Chapter Text
Regina Mills glanced behind her as she set her things down on the sawdust floor. She was looking for the boy, Henry, who had been watching her workouts every day for the past two weeks, but had yet to come and actually talk to her. He belonged to the new juggler who’d joined the circus recently, whose name she hadn’t heard yet. As she settled into her first stretch, she heard a rustling behind her, and sure enough, Henry’s dark eyes peered out at her from behind one of the tent poles. She threw him a wide smile, hoping today would be the day he finally got up the courage to come closer. Henry shrank back into the shadows, but she thought she saw a smile on his little face as he did. Regina chuckled to herself and focused on her exercises.
A booming voice interrupted her, “Queen Regina!”
She groaned inwardly, but plastered a smile onto her face as she turned to greet the circus’ owner.
“Mr. Gold,” she said, as pleasantly as possible. “I’m surprised to see you up and about so early in the morning.”
“It’s a big day today,” he replied, strutting towards her, his cane tracing lines in the sawdust. “I want to inspect everything personally.”
Regina stifled a sigh. He was going to watch them practice, which meant he was going to stop things every five minutes with “suggestions” that were never helpful and nobody ever took seriously. But he was the owner, so they had to make it look like his opinion mattered. She’d been through this before - every time they passed through New York City. Rumor was that his wife lived there, and he would do anything to impress her. Including work his performers to the bone , Regina thought grudgingly. But she just smiled again, and invited him to sit in the front row while she finished warming up. She was going to do a dry run through first before she got the horses out. They’d had a long couple of days, too, and she didn’t want to push them too hard. Rocinante in particular had looked so tired after the show yesterday that she’d personally spent an hour grooming him, even though the handlers took very good care of her beloved steed.
She was halfway through a walk-through of her routine when the tent flap opened, and Mr. Gold leapt out of his seat. He shuffled over to greet whoever had walked in. Regina ignored it for the moment, grateful that his attention was elsewhere. But eventually the commotion was too much, and she stopped what she was doing to look over. A woman she’d never seen before was standing there, looking a little overwhelmed as Mr. Gold fawned over her. She was beautiful long golden hair tumbled over strong shoulders - she held herself deliberately, Regina recognized a well-trained athlete. She was dressed in a simple frock, but Regina could see what looked like red cowboy boots poking out from under it. With that detail, Regina knew who this was. This was Emma Swan, the legendary sharp-shooter who’d been making the rounds on the Rodeo circuit. Everybody had been talking about luring her into their show, and it seemed that Mr. Gold had finally won that contest.
The woman looked over at her, and Regina caught her eye momentarily. She felt a shiver go through her body at the intensity in her gaze, which held for just a moment before sweeping around the tent. Regina realized she was standing there staring and shook herself. It was time to get the horses.
As she walked over to the pen, she felt a kind of giddy excitement. If Emma Swan was as good as everyone said, Regina might finally have what she had been craving in this show - a rival. Well, an equal. She was leagues better than everyone else here, and she was convinced it was only a matter of time before a bigger show scooped her up. But if Emma Swan was here, maybe that was a sign that things were going to be moving up around here. Besides, Regina did best when she had someone to compete with. She just hoped the sharp-shooter lived up to her reputation.
Emma was gone by the time she got back into the tent, as was Mr. Gold, thankfully. As she warmed the horses up in the ring, she spotted Henry creeping closer and closer. She slowed the horses with a wave of her hand, and motioned for him to join her on the edge of the ring. He bit his lip but sidled up to her, and she put down a hand to help him climb up onto the platform that circled the ring.
“Well hello there,” Regina said kindly. “You’re Henry, right?”
Henry nodded.
“We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Regina.” She put out her hand for him to shake, and after staring at it for a good 10 seconds, he took it. Regina grinned. Finally!
“Do you like the horses, Henry?”
He nodded again.
“Have you ever ridden?”
This time he shook his head.
“I could teach you if you like.”
His eyes lit up, but he quickly shuffled a couple of steps away from her. “My Dad won’t let me,” he whispered.
Regina furrowed her brow. “Your Dad doesn’t want you to learn to ride?” she repeated.
Henry shook his head.
“Hmmm. Well, we’ll see about that. What’s your dad’s name?”
Regina’s heart nearly burst at the look of awe and excitement that shone out of Henry’s little brown eyes.
“N-Neal Cassidy,” Henry stuttered. “He’s a juggler. We just joined.”
Regina nodded curtly. “Well, Henry, I will have a little chat with Mr. Neal Cassidy and see if we can’t convince him to let you ride.”
She looked down, and idea forming. “But before that, how about you help me with my act?”
Henry’s eyes got big. “H-help you?”
“Yes! I need someone to hold my hat and crop during my opening tricks, and then hand them to me halfway through. Do you think you can do that?”
Henry nodded enthusiastically, and Regina laughed. She walked him through where to stand and what to do, making sure he knew not to come down into the ring for any reason, and started the two horses running their circles. Just as she mounted Rocinante, she saw the tent flap open again, and a flash of golden hair appeared again. Good , thought Regina, Emma Swan will see who’s Queen of this circus.
Henry did great, and when Regina was done, he ran right up to her and hugged her. Regina held him tight for a moment. Light from the tent flap caught her eye and she glanced up to see Emma Swan receding from view.
***
Regina always ate right after a workout. It was the only way to keep from biting people’s heads off when she got too hungry without realizing it. Everyone else knew this, too, and even when it was between meals the cookhouse had food ready for her when they saw the horses leave the big top. Today it was eggs and potatoes, which suited her just fine. She chose a spot facing outwards, so she could keep an eye on the goings on while she ate. Very little escaped Queen Regina’s notice in this show.
Ruby, the belly dancer, had been flirting with one of the roustabouts for weeks now, and when Regina looked up from her eggs, she saw them sneaking off into a corner together. Finally! Regina had heard the other girls gossiping about how insufferable Ruby was being about this man, so maybe they’d all finally get some peace. A sudden movement had Regina’s eye drawn in the other direction, where she at last saw Neal, the new juggler. He was practicing over between the tent stakes, and she had to admit he was very good. She generally was not a fan of jugglers - it was essentially one trick that they did in different ways - but Neal was at least trying to make it interesting. And Henry was watching him with the same rapt attention he watched her. Which was interesting. She’d started to wonder if Henry was seeking out refuge from his father, but perhaps he was just a curious little boy. Regina wondered how old he was. Maybe 8? 10? It was hard to tell.
Henry looked up just then, and saw her watching. He smiled shyly. Regina waved, deciding to wait until she had established more of a relationship with the boy to approach his father. She couldn’t say what it was about Henry, but something in her wanted very much to take him under her wing. She sighed. It was that time of year, wasn’t it? When her grief crept up on her. This interest in the boy was probably just her heart reaching out for the kind of connection she never got, except with her horses. Well, if Henry wanted to learn to ride, Regina would teach him. And maybe that would soothe her heart for long enough for the season to turn.
***
They were in New York for five days, but it wasn’t until day three that Regina finally got to see Emma Swan in action. Apparently she’d been a big hit, and they moved her act to open the second half. That fell just as the handlers took the horses out to gear up, so Regina could slip in and watch. She was not disappointed. Emma Swan had a blustery, cocky stage presence that grabbed the audience’s attention and held it. And she made every single shot so perfectly, Regina had to squint to make sure it wasn’t a trick. But it wasn’t. She was just that good. The audience ate it up, and Regina felt that familiar fire building inside her. She had to beat this woman. She grinned to herself as she let that energy travel through her body. And beat her she did. Her performance that night was electric - everybody said so. Every handstand was perfectly held, her flourishes timed just right to get the audience roaring their approval. Mr. Gold just about wrung her hand off as he congratulated her after the show.
Afterwards, Regina went back to her room to change. She often kept to herself on nights like this when she had given everything she had to the show, but frankly she wanted to meet Emma Swan, and maybe do a little bit of gloating.
She made her way through the crowds to the cookhouse, grabbed a plate of food and found a seat near the edge where she could survey the grounds. It didn’t take long for her to spot Emma, but before she could decide on a plan of action, Henry came running up to her. He skidded to a stop in front of her table, a huge grin on his face. He clearly had something to say, but couldn’t quite figure out how to say it.
Regina rescued him by speaking first: “Well hello there! Did you get to see the show tonight?”
Henry nodded enthusiastically.
“And?” said Regina, leaning forward. “What did you think?”
“You were amazing!” he said finally. Getting those words out seemed to break the dam, and he began babbling to her about everything he’d seen her do that was more impressive than in practice. Regina laughed and encouraged him, asking more about what he saw.
“Henry!” Neal came up with two plates of food in his hands. “Stop bothering her.”
“Oh he’s not bothering me at all!” Regina said quickly.
Henry had whipped his head around at his father, and was now looking down at the ground, embarrassed.
Regina gestured to the table. “Come. Join me.”
Neal hesitated. Regina never willingly sought out company for meals, and he’d clearly been told that. But she stood and pulled another chair over for Henry, so Neal eventually nodded his thanks and sat down, putting one plate of food in front of the boy and one in front of himself.
“It’s good to finally meet you. I’ve so enjoyed having Henry help me out in practice,” Regina said.
Neal gaped at her, then at Henry. “That’s where you’ve been going every day?” he said to his son. Henry hung his head and nodded.
“I’m so sorry,” Neal said to Regina. “I didn’t know.”
Regina narrowed her eyes at him. “Perhaps you weren’t listening when I said I enjoyed your son’s company. Though you certainly could keep a better eye on him if you didn’t know where he was for hours at a time.”
Neal looked like he wanted the earth to swallow him whole. And why shouldn’t he? When Regina put her on icy Queen voice, very few people could do more than duck their heads and nod. She turned back to Henry.
“Tell me more about the show,” she said, her tone entirely different. “I don’t get to see the first half. How did the clowns go over?”
Henry took one look at his father, who nodded, and then launched right back into his stream of consciousness. Neal stared at him, and once they were all done eating, he asked Henry to run their dishes back to the cookhouse window. He peered at Regina.
“Henry doesn’t usually talk to other people like that,” he said simply.
“Well then I’m flattered,” Regina responded.
“You’re sure you don’t mind him hanging around?”
“Not at all. I’ve quite enjoyed his energy, in fact.”
Neal hesitated again. “I just … well, just make sure he’s safe around the horses, alright?”
Regina raised her eyebrows. “Of course I make sure he’s safe around the horses,” she said icily. Neal winced. If ever there was a moment to ask about teaching Henry to ride, this was it.
“Henry told me you don’t let him ride,” she said, trying to sound approachable, but probably failing, if Neal’s expression was any indication. “I would be happy to teach him if you’re willing. I am, after all, the most qualified rider around.”
She had him, and they both knew it. If he said no, he would be insulting her, and one simply did not insult the star performer of a circus one had just joined. Neal scratched the back of his head and glanced up at her from under his furrowed brow.
“Look, I know you’d teach him well, and I bet he’d love to, it’s just … complicated, OK? So can we wait? Give it a couple more weeks for him to settle in?”
Regina shrugged. “Very well, Mr. Cassidy. I’ll put it off for now.”
“Thank you,” he said, and it was so genuine that Regina couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. She softened her expression a little.
“A circus can be a hard place to grow up,” she said, something she knew from experience. “Having a skill like riding to work on will help.”
Neal nodded. “I know. I do. Just … let me talk to him about it first, OK?”
“Fair enough,” Regina replied.
Henry came bounding back up to them, and Neal stood up.
“Alright little man, time to get you cleaned up.”
“OK,” said Henry. He turned to her. “Bye, Regina!”
Regina broke into a huge smile at his first use of her name. “Goodbye Henry. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
It wasn’t until she was walking back towards the train that she realized Emma Swan had once again disappeared without a trace.