Regina made Snow stand by in the court as Princess Abigail was brought before her. She'd been kept in a tower cell, clean but very secure the night before. To her credit the princess was looking defiant and angry. Regina, still brooding over having been forced into this diplomatic mess.

"Welcome to my court, Princess Abigail. I'm sure you remember the castle from the last time you were an unwilling guest here."

"This is an outrageous act of war. My father won't stand for it." Abigail managed, ignoring the Queen's reference to her summer as a foster.

"It was." Regina agreed. "Snow can be, often, short sighted but I can't actually fault her initiative. I'd have kidnapped you too with the information she had."

Snow glance at Regina, surprised at something that was almost a compliment.

"Which was?" Abigail folded her arms and glanced at Snow. She wasn't sure if that was betrayal in her eyes.

"That power grubbing fool your father is marrying you off to intends to kill you and enslave your father into a gold making slave." Regina said with a wave of her hand.

"You expect me to believe that?"

Regina tilted her head, "You weren't a stupid girl when you were sixteen. Yes, I actually do expect you to believe that. You will be a guest of this kingdom until your father grants you the free choice to marry or not as you choose. If he is pig headed enough to attack me I have no compulsion against killing him and handing you his crown. It would end the inflation problem overnight."

"Inflation problem?" Snow asked before she realized she'd spoken out of turn.

Regina gave her a slow narrow look, "Just because I'm not killing you today doesn't mean I won't do it tomorrow."

Snow looked appropriately chastened before Regina turned back to their guest.

"What... exactly... is this plan to kill and enslave my father?" Abigail was still mad, but willing to listen. Regina gestured for Snow to speak.

"By lady in waiting and I overheard Prince Hans speaking with King George along the borderlands. He plans to entrap your father into somehow turning you to gold and then locking him away for others protection."

Regina grunted, "He tried the same thing on the Queen of Arendelle and her sister last year. If your father paid attention to what was going on beyond his kingdom and obsessive vetting of potential husbands he would have heard the reports."

Abigail looked directly at the Evil Queen without flinching and Snow was sure Regina was elevating her estimation of the princess, "What do you get out of supposedly saving my life and my father's kingdom."

"I get the satisfaction of not having an idiot for a neighbor." She tilted her head, "Though I already have your father and King George so that's all relative."

Snow glanced over at Regina, wondering why she was trying to come off so callous.

"And if he calls off the wedding you'll let me go. No ransom?"

"I don't need your father's gold." Regina said evenly. "Believe me, don't believe me, but if you try to escape I may just change my mind if I want to have you sitting on your father's throne when he dies."

She nodded to Snow. "Take the princess up to guest rooms. If she runs... it will be back to the tower."

And with that the Queen dismissed them both from her presence.

After they left the throne room Snow looked over at her, "Sorry about the kidnapping thing."

"You should be." There was a long pause. "Thank you for saving me from the marriage though. I don't know what's gotten into father. He keeps setting these impossible quests for suitors to prove themselves for my hand."

Snow shook her head, relieved though that Abigail didn't seem to be that angry. "How did Hans win your hand?"

"He supposedly killed the Prince of Thieves. But without a body that seems terribly unlikely to me."

"He does seem the lying sort." Snow agreed.

"Will the Evil Queen keep her word?"

Snow winced a little at the title, she didn't know why. "Yes. Regina ... the Queen knows something of being forced into an arranged marriage. I think there is a place in her heart to help you."

Abigail shook her head, "I'm not sure I want to be counting capacity of the Evil Queen's heart."

It might be bigger than you think. Snow found herself thinking but said nothing, "Please don't try to run. I'm sure she meant it about the tower."

Abigail sighed and looked at Snow, "Why would I run? This is at the moment the only way out of a marriage I never wanted?"

Snow raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"I'm already in love. I lost him to father's curse but ... I have no desire to marry any of these men. Not when I still have hope for Frederick."

Snow bit her lower lip, "It's magic. Maybe Regina will know the answer."

"You are strangely comfortable around a woman who has spent the last few years trying to kill you. You know the entire Enchanted Forest thinks she has you bewitched."

Snow shrugged, "I'm not sure I care what the entire Enchanted Forest thinks."

Abigail laughed, "If I survive this stay I think it might be interesting."

"If you don't survive the stay it will still probably be interesting. If you need anything my rooms are next door and Belle's are just down the hall."

"The duke's daughter? She seems to be collecting young women."

Snow shrugged, "I guess maybe if you aren't trying to kill me you have time to collect a few pets." Snow paused at the door to the princess' rooms. "And really I'm not sure she sees any of us as beyond pets."

"Even you?"

"Especially me."

"And you are okay with that?"

"No. But I think maybe I'm in love and I'll take what her dark heart will give me." Snow wasn't sure where the admission came from she just knew it was true. Pixie dust hadn't lied.