„Oh, Snow, welcome, good to see you. I hope kids are doing well". Snow heard Prince Charming's voice the moment she crossed the entrance to the business room.
"They are great, thank you." she answered on her way to the main desk.
"Bigby is not with you?" He pushed back a chair for her.
"He's with the cubs."
"Of course. Well then, I have already got everything settled on his side, but I will need you to sign some papers. I suspect he has told you about the payment for his last mission in the form of a house. It will be in the possession of both of you, so I will need you to sign here and here." He indicated two places on the papers with his finger. "I also suspected you would be getting married, so we have an appropriate sum reserved in the budget for the wedding, it will be publicly founded of course."
"We can pay for the wedding."
"It is not welfare, it is a gift. And not from me personally, form Fabletown."
"Sure" she said in a passionless voice. "So I don't have to thank you."
"Yes, there is no need." He moved papers to her side of the desk. It was rare for an official meeting, but to be expected when it comes to Snow White – she actually started reading them.
"I just want to check if the cubs can inherit the land."
"They can. Anything else?" He smiled.
She finished reading, placed papers back on the middle of the desk and looked at him.
"Why did you do it?" she asked.
"Wy did I do what?" His expression was inscrutable.
"All of it. You didn't have to" Snow asked with the same tone.
"Oh, I absolutely had to. You see, there was only one person who could have go with this part of my plan and I was lucky enough to have the only leverage that would make him risk his life in the process."
She was not impressed by his explanation.
"It all sounds great, but I don't believe he was really the only person who you could've send." Snow crossed her arms.
"But surely the only one crazy enough to actually do it" he stated with less inviting voice than usual.
"And you truly had no other choice than to pay for the wedding."
"No, it is just because the two of you were running this community for so long…" He was a bit crestfallen.
"Oh, so you finally admit you're actually a half-decent man."
He paused for a moment, looked away, and then looked back at Snow. "What do you mean?" She cold see his usual well… charming posture started to crack.
"I don't believe you had to do any of this, I think after all those years you started to have a tiniest bit of remorse." She paused for a moment. "And you know, I have never, ever expected you to show any kind of competence at this job. I expected I'll have to clean your mess after you'll run away to Italy or something, but Fabletown did not collapse yet, and you managed this entire scheme. You did not only figure out a way to find Bigby, but also knew exactly how you could lure him to come back. I myself wouldn't be so sure if it would work…"
"Oh, please" He cut in. "That wasn't even a question. There was no doubt in my mind he would jump into fire if there was even a slim chance he might get back with you." He stopped for a moment and then threw: "And see his children too, I guess."
Now she was crestfallen. "You really were this attentive?"
"I did not need to be" he replied quickly. "You were being blind on purpose, but it does not mean other people are." He rolled his eyes.
She ignored his comment.
"And I knew you were in love with him as well long before you did, child's play. I don't understand what you see in him…"
"And you never will."
"… but it was obvious nonetheless" He said narrowing his eyes, clearly wishing for her to go away. "Ten years ago I would have never thought all you dream about is to live in the woods with a pack of wolves. I admit I knew you way worse than I thought, but it turns out that is what you are yearning for, so be it."
Snow sighed. "If you despise it so much, why did you make my wish come true?" It was amusing to see him try to maintain the facade. She had no problem admitting bullying him like that and seeing him struggling for answers gave her great pleasure.
"Why not? And why do waste your time here instead of fornicating with your mongrel?" He asked looking at the ceiling with voice washed out of emotions.
"Yes, say it like that and maybe one day I'll believe that's what you actually think. He's many things, among others a prince and a demigod, but he's not a mongrel. And you know it very well, you also know I don't respect you enough to care what you think about him, so what now, you need to convince yourself you're better than him? Pathethic." Although she did not expect for her ex-husband to have any capability of upsetting her anymore, somehow he did manage to get on her nerves with his lousy attempt.
"You really think it's so hard to be better than him?" He looked her in the eyes.
That she considered even more lousy.
"What, you mean morals? Who are you trying to fool, you don't care. A moment ago you only had a problem with his species." There was no reaction.
After a moment of silence came a reply. "I only asked you here to sign the papers and be on your merry way, not to argue, you do not need to be here." He was getting back to his usual well composed self.
"I will not take much more of your time, if you just admit why you really did all of this."
He rested his head on his hand. "For you to have your fucking happily ever after, happy now?"
"Very." She got up. "And when you happen to visit the farm, you can stop by at our house for dinner."
Only after she was halfway through the room on her way out she heard "I'll keep it in mind."