POV Regina Mills
I mentally roll my eyes. The kid in front of me has finally shut up and decided to entertain herself with a book while I sink deeper into the cushions beside the fireplace.
"One day I'm going to get married" She says lifting her nose and staring at me.
"Oh of course you will" I stare at my nails missing the red nail polish.
"And we're going to have soooo many kids. And they're going to fight for the throne." I raise my eyebrow in curiosity and stare at her. She laughs. "Well, at least I know you're paying attention to me. So, what's it like working here?"
"Exciting" I reply dryly.
"Really? Must be boring, just cleaning and cleaning and serving. Don't you do anything fun?"
"Of course I do" I narrow my eyes "I roast little kids in a big oven."
"Oh" I smile seeing her frown and then she tilts her head to the side "Can you teach me?"
"You're a peculiar little creature, you know that?"
"I know. I'm just gorgeous. Everyone loves me." She brushes a curl from her childish face and laughs.
"Yeah... who wouldn't love those cheeks" I roll my eyes "What do you do for fun princess?"
"I read, walk around the castle...my favorite place is the little bridge with the garden...The flowers are beautiful. Have you ever been there? Nature and the beauty of small things are inspiring."
My stomach is in knots.
"Of course, of course..."
"And I'm trying to convince my father to teach me to ride a horse. A princess should know how to get around on her own."
"A princess must learn to keep secrets" I blurt out.
"Sorry?" She blinks.
"Must be so much fun having everyone at your feet."
"Yeah...but..." She stops and stares at the floor.
"But?"
"I would trade everything for my mother to be well... she is sick..." Me too, at least that way I would live my life in peace "That's a very... Good... wish, she'll be fine... soon" She won't. She dies. She dies, I save the little princess from that runaway horse, Daniel dies, I'm forced to marry her father and the whole long, exhausting story.
Her mother dies. That's what I'd like to say.
"...a mother? Hi? Are you still there?"
"Sorry?" I look at my nails again.
"Do you have a mother?"
"Of course, Your Highness."
"And is she alive?"
"Yes. As tough as a cockroach" Hard to kill, even harder to have around. Like you.
"Oh... I don't like cockroaches..."
"Me either."
"But..." She raises her eyebrow.
"Let's do it like this: You stay here. Quiet as a statue. And I get cookies and milk. What do you think?"
That seems to attract her attention
"Sounds great, but... what about the tea?"
"It's just some cookies. Rainy brought them this morning. They're wonderful."
"Fine" She gives me a smile "But don't delay. Your job is to entertain me."
My smile probably looks more like a grimace and I get rid of it as soon as I leave the library. Unbearable girl. I should've let her die on that horse. I could warn this Regina not to save helpless children, but judging by the beautiful heart at the time... I would die to save her. Even if she was my cousin. Even if she was the perfect Snow White.
I sigh, rolling my eyes. How I loathe this child as much as I loathe the man who appears in front of me.
Leopold stares at me and all the nausea I felt when I was married to him is back. That smile. He still looks twice my age even though I'm twice my age when I married him. I bow briefly with my head down, fighting my instincts to incinerate him right here, and turn that face to ash.
I adjust the posture. The hallway is empty except for our presence. He's still staring at me. I still feel his gaze burning the face of my disguise.
"Excuse me, Your Majesty."
"Wait" He grabs my arm as I try to walk past him "where is my daughter?"
His voice is calm and anyone who hears it would be sure it belonged to a good man. Surely they would. I close my eyes.
"Library" I force myself to answer "She found a book of stories that belonged to the princess" My book. That my dad read to me every night when he wasn't traveling. My tales of true love and good princes, books that made me believe in a happy future. A book full of lies.
I try to free myself but he squeezes my arm.
"She looks… busy I'm sure."
"Yes... I was going to get her a glass of milk" He pulls me close. The beard smelling of roast beef and rum. My stomach hurts "I... need to be quick..."
"I'm sure she can wait a while." He pushes me against the cold wall, pressing his body against mine.
"Children are... unpredictable..." I say, but he's too busy with all my corset laces.
"Why so many strings?" He pulls them out at once. I squint my eyes clenching my fists, I can't kill him. Henry wouldn't forgive me.
His lips find my neck. I feel breathless.
"Let me go" A thread of voice rises in my throat. He laughs, dropping his hands to my hips.
"Don't be silly. You belong to me. Everything here belongs. I am the King."
POV Emma
"I finished!" I exclaim releasing the peeler.
I've been peeling these potatoes for over an hour... why the hell did these people invent mashed potatoes?! If my former social worker saw it, she wouldn't believe that little 'Skinny Emma' would have the strength in her arms to leave more than 60 English potatoes smooth! Yeah Miss Wyatt... I still rock!
"It's about time! Keep slow and I'll fire you!" The old cow's voice... I mean... Rainy roars in my ears.
I roll my eyes for what feels like the hundredth time and bite my tongue to keep quiet. If I say anything, I'll be fired, and while this wasn't my dream job (it's better than any I've had), Regina is my key to getting home and I can't part with her.
"What else can I do to help, ma'am?" My voice is slurred and opaque.
"Oh, gosh the pie was supposed to be ready!" Rainy puts her hands to her head "Go after that friend of yours... what's her name again..."
Shit. We didn't think of a name! Wait... how did she hire us without knowing our names?! Rainy really was desperate.
"Wilma" I answer her.
I remember seeing that name when reading Henry's book.
"That's right... go find her in the library" She says as if Rainy suddenly remembers something "I need more people in the kitchen! Regina must be back already... look for her and ask her to watch the little princess! Come on! Walk! Don't just stand there like an idiot!"
I force my feet out of the kitchen as fast as I can, it's true, the place looks like complete chaos. What was so special about dinner?
'Maybe because it's with the king, Emma…' I roll my eyes at myself.
But which king? Who is this princess?! Oh, maybe it's Cinderella! No, no... she only became a princess after marrying the prince... typical. Besides, she said she was a child... maybe it's Alice?! No… she wasn't quite a princess.
Where did Rainy even say the girl was? Oh yes... library! Just look for a room with books, right?!
The halls of the castle are big and sleek, only now have I stopped to really admire them (it's more fun when you're not cleaning), the paintings gracing the stone walls capture all my interest, and it's not because I'm a fan of art.
Only a few paintings in a series of frames catch my attention. A child's face with dark eyes is painted, I know exactly who she is, although quite unlike the woman I know today, Regina Mills is impossible to mistake. The first frame in the hallway is of a baby in the arms of a much younger Cora, the innocent-looking child carries a light and happy aura, I can't stop admiring her. After a few minutes I forced my eyes away from the frame, moving them to the frame on the side, in this one the child looked like she had grown four years old, she wore a flashy pink dress and a small tiara on her head, her black hair is tied back in a bun on top of her head, the sight of four-year-old Regina in a pink dress brings a toothy smile to my face. The next frame Regina looked like she was 7 years old, she wears a dark blue dress with sparkly stones and face makeup... who would put makeup on a child's face?! Surprisingly, that's not what caught my attention... it was the eyes. Behind those thick lashes, her melted chocolate eyes looked like two sad orbs, I could sink into them and never come out. The following pictures were of Regina aged 10 to 15, each one with a different touch from the other, the dresses got tighter over the years (I noticed the first corset in her 12-year-old portrait) and the cleavage in them was noticeable, the makeup assaulted the young face in a grotesque way and despite her smiling lips, the melancholy look worsened with each painting. I can't even imagine what made Regina like this, she's a princess in a castle! With a mother who looks more like a monster, but at least she has a mother, I had nothing... did I look as broken as Regina when I was growing up?
I shake my head trying to rid myself of selfish thoughts 'it's no time for this, Swan! Focus! Find that fucking library soon!'
I walk a few steps in the long hallway, open a few doors on the way (in one of them I found the foreman kissing the maid), until one of them give me the vision I wanted.
First of all, the door is different from all the others, it is painted scarlet red, different from the others that are pastel color, and of course, the sight I have is unlike anything I've seen before, I've never seen so many books in my life!
The library has dark, glossy wood accents, the books stacked on the shelves, which go from ceiling to floor, are perfectly polished and well grouped by size, two stairs the same length as the shelves connect to the built-in support inside the wall, I walk two steps inside and I see a second floor where more books gleam on shelves, eager to be read. The stairs to the second floors are divided in two, one on the left and right and on the walls, more books accompany the banister. I look so small in this sea of extreme luxury!
The environment is also decorated with paintings, but the art is different from what I saw a few minutes ago, this one is more abstract and refined! I notice the large windows for the first time, they aren't like the ones in the other rooms, they're the same height as the built-in shelves, they connect from ceiling to floor, cream-colored curtains sway in the autumn wind and the room couldn't be more airy, whether it's the wind or the red and white flowers that decorate the place... it looks like a geek paradise!
"Can I help you?" A little voice calls to my left.
I close my mouth and dry my chin to turn to a little girl of about 6-8 years old sitting on a pile of pillows on the floor beside the purple sofas.
I open my mouth again as our eyes lock, her big sea green eyes, identical to mine, scan me from head to toe, her red lips (which along with her matching cheeks stand out against her very pale skin) leans in a cute pout.
"I… hm…" I can't form a coherent word.
"Mom says it's wrong to grumble...but that's okay! I won't tell her! Now... who are you? Have we seen each other before?" She gets off the floor and walks over to me, her green dress looks too small for the little girl.
In that moment I feel teleported to the day when Mary Margaret welcomed me into her home with the same eyes that this little girl has, shit... I miss my friend. That girl is Snow White, she is Mary Margaret.
"I don't think so, your... highness" The words seem bitter and inappropriate, after all, this little girl will one day be my mother... 'no, Emma! Don't do it again!'
"So how can I help you?" She smiles and folds her hands in her lap as she sits down on the padded sofa.
Another shock overtakes my body at the sight of the girl's posture and face, exactly like the girl in the hallway, except for the green eyes... but the rest... it looked like an almost perfect copy. I shake my head and pinch the bridge of my nose.
"Have you seen Regina?" I immediately regret the words, I can't refer to the mayor like that here!
"My cousin? Oh no... the maid who was here kept me company while she doesn't arrive" She lowers her eyes.
"Wait, cousin?!" My eyes widen. Never in a million years would I have thought that Mary Margaret and Regina could be cousins! Didn't they meet just a few years later? (Yes, I read some stuff from Henry's book) How did this happen? Are we in one of those alternate universe things that only happens in the movies?!
"Don't you know?" The girl frowns "My dad is her dad's brother so that makes us cousins."
But didn't Regina marry the king?! So does that mean she married her own uncle? DISGUSTING!
"Ugh!" I grunt and feel the breakfast rise in my throat.
"Are you okay?" The girl asks with a wary face.
"Hm... yes, I'm fine, don't worry!" I smile "Could Your Majesty tell me where the maid went?"
I run my eyes around the room and see no sign of the impatient brunette.
"She went to the kitchen" Lies down on the couch "And so far she hasn't come back..."
I don't know if it was the melancholy look on the child's face, or if it was the huge curiosity for the little girl, maybe the growing longing (even though I deny it) for the woman I considered family for the last 6 months, but I went down to get closer to the girl on the couch.
"I'm sure she'll be back soon" I say trying to cheer her up.
"I don't know... that always happens" Mini Mary Margaret sighs.
"What do you mean?" I ask sitting next to her on the couch.
"I'm always alone in the end... Dad always convinces the kids to play with me, but they're afraid of what might happen and they always let me win! It's boring!" She sits close to me and crosses her arms.
"Don't you have anyone else to play with?" It must be boring being a kid and not being able to really be one... I wasn't quite a kid myself, but I still made friends, I got into some fights in the process, I may have been a total brat , but I tried to get the most fun out of every situation.
"Johanna played with me but..." She lowers her eyes in shame "I was mean to her."
My eyes widen at the revelation, I never imagined that Snow White could be mean to a fly, let alone a person.
"You weren't mean..." I plead.
"Yes I was" She looks at me with tears in her eyes "But I regret it! I swear! Mom always corrected my behavior... at first I didn't like it, because Dad said we should put the employees in their place."
I grimace at her last sentence, it reminds me a lot of the rich snobs I've worked for, the ones who thought they could get their hands on me without first getting an armbar.
"Well he's wrong" I say irritably, immediately earning a surprised look from her.
Snow stares at me for a long second, looking me up and down, as if she can see past me.
"What?" I ask, fidgeting uncomfortably on the couch.
"You're not like the others" She smiles softly and wears the look I've seen so many times on my best friend's face.
"Like what?" Curiosity overtakes me.
"No one would dare say the king is wrong" She laughs "You are different."
"That is good?" I smile quickly.
"Yes" she says after a reflective moment "It's good to be different... you're brave too, I want to be brave like you."
The way she talks and looks, her smile, everything in her dreamy way reminds me of Henry, my son, who is in another time with the older version of this girl.
"You'll be brave" I affirm, remembering the badass Snow White from Henry's book.
"Do you think so?" Her eyes sparkle and her smile grows.
"Yes!" Seeing her smile makes me happy "You will be a very strong queen!"
"And will I have a prince too?!" She claps her hands and bounces lightly on the couch.
"Oh, of course you will!" I burst out laughing and stroke her black hair.
"I will marry him and we will have a baby!" She smiles dreamily.
My hand freezes over her head, I try to recover from the shock before she thinks she's done something wrong.
"Yes, sure…" My smile doesn't reach my eyes.
She takes advantage of my free and uncompromising affection to lean her body next to me, I put an arm around her and she lays her head on my chest.
"Our baby will be beautiful..." I can hear the smile in her voice, my eyes fixed on a random spot as my head travels to the pages of the book I've only read once, the book that puts an end to the fantasies that adorn the mind of the girl in my arms "And we'll be happily ever after."
She sighs happily and snuggles against me, my heart drops and my eyes fill with tears. If she knew that none of this was ever going to come true, that she would never really get to be a mother, a wife, that we would never be a family.
I blink the tears away and walk away from the child, as if the girl has burned me, she looks at me with hurt eyes.
"What happened? Did I do something?" Her voice is shy.
"No...no, of course not" I place a hand on her soft cheek "I really have to find Reg... Wilma."
"Oh...so her name is Wilma?" Snow asks.
I get up from the couch and smooth my dress.
"Yes Rainy, the housekeeper, really needs her now! But don't worry, I'll bring your... cousin to stay with you" I reassure her.
"Oh, if I were her I wouldn't keep Rainy waiting" The girl makes a face "Thank Wilma for me!"
"Thank her?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Yes, for the company" I smile at the child's sweetness.
"Sure" I nod "Excuse me, Your Highness."
I make my way to the door, but I'm stopped by a small hand slipping into my palm.
"Wait!" She exclaims holding my hand gently and looks at me expectantly "What's your name?"
I reflect for a moment before answering.
"Emma... my name is Emma" I smile shyly at the child.
"Emma" She tests the name on her tongue and then lets go of my hand "What a lovely name! I like it!"
My breath hitches and tears rise to my eyes, I need to get out of here and go after Regina!
"I'm glad... majesty" Thank you.
Before she can say anything, I flee the room and close the door behind me, letting out the breath I didn't know I was holding.
I steady my breathing after a few minutes and put my mind to thinking.
Mini Mary said that Regina went to get a cookie, that means she went to the kitchen, but I came from the kitchen! Oh, of course! She went down the other aisle! (God knows how big this place is)
I make my way to the west area of the castle where the closest passage to the kitchen is.
I walk with long strides, I can hear voices around the corner, they sound more like muffled moans and screams, I immediately quicken my walk.
When I enter the other hallway I come across a scene that makes me want to throw up.
It was Regina pressed against the wall, a fat, bearded old man wearing a crown forcing his body against hers, one of his big hands wrapped around her neck, the other cupping the brunette's full breast.
I feel my vision go red, this scene brings back old memories that I try to forget daily, memories of when I was in Regina's shoes and one of my foster parents and perverted brothers tried to abuse me... some of them succeeded. But no, not now, no matter who it is, not even the woman who tried to kill me, no one deserves this.
The next moment passes very quickly, the strength in my chest increases painfully, my hands burn, I see nothing but anger, a flash happened, a blinding light left me and went towards the king causing him to collide with the wall across the hall, his body thuds to the floor.
My vision slowly returns to normal, my body is frozen, cold after all the adrenaline.
I turn my head to Regina who is still leaning against the wall looking at me in total astonishment.
I force my body towards her, her dress is rumpled and the front of it is torn.
"How are you? Did he hurt you?!" I grab the woman's shoulders and check her body for bruises.
"No, I..." She rambles still looking at me in surprise.
"Regina, say something! Are you okay?!" A look worried at her.
"Emma, you have magic" Regina exclaims.
If I hadn't freaked out about it too, I probably would have made a big deal out of her calling me Emma.
"I don't have it!" I speak more to myself than to her.
"Oh okay, then explain to me what that was!" She crosses her arms over her chest, partly to cover the damage done by the king.
"I don't know, Regina! And you know what?! We don't have time for that!" I say turning to the unconscious man "What are we going to do with him?!"
The brunette's gaze changes to pure satisfaction.
"I know exactly what to do with him" She walks over to her ex-husband.
"Did I kill him?! Oh my God I killed my grandfather!" Anxiety starts to rise in my chest.
No matter what the circumstances, there's no way Mary Margaret can forgive me for this.
"Don't be silly" She rolls her eyes and lowers herself to the king's height "A bad vase doesn't break so easily."
"We can't leave him here! What if someone notices what I've done?! Maybe if we tell them that he tried to abuse you, they'll forgive us and..."
"You still don't understand, do you Swan?! This world is not very different from the one we live in... do you really think they will listen to my word than a man's?! A king! In fact, it happens all the time around here…" She stands up.
"My God Regina, this is..." Words fail in my mouth, I can't decide between horrible, dark, disgusting... emotions of anger, anguish, injustice and horror fight inside my chest "This is..."
"I know " The brunette contemplates, understanding my lack of words "But don't worry... that idiot will get what's his."
She walks between his legs and kicks his balls with the toe of her shoe, causing his limp body to jerk violently.
"Ouch!" I curl my fist against my mouth "God, he's going to feel it later... and maybe a pain in his back."
"And that's still not enough" Regina reflects "Come on, help me, grab his legs and I'll grab his arms!"
"What are we doing?" I ask without moving a finger.
"We can't leave him here! If anyone sees us with him in that position, they'll blame us for treason and then we'll be hanged! This is what you want?" She raises an eyebrow.
I don't answer, just position myself on the man's lower body.
"Where are we going to take him? He's heavy!" I try to lift his feet a couple of times without success.
"Just follow me and you're doing it wrong, Swan! Let's count to three and lift him up!" She grabs his fat arms "1... 2... 3!"
We got him up right away and shit... what did this man eat?!
"Why don't you use magic to do this?!" I ask trying to balance myself.
"And risk Cora catching us?! I no longer know what the consequences of your new discovery will be!" Regina directs his body to the left.
"That was an accident" I huff and then follow her movements "Where are we taking him?"
She doesn't answer, just pulls me along with her, on the way the king's body hits some furniture.
"Careful, Swan! Don't make him swing so much! If anyone catches us, we're dead!" Regina complains.
"Well if you told me where we were going I would know the direction!" I try harder to hold his legs. I should've work out more!
I realized exactly what she wanted to do when she stopped in front of the stairs that connected the floor to the common area.
"Are you crazy?! We can't throw him down the stairs!"
"Don't be so dramatic! He won't die! There aren't many steps and besides, he won't even feel it!" Regina rolls her eyes.
"I don't like that idea, Regina..." The stairs seem to double in size as I look down.
"If you don't want to die, this is the most viable solution! We have to be quick! Put him down!" She speaks quickly.
We lower his body in front of the stairs, being careful not to make any noise, I take two steps away from Regina and watch as she places one foot on top of the king's body.
"Have a nice ride, dear" Her voice full of false sweetness makes the hairs on my back stand on end.
Then, she pushes with her foot, his body down the stairs, the clatter of flesh against wood echoing through the mansion.
The look of pleasure on Regina's face as the man hit the ground was unparalleled, but I knew we couldn't stay here, no matter what kind of sick thoughts were going through the brunette's head.
"Come on, Regina! We have to get out of here!" I take her by the arm, before taking a quick look at the prone man downstairs.
She nods and follows me, as fast as she can, away from the scene.
