Regina’s gaze fell somewhat at the sharp scolding, no matter the intention, she took the words to be a reprimand. Much the same she took Rumpelstiltskin’s to be as such.A reminder of when she was being foolish. Of course Maleficent would have taken her book by now had she desired it. Regina doubted there was anything at all she could have done to stop the woman, had that been her aim. Why then did she have to make such a fool of herself in the offering of it back? Maleficent was so difficult to please, and impress; but not even these minor set backs were going to stop Regina from her pursuit. Clearing her throat and pushing back her own disappointment, Regina found herself smiling once more.
“Me?” She asked, disbelieving of the offer. Her smile grew a little more excited as she leaned forward, peering at the page as Maleficent read it. She knew the spell well. At least, the procedure. She must have read this one a dozen times. Granted, putting all her learning into practice hadn’t quite yet proved very successful. “What should I —- “ she trailed off, voice far too meek for a woman meant to be queen, but the extended hand silenced her. Even before the assurances, Regina was slowly reaching hers out in offering, glad to have anything at all to do with Maleficent’s magic. She doubted there were many who could boast of the same.
“I’m not frightened,” she assured the woman, though her eyes seemed to betray her confidence, only just slightly. It was the pain that did it, contradicting her trust with a glimmering apprehension. Widening her smile to compensate for the tremble in her fingertips, Regina swallowed thickly. “I trust you.”
She wasn’t sure why Regina’s expression fell the way it did, nor how she seemed to cling to her every word with a look of such — hope. Maleficent was not something to aspire to, even in the days of her utmost power she would not have wanted to see a young girl clamoring to be like her. If it was power Regina wanted she would come into her own, in her own way and her own time. Maleficent could share knowledge, could guide her on her path in a way much more productive than how Rumpelstiltskin handled his protege, but the world didn’t need another like her. She only hoped that soon her friend might realize that for herself, and that her powers were very much their own, and all waiting to be unleashed.
Drawing in a slow, deep breath, Maleficent was careful not to harm Regina’s hand further once was it was laid atop her own. This spell was not one she’d performed all that often, why would she need to when healing was hardly her calling? Luckily there were no repercussions to be had should it fail. No visible ones at least.
“You won’t like the sound of it —” she said as she sat up a little higher, her arm reaching out of the tub, her skin showing the obvious signs of pink from how warm the water remained. She locked eyes with Regina for a moment, weighing her words and finding no easy way to say them. She would just have to be blunt, and hope the girl’s trust would not wane.
“I have to burn you, or, make it appear like I am. And you have to counteract it. You only need to concentrate, hard, don’t let the fire touch you.” She tried for something akin to a reassuring smile but it didn’t come out quite right. Reassurance wasn’t her strongsuit, just as healing spells were not. But despite her reputation being one of utterly opposing what she was about to do, there was no one she thought more deserving of it.
“Tell me when you’re ready.”