A/N: Leopold gets a little squicky in this chapter, just a warning. Nothing violent, sexual, or explicit, just don't want to take anyone by surprise.
"My darling girl." Leopold ran across the room to meet Snow, embracing her tightly. "I can't begin to tell you how glad I am that you're safe."
He shot a look over his daughter at the guards who had brought her to him and they exited the room swiftly, leaving only the King and a Princess who was pulling herself free from his grasp.
Leopold didn't seem to mind, bringing his hands up to cup Snow's face. "I was so afraid I'd lost you."
"I ran from you," Snow said coldly. "You lost me months ago when you…" She stopped, emotion breaking through her voice despite her efforts to stay strong.
Leopold shook his head, reeling her in again and pressing his lips to her forehead. "Everything I've ever done has been because I love you, Snow." He tilted her face up to his, and Snow swallowed hard as he kissed her tightly closed lips.
"It's wrong," she whispered, turning her head to keep her mouth from him.
The King persisted, kissing what he could still access: her cheek, her ear, her neck. "Did your stepmother tell you that?" he asked. "She doesn't understand, Snow. She's only jealous of the bond we share."
At the mention of Regina, Snow whipped her head back toward her father. "You can't kill her, Father."
"She took you from me, Snow. She must be punished."
Snow finally worked up the strength to shove him away from her, taking a few steps back and fixing him with a glare. "You must stop looking for her. Just let her go."
Leopold pursed his lips, shocked by the outburst from his always docile daughter. "I'm King here, Snow White, and I'll do what I please," he said firmly.
Regina had told Snow that the King could never know about the child, and the Princess knew she was right. But what good could the secret do Regina or her baby if Leopold's men killed her in their efforts to bring her home? Snow had given away one of Regina's secrets years ago, and she still felt constant guilt for that, but this time lives were at stake. "She's with child," she blurted out before she could debate more.
Leopold stared at Snow for a silent moment. "What?"
"Regina. She's carrying your child. You can't let harm come to her."
The King paced towards her, and Snow backed away. "Where is she hiding?"
"I don't know," Snow said softly and truthfully as her father backed her into the wall. "You must leave her be."
Leopold sneered at the idea. "Do you have any idea what this child means, Snow? What will happen if I leave it be?" He watched his daughter tremble silently before him and reached out what he meant to be a reassuring hand to stroke the side of her face. "You are everything to me, Snow, and one day you will be Queen. But if Regina bears me a son, by our laws he will take your throne from under you. I cannot allow that to happen."
Snow pushed hard at his shoulders, forcing her way past him towards the door. "Being Queen means nothing," she spat back at him.
Regina stared helplessly at the enchanted surface of the mirror. She couldn't hear a sound, but she could see the fear in Snow's eyes and the predatory gleam in Leopold's. When her husband backed the girl into a wall and caressed her face, Regina finally turned away, hugging her arms around herself.
"Any chance you've changed your mind?" Rumplestiltskin asked.
Regina didn't respond, just walking to the table where the long contract was unfurled and reading it with bleary eyes. She couldn't bear the thought of Snow continuing to suffer, alone and unprotected, but she also knew that the Dark One was capable of things she couldn't even dream of. There was no telling which was the worse fate, and Regina ached at the thought of sacrificing one of her daughters while she remained untouched. "What do you want my child for?" she asked once she reached the bottom of the page, looking up at Rumplestiltskin.
"Child procurement is just one of my many trades," he replied with a grin. "But I do have a special purpose for yours." He walked over to one of the many cabinets in the room and unlocked it, pulling out the sort of small scroll that Regina had often seen in Cora's possession. "I need a little assistance casting this curse. Your mother refused, and you gave up on magic before I could even ask you. What is it they say? Third time's the charm?"
"I'll do it," Regina said immediately. "If you'll rescue Snow I'll let you teach me again, and I'll cast your curse."
Rumplestiltskin put the scroll back with a shake of his head. "It's a little late for that, dearie. When you were angry and had no love in your heart, you might have risked it all, but not now. Not with your little family to protect."
Regina had never heard "family" spoken as if it were a dirty word before. She let her eyes fall back to the contract. "I need to make an amendment."
"Oh?" Rumplestiltskin crossed to her side of the table and held out the quill, and Regina added a few lines of script to the bottom.
"Leopold will never harm Snow again, and he will never lay a hand on my child. You will keep them safe at all costs."
"That's fair." The Dark One tapped a pointed fingernail against the signature line, and Regina brought quill to paper once again.
Snow barricaded herself in her room before running to open her window. There was no way down, she knew that. It was too far to fall, and the smooth castle walls offered little in the way of footholds. Still, she looked down desperately as if something might have changed in the short time she'd been away.
The only change was a little nest tucked into the eave above the window, and as there was no way out she paused to look up at it and smile. A bluebird poked its head out and warbled, and sudden realization dawned on the Princess.
"Can you help me?" she asked, and the bird flitted from the nest and landed on the girl's outstretched hand. "I'll watch over your nest if you'll deliver a message for me."
The bird trilled cheerfully, and Snow left it on the windowsill and ran across the room for paper. She composed a short note and rolled it up, tying it to the bird's leg with a hair ribbon.