The morning after he wedding, Regina woke in her new bed alone, with two letters on her bedside table.
The first was from the King.
Her husband.
Regina,
Regretfully, my duties to my our kingdom, calls me away from our honeymoon.
I promise to return as soon as possible, with gifts from our good neighbor King Midas.
In the meantime, you could occupy yourself with beloved Snow. The girls is still in need of riding lessons, and you have proven yourself a very capable teacher. I cannot think of a more perfect way for you two to bond.
Regards,
His Royal Majesty King Leopold
Regina started crumpling the paper from the corners as she read the letter.
"Regina." Not "Dear Regina." Not "Lady Regina." Not "The Woman Whose Innocence I Stole Mere Hours Ago." Just short, addressing, "Regina."
Returning with gifts - to make up for abandoning me. No doubt this will be a recurring theme throughout our marriage.
And he finished with an order to spend time with his daughter. Precious, angelic, thoughtful Snow White.
She stamped on the wave of fantasies involving stampedes, landslides, and writing tear-stained letters conveying the news of a tragic riding accident.
No. Snow White was worth more than falling off a horse.
So much more.
Satisfied with her paper ball, Regina tossed it. The second letter, made with thicker paper, looked much more ornate, with gilded leaves, and a thick black wax seal.
She opened it. And then almost dropped it.
Consider this Day One, dearie.
-Your friend
It wasn't a dream.
Which meant she had no time to lose.
Ensconced in a census dating back sixty years, Regina worked her way through the state secretary's library. She rapidly checked off every new name on a seperate scroll.
Robert... Carl... Lyle...
She had to check all the kingdoms. A man like that could have either come from a faraway land - the better to hide his identity, or stayed close to keep an eye on his enemies. Chances are he also changed his name. Every census needed checking. She could leave no stone unturned. The stakes were too high for carelessness.
Besides, if she couldn't find him, she will have every type of name in the realm.
After completing a decade, Regina climbed a ladder to retrieve more books. Scanning the spines for dates, she felt a tug on her gown.
Wide, pathetic, green eyes.
"Snow White, darling," Regina smiled. "You startled me. Why aren't you at breakfast?"
"Why aren't you, dear step-mother?"
Nosy brat.
"None of your concern. Darling. But you," Regina descended "are a growing young woman, and I ask that you never skip a meal." She gently took hold of the little girl's chin, the image of swiftly snapping her fragile neck flashing before her eyes. "Understand?"
An oblivious smile. So warm. So bright.
So trusting.
"Yes. Thank you, step-mother."
Having properly fulfilled her role for the day, she shipped the child off for a day of reading, arithmetic, and etiquette. Now, she could work to fight another day, completely unfettered.
"Good show, dearie. Once so innocent would never recognize hatred if it stared them in the face."
"The demon returns," she muttered.
"With your silver tongue, you'll make queen for the ages."Fingers steepled, he sashayed to her workspace. Pinching his fingers at the corners of the parchment, he peered over her work. "Ah. What do we have here? Is the new queen familiarizing herseld with her kingdom? Her first day, and she's working so hard." He lifted his eyes from the scroll, his gaze locking her in place. "Could this dark one be right about you?"
Regina challenged his stare. She allowed him to witness a moment of weakness yesterday. The last time that happened her mother killed her True Love. She could never be careless again. With the demon now in her life, knowing that beings like him could exist, she had to keep her guard up at all times.
"Or," his attention returned to the list of names, "this busy bee is hoping to beat me."
Regina kept silent, aiming to appear austere.
"I'll kill some of the suspense." With a snap, the list burned to nothing. Not a cinder remained. "None of those names were correct, dearie."
Yesterday, Regina would feel crestfallen. Today, she seethed.
"And a sixty-year-old census? If I were a more vain man, I'd feel insulted.
"Don't fret, dearie. This day isn't over. When you feel you have the answer, just call for me."
Fighting to hide her disappointment, Regina's cool voice belied sarcasm and condescension. "And how am I to call you, if I don't know your name?"
The ridiculous imp stroked his chin, humming and giggling to himself. And then raised a finger high to the heavens.
"The same way you called me before, dearie. All you have to do is say... please!"
In a puff of purple smoke, he vanished, that high-pitched cackle ringing throughout the library.
The second day passed with no progress.
Nicholas, Gabriel, Gary...
Regina skipped to forty years, and attempted more obvious names.
At his summons, he left quicker than he came.
"Dearie, I'm more than a mere 'Jimmy.'"
The exotic names came next.
Adolf, Sergei, Renard...
"As fun as the name sounds, a man called 'Durza' would have a different line of work."
Francis, Malachy, Joseph - Steve!
"No, no, no, and most definitely not. You're fading fast, dearie."
The second night blurred into the third morning. As instructed, Regina joined Snow White in a riding lesson. They led the palace ponies through their paces, Regina holding her step-daughter's reins. Her mind raced through more names; names of every man she had ever known. The princess prattled on about her lessons.
"-of course everyone knows ogres are vicious. Did you know that we'd been fighting them for over two-hundred years? And back then, they were almost wiped out! Ogres would have been egg-stinct. That means gone forever.
"But then the Dark One disappeared, and we've had to deal with them on our own."
This dark one...
"Snow White!"
Startling the horses, Regina quickly pulled the reins. She stroked their manes and encouraged Snow to do the same.
"Snow White. Who is the Dark One?"
"Oh, um... He was a sorcerer. They also called him the Spinner - because he spun straw into gold. They say his magic could do anything."
Regina knew the odds were against her. The young woman's skin paled, and her hands felt clammy from lack of sleep. Desperation kept her awake all night. Her hair, usually soft and sleek, was absently twisted in a frizzy, messy bun. And lastly, the sleep deprivation made it harder to hold back her rage.
"What else did they call him, dear?" Her hand gripped her step-daughter's shoulder, her hold quickly tightening.
"Step - step-mother..."
"Snow White. Darling Snow White." Both hands holding the princess's face close to her own, Regina pleaded for what she wanted to know.
"The Reason The Sun Shines On Our Kingdom Snow White. What is the Dark One's name?"
"Step-mother - Regina - you're hurting me."
Regina knew. She could feel it in the deepest depths of her soul. She had him. And she could have her life. She could have her happily. Ever. After.
She just needed the damn girl to talk!
"Tell me the Dark One's name!"
"The sun has set. Your time is up. What do you have for me, dearie?"
Regina indulged in a soothing, celebratory glass of wine. She could prolong this moment - she had her whole life in front of her.
"I have one question. Should I pack, or will you provide everything I need?"
The demon... actually, she started to think of him as an imp - made himself comfortable on a chaise lounge, inviting her to join him.
Regina complied. No harm in letting her hair down. After this night, she would never see him again.
"Fair is still fair, dearie. My answer will depend... on your answer."
She chuckled. And relished.
"I hope you have deep coffers. Because I want marble floors and twelve stables.
"Zoso."
She stood from the chaise, facing away from the imp. And waited for the purple smoke that would whisk her away to the life of her dreams.
And waited.
And still waited.
Where was the smoke?
Laughter. Shrill laughter at her back. It started small. Just chortling peals, blossoming into loud shrieks that could only occur through wild abandon.
The bile returned.
She slowly peered over her shoulder. The imp had fallen to the floor. Only one word could describe him: Jubilance.
"My child! My sweet - sweet child! I could never be more proud! This is truly remarkable!"
He managed to stand, wobbling towards her. Clapping a hand to her shoulder, the force shook the wine glass from her frozen hand, sending the flute crashing to the floor.
"No one had ever! Never, had anyone ever come so close."
The last word wasn't accompanied by one of his giggles. It was said with calm, cruel satisfaction.
"You would have won, dearie, if I gave points for trying." He whispered in her ear. Regina couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. She could feel the tears streaming down her face, but she didn't sob, or whimper. She was suffocating. Her world fell apart. On top of her. Around her. In her.
In her. Her baby.
"I do hate to see someone fail. Especially after a hard effort. But you've lost, dearie. And when you wake up, your womb will be barren, and you will carry on as queen of the realm. Consider yourself lucky. Many people have done worse for a chance like this."
She felt him pull away, but her strength returned.
"For taking my child, will you offer me one small consolation?" She whispered so softly, she almost didn't hear herself.
"I guess there's no harm."
He started to dissolve in the purple smoke. "Name it, dearie."
Regina finally looked at him. "What is your name?"
And he vanished. But a whisper crept along the walls.
"Rumplestiltskin..."
