Regina was struggling to keep her eyes open. It felt as though the ball had been going on for hours. She had danced with her father, with Snow (there had been a few raised eyebrows at that, but she trusted Snow to charm most of the head-shakers) and with a dozen young men carefully selected by her mother. At least the King had arrived, completed his dance with Snow and that meant the end was in sight.

"Where were you?"

Regina winced at the ice in her mother's voice. Cora's dress rustled as she sat beside her daughter, and placed a hand on Regina's wrist. To an outsider it would merely look like a gentle contact, a reassurance from mother to daughter. Regina knew differently. Her mother would be employing her magic to confirm that she was being told the truth and Regina knew better than to lie when that happened.

"Princess Snow White wished to see the stables. I kept our visit as short as possible."

"I did not give permission for you to leave the party. What if something had happened to the princess?"

"I'm sorry. I wanted her to enjoy the party, you told me…"

"Hmm. You should have spoken to me so a discreet escort could have been arranged. I suppose the dance was also her idea?"

"She was concerned no-one would want to dance with her, either her age or position. She wanted to show how well she could dance, without waiting for her father and I'm the only one she could trust."

They were as much the truth as she could make them. Omitting facts shouldn't trigger the magic.

"Very well," Cora released her grip.

Suddenly Zelena appeared, as if magically coming to her sisters rescue. She had finished dancing with one handsome young man and begged forgiveness from another claiming she needed a rest.

Taking a seat next to her sister, she let out a big sigh and smiled at her family, "I'm rather enjoying this party. I always wondered what it would be like to attend a real ball with dresses and royalty."

Regina smiled back at her, "you're doing well at impressing those gentlemen with your dancing skills, they'd never guess this is your first time at one."

"Remember dear, not to get too attached to any of them."

"I will m… Aunt Cora."

Eventually Prince Henry came to invite his wife to dance with him. Cora accepted gracefully, signalling to the musicians for a change in the music, leaving Zelena and Regina alone.

"Not here," Regina whispered, stopping Zelena before she could ask any questions, "it won't be long until this is all over and then we can talk."

"What about your other arrangements for this evening?"

Regina frowned, "what do you mean?"

"I overheard Snow talking to her father during the dancing, asking whether she could stay this evening so that you could go riding in the morning."

"I don't think mother invited her to stay."

"She was certainly doing her best to convince her father."

Regina groaned, "and if he agrees and she asks me, what am I supposed to say? Mother will blame me if anything happens to Snow while she's here, she'll probably think inviting the princess was my idea too."

"Maybe you should speak to her first? Give her time…" Zelena trailed off out of instinct, turning around and smiling politely when she found Snow heading their way.

The princess ignored Zelena and zeroed straight in on Regina, a big smile on her face. Zelena moved as if to rise from her seat and leave them alone, but Regina put a hand over her sister's to stop her.

"Regina, it's getting late and my father wants us to leave."

"I'm rather tired myself," Regina confided, "but thank you for coming and for the presents."

Snow frowned, "but I don't want to go yet."

"If your father said…"

"Oh I've talked him out of it for now, but I wanted to know when the party is due to end so I can convince him to let me stay."

"You'll need to speak to my mother, she's dancing with my father at present…"

"I'll wait here with you then."

Zelena held back a laugh and signalled to Regina, when Snow's attention turned to the dancing, that she would go and intercept their mother. Smiling in relief, Regina signalled her thanks.

"Light's out girls, you've had a late night," Cora reminded them as she finished wishing them a good night.

"Yes mother," Regina dutifully blew out the candle next to her bed.

As soon as the door closed, Snow piped up, "that was a wonderful party."

"Yes, and I think we should go to sleep now," Zelena told her.

"But I'm not tired."

"I am," Zelena replied.

"Regina, are you tired?"

Regina smiled. She couldn't believe that the princess had managed to persuade both her mother and the King to agree to the sleepover. Now she was sharing her room with Snow and Zelena, because all of the other rooms were filled with guests.

"I am Snow, especially after all that dancing."

"I want my next birthday party to be exactly like yours."

Regina heard Zelena laugh softly, and spoke only so that Snow wouldn't hear, "you should speak to my mother about that in the morning. She organised everything."

In the morning, Snow woke Regina just as the sun was rising. Everyone else was asleep so the two girls stole down to the kitchens where Regina put together some of the leftover party food for the princess' breakfast. Her mother refused to let her learn how to cook, so to keep her knowledge secret from the princess she couldn't even boil a few eggs.

"Can we go riding now?" Snow asked her when they had eaten their fill from the plates.

"Not without permission."

She had given Snow one of her old dresses to wear, so the princess wouldn't be seen in the same clothes as the party. Her mother had magically altered it the evening before, in preparation.

"What else can we do?"

Regina yawned, wishing she had Snow's energy, "something quiet. We don't want to wake the other guests."

"Not the library," Snow told her before Regina could suggest it.

"Very well, how about… sewing?" Regina changed from her initial idea of painting, just in case Snow made too much of a mess.

"I have maids for that."

"Not that kind of sewing. I meant embroidery, like this," Regina removed a silk handkerchief from her pocket to show the princess.

It was an old pattern, one she had been practicing for years. The design was her family's royal crest, though she had added her own swirls around it. Snow's eyes widened and she gazed up at Regina in amazement.

"It's beautiful!"

"Would you like me to show you a simple pattern?"

Her mother would approve, embroidery was seen as an acceptable pastime for ladies, and it would give her something to do with Snow when the winter set in – being cooped up in a snow-bound castle wasn't likely to be much fun.

Snow ran her fingers over the design, "show me this one. Please?"

"There are easier ones you should start with…"

"I like this one."

On the one hand Regina didn't want Snow to fail and give up before the rest of the household woke, on the other hand she didn't want to dampen the princess' enthusiasm.

"Very well."