KINISHINAI

It was a cold year, coldest Demanthus has seen in tens of years. By the time November started approaching the water in the lakes had frozen solid, the dew drops on the huge dense forest froze and had gone stone hard. Hard enough to give Timmy boy; the son of the local butcher a solid concussion.

Livestock's were dying due to cold and lack of food, and also people started skinning their sheep's and making clothes out of it which eventually caused the sheep to freeze-die and the meat unsafe to eat.

The King Sir Henry mills, his wife whose personality could resemble the stone hard ice and their beautiful three children. The oldest was Regina Mills who loved books, horse-riding, cooking. The second daughter was Zelena Mills who simply was a puppet for Cora mills (also envious about how her older sister will be the heir to the throne) but was a prankster behind her back. The youngest- the son- named Graham was left at the main door of the palace by a pair of wolves and got adopted once they heard his cute little hoot.

Regina mills was 17 when she saw a Knight fighting in a hand to hand combat and learnt few tricks of the shop, making Henry proud and Cora almost seethe with blood. She turned 18 when this harshest winter had been beating down on them. The issue was that the nearly fifteen thousand acre kingdom was the farthest from the nearby kingdom- a personal slice of heaven- and hence trade was minimal.

The nearby kingdom was a two day's travel away, knights with the crest stitched on them left the kingdom in search for solution and help to the Demanthus and when the men came back with a big carriages, looking disheartened and miserable. It was told that the nation nearby; Patricea was frozen over and people were laying dead frozen in their beds, as if they knew their oncoming death. The deaths included the royal family who despite the warmest of cloths and insulation froze over.

No one, not even the King Henry knew the fact that his wife Cora mills had a pinch of magic in her necklace; albeit dark magic but it was there. But she wasn't going to use it save this useless kingdom. It didn't exactly fit in her plans. Helping people was not Cora Mills.

When the times grew desperate and people were sent out with whatever horse that was alive to the king for help. Henry mills took his last resort; he asked Cora to help him out. The wife wasn't desperate but the times' were. Knowing fully well that whatever meat she had hoarded for her family was depleting faster and faster. She made a choice. She summoned the darkest entity known to entire humanity.

'Oh, dark one. I summon thee.' Pinching the dark dust between her fingers she threw it in the air and waited patiently waited.

'Nothing happened.' Henry exclaimed and Cora rolled her eyes at the bald headed man.

'It's the dark one, dearest. This entity is capable of crossing realms and realities, it might take her a bit of a time to arrive.'

'Absolutely correct, Cora.' A plume of grey-black smoke swirled around in their living room and the dark one appeared. It was a woman, Henry noticed.

Platinum blonde hair tied in a top tight bun and wearing what could only be described as a flamboyant genuine leather. Jacket with lapels pushed upwards and slight hint of cleavage. The coattail was English and touched her upper thighs swishing almost like a cape.

There was a red velvet waist coat under the leather jacket tied with black hard laces. Coal grey Leather pants with heeled boots.

Dark One stepped closer to Cora Mills and tilted her head curiously, tutting 'well, Cora. You've gotten old and wrinkly.'

Cora wanted to rolls her eyes or gape or perhaps (her favourite option) verbally abuse until they had to pick their dignity from the floor but she kept quiet.

Cora mills was a lot of things but an idiot was not one of them.

'You look the same, Odile.' Odile simply smirked and sat on the Chesterfield summoning a tumbler of old whiskey revelling in the power she held as Henry slowly took a step away from her.

'It's a bit chilly, no?' she smirked and took a sip while looking at the pair through her eyelashes. She loved playing games, it was her favourite past time to watch these dirty little filth fight over petty things like gold and money or the foolish of them all- love.

()

Regina wiped the frozen drop from her forehead which was previously sweat but as soon as it came in contact with the frozen hell, it tuned into ice.

Picking the little toddler Graham off the floor she locked the barn and altered her path towards her home. It was so cold that Regina could not even see the soft black mist lightly surrounding the palace. Entering and taking off her warm boots. The about-to-be nineteen Regina Mills entered her living room and froze just like ice.

Her eyes immediately found green-grey eyed woman who had crossed her legs (unladylike; the word her mom would use often) and sipping on brown liquid.

Regina gulped and tried looking away from the intense and heatedly curious gaze and looked down at the attire. The woman should be freezing! Regina thinks.

Cora was quick to shield her daughter from Odile and shoo her away to her bedroom, Regina's footsteps potter away throwing one last look to the pale skinned and her eyes drop to the light lipstick perfectly on her lips.

'I must say…' The woman's husky and deep dark but cold voice slowly hum. A shiver shoots through her spine. 'Your daughter is much more beautiful than you ever were, Cora.'

That's the last thing she hears and panicking, she deadbolts her door and hides under her covers hearing the soft thump on the floor which she thinks is of the blonde woman.

Cora takes a last glance at her daughter's door and once she knows Regina will not come out she looks at Odile.

'I must know what favour you want before I accept your deal.' Smart, Odile taps her fingers impatiently.

''this is a deal I'm offering, I'll give you people some sun, make sure your crops grow and stay alive. Give you livestock's to survive and in return all I ask is a one teeny tinny favour. Isn't that the best deal you've had in a while?'

Despite the innocent pout on Odile's face. Cora knows how cunning and a monster she truly was. The taunt of her previous attempted deal was not lost.

'We agree.' Henry nods and Cora gives a shriek of protest and wide eyed tries shushing him down, 'don't repeat the word!'

'Let's shake on the deal.' Odile ignores Cora, the darkness inside her giving a small delighted hum and she puts her hand forward to henry. Cora freezes, and goes mute as The Dark One takes away her mobility.

'Deal. You get a favour out of this deal' Henry shakes his hand and yells out when a small black light zaps in between them and cuts a long line on his palm.

Fools, Odile thinks. People don't realise how powerful words can be.

'I'll come and collect my debt once my end of the deal is done.' With that Odile smirks at Cora and throws one last look at the door Regina disappeared through and summons her magic. Vanishing in thin air.

'Do svidaniya.'