I don't own Once Upon a Time.
Chapter 1
In the Enchanted Forest…
There is a castle a beautiful young girl always wears her red dress is practicing her magic.
Her name is lady Hildegard the daughter of Prince Henry and Cora, younger sister to Regina is reading her spellbooks and making her potions.
"What do you think boys?" The noble girl questioned her three Borzoi dogs keeping her company. She showed them her book on recipes to make.
She had named her dogs, Duke, Victor & Zeus.
They cutely titled their heads and one of them bark once.
'Bark!'
She giggles, "You're right. We won't know until we try."
Her caldron is steaming smokes and glowing green. "Hmm, I should add a pitch of this rosemary," Her fingers reach to the pitch of ground rosemary into her cauldron, "Silkworm's wools. Hmm Maybe a size of my thumb like One," She wrapped up the silkworm wool like a thumb. She drops into it. "Two," Another silkworm wool then, "And three! Should do it."
The boiling sizzles and the colors change from green to bright red.
She looked at the near results and gave a puzzled look. "Hmm, no what I had in mind." She knows that she could do better than that.
Until something caught her eyes.
There is the plant of her favorite Lilies. "Aha! Maybe what it needs is this to make it pure light." She plucks on one of her blooming Lilies from the rest of the others.
Quickly went and plunk the petals off them. She experimentally plunks the lily from her hand.
It went from one-two then stops at three.
The smoke steams and sizzles up and bam! Poof!
"Success!" She exclaimed excitedly. She reaches for an empty bottle and uncorks it.
She holds her bottle and used a silver dipping spoon to fill her bottle
Carefully, ensuring that it is filling as the bottle needs.
She saw how beautiful it looked and the clear water that she had ever seen.
Now she has to believe that it will work.
With a wave of her hand, she closed all the curtains and darken her chamber room.
It is pitch black. She chanted up the elvish language that she learns from old friends.
"aiya Eärendil elenion ancalima!"
The beautiful bright light in the bottle of her hand has brightened up the entire room. She gasped and looked around the entire room. Her dogs stand by her side and whimper.
'I did it!'
Ending her test and opening all her curtains around her chambers.
Her first real self-taught magic.
"My lady! My lady Hildegard…!" A maid bursting into her chambers. It startled her and almost loosen her grip on her first test.
She regripped her bottle and held it closed to her chest.
"You idiot! You could have destroyed my work." She hissed at the maid who interrupted her. Same with her dogs that seem to agree with their mistress as they growl at the poor maid.
"M-my apologies, but it is lady Regina and your lady mother." The maid apologized and Hildegard looked up. "They are disagreeing with each other again."
Quickly put her bottle into her patch and did not wait for the maid. She almost runs and jumped a few steps to speed up as it is hard to run in her dress.
Her dogs ran ahead of her, but they would stop and wait for her to catch up.
Hildegard saw her mother lifted her older sister with magic as a way for her to discipline Regina's disobedience.
She knew that Regina was always obedient and good to their mother, but Hildegard hated their mother, yet for some reason, Hildegard is her mother's favorite.
"Regina!" Hildegard went down the hill and used her magic. "Stop mother!"
She summons her air spirit friend to help her sister. Hildegard cups around her mouth and calls.
Ah ah
Ah ah
Ah ah
Ah ah
The air spirit twirls and created a strong swirling wind around Regina to cut off Cora's cruelty of using magic on her eldest daughter.
Regina gasped as she heard the echo of the song. It gently undoes the leather belt around her and drops it on the floor. The air spirit gently placed Regina on the ground.
The air spirit never liked Cora for she is like a creature that has no heart.
Hildegard huffs and went to Regina's side.
"Oh, Hildy darling! I see that you are getting stronger. I am so proud of you," Cora cooed at Hildegard. It made Hildegard shiver at her mother's praises towards her.
It disgusted her.
"Mother please, Regina needs her rest," Hildegard told her mother. "You can't force Regina to do what you command."
"Oh darling, I was trying to help your older sister. After all, I am your mother and mother knows best for her daughters. Regina, you should be a better example for your youngest and most accomplished sister." Regina clenched her jaw.
Cora always does this to Regina. Reminding her that unless Regina is married for wealth and power or else, she will always be second best to her little sister. Regina may not have magic like her mother, but when her younger sister was born, she had this raw magic that seems strong which pleases Cora a lot.
So, Cora tends to Hildegard to mentor her magic lessons.
Unlike Regina, Hildegard is not afraid of their mother and her power.
"I am done riding for today." Regina huffs and left them in the middle of the field. Hildegard sighs and shakes her head.
*GROWL
Her dogs snarled and growl when Cora tries to go near her favorite daughter.
"Really? Why did Regina think it was a good idea to give you these dogs?"
Yes, blame and keep putting Regina down like always. What does Regina have to do to have your love? Or what does the family had to do for Cora to simply love them?
"Well, unlike your gifts, mother." Hildegard snarked at her, "Regina knew what I want for my birthdays."
Hildegard leaves back to their home and whistles for her dogs to follow.
She knows the truth about her mother and in the end, Cora will never love her daughters as a mother should.
For the few days, Hildegard had sensed something different in Regina.
One word, Love.
Regina had fallen in love with the stable boy, Daniel.
It was by accident that one of her dogs escape his leash and went towards the stables. Duke panting and jumpy around her big sister and Daniel.
Regina begged her sister. "Please don't say a word to mother." Hildegard raised her hand to silence her big sister.
"Daniel, come here." He did as he was ordered to. The poor boy was nervous, but the way she looked at him feels like she was the mistress herself. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I love Regina. I know that I have nothing to offer and not what you hope for, but no matter where we go. I will always choose her above all else. I want to marry her." Daniel blushed as he blurted his intention for Regina.
Hildegard sighs and smiled, "Then you will make Regina happy." She slips her red ruby ring off her finger and places it in his hand.
"I gave you, my blessings. And don't worry, I will make sure mother doesn't know anything."
Regina hugged her baby sister and Hildegard is simply happy that her sister gave her the best example of all.
The best lesson of finding 'True love.'
Hildegard had sacrificed herself to spend time with Cora to distract her from finding out that Regina is in a relationship.
'Regina's happiness comes first. I owe her that when Cora had to favor my magic.'
She did felt guilty that Cora always made it obvious that she favors her more than Regina.
Hildegard was busy reading her book as it was a slow day.
Regina bursts into her room.
"Regina, what's wrong?"
"Hildy, you won't believe what happened today."
"What?" Something must have happened to her big sister.
"Remember the girl that I had to save the other day." Regine started her story. Hildegard had cheered for Regina for she had rescued someone who needs her help and shows off her skills in horseback riding.
When they were younger, Hildegard would beg Regina to let her on a horse with her to skip her studies with Cora that time.
Hildegard orders the servants to throw a big feast for her sister's heroism. Despite Regina said she did not wish for that, but one pout from her baby sister was all it took to have her way.
"Turns out, she is Snow White the king's daughter!" Regin said that excitedly.
Hildegard heard that they had a cousin name Snow White, but never had officially met the princess before.
They said that Snow White is the same age as Hildegard.
"How exciting!"
"The King has sent a letter that he wished to visit his daughter's savior." Regina wonders, what she should wear? Perhaps her riding clothes would suit her purpose that she is indeed the same rider that saved his daughter.
Hildegard puzzled and clicked an idea happened.
"Perhaps, you could ask the king something in return."
"What do you mean sister?" Regina looked confused so Hildegard indulges her sister.
"Simple. You saved the princess's life, and he is coming here to reward you. So, that would mean you could ask him to knight Daniel and made him marry you."
Regina smiled and hugged her baby sister.
"Sometimes. Your mind works in such a scheming way."
"If I had a scheming way, then I would have ruled the world already."
Hildegard smiled and hugged back.
In Storybrooke…
Everything is going as planned.
Snow White will finally pay for what she had done to her.
She will have her happy ending.
At the desk is a very beautiful ring. She picks it up and twirls it a bit as she stares at it with such empathy.
Regina looked down at her red ruby ring as she remembers her sister who loved Regina more than anything in this world. Snow White couldn't keep her mouth shut and she lost Daniel because of it. Hildegard helps Regina but her little sister was taken by Cora and wasn't seen after her mother was by herself before her wedding day.
Regina found blood clothes on the floor and cries. Hildegard is dead. Regina begged and pleaded that she is not dead.
The bloody room and source of magic dust were all the proof Regina needs on her sister's death.
Cora had killed her.
Blood and revenge were far too tempting for Regina to pass. Cora had to pay and she did.
Regina has gotten Hildegard's justice.
"Hildegard, you were always cleverer than I. What would you have me do now?" Regina says to the ring as if her sister could talk back.
It matters not. For she will not allow anyone to take her family away from her again.
Reviews are welcome.
It is the same style as, Lord of The rings that are called, The Phial of Galadriel was a gift given by the Elf-queen Galadriel to Frodo Baggins as a light to use in dark places.
"aiya Eärendil elenion ancalima!" = "hail Eärendil, brightest of stars!"
HARPER – HILDEGARD
Some medieval girl names are reached with minor transformation. But Harper, a surname name boosted by a twentieth-century novelist, requires more significant renovation. Hildegard retains the first initial, but it also feels tailored and strong. It might be my favorite transformation on the list.
