests when she had been sent to protect Zelena.

She hadn't recognized it then and even now she still doesn't know whose army approaches her queen who's trapped on a battlefield filled with death.

Emma steps back from the decoy "king" who's body lays fallen before her.

She feels it along with the others around her. There's no mistaking what it is. The feel of a massive amount of hooves hitting the earth.

KAhead of her she sees a banner she doesn't recognize.

"Get in line!" She screams to her men.

She quickly finds Rocinante amongst the carnage and saddles him.

Confusion is abound. No one on Emma's side knows which kingdom the approaching army belongs too but they manage to fall into a defensive tactical formation.

"Keep the line tight!" She screams as they wait for the hoard.

The riders come to a sudden halt.

Emma still doesn't recognize their banners.

"Name yourself and state your intent on these sovereign lands!" Emma commands.

The King at the front keeps eye contact with Emma for a long moment.

Everyone is on edge before he answers.

"I...am King Arthur of of Camelot and I am here for what is rightfully mine."

"And what might that be?"

"My sword. Excalibur."

—/—

"How dare you set foot in my kingdom Leopold?! My husband will have your head." Cora say angrily.

"Oh he's your husband now? Hmm didn't seem to bother you when I was "all you could think about"." Leopold smirks. "Your words my Queen."

"I have many regrets and warming your bed is certainly at the top of that list." Cora grinds out.

The brunette steps back. She knows that even with their combined powers, in her still weakened state she can't fight Leopold and the men he's brought with him.

"How did you even get in here?" Regina asks out of turn hoping that the man only managed to gain entrance to the castle through the gardens that admittedly is guarded but not as much as the main gates, and not by killing her wife. She chances a look at the small shining crystal at the end of her necklace. It's still going though not as brightly as Regina would hope for.

"Ah do you think me a fool? If my son was somehow was able to get close to you to strike a deal then I knew there would be a way in. The men with him were easily "talked into" sharing exactly how my dearly departed was able to do so."

Regina gasps in horror as her fears of Daniel's demise is finally confirmed.

"How could you? He was your only heir." Regina cries.

"Yes, He was and it seems because of that hasty mistake on my part that I have found myself in quite a predicament, haven't I?" Leopold says slyly as he steps towards Regina. "You know, I think of all the times my Huntsman failed to kill you and now I can see why. It was fate that he didn't. Our destiny is one. You and I will rule this entire realm together."

"My destiny is Emma and no one else." Regina says angrily as she realizes his intent for her.

"Leave her alone!" Zelena screams at Leopold as he steps towards Regina clarifying his intent. Her magic crackling at her fingertips.

"Ah...you...now you are quite the beauty. If things do not work between Regina and I it would be nice to have a back up plan."

"You will not touch my daughters!" Cora says angrily.

Regina stills completely. She had heard her mother correctly. Right? She turns to look at Zelena then back at her mother then back to her...sister.

Cora looks pointedly at Regina. She had not meant for Zelena's introduction to her sister to be like this. She sees the conflict in Regina's eyes and immediately regrets her words.

There's so much Regina is feeling right now but mostly she now understands why she feels at ease with Zelena.

"Is it true mother? She is my kin? My..sister?" Regina asks shakily. Tears prickling her eyes as Cora's grip on her hand tightens.

"Yes." Cora answers quickly.

"And you kept her from me?"

"I...did...she was not born of your father's lineage. I had to let her go. Henry would never have married me. Please Regina, I promise I will explain but for now take your sister and go!" Cora explains quickly.

"While I am happy for this long overdue family reunion, I would not do that if I were you." Leo sneers.

"Mother..I...we are not leaving you." Zelena says softly.

Regina looks on at her sister. She's still in shock but she pushes past that because they are having an even bigger problem to deal with.

"Oh Cora I do not want both of them. I am not a greedy man. I will take Regina and my men can share the fiery one."

While her mother continues to argue with Leopold, Regina counts in her head how many men exactly stand in their way of freedom.

"Nine that she can see besides Leopold. I'm sure we can take them." She whispers to Zelena.

She eyes Leopold's sword knowing that with the snap of her fingers she can take it away but she's unsure if she has enough power to do it for all the other soldiers.

"What's that dear?" Leo tilts to the side to address Regina once again.

Regina says nothing as Cora tries again to pull her daughters behind her back.

"Zelena, take Regina and run. I will hold them off. He knows how powerful my magic is." Cora bluffs knowing full well that her magic is drained.

Regina doesn't budge instead she takes her mothers hand along with her sisters. She searches deep within herself. She tries to connect to her mother. To allow her magic and her love to flow as one but it still doesn't come. "Why is this so easy with Emma?" She wonders.

Frustrated and with little time she smiles as reaches to the only other place she hopes is able to bring her magic to life.

A golden mane...the most beautiful smile coupled with her wife's beautiful green eyes. Regina smiles as she reaches her love for the blonde queen effortlessly.

"Emma." She whispers after thinking how silly of her to not do this in the first place.

Her magic flares fueling her mother's magic as she wills it to.

It comes to life swiftly and not a moment too soon to Cora who has more of a grasp of her magical abilities than her daughters.

"No!" Leo screams as he rushes forward.

His efforts are too late.

Cora smiles as she slows his movements before she pushes him and is hoard of men back down the long corridor.

Cora feels her magic surge. She's confident that she can take care of Leopold before he inflicts any harm on the people in their kingdom as she approaches him.

"All of you who've followed this man blindly in this attack can leave now without consequences. However...if you stay you will suffer his same fate and possibly even worse than what I am about to do to him." She bluffs.

Some of the men who've gotten to their feet, back up but the do not readily leave.

Cora steps forward as Leo gets to his knees.

She rips his weapons away from him in one swift move. His swords and knives are quickly snatched up by Regina and Zelena.

"I will say this one last time." Cora sneers as an invisible force lifts Leopold slowly from his knees. Her left hand forms a C as she chokes the air out of the ragged king. "Leave...or.." She stops as she feels a bump on her left forearm. She looks across at Leopold who's somehow managed to swing his arm upright.

"You are quite the woman Cora. That's what I loved about you. The only thing is you have no foresight." He rasps out.

The brunette attempts to push Leopold back down on his knee but all she feels is her magic reverberate within herself.

"What...what have you done?" She asks as she stumbles back scratching at the leather cuff that she's unable to remove from her person.

"I had meant for this to be used on Regina until the source of her magic could be determined but I guess I'll have to take care of you first." He hisses into her right ear as he snatches her up. "It can only be removed by the person who's put it on you."

Cora tries to fight her way out of Leopold's hold while pulling at the leather band around her wrist.

It still doesn't budge.

"Girls, Run!" She cries.

"If you do she dies!" Leo threatens as the young women contemplate their next move.

Trapped and with very little choice, they stay put knowing full well their hope of rescue is now slim to none.

Only Regina remains calm as she chances a look down at her chest. The magical little crystal athe the end of the necklace that Merlin had made her and Emma is still glowing brightly. Her love is still out there and she knows that as long as Emma lives they have a chance.

The brunette closes her eyes and concentrates on her love. "Emma, I need you." She whispers as Leopold menacingly steps towards her.

—/—

"Regina." Emma whispers softly as she comes to on the battlefield. She's surrounded by bodies as the screaming continues around her.

Despite being trapped and somewhat outnumbered they had managed to keep most of Arthur's army at bay.

"I'm sure she's fine my Queen." Mulan who had made it onto the battlefield says as they both look back to the kingdom still standing despite the attacks throughout the day.

"No she's not. I can feel her magic reaching out to me." Emma says as she begins to make her way back to the gates.

Mulan briefly wonders how Emma can feel Regina's magic. Could it be because of Excalibur or does she possess her own?

This is a discussion for another time she concedes.

"My Queen! I will see to her please do not abandon the army."

"Leopold is in there!" Emma finally screams. "If he captures Regina he will have me at his mercy."

"My Queen, Leopold lays dead on the battlefield." Mulan replies, confused at her Queens statement.

"No he isn't. That was a decoy. He's in there, with her. We need to get back to the castle."

"Mulan! Go! We have got this." David screams over the noisy wails of the injured close by.

Emma looks toward her father and nods before she sets her eyes on Henry.

David quickly understands his daughters almost pointed stare.

"I'll look after him. Now go!"

"Father you must make the sound to retreat. Find as much men as you can and get to the wall until we can form another plan of attack."

David nods in agreement as he watches his daughter charge back into the castle. He knows that look on her face and that desperation to protect Regina.

"True love." He knows it because he has seen and felt it with Snow.

"My Queen! Lead the way." Mulan says as she sobers to the situation.

The blonde warrior heads back into River Run. Regina's magic beckoning her. She can almost feel her lovers desperation.

"Which way?"

"Down. Cora's grotto. The catacombs beneath. He has them. He...has her." Emma manages to say.

"What are you looking at?" Mulan asks out of turn.

"Merlin made it. Regina has the other one." Emma says as she gestures to the glowing necklace hidden behind her breastplate.

"As long as it glows, she lives."

—/—

Snow White lays back just out of view.

She's patiently waits for an opening as Cora and Leopold argue and attack one another. She almost gives her position away when she gasps at the older mans statements towards her daughter-in-law.

She'll be damned if she lets anything more happen to her family.

Looking over she signals to the other brave women who had followed her back up from the catacombs.

"Majesty, we can surround them and attack from all sides."

The women stealthily make their plans as they count how many weapons they have versus Leopold.

Snow nods as they separate and wait for their opening.

—/—

Emma rushes into the hallway where she hears numerous voices shouting and screaming.

It's a full on melee. She tries to decipher who is who as she begins her attack with Mulan at her side.

Together they easily cut down the remaining enemies.

"Cora!" Emma says more loudly than she means too when she finally spots the Regina's mother on the floor, Zelena at her side.

"Emma!" Zelena says as she sees the blonde approaching. "She's been knocked unconscious. She will be awake soon but Majesty, Regina...he took her!"

"I saw them but I couldn't stop him my child. We need to go." Snow says immediately startling Emma out of the shock she's in.

Emma looks down between her breastplate at the bright shining fragile light.

"There's only one way out. Through Regina's garden." Emma realizes.

"Take the prisoners who are still alive to the dungeons." Emma commands before they leave.

"Hold on my love." She thinks as she makes her way to Regina.

Through the hallways they find numerous guards who've been killed or wounded by Leopold's brazen attack.

As she reaches the entrance to the garden from the castle she see even more carnage.

Many of her own. Many of Leopold's lay dead where he had fought to gain entrance.

The dense fog that always seemed to lay across the marshes here is in full effect.

Emma looks down at the jewel to try to find where to head next.

Her heart stops in her chest.

The light had gone out.

—TBC