She walked towards the dining hall, smelling the warm aroma of freshly cooked breakfast, so much so, that her mouth began to water just by the scent. She walked in and found servants placing bowls of breakfast along the grand table, as Snow took her seat at the end of it.

"And here is your breakfast your Majesty-eggs with fresh fruit, porridge and some delightful croissants. A good breakfast to get the day started." Emily said, as she set the bowl in front of the Queen.

"Thank you Emily. It looks quite delicious. I just have one question."

"Anything, your Majesty." Emily said as she reached over for the milk sitting across the table.

"Do you know where Eric is? I mean the injured man the two travelling villagers brought yesterday?"

"Oh, he is in the infirmary. He seemed to have taken a nasty fall. Nurse wanted him to rest and check on his wounds."

Snow was somewhat relieved, as she was hoping he hadn't deserted her completely, as she wanted to discuss their moment last night in his room. She hoped he would stay long enough for her to get the chance. She knew if he were able to move on his own though, that chance would diminish by the minute.

"Quite stubborn, isn't he?" Snow said, biting into her croissant. Emily just smiled and poured the milk into a chalice for the Queen. "Maybe so, but you have other things to worry about. You have a meeting with a noblemen in the garden after you finish your meal."

"Alright, I'll be right there. Thank you Emily." Emily left and Snow was left in absolute silence, thinking of Eric and what she would say if she got the chance to speak to him.

The smell of the fragrant red roses loomed in the garden as they dazzled in the sun's golden light, sparkling like rubies along the garden wall. Snow walked out, in an elegant green dress, gazing at the scenic view before her. She was mesmerized by the crystal blue waves as they crashed against the blackish rocks beneath the castle.

"I never thought I'd see something more beautiful than a sunrise, until I see you standing before it." A familiar voice said behind her. She lashed around and she saw William standing by her, smiling as her eyes fixed on him.

"William!" She exclaimed as she ran into his arms and held onto his neck as he swung around her around in a romantic stride. He gently let her down as she rested her hands in his, taking in the sparkle of his chocolate brown eyes.

"I thought I was having a meeting with a nobleman." She asked.

"And I'm not a noble man?" William joked.

"I just thought you were in a conference with the Councilman in the East Kingdom for another week?"

"I was, but we came to an agreement faster than I expected. Now we have more time to spend together before I go to attend to anymore meetings." He said as he caressed her cheek with his hand. She just looked at him, feeling anxious around him, as he was another complicated factor affecting her relationship with Eric. If there even was a relationship.

He kissed her gently, and she felt magical from his sweet kiss, feeling his love in every touch. But she was still troubled and confused, desperately hoping for something to take her mind off her romantic drama.

Suddenly, the couple could hear shouting, as a guard dashed across the garden to them. He tried to catch his breath as he finally approached them. "Your Majesty, there is grave news. The griffin, it spotted the bird, but not just the bird, an entire army heading towards the Kingdom. They are close enough to reach us in a matter of days."

William turned to Snow, bewildered and befuddled by the guard's news. "Snow, what does he mean, what is happening?" Snow turned to William, trying to figure out the right way to explain the perplexities of what was about to transpire.

"The past isn't as easy to kill as we once thought." She answered, looking slightly bewildered at the news too.

"How is this possible? How can it be that Ravenna could have resurrected from the dead?" William asked, flabbergasted at the thought of the sole person who wanted Snow dead returning to finish the job.

"She does, did once possess some of the darkest magic in the land, William, and she has some of the darkest magic ever seen. If there is a will, there is a way." Snow reminded him.

Snow sat beside him, and they both gazed into the ground, taking in the perplexity of the task before them.

"How did you find out about this? Are you positive it is Ravenna herself?"

"I don't know, but when Eric came in hurt..." Snow started, but William cut her off.

"Wait, Eric was here? When?" He asked.

Snow grew flustered that she had even mentioned him to William at all. "Yesterday. A couple brought him to the castle after they found him washed up at Grover's Lake. He was nearly dying."

"Is he still here?"

"In the infirmary." William stood up from his seat in the garden and he headed towards the castle doors, before Snow got up and called his name, following him to the infirmary. William quickly made it to the room, where he opened the door to find Eric resting on a bed in the corner of the room.

"William. How are you lad? I was hoping you could let these kind servants allow me to be on my way. I have a long journey home..." Eric said, as he tried to rise, but his sore and feeble body wasn't as anxious to escape the castle as he.

"I think you could use some more healing time in our lovely castle before you go. Besides, I have some questions to ask you."

Footsteps approached the door, and Snow walked in and stood beside William. Eric gazed at her for a moment before becoming overcome with discomfort at the compromising situation he was in with the Queen.

"What is this about?" Eric asked.

"The griffin found the bird, but it was not just a bird, but...an entire army...heading for the castle walls." Snow said grimly.

She crossed her arms and she paced around the window, trying to calm down enough to proceed.

"You were attacked by the bird, right?" William asked Eric, searching for some useful information to stop the beast from killing Snow.

"Ay. It was massive, like half the size of the castle tower. It's fast, and agile, and more importantly smart." Eric said.

William shook his head in acknowledgement. "Then we will need to stop it."

Eric and Snow looked at each other, nervous as they were listening to William's proposal. "We'll have to create an army, one that will fight the beasts. If it worked before it could work again." He said.

"That may work William, but we need something stronger. Something that can stop Ravenna and her army forever. The question is-how do you kill the dead?" Snow said, pacing again across the room, this time with trails of thoughts clouding her mind.

"We'll need the dwarves to answer that one." Eric said, clasping his aching side.

"Maybe there is a spell. A spell that brought Ravenna back. If that's so, we need something to break the spell. Like before." Snow said, her eyes lighting up at the prospect.

"It's possible. All good things must come to an end, even magic." Eric noted.

"But the last time it almost cost Snow her life." William said grimly.

Snow glared at Eric, remembering the kiss that brought her back to life and changed her life forever.

"Well then, I don't suppose you have any stones to kill birds with do you?" Eric joked. Then it hit Snow. Stone, she thought.

"Stone." She exclaimed. Both men looked at her, puzzled.

"Thaddeus Stone. He gave Ravenna her powers." She explained. "I heard her and Finn discuss it the night before I was imprisoned. She said she took care of the problem, just like her mother did. Finn said he heard that name being gossiped in town, but Ravenna rebuffed it. Thaddeus Stone, he is the one who gave Ravenna's mother her power and she gave it to her. If anyone knows anything about dark magic, it's him."

Eric and William were hesitant, but it was there only option. "It's a good plan, but how do we find him? He might not even still be alive."

"We have to try. I'll search the castle. Hopefully Ravenna left clues to this mystery man."

"I'll search the village." Eric offered, standing up. "I'll take a horse to cover more ground fast."

Instead of objecting, William agreed. "Right, and I'll search the Kingdom records for his name."

William walked out of the room first, determined to find truth to Snow's news. As Snow and Eric walked towards the door, Snow could not escape the awkward feeling left by her night with the Huntsman. She took a step before the door, hoping to speak to the Huntsman.

"You sure you'll be able to ride a horse after this morning? After you nearly tumbled down the stairs?" She asked.

"I'll handle it just fine." He growled.

"You said the same thing last night. And you didn't seem fine last night either."

"There were a lot of things wrong with last night. My injuries weren't one of them." He said sharply. He walked out of the room as she stood there, knowing her heart would be hard to match his stubborn nature.

Snow and William dashed for the library, as the griffin delivered the census to the castle only seconds ago. William placed the scrolls across the center table and Snow stood beside him as he searched for the last name "Stone" through the massive list of name rowed across the page.

His name has not been in a census for the current or last year. But once they looked for his name in twenty scrolls, they found his in a scroll from twenty years ago.

William's finger slid down the crinkled parchment, repeating the name over and over his breath. "Stone. Thaddeus Stone!" He exclaimed. Snow peered her eyes over the census, looking at the name beneath William's finger. "He lived here over twenty years ago. But there's not death date. He could still be alive."

"He would be an old man by now, Snow, he could have passed."

"Or he was hiding from the Queen. After all, she wanted him dead. There must be something here." She said anxiously. But as she began to look, she heard footsteps racing up the castle stairs. She turned and saw Eric walk through the doorway, out of breath from his racing.

"I checked the village. He lived here once before. But the last time anyone saw him, it was twenty years ago."

"The census tells us the same thing." Snow reported.

"But I spoke to an old friend of his. He said Thaddeus talked of traveling North, to a place he called Eden. Up near the mountains."

"Then, he could be there. We'll have to find him then." Snow said.

"How long will it take to get up there?" William asked.

"Nightfall, if we are swift. But it is already winter in the mountains." Eric replied.

"It is a risk, I will take."

"Snow, you should stay, in case Ravenna tracks us down."

"William, I know you're concerned, but I'm Queen of this Kingdom. I can't let my people die because I cower in fear."

"Eric, you should join us, if of course you are up for it. I shall need all the extra help I can get." William said.

"Ay. I will help you in way I can. But I only ask that I be on my way when it is done." Eric asked.

Snow's eyes immediately fixed on him. She wondered when his eagerness to leave would end, and he wouldn't make it so obvious he couldn't stand to be in her sight anymore.

"Agreed. Thank you." William said, shaking Eric's hand. And in a matter of minutes, the three embarked on their quest.