Catching Starlight In Wishing Wells

(3rd POV) *Flashback, Enchanted Forest, a few months before the Dark Curse

"Your Majesty, we've tried to do as you've commanded, but despite our efforts, it cannot be destroyed," a black knight explained as his eyes dodged the Queen's glare. She replied in a hiss, "How hard can it be to knock over a couple of stones? You were able to deal with the others!"

"My Queen, we believe this one is protected, by magic."

Regina rolled her eyes, getting frustrated with the incompetency of her knights. Not only had they lost track of a trail that could have lead to Snow White's capture, they couldn't even deal with a simple wishing well. Though Regina normally didn't care for any old stone ruins in the forests, this one was magical, and it had a particularly detrimental effect upon the health of the herbs and plants used in many common potions and spells. Ones that she quite often needed. Determined, the Queen huffed and replied, "Fine then. Prepare a carriage, I'll destroy it and show you boys how it's done."

The knight promptly bowed and took his leave as Regina turned around to face her favourite mirror. After a moment, she summoned the pitiful creature who inhabited the space behind its glassy surface since the beginning of her reign. When the blue face appeared, it responded exactly as the Queen expected, and required. "Yes, Your Majesty, what can I do for you?"

"Tell my father that I'll be away from the palace for a moment."

When the face disappeared, the Queen used her magic to change into another outfit, as she knew that walking through the dirt and grime in a gown wasn't exactly the best option. Carefully, she touched up her makeup, applying dark powder to the creases of her eyes and lining her lips with a crimson red colour. Then, she waved her hand and the doors to her chambers flew open on it's own accord. Though she was still feeling annoyed that the guards couldn't take care of their task, her heavy clicking footsteps slowed down a little as she approached the Princess' chambers. This time, she let the guards stationed outside open the doors for her. She came in to see young Daniella sitting in front of a dollhouse that she had gotten as a gift from her grandfather recently. The Queen lingered there for a moment, temporarily forgetting the bitterness that had just engulfed her temper several minutes ago. It was only when the Princess turned around was Regina snapped out of her thoughts. "Mama!"

The Queen crouched down and commented with an amused smile, "You've been rearranging the furniture for several days now. It's a good thing there aren't any servants in that palace of yours, or they'll be annoyed with how much work they've got to do."

Daniella shrugged and took out three tiny dolls with delicately painted ceramic faces. "Doesn't matter, it's just you, me and grandpa living in my dollhouse." That alone, put a smile on the Queen's lips as she tucked a strand of hair behind her daughter's ear. Then, remembering why she came here, she said, "I'll just be gone for a little while. There's a wishing well that the knights have failed to destroy."

"A wishing well?" Daniella questioned as she put her dolls down and widened her eyes. She asked softly, "Why do you need to destroy it?"

"I believe this one contains a substantial amount of light magic which can interfere with the health of the herbs and fungi we need to make our potions. Besides, having something left behind by those fairies near our palace is an insult, don't you think?"

The Princess didn't really know what that meant, but she was not one to challenge whoever was raising her, and certainly not the Queen so she nodded and said, "Ok. Will I see you at dinner?"

"Of course, dear." Then, the Queen gave her daughter a quick kiss before teleporting down to where her carriage awaited. It didn't take her long before she arrived at the place where the annoying wishing well was located. The knights accompanying her stood to the side as the most senior out of the group approached the Queen and said, "Your Majesty, this is the well we've tried to destroy at no avail."

Regina took a look at the stone cupids and the flowers carved into the structure of the well and frowned. This was no ordinary well. Indeed, when she got closer, she noticed that there was a pink aura coming out of the spaces in the cracked stone. When she placed her hand up to it, the aura gave her hand an uncomfortable tingling effect. Sensing that this would be a piece of work, she put up both of her hands and willed her magic to make the stone crumble. However, no matter how much dark purple smoke radiated from her fingertips, the stone would not budge nor make even the faintest crack. Growing frustrated, she stepped back a little, before delivering a hard burst of magic towards it. Nothing happened. Again and again, the Queen directed the full strength of her powers towards the wishing well but it could not be destroyed.

In the end, she screamed at the silly stone structure, cursing the fairies for making a mockery of her magic. Ignoring the concerned glances of the knights, she strode up to the well again and passed her hand over it. Her magic quickly got rid of the moss and dirt that had built up on it over time. She observed the intricacy of the carvings and couldn't help but compare it to some of the designs she had seen in her own palace, especially the ones that decorated the marble pillars in the female quarters of the royal wing.

Growing suspicious, she magicked a dream catcher in her hand and hovered it above the well. Slowly, mist came up from the depths of the well and embedded itself into the woven strings. Then, she cast her hand over it and watched intently as the well's 'memories' played out. When it ended, the Queen growled and burnt the dreamcatcher in her hand. Then, she whipped around and commanded, "Arrange two guards to keep this area under constant surveillance in case Snow White returns."

The leader came forth and questioned, "My Queen, is Snow White the reason why we weren't able to destroy it?"

Regina stopped and hissed at him, "None of your business," before stating, "We will leave this wishing well for now." The knights expected the Queen to return to the carriage but instead, she had already disappeared in a cloud of her signature purple smoke. She appeared in the palace cemetery but immediately regretted the decision to travel by magic for her head pounded a little, forcing her to lean against a tall gravestone to steady herself. When the feeling of nausea had subsided, she straightened up and walked over to the mausoleum that she rarely visited. In fact, she hadn't seen it since the King's death many years ago. She didn't dare go in, but she went up to the entrance and traced the same bird and floral designs that adorned the wishing well in the forest near the palace. Though 'evil' was in her name, the Queen would not disturb the decaying body of the woman that had once stood in her place. However, she did vow silently that she would one day tear down the wishing well that was commissioned after her death. She would destroy the place that Snow White visited annually to commemorate her mother's death.

Regina brushed away the moss that covered the place where her former husband's name was engraved into the marble and sneered under her breath, "When I'm done with your precious snowflake, no one in the Enchanted Forest will remember what your reign was like. Mark my words."

Then, she turned quickly on her heels and left the cemetery. Though the Queen wasn't one to be superstitious, she had insulted a former ruler right in the midst of his deceased relatives and family members who were buried in the same cold earth.

When she arrived at the dining hall, she found Daniella eating alone on the long table. She let a small smile overtake the frown on her face as she slide down beside the young Princess and muttered a quick apology for being late. Then, she listened as Daniella gave her an animated recount of the positive feedback that she had received from her tutor.

*End of flashback*

(Regina's POV) *Present day, Camelot

When I arrived at the room where Emma was resting with Hook by her side, I held back my surprise upon seeing that the entire group had congregated in this tight space. Snow and David were both there too, along with Daniel and his wife. Though everyone seemed to be standing in silence to offer their support, an escalating firewall of words that was being exchanged between Snow and David drew me from my own thoughts. The underlying frustration in David's low whisper was undeniable as he articulated, "I think we have a way to help Emma. If we give Arthur the dagger-". Snow cut in and snapped in a tone very uncharacteristic of her, "No, we can't trust Arthur."

"How do you know that?"

"Lancelot."

"Lancelot? Lancelot's dead!"

I rolled my eyes and said to the bickering couple, "Hey, not in front of the patient! Given the state she's in, anything could set her off." Then, I declared a little louder, "She needs rest. Somewhere quiet and away from prying eyes." As expected, Hook agreed with my suggestion and gave me a nod before saying to Emma, "Come on love, let's sail away." When they left, I said to no one in particular, "Whatever's happening to her, I think she was here for the dagger. I should probably move it somewhere safe."

I proceeded to use my magic to teleport away, but David called out, "Hold on. Arthur may have a way to use that dagger to help her!" Snow immediately responded to his exclamation and soon the couple was in a bit of a heated argument which gave me the chance to sneak a quick look at Daniel. No sooner had I caught his equally amused gaze, Snow turned to us with flushed cheeks and asked, "Excuse me, but could you three give us a minute?"

I raised my eyebrow and turned around, using magic to take Daniel and Lena along with me. When we reappeared in the middle of an empty hallway, I spoke up before they could register what happened. I ignored the uncomfortable expression on the woman's face and notified Daniel, "Your sister was looking for you." Then, I turned on my heels and walked away, waiting till I disappeared behind a corner. Then, I teleported to Daniel's rooms in search for my daughter. Perhaps I could even convince Aurelie to come with me to move the dagger to a new location. Whilst I loathed Lena's existence, I could think of no better revenge than to get the girls closer together. Should the sisters wish to stay together, Daniel would consider staying in the Enchanted Forest...

I shook my head when I realised why I was thinking this way. Seriously Regina, he was the one who cheated on you! You're not trying to 'win' your fiance back when you did nothing wrong, are you? Before entering the room, I had to make a mental note that I was doing this for Daniella, not my own happiness. I sighed and pushed open the door to find the room empty. I magicked my compact mirror into my hands and located Daniella in no time. Judging by her surroundings, it seems like she had gone down to the grounds outside of the castle. I smiled as she was already close to where I've hidden the dagger. When I appeared behind the girls, I eavesdropped for a few seconds before alerting them of my presence.

They were leaning against a stone well and the first voice I heard was Aurelie's, asking, "Is it true that wishing wells exist, or is it just a thing that people from our world incorporated into fairytales?"

"I think there was one in Storybrooke. They aren't that common and wells are rarely magical unless someone enchanted it. But then again, I doubt anyone would spend so much energy enchanting a well unless it was in a private garden," my daughter replied. I held back a chuckle as my little firefly was clearly thinking of how dark magic applied to wishing wells instead of light magic. I knew that there were plenty of insipid fairies who left traces of their magic everywhere. It was rather annoying actually, as ingredients and herbs needed for dark potions could not be found near sources of light magic. Prior to the curse, I had ordered my knights to destroy any magic wells, stone arches, or memorials that contained light magic. However, there was a particularly annoying one near the palace that I could not manage to destroy. I only found out recently why that was the case. Finally, I let my presence be known. "Daniella, you forget that fairies like leaving traces of their magic everywhere they flutter their glittery wings. You may not recall, but there's a particularly pesky magic well near our palace."

Both of the girls whipped around immediately, sporting to my interest, different expressions. Whilst Aurelie was scared, Daniella simply narrowed her eyes at me and replied, "How long have you been standing there, mother?"

I chuckled, "Not long." When I came closer, Aurelie dipped her head and opened her mouth to address me with my official title but I was prompt to wave it off with my hand. "It's quite alright dear. Our relationship remains unchanged, so you may continue to call me Regina." I changed the topic upon seeing Aurelie's nod and said to Daniella, "I see that you've been walking around the castle grounds."

"For a short while. There are servants at every corner and they were a bit annoying really. They kept eyeing us suspiciously and were rudely whispering in groups." Daniella's expression softened as she asked, "How's it going with Emma? Is she feeling better?"

"Still a little unwell, but that one handed pirate has taken her to a quieter place. My task now, is to find a place to relocate the dagger to a safer location. I believe the dark magic inside Emma is drawing her towards the dagger, so it must be moved." After a pause, I suggested, "Would you ladies like to accompany me?"

Whilst Daniella nodded as I expected, I was concentrating more on Aurelie's expression. There seemed to be a bit of hesitation but I could tell that the talk about the dagger interested her greatly. Finally, she agreed so I said, "Follow me. We'll need to get the dagger first."

As they began walking behind me, I heard Daniella say, "Only she knows where the dagger is. It has been given to her for safekeeping." I zoned out at Aurelie's reply and only paid attention to the girls again when my daughter called out, "Mama, why weren't we able to get rid of that wishing well near the palace again?"

I didn't know exactly how much Aurelie was aware of things pertaining to the Enchanted Forest, so I replied neutrally, "King Leopold commissioned his fairy allies to create a magical wishing well in memorial of Queen Eva. Of course, they made sure to cast spells that prevented dark magic from tampering with the structure. I suppose if I really wanted to get rid of it, it could be done over time with a bit of perseverance and grit, but it's been abandoned for quite a while so I left it in the forest."

Aurelie asked shyly, "Who was King Leopold and Queen Eva?" I glanced at the girls and noticed how Aurelie did have quite the innocent expression on her face which told me that she genuinely was not aware. "Leopold was my husband and Eva was his first wife, Snow White's mother."

"Oh, I understand." Clearly Aurelie had more questions in mind but she was definitely cautious as she kept them behind her tongue. Softly, I prompted, "If there's anything you'd like to ask, you ought to not keep it tucked in your head. It'll drive you crazy, and I for one, am already getting antsy at the unanswered questions plaguing all of us since we set foot in Camelot."

Aurelie gave me a shy smile and asked carefully, "How did Queen Eva pass away? The storybooks in my world are quite vague, and they all tell you different things."

"You're right in saying that they are vague, though I'd say they're quite inaccurate too. Anyway that's beside the point." I licked my lips in preparation before saying her name when I continued, "Eva died from poisoning. Apparently, she coughed up a lot of blood when she died."

"Poisoning? Did they find out who did it?"

"My husband didn't know, but it was the Queen of Hearts who orchestrated the whole murder."

"The Queen of...wait she's real as well?"

I laughed, "Yes, quite. Though she too, has died recently." To my surprise, I actually found Aurelie's interest mildly refreshing and a little comical as she continued in an excited tone, "So was she really the ruler of Wonderland?"

"Yes, but she was originally came from our world. I think one thing the storybooks you've grown up with have gotten right is her temper. It's really something to witness, though I doubt many have survived her wrath."

"Oh wow...yeah she seemed pretty intense in the movies I've watched. Have you and Daniella met her?"

I raised an eyebrow and gave Daniella a look to take over from here. I could tell she would rather that I were to say it, but nonetheless, she explained, "She's my grandmother." There was a look of shock on Aurelie's face before it was replaced with worry as she seemed to backtrack and search her words to see if she had said something wrong. I assured, "Relax, I've spent much of my life in a complicated relationship with her. In fact, I pushed her through a mirror into Wonderland in the first place."

After that, Aurelie didn't reply and we walked in silence till we reached the tree stump where I had hidden the dagger.

(Daniella's POV)

I was grateful that Aurelie and I got along together quite well this afternoon, but it was clear that her mother and aunt were were disapproving of our closeness. That much was clear at dinner. Though my sister and I walked into the dining hall together, she was quickly dragged away from me and wedged between Hilda and Lena. Whilst I was hurt, I didn't have the time to think about my own troubles, as the conversation consisted of updates from everyone. After eating, we had all dispersed to their respective rooms or tasks, except Henry and I. Although I had originally planned to go to the tower to help mother with the spell to free Merlin, Henry dragged me to one side. When he made several subtle glances at mother, I realised he wanted to speak to me alone. Understanding what he actually meant, I waved my hand and teleported us down to the stables.

"How did you know I was planning to come here?" he asked in surprise when the smoke cleared.

I shrugged and replied, "I didn't. I just thought it would be quiet down here at this time of night. So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Henry visibly blushed as he was trying to form his words. Wait a second, was he...was he smiling to himself? "This is about Violet, isn't it?" I exclaimed upon realising the subject of his thoughts.

Henry's eyes widened as he attempted to put his hand over my mouth, "Hey! Not so loudly!"

I chuckled, then with a smirk, I replied, "I'm pretty sure everyone is on board with the fact that you have a crush on her. Well...maybe except Mama. She isn't entirely perceptive when it comes to these things." Then, I tilted my head and inquired, "Have you asked her out yet, or are you asking me to come up with a way to meet up with her?"

My brother sighed and started, "The latter. Like, what do I do? Ask her if she wants to hang out? Isn't that a little too straight-forward?"

"You're not wrong..." I mused. Then, I suggested, "Perhaps you could ask her to accompany you to do something. I gather she knows how to ride?"

"I'm pretty sure she does."

"It's just a suggestion, but I can deliver a message to her, and say that you would really like to see more of Camelot but you don't know the way around here. I'll tell her that you asked me first, and that I'm busy. Since she's the only person from Camelot who you managed to talk to for a longer period of time, I'll say that I took this into account when I suggested that you should ask her to join you. I'm sure she'll agree to this...especially if she likes you. You can take her for a ride through the forest and trust me, once you're afar from everything that goes on here, it'll be easier to open up."

Though I didn't mention it to Henry, I did made a reference to what happened the other day when I was in the forest to take a breather. As expected, he was too occupied with his own thoughts to realise. Though, he did take the opportunity to thank me as he said quickly, "You're the best; I trust you won't tell anyone?"

I smirked and reassured him, "I won't, but you should know by now that news like this spreads really quickly."

Henry chuckled, "True. Though, do you know where I can take Violet? Or should I just do random laps in the forest until we're bored of the scenery?"

I thought for a moment and replied, "She'll know where to go, but I was just at a wishing well this afternoon. Perhaps you can take her there? If you keep walking through the forest, you'll arrive there. Its not very far from where Granny's Tavern landed when we first arrived here via the cyclone-portal."

Henry nodded, "'K, well, I'll leave it to you then. Tell Violet that I can meet her at ten thirty tomorrow; it shouldn't be too early right?"

"10:30 is good," I murmured.

"Oh umm, I'll head back into the castle then," Henry responded. I nodded and said, "You go ahead. I'll tell her soon, but I think I'm going to spend some time down here first."

"At this time of the night?" my brother commented. I gave him a look so he said, "Alright, see you later."

"See ya."

When he left, I sighed and went up to one of the horses. I didn't know who she belonged to, but there was a kind of regal personality around this mare. She seemed to notice my hesitancy to touch her, so she stuck her head out of the stall. I reached out and stroked her mane gently. Then, my mind drifted unwittingly to my sister again, and how Lena and Hilda practically tore her away from me. I wonder if she loved riding as much as I did...she did mention that our father continued to work with horses in the Land Without Magic. Though, I suppose everything is different there; instead of carriages, there are cars.

The mare's turn of her head distracted me from my thoughts. She seemed to be indicating towards the saddle propped up on the stall. "You wanna go for a ride, is that right?" I murmured.

I received a grunt as a reply. Taking that as a yes, I gave in to the the tugging feeling at the corners of my lips and smiled. Hoping that she didn't mind if I didn't use a saddle, I unlatched the stall and lead her out. I wonder when she had last been ridden, if she literally had to prompt me to take her out. I hopped on without too much difficulty and we headed out into the night. There was no where to go except back into the forest so that was where I went. Luckily, the moon was particularly bright today. In fact, the entire stretch of sky seemed to be teemed with tiny stars. Was the skies always like this, or is it particularly beautiful in Camelot?

As I was only familiar with one path in and out of the forest, I decided to take it. The path was the same one that lead in the general direction of the well. When I approached the spot, I dismounted and was momentarily stunned to see a shadowed masculine form already sitting on the stone edge. The silhouette's back was facing me, so I couldn't make it who it was. However, there was something familiar about him. It was the mare's snort that alerted him of my presence. When he stood up and faced me, I couldn't believe the odds of seeing Rhys here. Seriously? In the forest out of all places?

I must have been walking in the shadows that my horse companion cast upon me for it took him a moment to realise that it was me. Upon recognition though, he gave me a quick nod and said, "Your highness."

I frowned as I approached him as his voice was hoarse and dry, unlike the tone that was ingrained in my memory from our first meeting. That's when I noticed how he straightened himself and swallowed. "Hey, you ok?" I asked quietly. He nodded and pasted a smile onto his face but it faded as soon as he turned away to gaze down the well. I watched as my horse went over to some trees and sniffed its roots before I turned back to Rhys. Not exactly knowing where to begin, I said, "I uh, I can leave if you want."

"No, no, it's ok. You wanted to come here, did you not?"

I shrugged, "Honestly, not sure. I just wanted to get away from the castle for a little while." Though I wasn't lying to him, I wasn't telling the entire truth either. Yet, my answer seemed to satisfy the both of us. As I sat down beside him, a silence fell between us. "We're sitting upon a wishing well," I commented after some time.

"Yes, I heard the servants mention something or rather about there being a wishing well in the forest. I doubt it's actually magical though. Camelot is losing is allure lately."

I raised my eyebrow and mused, "You shouldn't be saying that when you're going to grow up and serve Arthur as a knight."

Rhys didn't reply and only shifted uncomfortably at my words. My heart dropped immediately. Feeling a blush creep up my cheeks and my chest tighten, I quickly added, "Did I say something wrong?"

Rhys shook his head, "No, no, not at all."

He was lying. That much was clear. "Rhys, do you want to talk about it?"

"I can't."

I bit my lip, and he must have realised his bluntness for he said, "I'm sorry, I mean...I would like to, but I cannot." Before he could stammer further, I cut in and finished, "No, it's alright if you don't want to talk about it. Things take time to process."

A heavy sigh followed my words. After a moment of silence, he cleared his throat and asked, "So uh, is the situation better with your sister?"

I shook my head, "Yes and no. We were just at this well earlier this afternoon actually. My mother was also with us and I think we had a good conversation going, but its pretty clear that Lena wants to keep us separated."

"You mean, Aurelie's mother?"

I nodded, "Yes, oh and, I just found out that I have an aunt on my mother's side too. She is one of Queen Guinevere's handmaidens apparently. Seems like she hates me too." I watched Rhys' lips move to reply, but no sound came out. He eventually settled with a nod and seemed to turn back to his thoughts again. Sensing his hesitancy to speak, I got up and magicked a coin into my hand. "Hold out your hand," I asked.

He was puzzled, but nonetheless did as I said. When I dropped the coin into his palm, he asked with a small grin, "What is this?"

"We are right beside a wishing well, aren't we? You might as well cast whatever is troubling your mind into the waters down there."

Rhys blinked at me for a few seconds before chuckling in a low series of laughs. "This well isn't magical though. I doubt it will do anything."

I shrugged. "So? I know it might sound silly, but its like...a way of letting go. When I was alone in Wonderland, I used to sneak out to the well in the village and pretend it was magical. Of course, I didn't have any coins that I could throw into the water, but I used some pebbles I collected as a substitute."

"Wonderland?" Rhys murmured.

My heart stopped for a moment. "Oh, I mean, I thought you knew, given that your step-father is Sir Headley."

He shook his head, which made me realise that even amongst mother's knights, not all of them knew my story and certainly those who knew wouldn't pass it onto their sons either. I contemplated whether I should tell him my past, but considering his strange mood, I said instead, "Throw the coin into the well and make a wish."

Rhys cocked his eyebrow and with a little grin creeping up his face, he made a point of closing his eyes. As his brows furrowed, I noticed how there was a slight twitch of movement behind his eyelids. It was evident that whatever he was imagining was bringing him pain as his lips moved ever so slightly inwards as if he wanted to gnash his teeth together. Before I could stare at the soft silhouette of his face any longer, he had opened his eyes. Swiftly, he stepped up to the wishing well's circular stone ledge and threw the coin in. We both looked over the edge and as it wasn't too deep, we could just hear the sound of a faint splash. That's when I noticed the bucket on the ground next to the well. As soon as I picked it up, he said, "Uh...are you tampering with my wish?"

I set down the bucket immediately, but Rhys merely chuckled. Then, he added, "No you're right. We should probably get some water for your horse."

Then, he grabbed the rope and begun to lower the bucket down into the waters. When he pulled it out again, the water sloshed a little messily over the edge of the bucket, but I also noticed just how reflective the water was. At the same time, we both leaned in a little to look at the rippling waters and saw our reflections staring back up at us. I was observing the starlight from the twinkling dots in the sky when I leaned in a little too far, and the very top of my head bumped onto Rhys' chin. I immediately drew back and muttered, "Sorry."

"So Wonderland huh."

I looked up, surprised at the change of topic, though I was happy that he directed the conversation away from my embarrassing actions. I shrugged, "It's not a very interesting or happy story to be honest."

"Life isn't supposed to be sunshine and meadows."

I chuckled at how pragmatic and realistic Rhys was, before commenting, "True...". Then, I continued, "Alright, well I hope this won't bore you too much." Rhys merely gave me an intrigued look, prompting me to shift away from him slightly and begin recounting the same depressing tale that I've recounted to my sister a few days ago. Inexplicably however, my tongue loosened up, before I could realise that I was explaining my life story.

"Well, I barely have memories of my life as a toddler, but occasionally flashes of it appears in my dreams, a bit like deja vue. Anyway, I was one year old when the King found out that I wasn't his. He told my mother that he had gotten a knight to kill me. Instead, turns out that the knight gave me to a servant who had left me in the forest instead. Of course, the Dark One had to come along and do his thing, so he summoned a portal that took me to Wonderland. I was adopted by three spinsters but..." I trailed off as I thought about what I had endured there. Although I was also young at the time, I could still imagine the feeling of the wooden spoon upon my back as punishment. I sighed and continued, "I decided to run away, and with the help of the Cheshire cat, I found my way back to the Enchanted Forest. Obviously, a ten year old child running around would be taken to the nearest orphanage so that's where I ended up, until mother found me a year later. Well, before that I had started showing signs of magic and a group of boys in the orphanage started calling me names because of it. At the time, all I knew was that unless you're a fairy, any magic you possessed was bad and I didn't know what to do with the powers that I had. Luckily, my abilities was only developing at the time, so I hadn't wrecked havoc on the village yet. I mean...not to say I haven't done things afterwards that...well..."

I finally took a deep breath. At the back of my mind, I anticipated that he was going to say something along the lines of, "I'm sorry," or "oh, that's sad to hear". Those words never came as he only nodded solemnly and said, "I understand."

Though it made me glad that he didn't sugar coat his version of a sympathetic response, it did surprise me that he didn't give a more conventional response. A moment of silence fell between us before he asked, "What happened to the spinsters?"

"They're still in Wonderland."

"Really?" Rhys seemed genuinely surprised with my reply but he isn't entirely wrong for his reaction.

I nodded, "They actually ended up in the Enchanted Forest for a short while, but I told my mother not to harm them." Upon seeing his expression, I chuckled and added, "I'm quite sure she had a talk with them, but I did remind her that they didn't know who I was at the time, and it wouldn't justify killing them anyway. I mean, as horrible as my experience was, I wouldn't have survived the first ten years of my life without them. I know it sounds complicated but..."

My voice dropped to a low whisper as I chuckled and stated, "I think there has been enough bloodshed in the name of my mother and I."

My heart thumped as it waited for a response. Finally, Rhys said, "In all honesty, with any kind of power in this world, violence and conflict follows. We're human. It's just part of the equation."

I resisted my urge to roll my eyes, though I agree that there is some truth in his words. I then joked, "In case you haven't realised, there's a reason why everyone calls my mother the Evil Queen...and me the spawn of a demon."

"Princess-"

I shrugged and cut him off, "It's true. I won't lie; power and magic is addictive, and I have been trying to control my magic but..." I paused upon feeling a sudden rush of blood to my cheeks. I took a breath before continuing, "But seeing Henry's popularity and that of his blood family does make me wonder if I'll lose it all if I show them my true self...the dark parts of me, I mean."

I balled the fabric of my dress into my sweaty fists and murmured, "Is it bad that a small part of me wants it though?"

"Wants what?" Rhys eased gently.

I dipped my head and whispered, "Like...the power, the freedom to do whatever I want to whomever I want. I know its bad, but, it makes me feel..."

"In control?"

I nodded and quietly affirmed with a nod, "Yes."

In a low yet warm voice, Rhys began cautiously, "Princess, those feelings are natural, and if anybody else was in your shoes, they would be feeling the same way. Afterall, everyone seeks for some kind of freedom in their lives, whether it be from restraints coming from their family, their lifestyle or...or even from their own thoughts. There's nothing wrong with having a desire to do what you wish to do, and to be who you want to be."

I spluttered a reply without really thinking what I was saying, "But what if you're leaning towards something that is bad, and can hurt others?" I swallowed a ball of saliva that was resting at the back of my throat before continuing, "It might sound a bit contradictory to everything that I've just said, but I've never really liked being the centre of attention. When I was young, all I wanted was to disappear in the shadows. But at the same time, it gets to me when people underestimate or dismiss me."

Rhys' reply was one of shock and disbelief when he exclaimed, "How can anybody underestimate you? Surely you've misread the signs..."

I chuckled, "Thanks, but...well...when you have a mother like mine, you tend to be pushed into the shadows. By that, I mean that they assume everything I do is because of what she tells me to do. They're scared of her, not me. But they're also scared of me through her..." I sighed and continued, "I know it sounds really complicated but when these thoughts cloud my brain, I always act without thinking, just to show people that I'm not a girl without her own mind." When I paused, I commented lightly, "I'm probably not making much sense, am I?"

"Don't worry, I understand what you're saying," Rhys murmured. Then, he looked away and said quietly, "A bit like what you've described, people see me for who my step-father is."

"Oh?"

I was expecting him to delve into an explanation but he didn't say anything else on the topic so I reassured him, "You know...my mother speaks highly of Sir Headley. There's a reason why she kept him in her close circle, and I'm sure you can guess, but she's not one to trust, or share secrets with many people."

"My step-father is strong, and I'm weak...he has honour, I do not."

"Rhys!" My mind left my own contemplations for a moment as I said quickly, "I doubt that is the case at all! He might be good at certain things, but I'm sure you have many qualities that he does not possess!" I frowned when I realised that Rhys' self-berating statement was probably to do with why he was out here in the first place. Cautiously, I asked, "What happened?"

I thought Rhys had opened his mouth to speak, but only a series of coughs came out. Once he recovered, he said in a tired voice, "Sorry, but please don't let my troubles distract you from what you were saying..."

I was about to reply that I wanted to help him without whatever was on his mind, when I realised that a statement like that would have sounded too intimate. I felt my heartbeat pulse as I replied almost pleadingly, "Don't say that just because of who I am. You have every right to tell me what's on your mind. I know you've only ever been well-mannered when talking with me, but please forget about protocol." I then added with a slightly lighter tone, "We're sitting on a wishing well in the middle of Camelot forest alone right now, it's not like we're court where the other lords and ladies of the realm could eavesdrop on our conversation."

I saw the tiniest smirk appear on the corner of Rhys' mouth but it ended there, so I continued, "I don't want people to pay attention to me just because I'm forcing them with magic, or because of my titles and power." I took a deep breath but when my chest fell, it dawned on me how much I had just said to Rhys, someone I had only met a few days ago. Embarrassed, I got up when I realised that he was probably hesitant in replying to my questions because he was not ready to share. "Sorry, I'm pushing you, aren't I? I...I spiralled and said more than I should have said."

I refused to meet his gaze but after the horrible silence that lasted for a few seconds, he began thoughtfully, "No need to apologize. I think using your magic and power is just a way to reconcile with what has been taken from you in the past. Since you're aware of this struggle, it sounds more like your conscience has never left you. I would almost say that it's a blessing really."

I shrugged, "More like a curse. And as for your first point, I don't even know if I'm deserving of all of this."

I could see the lines of Rhys' frown in the moonlight as he asked, "What do you mean?"

I shifted uncomfortably and said, "Well, you know...technically the lands that mother is ruling belongs to Snow. I guess you could say that through the years of conflict and power struggle, she 'won' it from her, but it's still technically Snow's by birth-right. It's true that Snow agreed to let her continue ruling that part of the Enchanted Forest after we returned after the curse broke, but sometimes I don't even know where the people sit in this whole situation." In reality, I knew, but it would have hurt to say aloud that they still wanted mother and I kicked off the throne.

When I shook that thought out of my head, I continued, "I mean, I couldn't really blame them as the first half of mother's reign had been quite dark for Snow's supporters." I sighed, "I guess I just don't know what the future holds. It's also a bit ironic that the curse made people aware of the existence of democratic rule. They may as well use it to shove me to one side before I can wear the crown."

Once again, a silence enveloped us. Right when a chilly breeze filtered through my lungs, Rhys asked, "Do you want to become Queen?"

My chest tightened in response, and my inability to commence a reply only left the question hanging in the air. I knew that mother once hated how her life turned out, but with her whole identity built around the role, there was no turning back. When I reflected back upon myself, I still didn't know how to respond. Though, I suddenly thought about the conversation that I had with my father before he and Lena were banished from the kingdom after their affair. I looked down at my feet. "My father once told me that when the day comes, I must rule with kindness...but how can I do that when my motivations for using magic is from my lack of confidence? From the desire to prove others wrong? I'm afraid that I'll..." I felt my body shudder as I dropped to a whisper. "I'm afraid that I'll just be like her."

Rhys put a hand gently on my lap which made me jump a little but when I looked at him, I could only focus on his tender smile. I searched his eyes and continued, "In one of their arguments, father once said to mother that whilst she did make the kingdom prosperous and wealthy, she was only doing it for her own benefit. What if it's the same when I'm Queen? What if all I'm doing is just proving that I'll be enough? Proving that those who wrong me will not live to see the next day?"

I swallowed and suddenly felt as if a rock was lodged in my throat. Why did I say all of this? Why here, why him? I haven't even told mother these thoughts and yet, I've spilled everything to him.

Rhys finally spoke. "You've already proven on multiple occasions that it won't come down to that. You spared those spinsters right?"

"My mother spared them. It wouldn't have been up to me anyways."

"Yes, but I imagine you would have been there to convince her." I thought back to the night where I begged her not to do anything to them. Indeed it had taken a lot of convincing. I knew my mother's mind was dead-set on destroying them for what they did to me, but eventually she listened to me. My silence only confirmed his question.

Rhys nodded and said, "Exactly, and I think what you've just said proves that you're trying to do what is right in two ways. You know you have to do better for the people, and you also know you have to do better for yourself. It comes back to the effort you're making in reconciling with everything in your past. Firstly, you're carrying the insecurities of your childhood, and secondly, you're carrying your mother's legacy. I honestly believe that the fact you understand all of these things at such a deep and thoughtful level proves how fit you are for the role you're undertaking. And I also think it'll allow you to see things from different perspectives; to know when its better to listen or when its better to assert power." I clenched and unclenched my fists nervously as a momentary silence fell between us. Then, he said, "Princess, you're more than enough."

My eyes snapped up to his. I swallowed as I regarded my reflection in the pools of his dark eyes that were looking sincerely at me. Then, my gaze trailed up and I noted the gentle creases in the way his eyebrows tilted, as if he was desperate that I understood his words. I looked down after another second as I couldn't bear, nor understand how somebody could look at me like that. In fact...how did this even come about? Damn our first conversation in the forest. Damn my urge to run out of the castle. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have shared all of this with this boy. With this knight-to-be. I wouldn't have...felt better.

I could feel a reply resting at the tip of my tongue but the muscle in my mouth merely lay flat against the back of my teeth.

"You're thinking whether or not you should erase my memories am I correct?"

I was too tired to raise an amused eyebrow in his direction but I did feel the corners of my lips tug into a smile. Quietly, I replied, "No, but you've just given me one option."

"The other option being...?"

"The other option being that I let you go, and you'll have to promise me not to tattle," I replied solemnly.

"The choice is yours, Princess; either way I won't take offence if you don't trust me."

Trust...oh right. It comes down to that doesn't it? Trust. Something you place in people who you know will never betray you or say the inappropriate thing at the wrong time, thereby leading to the death of a stableboy, a king, a bloodbath of slaughter and a curse. Inwardly, I laughed at the situation that I was stuck in.

My reply really only meant one thing. If I erased his memories, that was that. If I didn't, it implied something more than trust. My cheeks reddened as I thought about it. In reality, I had already made up my mind but I didn't know how to tell him. Yet, it did occur to me that letting him wonder whether or not I will end up up casting some spell on him wouldn't be particularly pleasant for him either.

I looked down at his hand that was still resting on my lap and sandwiched it carefully between mine. We sat there for many uncountable seconds, at the edge of the wishing well. The longer we let the silence envelope us, the greater the feeling of warmth that hummed in my chest grew. When a particularly loud rustling of the leaves in the forest broke me from my trance, I looked to the side and noticed that there was still a gap between us; a respectful distance only disrupted by the way his arm stretched out towards me.

I gently lifted his hand up, and shifted over closer to him. I could feel my heartbeats quicken as I looked at him for permission. In perfect understanding, he put his arm around me, allowing me to lean my head on his shoulder. He was the first to speak. Glancing up, he said softly, "There's a lot of stars in the sky tonight."

My eyes followed the direction he was looking, and traced the bright lights netted within the faraway constellations. They blinked back at me, and as I moved my head a little, the white beams radiating from them moved in sync. That was when I realised that my vision wasn't swimming. It was my eyes. I whispered, "It's funny how we all try to be someone here, but in reality, the stars are probably mocking us for all the drama and affairs that happen in these lands."

"Mhmm."

"Though I suppose we're all so distant in some way, aren't we? It reminds me of a great city. How you can be alone yet be around so many people at the same time. Well, that is, until..."

"Until you find someone equally as lonely and misunderstood."

I lifted my head and as I turned around, my eyes were locked onto Rhys' pensive expression. Continuing to gaze at the sky, he added ever so quietly, "A city of starlight."

I pivoted so that I could witness what he was seeing, but no sooner had I averted my gaze, I felt a hand gently cup my cheek. Then, I heard a rustle of chainmail, and a shadow obscure my vision. My eyes closed, allowing me to taste the sweet breath that condensed between us, before I welcomed the touch of his velvety lips upon mine.

Author's note:

Almost 9000 words in this chapter! From now on, chapters will be lengthier; not quite as long as this one, but certainly include more than 4000 words. I have to confess, the instalments I've written prior to this update was from a much earlier time so my writing might have changed a little recently; hopefully for the better!

Alright, two things here: I hope that flashback at the beginning wasn't too boring haha. I just enjoy writing scenes about Regina and Daniella from the time prior to the first curse. Secondly...we finally have some love in the story! Is it too rushed? I hope it doesn't feel that way, but I also wanted to introduce a love interest without waiting too long, as I know my updates are quite rare now, and it may take me a full year or two before I can build some chemistry if I were to make it slow. Besides, we're talking Fairytale land here and true love is a thing haha. Anyway, do you ship Daniella and Rhys? Please tell me what you think by leaving a review! :D