Mothers and Daughters

"Mother!" Snow White cheered as she and her cousin, Rose Red, rushed into the throne room of the castle, a handful of flowers in their hands, some from the gardens (which they were sure they'd be reprimanded for) and some from the forests, wild flowers and snowbells and roses and many others.

The Queen had been secretly planning a birthday ball for her husband and Snow had wanted to help, being 9 years old she felt that, because she was so close to double digits, she was old enough to do so. Rose Red had insisted that if Snow was old enough, then so was she. The Queen had smiled lovingly at the both of them for wanting to help and had instructed them to gather some flowers for centerpieces.

"My, my, my," Eva smiled, looking down at the mounds of flowers in their arms, "What do we have hear dears?"

"Mother we gathered flowers," Snow beamed up at her, trying to hold up the flowers to see, though there were so many it was hard to lift them all.

"Did we do good?" Rose looked up at her aunt as well.

"Oh my dears," Eva knelt down before them, gesturing for them to place the flowers on the ground between them, spreading them out so that she could look, "Oh I believe you have done a most wonderful job."

"Really?" Snow looked at her mother with wide eyes, so pleased that she had been able to help like that.

"Oh yes," Eva nodded, opening her arms to Snow and hugging her tightly, "These flowers are just perfect my love," she told her daughter, settling her beside her and touching her nose, "You and your cousin have gathered so many different kinds I'm sure we'll make one of the most magnificent bouquets that your father has ever seen."

"Truly?" Snow breathed, just imagining the wide smile on her father's face when he saw her hand in all this.

"Mhmm," Eva nodded, looking to Rose and opening her other arm for the girl to come snuggle up beside her like Snow was doing, "You both have such a talent for this, you had best be careful with it else you put the royal florist and the gardeners out of a job."

"Oh mother I would never do that," Snow shook her head, earnest, looking to her mother as though she were the most amazing thing she'd seen, a similar look reflected back at her from her mother.

"That is very thoughtful of you," Eva tickled Snow's stomach a moment, "Now, I think I will need you girls to help me with this endeavor," she glanced between them, "Would you be willing to put aside some of your play time to help me?"

"Of course mother!" Snow cheered as Rose merely nodded, not quite the most talkative girl, but that was fine with Eva, she loved both those girls so much and accepted them for all that they were.

"Well then," Eva leaned in, making the girls unconsciously do the same, acting as though she were sharing an important secret, "Your father is going to be out with his brother till nightfall, so we must be sure to have our bouquets ready by then. That is what I need your help with girls, we must separate the flowers into five stacks. And we must try to get the flowers as even as possible. So, how about we count the flowers and separate them into types first?"

"I'll take the snowbells!" Snow volunteered.

"I thought you might like them," Eva smiled, "Rose, dear, would you like the…"

"Roses?" Rose guessed, letting out a long sigh and crossing her arms, pouting slightly, but nodded, "That's ok."

Eva chuckled lightly at that, "Thank you dear, you know," she leaned in, whispering loudly to her, "I trust you the most with the roses."

Rose blinked at her aunt, "You do?" she asked, sounding as though she hadn't been expecting that the roses would be such an important task.

"Oh yes," Eva nodded, utterly serious, though Snow was grinning widely as she watched her mother be so caring and considerate of her niece, "The roses are the most delicate, yet resilient of flowers, it takes a special girl to be able to take care of them properly."

"And…that's me?" Rose pointed to herself.

"I am certain of it," she smiled at the girl, "You two take the snowbells and Roses, I shall focus on the wild flowers, tulips, and daffodils."

The girls nodded and started to help her sort through the flowers. Where the queen was separating and keeping track as she did so, the girls both separated the flowers first and then countered their piles. In the end there were 16 snowbells, 17 roses, 44 wildflowers, and 18 daffodils and tulips each.

"Hmmm," Eva hummed, looking at the piles, sitting on the floor with the girls on either side of herself.

"What do we do mother?" Snow asked, "There aren't an even amount for 5 bouquets."

"Well," Eva began, "We can put three snowbells, daffodils, tulips, and roses in each and, perhaps, 5 wildflowers as well."

"But that leaves…" Snow's face scrunched in concentration.

"Take it flower by flower my love," Eva began, "16 snowbells, three in each, with 5 bouquets…"

"1 snowbell left," Snow worked it out.

"17 roses, 3 in each, 5 bouquets…"

"2 left."

"For the daffodils and tulips that would be the same amount, so if there were 18, with 3 in each, and the same 5 bouquets?"

"3 left!" Snow cheered, starting to feel excited that she was getting it right, Rose just looked confused, which was understandable, math wasn't her strong suit, she didn't see the point in it just yet.

"Ah but the wildflowers," Eva held up a finger, "If there were 44, and we put 5 in 5 bouquets…that leaves…"

Snow bit her lip, thinking, "5 flowers in 5 bouquets," she mumbled to herself, "That's…25 flowers. And…and 44 that we started with is…is…" she gasped, "19 wildflowers left!" she blinked, "But mother, couldn't we put, um…8 flowers in the bouquets? Then we would only have 4 left. Rose and I could make small wrist bands of the flowers!" she grinned at her mother, thinking the idea to make small bracelets would be one her mother would enjoy.

"I think I might have an idea you'll like sweetheart," Eva glanced around, looking as though she were making sure no one was listening, the servants smiling as they saw the queen interacting with the girls, and leaned in, the girls doing the same, "What if we make you both some lovely crowns instead?"

"Flower crowns?" Rose tilted her head.

"Oh they would look lovely on you both," Eva nodded, reaching forward to separate the flowers into their 5 bouquets so that they had the leftover flowers before them, the other servants coming to gather the bouquets to go off to vases.

Snow and Rose sat beside the queen, watching as she gathered up the wildflowers first, expertly weaving 9 of them along each other, making a delicate ring of flowers. She carefully slipped two roses into one, along with two daffodils and one tulip, as she went, spacing them out and creating a lovely pattern. She did much the same for the other crown, but used the snowbell right in the front, with the last daffodil and two of the tulips as well.

"There," Eva smiled, holding up the two wreaths, to the girls, "One for my dearest Snow," she held up the one with the snowbell in it, placing it lightly on her daughter's head, "And one for my lovely Rose," she grinned, placing the rose crown onto Rose's head, "Oh my girls, you look so beautiful," she smiled so softly at them, so much love in her eyes that Snow felt her own filling with tears.

Snow leaned forward to hug her mother, to thank her for the flower crown…when her hand fell on one forgotten wildflower, the only flower that hadn't been used. She looked down and smiled widely when she saw that that particular flower was a light blue, the same shade, she knew, as the dress her mother would wear that night. She curled up on her knees and lifted the wildflower to her nose, sniffing it before beaming at her mother and reaching forward, lightly putting the flower behind her mother's ear.

"It goes well with your eyes," she told her mother in a gentle breath, and it did, her mother had the brightest eyes she'd ever seen. She had inherited her father's green eyes, the same eyes that her uncle and cousin had, a forest green shade, but that flower really did make her mother's eyes look even more beautiful.

"And your crown, my love," Eva reached out, touching Snow's cheek, "It matches you perfectly," she laughed lightly, "Your innocence and heart, your eyes and strength and spirit. Don't ever change my Snow."

"I won't mother," Snow promised, leaning in to hug her mother tightly, her mother holding her just as strongly.

Eva opened her eyes, cracked one open to see Rose sitting there and held out a hand to the girl as well, tugging Rose to her to give her a hug as well, laughing when she 'accidently' fell backwards with the girls, making them squeal and giggle, especially when she rolled over and started to tickle their stomachs.

~8~

Rose Red sat behind a harp, 9 years old, playing it lightly as her mother and Snow sat in the music room of her castle, listening on. She wasn't much a fan of the harp, of any string instrument really, but her mother had insisted that she learn some instruments and, once she had started, it was like she couldn't stop, she just felt…something when she played. It was like there was a magic in her that came alive when she used the music, when she morphed it in her hands and her breath and her voice and it was getting stronger.

She opened her eyes slightly, she made a point of trying to play with her eyes closed, to show her mother that she truly did know the pieces, know each and every note and where it was. She could see her mother sitting there on a small cushioned chair…and smiled. Her mother was sitting there rigidly, her back ramrod straight, her hands resting daintily on her lap. Her gown was a dark blue, almost black, but when the light struck it, it seemed almost sea-blue, like the ocean just after a storm, not gray as before it but a deep blue. Her hair was straight, blonde, falling over her shoulders and only barely styled. She had a delicate crown on her head, a small joke between her father and mother, a circlet of waves crafted in the metal with small blue gems in it. They matched her eyes, a deep, rich blue, shining like sapphires and focused on her and only her as she played. Her mother's gown was very fitted, but as modest as it could be despite that. Sirens were naturally alluring, they were meant to be, meant to draw people in and make them vulnerable, her mother's style reflected that. But her role as queen prevented her from wearing some of the dresses she knew her mother would prefer to wear.

She was sitting regally, but unmoving. Her body was still, her head turned slightly to the side, as though she were listening intently to the song being played. Her eyes were locked one the hands on the strings, intent, watching for even the slightest falter or mistake. Her expression was blank, but focused in a way, there was no smile on her face, her lips in a soft line, her skin unblemished and pale.

Rose knew most would look at the woman, her stillness, her fixation and feel unnerved by it, she could see Snow beside her, in a simple white gown, fidgeting from being so close to her aunt and have her not move. She was very used to having a siren for an aunt, was used to some of the same traits she saw in her cousin as they came from her mother, but she was more used to her aunt engaging her, talking and walking and moving and to sit so still, especially for Snow, was difficult to attain. Rose felt the corners of her lips quirk up at that and focused on what she was doing. Her mother was watching and she knew that her mother was paying attention, so she should too.

She strummed a few more notes, slowly bringing the song to an end with a light flourish of cords. She waited a moment, keeping her hands just to the sides of the strings until the last of the notes had drifted into the silence of the room, before she dropped her hands slowly to her lap and stood up, stepping to the side of the harp and looking to her mother.

The queen was silent for a moment, eyeing her daughter, before she took a deep breath and stood. Snow watched, fidgeting more as she slowly stood, her aunt move towards Rose, till she was standing before her. The edge of the room had a slight rise to it, like small steps to a platform that ran around the edge of the room, making Rose the same height as her mother when she stood on the lower ground. The queen looked into Rose's eyes, before smiling. It was a small smile, a mere quirk of the lips but it had Rose beaming to see. She reached out and took Rose's hands, turning them over to examine them, her fingers lightly ghosting over the finger tips of her daughter. Rose's smile grew soft, so many people would look at them and see a queen that was only focused on how well her daughter played the harm, on how well the calluses on her fingers were developing, but she knew differently.

Sirens were naturally distant in personality, appearing cold and seductive, but family was the most important thing to them. There was a gentleness in her mother's touch, she was genuinely looking at her fingers to make sure she hadn't harmed herself in the calluses. There was a pride in her mother's eyes when she looked upon her, a softness in her smile that she could see no matter how small the smile might appear. The way her mother treated her, it was subtlety that meant the world to her. Many never expected it of the queen, they didn't know how to read her actions and looks, but SHE did.

"I did well?" she smiled at her mother, not really having to ask, she knew that she'd blown her mother away with her latest performance, she knew her mother was exceptionally thrilled with it, but she did like to ask. If just for Snow's benefit. Sometimes her cousin had a hard time seeing what she did.

The queen reached out, brushing a lock of her daughter's golden hair behind her ear, allowing her hand to linger on her daughter's cheek, "You were exquisite," she told Rose, her voice was slightly deep. To others it might sound cold, rough, harsh almost, but she heard the pride in it, the emotion that was clouding it. Her mother's voice only got that deep when she was truly touched by something in a good way.

She bit the bottom of her lip in excitement of having made her mother proud like that, "I practiced for days," she told her.

"It shows," the queen nodded regally, still holding her daughter's other hand, squeezing it, "Your dedication and focus will be the key to your success in all things, daughter."

Rose could see Snow let out a small sigh at that, at how she'd been called 'daughter.' Not my love, or sweetheart, or my dear, or any of the other pet names that Eva called Snow. But that was it, they weren't the same queen and they weren't the same mother. HER mother called her daughter, because to a siren that was the greatest name to be called, that was a sign of family, of the closest family, YOUR child. To sirens, a child was their greatest treasure, to be protected at all costs, to be cherished. When her mother called her simply 'daughter' it was her way of expressing how much she loved her.

"I'm pleased I made you happy," Rose told her mother quietly.

The queen smiled more this time, lifting her other hand to touch her daughter's cheek as well, "You always do," she told her, "This is no day that shall come where you shall not."

Rose leaned in, resting her forehead to her mother's, able to hear Snow shifting now. They were cousins yes, they claimed to be sisters, but they were both very different and they both had very different relationships with their mothers, they both expressed them in different ways as well. Where Snow had likely taken her mother's words as a small…expectation, that she ought not disappoint the queen, her mother, in the future. That she was holding her daughter to the standard that she would always perform this well, that she would always make her happy or should endeavor to, she knew differently. Her mother's tone would make Snow think that it was expectation that the woman was holding her to, but she knew it was just her mother's way of saying that she would always be proud of her, no matter what. She knew it was her mother's way of telling her that just being there, just being her child, her daughter, made her happier than anything. It was her mother's way of telling her that everything she had given up, her life in the sea, her family of Sirens, was worth it to have HER. SHE made her mother happy, when everything about her mother's past should have meant her life was sad. To be exiled from her home, to have her family consider her a traitor, to be surrounded by men and women that didn't quite trust her…but her life was full of happiness, because of HER.

And even this, this resting of her forehead to her mother's, this was their version of a hug. This was a closeness, a sign of shared feelings, of shared thoughts. It was a symbol of equality as well. To hug, for her being a child, meant a height difference, meant her arms were smaller, she was tinier than her mother. But to rest her forehead to her mother's, it meant that they were on equal ground, equal height, neither was much larger than the other or more important like that.

"Come," the queen breathed, pulling away and taking her hand once more, "We shall to dine now," she stated, looking over at Snow. She helped her daughter down from the small platforms and squeezed her hand before letting go of it to join her hands before her and starting to walk, her pace slow enough for the girls to keep pace on either side of her.

Rose could see Snow move her hands behind her, knowing the girl wasn't used to walking without holding someone's hand, but also knowing Snow didn't want to hold hands right now, having lost her mother only a year ago. But she knew that Snow also wasn't quite understanding of why her cousin and aunt didn't typically hold hands when they walked when SHE and her mother had done it all the time. It was because Sirens weren't usually touchy, they could learn to be, and perhaps one day her mother would be, but she wasn't quite there yet. But this was her way of showing that she considered her daughter in everything she did. She slowed her pace intentionally, walking beside her daughter instead of ahead of her.

Rose smiled as she looked ahead, she knew, from the small things, that her mother loved her dearly.

~8~

Regina sat across from her mother in Snow White's castle, having tea with her, or trying to at least. It was…difficult to sit there, across from the woman that had torn out the heart of her true love and crushed it to dust right in front of her. But her mother had insisted on an early tea…the very next morning, and if she didn't show up…

She closed her eyes, her hand coming up to her mouth, to the scar on her lip. Her mother did not like to be disappointed, did not like her daughter to be disobedient. Once, when she had been younger, she had been so tired from a riding lesson, had just started learning to jump with the horse, and not wanted to stop till she'd gotten it. She'd come in and her mother had gone off on her for how sweaty and smelly she was, claiming she smelled like a barn, which she would, she'd been in the stables. She'd told her mother that, if she'd let her go to her room and bathe as she had been on the way to do, perhaps she could save herself the wasted time in criticizing her about something she already knew and was going to fix!

Her mother had slapped her.

Hard.

She'd been wearing rings as well, had cut her daughter's lip from the force of it. Regina had been shocked when her mother refused to heal it, even with her magic. It hadn't been the first time her mother had physically struck her, she had used magic on her as well to deal blows as well, but she always healed the ones that could be seen, the ones on her arms and hands and neck and cheek…but her mother refused this time. Told her that, every time she saw that scar on her lip, she'd think better of being anything less than presentable.

She swallowed hard and masked the move, the flinching move, to pretend it was to cover a yawn, opening her mouth only slightly to let it out.

"Oh Regina dear," Cora pursed her lips, "Close that gaping mouth of yours, you look like a harlot."

Regina's jaw tensed at that and snapped her mouth shut, her false-yawn cut off. She hadn't opened her mouth any wider than half an inch, had covered it with her hand, just as her mother instructed her was proper…and she still found fault with it. She could hear it now…

"Honestly Regina, if you came in at a decent hour instead of walking about at all hours of the night, perhaps you would be less tired come morning and more able to pay attention."

And there it was, exactly as she thought her mother would say. She looked down, not trusting herself to speak. If she said anything about the night, she would think of Daniel and she wouldn't be able to keep her pain in, she would shout and that would not do. Apparently she had a dress fitting later.

"I tire of having to tell you this, dear, I'd have thought after so many years you would be wiser than this, but it appears I have failed to instill any sense of decorum or sense in you. To walk about at night, well, you had best cease those nocturnal wanderings lest others think you a lady of the night instead."

"Mother!" Regina gasped, a gape escaping her as she stared at her mother, horrified at her implications, "You know very well where I was last night."

"You truly wish to bring THAT up Regina?" her mother tsked, "Actions have consequences dear. I had to protect your reputation."

"Mine or yours?"

"They are one in the same," Cora smiled, "You are my daughter, your reputation reflects upon me."

"As does my trajectory in life, I take it?" Regina fisted her dress, only to release the fabric a second later with a small gasp of pain as her mother sent a small flash of magic at her hands.

"Don't wrinkle the fabric dear," Cora warned her, "I'd rather not have to waste my magic just trying to make you constantly presentable though lord knows you need it."

"Yes mother," Regina bit out, looking down, feeling tears in her eyes, her mother hadn't answered her question. It was like she didn't even count Daniel as worth bringing up again, she knew her mother would never even apologize for it.

"Sit up straight," Cora ordered and Regina did so, closing her eyes. Cora leaned forward and lifted her chin, making her look at her, "Was that so hard dear? It can always be this easy, do as your mother says and everything shall be well."

Cora sat back, primly and properly in her chair, her back straight, her hands resting on her lap for only a moment before they lifted to a teacup on the table, carefully bringing it to her lips and taking a sip, "The king may be a man renowned for his kindness, but his taste is quite lacking."

Regina bit the inside of her cheek not to say anything, because her mother's gaze wasn't on the tea but on HER. She was looking her over, a disappointed look on her face, her eyes cold and distant, her lips pursed into a line, her eyes examining her as though looking for any sort of fault and finding every single minute detail of one. She should be used to this by now, she should be used to her mother finding fault in everything, she knew she wasn't the sort of daughter that her mother had wanted. She'd wanted a powerful, regal princess, and instead she got a timid horse lover.

"My apologies mother," Regina forced herself to speak, "I'll do better next time."

"Oh we both know that won't happen," Cora sighed, sounding like someone who had suffered a fate for too long now, "If you were going to do well at all, Regina, you would have started years ago."

"I'm sorry mother."

It was all she could say, it felt like that was all her life had been, apologizing to her mother and trying to gain her approval. The only thing that had kept her going was Daniel, that sweet boy who loved her despite her many, many faults, who claimed that not a single one of them existed save in Cora's own twisted mind. She wasn't so sure now, what use was there in denying her faults. The only person that actually looked at her and paid her any attention was her mother, and all she saw were faults, all she ever saw were faults. Perhaps that's all there ever was.

"I don't want your apologies, dear," Cora's lips pursed in displeasure, "I want an effort out of you," she slowly stood, looking down at her daughter, not even reaching out to her, not even bothering to touch her, "Don't ruin this chance," she eyed her daughter critically, before forcing her face to soften, "Regina, dear," she waited till Regina looked up, "Don't look so melancholy, you know I'm only harsh on you because I care about you. I want you to be happy dear, and this will be your happy ending. Now, come," she turned to walk away, not even waiting to see if Regina was following, expecting her to jump when she said, which Regina undoubtedly did, "We have to prepare you for your dress fitting."

She opened the door, about to step out, only to stop when she saw someone standing just outside the door, seeming about to knock, "Oh, Princess," Cora gave a small bowing curtsy, Regina mimicking her, "My dear what are you doing here?" the smile on her lips was tight.

Rose Red, just 11 years old, looked up at Cora a long moment, before her glance drifted to Regina. The door to the room had been open a crack, she had seen and heard everything. She knew she shouldn't eavesdrop, but she was curious about this woman that would be her cousin's new mother, about the woman that was her mother as well. She wasn't sure she liked what she saw.

Cora reminded her slightly of her mother, or how she was sure other people saw her mother, but there was something undoubtedly…wrong…about Cora. Her voice was off, her expressions were lacking, her gestures were empty. She wasn't sure she liked Cora very much, she was rather mean. But Regina…looking at her now, Regina was doing her best to smile, but…she could see a sort of…fear in her eyes as they flickered to the back of her mother's head.

"I came to tell you the dressmakers were ready," she looked back at Cora, not letting on that she'd heard anything, trying her very best to give an innocent air to herself.

It seemed to work as Cora relaxed slightly, the fear seeming to leave Regina's eyes a moment later, "Well thank you dear," she smiled down at Rose, "Would you like to come with us?"

"No thank you," she said bluntly, "I'm supposed to get Snow," she added, realizing she probably sounded rude. She didn't particularly care if she did, but Snow would, because she liked Regina and she would be happy to find out that Regina was going to marry Daniel and that Cora seemed to agree to it, "She wants to see the dress."

"Well you're more than welcome to come and see it," Cora told her, not bothering to even lean down to her level to talk, "But we had best be on our way, see the dressmakers as soon as possible so Snow may see a more complete fitting."

Cora gave her one more smile before stepping past her and heading off, Regina hesitating a moment before hurrying on with her mother, leaving Rose Red to frown as she watched them go.

She really didn't like that Cora woman.

A/N: I really wanted to just take a chapter and look into the differences between the mother/daughter relationships between Snow, Piper, and even Regina. To sort of show how Snow was raised but also look at how a Siren might raise their child and compare it to Cora too. Cora seems almost as cold and unfeeling as a Siren might be, but without her heart I wanted to examine how that same sort of cold/distant personality comes out differently because of that. Sirens are so connected to their family in this story, I wanted to look at how someone like that would raise a child, and then look at how Cora treated Regina :(

Some notes on reviews...

I can say there'll be something in both finales (mid-season and the end) that will have Piper reconsidering things about Regina...as well as her own family ;)