It takes two weeks for her to realise that something is amiss, which is two weeks far too long because the game she's playing have stakes as high as the castle walls that trap her here.

But just like that the princess gets lost among the ruffles that bend with her every whim and she's tripping over her own feet. For the first week she receives nothing but blushes in return to the curious and downright disdainful looks she peruses her with and she absolutely does not smile.

Still, she does wonder though. What has gotten into Snow White this time? It can't be the flu because that was only a month ago, no other illnesses are rumoured to have been spread over the land and, as much as it pains her to admit it – aside from the ill-advised and occasional nocturnal absconding, which have significantly lessened thank-you very much, she is nothing but presentable and graceful. A real princess.

"-Oomph." Make that a princess with a walking problem.

"Snow, dear?"

"…Yes, stepmother?" Snow refuses to lift her gaze from the ground which is a good thing because Regina's not sure she's learned how to stop wincing but also this is a lot more interesting than I first thought!

"Snow dear, my voice doesn't come from below you, though it may surprise you given-"

"I'm sorry stepmother." Her eyes meet hers so quickly you'd think she'd been offended.

"I know dear. It's just that, well, I've noticed you've been a little… out of sorts lately. Is something troubling you?"

"Stepmother why would you think such a thing?" She titters even as her large doe eyes bore into Regina's and really, she's an appalling liar.

It stings sometimes, how easily their hands fit together, memories pushing to the front of her mind Daniel's hands rest gently on her arms and a scream pierces the silence this is the end, her mother has officially made her insane; the strength of the grip of the child who barely glimpsed her before throwing her life into her hands and why; a King on one knee and she dares to hope that it killed him to kneel because all he did was demand; like her mother did when she saw her life turn to dust in her one place of refuge; like the one person she thought she could trust who seemed genuinely happy for her and wasn't as pathetically afraid of her mother as she was gleefully informed her that her life was worth less than a minute of silence and now all she gives her is that silence and all she wants is to SCREAM because Daniel's hands were ripped from hers but yet cry is the one thing that she's forbidden from doing.

Her eyes burn and she can't seem to swallow, staring out of the window at her incredible incredible apple tree – the one thing she'd been allowed to bring. Snow, despite the fact that she's stood up, rests her head against her shoulder – light puffs of warmth across her breastbone. It makes her seem even colder but neither of them let go.

The princess begins to fidget, she can only remain uncomfortable for so long after all. Regina presses a kiss to the top of her head and delicately extracts herself, withdrawing quickly - lest Snow White feel guilty for anything. And really why does she do this? Sometimes she's not at all sure who she hates more.

"It's about my handmaiden." Regina sighs, she should have seen this coming.

"Not to put too fine a point on it, but you have to stop acting out because you "don't like" who helps you, at the end of the day… they're still helping you. They're making a positive change in your life."

"I know and I did… The last three I've been sending my monthly allowance, they still have families after all."

"Snow! That money is necessary for you to make good impressions-"

"-on our neighbouring monarchs, I know. That's why I got them something before I sent the money, you should see how grateful they are!" Regina rubbed slow circles onto her temples as the princess' voice reached a pitch not far from squealing.

"What?"

"If you felt that guilty, why did you dismiss them in the first place? They were all excellent at their jobs as I recall."

"Well, that's kind of what I wanted to speak with you about."

"You want to send this one home too? And what reason do you intend to fabricate for your father this time?"

"I don't want to send her away. I think she's really… nice."

"Nice? You are saying that someone… besides yourself-"

"-and you, and Father, and Johanna?"

"You get my point."

"Actually I think you are exaggerating but go on." When Regina glares all Snow does is tilt her head slightly and it's ridiculously patronising.

"You think she's nice? Snow White has actually found someone her own age to get along with? …I'm happy for you, of course."

"-Thank-you."

"What's her name?"

"… I'm not sure."

"Snow!"

"Well- I can't seem to help it! I look at her, and it might sound crazy, but I swear I forget how to speak."

Oh. Well, this is something she certainly didn't see coming.

Note: There are four key headcanons at play in this:

1. Bisexual Snow White – she seemed comfortable enough with the idea when talking to Will Scarlet.
2. Regina never blamed her mother as she always saw it as her responsibility to protect Daniel. Her mother acting this way was inevitable. Essentially Regina viewed Cora as a force of nature – as certain as the sun etc. The only people she could blame were herself and Snow White.
3. Closeted Lesbian (for now) Emma Swan.
4. Pansexual Regina Mills.