Camelot | Before Third Curse

"You're doing great, Regina."

"Am I?" she said scathingly, stumbling backward a little. "One five-minute lesson and I'm a pro?"

David steadied her with a sigh. "Look, I know you're nervous, but it's the best way to convince the people of Camelot that you're the Savior."

Regina grumbled on as if she hadn't heard anything he'd said. "This is an utter waste of time. We should be figuring out how to free Merlin and save Emma."

"We'll worry about Merlin later. And I don't doubt this ball will get Emma's mind off of her recent… developments. In fact, we could all use this time to unwind, just for one night."

The dark-haired beauty swallowed uneasily, so unlike her usual confident and regal self.

"And this is for you too. As Regina, not the pretend Savior. I know today you're facing strangers as someone different from whom you once were, but locking yourself in a bedroom won't help anything. The best way to show people you've changed is to get out there and let them see for themselves."

Regina relented and allowed David to spin her one more time before they both sank into the customary bows. She left shortly after that, still muttering under her breath about feeling useless.

"She's a piece of work," David chuckled good-naturedly, nodding at Doc to stop the music.

Doc shivered as he moved to comply. "I'm going to have nightmares."

"Doc," David reprimanded. "She's changed for the better."

"Her fashion sense hasn't," mumbled the dwarf.

David opened his mouth to reply, remembered the dark, scary gown she'd changed into minutes ago, then closed it. Finally, he said, "We'll have work on that."

David turned to find his wife having drifted to the window during his and Regina's dance practice and gazing out glumly.

"Worried about Emma?" He asked knowingly.

Not seeming to hear him, she continued to stare blindly at the festive city. The kingdom was bright and cheery, its subjects overcome with joy. She could hear children laughing with delight below on the palace grounds. Funny, because celebrating was the last thing she felt like doing.

"Hey," David admonished softly when she didn't respond. He reached out to squeeze her shoulders and turn her to face him. "We'll find a way to help her. We always do."

"I'm not worried about Emma…" Snow began, then backtracked quickly. "I mean I am, but that's not what I was thinking about."

David waited, and she finally spoke, he was surprised to hear her whispering. "I was such a spoiled brat."

"What?"

"As a child," she clarified. More quietly she added, "Probably still am."

David was confused. "I thought we already established that Cora manipulated you into exposing Daniel. Even Regina's forgiven you for that—"

"I'm not talking about her secret," Snow interrupted, and David was taken aback by the intensity in her voice. "I'm talking about after that, after she married my father."

"I was so caught up in the joy of having another mother… of my father having another wife. I lived for years with Regina after she moved in. Wrapped up in that tiny, naive bubble, not once did I question her about Daniel, about Cora. She told me Daniel had run away, and while I was sorry she'd lost him, I didn't realize she'd spared my feelings. I believed her too easily because I wanted her to be my mother."

David sighed and rubbed up and down her arms, muscles tight under the fabric of her ball gown. "Snow, you were ten years old and you'd lost a mother. Of course you were looking forward to a new—"

"Yes." Through the window's reflection, David could see that Snow's eyes were ablaze. "And then I got her. Regina was my mother. And then what? Nothing. I was blind to her pain. How is it possible that for years I considered her my mother and never once saw it?"

David tried to say something, but Snow wasn't done yet. Her frown deepened with each word.

"Because I only saw what I wanted to see. Thinking that she was unhappy with her life for whatever reason - because of me, Cora, Daniel, my father - was too much for me to handle, so I ignored the signs."

"And now…" Snow's voice cracked with emotion, and tears began to glisten in her eyes. "Listening to her… I'm realizing how unfair it really was, how alone she was, and how selfish I've been, pretty much all my life…"

Grabbing her by the shoulders, David spun his wife around and lowered his head so they were eye-to-eye, but she was muttering to herself, refusing to meet her husband's gaze.

"… Snow White. What a joke—"

"Hey," David said firmly. "I don't want to say that since you were a child, you're excused and that Regina should've known better, but… you were both suffering and you dealt with it in ways you thought were right. At the time."

Snow looked unconvinced. "But I've been living my whole life with the misconcep—"

"And I know it can't be easy having this perception and expectation of yourself, and slowly realizing that things weren't what they seemed, that you could have misunderstood things. But that's life, okay? The best thing you can do for Regina and for yourself is moving forward. Look at Regina. She's come so far from what she used to be because she's accepted that the happy ending she thought she wanted isn't what she deserves."

"I'm just disappointed. In myself."

"I know you are," David admonished, brushing his fingertips against her cheek. "You were wrong, self-centered, and blind to a lot of things. There's nothing you can do to change that… Unless you want to take a leaf out of Zelena's book." He shot her a conspiratorial smile, and her lips quirked up slightly.

For a long moment, Snow gazed into her husband's eyes, searching for the hope and belief that gave her—that gave their love—strength. Finally, she exhaled deeply, took a step back, and adjusted the skirt of her gown.

The determination in his wife's expression compelled him to ask, "What are you doing?"

She hurried out of the room. "I'm going to apologize to Regina now. I just need her to know that I'm sorry for everything I… feel I may be responsible. It won't take very long."

David was staring at her, but he knew better than to try and stop her. "And then what?"

Snow paused at the door. Then, she was going to try her damnedest to be the leader that her subjects looked up to, the friend her friends had hope in, the mother her children deserved, and the woman her husband believed in.

She turned to smile at him. "Then, you and I are going to dance."

AN: Just a little something I've been thinking about. The world is not black and white; there are shades of gray, and I love that very realistic message from Once Upon A Time because it's less about perfection and more about learning. Thanks for reading!