Arthur could feel his lips still burning from the kiss. Zelena probably hated him now and he'd get punched in the nose next time he saw her - and there would be a next time - but he could't bring himself to care. He just continued on towards where the sword was. He had dropped the book page, but he remembered Zelena's directions clearly; "It should be a day's ride towards the sunset from here."

~

Zelena and Will crept along a dark hallway. According to Will, the staircase up to the ground floor was just around the corner...wherever the corner was.

Finally, Will led Zelena up a staircase. They escaped the castle through a backdoor easily, as Walsh had gone off to find the sword in the stone and there were less guards on duty at night. Zelena's dress wasn't the best for a nighttime hike, but she wasn't going to take the time to change; she would end up losing much more time than she gained.

"Where are you off to?" Will asked Zelena once they were outside.

"To stop Walsh from getting a sword. And you?"

"Away to some neighboring kingdom. I can't risk staying here. You sure you'll be fine on your own?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Zelena assured him. This was a battle between her and Walsh. She didn't need Will being dragged into it as well. "I should go." Before beginning her journey, Zelena snagged one of the royal horses. She decided walking would result in her not getting there on time, and despite her dress not making it easy to ride, it would be well worth it if she was able to stop Walsh from killing Arthur and getting the sword.

Zelena rode as fast as she could in the direction the sun rose every morning. She hadn't had time to saddle the horse, so she was grasping its mane and trying not to fall off.

As the sun was beginning to light the sky up different shades of orange and pink, Zelena heard another horse...or maybe two? She couldn't quite tell. Her horse halted, and Zelena jumped down. She burst into a clearing where she saw Walsh and Arthur staring each other down. Both looked at Zelena.

"How did you escape?!"

"Zelena, what are you doing here?"

Zelena turned to Walsh. "I won't let you take that sword."

"You know I have to do what's best my Oz, my dear."

"This is not what's best for Oz. Camelot needs this sword and its king." Zelena took a step towards Arthur while keeping her eyes on Walsh.

"I'm afraid Camelot is going to have to move on without either of those things."

"Wait!" Zelena said, deciding she had one last option to keep Walsh from killing Arthur. An important piece of information she had read about the sword came to mind. "You won't be able to pull the sword from the stone. Only those pure of heart can pull it from the stone, and by threatening to kill Arthur and keep the sword from Camelot, you've proven you do not have a pure heart."

"You think I believe you?" Walsh asked. "Foolish girl!" He walked towards the stone.

"No, stop!" Zelena tried to warn Walsh, but he wouldn't listen. He wrapped his hands around the sword handle and pulled. The red gem on the sword lit up and beamed a light straight at Walsh. At some point, Arthur had come up behind Zelena. As Walsh disintegrated, Zelena buried her head in Arthur's chest, not wanting to watch. Arthur wrapped his arms around Zelena and looked away.

Neither Arthur nor Zelena knew how to react. Walsh was now dead, leaving Oz with no a King, and a Queen who was supposed to be locked up in the dungeon.

Zelena took a step away from Arthur, just realizing how close she had been to him. Arthur took a hesitant step towards the sword.

"If you don't think you can pull the sword, don't," Zelena said. "I'd rather know you don't have a pure heart and you be alive than having to wonder why you weren't able to pull the sword for the rest of my life."

"I'll be fine," Arthur said, mostly to reassure himself. He walked confidently towards the sword and grabbed the hilt. He pulled and the sword slowly rose out of the stone. Arthur thought he would finally be going back to Camelot with some good news.

Until he finished pulling the sword out and realized the end was broken.

"What happened to it?" Zelena asked.

"No idea..." Arthur began examining both the sword and the stone. "Why would the sword that can help my kingdom be broken?"

"Can I see it?" Zelena stepped towards Arthur. He placed the sword in her hands and she looked at the broken part. "I think I know what the missing part of this sword is."

"Really?"

"Yes. There's a legend of a woman who came to Oz decades ago, and with her, she brought a dagger. A dagger whose design matches the designs on this sword. It's possible the woman resides in Oz to this day."

"What was her name?" Arthur asked, taking the sword back from Zelena and looking at it a bit more.

"Nimue."