Enchanted Forest: Kingdom of Lunaria

Phobos Castle, 1558

Regina thought about Robin's kiss long after their brief encounter. Why would he take an interest in her, of all people? He was sure to have heard the rumors, so why didn't he fear her? A good number of her subjects did: no one was ever upfront about their feelings towards her, but she could see it in their eyes. They looked at her with trepidation, as if they expected her to run wild on a homicidal murdering spree the second anyone disagreed with her. It was insulting. Did everyone think so little of her? Her vendetta was with Snow White, not the entire kingdom.

"What has you so deep in thought, daughter?" Upon hearing Henry's voice, Regina snapped out of her reverie, turning to greet her father with a slight smile.

"Do you remember the staged robbery I told you about a few months ago?" She watched Henry ponder her question with a confused expression.

"Yes, the Locksley prince was behind it all. Why? What's the matter? Has something come up?" Regina chuckled, gliding past the older man to the small cabinet she kept hidden away in the corner of the room. It held objects related to the more nefarious aspects of her life, such as fine crystal chalices and vials of blood. The Queen selected a serving of type O blood -her favorite, but so hard to come by- for her meal and then joined her father, seated on the chaise.

"My throat was dry." Regina explained, taking a long sip of the life sustaining liquid. Henry groaned in mild disgust. He had come to terms with his daughter's condition years ago, but that didn't mean he wanted to witness it first-hand.

"Nothing's come up, I was just reflecting on that day- Robin, specifically." Henry said nothing, gesturing for her to continue.

"He wasn't afraid of me, Daddy." Regina confessed, tossing back what was left of her drink.

"I thought he had come to rob me, so I bared my fangs to him and hissed, with a fireball in my hand. He didn't even blink." The Queen ran a hand through her high set ponytail, pulling at the curls in exasperation.

"He saw the vampire me, the true me, and then proceeded to flirt with me!" Regina raised her voice and stared at her father with wide eyes.

"Can you believe he had to nerve to actually kiss me?" Her tirade ended when Henry dissolved into laughter, bracing himself against the arm of the chaise.

"I fail to see what is so humorous." The Queen grumbled as she crossed her arms in a huff.

"Do you? Oh Regina, you think so little of yourself." Henry responded, after getting his breathing under control.

"That man is a Locksley." He put extra emphasis on the name, trying to get Regina to make the connection on her own.

"What are you suggesting?" It then dawned on her. "No, that has nothing to do with it." Regina then jumped out of her chair, furiously pacing the room.

"Daddy, even if I believed in that nonsense, that doesn't negate what I am. Once he finds out that I killed the king, tore into his flesh with my fangs and bled him dry, he'd run away screaming. I know you want to believe otherwise, but there's no happiness left for me except Snow's heart on a plate."

Meanwhile: Princess Snow's bedroom, North Wing

Princess Snow was known to be considerate and kind, always seeing the inherent good in a person- something her mother taught her many years ago. Growing up in court, she was subjected to numerous rounds of meaningless gossip and chatter about this nobleman or woman, and learned quickly to take almost none of it to heart. Most of the time lords and ladies spread gossip out of boredom, and only a few times out of ten basing it on actual fact. She remembered one particularly nasty rumor about Lady Tremaine having an affair with her father that turned out to be true, which got the Duchess of Saxonia banished to nearby Aquitaine, Prince Thomas' kingdom. It was because of this behavior that Queen Eva pulled her daughter aside and taught her the importance of being truthful and well behaved.

So she didn't give much attention to the conversation going on outside her door- the guards had to keep themselves entertained one way or another. It was late, possibly around midnight, but she couldn't sleep because of the storm- thunder kept her awake. Deciding to wait out the storm, Snow pulled a book on mythology off the shelf and began to read about Hercules. About halfway though the myth a particular piece of conversation caught her attention:

"…did you hear Peter? They say Her Majesty offed the King!" Snow scoffed- the rumors really were getting out of control. Regina may have killed that man, but her father? No way.

"Where did you hear that rubbish? The official statement said it was a snakebite Michael!" Peter chuckled. "Stop listening to those old ladies' maids, you fool!"

"Here's the best part: they say she murdered him to take the throne for herself!" The two guards shared a laugh.

"Next you'll be telling me the Princess was in on it!" The conservation ended as both guards moved on to the topic of who was better in bed: Gretchen, the waitress from the Hog's Head Inn or Heidi, the blacksmith's daughter.

Snow tried to return to her book but couldn't get that rumor out of her head, because there was a chance, however small, that it was true. Snow was one of the few in the castle that knew about Regina's…issue, and therefore couldn't dismiss the rumor entirely. If Regina did murder her father, then it could have been an accident- maybe Leopold cut himself, and Regina lost control. It wouldn't excuse regicide, but at least Snow would understand why. Maybe she should go ask Regina and clear things up. No time like the present- with the storm still raging outside there was no way she would be sleeping anytime soon.

Mind made up, Snow took the candlestick from her bedside and began the short walk down the corridor to Regina's chambers. She lived on the same wing as her stepmother, and as such it would only take a few minutes to reach the Queen's door. However, she only got about halfway when she was approached by a dark figure in a hood, who pulled her swiftly into an empty guest room before she could protest.

"Remove your hand from me this instant!" Snow exclaimed, not liking being taken by surprise. The hooded figure obliged, removing his cloak as he did so.

"King Henry!" Snow gasped, shocked, "Is something wrong?" Usually Snow didn't have any contact with Regina's father unless Regina was out of the castle dealing with foreign affairs.

"Indeed, and it concerns your safety." He made sure the door was closed before continuing in a whisper.

"The rumors are true; Regina did kill your father." Snow inhaled sharply, but let him continue.

"From what she told me, the King made some advances on her that were unwanted, and that led him to discover her true nature. To keep her identity a secret, she killed him." Snow was horrified, but she had to know:

"Did she feed from him? Is that what they called a snakebite?" Henry nodded, causing Snow to take a few steps backward. So it wasn't an accident like she had hoped: Regina had killed her father for selfish reasons.

"And she wants to kill you for causing Daniel to leave her, wants your heart to be precise." The King added, only increasing the Princess' panic attack.

"So you've come to warn me, is that it?" Snow was trying hard to control her breathing, but the news was overwhelming.

"Well, I thank you for that, but this can't go unpunished! Killing the King is treason! What do you except me to do, keep quiet on this?" She began pacing the small room, running her fingers through her messy hair.

"The logical thing to do would be to come forward with the truth. The people deserve to know what their queen really is, before she kills anyone else!" At the end of her tirade King Henry stepped forward, grabbing Snow by her shoulders.

"You can't, Princess, I beg of you! She'll be burned at the stake!" The older man was begging for his daughter's life to a sixteen-year-old. Snow found that comical in an odd sort of way.

"I understand that she's your daughter, and that you love her, but she still murdered my father! Is there any way you convince me to stay quiet?"

"It's a tough situation, but I'm trying to get a hold on it. Just before I came to find you, I had a talk with my daughter where she told me everything. I then tried to persuade her that killing you would make the court suspicious. Your father's death we passed off as an accident, but if you die three short years after him then that will raise some eyebrows, as you are the only heir. Then those rumors will not stay just rumors, I told her." Henry's logic made sense to Snow, as of course the court would suspect foul play if she were to end up mysteriously dead.

"Did she agree then? Is she going to stop this madness?" Henry shook his head, meeting her gaze with a solemn expression.

"Then I can't stay here." Snow concluded, Henry humming in agreement.

"That's what I thought as well. You're not safe in this castle as long as Regina wants your heart. In return for your silence about my daughter's condition I will assist you in your escape. Tonight."

"Tonight? It's almost one in the morning!"

"With Regina slowly becoming unstable, thanks to that…imp, the sooner we can get you out of the kingdom the better." Snow couldn't argue with that, so she agreed to his proposal, planning to meet the King in an hour at the main gate with as many of her possessions as she could carry.

That turned out to be easier said than done. Snow had many heirlooms that she wanted to take with her: her entire jewelry collection (could be used for bartering if she needed to), some books, enough clothes to last a few months, and her mother's silver hand mirror. It was a lot to fit in one sack, but she somehow managed it with ten minutes to spare. It took her some time to reach the gate, in order to make sure she wasn't seen, but she appeared to be successful. Breathing a sigh of relief, she chose to wait for Henry near the stables, wrapping her traveling cloak further around her shoulders as the storm continued to rage.

"Did anyone see you?" Henry whispered as he approached, stable hand in tow.

"No, I don't think so. Regina definitely didn't." Snow's confirmation seemed to relax the older man, as he motioned for the stable hand to ready two horses.

"Good. This is Joseph, he will escort you to the edge of the Dark Forest, where I've arranged for Gemma Lucas to take you in for the time being." Henry helped the princess mount the horse, patting her on the back.

"Stay safe, Snow White. I can never repay you for what you've done for my daughter." Snow smiled in return, eternally grateful to the King for his assistance.

"I will, sir. Thank you for all you've risked for me." Snow clicked her heels, causing the horse to walk into the pouring rain.

"And don't give up on Regina, there's still good in her!" With a slight smile and a nod from Henry, Snow and the stable hand rode away from the castle and out of his sight.

"Forgive me, mi cara." Henry muttered to himself, disappearing back inside the castle walls before Regina noticed his absence.

The next morning, when Regina discovered that the Princess was missing, the castle was suddenly in need of new guards: five exsanguinated bodies were mysteriously discovered with identical puncture wounds on their necks.

Enchanted Forest: Kingdom of Lunaria

Ravenswood Manor, 1558

To say that Regina had been displeased to find out that Princess Snow fled the castle in the middle of the night would be an understatement. Come daybreak, several hours after Snow had made her escape, Regina was on her way to meet with the council to discuss the day's schedule. She expected full backlash on her decision to dissolve Snow's marriage contract, and was prepared to shut down any dissent, but that wasn't what greeted her in the state room. Instead, she discovered that the insufferable princess was missing.

After hurling accusations at each and every guard on duty the night before, even feeding on some of them in her anger, the Queen stormed off in a blazing temper to her father's chambers. When she interrogated him, he appeared shocked and surprised at the news, his reaction genuine enough that she believed him outright. Before Henry could attempt to comfort her, she disappeared in a swirl of purple smoke, seeking out the only other person she could trust: Rumplestiltskin.

She materialized, as she always did, in the large foyer of Ravenswood Manor. Like the rest of the manor, Rumplestiltskin's entrance hall was grand. The walls, support columns, and archways were made of grey marble and accented with gold foil. The floor was designed to match, with a border of black and gold marble in the Hellenistic design. Having a flair for the dramatic, her mentor had an elaborate iron portcullis guarding the main doors and multiple standing candelabras and chandeliers. Not as taken with the architecture this time around, Regina glided towards the staircase at south end of the foyer, heels clicking on cold stone. She didn't slow her pace until she reached her intended destination of the great hall, where Rumplestiltskin spent a majority of his time.

"Did you know about this?" Regina shouted, not bothering with pleasantries. She didn't even need to elaborate on most occasions, as her mentor always seemed to know what she was referring to.

"Your missing Princess? Found out last night, dearie!" He answered from the spinning wheel in the corner, continuing to work the gold threads with his fingers.

"And you neglected to inform me immediately? We don't sleep, I would have gotten your message!" The Queen walked over to the lit fireplace in an attempt to calm herself by staring at the flames. Rumplestiltskin would be furious with her if she started to toss around his priceless magical artifacts.

"There was no need, she would have escaped either way. I foresaw it." The Dark One stopped his actions at the wheel and took a seat at the banquet table in the center of the hall, crossing his hands.

"You want to know what I can do for you." He surmised, watching her with a sort of smug satisfaction as she turned to face him.

"I need you to find the girl for me! Use one of your location spells!" Regina reached up and tore the opal necklace she was wearing from her neck. "This belonged to her." She then threw the pendant down in front of him like it burned her.

Rumplestiltskin chuckled, picking up the discarded jewel. "I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, this never belonged to Princess Snow, not truly. Its original owner was Queen Eva."

With a growl, Regina snatched the pendant out of the air and threw it into the fireplace.

"She's deep into the Dark Forest by now, and out of your hair. I wouldn't worry about it just yet."

"What? Just let her go?" In another flash of anger, the Queen's sharp nails swiped across the mantle, leaving scratches in the marble.

"I didn't say that." The Dark One left his chair and made Regina sit in it instead. "Let's wait a while. See where your people's loyalties lie." Regina said nothing, pondering his words as he ran his hands up and down her arms, nuzzling her neck to win her affections. It was all a part of his plan: The Queen had to think he would cater to her every whim, that he was her willing servant, when in fact it was the other way around.

"And see which villages rise to support her." Regina concluded, reaching a hand up to run her fingers through his hair.

"Exactly. That way you'll know which ones to burn." Rumplestiltskin stepped away to bring her a crystal goblet full of blood, noticing she had worked herself into quite the thirst.

"Remember, fear can be an effective tool for getting what you want." He had conveniently left out the fact that these villages in her kingdom, mainly Shadowfall, Crescentwood, and Moonstone, put a bounty on his head in the past.

He was turned during a time where humans were very wary of vampires, werewolves, and the like, thanks to Dracula's activity in the area. He was careless in his first few years and was seen feeding in one of the villages. Naturally, there was a movement to put his head on a spike, and he was forced to retire to Ravenswood until the craze died down. It took a few decades, but vampirism returned to a thing of myth along with ghouls and goblins. But the Dark One wasn't the type to let bygones be bygones. He was going to exact revenge on these villages, and Regina was going to help him do it. With the Queen under his control, Lunaria would be his entirely.

After a few minutes of silence, Regina returned the now empty goblet to the serving tray and stood up.

"If I am going to be feared, I'll need a huntsman to round up any rebels and those harboring information on Snow's whereabouts." The Queen walked over to one of the many bookcases, searching for a tome on mercenaries in the kingdom, as she knew her mentor kept records of that sort of thing.

"But I have no need of an incompetent fool. I need someone skilled and obedient." Regina let the statement hang in the air, expecting the Dark One to have someone in mind, and sure enough he did.

"Might I suggest visiting the Kingdom of Polaris, then? Prince Robert of Sherwood has under his command a band of such people that he calls the Merry Men. Together they act as vigilantes, targeting the corrupt and tyrannical. They've been harassing the Sheriff of Nottingham for years, undercover of course."

Regina suppressed a gasp, not wanting to give her mentor anything he could use against her, but Sherwood? His suggestion was logically sound, but it seemed suspicious after her encounter with Prince Robin, her supposed soul mate. Was this Prince Robert his brother?

"And you're confident in this band of Merry Men?"

"Completely. They will be more than satisfactory. Especially Robert, he might be the huntsman you're looking for." Regina hummed, making up her mind to see them for herself.

"Well then it's decided. I'll set out for Sherwood in a week's time." Rumplestiltskin giggled, walking her to the door of the great hall.

"Do report back, dearie. Possibly during one of your lessons?" The Queen nodded, choosing then to disappear in magical smoke, leaving the Dark One absolutely beside himself with glee. He was going to use this Locksley fellow to remove any lingering notions of love from the Queen's quickly darkening heart.