There were fewer people around the Winter Palace then when she had lived here, but there were a few familiar faces. Servants and groomsman. She stayed out of the audience chambers and away from public view but a castle runs on gossip and the return of the princess was quite a powerful piece of gossip.

Regina had said nothing at breakfast and disappeared to state business after the meal. Snow couldn't remember her father doing as much of this himself but she supposed that if Regina were anywhere near as violent within the castle walls as she was outside them it would be hard to keep good managers and administrators.

Snow settled herself in the library in the afternoon and read until candles were required. Allowing herself ever so briefly to forget the sense of unease about where she was and what had happened the night before. She was in the Evil Queen's castle and she'd slept the night in the queen's bed. She'd kissed Regina. And despite what rumors there might be about the darkness of the queen it had been Snow and not Regina who had initiated the kiss.

It had been insanity, she knew, but it felt in that moment that if she didn't try she'd never know. Never know if the pixie dust was right. If some cruel twist of fate had driven her into Regina's path when she was a child and forced her to watch her soulmate waste away into darkness without ever knowing. It wasn't that she wasn't aware of the danger she was in the longer she stayed. It terrified her every time she heard the noise of a castle guardsman clanking around in his armor. But it seemed more like if she ran now she wasn't just running for her life but away from her one chance to live.

She felt the eyes on her from behind.

"If you insist on staying at least bathe tonight Snow, you reek of forest and sweet and I don't want to know when the last time you ran a brush through your hair was."

"Rather hard to get my forty brushes in when I'm running from my life from a murderous queen."

Regina grunted. "You may stay tonight but know that if you are here in the morning I may kill you."

Snow smiled, "Well, I could quip about how charming you are Regina, but you stink and I might kill you tomorrow is actually a step up."

Regina grunted, rolled her eyes and left.

The bath at least was glorious. She hadn't one in actual hot water since the morning she left to walk with the Queen's huntsman and for a moment she thought even if Regina did kill her in the morning it was worth it.

When she finally left the tub after the water had gone tepid she found a young servant girl laying out a night dress on her bed.

"I'm sorry...?" Snow asked, unsure if she was interrupting or if the servant was interrupting her. And the thought itself made her smile remembering what a little brat she'd been as a child with so many expectations of her rights as a princess.

"Her Majesty ordered that I should attend to you and brush out your hair."

Snow touched her hair, she'd taken a brush to it after Regina. She smiled, "Her Majesty says to tell you that if you won't let me do it she'll burn the hair off your head and you can start from scratch. I wouldn't test her. I think she was joking but it's impossible to tell with the Queen."

"I'm sure Regina would love to set my head on fire so let's not give her the excuse," Snow said surprisingly amused. The servant girl winced. "Is something wrong?"

"I've just never heard anyone call her by her name like that."

Snow smiled, "I knew Regina long before she was a terrifying sorceress or a queen. What's your name?"

The girl was surprised as she began running the brush through Snow's hair, "Marissa. I'm the Queen's lady's maid but she doesn't have much need of me. She dresses herself and the valet normally attends her hair.

"Her father?"

She shrugged.

"Do you like serving in the castle?"

She hesitated. "I ... it's a better place than I was."

That was not an answer she expected. Especially not when it sounded like the girl was afraid of Regina.

The girl shrugged, "My family was going loose our farm, and my parents sold me to an innkeeper so that they could keep my younger siblings. He was... not a good man. The Queen visited the town and ... I don't know how she knew but the next thing I knew he was dead on the floor and me and three other girls were working at the castle."

"And you aren't afraid?"

She shrugged, "Of course I am. I've seen what Her Majesty does. But I've seen what men do and at least she's doesn't pretend she is anything but a monster."

Snow was quiet. "She used to... pretend a lot."

Marissa shrugged, "I think this is as best I can do without stripping the oil from your hair, m'lady. We'll try again tomorrow perhaps."

"If the queen doesn't kill me tomorrow."

The serving girl smiled, "That's how everyone in the castle thinks, m'lady. You get used to it."

Snow wasn't sure if she was comforted or horrified at the casual way this girl spoke about death. How could you ever be comfortable with the idea that you might be killed at any time. She'd certainly had the feeling of death at her heels but living with it?

But she remembered the kiss the night before and the judgment rang false and she was ashamed. Still she dressed in the night dress laid out for her and crawled under the sheets wondering just how foolish she was or if she could ever be like that girl, comfortable with the idea that Regina might do as she said and perhaps kill her tomorrow.

She was almost asleep when she felt someone crawl into bed with her, the body warmth pleasant even under the thick blankets in the cold night. She knew who it was from the perfume. Regina wrapped an arm around her and curled up tight holding her through the night without saying a word.

When Snow woke the next morning the Queen was gone.