Artemis || OUAT

8. Queen of Hearts

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Astrid lit a lantern for them in the dark, stone hallway that leads to his cell; She picked it up and moved the lantern around as the glow of the flame lit up the hall. She was wearing her hood on top of her head, also.

"Huh. Rumplestiltskin's cell." Snow said in thought, "I haven't been here since Regina's curse." She currently stood back with Emma and Astrid as Mulan and Aurora searched the inside of the cell for the ink.

Astrid set the lantern down and also joined in searching for the remains of the squid ink while Emma and Snow still talked on.

The teenager placed her foot on the edge of one rock and climbed up as far as she could in search of the ink. Aurora spoke up in worry, "The squid ink-- it's not here."

"My father said that Rumplestiltskin said it would be here and I believe him." Astrid spoke up, her faith in family still there. That's why Snow held a small smile on her face at the moment.

"Was there anyone else in here with him? Could they have taken the ink?" Mulan inquired.

Snow shook her head. "No. Visitors weren't allowed. He was too dangerous to allow any human contact. He didn't even have guards watching him. They were all stationed on the other side of that door."

"How'd he keep from going crazy?" Emma wondered aloud while Astrid was still above them on the wall, searching through every crevice.

"He didn't." Aurora suddenly answered as the teenager hopped down from where she was at and noticed the princess holding a scroll.

"What is it? Is it a message?" Emma questioned.

Aurora nodded and folded the scroll back up and handed it over to Astrid who began to unravel it also. "Yes, and I think it's for you and Astrid."

"Why would you think that-?" Emma started as she and Snow looked over Astrid's shoulders and down at the parchment the teenager just unfolded.

Written over and over and over, there were two names in a very elegant style, Emma Astrid Emma Astrid Emma Astrid Emma Astrid. It was a really long scroll, too.

Astrid let her sister take the scroll from her as she continued to search for the ink; Emma slowly paced away towards the wall as she read the scroll repeatedly, trying to find any sign or any difference in the writing but it was all the same.

Astrid couldn't help but wonder why her name would be on that scroll; She's no Savior like Emma. She's just... Astrid. Why was she important to Rumplestiltskin?

"What does this even mean?" Emma asked while still reading the scroll.

"He was obsessed with you and Astrid, Emma. One of you were going to be the key to breaking the curse." Snow replied as she climbed down from the stone wall.

"We've looked everywhere. There's no ink in this cell." Aurora suddenly said, standing up from the ground where she had been looking.

Snow replied, beginning to panic, "Well, it has to be. He told David." She rushed around the cell frantically while searching the walls.

"Astrid was in a netherworld- maybe something got lost in translation." Emma suggested as Astrid who stood closest to the entrance slightly glared at her twin and replied, "No. Nothing was lost."