[3rd POV]
Regina seemed to flinch at the question, opening her mouth and shutting it several times over, as if trying to figure out how to respond to the question that she had been asked. It was a rather simple question, but one that seemed to be a lot for Regina, as Wanda continued to stare at her with a raised eyebrow, wondering just what she was here for if it was this difficult to respond to a simple question.
"Hello? What are you so desperate about?" Wanda asked once more, waving her hand in front of Regina's face, trying to get her attention as the woman seemed to be absorbed by her thoughts. Wanda was half tempted to just read her mind to find out what she was thinking, as whatever it was, it was obviously important.
She had not seen Regina in quite some time. Emma had been a regular up until a few weeks ago, and now Regina was coming over at a random time. Meaning it likely had to do with the blonde in question.
"D-...do you have any books with spells inside that can allow the caster to detect love potions? Or love spells?" Regina asked, as Wanda blinked in surprise at the question. Of all the questions that she had been expecting, that was definitely not one of them.
"Hmmm. I do, but may I ask why exactly you need a spell like that?" Wanda asked, very curious to hear the response. She had a feeling what it was, but she wanted confirmation from the woman that was looking at her with growing annoyance upon hearing her question.
"I thought you did not interfere in the lives of your customers? You're just the bookstore owner, you do not need to know about my personal life, and what I need these books for. So please just tell me where they are at, so that I can buy my books and leave" Regina responded heatedly, giving Wanda a glare as if she had just forgotten who Wanda was, and what she was.
She was not a mere bookstore owner, but it would seem that Regina did not care right now. She was more focused on getting her books that she needed, and leaving. And all Wanda wanted to know is why she had wanted those books, that's all. But it seemed that whatever she needed the books for, was a sensitive subject.
Wanda raised an eyebrow at the woman's response, before humming.
"For someone that had wanted to buy my books so badly, you truly are acting like a little brat, Regina. All I had asked was why you wanted those particular books, since I was curious. But here you are, acting rude to me when I had not done anything to you. But hey, at least you have confirmed my thoughts regarding why you want those particular books" Wanda said with an amused expression on her face.
She was half tempted to punish the woman, but decided against it for now. She had a lot of self control now a days, and wasn't going to get mad over something so simple. Especially when Regina's little fit was born out of something even more amusing than she had originally thought.
"You-I-...I apologize" Regina said, her face paling slightly as she remembered who it was that she was talking to at the moment. This woman before her was not a simple bookstore owner like she had said, but was an entity that could atomize her from existence. Or she could do even worse, she could make her entire life a living hell for the remaining years that she had, however many that may be.
"Hmm, apology accepted. Now, what is it you want these books for? I truly am curious you know" Wanda asked, staring at the woman with a slightly amused gleam in her eyes when she saw the way Regina flinched once more. She could tell that the woman had bit back a retort, seemingly annoyed that she was still asking about this.
"It's about Emma, right?" Wanda added, as Regina flinched even harder and looked away, avoiding the gaze of Wanda as she had accurately guessed exactly why she had been wanting to get this book.
"As I thought. Let me guess, you want those books because Emma recently told you that she is in love with you, right?" Wanda asked, staring at Regina who flinched again as she continued to avoid the gaze of Wanda.
"You think that she is not truly in love with you, don't you? You think that whatever she has for you, these feelings she feels towards you, are fake. You think that someone or something has forced her to feel love towards you, and you are trying to find out what it was. That's why you want those books, so that you can find out who had given her a potion, or who had cursed her" Wanda said, as Regina turned to her with a resolute glint in her eyes.
"Yes, that is exactly why I need those books" Regina said with a nod, thinking that Wanda agreed with her that something was not right, that Emma did not truly love her, that it was the machinations and manipulations of someone else. Like Rumplestiltskin or someone similar to that man.
"Then I am sorry to inform you that I will not be selling those books to you, Regina" Wanda softly said, as Regina looked at her, her eyes widening in alarm as she heard these words.
"What?! Why?!" Regina yelled.
"Because they would be useless to you, Regina. For you do not need books on love potions and love curses, or how to detect if someone has been afflicted by either of them" Wanda responded calmly, not getting mad as the woman seemed to rage in front of her.
"But-but what else could it be?! She must be cursed! Or have some sort of potion going through her system! Or something along those lines!" Regina yelled, as Wanda stared at her.
"And why do you think that? Is it not possible that she simply...loves you?" Wanda asked, tilting her head as she continued to lock eyes with the woman before her, who looked like she had been slapped when she had heard the important question from Wanda.
"No, it is not possible! How can someone as...as amazing as Emma love me? I am a monster, Wanda! I have cursed thousands of people to forever be trapped in a place that they do not belong! I have killed and harmed so many people, more than she can even understand! Hell, I have cursed and hurt her and her own family too many times to count! It is not possible for her to love me!" Regina replied heatedly, still yelling as Wanda chuckled.
"Regina, do you know how many people that I have killed?"
Regina stopped when she heard the question from Wanda, confusion forming.
"What?"
"Do you know how many people that I have killed?" Wanda asked, again, as Regina stared at her, before shaking her head.
"More than you can ever even hope to comprehend. When I was younger, more foolish, more...not well, I had made a mistake. A great mistake that had caused my power to activate on his own, for back then I did not have the control I have now. And when my power had activated, it had reacted to my own words "No More Mutants" and when my power had gone along with my words, an entire species had been wiped from an entire multiverse" Wanda said calmly, watching Regina's reaction as she stared wide eyed.
"I had killed in that single moment, more than you ever will in a billion lives. It was and still is the greatest mistake that I have ever made in my entire life. And it is one that will stick with me for all time. And yet, even after knowing that I have committed such an atrocity, even after I had told my children of what I had done, my girlfriend of what I had done, they had still stayed with me" Wanda explained, as the woman continued to listen.
"Do you want to know why?" Wanda asked, as Regina slowly nodded.
"Because they love me. Love is one of the most powerful forces in all of existence, Regina. Regardless of what universe you are in, it is an absolute force that can decide the fate of entire universes. Wars start and end for love. Species die and are born thanks to love. Love is one of the most mysterious existences that there are" Wanda said, before continuing.
"And I can tell you, with absolute certainty that Emma Swan is in love with you" Wanda finished, Regina staying silent as she heard her words, biting her lip before she asked one of the most important questions of her life.
"...What do I do?" Regina asked, as Wanda chuckled and got to her feet, a tea set floating behind her as she began to walk towards one of the tables inside of the bookstore, and looked back at the confused Regina, before speaking.
"Sit. Let me tell you exactly what you are going to do..."
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That's the end of the chapter!
Just a chapter of Wanda playing matchmaker and starting the helping process for Regina, who is broken when it comes to love.
Anyways, have a good day!