Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing associated with Once Upon a Time, Marvel, or Grimm's Fairy Tales. Only original characters and ideas are mine.
AN: Finally; Drina and Snow reunite…again! Plus, we've got this story's version of Steve Rogers and his back-story, so please enjoy the chapter, and please don't forget to review. Thanks!
Chapter 4: Reunions and Introductions:
Looking out the window of the carriage, I felt my heart rise up into my throat. My nervousness had increased over the past few hours, and far outstripped the nerves I'd felt the last time I'd made a similar journey, decades before.
'Hard to believe it's been that long,' I thought wistfully. The growth all around the carriage was plainly much wilder and larger, a testimony to the time that had passed.
In my pocket was the letter Snow had written to me, along with a message from Papa. Snow had insisted that I come to the coronation, and said that she hoped to find a way to help me with the curse that burdened me so. Papa agreed with her, and had asked that I come to the palace because it might do me some good.
Grandmama had been thrilled when I told her, and helped me pack for what promised to be a very long stay at what had once been my childhood home. When it was finally time for me to leave, she pressed a small pouch into my hand, a tearful smile on her face.
"I don't know when we will see each other again, Drina my dearest," she whispered, holding my hands tightly before I got into the carriage. "So, I want you to have this, and keep it close. Know that I love you, and I'm proud of the woman you've become."
We were out of Foxglove before I opened the pouch. Inside were two sets of miniature portraits: one of each of my parents, and another of my grandmother. I have no idea where she had managed to obtain them on such short notice, but I was thankful to have them.
The whole journey to Snow and David's palace, I was so nervous and frightened that I felt sick to my stomach. I ate little, and slept as much as possible in my swan form, so that I would be able to greet my friend as a human. Such a journey threw me off balance at first, but I quickly got used to it.
And now here we were, pulling up to a set of familiar gates that I never expected to see again. 'Oh, gosh, I think I'm going to be sick.'
"I think I'm going to be sick," Snow whispered to her husband as she looked anxiously at the main gate, waiting for Drina's approaching carriage.
A messenger who had been keeping watch on the road had arrived yesterday, with word that Drina's carriage would be arriving today. But long before that, Snow had done everything possible to ready the palace for her friend's stay. A beautiful set of rooms had been prepared, stocked with everything a woman might need, from clothing to several large bouquets of freshly picked flowers. Snow hadn't forgotten her old friend's love of reading, and had taken care to choose a suite with space for numerous bookshelves –that room now housed more than one hundred books, all of them a gift from Snow and David.
"Don't worry," her husband whispered. "I'm sure she's as nervous as you are."
Snow nodded as she watched the carriage approach. Beside her, Lord Richard kept his arms around his wife, both of them staring in the direction of the road. On Snow's opposite side was David, followed by Emma and Henry. Neal was not present, however, and Snow wished he'd stayed instead of going with Belle to prepare a private funeral for his father.
Both Neal and Belle had been heartbroken when Rumplestiltskin had given his own life to save everyone in Storybrooke from Peter Pan. But their arrival back in the Enchanted Forest, as well as their battles with the Wicked Witch, had been just the distraction they needed. Neal had led many fights against the Witch's armed forces, including her winged monkeys, and Belle's research had provided the information needed to defeat the Witch herself, once and for all.
Now that the Zelena was dead, however, it was time for them to get closure. The only way Neal felt that could happen was with a funeral attended by him and Belle, the two people who had loved Rumplestiltskin the most. Emma had wanted to go, too, as well as Henry, but Neal had talked them out of it.
"To me, he was a father," Neal explained. "To Belle, he was her True Love. But to everyone else, he was The Dark One. I don't want him to be remembered that way; I want him to be remembered as the good man he had been, and the person that he could have been. I want him remembered as a hero, for what he did in defeating Pan."
So Emma and Henry had stayed behind. They were clearly upset about it, but with Drina coming, it would give them a much-needed distraction.
The carriage rattled up into the courtyard, and slowly came to a stop. Snow held her breath as the coachman rushed to fold down the step and open the door. Drina's head carefully peeked out, her face giving away a nervousness that Snow matched with her own.
When she saw who stood on the steps leading up to the castle, Drina smiled. Her parents immediately rushed forward to embrace her, the three of them exchanging a few whispers of greeting before pulling apart. Then, Drina's eyes caught Snow's, and the two slowly moved towards each other.
All was quiet as the two of them stared awkwardly at one another. Finally, David moved forward and heartily greeted her with a tight hug and warm words of welcome. The tension broken, Snow playfully pushed him aside so that she could finally embrace her old friend.
For the first time in decades, Snow felt herself wrapped in the warm, comforting arms of the woman she considered her sister. Drina had always had a way of making her feel safe, and it was wonderful to be together again after so many years.
"I missed you," Snow whispered, closing her eyes as Drina's fingers combed through her hair.
"I missed you, too," Drina quietly replied. "It's not fair, that it seems that we've spent more time apart than together."
Laughing a little, Snow pulled back so that she could look at Drina's face. It was un-aged, for the most part –there were little creases in the corners of Drina's eyes and mouth, probably from all of the unhappiness she'd been through in life. Snow was determined to help change that –Drina deserved a happy ending.
"I want you to meet someone special," Snow told her, turning to motion Emma to come close. "Drina, this is my daughter Emma…and your goddaughter."
My breath caught in my throat as I took a step towards the young woman before me. Observing her through a crystal orb was one thing –meeting her in person was something else entirely.
Even though she looked the same age as me, Emma had the air of someone who had seen and experienced more in her life than anyone could imagine. But being Snow's daughter, I knew that she had to have a strong spirit, and that she would pull through anything life threw at her.
Smiling at the nervous woman, I reached out and gently took her hands. "I never got to see you when you were a baby," I said, my voice quiet. "I did send a blanket I'd made, but I don't know if your parents even got before the Curse was cast."
Emma's eyes went wide. "Wait, you made my baby blanket?"
A flutter of excitement went through me. "You did get it, then?" I asked, looking over at Snow. "I'd hoped you did, but given the chaos going on, I wasn't sure."
Snow gave us both a sad smile. "We got it the day before Emma was born. I wrapped her in it after I gave birth, so that she would have something of our world." She forced her sadness aside and came over to wrap an arm around my shoulders. "But we'll catch up on everything later. Right now, I want to introduce you to my grandson."
I hadn't even noticed the dark-haired boy standing behind Emma. He had a face that was so lit up with excitement and joy that I couldn't help but smile at him. "Hello," I greeted him. "I'm Drina."
"Henry Mills," he said, holding out a hand. When I took it, he lifted it in a gentle up-and-down motion. I took it to be a greeting from the other world, and returned the gesture.
His last name caught in my mind. "Mills?" I asked, looking over at Snow.
"It was Regina's last name, in the other land," she explained. "She adopted Henry when he was a baby."
I sensed a rather long story behind that sentence, but I was willing to wait. Right now, I was content to meet my goddaughter and her son, and get to know them. It was something I'd been waiting thirty years for, after all.
Snow was quick to usher us into the castle, where some footmen led us to the dining hall. There, a large meal had been laid on a banquet table set with places for seven. David asked for us all to sit, and once we had done so, we helped ourselves to the food and began trading stories.
First, Mama and Papa told them about Foxglove, starting with the raising of The Barrier and stopping at the moment of their arrival for Snow and David's coronation. When they finished, I told everyone about my magic lessons with Grandmama, my life under The Barrier, and how I was managing life, living under a curse.
While I talked, I also answered Henry's numerous questions about magic. He wanted to know all about my lessons, and what it was like being someone who changed shape, whether I willed it or not. Emma tried to hush him once or twice, but I didn't mind it much. He was a delightful boy, and full of curiosity –I could hardly fault him for wanting to know more about magic, when he'd lived in a world that was void of it.
"So, the only way to break your curse is with True Love's Kiss, right?" Henry asked as he reached for a goblet of fruit juice. "I guess if Grandma and Grandpa hold a ball or something, you'll find him. It worked for Cinderella, didn't it?"
Now, everyone, including us at Foxglove, had heard about the infamous Cinderella, and how she'd managed to find True Love after only one night of dancing with Prince Thomas. However, even I knew that the odds of finding True Love at a ball, of all places, were incredibly rare. But I didn't want to stomp on Henry's dream of saving me, so I said nothing.
"I'm afraid it's going to be a bit more complicated than that, Henry," David told him. "True Love is rarer than you think."
"But that doesn't me we shouldn't try," Snow said, throwing her husband a glare. "We'll do everything possible to help Drina. Won't we, David? Emma?"
Both her husband and daughter nodded. "We'll have The Blue Fairy come take a look at you as soon as possible," David said, looking thoughtful. "It's too bad Rumplestiltskin is dead; he'd be helpful with something like this."
The fork in my hand dropped with a clatter onto my plate. "The Dark One is dead?" I gasped, looking at my parents, who appeared just as surprised. "How?"
Snow exchanged uneasy looks with her family members. "It's a long story. Let's just say that he gave his life, so that others could live. In the end, he managed to redeem himself."
Rather than let out a stream of questions, I swallowed them down as I struggled to get a hold of my tangled mess of emotions. I would talk to Snow about all of this at a later time.
By now, everyone was full from their meal, and Snow suggested that I get some rest before we sat down to exchange more tales about had happened over the years. Since my journey had been long, I was fairly tired, and agreed with her.
"I had the Blue Room prepared for you," she said as she led me through the corridors. "You know; the one near the Royal Quarters?"
Yes, I remembered. It had been my favorite suite of rooms in the palace, but I'd been forbidden from staying inside them more than a few minutes. When I was a child, Papa had said it was reserved for important visitors, like ambassadors or royalty from other kingdoms, and he'd been afraid that I might break something valuable.
Now, the doors stood open for me to use.
The room was as beautiful as I remembered. The walls were a deep blue that made the room feel comfortable and soothing. Silver designs ran along the edges of the walls, ceiling, and floor, adding a touch of elegance to the space. The ceiling had many stars painted on it in white and silver, while the walls had drapes of shimmering, dark grey fabric so sheer, it looked like a cloud of stars against the dark blue walls behind it.
The bed was a white wood frame, the mattress draped in blue-and-violet materials trimmed with silver-white lace. There was no canopy over it, but the large wood posts had bed-curtains to block out light. To match the bed frame, the rest of the furniture was a strong, white wood that, in the evening twilight of the room, appeared to glow with magic.
There was one massive difference that had been made to the room, however. When I had last seen it, many years ago, the walls had been decorated with paintings of fields or flowers; now, they had bookshelves that had been filled with texts, more than I could hope to read for years. I knew Snow had done this for me.
"Oh, Snow," I breathed, walking towards the shelves. "You didn't have to do this!"
"I wanted to, because I knew it would make you happy," she said from behind me. "If it makes you feel better, though, consider it as a way for us making up for all of your missed birthdays."
Laughing, I turned and ran to hug her. "You're wonderful," I whispered, holding her tightly.
A soft sniff sounded in my ear, and I knew she was holding back tears. "Why don't you get some rest, and we can have a quiet evening together with both our families," she said, pulling back. "Come down when you're ready."
In minutes, I was alone and settling into the soft bed, my mind going blank as I tucked my head under my wing and went to sleep.
Looking up from his pile of documents, David saw his beloved wife slip into the room. "Is she doing alright?" he asked, concerned at his wife's expression. "Is she resting?"
Snow nodded and rubbed her head with her fingers. "I wish I knew why Cora had done this to her. Was it out of revenge of some kind? I don't remember the two encountering one another very much, but if Drina's parents had upset Cora, then that could explain it. But they never did, as far as I know."
David decided not to push the issue, and instead move on to a different one. "There's someone I'd like you to meet."
Reaching out, he pulled on a length of silver rope next to his chair, summoning the man waiting outside. The door to David's study opened, and in walked his cousin, Stephen Rogers.
The two men could almost be brothers, at least in looks. Like David, Steve was tall, blonde, blue-eyed, and (according to many women) a very handsome face.
But while David was slim and muscular, Steve was broad in the shoulders, his frame tapering down towards the waist. But their different physical traits suited their fighting styles: David was excellent with blades, such as knives and swords, and was quick on his feet.
Meanwhile, Steve was built like a knight, and sometimes fought like one, using his round shield as a weapon while simultaneously protecting himself. Even though he was quite strong, strength wasn't everything; as such, he was also quite adept at hand-to-hand combat, as well as being quick on his feet. Steve also knew how to use a sword and knives, and how to fight atop a horse. He could also use anything at hand as a weapon, and was very skilled at jousting, though wasn't something he enjoyed. But if there were tournaments, he would enter, since it was expected of knights to do so.
But he was also a good man, as well as modest; a trait that came from his humble background.
Steve's mother, Sarah, had been the much younger sister of David's mother, Ruth. But unlike Ruth, Sarah had married into a higher station. Joseph Rogers had been a well-off merchant who'd happened upon the pretty Sarah in a marketplace, and the two had fallen in love quickly. Not long after, they were married, and Steve was born.
Even though Steve had been the son of a rich merchant, his life had not gone well. His parents had both died of an illness when he'd been five years old, and no one in the town had known about Sarah's humble background, and so everyone had assumed that Steve had no family living. The orphaned boy had been terrified of being left on the streets, and would have, it a kind man hadn't taken pity on him.
A blacksmith friend of Joseph's had feared for Steve's future, and decided to take the boy in, raising him as one of his own children. From working in the smithy, the youngster soon developed muscles from pumping the billows and hauling heavy tools. When the local lord saw young Steve hard at work, he immediately asked that the boy come to the castle and train to become a knight.
Steve had been reluctant to leave his new family, but his foster father, Abraham, had insisted that he go, saying that it would provide a better life for him, and that he would be able to do good things for others. The thought of helping those who could not defend themselves appealed to Steve, so he'd left, swearing that he would do whatever he could to protect those who needed it.
For years, Steve trained as hard as he could to become a good knight. He studied battle strategies, deductions, weaponry, and practicing fighting on horseback. He also read every book that he could get his hands on, to figure out how to survive in the wild and how to treat battle wounds using whatever herbs and tools he had on hand. When he'd memorized those, he moved on to books about other kingdoms, their people and their creatures.
Some of his fellow pages and squires had thought him foolish for pouring over books when he'd usually be living in a saddle. Steve, however, knew that knowledge was important, and he wanted to get as much of it as possible. He always felt it was best to be prepared, and what better way to be prepared than to have information that could be useful?
Nearly ten years after his efforts began, Steve was knighted. In the audience was his foster family, watching proudly as the great honor was bestowed up him. After the ceremony, Abraham presented his son with a shield that he had crafted as a gift; that shield was the one Steve now bore as his signature weapon.
Although most knights had shields that were long and more of a rectangular shape, Steve's was round, with a large 5-pointed star in the center, ringed in white and red circles. It was lighter and stronger than any other shield in the kingdoms, but what made it truly unique was that, no matter where it was thrown, it always returned to Steve's hands. No one knew how Abraham had constructed it, but most suspected that he'd asked a good witch or the Fairies for help in protecting his foster son.
Not only that, but the lord had seen the fine quality of the shield, and Abraham was immediately given a promising position as His Lordship's blacksmith, which secured the family's future.
Not long after Steve was knighted, the new owner of the Rogers' home located a trunk that had belonged to Sarah, and had given it to Abraham to go through. In the bottom was a journal, and in it, Abraham discovered that Steve might have family still out in the world. He immediately told Steve, who was stunned at the news.
However, Steve was also excited at the prospect of having relatives, and decided to try locating his late mother's family. Everyone knew that Joseph had been an only child, with no relatives living, but Sarah's journal spoke about a sister who had married a shepherd, and lived in a nearby kingdom. Now that he was a knight, Steve decided to go in search of both adventure and family.
By then, however, David had long left his farm, and been taken as a stand-in for Prince James, his twin brother. He had also, by then, wooed Snow, married her, and was leading a rebellion against King George and Regina, the Evil Queen.
After much questioning, it didn't take long for Steve to find out what happened to his mother's family. The moment he heard about David's situation, Steve rode to his camp, where he introduced himself as his cousin.
The two cousins spent several evenings catching up. During that time, Steve discovered that his Aunt Ruth was dead, an innocent casualty of King George's senseless war against David. Angered at the news, Steve offered his services as a knight. David happily accepted his cousin into his army, and with Snow White at his side, the three began planning their attacks.
It took months filled with battles before David and Snow's forces emerged triumphant. Through it all, Steve stuck by their side, protecting them from potential assassins and fighting off enemy troops that got too close to them.
Though he wouldn't admit it to Snow, there'd been times when David felt that, if Steve hadn't been there, either he or Snow might have been hurt or killed.
Once they'd won the wars against King George and Regina, Steve decided that he needed to go back to trying to help others. Both men had been sad to lose the last bit of family he had left in the world, but Steve had a noble heart and a calling that David refused to deny him. As a parting gift, David had a permanent place made for him at court: head of the royal guards. If Steve decided to come back, the role would be waiting for him, no questions asked.
As it happened, when the curse was cast, Steve had been one of the few left behind and frozen in place. Twenty-eight years later, when the Curse was broken and he was finally freed, Steve spent months searching for word about his cousin. He quickly discovered that many of the inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest had been whisked away, leaving behind an overgrown, ruined kingdom. Steve found that hard to stomach, so he went on his way again, offering aid where it was needed and fighting many beasts and creatures along the way.
Eventually, he found himself in the kingdom of Prince Philip and Princess Aurora. They were thrilled to have a knight such as him in their realm, and asked if he would help them get rid of the Ogres that were overrunning the land. Steve agreed, and served them faithfully. Even when he discovered they were forced to do the bidding of the Wicked Witch, he knew that they were in a tough position; with Aurora pregnant, the two young soon-to-be parents had been unwilling to jeopardize the life of their child. Rather than be judgmental, Steve had been understanding, and done what he could to help them with their war against the Ogres.
By the time David, Snow and their people returned to their world, Steve had become a well-known and respected warrior known for his good heart and kindness to everyone, noble and commoner alike. When he heard that his cousin had returned and was going to do everything possible to take back his kingdom, Steve suggested to Philip that an alliance between the realms was a good idea. Philip reluctantly agreed, and the two lands joined forces in order to defeat the Witch.
Now that peace was restored and the Witch dead, David very much wanted Steve close-at-hand. He needed someone he could trust to protect the royal family, especially young Henry –the boy was, after all, a prince, and was undoubtedly going to play a vital role in the kingdom's future. David fully intended on having the best guards surrounding his grandson, whether Henry liked it or not.
Standing before the desk, the tall knight nodded in respect to Snow, then to David, who smiled and waved towards a chair. "Sit down, Steve," he said.
Steve did so, even going so far as to lean back a little and relax a bit. "I heard the coronation is going to be soon, now that an important visitor has arrived," he commented as Snow poured him a glass of wine. "Are you putting me on guard detail?"
David shook his head. "No, that's not it. I actually want you to choose guards for my grandson. That kid has an insatiable curiosity about our land, and tends to go poking around to find answers to his questions. Someday, he's going to ask the wrong person the wrong question, and then things will turn really ugly, really fast."
For a moment, Steve was thoughtful as he considered the matter. When he finally spoke, his words surprised both David and Snow. "I'll do it. I'll take charge of the boy's protection myself, as his own personal guard."
"But I want you in charge of the whole Royal Guard," David protested, looking over at his wife, who nodded her agreement. "You'll do more good there."
Steve shrugged. "It's what I'd prefer. Your grandson is a nice boy, but you're right about him getting into trouble. Besides, it makes me feel better, knowing that I'm able to keep a close watch on him."
It was hard to argue with that. And it might be for the best, since Steve would do everything possible to keep Henry safe.
"Alright, then," Snow said, smiling in relief. "Oh, we'll also be assigning Henry a tutor, to help him learn and understand our land. I hope that you'll all get along, if you're going to be spending a lot of time together in the future."
Steve smiled. "I'm sure we will. But right now, I have a few things I need to get done before your coronation. May I take my leave?"
At their nod, he stood, bowed, and left. After he was gone, David turned towards Snow. "Don't you think you should have spoken to Drina about being a tutor to Henry first? I know you wanted her here for the coronation, and invited her to stay as a guest until we found a way to break her curse, but I know you didn't ask her to be Henry's teacher."
"It would be too much, too soon," Snow replied, smiling slightly. "I hope to do it after she's had a bit of wine and is easier to persuade. Besides, a new position will give her something to do, and another person to focus on."
David wasn't going to argue with her just now; he'd simply have to stand by and prevent any fireworks that might happen later. It was a skill he had spent a lot of time perfecting, and was no doubt going to be needed in the near future.
AN: Review?