She had not noticed with their first kiss that he had a small scar above his left eye. How did he get it she wondered? They were so close his breath was intoxicating she forgot about everything that was going through her head only a few moments before. The leaves rustling around them as the wind whistled through them and the soft crashes as the water crashed against the river banks as it flows to the lake somewhere off in the distance but she was oblivious to this as she was only focused on him. They had not spent much time together since leaving his palace but it was like they were back there again the feelings she had right before their first kiss only intensified. He gave no sign about what he was thinking she couldn't read him at all she so wanted to lean in for a kiss but she did not know how he would react so she broke their intense gaze too look at his chest.

Her eyes went as bright as they usually were the was something different about them they were duller and swimming with emotion. What must be going through her mind to extinguish the fire in her beautiful blue eyes. He inhaled her sweet perfume. Was it new? Or had he just not noticed it the last time because of his shock that she felt the same way as he did? While he could not read her face her eyes told him what he needed to know there was a battle going on inside her head and he wanted to know what it was so he could help. She looked at the ground and he did not know what to think.

For a moment, he stood just staring at her then he slowly reached his hand towards her face and placed this finger below her chin tilting her face back up to gaze into her eyes. For a moment, they stood like this as he caressed her chin with his thumb before reaching his hand to brush her hair behind her ear so he could observe her whole face.

There isn't much space between them, he still has her encased in his arms. Slowly he leans in and kisses her, a soft moan escaping her lips. He reached his hand up to the back of her head entwining his fingers in her hair. As the kiss deepens she removes her hands from his chest wrapping them around his neck. This kiss was more magical than the first. She knew that this was it, that he was the one. Was this what Regina had described to her all those years ago? Who knows but for now all she could content herself with was inhaling his sweat breath.

For the first time, they are aware of what is going on around them James breaks the kiss reluctantly when he hears the horses banging their hooves into the ground. He looks over to them knowing something has spooked them but what? He tells her to be quite and listens for anything strange in their surroundings. He can hear twigs cracking in the trees they are quite far away but what could it been then the wind changes carrying several voices toward them. Who are they? He feels unsettled and tells her they need to leave now. They hurry over to the horses and he calms it before helping her up onto his horse. He tethers hers to his he remembers her telling her about how she met Regina on a runaway horse and he wanted to keep her safe. He mounts his horse behind her and sets off at speed. There is no time to discuss their growing feeling or what caused her flood gates to open the only thing is to get back to the palace as soon as possible. He reaches his arms around her to keep her aboard the horse and to be close to her. They were at the stables in no time and left the horses with the stable boy to tend to before rushing up to the palace.

. . . .

Just as Regina and George were leaving the study the entrance door bursts open showing a very breathless and red faced Snow and James. They were startled by what they seen. Before either of them could speak James uttered "woods… voices… horses spooked… something doesn't feel right," between gasps for breath. At once George sent for his guards to search the woods where James said they were. They entered the drawing room to try and get the full story before they dined. One thing Regina noticed was that the whole time Snow held James hand. Was there something they weren't telling them had happened in the woods. Once they had established what happened they entered the dining hall. They ate without any conversation George keeping an eye on the door at all times waiting for news and Snow and James steeling glances at one another when they were sure nobody was looking. Regina however noticed this and smiled to herself knowing that there was certainly something happened in the woods which made her happy knowing that Snow had someone she could trust and confide in.

Regina and Snow retired to bed as soon as dinner was over having been both emotionally and physically exhausted by the events of the day leaving George and James alone for some time. The both sat in silence before James couldn't take it anymore and he too retired to bed. George decided he would spend a few hours looking through some of the papers he and Regina had looked at earlier before he gave up and went to bed.

Up in her bed chambers Regina tried to go to sleep but each time she tried she would have that same dream each time until she was exhausted at the prospect of sleep. It was the still light out but she knew she needed a way to take her mind of things or at least try to work things out and find closure. She got out of her bed and walked across to the window looking out across the empty and eerie palace grounds seeing her apple tree in the distance reminding her of both happy and sad times. She unwillingly left the land of reminiscing to get things off her chest. She crossed over to the dressing table where she knew she had her writing set and so she began to write a letter just as she had told snow to do earlier. Whether it would be read by the intended person she didn't know but that didn't matter because she needed to get all this off her chest she had been very good at avoiding her feelings and what she truly felt.

My dearest Leopold,

For you to have ever truly understood me you would have had to know about my life prior to our marriage. I was unhappy with my life! The only people that could see just how unhappy I was, was my father and Daniel. In the most part I was unhappy apart from a few stolen moments with Daniel. Daniel if you remember was my stable boy. I have told you of our story in short before but for you to truly understand my detached and unwilling behaviour in the recent years I need to first tell you the whole story. Daddy listen to how unhappy I was but did nothing to try to stop my mother but that's a story for another day. Daniel was the only one who really tried to show me that I didn't have to be unhappy and he would let me get out my frustration when we were together. I began to fall in love with him and for almost a year we had short stolen moments together while I had my riding lessons with my mother completely oblivious. Daddy wouldn't have minded that Daniel was as my mother described him at one point just a stable boy because he just wanted me to be happy.

One afternoon our meeting was interrupted by a wild horse running past us with a terrified young girl aboard; Snow! I left him to chase her and the horse; I didn't know that that simple kindness would change everything! It was soon after I returned home that my mother told me the young girl I saved was Snow and that you were coming to pay a visit and well we know what happened then. I didn't want to marry you and so I met Daniel at the stables and told him everything that happened and he proposed also. We planned to run away together I just had to slip away from my mother first. And of all the nights for Snow to decide to get back on her horse it had to be that night. She saw Daniel and I kiss and I chased after her and begged her not to say anything especially not to my mother and she promised she would.

I returned later that night with my bags and we were preparing to leave when she arrived… She played nice and had both of us fooled. My mother saw how much we loved each other and she made it sound like she would give us her blessing to be together… then she tore his heart from his chest and crushed it in front of me! My hopes and dreams for the future were crushed that day as he lay lifeless in my arms for I knew what my future would hold now. I will never forget her telling me she did it to give me my best chance but it wasn't mine it was hers. It was the closest she was ever going to get to be queen. I don't know if you had known all this when we married maybe things could have been different but who knows it could have been even worse if that was possible!

I discovered several days later that Snow had in fact done the exact opposite of what I had asked of her and told my mother. That stayed with me! I blamed her for his death, that is why I always tried to avoid her, I hated her for what she had cost me and the nightmare I was now living! If I had of listened to my father, I would have seen that paying attention to Snow might have made you pay attention to me and not just to criticise me.

My protective walls went up that day Daniel died and to some extent they're still there; maybe not as thick now as they had once been in the past few years but nonetheless still there. I know this would have pained you before the battle so I neglected to address it; but no matter what happens between us I know that I won't be able to forget what happened in the past. I'm trying believe me when I say I am to forgive you but I don't know if that is entirely possible at this point in time but I will make itself clearer in time I'm sure. I became colder, unhappy and detached with each blow you dealt, my walls got thicker but no matter what they still couldn't shield me! I lost all hope of a happy life. I knew I had to keep fighting against you because otherwise you would have one and it's not in my nature to allow others to win without a fight!

The sun was slowly setting in the distance and the sky turned from an orange hue to black with a few stars scattered here and there and the shadows of the trees slowly being engulfed by the dark, but Regina noticed nothing she was so absorbed in her letter to notice anything. Regina did however take a short break to reminisce the good and the bad times, still having that internal conflict with herself.

I always felt like I was the one to blame when things went wrong. If I didn't do things a certain way or say something a certain way I knew I was going to be punished. Why I asked myself so many times at the start and came up short for answers. Slowly I began to realise that no matter what I did I would never please you because I wasn't her, I wasn't Eva! That was when I finally realised that even if I did do things the way you wanted it probably wouldn't change anything because I would make you angry for acting like her. I was marked from the start I couldn't win! Little did I realise that was just what you wanted me to act like her that all became clear when you told me how you felt. I thought I had, had it all worked out but I was wrong!

You landed a bombshell on me and I didn't know what to think or how to feel. If I had recoiled and rejected you, would I be punished? If I accepted what you had to say would it turn out to be a joke and you punish me? Or was it all true? Slowly I began to see that it was; how could you go from being so cold and how I saw you evil, to this vulnerable man with all these feelings! I did then and still do have an ongoing conflict within. My head still tells me not to trust you! How could I after all you've done but my heart tells me to give you a second chance.

I was opened to the prospect of something between us, whether that be an understanding or whether it truly be some form of love. Since that night in the study when you confessed your feelings my walls gradually came down letting you in further. Those few months spent alone at the palace without snow was an opportunity to get to know the real you if you would let me to help me see if I could understand the growing feelings I was having. When I saw your willingness to change I could feel myself returning to the person I was several years ago! Was this a second chance at love and happiness? Despite everything that had gone wrong in the past? Who knows maybe we will never know but whatever it was it wasn't all bad! Eventually all the walls began to crumble and fall away. I learned to forgive Snow and slowly grew to love her. Maybe this could happen with us had we had more time to try. Maybe what is feel for you is love or maybe it was just that I needed to give you a second chance, that is something I'm still trying to work out.

Things seem much harder to understand now! I had this idea that the rebellion would end and we would be able to figure things out. But I guess that wasn't meant to be… maybe this was a second chance just for me or maybe not! I don't know how to feel. Is it really true? I can't believe it to be; I'm sure that if you had died on the battlefield I would have felt something if not just because of everything that has transpired between us. Are you still out there somewhere hurt or lost? Everything that I had come to know, come to understand that past few months is gone and now a new challenge awaits me time is slowly ticking away ad soon everything will change completely!

How can I run a kingdom when I haven't the slightest idea how to run the palace properly! George had tried patiently to make me understand but no matter how much he simplifies it; it just doesn't seem to make the slightest bit of sense. Then to add to all that, what do I know about being a mother? If I can't manage to understand the simple ways to run a kingdom how can I expect to be able to be a mother? I don't know the first thing about that either! I dint have the best example and certainly learnt nothing when Snow was growing up because I didn't care what happened to her. Maybe in time I will be able to master the art of both only time will tell. Maybe if things had of been different you could have helped me. You were there when Snow was young so you would have been at somewhat more of an advantage than me. Who knows maybe she would have made things clearer for us! The feelings I have may have presented themselves in a way that would allow me to understand them clearly.

I won't lie to you, I wasn't fully honest in my previous letter to you, I couldn't tell you when you were going off to battle that there may be no hope of my heart wining out. That would have I think certainly sealed your fate. Though when I said that my feeling for you would continue to grow that was true, but in what way I didn't know what they would become and I had to understand them before I gave you hope where there might be none. I believe now several months later and through this letter I have finally understood the battle between my head and heart…

Your

Regina

She sealed the letter and locked it away in the drawer in her dressing table where it would remain until such a time that it would be read by the intended person or again by herself. Regina then crossed over to the bed and climbed into bed exhausted from the long day and the fact she appeared to have sat up late into the night battling with the conflicting feelings she had for the king. Now completely drained she slowly drifted off into a peaceful sleep as the stars and the moon shone brightly across the grounds of the palace.

….

George rose early the next morning wanting to be ready should there be any news arrive from his guards. He decided that he would go down to the study again and work on some more of the papers he had been showing Regina the previous day; after all they wouldn't wait until she understood them. Rifling through them leaving the simplest until he again started to teach her what they meant. There was a knock on the door and one of his guards entered.

"Your Majesty! There appears to have been a campsite close to where Prince James and Princess Snow had been. The kindling was still hot so they must have left as soon as they seen the Prince and Princess flee. There was nothing left behind except the fire. We have searched the surrounding area with no success." He bowed to the King. He appeared to be slightly nervous now waiting for the King's response knowing full well what he would say go and search again further until you find something. He was right.

"Well then you must go further. Find who these people were. How did they get within the palace grounds? It can't be any of king Leopold's soldiers as they are all accounted for! Now go!" George was both angry that he had not thought to continue the search and that there were people within the palace grounds that shouldn't be there. How could they have gotten in? The place was heavily guarded before they arrived and with even more protection since they arrived.

He didn't want to scare Regina and Snow but he knew that he had to tell them. He continued to work through some of the papers before everyone else rose for the day.

Back upstairs Snow had awoken from a broken sleep and began writing in her diary. She was doing just as Regina had told her writing things down but it possibly wasn't the way she had meant. She wrote about how happy she knew both James and herself felt the same way. But then there was the downside that her father wasn't here to see how happy she was and then that stemmed into her mother not being here either to see her happy. She hadn't thought like this before because her father had always been there so she knew that she always had one of them there. She had nobody to share her happiness with now. But wait that wasn't true she thought she did have someone! She threw back the covers and pulled on her dressing gown before leaving her room and following the twisting corridors until she arrived at the door. Then it dawned on her that Regina may not yet be awake or might be upset with her for saying that she was alone. Then it sunk in just how much that must have hurt her especially as they had become so close and Regina was hurting just as much as she was.

She knocked on the door but got no response from the inside so she opened the door as quietly as she could but there was still a creek as the hinge was moved. She only hoped that if Regina was asleep she wouldn't wake her. She peered around the door and see her lying there peacefully. She glanced around the room with her eyes coming to a rest of Regina's dressing table her writing set was out. Did this mean that she too was doing as she had told her to do and write down her thoughts and feelings? She hoped that the two could open up to each other more. They had overcome a great hurdle yesterday with Regina telling her the truth about Daniel and why she had been so distant all these years. She decided to return to her room and leave Regina sleeping peacefully.

….

Snow spent the day with James showing him around the palace but was careful to avoid Regina's chambers to allow her to sleep. She wanted to take her mind of things and this was the perfect distraction, especially seeing as they were not permitted to leave the castle until this matter of the intruders were resolved. She hoped it would be soon because it was riding that was her true escape from reality. She didn't need to concentrate she just needed to trust in her horse to keep her safe and lead the way. Although her stolen moments with James were as enjoyable. Somehow they always ended up returning to the library. They would sit in silence reading each stealing glances at the other when they thought the other wasn't looking.

George was in the study waiting for hope that there would be some news but there was still no sign of any of his soldiers returning. Could something have happened to them or was it because the palace grounds covered such and extensive area? He still wasn't prepared to worry Snow or Regina unnecessarily, especially given Regina's condition. So he went about the royal papers trying to put affairs in order in the matters that were too complex for Regina to understand yet. He wondered where she might be at this late time in the morning. She had not shown at breakfast but he thought she must just want some time alone. He knew he had walked in on something deep and emotional for her and Snow yesterday and he noticed the toll it had had on her. He decided to take their lessons at her pace as to not overwhelm her.

It was late afternoon when Regina woke having realised she had spent the entire morning asleep she rang for Anna to come help her dress and headed downstairs to seek out George for any news there may be. As she walked down the twisting corridors she couldn't help but think back to the letter she had written last night. She had put so much emotion into in and had been so exhausted by everything that happened yesterday she didn't think she could face another day of learning from George. She found herself at the study doors before she knew it and entered to see George hard at work.

She didn't want to disturb him so she walked over to the window looking out at her apple tree. She rested a hand upon her stomach thinking of the times when she was younger and enjoyed the tree and what Snow had told her of her getting the tree brought here for her. She couldn't help her eyes glossing over with the overwhelming sense of gratitude in that moment for such a selfless act of someone towards her. The tears that were forming threatened to flow over their rim but she blinked them back as to hid how she was truly feeling to George for he wouldn't understand. For him to understand he wouldn't have to know everything from the day she met Snow until now. Trying to change the course of her thoughts she turned to ask George of any news. Being told there was none was something she hadn't expected. She thought that surely they would have found these people by now.

It wasn't to be worried about for too long as the knock on the door followed by Vince signaled time for dinner. The four of them entered the dining room and as like the previous night each were preoccupied by other thoughts with none of them engaging in any sort of conversation.

They retired back to the study after dinner waiting for some news but none came. They were all growing tired which was progressed by the heat from the fire and the dimming of the room as it began to extinguish itself. Regina and Snow decided to retire to bed knowing that nobody could get inside the castle as it was heavily protected by two armies. Not long after James too decided to retire to his chambers leaving George waiting staring into the fire for some news.

Regina had retired to her bed chambers after another long day with no news of the people that had happened upon Snow and James. She sat on her window seat cradling her ever growing stomach wishing for news also of her husband. She looked out across the grounds as darkness slowly started to encircle the castle. The moon and the stars that had been visible prior to her leaving the study were now engulfed by the thick eerie mist that swirled around the trees down below giving them a life like quality. She slowly rose and went over to her dresser yet again to retrieve the worn out letter, the last words that she might have from her husband, to read again. She needed to be careful it had been folded and unfolded so often recently that it threatened to tear and the words be lost forever. She returned to the window seat, once more propping herself up to read the letter for the thousandth time, she didn't really need to read it anymore though, for she knew it word by word at this point, she just liked to hold it while she considered its contents.

He was right he had changed me. Could I really return to this sparkly eyed strong woman he remembered marrying? I don't remember what she was like… she was never strong! She was weakened by her mother and then by him… brought to her knees by a ten year old forced into a life she didn't want. But that was in the past maybe she could become a new version that he would enjoy just as much this version stronger as a result of everything that had happened. Maybe she could be this sparkly eyed woman. She wanted to be strong but not just for herself but for Snow and her unborn child. She needed to be strong enough not to be the same person her mother was… she wanted to be kind, caring and loving.

Every now and then she stole glances out of her window to see the moon peak through the mist for a brief moment before being swallowed whole again. Just a reminder for her any hope she had in this difficult time was always shattered by more devastating news. She decided to take her own advice and start writing things down just as she had told Snow. She again went to her desk and retrieved her diary and stared blankly at the empty pages trying to figure out where to begin. She slowly began to drift off to sleep her head swaying backwards and forwards before coming to a rest against the cold window pain.

Regina was awoke by a loud thud. She glanced around the room to look for the source of the noise before discovering her diary lying on the ground. She left it where it lay and turned her gaze to the window. She noticed a thin streak of moonlight on the carpet and creeping up the bedroom wall as she looked around the room for the cause of the disturbance to her sleep. There was a break in the clouds and the moonlight flooded through the small gap lighting up part of the palace grounds, giving her hope that even in such dark times that there may be some hope to be found. The gap slowly grew and uncovered the blanket of sparkling stars that lit up the night sky. She wondered if this is the kind of sparkle Leopold remembered in her eyes. She couldn't help but wish that maybe he would see it again… she looked out across the grounds asking herself; where are you? Why haven't you come back? We know you're out there somewhere…

Her neck was sore from the position she had been lying in so she decided tired and sore that she would retire to bed and hope that a new day would bring some news.

Down the hall Snow was tossing and turning in her sleep seeing her father and mother in her dreams but no matter what she did she could only be with one of them. She had been dwelling more and more on her parents in recent days especially her mother. She wished she had been her to see her grow up but then she thought of how she wouldn't have had Regina. She continued to toss and turn as the mist slowly covered the small pocket of light that provided a brief light in the dark.

Down in the study George was finishing of the last of the paper work he had started earlier in the day as he waited for any news but again none came. So, he packed away the papers and he too retired to his chambers.

In the distance a rumbling could be heard by the guards at the gate. A faint hint of horse's hooves on the path that lay beyond the gates. Then there was creaking from what sounded faintly like a carriage but that would be nonsense. Who would be in a carriage at this late hour. They put it down to exhaustion and an increased sense of awareness of their surrounding for fear that someone was in the grounds planning an attack. Slowly however the sounds became clearer and closer. The focused on the distance searching for the source. Through the swirling mist appeared a dark shadow. Slowly forming shapes that indeed appeared to be a carriage. It approached at speed parting the thick mist giving way also to brief streaks of moonlight. As the carriage arrived at the gate the driver told the guards they had important information for the Queen. They opened the gates allowing the carriage to enter not thinking to search it or ask more questions. They watched as the carriage was engulfed once more by the mist as it headed up the drive towards the palace. As it drew to a stop outside the palace doors, a tall, dark figured stepped out into the mist…