A/N: I don't own OUAT or Maleficent or any of the characters within. Hi all! This is my Red Queen Week 2017 fan exchange fic for nyczsq on tumblr, who prompted: Ruby and Regina in some historic/fantasy setting, possibly something a bit less well-known than your run of the mill Tolkien-ish fantasy world. After doing some research, and remembering nyczsq from my Malora days, it was obvious what setting I was going to have to choose: the Maleficent 'verse. :D Thanks!

So, this fic was pretty much written in two big chunks, with barely any second guessing from myself as I wrote it. So kind of like an experiment. Hope you enjoy what came from it. :}

Anyway, without further ado, onto the crossover!

As she was knocking the mud off of her boots in preparation to slip her still-wet feet back into them, Ruby smiled to herself at the heavy thump of a large bird alighting behind her met her ears. "Good morning," she greeted her regent's Familiar, pushing her hair behind her ear before lacing her boots back together, "Am I late?"

Diaval coughed in the negative, the large raven ruffling his feathers and nipping at something at the base of his wing, hopping back when Ruby rose. Cocking his head, he took to the air when she bent to pick up her red cloak, only waiting for her to fasten it around her shoulders before he was already winging out of the clearing before her.

Smiling at her friend's impatience, Ruby quickened her pace into a fast lope. Even if she wasn't late, it wouldn't do to keep her regent waiting.

When Ruby entered the wide open dell that served as the meeting place for the Moors, Ruby's smile widened when she realized their young queen was in attendance as well. "Rora!" she greeted happily as she neared, inclining her head to Maleficent as well, the dark fairy lounging comfortably on a raised section of rock, Diaval perched on her shoulder, "Is it time for me to come whip your soldiers into shape again?"

"Ruby!" the young queen grinned at her, giving her a quick embrace before stepping back, her face uncommonly sobering. "Unfortunately, no this is…" She sighed, turning to exchange glances with Maleficent.

Maleficent nodded, gracefully drawing herself up, her wings settling around her sides. "Ruby," she met Ruby's eyes, her own dark and glowing, serious, "I am tasking you to take on a quest for our dear queen."

Ruby had been half dead when she'd stumbled upon the border of the Moors, poisoned from an arrowhead of silver buried in her back she hadn't been able to rip out. Her innate healing ability had been over taxing her body, continually trying to heal around the metal, and she'd been fighting the change that threatened, knowing, even as delirious as she was, that shifting with something inside her would do catastrophic damage to her body. So when she'd finally made it to the outskirts of the area that had been luring her closer with a low hum of magic since before she'd even noticed it seeping into her consciousness, she'd fallen, crawled forward, and then collapsed at the base of a large moss-covered rock that hummed warmth at her.

The next thing she was aware of was soft hands on her face, a young blonde kneeled at her side.

Opening her eyes to meet deep, concerned blue eyes long enough to ascertain that they wished her no harm, she'd growled, coughing before scraping out, "Pull… Out. Pull it out."

"But, no, I'm so sorry, I should get you to my physicians. I shouldn't without, without knowing what I'm doing."

Ruby shook her head, hand wrapping weakly around the blonde's wrist, pulling her hand from her face. Looking into the concerned gaze, something repeatedly told her she could trust her – and even if she turned out to be wrong, she was dying already. Her yellow eyes glowed. "Out. Now."

The girl's eyes widened, but then they flickered, determination showing. "Diaval," she called out to her right, Ruby not in a position to see who she was talking to, "Bring Godmother." Then, as a loud caw spiraled into the air, the rustle of wings taking off, the girl, with apologies and tears in her voice, pulled Ruby down, seemingly uncaring when her sweat and dirt-streaked face pressed into the pristine fabric of her dress, supporting her head on her lap. "Oh no," the girl exhaled, soft hands pulling aside the torn sides of Ruby's dress, Ruby moaning as it stuck to the blood oozing out around the shaft of the arrow. "I'm sorry, but, it has…"

Ruby grit her teeth. "What?" Pain seared through her body as the blonde probed at the wound site, murmuring something about knitting together, but she fought to show it. Better not if she wanted to girl to do what she asked.

"…Barbs. It has barbs."

Ruby groaned, a guttural sound. She closed her eyes. "Doesn't… Matter."

"And it's… Silver? Oh. Oh." The girl settled her hand on top of Ruby's shoulders, body tensing. "I'm so sorry," she whispered almost desperately, either in preparation for what she was about to do or for Ruby in general for what had happened, but Ruby didn't have a chance to figure it out before she was screaming, thrashing, barely getting a breather as the blonde readjusted her grip, having to pull back to release a strip of ribbon from her hair, wrapping it around her fist to get friction between blood and traction, before she was screaming again, screaming herself hoarse, the arrowhead dug in so deep, almost sucking at her skin and muscle in a bid to stay entrenched. When it finally gave way, it damn near felt like the blonde ripped away a giant chunk of her back.

Ruby whimpered, limp. "In… Intact?"

"What? Yes. Oh, yes." The blonde dropped the arrow as soon as she could, as if trying to dump the vile object altogether, "Nothing broke off."

"Good." And, barely managing to push away her cloak from where it was attached to her belt, Ruby pressed her forehead into the girl's thigh, breathed out a low, exhausted, "Thank you," and shifted. She was unconscious before she could hear Aurora's loud, shocked exclamation.

And that was how Maleficent alit down to find a giant wolf curled up in Aurora's lap.

Thankfully, all that was left from that encounter was a wicked scar that ached in cold weather and unwavering allegiance to Aurora – as well a permanent home in either the Moors or Aurora's swath of Man's Land.

A home she was now leaving to accompany her queen on a diplomatic trip to a neighboring kingdom.

The woman facing down three armored men was almost… Angered at the intrusion of Queen Aurora's carriage, Ruby having already unslung her longbow, it gripped softly but ready in her grasp. Or at least that's what Ruby could decipher her expression to be, the woman barely sparing them a glance. Ruby didn't blame her. She would rather pay attention to the men with wicked looking swords pointed at her than a carriage with presumably no entourage. Ruby took a step forward, in front of the paused horses. "Need help?" she called to the woman.

Frustration flashed across the woman's face again, but when the man closest to Ruby growled at her to stay out of the way, she seemed to resign herself that she should accept. "If you insist," she drawled dryly, dark eyes flashing to Ruby's.

Nodding, Ruby called back to Aurora, the blonde peeking out of the window at the proceedings, that she'd only be a bit.

"Lady," the man who had growled at her earlier, ostensibly the leader of the group, speaking up as Ruby skirted them to join the woman in front of them, bow strung and arrow cocked, "You have no idea who this woman is. Leave us be and be gone with you."

Ruby shrugged, glancing at her companion. "I don't know. Three armed men accosting an unarmed peasant woman? Doesn't sound like something I'd feel comfortable leaving alone."

The woman seemed to snort at her 'unarmed' comment, but didn't say anything, her mouth quirking up, a scar creasing her upper lip.

The three men glanced at each other, the leader snarling, swaying forward; Ruby narrowed her eyes, bow string creaking.

The man to the left spat. "'Tis not a woman! 'Tis a monster! A witch!"

Growling, her eyes pulsing, Ruby glared at him. "Okay, now you're really getting on my nerves. So. Why don't we get on with this?"

"Ruby!" Aurora called, blue eyes serious as she leaned her head out of the carriage window, "Just leave them tied up, okay? I'll send someone to collect them when we reach the palace."

Ruby nodded. "Of course, Majesty."

Aurora beamed at her, and disappeared from view once again. Oh, she was definitely still watching, but not staying out in the open. Ruby was proud of her.

Quirking her eyebrows, Ruby smiled ferally at the men. "Well?"

Sheathing her knife, and bending down to retrieve her bow from where she'd tossed it after shooting an arrow into one of the men's boots, stopping him in his tracks, Ruby slung it back over her shoulder. From the red that bubbled up from the leather once she retrieved her arrow, she winced, sighing as she dragged the man over to his compatriots. Feeling the woman's gaze on her as she dropped him, Ruby offered her a half-smile. "It's hard to calculate when they're running," she explained.

The woman shrugged, turning away to gather up what looked to be a basket of herbs and forest vegetables that she'd probably dropped when the men had come across her. "He'll still be able to walk, the brute, so I wouldn't waste any more time on someone of no concern." She knelt, brushing a dark lock of hair that had fallen from her braid out of her face.

Ruby looked at the man once more, whatever she was going to respond with dying as she turned at the sound of the carriage door opening. "Queen," she strode up to her, her hand coming up to help Aurora hop down to the dirt of the path, "We're fine."

Aurora smiled at her. "I can see that. Here, I just wanted to give you this," the blonde offered what looked to be like the tassels and rope of the curtains of her carriage to Ruby, "To use as rope." She made a slight expression of distaste, not enjoying the sight of the men toppled on the forest floor. "They won't stay unconscious forever."

"True, Majesty, thank you." And, taking the rope, Ruby loped back to the men, one ear kept out to keep track of Aurora and the other woman, her other tuned to the surroundings in case another group showed up to attack. Making quick work of tying the men's hands together and to a nearby tree, wrinkling her nose at the smell of their leather and sweat, she stood back, wiping her palms off on each other. "There," she turned, nodding at Aurora, "We're not far from the palace, so they shouldn't be in danger before someone can pick them up."

Nodding back, Aurora walked back towards the carriage door, her hand trailing along the side of one of the horses, giggling as it turned to nuzzle at her. "Thank you, Ruby. I've invited Regina to join us for the rest of however long we're heading in her direction."

Ruby grinned, tapping at her ear before helping her queen into her carriage. "I know. I heard."

Situating herself comfortably on the seat, Aurora smiled back at her. "Besides, surely you would have offered the same?"

Ruby cleared her throat. "Of course. Just another couple of hours, Majesty. Maybe you'll be able to finish your book, after all."

"Oh, I do hope so! I've just come to the best part. I already offered my apologies to our new guest that I will not be able to join the two of you outside," Aurora's voice became slightly chiding, "If I am not allowed to be outside, at least I shall be able to enjoy myself."

Chuckling, understanding Aurora's frustration, and secretly agreeing with her, Ruby shut the door. That had been one of the only stipulations that had to be enforced to allow Aurora to only have Ruby as her retainer. Originally, Diaval had offered to join them as well, however a surprise new clutch of eggs laid by his mate had stymied that. Even though he had still been half-heartedly offering to go, Aurora had finally ordered him to stay and connect with his mate just to make it clear he was to stay home.

When Ruby turned to check on the woman – Regina, as she had introduced herself to Aurora – she found her patting and talking quietly to the horses. Smiling, studying the woman, Ruby took her in. Though her dress and cloak were definitely of higher quality than most peasants Ruby had seen before, it was more the way the woman wore them that made Ruby wonder if she truly was a peasant. She was confident and almost cold, definitely attractive, and hadn't screamed or panicked when Ruby had stepped in front of her to confront the men. In fact, Ruby couldn't help but wonder if she truly had needed her help at all. There was something that… Swirled around her, something that sparked at Ruby's wolf. She smelled like magic. Darker than the Moors, but definitely magic.

So the man's statement of witch was probably true. Still, she had done nothing to warrant treating her any different. Ruby would wait and see.

"This is an amazingly well behaved team," Regina spoke up as she approached, a small, almost unconscious smile brightening her face as one of the horses nickered at her; her eyes slid to Ruby slyly, "Especially as they do not have a coachman."

Having successfully shifted Regina's attention away from the uncomfortable subject of just how the horses were so well behaved, and restarted their journey, Ruby found Regina to be a cool, private person. Aside from introducing themselves and a brief conversation about what Regina was doing in the forest and perhaps why the men were after her that dripped puddles of doubletalk and subtext, as well as a one line explanation of what Ruby and Aurora were doing, obliquely ignoring the knowledge that Aurora was royalty, neither women said much.

Regina watched her, however. Ruby was acutely aware of her eyes on her, sometimes catching an almost calculating, intense expression on her face before it smoothed into pure neutrality, Regina looking away to shift her basket to her other hand. Sometimes, the darkness of her eyes made Ruby shiver and pull her red cloak closer around herself. It didn't help that the seasons were changing, frost having started creeping close to the Moors on the morning they'd left. Still, it didn't feel like it was the wind that made her cold. And perhaps strangest of all, sometimes… Sometimes her scar ached.

A whistle piercing the air in front of them made Ruby halt, her hand coming up, the horses stopping behind her. "Stay in the carriage," she threw to Aurora when she poked her head out to see what was going on, cocking her head to listen better as a sense told her that something needing caution started approaching from up the road. "You stay, too," she said to Regina, whose sharp eyes were looking from her to the surrounding forest.

Regina scoffed, but didn't argue, even as her lips pinched and she leaned down to set her basket down, hands curling in front of her waist.

Unslinging her bow from her back again, and putting down the hood of her cloak to get a better sound spread, she padded forward, boots barely making a sound.

Horses. Many horses, carrying heavy riders. Ruby could hear the clink of metal and creak of leather, and she grabbed an arrow in preparation of needing it. "We have company," she answered Aurora's question as she moved back, "Could be trouble." She turned her head to smile, almost smirk at Regina, "You might want to stay back as well."

"We'll see," Regina replied, an almost smile, almost smirk of her own crossing her face. "You may be surprised at what I can do."

Ruby shook her head. "Maybe, maybe not." Then, sobering, she waited.

A contingent of ten men, horses in a row of two, thundered down the road; however, catching sight of them, one of the men in the front called out a command, the horses slowing before, under Ruby's watchful eye, stopping completely in front of them. The same man who had made the order dismounted from his steed, and, barely sparing a glance for Ruby or the carriage, strode up to Regina, dropping to one knee.

"We came as soon as we got your message, Majesty. The bandits will be taken back as soon as you give the word."

"Good," Regina nodded, allowing the man to stand, "See to it that they are appropriately punished." She looked over the men, tilting her head. "Am I to assume that two or more of these men are to escort us to the castle?"

The man looked slightly nervous, but nodded, clearing his throat. "Yes, Your Majesty. The Princess, upon hearing that you had been accosted on your return, bade us to bring you back safe."

"Snow," Regina's tone was both tight and irritated, "And pray tell, in what capacity was the princess in for her to be there as my message came in?"

Having quickly realized the situation, Ruby lowered her bow but, still keeping an eye on the men, walked backwards to reach the carriage's window. "Well," she stated almost ruefully, watching as Regina blistered the clothes off of the man with just her words, "Seems we have been in royal company, my queen."

Aurora nodded, her eyes dancing. "And what better impression could we have made? Come, help me down so I can greet her. Properly, this time."

After dinner, and Aurora safely ensconced in the guest quarters, having already bade her good night, Ruby was taking her own tour of Regina's – Queen Regina's – castle, partly for her own sense of mind, and partly to gather her thoughts when a cool, smoky voice sounded from behind her.

"How do my defenses stack up to your sensibilities, hmm?"

Her hackles rising from the sudden presence of someone behind her that hadn't been there a second before, magic swirling in the air, Ruby swallowed it down, turning slowly. "Your Majesty," she inclined her head. Shivering as Regina's dark eyes met hers, something more glowing in them as if the knowledge of her true identity had released something she'd been holding back, Ruby almost wished she hadn't left her cloak hung up in her own room.

"Now, now. Though it does feel nice to be acknowledged, that is not an answer to my query." Walking further out of the shadows and into the flickering torchlight, Regina joined Ruby at the castle wall.

Having been looking over the land the castle overlooked, Ruby now found her gaze drawn to Regina's dark lips and pale neck, and then down even further to a prodigious amount of cleavage on display. Coughing a little, she forced herself to look away, telling herself the dark smirk on Regina's face didn't mean she had been caught. It was obvious this side of Regina had been what Ruby had sensed hiding within the woman she'd met earlier that day.

"They seem most substantial, Your Majesty. Though I have not yet finished my circuit, I'm sure that I won't be disappointed."

A smooth chuckle left the other woman. "Is that so? What a compliment." She smelled like power and spice, apple threading through it, and Ruby took a deep, surreptitious inhale. She was honestly impressed by the woman's ability to mute it when she wanted to. "Now, tell me, dear. Would it surprise you I've heard of you?"

Ruby stiffened. "Not necessarily," she stated slowly.

Dark lips turned up, dark eyes meeting Ruby's. "Ah, a smart response. But then," she turned, leaning her hip casually on the cold rock of the wall, hand tapping her arm as she smirked at Ruby, "As we've learned previously, you're far from being solely a mindless beast, aren't you?" Then, turning with a dramatic swish of her dress, and pausing as she reached Ruby's side, Regina murmured a low, nearly mocking, "This should be quite the interesting visit, don't you think?" and walked past her.

Ruby, her chest frozen, only exhaled when the woman's presence disappeared as abruptly as it had arrived.

When the queen had been shoulder to shoulder to her, Ruby's entire body had tingled.

Closing the door to her room behind her, Ruby walked over to the scrumptious looking bed in the corner, her eyes easily adapting to the low light of the fire flickering from the fireplace. She heavily sat down onto it, taking a moment before she bent down to unlace her boots.

Thinking back to the last time she had been doing that before having been tasked, she chuckled. How little she'd known, having only been preoccupied with wanting to wash her feet in the cool water of the brook. Now, she was preoccupied with figuring out Regina's angle.

Slipping off her first boot and setting it down next to the foot of her bed, Ruby barely paid attention to the pull of her scar between her shoulder blades.

This was a peaceful visit, intent on forging a new alliance. Surely Queen Regina would not risk war with either Aurora's Men or the Faeries to assuage the curiosity she obviously had about her.

Besides, Ruby had to admit, sitting back once she was done pulling her boots off, so far, Regina's attention had only been intense, not… Unwelcome.

Groaning, Ruby flopped back against the covers, covering her face with her hands. This had not been what she'd expected when she'd taken on this task for her queen and regent.

Still… She had to smile, begrudging laughter bubbling up inside herself.

Interesting visit, indeed.