PLEASE READ AND REVIEW... MY FIRST STORY BUT DO NOT BE KIND, POINT OUT ALL MISTAKES.
She has been here for twenty eight years, though her appearance has not changed since she was seven years of age, which was some time before she came here. She didn't fully comprehend how her curse had survived this long in a land without magic, but she knew better than to question Grandmother. Her grandmother had also found a way to become a voice in her head, she was sure it happened the night before she was to come here, Grandmother had visited her in what she thought was secret. The task Grandmother had given her all those years ago was still fresh in her mind. Her task: get close to the Truest Believer, trick him into trusting her, then slowly turn him dark lest anyone catch on to what she was doing. She also knew the woman she was forced to avoid all her life was in this town, this rule of invisibility had been instilled in her from the instant she could understand what it meant. This task was meant to test her ability to determine when to listen to Grandmother's rules, and when to break them. Grandmother no longer held the same fear over her, she was still afraid, but it wasn't the same; she knew she wouldn't die by Grandmother's hand, but there is a lot a person can live through.
Her search for the town called Storybrooke had led her to a place called Steveson, the next town over. It wasn't until two years ago that Storybrooke even showed up on any maps. She has been waiting for a sign that she was in the right realm, though she was dubious that Grandmother would send her to the wrong place intentionally or not.
The sun was high in the sky but she could tell it was setting. She let out a frustrated sigh, she was tired, but she knew Grandmother would be cross with her if she stopped now. As if on cue she felt a jolt of electricity shoot down her spine. It was excruciating, but it did was it was intended to, the jolt sent a flood of adrenaline through her system effectively pushing sleep out of her mind. Grandmother seemed to derive joy from her pain, so she decided that pain would be a welcome friend.
She was surprised when she first came to this realm, it was so entirely different from what she had grown up with in the Enchanted Forest, and Wonderland. She was expecting that, but not on this scale. The rudeness of the people is what hit her first, she couldn't understand why these people would be so horrible to each other.
When she first came to this land she appeared in a place called Missouri, she felt out of place, she didn't belong. Immediately a flood of people came down on her, she was shuffled between many of them without any consent of her own. She was placed with various host families and expected to grovel for her basic needs to sustain life. She has since become adept at pleasing the right people just enough to get what she needed from them, but also being just enough of a problem to be sent back without suspicion being cast upon her. This period of her life felt like a dance not unlike that of prey outwitting a predator, she got closer and farther with each passing host. She never felt at home, she never felt safe, she was permanently homesick. The only comfort she was able to gain from this time was Grandmother's voice in her ear. She had since stopped wondering how managed to do it and learned to accept what was given to her without question.
She was never able to relax, she was always prepared for the worst and some of the time there was nothing to be afraid of, but most of the families she was hosted by were less than hospitable. She had been on the receiving end of abuse before, but this time she was protecting the younger children in the homes from the brunt of the punishments, Grandmother did not approve of her protecting them from what she deemed appropriate punishments for the misdeeds they had performed. She had protected the Queen from many punishments Grandmother had been hell-bent on crushing her confidence with. These two instances were the same in her eyes, no child should be put through the physical and psychological terrors that the foster parents had in store for them. She was prepared for anything they could think of, Grandmother had likely already performed such acts upon her many times over.
She redirected her thoughts to her mission, no use dwelling on the past that was all over now, she needed to maintain her faux life story. When she got to the town line she stopped.
"I am at the town line Grandmother, I will no longer be able to hear you, that is until you find a way to reach me there." She was hesitant Grandmother had been in her ear for so long, she had grown comfortable with her counsel.
"Don't get emotional. We haven't the time. Now remind me of your task." Grandmother snarled. She smiled to herself imagining what Grandmother's face looked like at that moment, and she frowned when she realized that she could barely remember her face.
"Yes Grandmother," she said dejected, "I am to get close to the boy, I am to gain his trust, then turn him to our side without the others catching on."
"Excellent Danielle," Grandmother encouraged. She was still frustrated with herself, but she shook that out of her mind.
"Now what are you going to tell them about yourself?" She knew this was a test, she had gone over the story with Grandmother daily, but she also knew that if she failed the test, pain would come fast upon her.
"I come from White Kingdom, and I was wondering around the palace when I came upon the new baby's room, there was a beautiful wardrobe, all I did was touch it and I ended up here."
"Good, as close to the truth as you can get, and you won't forget it. Now go, we have no more time to waste." Grandmother demanded. She smiled, Grandmother's demands were second nature to her now, like breathing out and breathing in. She reached forward not knowing what to expect, her hand hit a barrier.
"How pathetic, they have erected a barrier, but it is so thin I can see through it, what did they hope to accomplish?" She said laughing at the translucent wall.
"Can you get through it" Grandmother snapped at her.
"Of course I can, it is a basic protection spell I don't even have to break it." She said sure of herself.
"Well get on with it then, stop wasting time!" Grandmother yelled at her. She flinched, she knew that Grandmother was getting impatient.
"Goodbye Grandmother, I shall miss your voice."
"Yes, yes, go."
She pushed through the wall with little resistance, and she scoffed at the feeble barrier. She then immediately changed her clothes, and her hair length to more closely match that of her mother's when she was younger. Finally she made a couple of changes to the barrier, first she forced it to seal anytime she touched it, then she made it so that anytime she did touch it the barrier would react in a very visible way. She hyperventilated to get herself in the mindset of being scared, then she proceeded to pound on the barrier.
"There, that should get the attention of the natives." She said resolutely. Now all she had to do was wait.
She didn't have to wait long until a tattered yellow bug pulled up behind her. She jumped and spun around, eyes wide and chest heaving. A woman stepped out clad in a red leather jacket. She pushed her back against the barrier, causing yet another light show.
The woman stepped cautiously towards her with her hands raised to show she wasn't a threat.
"I won't hurt you." The woman said in a calming tone.
"I promise. What is your name?" The woman prodded. When she didn't answer placated her further.
"My name is Emma, Emma Swan." The woman offered her name as if it meant nothing. She was still in character so she had to play the part.
"Danielle, my name is Danielle. Where am I? How did I get here?" Danielle said, frighten.
"Ok Danielle, can you tell me how you got here?" Emma seemed confused, just how Danielle wanted her.
"I don't understand, I was just in the castle, how did I get here?" Danielle was flustered and began hyperventilating faster.
"You need to calm down, you're gonna make yourself pass out." Emma walked towards her, and Danielle pushed herself closer to the barrier and Emma stopped. Danielle slowed her breathing, she did feel lightheaded. This seemed to please Emma.
"Ok, that's better. Can I come closer to you?" Emma leaned closer. Danielle thought about it for a second and nodded demurely. Emma let out a sigh of relief and walked slowly forward, giving Danielle plenty of time to change her mind. When she got close enough to truly focus on her face she gasped. Danielle looked strikingly similar to Regina. She pulled out her phone and Danielle jumped, Emma put her hands back up with the phone in her right hand.
"I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to take your picture, is that alright?" Emma asked tentatively. Danielle was cautious.
"What is a picture?" She asked innocently. Emma smiled at her warmly.
"It's like a portrait only smaller, and faster." Emma did her best to explain, and Danielle was impressed that she did it so well. She nodded lightly and Emma did it quickly, and sent it to Regina with the caption, WE HAVE A PROBLEM, MEET US AT THE TOWN LINE.
As soon as she got the message Regina drove herself to the town line breaking many traffic laws along the way. She saw the girl standing there, terrified. When the girl met her eyes she curtsied deeply.
"Your Majesty." Danielle said with great reverence, she didn't have to fake that, she held the Queen in the highest regard, even slightly above Grandmother. She always felt guilty about that, but she felt as if she had no choice. Grandmother decided to make her more pleasing, by casting a spell of obedience over her. This spell had conditions, like any spell, the conditions were, that she would be obedient to a fault but only to Royalty and those of royal blood. This spell makes her want to do anything a royal asks of her.
Regina was surprised to say the least, it had been a while since anyone bowed to her willingly, and even longer since anyone looked at her with such respect. It caught her off guard. She almost forgot what to do in this situation, the girl was still bowing, and she was speechless for a couple of seconds before she shook sense back to her mind.
"Rise," commanded Regina. She was unsure of herself, but when the girl raised her head confidently she was reassured. Regina glanced over at Emma, they shared an uncertain look.
"It is an honor to be in your presence Your Majesty," Danielle was dumbfounded, she had never been this close to the Queen for so long. She found herself studying the royal intently, she wasn't sure when this could happen again. She knew Grandmother would be livid that she was staring, but she just couldn't help herself. It had been so long since she had seen the Queen that her mind was captured by her beauty.
"Who are you?" Regina demanded. Emma swatted her arm, and Danielle glowered at her. Regina turned to Emma with an impertinent glare.
"Be wary Miss Swan, this girl seems to still believe that I am a Queen, and what you just displayed was a sign of deep disrespect on your part." Regina whispered hopefully low enough so the girl couldn't hear.
Danielle had heard, but made sure she schooled her face into a neutral expression, she wasn't meant to have heard it. She knew very well that the Queen no longer held her position, but this version of herself didn't. She was still terrified that all of a sudden the searing pain would return, because the Queen could see her, she knew that Grandmother would inflict a punishment just to gain her sympathy. As if Grandmother had read her mind a slight tingle in her fingers and toes, it was an early warning system she had discovered when she was younger. Then the pain started, slowly at first, it was at full force within seconds. She screamed and fell to the ground clutching her head. The Queen and her sheriff rushed to her side quickly.
"What is it? What's happening?!" Regina was frantic.
"Grandmother," Danielle forced out. Regina was horrified, she wanted to help. Danielle was starting to see black spots clouding her vision, Grandmother had never gone as far as to make her pass out before, but she understood this would win their trust faster. It still hurt, she had become accustomed to a certain level of pain over the years, but this was different, it seemed that Grandmother was trying to make her feel as much pain as was possible.