With shaking hands, I dialed the number on the business card. I didn't want to do this, but Gold made his order very clear, and I couldn't get myself to disobey him. I was bound to my apartment, but I needed to at least tell her I couldn't make it
"Regina?" I asked once she picked up. Her name tasted strange on my tongue. It felt wrong to call her that, but it obviously wasn't. What else would I call her if not her name? Maybe something with more authority. She was the mayor, after all.
"Ma'am?" I corrected before she replied.
"Kat!" her voice came over the line.
"Yes, I'm sorry, but I can't make it tonight." As I spoke, I fingered my collar and replayed her compliment from a few days prior.
"Why not?" she asked coldly.
"Mr. Gold told me not to," I told her, but then realized how pathetic I sounded. I opened my mouth to elaborate. To tell her that he threatened to fire and evict me. But she cut me off.
"Ooh," she drawled as if everything suddenly made perfect sense, "Ok, well, I'm telling you to come over."
I whimpered. What the hell was I supposed to do now?
"B-but what about Mr. Gold?" I stammered.
"Think really hard about this, Kitty Kat. What is making you listen to him? Is he watching you? Would he know if you came over?"
"No," I admitted, "but he told me-."
"I just told you to come over, so you'd better come over."
Then she hung up, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I had to go, right? She just ordered me to, but what about Gold? He told me not to go, so I couldn't, right? The two commands pulled me in opposite directions. Tearing me apart. Go stay go stay go stay. I closed my eyes and tried to breathe. Whose command do you want to follow?
Opening my eyes, I got off of my bed. I grabbed my new coat and left for the mayor's house.
"I-I can't do this!" Regina exclaimed, pacing back and forth while Figaro sat on the ground by the burning fireplace, "I have to let you go."
"No," the girl breathed when she realized what Regina was complaining about, "You can't set me free! I have nowhere to go! Master…Rumplestiltskin won't take me back. I have to stay with you!"
"But keeping a human pet is…unethical."
"So is kicking a girl out onto the streets!"
Figaro felt a lump in her throat. She'd lived her entire life feeling unwanted. When her mother ran away from her. When her father beat her until she was unconscious, spitting on her and telling her what a mistake she was and that she had always been unloved. When Rumple gave her away because he saw no more use for her. And now, as Regina was trying to also get rid of her. Nobody wanted her. She tried to hide her tears behind her anger, but her glimmering eyes didn't go unnoticed.
"I'm sorry," Regina said quickly, "You can live here. I'll provide you with food and clothing like Rumple did. But you can't be my pet."
"Too much power, your Majesty? I think that's part of the reason he gave me to you. So that you'd get used to having power," Figaro argued, standing up and walking to Regina.
"But I can't-."
"But you must! I'm your new pet now! That was the order so it's time to grow up and deal with it.
She sighed and looked away from the girl.
"Look," Figaro continued more gently this time, "I can't put myself in your shoes because I've never been in a position of power, but I shouldn't have nor do I want power! You're the motherfucking queen now! You need to have power, and you can practice with me. I want to be your pet."
Regina looked at her with uncertainty, but she might be right. A willing pet might be an easy way to get used to power. She opened her mouth to respond, but a little girl with black hair burst through the door.
"Stepmother!" she exclaimed, "Do you-?"
The child froze when she laid her wide eyes on Figaro.
"Who are you?" she asked in awe.
"My name is Figaro," she replied warmly with a smile, "I am your stepmother's new servant."
"I'm Snow White. You're beautiful," the child whispered, "You don't look like the other servants. You're just…darker, I guess. The other maids don't wear black. And you're eyes."
"Did you need something?" Regina cut in, trying not to snap.
"Yes, I…" the girl began before trailing off, "I forgot."
"Well, I'm a little busy talking to my…new servant, so could it wait until later?" she finished with a tight smile. Snow grinned, nodded, and skipped out of the room.
"You don't like her," Figaro stated once the child was out of earshot.
"It's not too obvious, is it?" the queen asked nervously.
"I know because Rumplestiltskin told me. I now see that it's true, but I don't think she noticed. What has she done to deserve your dislike?"
"She…" Regina sighed.
"You can tell me anything. I promise I won't repeat it to anyone else."
"Well, Snow is the reason my fiancé, my true love, is dead."
"Oh! I'm so sorry," Figaro comforted, grabbing her queen's hand, "Do you want to talk about him?"
Regina looked down and shook her head, squeezing her pet's hand.
"Not tonight. It's getting late."
"Yes, Mistress."