Though Mulan guessed she should have expected it, Princess Aurora was terrible traveling companion. Since leaving her adopted family's home, she hadn't said a word to Mulan and seemed perpetually uncomfortable. The princess had spent her whole life on one little farm, occasionally visiting the small nearby village, so the wide world scared her out of her skin. The first time they stopped in a large city, Princess Aurora swayed around with her mouth so wide you could slip a dinner plate between her lips.
When they rode past a tailor's shop, Aurora made them stop so she could touch all the fabric. As they crossed a bridge, Aurora got off to watch the river roar past them. It was like babysitting an overly-curious child; at least Ah Ping hadn't been this annoying.
When Aurora stopped them in front of a crowd and got off the horse to listen to a ragged, white-haired woman lecture about the greed of the nobles, Mulan decided that she'd had enough.
She spun Aurora around and, trying hard not to yell at a princess, told her, "We are never going to get home in time if you insist on stopped every two seconds, so please focus on getting to the palace."
Aurora flushed, "Home? I left my home behind and I might never see it again."
"You're getting a new home, with people who love you."
"The king and queen-"
"Shhh," Mulan hissed as she pulled Aurora further from the crowd. "If you talk about your connection to them, you'll make yourself a target."
Aurora glared at her, "Fine...those people barely know me, let along love me."
"The only reason they sent you away was to protect you. They gave you your best chance," Mulan reminded her.
"And I'm grateful for that; I had a wonderful childhood," Aurora replied, "but they can't honestly expect me to start calling a pair of complete strangers 'Mama' and 'Papa'. My whole life, it's just been me and my mothers. They did everything for me. Am I suppose to just forget them?"
Mulan responded quietly, "No one's asking you to that."
"Can I write them? Can I visit them whenever I what?" Aurora snapped. "I have let people call me Aurora."
"Because it's your name," Mulan said.
"Only on paper." Aurora continued. Mulan wasn't sure if she should start thinking of her as Briar Rose instead. "I can't use my own name, what makes you think they'll let have a relationship with my real parents?"
"Stephan and Leah are real," Mulan assured her.
Aurora shook her head, "Not to me."
"There, done," Teddy smiled and gestured to the now-completed crib.
Ashley looked up from the mobile she'd been working on. She'd scraped it together from the skeleton of a mobile that she had recovered from the attic, probably one that use to belong to Ruby, and was fashioning it with trinkets and bubbles from the lost and found. The nicest piece was a small golden snake dotted with green gems. Ashley smiled, but it looked forced. "Thank you Teddy, it looks great."
He rose from where he knelt. "Is there anything else you need help with."
"No, I think that's enough." Ashley muttered. "It's late, I shouldn't keep you here."
Teddy put a comforting hand on her shoulder and said his goodbyes. As he walked home, he mused on the unfairness of Ashley's situation, that the mayor could take her baby away just because she wanted to. He couldn't even fathom how Regina had even gotten elected, considering everyone in town feared her, if not despised her. As Teddy drove home, he passed by Gold's pawnshop and noticed him getting out.
Without thinking, he stopped his truck and got out.
"Mr. Mishra," Gold acknowledged.
"Mr. Gold, can I ask you something?" Teddy clenched, "Why are you going along with this custody case?"
The pawnbroker made no expression, "Regina is my client, I'm just doing my job."
"But you know what she's doing is wrong. Ashley doesn't deserve to have her kid taken from her."
"Don't let your little schoolboy crush cloud your judgment," Gold replied. "Ashley's a lovely young lady, but some people are concerned that she doesn't have what it take to raise a child."
"And who are you to judge her? Do you have kids?" Teddy demanded.
Something cold and furious flashed in Gold's eyes before he composed himself once more. "Goodnight, Mr. Mishra."
Teddy physically block Gold from leaving, "Why are you loyal to Regina? You two can't stand each other; everyone in town can see, even Killian and the deputy."
"Right, I forgot you and Jones were friends," Mr. Gold muttered irritably. "Regina and I aren't friends, that's true, but I rather enjoy not having to constantly fight her. Useless some better opportunity comes my way."
"Like what?" Teddy's attention perked up.
Mr. Gold paused for a moment, as if deep in thought. "I need something that Regina would never lift a finger to get for me."
"What is it? If I get it to you, will you drop Regina as a client?"
"You can't do anything to help me," Mr. Gold chuckled, "but I appreciate your offer. Deputy Swan could, however. If she were willing to do me that favor, Regina will have to try to sue Ashley without a lawyer; which we both know she can."
"Emma cares about Ashley, she'll be willing to do it."
Mr. Gold smiled in a way that made Teddy both relieved and anxious, "Have her call me tomorrow, and I think we can work out a deal."
The first time Henry showed up at the empty Jefferson house with leftovers and some of his comic books, Ava and Nicholas yelled at Connor for revealing their secret to someone, but they calmed down after Henry swore he just wanted to help out. Having friends wasn't as easy as he thought it'd be. Ava, Nicholas, and Connor had been friends for years (longer than any of them knew), while Henry barely spoke to anyone but his mother and teachers for most of his life, so it took some adjustment before the four of them grew comfortable with each other.
Things changes when Ruby stumbled on a torn, bloody scarf in the woods, one that Emma recognized as belonging to Priscilla Jefferson.
Ava and Nicholas fled from the mansion, doing their best to cover up any trace of their presence before the police descended on the site to vultures. They then moved to an abandoned warehouse on the docks. Apparently weeks of living in the lavish mansion had spoiled them; Nicholas complained bitterly of the cold; Ava feared that a fisherman would wander over and discover them; Connor worried that it wasn't safe. Henry hated seeing his new friends stuck in this situation.
One day after school, Henry was helping the twins shoplift some food from the pharmacy when the clerk noticed them and called the police. He also tried to call their parents; Ava gave him a fake number and claimed their phone was disconnected. Dread washed over the three kids when the mayor marched in, her eyes dark with anger.
When the clerk told her what happened, Regina scoffed and said, "My son isn't a criminal. If he did do anything, it must have been because these hooligans tricked him into it."
Emma arrived moments later, wearing her red leather jacket and a frown. "Alright, what happened?"
Regina glared at her and sneered, "How many times do I have to warn you not to stick your nose in things involving my son?"
"I'm here because someone called the police," Emma tapped the bronze deputy badge on her hip, "and I'm the police."
"Well there's not much to tell," Regina rolled her eyes, "These two were stealing and somehow got Henry roped into it."
Ava spoke up, "Henry didn't have anything to do with it."
Henry looked at her, grateful, then turned to Emma. Her frowned deepened and her eyes bored into his. He might be able to fool the Evil Queen, but Emma had her superpower. "It was my idea," he confessed. "The twins went along with it."
Emma's gaze softened, satisfied that he told the truth.
Regina, as expected, looked ready to throw a fit, "Henry Daniel Mills, what are on Earth were you thinking? Since when are you a thief?"
"I'm sorry." Henry said.
"Sorry doesn't even come close," Regina shook her head. "I think those kids are a bad influence. Where are you parents?"
"Our mom's at home. She hasn't been feeling well." Ava lied.
Henry groaned internally. It was useless to lie to Emma, but she just raised an eyebrow and offered to drive the twins home after the owner decided not to press charges against the kids.
On the way home, Henry kept his head down to avoid eye contact with Regina as she went on about how disappointed in him she was. He answered her question monosyllabically until they got home and accepted his 3 week grounding without fuss. She went him upstairs and told him not to come down until she had dinner ready.
That night, as Henry finished up his homework, he heard his mother shouting at someone downstairs in her office. Curious, he crept of his room to eavesdropped, the words getting progressively clearer.
"You spineless son of a bitch - what did she offer - kind of excuse is that? - I'm being unreason - a fucking deal !- my family -"
When Henry had almost reached the door, Regina slammed it open
and stepped out looking ready to rip someone's heart out.
"Shouldn't you be in your room?!" she snapped at Henry.
"I...I came to say goodnight." Henry fibbed.
Regina blinked a few times, "Oh. I'm surprised, you haven't done that in a long time."
"What was all that yelling about?" Henry asked innocently.
"That," Regina signed deeply. "Remember how I told you Emma Swan was out to hurt our family? Well, she just showed her true colors. She manipulated Mr. Gold into dropping our case so that Ashley Boyd could keep the baby. I'm so sorry, sweetie, but she cheated you out of a little brother or sister. I know you looked up to her, but maybe this will teach you to be a little less trusting." She hugged Henry and kissed his forehead, "At least we still have each other."
When she let go, Henry replied, "It's okay. I'm fine being an only child and I'm sure Ashley will be a great mom."
Regina frowned, "Excuse me? Henry, Miss Swan kept my baby from me and you think it's no big deal?"
"It's Ashley's baby," Henry corrected.
"Did Miss Swan tell you that?" spat Regina. "Can't you see how she's trying to turn you against me? Do you have any idea how hard it is to adopt a child? I did it for you, and I was willing to do again to give you a sibling? Why are you acting like it's no big deal?"
"Well, it's not like I asked you to do any of that." Henry muttered.
Regina recoiled, "I can't believe you would say something like to me. Do you know how many kids wish they had parents who cared about them as much as I care about you? Do you know many kids wish they even had parents?"
An unwelcome, uncomfortable sense of guilt tugged on Henry's insides as he pictured the Zimmer twins returning to their warehouse. "Yeah..."
Regina held his face in her hands and forced him to look up at her, "I don't know what's going on with you, but I swear, we'll get through this together and you'll remember how much you love me."
After another long day of backbreaking chores, without the help of her beloved Jin, Ye Xian crawled into bed exhausted, but her stepmother burst into her room in the in the middle of the night.
"Get up!" Mei Fen grabbed Ye Xian by the arm and shook her awake.
Ye Xian was so confused she thought she was still dreaming at first, but the sting of Mei Fen's long fingernails told her it was real. "What it is? What happened?"
"Get up, you have to get Jun Li ready to see the prince. Wake up, you lazy bitch." Mei Fen dragged her half-conscious stepdaughter to Jun Li's bedroom and put her to work.
Slowly, Ye Xian gained her senses and learned that a prince from a far away kingdom was searching for a young woman he'd met a ball. She had left behind a shoe and the prince was going from door to door in search of her. Rumor had spread that the prince intended to marry the owner of the shoe.
Ye Xian dreaded the extent of Mei Fen's rage when the shoe didn't fit Jun Li. Since the night of the ball, Mei Fen had gradually become more demanding and violet. She increased Ye Xian's load of chores, something she hadn't thought was possible, and yelled so often she sometimes yelled herself hoarse. She hit, slapped, scratched and threw things at Ye Xian without even the smallest provocation.
Eventually, Ye Xian broke down and accepted that this was her lot in life. If she had been braver or more clever, she would have found a way to escape by now. Her mother had sent Jin to help her, and she had gotten him killed. She felt ashamed of herself for running off and going to the ball a silly, willful child and making a fool of herself in front of all those important people. Then running off when she thought her family saw her and returning home with her tail between her legs. The prince had stumbled upon her after the ball and saw what she really was, not a princess but a common laborer. It was humiliating. She fled from him before she had to face the brunt of his disappointment and judgment.
Whenever she hoped things would get better, they only got worse. Ye Xian just wanted to continue in relative peace, enduring Mei Fen's cruelty and drifting off to peaceful dreams at the end of each day, and forget those unfortunate episodes in her life.
Ye Xian bathed and perfumed Jun Li, combed and styled her hair, helped her into her second best gown (while Mei Fen screamed at her for not having Jun Li's best gown already laundered), and put on her best jewelry. By now, she was so accustomed to grooming and dressing her sister that Ye Xian could perform the task without thinking. Just as Ye Xian finished laying a tray of refreshments, a knock came to the door. Mei Fen swept her into the kitchen with the treat to kill her if she made a single noise, closed the heavy curtain behind her, and greeted the guests.
A royal servant announced the prince's arrival. Prince Nagaraj. His voice made Ye Xian's stomach flip - and made her heart ache. She remained behind the curtain as her sister and stepmother flattered the prince, and kept silence as Jun Li attempted to squeeze her foot into the show without success. She wished...
A gust of gold-tinted wind ripped into the house, tearing the curtain down from its fastening and leaving the occupants windswept and bewildered. Ye Xian remembered the gold dust that had masqueraded her the night of the ball. Now, she stood in front of Prince Nagaraj a third time. He looked shocked, but pleased, to see her again.
The prince turned to Mei Fen and Jun Li, "You told me there were no other women in the house."
"She wasn't at the ball," Mei Fen answered. "It doesn't make a difference."
"I stated that all women had a right to try on the shoe, including..." the prince turned back to Ye Xian, "What is your name?"
Jun Li cut in, "She's no one; just our maid."
Prince Nagaraj raised an eyebrow, "Maid? Odd how she looks like she could be your sister."
"Half-sister," Ye Xian whispered.
The prince's attention snapped back to her. "Half-sister?"
Ye Xian flinched when she realized he's heard her. What would Mei Fen do to her for this slip-up, for contradicting Jun Li. "My name is Ye Xian. She and I shared a father."
"Where is your father?" The prince asked.
Mei Fen answered for Ye Xian, "My dear, beloved husband passed away several years ago. My stepdaughter has been as much of a comfort to me as my our daughter, so much so that she offered to stay home and take care of some important chores while my daughter an I attempted King George's delightful ball. If you see him again, we would honored if you let him know how much we enjoyed his generous hospitality."
From his facial expression, one could tell that Mei Fen's speech had not moved Prince Nagaraj. He coolly ignored Mei Fen and asked Jun Li, "If she's your sister, why did you tell me she was your maid?"
Pretending to not know what he meant, Jun Li made an exaggeratedly innocent face, "Did I say maid? It must have been a slip of the tongue. I meant to say...I meant sister."
The paper-thin lie aroused suspicion in Prince Nagaraj and he looked more closely at Ye Xian. He noticed a small bruise on the side of her neck and a long, thin scratch cutting across her left shoulder. Concerned, he took her left arm and pushed back the long sleeve of her evening dress, then did the same to her right arm; more bruises and scratches littered her skin.
"What happened?" Prince Nagaraj cried.
"Wild animals!" Mei Fen explained. "She's spent a lot of time in the fields, we tell her not to-"
Prince Nagaraj snapped, "I don't want to hear another to thing from you!"
Mei Fen paled.
Ye Xian had never heard anyone talk to Mei Fen that way. All her life, Mei Fen had seemed powerful, invincible even, but now Ye Xian just saw an aging woman simpering and abasing herself to a stranger for even a hope of true power or wealth.
"They did that to me," Ye Xian spoke up. Her voice shook slightly, but she stood firm. "They've been mistreating me for years."
"Quiet, you," Mei Fen warned, but her eyes flittered nervously to Prince Nagaraj. "She's always telling tales. I think it's because her mother died when she was young - they say motherless children will say or do anything for attention, to make up for the lack of affection. Pay her no mind."
"Lack of affection? You're her stepmother, you should have been giving her that." Prince Nagaraj glared at Mei Fen, who further blanched when she realized the prince had taken Ye Xian's side.
Jun Li realized it too. "My mother was cruel to Ye Xian, but I wasn't! I never touched her!"
Mei Fen made a choking sound, stung by the fact that the daughter she doted on her had betrayed her.
"You let it happened!" Ye Xian snapped, "You took advantage of me and left me to suffer. You felt nothing when she killed my friend, Jin; I doubt you even remember him."
"The fish?" Mei Fen gasped incredulously, "You're still angry about the damn fish?"
"He was my only friend, the solace I had in this miserable house." Ye Xian cried. Her arms trembled and her face had turned an unflattering cherry red. "You killed him because he made me happy, and you couldn't stand that."
Mei Fen shook her head and turned to Prince Nagaraj, hoping she could say something, anything, that would appease him. "Your highness, I'm sorry you had to see all of this. Perhaps-"
Prince Nagaraj interrupted her coldly, "You've wasted enough of my time. I will resume my quest to find the own of the show, beginning with your stepdaughter." As he turned to Ye Xian, his face and voice softened, "If she will allow me."
Ye Xian smiled, slowly, as if she had forgotten how to, and nodded. One of the prince's servants help her into a chair, which felt odd but nice, and Ye Xian held out her foot. Prince Nagaraj knelt before her, smiling as they silently shared amusement over the fact that they already knew the outcome. The gold and glass slipper fit Ye Xian's foot's perfectly. Even so, it send a thrill up her leg and spine when the cool metal touched her sole and tears began welling in her eyes.
As she wiped them away, she whispered, "I'm sorry, I just... It doesn't feel real."
"You have nothing to apologize for," Nagaraj told her.
