Flashback

Thirteen years ago, or fifteen

I was maybe five years old or seven, I can't remember the age. I was poor, with no food and a place to live. I was living on the streets, muddy roads. I wore a torn dress that was too small for me. My hair is messy and muddy from falling way too many times. I was sitting back in the alley of Traven. They always throw away the food, and I would grab as much as I could. I wouldn't care if it's clean, poisonous, or germs.

One day at some point, the beautiful red-haired woman came up to me asking me questions. She looks around the town to see who I belong to; she always has a soft spot for children. Since no one claimed me after a few days, she went back for me, I wasn't there. I ran, scared she'll take me somewhere, I would imagine a prison or somewhere worse.

She kept an eye out for me. I was so hungry after three days of hiding from her. I went back to the alley of the Traven to find food. I would only come at night when everyone is asleep. I don't sit properly or eat right; I would eat with my hands and walk like a monkey.

She was talking to her friend on the front porch when she heard sounds. She went to check it out and spotted me. She went back inside to get chicken legs to lure me inside. It works because it's the biggest chicken leg I have ever seen. She kept asking me questions then gave up when I didn't speak a word out of my mouth.

"I remember that night, you fought in my room. You wouldn't sit still for me to brush your hair. You wouldn't let me bathe you."

I nod in agreement, I was a disaster at that age, horrible really. I finally let her bathe me and give me clean clothes once I gain trust in her. Ever since she's the only person on earth I trust, but it made me think of her age. She couldn't be older when she found me. I wrote how old because I remember she said married young.

"I assume you remember what I said years ago, I married young as we all should. You live as a maiden if you don't get married by the age of fifteen. That bastard cheated on me three years after we got married."

Oh, wow, she was 17 years old when she joined the covert, maybe that's a better word instead of whorehouse then that would make me if I was seven. Ten years apart, I am assuming. Does age matter? I don't know. I never thanked her for taking me in. I wrote a few sentences to thank her for everything she did for me. No one has done that for me. She shyly smiles when she kisses me on the cheek then affectionately runs through my hair. I can see that she's trying to be better for herself and that makes me proud of her.

The new mission that Sima Mills gave everyone is to find the stones to strip the Queen's magic, but in reality, it gives back the magic. Sima Mills didn't tell the whole truth for the people might protest, but the General only knows besides me. The General gave copies to everyone to investigate and study the page of the locations. It's a list of riddles without a map but something tells me it's more than two pages. I rolled my eyes and grumbled at this as I stood up when everyone looked at me. I walked out, yeah right. Fuck them all. I don't care what they think of me.

The teacher gave me the Enchanted Forest history, Governor Sima forced her to give me an entire set of Queen Regina's history and the prophecy. The people believed it's me, but I don't believe in this. I don't believe I'm the person they think I am. I lay on the fold-out bed, reading up the history of Regina Mills, the Queen who was Evil Queen. It's an interesting story about her life. I protested when Davina walked into the tent with a plate of food.

"Masha, when are you going to start eating with the people? They don't have a problem with you. Why are you hiding?"

I was not that hungry when she handed me the metal plate, I set it beside me when I put down the book. She only comes with meals and to check on me. I never return the kiss or affectionately hug unless it's a 'thank you hug.' I keep my hands to myself when I'm around her, maybe it's out of respect or I think I might be way out of her league. She gently stroked my back then kissed my forehead.

"Did something happen that upset you, Masha?"

I gave her the section about the prophecy to see what she knows. She took the book, and I pointed to the right section for her to read. She quickly skims when she keeps nodding.

"Yes, everybody knows the story, Masha. The long-awaited True Queen, everyone prays for her to bring peace into the Enchanted Forest again."

I didn't think everybody would pray for her. She continued when I was deep in thought.

"I did see the red mark on your ankle when you were younger. That's another reason I took you in, I was afraid the knights or Queen would find you. No one has children at that time, so it's why no one claims you. The Queen issued an order to have all children under two killed for she's afraid that one of them will … She does that every fifty years, my grandma told me and many before her."

Every fifty years?! I honestly had no idea; does she not care for the children? Is she really that bad? The more I read about the Queen, and the more I'm unsure what to do with this information. The killing, murdering of children and families, war and strife, the list goes on. I don't want to be responsible for all of this and the people. No! It's not me. I angrily wrote in large letters; they have the wrong person. It's not me! I don't understand why she's smiling at me when she reads the letters.

"Masha, it doesn't matter what they believe or who they think you should become the True Queen. It matters what you believe, your desires in your heart. Let's put all the people out of the tent for now, what do you want, Masha?"

That was the first time anybody asked me what I wanted. What do I want? I do want the people safe. They taught me many things from schooling to fighting, even Sima Mills taught me a few things about the political issues of Enchanted Forest. She told me her family have been killed by the Queen to wipe out Mills' bloodline for hundreds of years. They started to respect me more when I fought alongside them.

What do I want? I want to get out of here and find out on my own. I work better on my own. I want to steal the book to see if Sima is hiding any other information than what we have about the stones. I want a sign from Regina herself or someone. I wrote that I want to get out of here and follow my own path.

"We'll go together. I'll follow whatever your heart leads you. You write your own destiny."

Damn right, I write my own destiny. No one tells me what I will be or become True Queen. There's no way in hell I'll become the Queen. I don't want to be anybody. I want to be me, Masha. I didn't think she would want to come with me. I questioned to make sure she wants to go with me because she doesn't have to, she'll be safe here.

"No, I do want to go with you. Besides, who would remind you to eat?"

I chuckled at that; I can see she's trying to prove herself to me. She doesn't have to do this for me. It's sweet of her to try though. I want to look at one more thing before I go. I quickly wrote that she should pack her bags and wait for me here. We'll sneak out after everyone sleeps. I sneak into Sima's private office while she's having a secret meeting with the General. I looked for a certain book about the stones, where is it? Where did you put it, Sima?

I broke into the safe and found a different book, what are you hiding, Sima? Is that a spellbook? It has gold on the edges and gold circles, an old red leather spellbook which says 'Cora.' Whose Cora? The first page in beautiful letters summons a person, Rumplestilskin. Who is Rumplestilskin? I did not read anything about them in Regina's collection. Did she hide most of it or like she said, some are lost? Something is wrong. Can I trust Sima Mills? Where does Sima come from? The suspicion rises within me that I hesitated if I should bring it with me for safety or leave it.

I hid the spellbook in my pack and copied the rest of the information about the stones. I lit the candle to study the pages, riddles and there is a map on the last page. That map doesn't lead to the stone but a sword, Excalibur. What's so special about that sword? Davina returned as she tied the horse in front of my tent.

"Masha?"

I looked up wondering if she knew about this sword, I showed her one page about it and shrugged, shooting a look, what is it? Davina read under the lamp to read, but she seems afraid to tell me.

"The Excalibur, Emma's Excalibur. The Queen had it guarded on the top of the mountain. Many tried but no one survived the journey."

I remembered Emma; I recollected my thoughts about Emma as I dug one of Enchanted Forest's history. Emma. Emma, repeating myself as I carefully read several pages about her. Regina had the Excalibur forged as a gift for Emma and enchanted the sword when her father's sword broke apart. The Savior. Regina and Savior saved Storybrooke and Enchanted Forest. Why did the Queen have it guarded? I asked Davina the same questions about the Queen and Emma. How does she know so much about it?

"Everybody knows the story, Masha. It's part of Queen Regina's legacy, King Arthur uses it for evil, so the Savior and Regina took it from him. The legacy said that anyone who holds it becomes immortal and magic. Merlin uses the flame to reforge the Holy Grail into the sword. Only a True Queen can draw the sword out of the stone."

Didn't the Queen draw it out? Davina reads my mind when she continues.

"The Queen did try but failed, so she had it guarded for thousands of years. She uses magic to be immortal, but once the magic is taken away…"

Thus, rises the True Queen, okay that makes sense. Sima said that she stole the powers from Mill's bloodline. If that's true, why didn't her family try to get it back? The Queen had Mill's bloodline wiped clean when she cast the curse to return to Enchanted Forest. I wrote one question, who is Governor Sima Mills?

"I don't know, Masha. I only heard rumors of Governor Mills. When the Queen killed the entire family, Sima's grandfather hid Sima and her brother when they were little from the Queen."

That's all she knows, and it seems there's not enough information about Sima. If he hid them then how do they know they are Mills' bloodline? I think she's fake; I wrote another question if she's really a Mills as she claims? She doesn't know either. I remember Sima told me that the Queen found his brother then gave her time to escape. Something is fishy about Sima.