Cursed

(Daniella's POV)

The shuffles and grunts around me gradually amplified and when I opened my eyes, I immediately knew that something wasn't right. My head pounded with a pressure that made me feel as if I was enveloped in swabs of cotton. What happened? Didn't we just arrive in Camelot? I gasped when my vision focused into place. There, right in the middle of the tavern and leaning against a wooden pillar, was my father with his arms around my mother. Like mine, her eyes were roaming around the tavern in an attempt to comprehend what was going on, but when she caught sight of the space above me, her mouth opened in surprise. Suddenly, I felt a pair of hands release me. Whirling around, I nearly fell back when I caught the shocked gaze of a boy with dark brown hair. He was dressed in a uniform of some kind.

I was barely able to make sense of bloodied hand when I felt myself being pulled back forcefully. I looked to the side and saw that it was mother who had strongly tugged me to her side. After seeing the boy's bloody hand again, I instinctively raised my hand up to my cheek and touched it shakily. I breathed in sharply when it stung. When I removed my fingers and looked down upon them, I noticed a bit of blood. My gaze snapped back onto the boy who was standing no more than three metres away from me.

Everyone started talking at once. Snow exclaimed, "Where's Emma?!" Frantically, we looked around for her, but she was nowhere to be seen. What the hell...

Then, I heard an unfamiliar, "Mom!" which made me whirl around to locate the source of the voice. My eyes fell upon a girl with light brown hair who ran into the arms of a blonde woman. The woman's face was not visible to me, but I gasped upon recognising who it was. I only tore my eyes off them when mother spoke up to no one in particular, "This doesn't make any sense, we were literally just walking into Camelot."

I tried to move around but was surprised by the heavy weight that pulled me down. I looked at my outfit and realised that I wasn't wearing my usual style of dress. I glanced around at everyone else and said slowly, "We're wearing clothes from Camelot."

Suddenly, the door to the tavern burst open and a bewildered villager cried out, "You're back!" For a moment, we simply stared at him, utterly perplexed. He must have taken our reaction as a warning for he immediately dipped into a low bow and murmured, "Please excuse my rudeness, Your Majesties, Your Highnesses."

Snow was quick to reply, "Oh no, you're fine. Tell me good sir, how long have we been gone for? You seem quite surprised to see us standing here."

The man stammered as his eyes roamed over each of us, "Six weeks."

Mother was the first to respond as she breathed, "What?" As all heads turned to her, her brows knitted together and she questioned, "Has there been disorder?"

The man must have been native to our kingdom for he replied, "No, my Queen. I believe word of your mysterious disappearance had been contained by the palace authorities until perhaps a week ago." Mother looked like she wanted to reply but she seemed to be too shocked to string together a coherent reply. We looked around in worry as David pointed out, "Our memories-they're gone." Indeed, as I tried to remember what had happened, I found that I couldn't. It was the worst feeling as I could feel a physical barrier that prevented my mind from reaching into the depths of my memory.

A thick silence filled the tavern until a chilling familiar voice suddenly echoed, "Don't worry. I'm here."

Our heads turned instantly towards the doorway. There she was; but her hair was white and her lips were painted a bright shade of red. As Emma stepped closer, I could feel myself stepping back. I wasn't normally one to retreat, ever since my magic had gotten stronger but I sensed a change in the magical aura that surrounded Emma. She began in a cold voice, "You went to Camelot to get the darkness out of me and you failed." Then, she came up to Snow and lifted her hand to stroke her cheek. It all but gave me shivers as I watched Snow wince under her own daughter's touch.

I jumped when somebody sneezed. In the blink of an eye, the dwarf responsible for the sound was turned to stone. I held back a gasp as I watched mother stride up to Emma with conviction and warn, "That's enough."

With an unreadable face, Emma replied, "Or what?"

"Or I'll do exactly what you told me to." As mother reached for her belt, there was a deafening silence. Without warning, Emma suddenly held up the dagger before our eyes and seemed to angle it's blade at mother's neck. I moved slightly closer to the scene whilst she informed us, "No one is going to touch this dagger but me. And now, you're all going to be punished. No one is to leave the Enchanted Forest."

In a quiet voice, Hook asked, "Emma, why are you doing this?"

She walked slowly but surely over to him and whispered in a sinister tone, "Because...I am the Dark One." After uttering these simple words, she disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. No one spoke for a moment. Then, Snow fell into David's arms and whimpered, "What are we going to do? We failed her, and the kingdom and-"

Mother cut in and said decisively, "We were gone for over a month. First, we must stabilize our kingdoms and make sure that our courts haven't taken matters into their own hands. Then, we are going to find out whatever Emma meant. Oh, and if Rumple isn't dead yet, I'd very much like a word with him."

Snow proceeded to nod but then her husband must have finally realised the odd addition to the people standing in the tavern. His eyes widened in shock as he exclaimed, "Daniel!"

Everyone but mother turned to face him. Then, I saw him move closer to Lena, who was clutching the unfamiliar girl tightly in her arms. "What happened?" father asked as his gaze clicked onto mine. I looked away instantly. Snow stammered, "We had been in Camelot for a month, but it seems like you were also there with us." David took over and said objectively, "We went to Camelot to get rid of the darkness from Emma, but we must have failed her as she's now the Dark One. I see you're accompanied by your family. Do you remember anything?"

I could barely hear father's voice deliver a reply as my eyes were fixed on the girl in Lena's arms. She looked every bit like father, except for some of her facial features...but she can't be my sister, can she? She must be thirteen or fourteen years old, yet I had held my sister in my arms five years ago when she as still a new-born infant.

I zoned out of my trance to hear father say, "Our daughter, must have used the magic bean we took to New York as a safety precaution to travel to another realm. I only remember getting back to our apartment with Lena and finding that both the bean and Aurelie were missing. Luckily, with the help of a friend who had gone to great lengths to procure us an enchanted mirror prior to our departure to the Land Without Magic all those years ago, we were able to jump into a portal. Unfortunately, that's all I recall." Father gestured to an older looking woman hiding in the shadows behind him and continued, "Our experiences in Camelot must have been quite rewarding as my sister, Hilda, is with us here."

After overcoming the shock that father had a sister who he never mentioned, only one name was in my mind. Aurelie. It only occurred to me that I was staring at my sister when she frowned at me in both confusion and alarm. I immediately averted my gaze but I didn't know who to face as no one spoke.

David turned around and exclaimed, "Who are you two?"

Our heads pivoted to regard a man and the boy with the bloody hand. The same boy who had his arms around me when we woke up from the curse. The man looked exhausted and it seems as if he hadn't eaten for days from the way he had to lean on the boy for support. However, he couldn't be over the age of forty. For the first time in a while, mother exclaimed, "Headley!"

"Majesty," he replied with a nod of his head.

Sir Headley. That was it! He was a former black knight who had gone to Camelot because of familial matters when we arrived back in the Enchanted Forest after the first curse broke.

"How are you here?" Mother asked.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I know just as much as you do." There were multiple uncomfortable looks amongst those in the tavern, but none compared to the expression on Snow's face. Then, he added, "This is my step-son, Rhys."

I placed my hand on my left arm awkwardly and averted my gaze from the boy. That's when I noticed a huge pile of glass next to the spot where I had woken up. My line of sight travelled along a glass trail and ended on the broken window on one side of the tavern.

David decided, "There is no time to waste, we must get going. Regina, would it be alright if you could send myself, Snow, Henry and Hook to our castle? Daniella, I assume you can handle everyone else?"

Lena then spoke up sharply for the first time, "Where is she taking us exactly?"

I turned around, a little scared at the tone of that question. No one wanted to speak, but it was Snow who asked, "Aurelie doesn't know about any of this, does she?" Father stepped in and confirmed, "No, she doesn't." Then, he turned to Lena and said, "It'll be ok. We'll just stay with them until we sort things out."

Stubbornly, she whispered back to my father, "Are you crazy? We are not going back there."

Mother scoffed and a second ticked by before Lena dared to say in her direction, "Well forgive me if I'm finding it difficult to trust you."

Before mother could give any response, Snow stepped between the two of them and said to Lena, "No, it's alright, I promise. Besides, the mirrors are connected to our palace. You can always reach us. Given the circumstances, I think it might be safer to stay in their residence instead of ours."

Mother raised an eyebrow at that statement, but she didn't reply. Father said softly, "Lena, we need help getting back and sorting things out. I don't think searching the lands for our friends at this moment will be quite as simple."

I took Lena's non-responsiveness as a 'yes'. When I walked over cautiously towards the spot where father was standing with his family, mother went in the other direction. I then gave Headley and the boy a look, indicating for them to come over to me. I instructed, "Make sure you're touching a part of me, or holding someone who is touching me."

An awkward couple of seconds passed before father held onto my shoulder and Headley held onto the other. I eyed Lena, Aurelie, Hilda and Rhys to make sure that they were also connected before looking over to mother. With her head turned back, she said, "I'll be with you shortly."

I nodded and watched as she surrounded her group in smoke. Then, I said quietly, "Hold on."

I closed my eyes and concentrated to summon my magic. Within a couple of seconds, we arrived at the castle courtyard. As soon as my feet hit the ground however, I fell over with a pounding feeling in my head. I could hear a concerned voice repeating my name but I slowly got up without assistance and steadied myself. Everyone was looking at me so I murmured, "I'm ok, I just haven't taken this many people with me at one time."

Once the dizzy feeling subsided, I noted my surroundings. Father, Lena, Aurelie and Hilda were standing on my left and Headley and Rhys on my right. It dawned on me that I was the only one who had authority here. Luckily, I didn't have to interrupt the silence myself as I heard a distant, "It's her!". I turned in the direction of the voice, which was accompanied with the clinking noise of chainmail. A pair of guards came running to us. "Your Highness, you're back! Is everything alright? Where's the Queen?"

I gestured for them to step to the side to talk. They eagerly awaited my explanation so I began, "My mother is accompanying the Charmings, Henry and Hook to their castle. She'll be back shortly as she's using magic to travel. It seems as if a month has passed since we left for Camelot, but none of us can remember what happened there because a Dark Curse was cast by the new Dark One."

I ignored the surprised looks on the guards faces and asked, "Nothing has gone to ruin in the time we have been away, has it?"

One of the guards replied with a diligent expression, "I can assure you, aside from the panic that the disappearance initially stirred, we have been in contact with King David and Queen Snow's foreign ambassadors. Eventually, we heard from Belle that you and the Queen were in another realm for the time being. After that, matters have proceeded as normal."

I narrowed my eyes, not entirely believing that somebody hadn't tried to take control of the kingdom whilst my mother and I were gone. Though, I decided not to question the guard's words as mother probably knew how to deal with the matter better than myself. I cleared my throat and instructed, "Inform the palace that we're back. If I need anything, I will call for you."

The guard nodded but his eyes scanned my companions unsurely. I quickly explained that the Headleys had woken up with us. The two guards must be well aware of Headley's former position and rank for their gave him a formal nod. When they turned to my father however, a sour expression painted their faces. I squared my shoulders and commanded flatly, "Do as I instructed."

The guards pursed their lips but after giving me a nod, they filed away. I didn't know who to address at that moment as I certainly wasn't ready to face my father and his family who I barely knew. Luckily, Headley broke the silence and commented as he looked around the courtyard, "I feels strange to be back."

I lightly joked without looking at Rhys, "Well, I hope you'll feel at home again. How is your family? Unless I'm mistaken, that's why you left for Camelot am I correct?"

He nodded and explained, "Yes, that is correct. Though, I must speak to the Queen about some matters pertaining to my experiences in Camelot prior to your arrival. I believe the curse only erased recent memories as I still recall everything that happened in the past."

I reassured him, "Mother will be here shortly, and will be interested in what you have to say." With a smirk, I added, "She is probably held up by the Charmings' incessant questions. You know how they are..."

Headley chuckled, though he managed to school his expression and asked in a slightly more serious tone, "Is there anything I should know about the relationship between the two kingdoms? I haven't heard much news about Misthaven."

"Oh, well...trade is flourishing between our kingdoms and the lands have recovered from the curse." I was aware of the fact that father was listening to every word so I continued, "The Enchanted Forest is not at war anymore, even though there had been slight disagreements in drawing up kingdom borders when we first returned. Successful measures of reform have been implemented and it seems like there are far less incidents of crime and corruption in our kingdom compared to the others. Mother does keep a close eye on things and I believe she is pleased with Sir Edward, whom you promoted to your place upon your departure to Camelot."

There was a content smile on the former knight's face to which I said, "I'm sure there will always be a place for you in our court."

Headley opened his mouth to reply but he was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs that lead to the courtyard. I was a little surprised to see mother coming down with a guard by her side, but I suppose she could have reappeared anywhere in the palace. Headley and his step-son nodded when she came up to us. "Ah good, you're brought them all here in one piece. It's always a relief to see no missing limbs."

I crossed my arms and gritted between my teeth as I groaned, "Mother!"

She touched my shoulder. "Oh, I'm just teasing you." Then, she cleared her throat and gestured at the guard beside her as she started, "Headley, you'll be taken to your old rooms. I'm sure you know the way there, but if you find that you need anything, tell him. I'll speak to you later this evening."

The Headleys walked off, leaving father's family standing in the courtyard. Father finally spoke up with a whisper, "Regina-"

Mother snapped, "You're leaving tomorrow."

Whilst father objected, Lena asked, "You can get us back to New York?"

I could feel mother's magic pulsing beside me as she clarified, "Evidently not. In case you didn't listen to the new Dark One's ominous little speech back in the tavern, there is a spell over the Enchanted Forest which prevents any of us from travelling to another realm."

Father didn't seem to be fazed by the sarcasm that dripped from mother's words. He asked, "How can we leave then? Where would we go?"

Mother replied simply, "How should I know?"

"Regina, we need a place to stay for a few more days. Aurelie doesn't know anything about this realm and my sister, Hilda..."

Mother raised an eyebrow as if challenging my father to give a better excuse. He found none and exhaled before promising, "Look, we'll work something out, but we just need some time and perhaps a roof over our heads in the meantime."

Mother eyed Aurelie, who had kept her mouth shut the entire time. With a subtle lift of her head, mother asked, "How old are you?"

"Fourteen," my sister stammered. Then, she looked around us with a discernible fear in her gaze and asked in the quietest voice to nobody in particular, "Who are you?"

I swallowed but felt relief wash over me as Mother replied, "You can call me Regina, but I think your father should do the honours of telling you everything else."

With that, she turned to me and said, "Go help them settle in one of the guest rooms in the west wing. I need to make sure that this place hasn't turned itself over in the time we were gone."

She disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke after I gave her a nod. Upon seeing the fear in everyone's faces but my father's, I suggested, "Shall we walk instead?"

Lena and Hilda was quick to nod.

"Alright, follow me then."

As they tailed behind me, I twisted my hands together, allowing thoughts to consume my mind. I took the fastest route to reach the rooms. Before we arrived, I instructed several passing servants to bring items such as food, drink and clothing to help the guests settle in. When we got there, I stood at the frame of the door and gestured for them to go in. "Someone will be with you shortly."

I turned to leave but I felt a hand on my arm. I whirled around to hear father whisper, "Daniella?"

I flinched under his touch and shook away his hand. When I looked up, I realised my mistake for there was hurt and disappointment etched in the lines on his face. I stammered as I took a step back, "I'm sorry..."

I quickly turned on my heels to leave. I can't do this now.

(Regina's POV)

With a sigh, I lazily put down the mirror I was holding in my hand. I had enough of spying on Daniel and making sure that his family wasn't doing anything stupid.

When my thoughts drifted to the way we woke up in the tavern however, I picked up the mirror again. This time, with a bit more conviction. I was caught up with bringing order back to the palace and didn't have a chance to think about that boy, Rhys. All I knew was that he was the son of a knight and had been training as one prior to the first curse. That should be his only reason for protecting my little Firefly from the glass that shattered when the curse was enacted, right?

My gut feeling told me otherwise. I asked Daniella about it before we retired to our respective chambers but she had been adamant that she had not communicated with him before. She didn't seem to be lying either.

I huffed. She will probably throw several fireballs in my direction if she found out that I'm spying on her but I decided to do so anyway. I flipped the mirror around so that it's reflective surface would face me again. I waved my hand over it and Daniella inside the golden frame. There was a frown on her face, indicating that she was deep in thought. Then, she walked up to her vanity stood there for several seconds, staring into her reflection.

I sat up slowly with interest. She picked up a powder brush and dipped it into an opaque glass dish that held preserved flower petals dusted with different shades of rouge. Apparently they were quite popular amongst the ladies in the Enchanted Forest recently. I only found out about them after I was notified that she had gone over her allowance for the month by secretly making several other costly purchases.

My heart thumped. I felt as though I was looking at an identical copy of myself when I was Daniella's age. There is no way that my daughter would randomly put on makeup in the middle of the day unless she needed to go to an event or meet up with people. Or unless she wanted to look her best in front of a particular person.

"Guards!"

When they came in, I swung my legs off the chaise where I was lying and stood up. "Tell Sir Headley to come here. I wish to speak to him."

They nodded and disappeared. I put the mirror away before Daniella could figure out that our mirrors had been connected. The sound of familiar heavy footsteps broke me from my thoughts and I turned around to greet the knight who walked in. "Headley."

After he addressed me, I began, "Sorry for interrupting your rest. I hear that Camelot has been rough to you. Just so that you're aware, unless conflicting information tell me otherwise, you're still fit to serve in my court if that's what you wish to do. However, I must know about your experiences in King Arthur's court before I make my decision."

A wave of shame crossed Headley's face as he dipped his head slightly without breaking eye contact with me. Then, he said, "I apologize for leaving the court five years ago. After I arrived in Camelot, I was fortunate enough to settle family matters but word got out that I am affiliated with this land and your kingdom in particular. King Arthur captured me and kept me as a bargaining chip for four years."

My heartbeats froze as I seethed, "What?!"

Headley continued, "After I was thrown into the dungeons, the King took my son and placed him within the ranks of other squires his age. My Queen, I apologize if you thought that I was unfaithful to the oath I've sworn. I intended to return here to your court but Arthur used magic to weaken my resolve to escape."

With anger in my blood, I placed my hands on my hips and breathed heavily. "Arthur kept you as leverage so that he could use you against me at his own discretion?

Headley nodded and I could barely contain a growl as Headley had been one of the few knights who didn't attempt to deny their association with me when I lost that battle against Snow all those years ago. Under my breath, I cursed, "That bastard."

Then, I turned around and said, "I hear that Arthur had been sighted in these lands. Apparently that twit of a King was carried here by the curse and most likely would have no recollection of his memories either. I am certain he may have some crucial clues for figuring out this curse so I'm rather anticipating being responsible for getting him to speak."

Headley knew exactly what I meant. He gave me a knowing smirk followed by a nod. "Thank you, my Queen."

After considering for a moment, I asked, "Did he do anything to you?" It was a stubborn question but I took my chances as I wanted to believe that Arthur wouldn't be as cruel as myself. Headley looked uncomfortable but he finally admitted, "He took the liberty in torturing me himself for a couple of weeks but after that, he figured out that I wasn't going to reveal any secrets about you or your kingdom. Afterwards, his knights would occasionally take out their frustrations on me. In fact, I should have scars on my back from the recent encounter, but...I don't think they're there."

I knitted my brows together for a moment in confusion. Then, I instructed, "Take off your shirt."

Headley's eyes widened a little but before he could say anything, I gave him a smirk and said, "Oh come on, it's not like we haven't seen a bit of skin before." He knew exactly what I meant. When Daniella was still lost to me, the Huntsman was often by my side. I had forgotten to tell the guards that I wouldn't be available for the afternoon, or the night for that matter and Headley had walked straight into a particularly passionate episode. I suppose it wasn't Headley's fault but my own embarrassment lead me to punish him anyway.

Before I could think further about that incident, Headley distracted me by taking off his leather top and cotton shirt. When he turned his bare back towards me, I went over and traced the scars lightly with my finger. Instantly, I noticed some discrepancy with the way he framed his words. "They've healed."

"Yes, but if memory serves, I was subject to Arthur's sadist punishment not very long ago. I know the curse has taken our memories away, but the wounds I received would have taken a lot longer to heal."

I hovered my hand over the scars once more and softening my voice, I explained, "They're barely visible because I healed them."

Headley turned around with his mouth open. "You remember?"

I shook my head and replied, "No, but I can feel my own magic pushing against me." As I handed his shirt back to him, I said, "Since you're here with us and not with Arthur, I don't think it's too much of a stretch to assume that being at Camelot definitely changed some things. Perhaps Arthur even took you out to bargain with me, but I can see that he evidently failed as you're not in his clutches now."

Headley thought for a moment. "I think you're right, My Queen. King Arthur placed a curse on my son that prevented him from speaking to anyone about me."

I murmured, "No one takes what is mine without asking." Then, I cleared my throat and continued, "Now, that brings me to another matter that I must talk to you about."

"Which matter?"

I turned around and poured myself a drink from the teapot that was sitting on the stand next to the fireplace. Once Headley had finished fixing himself up, I replied, "Your son." A silence fell between us, but I knew Headley was waiting for me to pose the question. Truthfully, I didn't know how to approach the topic either. As I sipped my drink, Headley cautiously asked, "What would you like to know about him?"

I couldn't help but narrow my eyes at him. "I know you saw it too. Your son's arms were around my daughter's when we woke up in the tavern. Suppose that I didn't have magic, you and I both know that if glass shards were coming my way, your duty permits you to cover me as is necessary. Nothing more intimate than that."

Saying that last sentence made me think of the way that I had woken up in the arms of Daniel but I shook away the image as I waited for Headley's reply. He stammered, "It was a surprise to me too. I've spoken to Rhys and he told assured me that he doesn't remember interacting with Princess Daniella. But umm..."

"But what?"

Headley looked like he was having difficulties with forming his words. Ultimately, he explained hastily, "Well, I'm not sure if you're aware but when Rhys and his peers were young boys, the Princess was often the subject of their conversations. Of course, they were nothing more but childish interpretations of umm...of love and friendship."

I tapped my fingers against the porcelain teacup in my hand. "Are you saying that they had a crush on her?"

"Well..."

"Yes you are," I decided. Indeed, Headley looked a little flustered as he continued, "As the boys grew older, I reminded them that they are not to bother the Princess nor make any inappropriate attempts to approach her. Your Majesty, I made it clear to my son that your daughter is off limits, and that he must not act upon any childhood crushes. I am certain that he understood that but perhaps...well..."

I put my hand up to silence him. I was sure that the seconds of silence turned into minutes but Headley didn't dare interrupt my thoughts. Finally, I turned around to face the petrified knight. "I think we should discuss this over a warm meal and some wine. What do you think?"

Judging by his expression, Headley must have thought that my suggestion was a brilliant idea.

(Daniella's POV)

As I healed the wound on my cheek, I thought about the way I had woken up from the curse. I immediately reddened when an image of the boy popped up in my mind. His arms had been holding onto me. Tightly.

What did that mean? Surely we wouldn't have been together? I bit my lip, not even sure how to approach this. I certainly did not want to discuss this with my mother, as I knew that she would probably interrogate Rhys about it in front of me. I didn't get to take a good look at him, but from memory, he wasn't at all bad looking. What the hell? Why are you thinking about his appearance, Daniella?!

Subconsciously, I found myself in front of the mirror of my vanity. What did Rhys see in me, if he saw anything at all? No actually...that's a dumb question. At one point, all the neighbouring kingdoms had attempted to arrange a match between me and their princes. Luckily, Mother had made it perfectly clear during some awkward conversations over the dinner table that she preferred me to rule alongside somebody who didn't come from royal blood. Noble perhaps, but having a prince as my consort carries the chance that he could attempt to proclaim himself as King whilst pushing me to one side.

Power attracts people...but appearances can have a similar effect too. At least, that's what mother once told me. At balls and other events, the guests often compliment my beauty, but whilst it does make me happy to hear their words, I've always wondered whether they were telling the truth or just wanting to receive my favour.

I leaned into the mirror and before I knew it, I was dipping my brush into the rose petals that contained my rouge. I dusted it carefully onto the apples of my cheeks. When I set down the brush, I looked from side to side. Perhaps I should wear makeup more often. As I proceeded to dust a bit of eyeshadow over my lids, my thoughts diverted back to Rhys. Whilst I was curious, I was also afraid. Well, I suppose I could summon him to see me...

No sooner had I thought of this, I shook off the idea for I wouldn't have a clue what to say to him as an explanation. Not that I needed one of course, but it would be nice to have a solid reason up my sleeve before he showed up in the middle of my chambers.

My thoughts were disturbed when a maid poked her head into the room and coughed before notifying me that dinner is served. I waved her off and used magic to change into a simple dark blue dress. I was not particularly fond of the dresses from Camelot.

When I exited my chambers, I jumped out of my skin as Rhys was casually leaning against a carved stone pillar merely a few metres away. I immediately reflected upon the thoughts that had clouded my head only a few minutes ago. Though my heart was thumping quickly, I swallowed and kept my composure as I asked whilst narrowing my eyes defensively, "How on earth did you get here? Weren't there any guards?"

After giving me a polite nod, he replied coyly, "I tipped them off and I told them that I wished to speak to you in private."

I raised my eyebrow a I thought of a reply. "Well, I don't recall telling them that I was allowing visitors to come into this part of the castle."

"I did mention who my stepfather was," he added with a grin, which he retracted just as quickly. Then, his tone shifted as he put the jokes aside and said, "I think you would appreciate what I have to say."

"Which is?" I prompted with curiosity.

"Which is to give you a little bit of a heads-up. My stepfather and I will be joining you at dinner tonight."

I crossed my arms. "My mother never mentioned that you would be dining with me tonight." My breath hitched when I realised that this would have been mother's doing anyway. I commented softly, "This doesn't sound like a casual dinner at all."

"No it doesn't. In fact, that's why I wished to talk to you first. I imagine it'll only get more awkward in front of our parents."

After a moment, I asked, "Has she spoken to you?"

"Her Majesty? Not yet."

I frowned to hide my surprise. Though I wanted to ask whether he even knew me prior to Camelot, I kept silent. That's when he pointed to my cheek and noted, "You've healed it."

I nodded, and upon remembering the injury that he had, I said, "Show me your hand."

"Oh, it's alright, Your Highness. I-"

I reached out and took his hand into mine. After glancing at him briefly for permission, I began to unravel the bandages. Though I had seen blood and gore before, I was a little surprised at the state of his hand. "Didn't you go to the healers? They're located on the ground floor."

"My stepfather said that if I expected to be a knight like him, I have to 'man up' and deal with it myself."

I chuckled. "Seriously? This doesn't have anything to do with masculinity. You might as well go down and see what herbs they have to make the scarring fade away quicker." As Rhys gave me no response, I looked up and said, "Follow me."

"Your Highness-"

"It would appear that it's my fault your hand is injured, so I'm going to fix it."

"Princess, you really don't have to."

"I insist," I replied adamantly. I didn't need stupid rules dictating what I can or can't do. In the end, Rhys gave in. I suppose me being me has its privileges.

I led Rhys into my bathroom and as he stood a little awkwardly by the doorway, I prepared the basin with some water. With my head, I nodded for him to come over. When I took his hand, I warned, "This might sting, but wounds like this are easier to heal with magic if I can see the cut properly."

Silence fell between us as I washed his hand. When I dabbed it dry with my towel however, he stated, "You're getting your linens dirty."

I ignored his remark and waved my hand over the wound. We both watched as the lilac glow of my magic seeped into the scabs and closed it, replacing it with new skin. "There, now you can go to dinner without a bloody hand on the table."

After he murmured a quiet 'thank you', I asked, "Did you take out the broken glass yourself?"

"Yes." Hmm, he is a quiet one. Seeing that he didn't really wanted to give me any more detail, I asked, "Could you wait in here for a moment? I'm going to change my outfit."

"What's wrong with this dress? It looks nice on you."

Before he could see a blush creep up my cheek, I turned around and replied as I walked out of the bathroom, "If I had known that you and Sir Headley would be at dinner, I would have put on something nicer for the occasion."

I quickly went back to my closet and brushed my hand through my dresses. Using magic, I put on a wine coloured dress and fitted it with one of my favourite jewelled corsets. I made sure to pull it in just a little tighter than usual. Then, I put on the teardrop necklace that I had 'borrowed' from my mother. I believe she nicknamed it the 'victory' necklace for a while, as it was part of the outfit she wore to poison Snow White. I stopped in front of the floor length mirror. Was I dressed too formally for an impromptu dinner with a knight and his son?

I put my hands around my cinched waist as I pondered over my thoughts. Formal or not, I quite liked the ensemble I had put together in less than a minute. I then decided to not think further on the issue. I stood outside the bathroom and I cleared my throat nervously before saying, "Rhys, you can come out now."