A/N: Originally posted for Snow Queen Week Day 3: Rumours on Tumblr. Set in the Enchanted Forest pre-Curse. Many Thanks to my darling Lolymoon for her input and encouragements. Unbetaed, all mistakes are mine.

Enjoy, and please tell me what you think :)

Rumour has it

Whispers the servants thought she couldn't hear, sad looks thrown her way when they believed she wasn't looking, and she quickened her pace, rubbing her arms to calm her shivers, almost running to her destination.

She told herself it came from the chill caused by the cold winter air slowly invading the Palace, but it was set too deep in her bones to only be an effect of the changing weather.

"He will send her away soon enough."

"Three years and no heir to show, not even a hint of a rounder belly. She almost never accompanies them on their trips, the foreign envoys barely know her…."

"And there is the Beast too, appearing out of nowhere as if he belongs here and she doesn't seem to be bothered by his presence. The King can't allow that."

"It hasn't been proven, no one has caught them together…"

"Oh please, we all know."

"It doesn't matter. He has a hundred other reasons to get rid of her. Not that she will care much. That woman is so cold I don't think anything can affect her."

"Surely he can find someone else better fit of the title of Queen and to raise the Princess."

She was shaking as she remembered the conversation she had heard between one of her father's closest counselors and Johanna. It could not be happening, she would not let it happen.

She shouldn't be there, she was awaited in the stables for her daily lesson, and she wanted to show Regina how much progress she had made, she wanted her to be proud. The servants would look for her but she couldn't do this, not today.

Snow burst into her stepmother's chambers, not bothering to knock, there was no time to lose. She found Regina sitting straight and stiffly on her settee in front of the fireplace, a closed book on her lap, staring intently into the flames, as if they were somehow speaking to her.

"We talked about that knocking thing, Snow," Regina said, not moving her gaze away from the dancing flames but knowing, always knowing, who dared to trespass.

Cold.

Unfeeling.

Unworthy of even kissing the ground Queen Eva walked on.

Where is the sweet young woman the Princess talked so highly about?

Snow shook her head, pushing away those dark thoughts.

"Mother," she called out, her tone bordering on desperate and Regina turned towards her, her expression softening when she took in her stepdaughter's distress.

"Whatever is the matter, Princess?" The young Queen asked in a gentle tone, and the last bit of control Snow had over her emotions snapped. She ran to her clumsily, tripping over her own feet as she did, never quite able to achieve Regina's natural gracious moves.

She threw herself on her lap, the book hindering her landing on the ground with a thud. Regina was frozen for a moment but Snow only tightened her hold, her tears falling, drenching the thin and rich material of her stepmother's dress.

Regina sighed and slowly caressed the girl's hair, wondering what on Earth could have her in such a state. She could feel her mumbling something against her thigh but had no idea what it was.

"Use your words dear," She exhaled tiredly, continuing her gentle petting. It had become second nature for her to detach herself from her true feelings to do what was expected of her as Snow's stepmother.

"I won't let them take you away from me," Snow repeated more clearly though her sentence was chopped by her sobs.

"What could you possibly mean by that, Snow? I'm not going anywhere," Regina tried to cover the bitterness she felt at this notion but she wasn't entirely sure she succeeded.

"I heard them talking, they said Father will send you away because, be… because…" the girl floundered, hiding her face in the fabric of Regina's gown once more.

"Snow, what are you talking about? And please stop this nonsense," the Queen told her stepdaughter, summoning all the patience she could manage and Snow straightened up slowly, wiping her eyes and nose with her sleeve in a decidedly not regal manner.

"You didn't give my father an heir, they say he will repudiate you," the girl frowned and wrinkled her nose at the last part, as if the word itself tasted sour as she spoke it. "I don't want that to happen!" She exclaimed.

For a moment, just a moment, Regina felt a sparkle of hope, hope that it could really be true, that maybe her freedom was around the corner but it deflated as soon as it came.

"Snow, I don't know where you heard this but I don't think you eavesdropped on the right people," and the Princess looked down flushing at that. "Your father doesn't need an heir, dear," and especially not from me, she added in her mind. "He already has you. What do you think would happen if a little Prince were to come along? He would take your place, and all that hard work to groom you into one day leading the kingdom will have been for nothing," Regina could hardly believe she was comforting the girl like that, what the hell was wrong with her?

Snow studied her for a while, she so wanted to believe it was true, but what if her stepmother was only deluding herself?

"Do you really think that?" She asked timidly.

Regina smiled slightly. "I know it, Snow. Your father very specifically told me you are all he needs, so you see there is nothing to worry your pretty head about," no matter how much I wish it wasn't the case.

The Princess bit her lip in thought. "It's just that we have been away quite frequently lately and I thought it may have been a way to deal the blow more gently. Perhaps they thought I would miss you less if we didn't see much of each other," her tears welled up again and she hugged her stepmother tightly. "I don't want to lose another mother," she cried out, sobs starting anew.

"You won't, my darling," Regina said, accepting the embrace, returning it even, while thinking I will never be free from this place as long as you both live, of that you can be certain.

The doors of her chambers burst open for the second time and the sight of Snow's guard dog annoyed her to no end.

"Princess, there you are! I looked all over for you," Johanna blurted out. "Your father is requiring your presence for dinner immediately," she announced.

Snow stiffened around Regina before turning towards her handmaiden who finally took in how upset the girl was.

"Princess?" She started but Snow didn't let her finish.

"Tell my father I wish to have dinner here with my mother. I want her all to myself for once. I will see him tomorrow," she asserted in a much stronger voice than both Regina and Johanna were used to hear from her and it showed. Their eyebrows flew up but the Queen recovered quicker than the servant. She smirked satisfyingly while Johanna gaped.

"But Snow, surely you don't mean…" She was cut off again.

"You heard me Johanna, now please relay my message to Father," Snow all but ordered.

Her handmaiden stayed put for a moment until Regina intervened.

"Your heard the Princess, now would be a good time to do as you're told," her tone was low but firm. No matter how she felt about Snow inviting herself without asking for her permission, the simple pleasure of one-upping the so-called governess was worth suffering her stepdaughter's presence a bit longer.

"As you wish, Your Highness, I will inform the King right away," Johanna said, admitting defeat.

"Oh and Johanna, the next time you gossip about me, make sure the Princess isn't in the vicinity. I'm sure you do not want to lose your position by her side over such trifles," the threat was clear and the servant's face turned a bright crimson. She looked from the Queen to her young charge before curtsying deeply.

"Of course, Your Majesty, I understand. It will not happen again," the older woman stammered apologetically.

Regina nodded at her in dismissal, watching as Johanna closed the doors carefully as she left.

"You knew?" Snow asked in wonder.

"That you had heard those things from your handmaiden? It wasn't very difficult to figure it out, dear, I have never heard you talk to her that way," Regina explained.

The Princess looked down. "She doesn't like you. She thinks you don't love us, that you only want to be Queen," she muttered.

"We both know that's not true, don't we?" Regina said, raising Snow's chin with the tip of her fingers.

"Why can't they all mind their own business and leave us alone?" The girl asked, crossing her arms and looking away, pouting in a childish manner that Regina would have once found endearing but which seemed just annoying now.

She sighed, feeling the beginning of a throb at her temples threatening to become a full blown headache if she didn't manage to get a grip over herself.

"The court is like a puppet show, Snow, we are always in representation for their enjoyment. They get to judge every single move we make, they get to comment and criticize. It doesn't matter if it's true or not, as long as they believe it."

Snow pondered her words for a moment. "Things won't be like that when I rule," she said at last.

It certainly won't, not if there is anything I can do about it, Regina thought. "I'm sure you will do brilliantly, dear," she told the girl instead and Snow beamed at her.

Hours later, Regina found herself reading a story to Snow -even if the girl was way too old for that- in her bed, watching as her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

"You'll stay with me always, won't you Mother?" Snow asked sleepily, snuggling into her side.

"Of course, I will Snow," Regina answered, stroking her cheek gently. I will stay until I see the light leave your eyes once and for all, until you have suffered as much as I have, she mused, her ministrations lulling the girl to sleep and she dropped one final kiss on her forehead before succumbing herself, her mind whirling with various scenarios of murder and mayhem and a smirk on her face.