A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! They are appreciated! XD Anyway, this chapter is not my best. I wrote it at like, one in the morning and when I reviewed it, it was one thirty in the morning the day after I wrote it, so I'm sorry if it sucks XD
As warning, this fic is going to be very short since I want to continue the Stars series as soon as ouat season two comes out, perhaps even sooner. Also, this fic will get a bit darker towards the end.
Please review!
Regina studied the young woman that Snow White had called Rose. Her hair was most certainly as red as a rose, and she had the most effervescent green eyes. Could this really be Rose Red though? Could this really be the sister presumed to be dead?
It seemed Snow White didn't care to check. The eleven year old rushed over to the red-haired maiden and the two immediately embraced.
Snow White felt her eyes water with salty tears. "Y-you n-never wrote," she stammered, trying so hard not to choke on her own words.
"Yes, I did," the one presumed to be Rose Red corrected. "There came a time when I stopped writing, though."
When Snow White pulled back, eighteen-year-old Rose Red could see tears streaming down her little sister's face. "Why? Why did you stop writing?"
It killed Rose Red to see Snow White like this. But she showed no emotion. That was one of the things she learned at the camp: don't show emotion, especially when going in for the kill. "There was a battle," explained Rose Red. "It took everyone by surprise. The Jabberwocky, sent by the Red Queen, attacked." Rose Red looked very grim. "My friend died at my feet."
Snow White's heart sank when she saw the pain in her older sister's eyes; the first time in years that Rose Red ever allowed pain to show. "I am so sorry, Rose Red," said Snow meekly, hugging her sister once more.
Rose seemed a little hesitant to hug back, and the hug was very loose compared to the first. "Actually," began Rose Red, "my name is no longer Rose Red." Snow White and even Regina was very perplexed by this. "At the camp, we all gave different names to each other. For example, my friend that died: his name was Slash because he was terribly good with a sword and could slash anything and anyone that got in his way. His brother was nicknamed Stab for obvious reasons."
Regina, having found the words to speak, asked, "And what was your name that was given?"
Rose Red looked over to Regina, as if just noticing she was there. The dark haired woman was a stranger to Rose, though they didn't exactly look that far apart in age. As Rose Red wondered who this unknown woman was, she answered, "Hunter."
That wasn't the whole story though. When Rose Red had first arrived, all of the men and boys called her "Princess" because that was just what she was: a princess. Rose Red had hated it, though she didn't mind the fact that she had gotten her own sleeping quarters since she was a girl.
"And why's that?" questioned Regina, interrupting Rose Red's fading reminiscent thoughts.
Rose Red seemed almost too glad that such a question was asked. "Because I always hunt down my prey."
Snow White felt a little frightened. This young woman that stood before her looked like her sister and sounded like her sister, but certainly wasn't her. Rose Red had been wild and… unique for lack of a better adjective. But she was always kind and gentle at heart. This new Rose Red, this… Hunter was so different.
Rose Red, more of Hunter now, kept her gaze trained on Regina. "And who might you be?" asked the eldest of Leopold's two daughters.
Regina offered Rose Red a sweet smile, the one she's been wearing the past year to convince people she was happily married to the king. It was Snow White that responded to Rose's inquiry. "She's our new mother!"
The news hit Rose Red like the butt of a sword. "New mother," she repeated, emotionless. Rose Red wasn't sure how she felt about that. She had loved her mother, Eva, dearly and had indeed received the letter telling of Eva's passing (though she did not respond) but Rose Red had never received news of a new queen, let alone a new mother.
Still emotionless, Rose Red gave a curt nod towards Regina. "Pleasure," she stated, though she wasn't sure if it really was a pleasure to meet this woman, her new mother. They couldn't have been more than three or four years apart in age!
"Regina," said the stepmother, still smiling her friendly, charming smile. Regina's eyes told a different story than her smile. Obviously- at least it was obvious to Rose Red- she wasn't exactly pleased to find that she had yet another stepdaughter that couldn't have been much younger than her.
Rose Red turned her attention away from Regina, focusing on Snow White once more. This didn't surprise Regina. Everyone's attention was always on precious little Snow White. "Where's Father? I'm sure he'll be glad to see me. Either that or have a heart attack," Rose joked.
Snow White beamed, happy that her sister had returned after so many years despite the slight personality change. "He's in his study in the West Wing, I'm sure of it." Snow gently tugged on Rose Red's hand to guide her.
Giggling, Rose Red retracted her hand from Snow's grip. "I don't need a guide Snow, I remember where the West Wing is," she assured her little sister. "Anyway, why don't you run along and play, hm? I want to have a little chat with our… new mother." The words tasted bitter on Rose Red's tongue and she hated herself for saying it.
And so, Snow White did as Rose Red had told her and ran off to go play with her dolls in her room. Rose Red watched and waited for Snow White's figure to disappear into the castle before facing Regina. She did not smile, but her gaze was not cold as Regina had expected.
The silence was almost deafening and most definitely gauche. Rose Red was the first to shatter the quiet with an abrupt question. "How old are you?" she asked Regina.
Regina almost didn't want to answer. Not because it made her feel uncomfortable to confess her age, but because it made her nervous to find out if Rose Red really was as close to her age as she thought. "Twenty-two," Regina said after a moment of hesitation.
Slowly, Rose Red nodded a few times, as if pondering this and perhaps she was. Regina didn't know this for sure. "I'm eighteen," said Rose Red.
Regina's jaw almost dropped. She was to be the new mother of a young woman who was only four years younger! Regina managed to stay composed and when Rose Red started walking towards the castle, she followed.
"I didn't know that King Leopold had another daughter other than Snow," commented the brunette.
Rose Red chuckled bitterly. "I'm not surprised," said she. "Father likes to keep certain things under wraps and I'm sure I fit right in that category of 'certain things.'"
Regina's brow furrowed; she was slightly confused. "And why is that?"
"Because I am not the princess everyone wanted me to be. I did not sit still through etiquette lessons; I much preferred to duel with our knights. I refused to wear dresses or ride sidesaddle like proper young women."
This reminded Regina of someone she knew very well and for a brief moment, in Rose Red she saw herself.