"You have no soul. How did you get like this?"
How wrong she is. She does not see what I do - she has never even tried to stand in my shoes.
Henry is my son. I changed every diaper, I made every bottle, I comforted him every time he had a nightmare - until those nightmares involved me and he screamed if I would try and comfort him.
Yes, I am crafty, and I rule this town- but I care. He is mine, and I will not allow another of these little ponzi schemes to steal what I love. He is supposed to succeed me. At least, that was the plan. A wizard can't last forever.
Things are the way they are because I had to sacrifice what I loved most. I do not want to do so again. A part of me is dead because of that - even though I never thought it would affect me such.
In another wizard world, or so I have heard - every time one kills a piece of their soul is lost. Of course I believe that, but it does not make me a soulless monster. I have tried to keep my killing to a minimum - that's why I turn those that laugh at me to stone - at least I don't have to kill them. I would be a half-crazed deal-maker if I had no soul.
She wants to destroy what I have built here - it is not paradise, there are things that could be improved. But nowhere is perfect, and happy endings just never do seem to last. Snow White proved that.
I am not cruel - I do not set out to be cruel to him, but he must be protected.
I have trouble talking to him because I don't know how. I want to communicate - I try - but he only sees what he wants to see. He sees me as evil. I am just as complicated as he is and we could have a fantastic conversation if only he would realize that mummy knows best. And I am not like Gothel, I didn't imprison him in a tower and forbid him from seeing the world.
I knew there would be the days that he would become rebellious - all children go through their phases of independence.
But I never wanted him to hate me.