The wedding passed in a blur. Rumplestiltskin arrived to give his daughter away, though he changed his appearance to keep his identity a secret. Only Cora and Zelena knew who he was, not even Regina or Henry were told. His wedding gift to Zelena was a spell that would make the King want to sleep in his own room. If Zelena ever fell in love with him and wanted to produce an heir in the natural way the spell could be undone. Until then, and when she was ready, a child could be created for her with a little magical aid. Cora had hinted that providing a male heir sooner rather than later would be a good idea.

When it came time for Regina and her sister to part, they both cried.

"I'm going to miss you," Regina told her.

"I want you to come and visit often. Mother warned me it might be lonely at first, but once the servants start taking my orders I can think about having a child. I'd like you to be part of their life, and mine."

"Of course, but don't worry about being lonely. I've spoken to Snow and I think you'll get on a little better now. She'll be a wonderful big sister and I can't wait to be an aunt – but only when you're ready. Don't let mother push you into anything."

Zelena hugged her, "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Girls," Cora knocked on the door and let herself in, "it's time for us to leave. Regina wait for me in the carriage, I want a few final words with Zelena before we go."

"Yes mother."

Regina gave her sister one last hug, and a smile, before leaving. When she was gone, Cora closed the door and sat down beside her elder daughter. She took Zelena's pale hands in her own.

"I am so proud of you."

"Thank you, mother."

Cora smiled, "my daughter. The Queen."

"I'm going to miss you and Regina and father."

"Now, I don't want you to worry. If you need anything, you can use your mirror and that spell I showed you to contact me."

"I will. I guess I'll have Snow and the King to keep me company, and all of the servants around."

"There's a good girl."

Cora stopped herself from telling Zelena that it wouldn't be long before she would be able to rule alone, but it was too soon to contemplate any action. The people must begin to accept Zelena first. When enough time had passed, her daughter would truly be The Queen.

A few years later…

Zelena paced up and down the balcony, watching the horizon for some sign that they were coming. Her mother had taken Regina away, saying it was to show her the wider world, Zelena suspected it was to find Regina a husband. She hadn't seen either of them for nearly eighteen months (mirror conversations didn't count) and she missed her sister. At least her father had been able to visit.

Snow was less bratty than she had been before Zelena married her father. She had been a little withdrawn when Regina left, but over the last few months she was coming back out of her shell. Zelena wanted Regina's return to be a surprise for her, she knew how much Snow had missed Regina and with the princesses eighteenth birthday fast approaching now was the perfect time for her return.

Zelena spoke to her maid as a familiar tingle of magic touched the air around her, and sent her out of the room with a simple request.

"Of course, your majesty," the young girl curtseyed before she left the room, hurrying to fulfil Zelena's request.

A moment later and Cora and Regina materialised at Zelena's side. Zelena was surprised how different her younger sister looked. Regina stood silently to one side, her face neutral, looking so much more mature than when they last said their farewells. Her hair and clothes were immaculate, a strange fashion Zelena didn't recognise but immediately liked. Cora offered Zelena a hug.

"Welcome home," Zelena greeted them.

"My beautiful, darling daughter, it's so good to see you."

They quickly settled in for a chat, after Zelena assured them that they wouldn't be disturbed and Cora backed it up with a little magic. They would have to make an 'official' arrival eventually, with all the fanfare that entailed. Cora decided to wait until someone tried to enter the room. Her magic could take them away before the door was half-open.

Cora sat in the middle of her daughters, answering most of the questions Zelena directed at Regina and prompting her younger daughter on answers for the rest. She had her own questions for Zelena, about the King and Snow, about her new role as Queen. Zelena was only halfway through a story about a piece of mischief concerning Snow and her new maid when the doors began to open. There wasn't time for a goodbye, but that didn't matter when they would be meeting again soon.

Snow was sitting in her mother's old sewing room, watching patiently Zelena's maid Matilda tried to show her a particularly difficult piece of cross-stitch. The princess wasn't really interested in learning the skill, but it was a good excuse to spend some time with the servant who was close to her own age.

A messenger arrived while Matilda was whispering secrets to Snow as she sewed. The two girls giggled nervously when he knocked on the door though Snow stopped when she heard the names of their visitors. Her first impulse was to go running down to meet her step-mothers family, but then she thought about how Regina had barely written to her while she was away. That had hurt.

She shook her head, to clear her thoughts, then turned back to Matilda. Let the visitors come to them, if they wanted, she was going to spend some more time with her real friend.

"I hope you will stay with us for a few days, I know Zelena misses you and her aunt," King Leopold told Regina as they walked with Cora and Zelena through the gardens.

They had arrived at the palace the afternoon before, and been offered a suite of rooms for the night. At breakfast that morning, the King had suggested a tour of the gardens once he had finished with some minor court business. Cora and Zelena walked ahead, while Regina and Leopold kept a few paces behind to give them some privacy. Snow had been silent at the evening meal, and the same at breakfast. There hadn't been a chance for Regina to speak to her between, because Zelena had whisked her away to her own room to talk.

"We miss her too," Regina assured him, "but she seems happy here."

"They tell me every little girl dreams of becoming a princess."

Regina smiled, "I always wanted to ride the fastest horse in the kingdom."

The King chuckled, "and I wanted to captain a boat and sail over the horizon to find undiscovered lands."

Regina relaxed with the King as they continued their conversation. She hadn't spent a lot of time with him when she had been to the palace before, and she wondered whether he was just being polite now that they were family.

"How is Snow coming along with her riding?"

"I don't know, I haven't seen her on a horse for a while. I think she's working on some kind of embroidery, though I'd prefer her to focus on her studies. She'll be Queen one day…" the King shrugged, "but I suppose she is still just a child, there's time for her to settle down to it. If only you were still here, she seemed to listen to you."

"Oh, I don't…"

"A number of people assure me that's true. Why, Johanna still tries to use your name to persuade Snow to listen to her… though that's just between the two of us. I'm supposed to see my daughter as the perfect little princess, and I do, I just also see a little bit of myself in that stubborn pride of hers."

Regina smiled, "she's confident, and brave. Two very admirable qualities."

"Yes, just not in a teenage princess and when she's heir to the throne."

"As you say, she's still a teenager. Shortly she'll be an adult and then you'll see. She has a kind heart, and..."

"Enough," Leopold held up a hand, "as much as I'd love to hear a litany of praise I think I can see her up ahead and it wouldn't do for her to hear you. Not after Johanna's report from this morning. Today I have to play the stern, disapproving father."

"As you wish," Regina smiled as the King sighed and shook his head.