The moment she told me she's pregnant, I dropped dead and was heartbroken. I'm angrier than broken, how can she do this?! Two months, which means it happened … while I was there! I don't know if I can forgive her for this. I went to town to buy cows, chickens, pigs, seeds, and different food. She gave me an expensive bracelet and I sold it to a rich woman, whoever she is but a friend of hers. She gave me a lot of gold coins that I was above to afford everything and that includes the horse and wagon. I left her at the cabin without a word; although, I did promise that'll return to check on her.
She said it was a stupid moment of weakness, I rolled my eyes and mumbled to myself even I couldn't form words out of my mouth, but I want to yell at her. Stupid. Stupid. She is never going to change. I almost cried when I waved goodbye, she kept shouting at me, apologizing over and over and coming back to talk about it. I don't want to talk about it. I must go or as the woman said in the vision, Enchanted Forest will be … obliterate itself somehow.
I got into fights along the way on our long and hard journey. I looked up the small house where Davina speaks of the man who knows everything from the past. There's no door when I walked inside, and my jaw dropped. Hundreds of thousands of books everywhere, even on the ceiling.
"Who you might be, girlie?"
I took out the paper, copied the castle, and pointed. What castle is this?
"Hey, wait a minute, you're that girl, aren't you?"
I looked behind me then my face frowns, confused, what does he mean by that. What girl? The man scrambled, searching for something, and throwing books to the next pile.
"No, not here. I have something you need."
He went to the second floor and said to himself, "where are you?" What do I need? What the world is he talking about. Crazy man and he didn't even introduce himself.
"Ah!" The man beams and carefully takes out a specific book, a blue leather cover and he blows out the dust. "It has been here for hundreds of years." He hurried back to the front, "all you need to know is in here."
I opened it again, it's blank! I showed him the blank pages as I shot him a look, it's blank!
"Illusion, girlie. Each element you touch the book, it'll come alive."
The stones of an element? Is it the very same?
"The picture of the castle is not of this land. It's in the Arendelle kingdom."
He gave me the Enchanted Forest map and pointed at Arendelle, it's across the ocean! I hate her and I hate everything! I angrily stormed out of the cabin when he giggly waved, "good luck, girlie." It has nothing to do with me, but yet why do I feel like I need to do this? It gave me a purpose and reason because of all the stories I read from Regina's collection. I never read so much love of a family and her love for the people. She took care of the people and gave up everything she is for them. It made me want to do this even though I hate the whole thing.
At the port, I looked up from studying the pages of the castle, is that Leo and his crew? Sima sends them, I hope to the same place I'm going, but I have to stop them. I tapped Leo's shoulder for attention.
"Masha, you're here?"
He looks angry and disappointed that I'm here, but I nod anyway. Yes, I'm here and I want to join your crew, signing me-ship.
"You can't join our crew, Masha."
Who is he telling me that I can't?! I purposely bumped his shoulder, walking up to the ship.
"You get on that ship, and I'll throw you overboard!"
Empty threats, no he won't, and I know for sure that he will not throw me anywhere. I mischievously waved from the ship, then hugged the crew. They are glad that I'm joining, "Masha, it's wonderful to see you here." I helped the crew clean and maintain the ship, it was easy, and I love sailing. Sailing is one of my favorites, it's calming and away from people and their drama. It's me and the open wide ocean. I love the air and smell of the ocean.
"Masha, get your head out of the clouds and start climbing!"
Sima Mills
The man slammed me against the wall with his hands around my neck.
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you here and now?!"
I pushed him away, I hate that man. He saved my life when I was a child while massacring my family and the entire Mill line. He makes me feel weak and I always buckled down when I tried to break away from him. I read stories from Regina and one part about a mafia boss then he'll be perfect to describe a mafia. The Queen's are powerful but he's the second since he has secret services throughout Enchanted Forest. The first thing I will do when I have magic back, he'll be the first to go, but for now, I have to put up a face just for a show.
"You'll get those stones, Master Tyreik."
Over the years, I have learned not to show any emotions as I become a cold stone inside because I know he'll smirk and laugh at me when he sees he has control over me. I refuse to let him have that, one day I'll laugh at him. I didn't flinch when he pulled out his karambit blade, curved hook blade designs for precision and efficiency with one safety ring. I can feel the blade on my face when he leans closer, "don't … Sima."
He can easily read me like a book, I hate when he knows my every move, but there's only one person he doesn't know, the mute girl. The next thing I know, he disappeared in a smoke, one-day-old man, one day and I'll bring the world to his knees.
I sighed when I sat on my desk, it's small, but it'll do. I love my bookshelves, full of history of Enchanted Forest, Storybrooke, and my descent, Mills' line. My family scattered everywhere and trapped in their fake memories believing we are enemies. Brother against brother, my heartfelt heavy for every single person, my thoughts always went out to them. I set the law in Enchanted Forest, and my people depend on me for their survival against Lady Beelzebub.
I grabbed the last book on the shelf, Once Upon a Time, and opened it, smiled when I touched the brown stone which I found in the White Kingdom.
Master Tyreik sends me to the Charmings kingdom to poison the King's son's wife for she's the leader of the rebellion and conspiracy against Tyreik. It was my first kill; I hid the white powder in my bag, and I was told all I need to do is to put it in the drink. I was only nine years old at that time.
Flashback
"I don't want to go, Master Tyreik," angrily stumps my feet. I don't want to kill anyone, I thought he saved me to free me from the Queen. He slapped me on the face, … gasp … why did he do that?
I bawled my eyes out when he stabbed his curved knife on my left hand on the wall. I couldn't think and fought with him to remove the knife. I screamed and my throat hurt from crying. He leans closer with the knife kept in my hand, "Listen, little girl, you work for me, or you can join your family. What's the choice, little girl?" in his ordering tone. I hate his voice, it shivers down my spine, the fear it brings me, I fight to swallow my throat, "Yes, Master," I don't want to die so I agreed to follow every order he requests. He removed the knife and healed my hands, but the pain remains when I shake. Why can't he remove the pain, but I kept my mouth closed.
I kept my face straight outside in the carriage to the White Kingdom with only one bag for I will only stay for a few days with a letter. I waited until I'm close to reading the letter. He rarely watches me from afar. This is a bogus letter, it's about an alliance with Master Tyreik in exchange for his second son. I am here to verify and make sure the King doesn't try to trick in any way.
I bowed before the King and gave the letter to the messenger to read out loud then he ordered the servant to lead me to a room even though I do not need to change my gowns. I decided to explore the grounds, it's my first time being here. I have the strangest feeling that this used to be my home like I belong here. I know where the rooms are like déjà vu, somehow or I don't know how I know about whose room and which. I flinched when I heard a little boy, "who are you?"
"Sima, I'm here in Master Tyreik's stead," curiously looks up and down at the little boy, he's cute. I never saw a very blonde, white boy with bright green eyes, very friendly and hyper for his age. Unexpectedly, he grabs my hands while shouting, "come on" in his cheery voice. I ran after him to each hiding place from the troops, jumping over the windows and so many places. I miss this with my sisters, we used to explore and run everywhere in all the places. We hid in a small tent in the courtyard with trees and butterflies. It had four guards on each corner.
"What's your name?"
"Caspian," panting and trying to calm himself. I noticed he's murmuring, counting, I wonder if he's counting the time of the guards. I patiently waited while watching the guards, they only stood for five seconds then walked on the left. Oh, I see, Caspian walks out of the tent, "they won't be back for a while," routing their rounds. I warmly smiled when he started climbing the trees, the fourth tree branch.
"How old are you?" He casually shrugged while playing in the trees, "I'm seven." He asked how old, and I replied twelve. Then he wanted to show something cool, so I followed him. We heard someone whispering around the corner, he told me to be quiet. I can't quite hear what she's saying or know who's she's talking with. I carefully quietly asked whose they were?
"Princess Cecilia," was his reply, oh that's his brother's wife. I remember he has two older brothers; one is not married. I observed the woman down the hall when we walked by, she's pretty tough. She's taller than I expected, with plain brown hair but smooth skin and you could tell by the distance, she's a strong woman of her means. I liked her gown, dark green dress.
It's an amazingly beautiful place, although it's a little rundown, one room has a few rocks falling apart and several rooms, they put new rocks, but it takes time to rebuild. War, but I'm impressed how they keep maintaining the White Kingdom. He led me to another floor, and I saw the woman again, holding a piece of paper. I wanted to follow her to her room, but I kept my place with the boy, "look!"
He's pointing at the small wooden chest with a mark on top that looks like bilateral symmetry with each half spotting two spirals. I had never seen something like this before, "where did you find it?"
"One night, the manservant was putting more wood in the fire, and he accidentally hit the bricks."
He's an observant young boy. He must have noticed the dust falling off the bricks which is unusual for his age, but he continued that he couldn't touch the rock. That puzzledly curious as I opened it, It's a small triangle bright clear blue rock with the same mark as the chest. I wonder what it means. He shouted before I touched it, "don't touch it!"
Without a thought, I picked it up, smoother than metal, then he shunned, "you can touch it?" He believes that people can touch it now but the moment he reaches his fingers on the rock then he screams, "ahh, that hurts!" It electrically powered him when he continued, "I have shown all my friends and none of them can touch it."
None of them? What makes it so special? What is it? Where did it come from? Why can I touch it? Is it because of my ancestors or there's something wrong with me? Is these the only stones or there's more?
I remembered about the Master, he'll use it for evil so it's not safe with me yet.
"You should hide it," making suggestions so he wouldn't be killed or evil would take it from him through his family. He seems uncertain to hide its glory and from his friends. I carefully thought back to my Master who would gladly kill the entire Charming for this small stone, who forces me to kill each person throughout Enchanted Forest, month after month for his own personal gain and profit. I never understood why I felt the need to protect this little boy or a sense of belonging in the Charmings household. "I'll keep it safe, Caspian."
The problem is how do I keep it safe from the Master. Where do you put it where the Master will never guess? The minutes lost when he's waiting for my reply for the second time to be sure, I quietly nod with a promise, "okay," but why "why do you trust me with such as this?"
At first, he shrugged then with a surprising answer, "you're my cousin."
No, I am not and we are not family, so where is this coming from, "what do you mean?"
It sounds like a secret that he's not supposed to tell, "grandma told me, said we're special."
What makes him special or me? She killed my family and there's nothing unique about me, but I really want to know what his grandma says. The Master was always shady about this and only told me that the Queen murdered my entire family for power, "what did she tell you, Caspian?"
"Tonight, I will show you," I put the stone back into the chest; unfortunately, I have plans tonight as well, to kill her in her sleep to make it sound like she died naturally. She always drinks her evening tea and that's when I make my move after the servants are giving tea. I went back to my routine, meeting with the King, negotiating, and more boring meetings when my mind was on Caspian's plan to show me something. I have always wanted to know more about my family.
One of the main skills I have that is the most important key to this mission is climbing. The Master trained me hard to climb houses, castles, trees and you name it for one reason only, sneaking in undetected. I held my breath and kept it steady as I climbed in a black suit which was specially designed for my mission. I hate wearing it, but the Master demands it as I climb out of my window, calmly crawl on the rooftop and the side of the bridges. It only took me a hot minute until I reached the woman's window, I heard her voice.
"Thank you, Mary. I wish to be alone."
I heard the quiet roaring fire when she sat on the small chair. I needed her distracted for a moment, I jumped through the window, behind the heavy thick curtains. I'm quick on my feet and made myself learn to be quiet as a mouse even when I'm running. She set the tea on the round table next to the chair when someone knocked on the door. It's small though, fits for a servant so why did they put her here or is it on purpose. No matter, the moment she walks to the door, she leaves it ajar while whispering. I swift the room from the window curtains to the roaring fire within a matter of seconds as I dropped the poison in her tea. I ran out the window when she turned around as she felt the breeze of the curtains, suspicious but luckily she dismissed it to close it and returned to her seat.
"Sima?" Caspian searches for her in the room.
I stopped at the edge of the window on the top when he called me out, "where are you?" I went to the next window and for once, I am glad they gave me two rooms instead of one. I hid the black suit and changed into a simple dark blue dress that suits my skin tone well. I kindly smile when I walk into my room while pretending my dress needs to be fixed, "I apologize, Prince Caspian."
"What do your parents think you're doing at this hour?"
"They do not check on me, only my servants."
Is that normal for parents not to check on their children? I don't know, but I do remember my mom always reading a book when I was little. I will never forget her face, but I feel like the memory is slowly disappearing. He continues that his grandma is asleep and now is the time, so I followed him. He said that the grandmother is on the first floor, but I wasn't sure the reason. Does the family put the elderly on the first floor, but I thought all the princesses and princes were at the west or east wing of the castle. In this case, it's the west wing for me. He shows me where the servants' stairs are and he is very good at this, he knows the secret pathways, servants' stairs while avoiding all the troops. I do not know how long we were walking down, at first it was through a secret pathway down the stairs, the small hole underground, then servant stairs that they rarely use, then finally on the first floor.
"You must be silent."
I quietly nodded as I smirked at him, but he looked at me strangely when I made a rude face like he had seen it somewhere before. She looks sick, the white lace all around her bedroom and the fire continues day in and out. The servant's quarter is next door to take care of her, I whispered, "what's wrong with her?"
"I do not know, she was not sick before."
Something must have happened a few years ago, it seems but what is it that made her the need to have 24/7 servants. My tiptoe follows him to the bookshelf, it's in the middle of the wall, on the right side of her bed with a small chair in the corner by the window. He pointed to the red leather book on the top left, four books down, for he cannot reach it, so I grabbed it for him.
He gave it back to me, "read it. The servant will not come tonight because my grandma will be asleep."
Oh, he meant she's drugged tonight for her to sleep easily, "what is it?"
He gets around and is a book nerd even at seven years old, he seems to know more than he's letting on, but I nod anyway in deep thought then he leaves me to give me privacy. Why did he leave? Is there something wrong? I sat down on the floor in front of the fire, for milliseconds I thought I could fight whatever is swooping me in.
The day Storybrooke lost its magic
What is this place? Many shops in one street, Granny's in the middle and Sheriff across the street, I tried to tap a person to ask, but they walked through me. I'm … but I can touch myself. What's going on? I was pulled behind the shop, it's a decorating shop, and spotted a couple kissing. I touched my lips, wondering and I never saw anyone kissing; strangely it made me feel good.
"Ms. Mills, we have to tell my sister."
She giggled, laughing while lightly pushing him, playfully, "I told you, Mrs. Mills is my grandmother, but …," kissed him lightly on the lips, "one day, I'll be Ms. Josephine Dion."
"Josie," gave her a warning look to seriously talk about his sister. She disappointedly sighs at his suggestion to talk to her sister; which is her best friend as well.
"She's not going to take it well, Atlas. She's going to hate me," secret dating my best friend's brother and every sleepover, I'll wait until she sleeps then sneak into his room. I fell in love with him at first sight when Alice introduced his twin brother. She doesn't want to talk about this anymore, "I'll see you at the mansion?"
"1 AM on the dot, love," I groaned when they wouldn't stop kissing, young in love but gross. She gave him one last kiss then departed, but he stayed, blissfully happy staring at her from behind. I was hoping to find where I am by going to Granny's, noticing that everybody goes there even for a hot cup, whatever that is.
Storybrooke, I heard one of them say while laughing happily like there's no war and everyone is perfect. Odd and Unusual for me, I have never seen anyone that happy before. Moms with children, yelling to come back, men drinking small glass, little men I think it's dwarfs and one of them is grumpy today. Everyone stopped when they looked at the door when a woman walked in, it looked like someone important.
"Don't you have better things to do than wasting time dollars?"
She's beautiful, short black hair with tight black dress, you could feel the fear in the air the moment she walks in. She must be the mother of Josephine, I could see it similarly. She came in for one hot cup, white and red cup then left. I decided to follow her to see what's going on, but I saw her in purple smoke, oh, she has magic. I never saw anyone else have magic except the Queen, even though I rarely see her doing it, but she seems she does it freely without harming anyone. What is this place?!
I saw the boy again, Atlas down the road about to enter the ring shop … did the day go fast when I looked up at the starry dark skies, or was it magic? I am in the book, so somehow magically got me stuck in, so maybe magic will get me out, or what will happen?
I was pulled into the ring shop, thousands of rings and pieces of jewelry, and nobody is stealing it? Gold, silver, and even bronze rings and diamonds on them. The boy looking for a ring,
"Ma'am, do you have a section of engagement rings?"
I stood beside him behind the glass when the woman pulled out a small but 4 rows of rings on the glass and he suspected each ring and its price on the tag. I watched the interesting interaction between them, they were perfectly civilized and extremely friendly, well everyone is in this town. It's even weirder to me, no one is that friendly. Is it possible to be happy again?
He has chosen the ring, but I don't even know what they mean, it has three diamonds on the ring.
"You must love your girlfriend," sounding impressed with his choice of the ring, "14K white gold, 1 ct. t.w. round diamonds. Two thousand, Sir."
He's paying for the ring and it sounded like a lot, I assume as he gives her a card, I carefully watch her doing something to the machine when she swipes the card as it makes a sound. What is that?! So the card, whatever that is, pays for everything? Okay … I need to get out of here.
He put the ring in his left jacket pocket then something was ringing, a small square and talking to it.
"Again, man?"
I tried to listen but couldn't hear whoever he's talking to on the other line.
"I told you to leave her alone!"
"Fine. Where are you?"
"I'm coming and that's the last time I'm saving your ass."
His friend is in trouble and I did not follow him when I was automatically relocated to a large office, it's the same woman I saw at Granny's as I looked around my surroundings then spotted, Queen. Oh, she's the Queen, no wonder everyone fears her. She's reading the same red book I had in my hands a moment before I was swooped into the book. I don't understand … Her face looks sad … more heartbroken. I carefully observed her as she grabbed another book but this time it's white. Wait, there's more than one book?
She waved her hands over the books and one shelf as dark purple hovered over one top shelf and books then disappeared. Where did it go? She teleported along with me at the front of the vault as I looked up above the door which stated, 'Mills Mausoleum.'
She's my … and Josephine is a relative, Mills. That's my last name. I saw this vault one time with my grandmother when I was … before, never mind. It was old and run down with grasses and vines covering over the stone walls and the words above, there are none there. I forgot where it was, so this is my ancestor's vault?
I followed her downstairs as she waved her hands hovering over the wall behind the long white mirror then it opened. I walked backward in shock and felt a little heart attack, which scared me. I quietly laughed at myself and two large swan statues of white and black. Wow, it's beautiful. What … What does that mean? Why swans?
I was disappointed when I couldn't follow her to see more of what's underground when I was teleported in the back alley with Atlas. I don't know why but I can feel something bad is coming. Atlas walked out of the door in the back then unlocked his bike. I leaned closer to see what that was, it had two big wheels front and back with a small seat in the middle. Whoa, that's so cool! I watched him riding on whatever that was, I want one!
I ran after him then the short man with something in his hand running as I heard the siren sounds, woo-wooing. A blue man pointed something at him, shouting, "don't move!"
It happened so fast, bang, oh no, the blue man accidentally shot Atlas instead of that man. He dropped the gun with both his arms up in shock mode when he saw Atlas dropped dead. More than five blue men ran towards both of them, several trying to save Atlas and others cuffing him from behind while reading his rights.
The sister, I saw and heard her yelling, more like wailing so loud that it hurt her voice. I looked up and saw someone behind while holding her as she fought to let go to see him. Josephine, her eyes, I can feel she died inside when she refuses to cry in front of the sister. She immediately went over to comfort her as she held tightly with her best friend.
I don't know how many days it has been, everyone is mourning, wearing black clothing, and the sister locked herself in the room for several days. She only comes out for funerals and the waking. Do the days pass the same when I'm out there, does that make sense?
The blue man returns his belongings and the sister is the first to take his things, "it's mine!" The parents were arguing with her then gave in to let her have his things, well arguing loudly. I followed her into her room and she opened the small box, the first thing she picked up was the ring. She became fuming furious mad if that's possible, I mean her eyes and body changes into the frenetic and deranged.
She knows who it belongs to, you could tell when she looks over her nightstand, the picture with her best friend, Josephine. She broke the frame and tore it up. She has magic! Her hands waved over herself, green smoke, but why didn't he … wait. What?!
I hated when I had no control over my body when I kept moving from one place to another, now it's back in the office. She broke into the safe behind the shelves and magically took the black and gold book. Her eyes were filled with dark green magic when she breathed as she opened the book. My body took me to the white mansion. Josephine and her mother were arguing about her secrecy with her boyfriend.
"I told you it's forbidden to be with Dion's family!"
"I don't care! I love him!"
The mother's voice quiets down, softly when her daughter bawls her eyes out for Atlas, the love in her eyes is real and I know she does love him. The mother wrapped tightly around her for comfort, but why is it forbidden? She kept apologizing, "I'm sorry baby."
"You don't understand, Josie," her voice is soft and soothing as she wipes her tears on her face and stroking her hair. She replied with a whisper, "I don't care." She leads her to the office, it looks similar to the bigger office in town. She repeated with eyes rolling and sighed, "What, mom?"
The mother sat on the couch with a brown leather book, Once Upon a Time.
"Aw, mom. Not again!"
"This is important, baby. I need you to listen carefully."
Oh my god!
This Regina person has a sister and the Dion family are one of the offspring of Zelena and Mal's. They were our distant relative, which means she's my distant aunt. My mind is going too fast, spinning too much information. Wait. Wait. Wait. Regina is my ancestor and Zelena came from a different father, but the same mother. Zelena and Maleficent are each other's true love and … my mind stops, frozen and my train of thoughts got lost.
We thought and said the same thing when our eyes widened, "Oh my god! What's the fuck?!"
"I don't believe you!"
"You're lying!"
Josephine shouted at her as she stood up after the shock.
One missing thing I do not understand, what does this has to do with Charmings? I looked back a while ago when the Queen hid many other books, there's more! I want to know more, why, and … I looked up and screamed, "Get me out of here!" I need to get out. Get me out! Get me out! I don't want to read anymore when I know what will happen next.
Thank god, somehow the book forced me out and I'm back in the darkroom in front of the fire, I heavily sighed, thank god. I pushed the book away, no more. I don't want to do this. The fear crept me in, afraid to know more about why this happened and the reason we are cursed and it started with our family, Regina's sister. It was … I couldn't think anymore, depressed and I wanted to cry alone, but the boy was waiting outside of the door.
"I thought you went back to your room?"
He shot me a look, a knowing look, "you saw it?"
He grinned, a big wide smile, "it's you!"
No, it's not me, but it seems he knows more about all of this, and my curiosity won me out, "What's me, Caspian?"
"The Last Daughter of Mills' Legacy."
I carefully thought about what he said, the last daughter, but our families are still alive, not my family but extended families, "that's not true, Caspian."
"Tomorrow, I'll show you," Caspian walks towards the opposite side of the hallway into his room. I am too tired to argue about this and I want to cry and sleep in my room tonight.