The Future King

King Ethan chuckled and sighed as he watched with amusement as his wife paced the length of their bedroom floor while he stretched out on the bed, a small book in hand, an oil lamp burning at the bedside. His wife, always so in control of her emotions when others could see, had not been as calm or amused as she had put on airs about hours ago.

King George had sent an ambassador to them to request their daughter's hand in marriage.

And while any other king might find that a joyous thing, for the peace it would bring, the unity between kingdoms, the prosperity that could thrive, even the idea of a daughter being married off so she might produce a male heir to inherit the throne…HE was nothing of the sort.

He had learned from the fights he'd waged just to be able to marry his own wife, that true love was rare but so worth the battle. He would have nothing less than a true and genuine love for his daughter. He cared not for peace, it was already established, there were no wars brewing between kingdoms. He did not need unity between his kingdom and another's, he had allies already and there were other ways to do so without requiring him to sell off his only child. And as for heirs, Rose was his heir, she would be queen, and that was it. She did not need a male heir to take his crown, he would give it to her willingly.

George was, clearly, not the same sort of person and did not hold the same sort of care for his son, James, if he was willing to barter his child, his true heir, off to another kingdom. George was selfish, he would only do it for the advantage it brought to him and no one else. His kingdom would prosper, he would gain a second kingdom through the marriage, and his son would have heirs of his own. Meanwhile HIS daughter would be miserable and trapped in a loveless marriage and he would never, ever do that to her.

He had known, the exact moment that the ambassador had made the offer, that he would not be the one to turn the man down, no...that honor belonged to Rose. He hadn't expected Ilayda to be with her at the time, having thought their assessment of her lessons had ended sooner than it had. The servant he'd sent may have misunderstood his request. He had not wanted to exclude Ilayda from this confrontation or this decision, that was never his intent. He merely knew his wife could be fiercely protective of their daughter and he would rather send the ambassador back alive and…mostly…unharmed, at the very least on 1 piece, than to have his wife attack him on instinct and have to give George something in recompense. He would have told her about it the second after Rose rejected the proposal and the ambassador was on his way out. He would never keep this from his wife.

But, alas, she had appeared with Rose and he had only barely managed to keep a tight enough grip on her arm to warn her to please be patient and wait for him to speak before acting. Giving Rose the opportunity to speak was what truly set his wife at peace. He knew Ilayda trusted him, and trusted that he would not sell their daughter off for anything, but to see he gave Rose the complete control over her life and her love in that aspect of her role as heir, it was a comfort to know. There were many things Rose would not be able to escape or shirk, things she would have to do for the law or tradition or to be the ruler, things that would bind her to do one thing or another as her sacred vow to rule would have her do. But there were some areas, few though they were, where he could give her more freedom, more control over her life.

She may have to rule one day, but she would have as many choices as he could give her for how she wanted to do it.

The person ruling beside her would be a very big one that only Rose would have say in.

He had told his council that himself, in no uncertain terms, the moment she was born and born a girl. He had made it very, very clear to them that his daughter, when she was older, would choose for herself whom she wed and there would be no complaints or disagreements about it. So long as the love was true, Rose was to marry whom she pleased. And if any of them had qualms with it...get out.

None of them wished to lose their position enough to speak against it.

He didn't care, he truly didn't, who his daughter might one day marry. It could be anyone, from any walk of life and any status or wealth. Another king, another noble, a scholar, a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker. He chuckled at that thought. The man could be a pauper for all that it mattered to him, so long as the man loved his daughter and accepted all of her, every side, every trait, every facet, every instinct she had that made her so unique.

He had been pleased that Rose had enough control as to not spark a war between their two kingdoms with her rebuff of the proposal. Though he hadn't exactly been surprised. It had taken Ilayda many years to understand the nuances of manners, what was insulting or dishonorable to say to someone's face, how certain things could be taken as a threat. He had been sure to give Rose more lessons in politics and oration as she grew, as much as she preferred her music lessons to them, to ensure she would have all the command she would need over the spoken word to get her point across while still being true to herself, firm in her beliefs, and peaceful to the extent that she could not be mistaken for inciting war.

She was so like her mother, he mused, mature in a way most other 14 year olds weren't, wise, thoughtful, considered. She was sharp and keen and she had a way with words that had others finding fault with their own logic and questioning themselves. She had done so marvelously just hours ago, bringing up the knowledge that George had sent a proposal to Snow White first and, truly, HOW could the man not know that the girls, or even their fathers, would talk about such things? The alliance between his kingdom and Leopold's would require talk of such a thing between them, an awareness of what was happening and what alliances were being made with whom.

Leopold could no more accept an alliance with one kingdom without consulting him than he could Leopold. They worked in tandem, to the benefit of both kingdoms. An alliance of such a nature for Snow would mean HE had to know, for he had to be willing to also unite his kingdom to the other one or at least be willing to defend it from insult. And vice versa. If he were to wed Rose off to someone for the mere sake of a treaty, he would need to have Leopold's blessing for it would impact his kingdom too.

Luckily they were both of the mind that it would be their daughters to decide such a thing and, with the way the girls were, he could not see a noble husband in their futures. Snow was too open of heart, willing to give anyone a chance, she would love anyone and there were far more common men than noble men in the realms. And his Rose…she was more particular, her heart was more guarded than Snow's, a natural disposition of the Sirens. Whoever came for his daughter's love would need to work for it, prove himself, go above and beyond to earn even the smallest chance to be let into her heart. And the nobles he had encountered, their sons...they would not give so much effort. It would require someone with a great deal of patience and understanding and, he could admit, likely a darkness to themselves that would speak to that understanding.

They would not have to worry about alliances of the sort between kingdoms, he was sure.

Now war, on the other hand…if Ilayda kept pacing, he was sure one would begin on the morrow.

"My love," he called out, setting the book onto the bedside table, "I have never seen you so agitated than…"

"Do NOT speak of it!" she nearly hissed at him, cutting him off. Not in an anger at him, but at the memory his further words would evoke.

The memory of their daughter caught to a tree, pale as death, with fairies trying to rip her magic from her. It was a memory neither of them ever wished to think of and it was remiss of him to even mention it.

But it was true, Ilayda had never been this agitated in all the years he had known her, except after that incident, after Rose was resting and resting comfortably, recovering. She had set to pacing in their room and raging against the fairies and hissing at herself for not ripping the wings off of the other two especially 'that blue bitch!' as she had taken to calling the Blue Fairy, she'd wanted to beat that woman with her own wings if he understood some of her mutterings correctly.

He had not thought that something like this, some random proposal their daughter had swiftly cut down, would send her into such a tizzy.

Ilayda looked over at him, twisting her head as she made her passes so that she could keep him in her sights, "Are all princes like this?" she asked him, a swell of anger hovering just under her breath.

"Arrogant little pricks?" he guessed with a chuckle, "I'm afraid a good number are."

"The utter arrogance…" she continued to huff, "First to think his son good enough for our daughter. Then to offer after he had been rejected. Our daughter is not a consolation prize!"

Ethan held up his hands when she shot him a glare, "I agree. And I think our Rose handled it spectacularly," he moved off the bed and over to her side, taking her hands to still her pacing, "She was diplomatic," he pressed a kiss to the knuckles of one hand, "Firm," and the other, before smiling, "Queenly," he added, kissing in the middle of her hands to hit both, "I must admit, my love, this…this is a reassurance to me."

She let out a short breath through her nose, "How so?" she asked.

For it was anything but to her. Her daughter was too young to have suitors. Not only that, the mere thought of someone bypassing her daughter to seek out her husband without considering her daughter's preferences? In her culture a potential mate sought out one person, the one they were interested in, and began the rituals to express interest. She hadn't bothered to teach her daughter about the ways of the Sirens in that regard, for she would not be accepted in the Sea, she would likely not have any suitor who was also Siren-kind. Her suitor would be on land and follow the rituals of the land-walkers. The land-walkers would have had very hesitant reactions to how Sirens courted, the trials they went through to prove their devotion and earn a place in the heart of their mate.

Right now, this was not a reassuring situation to herself. That men would be looking at her daughter and trying to see her as a potential mate…but not a true mate. They would look at her for what she could give them, what she had that they wanted. They would see her as a piece on a gameboard and not as a person. They would not fight for her the way a mate should be fought for, the way any good man should, like Ethan had fought for her. They had merely handed a paper to her husband with a list of things to trade for her daughter and thought it right?

Her daughter was not a piece of meat to be bartered over and any who dared think it would face her first!

"Our daughter is strong," Ethan spoke, cutting into her thoughts, his thumbs brushing along the fronts of her fingers in a way to try and soothe her as she breathed heavily before him. She was on the verge of spiriting herself away to George's kingdom to threaten the king herself he knew. It was taking everything in her to stay there.

"She has always been strong."

He chuckled, kissing her hands once more before tucking one into the crook of his arm and leading her out onto the balcony beyond their room, "She has," he agreed, "But tonight, how she handled herself as well as that man, it proves to me that she is well on her way to becoming a good queen. She can speak her mind, hold her own, she was measured with her words. Layda, this could have gone very badly," he sighed, reaching the railing and looking up at the darkened sky, "To rebuff a proposal in such a way…" he took a breath, "I am certain Leopold handled Snow's, she would be too kind to deny them herself. George would take no offense, from one king to another. But our daughter was the one to reject this offer. He could see it as an insult."

"You think he shall declare war?" Ilayda frowned, stilling beside him.

"No," he gave her a gentle smile, "Because our Rose turned an insult to him into an insult FROM him. She chose her words carefully and made it clear that the injury was done to us. She put HIM in the precarious place of needing to make amends with us now," he shook his head, laughing more, "I am relieved to know that our daughter is both so skilled with her words, and that she knows herself and her heart as well as she does."

"A Siren must always guard their heart carefully," Iladya spoke, sounding as though reciting an old lesson.

"And the ones who dwell within it must guard it with all they have," Ethan agreed, earning a soft smile from her for his understanding of her and her ways.

It was not a one way street, or it should not be. A Siren was careful about who they gave their heart to or who they allowed into their hearts because they were all to a Siren. They would give all and do anything to keep the other safe and happy. When one was allowed into the heart, they were loved so wholly and unconditionally…it was only right that the person in question be worthy and deserving of such love. It was something she had been very careful to ensure Rose understood and knew from as early an age as possible.

The last thing either of them wanted was for their daughter to give her heart to someone who did not deserve it, or who would use her love as a tool instead of treasure it for the wonder it was.

"Rose understands who she is, and what she is, and what she wants for her future," Ethan continued, "That is all I want for her. To be happy and loved, protected and accepted. I am glad to see how she handled this. Not only was she thinking of her kingdom, but herself too. I don't want our daughter to feel she must put the kingdom above her own wellbeing."

It was the trap he had fallen into. He had put so much of himself into the kingdom, had so much pressure put upon him. On some level he had known that Leopold would be a gentle ruler, that he would have problems upholding the law, and that he would need to be the one to have the firmer fist. He knew he would have to make hard choices and difficult decisions and it would not win him favor with his people and, at the time, he hadn't wanted to be someone others disliked. He had questioned himself and worn himself down to the point where death by drowning had been a welcome escape to the weight of a crown on his head. Had it not been for his wife, he would not have the life he had now, the support he had always needed and never known he could have. It was her at his side, his constant, his support, his love, that gave him the strength to be who he was and rule as he chose. Having her with him, having her understand the choices he made, and stand by him...it truly made all the difference to him.

Ilayda reached out, sensing his thoughts and where they had turned, to touch his cheek, leading his head towards herself, pressing her lips to his before she rested her forehead to his own, "I wish for nothing more," she agreed with him.

He smiled, pulling back to gaze at her, "Even if our daughter does not know what she wants in a mate just yet, it is clear she knows what she does not want. She knows the sort of person she could not abide tying her life to. And it reassures me that she will be careful with her heart and that it will only go to one who deserves it and who can cherish it as the treasure it is."

Ilayda smiled now, nodding her head, "It is reassuring," she murmured, turning to look out at the stars, at the moon, seeing it now, how this was a situation that could be seen in such a way.

Her daughter had handled herself well, she had been regal and left no room for argument, and it proved all their lessons had been working and preparing her for her future. Her words from Ethan, her care with her heart from HER. It did give her hope that her daughter would grow to be the queen this kingdom would need when Ethan was no longer able or willing to rule. Whether the people would ever love her daughter she couldn't say, but if Rose carried herself the way she had hours before, they would damn well respect her.

"Though…" she began, cutting herself off, not wanting to dampen the contentment that had settled over them.

Ethan chuckled, knowing her too well, for she would not have spoken if it was not something that could weigh heavily on her, "What?"

Ilayda let out a breath, "I cannot help but think…"

"What sort of man our daughter will choose?" he finished for her, seeing her struggle a little to find the right words.

"Yes."

He hummed, looking out at the stars as he considered her words. He could joke, tease her, list qualities of such a weak or feeble man that he knew his wife would never see as befitting her daughter, qualities he did not think Rose would choose in a 'mate' either. But this was far too serious a subject to not give it its due consideration and solemnity. Their daughter, she was their heir, their only child, she was unique to all others in his very humble opinion, and not just from her dual nature nor half-human status though that was one aspect of it. The man she selected to be her partner in all things would need careful consideration and he, too, found himself wondering ahead to what would draw his daughter's eye and who she would choose for herself.

"Would music be much important?" he wondered to his wife.

He had the musical capacity of a cricket, sharp and annoying, all the lessons his parents had spent trying to culture their sons had only worked well on Leopold. Oh there had been a time he could play a little ditty on an instrument or two, but he had never felt drawn to them nor felt the need to practice that which did not interest him. He had thought, once, a very long while ago, that it would be instrumental to Ilayda, his abilities with song or sound.

He felt himself flushing as he recalled when she finally put that niggling fear to rest by saying that the most exquisite sounds she heard him make were behind the closed doors of their bedroom.

It hadn't been important to his wife that he could carry a tune or not, only that he allowed her to do so.

"I do not believe so," Ilayda considered it, "Snow is only musical so far as she can sing and Rose does not mind it."

"True," he nodded.

"And you sound like a deafened moose when you try to sing…"

"Hey!"

"And that had not dampened her love for you," Ilayda smirked at him, "Nor mine."

He let out a mock-offended huff at her words, before chuckling, "I do not think our daughter would look to such surface traits," he agreed.

"She will not care for appearance," Iladya remarked, looking back out at the night, a small smile on her face as she glanced at the stars.

She had found she loved looking at the night's sky more so now on land than she had in the sea. There was something…kindred about it now to her. When she was among family, the stars were merely stars, the sky the sky. Around these land-walkers, these humans, it felt different to her. They looked at her and whispered curses behind her back, she knew this, she heard this, they did so with Rose as well though never so loudly for, while she was the King's wife, ROSE was his daughter by blood and they had to respect her more for it. They called her evil and dark and vile, and she would look at the sky, as black and vast and cold and distant as anything…yet scattered with stars, with light, with beauty.

There was always beautify to be found in the dark if one looked closely enough.

Ethan had, and she wanted the same for her daughter too.

"She would only care so much as whether he would allow her to use her voice and her songs," Ilayda nodded to herself.

"Allow her?" Ethan nearly scoffed, "She would be the one allowing him the honor to listen."

She smiled at her husband's words, knowing it was true. Rose would not enter into any relationship if it was not equal. She would prefer to see her daughter higher elevated, but that was merely her instinct wishing her safe. Still, equality would be one thing Rose would not haggle over. Her husband would not 'allow' her to do anything, but join her, encourage her even, revel in the glory of the song and magic her daughter could weave.

"Any who do not appreciate her song are not worthy of her," she determined.

"Too right," Ethan nodded, letting out a long breath, "Power," he mused, "I expect he would have some sort of power to him, whether magical or military. He could not be weak."

Ilayda snorted this time, such a rare sound from her that it drew a pleased smile from her husband, "She would eat him alive if he were."

"I think I would prefer magical," he considered, "It would be up to Rose, of course, but…I see her more paired with one that shares the gift of magic as she does."

"It is difficult to find those who understand possessing something when they do not have it."

"Yes. And I think Rose would appreciate their magic more too," he smiled softly, "She's always had a unique way of seeing the world."

"I suppose it would depend on how he obtained his power, if it was not magical in nature," Ilayda gave some thought t it, "If it was a military power he possessed. How he runs it, if it is efficient, worth it. A man may have the largest army to conquer the world but it means nothing if he cannot control them."

A large army did appeal to Ethan, he could admit, the larger the army the safer his daughter would be, the more people there to fight for her…but, then again, looking at his own kingdom, the whispers he caught every so often, it could also mean more people who wanted a half-creature off their throne.

"Magic," he nodded, believing it.

His daughter would need someone…perhaps not equal in magic for that ability was so rarely equal among any who possessed it. But truly someone that had it within them, just for that shared experience.

"I know you do not like to hear me say it," Ilayda began, squeezing the hand he was still holding in apology for doing so, "But…a darkness too."

Ethan gave her a sorrowful smile, "I know," he agreed quietly.

He loathed to hear people call his wife or daughter 'dark' even though he knew that was what a Siren was classified as. He hated it more for the fact that so many meant it as 'evil' too, vile and inhuman and disturbing, when his girls were nothing of the sort. They were different that was all, they processed the world and emotions differently than others. But they still loved, they still bled, they still felt pain, and any who could still love and be loved in return were not monsters or evil to him, they could never be.

"And I agree," he offered his wife, "It must be a careful line though," he remarked, "A dark magic is one thing, a dark heart another."

"To an extent," she disagreed, "I have done things since leaving the sea that have blackened my heart, but I have not been consumed by that darkness, I retain some light. So long as her mate possesses the ability to love, he has not been lost to darkness either."

Ethan was silent, thinking on that, before he sighed, nodding again, "As always, my heart, you are right."

"I often am," she smirked at him.

He chuckled, reaching down to pat the hand holding his, "Rose will never be fully light, no matter if she lived every day in it. It cannot be helped nor should it be overlooked or disregarded. I do not think she would find connection or interest with someone fully light either."

Beyond Snow was unsaid. The girls were just naturally close, more like sisters than cousins, Snow would likely be the only exception to that for neither of them could see the pure princess darkening anything about her except her clothing. White really did dirty so quickly.

"No one is fully light," Ilayda commented, "All have light and dark within them, some are just more prevalent than others."

"Yes," he nodded, recalling a time when Snow had a tiny bit of a selfish streak to her though she had grown out of it after Eva's passing, "And I agree, Rose would be more drawn to one more prevalent in darkness."

"The only way to understand the dark is to be dark," Ilayda said wisely.

So many people started off light, and events or situations shaped them into the people they grew up to be, but no one was ever as light as they began. Those who were dark had once been light, there was no need to understand that side, they had already experienced it. But those of the light who never became dark could never hope to understand what that was like or what it meant.

She had hope for Snow White, being around Rose as much as she was, that the girl would grow and learn to embrace both light and dark, or at least understand the darkness in others did not always make them evil or vile. Her heart ached at the thought of Snow ever turning on Rose for that darkness.

"I would kill any who dared harm you or Rose," she looked at him so serious he could only lean in and press a kiss to her forehead, for she had, and he knew she would again, "I would expect no less from any man Rose chooses."

Ethan nodded at that, not needing words to express his agreement. So many years ago, when he had still been that struggling prince, he would have never considered that to be a sign of love or a measure of it. But then he met Ilayda, and then he learned about Sirens, and he became her mate, and he saw how SHE expressed her love, the lengths he would go for him. This was her way of saying she expected Rose's future mate to be willing to do anything to keep her with him and keep her safe.

And he agreed. He wanted to know this man would fight for his daughter, defend her, protect her, go to the ends of the earth and farther to be with her and make her happy. Which reminded him of another thing...

"Patient," Ethan added, one final trait he could think of.

Oh there were many more, loyal, faithful, dutiful, accepting, supportive, understanding, loving, passionate, but those were all traits that should be found in a normal marriage or relationship, those were what everyone should expect to have. When he thought on his daughter, he knew this conversation was more about the more unique traits she possessed that a partner would need to share or have to meet her halfway with those quirks she possessed.

"Hmm," Ilayda hummed, "Yes," she nodded after a moment, "Patient and resilient. She will not give her heart easily. He must prove worthy of it."

"I would not accept any man that did not fight for her," he agreed, "Who would not put in the time and effort of first gaining her trust and care in return."

True love should be easy and, for almost everyone else in the realm, it would be, but their daughter would struggle with it. They both knew it to be true, her heart was not made to just accept instant love from one not of her blood family. It would take work, and proof, and effort to get to her heart…but after? After someone had been accepted, that love would overflow, steady and strong and unwavering for as long as the other person remained faithful and true to her in return.

Their Rose would never have a normal love, with an ordinary person, they knew this as well. Their talk just now, how they both agreed, told them they were near to being right without knowing their daughter's heart, for it was hers and not theirs. But they could tell, one day she would find her love.

He would be patient, he would have magic, and he would have a darkness to him, for those were things they knew their daughter would gravitate to, the qualities a stronger connection would form with.

Ethan accepted it easily, he had to, his wife was a Siren and he accepted her. His brother might have qualms with the future Prince Consort being as dark as Rose was or might grow to be. But he did not. Truly, all he wished, all he would ever want for his daughter, was that she be loved, accepted, and cherished by the man who fought for her heart, a man capable of holding a Siren's heart and understanding the enormity of that.

He truly looked forward to the day his daughter could present him with an intended, for his Rose truly was careful, and only a man she felt was deserving would hold her heart.

And then it would be up to him to tell such a man that he was not deserving, no one would be worthy of his daughter, but that this man had come close.

And that was good enough for him.

A/N: I kind of wanted just a sweet sort of domestic moment between Ethan and Ilayda, their thoughts on George's proposal from Every Rose Has Its Thorns. And also to sort of connect back to their meeting with Gold and the blessing and approval they gave him to be with their daughter. I wanted to sort of show that, while Snow was not fully accepting of Gold as her cousin's true love (as she hadn't known how far Rose had gone into being Piper), Piper's parents at least always had this notion of what her future husband, the future 'king' of their land, would be like. Because they know Rose, they know Sirens, and they know what she would need to be equal to her husband and loved by him. So they've known for a while that it would be someone with a darkness, someone probably not fully 'human,' and someone very patient (I mean, Gold DID wait 300 years to see his son again). It would have to be someone willing to do things for their daughter, go to extremes, to keep her safe and protected and prove he would let nothing keep them apart...because that was how Sirens loved and they wanted nothing short of that for their daughter in return.

It sort of echoes back to how Ethan accepted Gold's threat against him, he's always known his daughter would need a man that would literally do anything to prove his love to her and do it happily.

I almost wish Piper had known about this conversation, maybe her view on love and family would have been different, that her parents KNEW the sort of man that would connect with her all along and were more sort of expecting it at one point, they just never got to live to see it.

In my head, I sort of imagine Ethan being of the same mind as Piper, had Regina not attacked. Where Piper asked the Dark One to help Snow White find her true love, I could see Ethan (probably after Snow and David somehow met and married) going to the Dark One to ask him to find his daughter's true love. I could see Rumpelstiltskin sort of being intrigued at the idea of a half-Siren and holding out on giving a price because it would be an interesting challenge and how do you find the true love of a half-Siren when there are no others in the land and Sirens won't accept her and humans are a little unnerved by her? And then he sort of falls for her and her for him and eventually he goes to Ethan with his 'price' being the man's blessing to wed Rose himself (because if he asked for Rose as the price, Ethan, Ilayda, and Rose would probably be very angry that he was trying to 'use her like property' instead of as a person). Still, if Regina had left well enough alone, I could see that happening. A bit different than when Isaac altered their stories, but I feel like he took some liberties lol ;)

Also...can you believe we only have 10 chapters left!? O.O This story is going to be over so soon! I'm both sad and happy, sad it'll be over but happy that this story will be completed after all the trouble I had getting back to posting consistently again :) But, on a bit of a happy-note...we might have a tiny surprise in the next chapter's A/N ;)

Some notes on reviews...

I have to start by saying I'm so glad you all liked the last chapter! :D Ever since the Underworld became an 'adventure' for them, I've been planning Piper seeing her parents one final time, just waiting for the right moment to add them in :) I'm really so happy you enjoyed it :')

Lol, I'm glad you liked the confrontation so much :) We'll see some of Emma's thoughts on her relatives very soon ;) Henry might get a chance to see it since Emma got so skilled with the dreamcatchers ;) ;)

That is a very fitting quote, I agree :) It's sort of funny to me, when I compare Ethan and Ilayda in my head. It's always so sort of 'obvious' Piper's similarities to her mother in their gifts and nature and appearance, but she parallels Ethan when it comes to inner doubt and struggle, he met the love of his life at his worst point, and Piper met the love of her life when she was probably the farthest from human she'd ever been :( I'm very glad that they both got their 'happy ending's and love :) But yup! Piper and Gold are soulmates! :D I teased a few times that we would get a little more on Piper's song with Gold, that someone would hear it and remark on it, I just never said it would be her mother who heard it ;)

THANK YOU! :D Seriously though, loved the caps ;) I'm really happy that you are enjoying Piper and the story so far :D

I'm glad you liked the wolf/Siren comparison in particular, it sort of sets up the next episode-chapter and...it might be a little more important once we get to the next chapters A/N, I may have a bit of a surprise for everyone ;) I think with Red being there in the next chapter, it's going to force the heroes to consider animal instincts much more. Like they can argue 'well, Red only attacked when she was literally a wolf and not when she was human' but they forget that Ruby can turn into a wolf, Piper is always going to be both sides not just one extreme or the other depending on how she 'shapeshifts' or anything. That Piper looks human when the 'villainous' things happen is something David focuses on, but with Red there he may have to reconsider some of it ;) Henry will be a little sad he didn't get to meet them, given he lost his own father he'll likely understand that it was really important to Piper and be more happy that they moved on to a better place and that she got to say goodbye...and he might be able to relive the memory of them chewing out the others if Emma copies some memories into a dreamcatcher for him ;)

I was debating having Ilayda slap Snow, but I felt like if she got close enough she'd do much worse than that and if Snow was serious about trying to make things better and make amends, if revenge had already been taken by Piper, then it might make things worse for her daughter. Regina was more fair game to her, and she lived through and experienced Regina's attack whereas she only heard of things from Piper :( I think to her, knowing how Snow is, physical attacks wouldn't work as well as making her point clear, because it would prompt the heroes to brush off all of it as 'the villain attacked' :( I can say we'll get some thoughts from Hook, Henry, and Emma about Piper's parents before this story is over ;)