A/N: Hi guys, I'm so sorry this took so long to get out, I broke up with my other half of four years back in early summer so, as you can imagine, I wasn't in the mood to write at all! I also apologise as it's a bit of a filler chapter. I'm still not happy with it, but I've stared at it so much that I just decided it will have to do! I also had to split it in half as it got too long! I have yet to edit the other half, but hopefully I'll get it done in the next few weeks.
Last thing I wanted to say before I stop blabbering on is a huge thank you for all your interest in this story - and to all the people who have left reviews and messaged me, honestly I can't thank you guys enough, it really does mean a lot that you like my work and it inspires me to keep writing, so thank you 3

"How dare you humiliate me in front of my guards?"

Regina was pacing furiously back and forth as her daughter knelt in front of her, head down.

"I told you not to interfere, and yet you deliberately defied me!"

There was a moment's silence, but Talulla didn't dare say a word. Her body felt numb, and she wanted nothing more than to reverse the events of that evening. She had helped no one. Belle was still captured, and she had only served to make her life more miserable.

The Queen turned then, sweeping her thick velvet skirts behind her and staring down at her daughter.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Tentatively, Talulla glanced up, and immediately wished she hadn't. Her mother's dark eyes bored into hers, harsh and unforgiving. She winced.

"Well?" her mother repeated.

"I… I…"

"Yes Talulla, for once you are right," the Queen sneered. "There isn't anything to say."

The words bit into Talulla, and she wasn't even sure why. She'd prepared herself for this moment, and she had spent the last year trying to avoid the woman. She had no reason to feel anything. Yet here she was, hurting.

"You're lucky I haven't sent you to join that conniving little wench. I won't even ask how you know her, but I'll bet your recent fascination with books is her doing."

This time Talulla couldn't stop the outburst.

"I met her once, just once, after you left Jefferson in Wonderland when I was nine!" The words then continued to tumble out of her mouth. "Why are you doing this? You ruin everyone's lives! People are scared of me because I'm associated with you. I can't have a normal life; I can't even leave the palace without guards in case one of the people decides to exact revenge on me. There is no one in the palace for me to play with, and you wonder – "

"Enough!"

Talulla's jaw snapped shut, and not of her own doing. Eyes fiery, she stared her mother down. Her mother didn't seem to notice.

"You have gone too far this time," she continued. "I will not tolerate this behaviour from my own daughter. You will be confined to your room. Your only visitors will be your grandfather, your tutor and Abigail. And there will be no books other than your study books, no trips out and certainly no dessert."

The Queen moved and bent down to her level, taking the girl's chin in her hand and forcing her to look into her own cold and unforgiving eyes. "Do you understand?"

The girl grit her teeth. "Yes mother."

"Good."

Regina stared into her daughter's eyes a moment longer before standing up. She signalled to one of the guards.

"Escort her back to her room, and make sure there are no books."

And with that, Talulla was dismissed. She rose from where she had been kneeling and glanced over at her mother, who had turned to stare into the fireplace. For a moment, part of her wanted to reach out, to say something, but her head pulled her back.

Her mother didn't care for her anymore.

Her mother ruined everything.

The days confined in her chambers merged into one big blur for Talulla. She would get up when Abigail came to wake her, eat breakfast, attend her lessons, eat supper and go to bed. On the odd day where she had no lessons, she would spend the day sitting by the window, staring out across the town below her and the forest beyond, wishing she could feel the sun on her face and the wind in her hair. She longed to smell the earthy sent of the trees, the flowers in the gardens, even the horses. However, she missed her books most of all, as her mother had guessed she would. The chance to escape from her life was gone, and the person who had given it to her was trapped in the tower, no doubt being cruelly treated by her mother.

She could tell her grandfather and Abigail were getting worried about her, probably because she barely spoke to either of them. But she just didn't feel up to it, even when her grandfather tried to tempt her to a game of chess. Life was just no longer exciting, and she couldn't see a way to get that excitement back.

It wasn't that she didn't know what she needed, she needed to get out of her room, start living her life again. But her mother hadn't visited her once, and she wouldn't dare ask Abigail to speak to the Queen on her behalf. Especially as the thing she most wanted to do was to speak to Belle.

No, the only way to get out would be to sneak out.

The idea came to her on a rainy afternoon. She was sat by the window, bored and staring absently into the distance, when she spotted her mother riding away from the castle, several guards flanking her side.

The girl instantly sat up, realising that this could be her opportunity. Less guards in the castle meant less chance of getting caught after all.

All she had to do is wait for the guard posted at her door to rotate. She had studied it closely over the past few weeks. She'd had nothing better to do. There were always a few seconds between one set of footsteps fading away and the next set approaching. If she could time it right, she could slip away after the first guard left and before the new one arrived. Abigail wouldn't be visiting until later, so she just had to make sure she got back before supper and she wouldn't even be missed.

Excitement and nerves grew as Talulla planned it all in her head. First she would head to the library to sneak a book to read, and then she would try her luck at the tower. The thought of seeing Belle lit a small light inside of her as she tried to memorise the route in her mind, considering which of the passageways to take to avoid the guards.

Then, when she had mustered up enough courage, she got up and positioned herself by the door. The seconds ticked by, and she felt her hands growing more and more clammy as she waited in anticipation for any sign of movement from the guard. She would have to be ready, for a second of hesitation would mean another half an hour wait and precious time wasted.

Her stomach lurched when she finally heard the first footsteps, but forcing down the rising nausea, she forced herself to wait a moment longer before turning the door handle quietly and slipping out.

No one was about, but she knew the new guard would turn up at any moment and the worst thing would be to be caught outside of her door. She hurriedly made her way down the corridor, keeping close to the walls in case she needed to slip behind a curtain or into a doorway.

The relief when she reached the library was indescribable, and the girl let out a shaky breath as she closed the door behind her. The familiar and comforting smell of thick parchment and leather bindings filled her nostrils, and immediately she felt more relaxed than she had in weeks as she let herself breathe deeply, enjoying the newfound freedom for a moment.

However, it didn't last long, the voice inside her head swiftly reminding her that she couldn't stay here if she wanted to find Belle and get back to her room before anyone noticed that she was gone.

Quickly making her way over to the nearest bookcase, Talulla pulled out the book she had already earmarked to read next as well as one she had already read and loved. If she was bored in her chambers, she couldn't imagine how bored Belle was in the tower. A book would hopefully bring her some comfort at least.

Tucking them under her arm, she reluctantly made her way back to the door and, with one last wistful glance at the dusty chandelier and her cosy reading corner, stepped out into the corridor.

She knew that getting to Belle was going to be harder than getting to the library. Her only bit of good fortune was that, because she rarely frequented the tower, the guards who patrolled the area were unlikely to know who she was. Therefore, if she could slip past the guard, then hopefully her mother would never find out she'd left her room.

It didn't take the girl long to reach the bottom of the tower, the damp and dark passageways unsurprisingly deserted. Once there, she paused, looking up at the harrowing staircases circling above, an involuntary shiver running through her. As she stared at the dimly lit candelabras, a feeling of Deja-vu settled over her and memories of the last time she ventured to this part of the castle surfaced in her mind. White flashes appeared in front of her as she remembered the first time she had truly seen her mother's evil. The closed off look in the Queen's eyes, the hand in her chest, the fist closed around her heart, the pain, the agony, the fear.

With a gasp, the girl squeezed her eyes shut, seeking out the rough stone of the wall next to her to ground her. She had to get to Belle. She wouldn't get another chance.

Feeling slightly nauseous but determined to do as she'd set out, Talulla clutched her books close to her chest in an attempt to ease the phantom ache lingering in her heart, and forced herself to start up the stairs. However, with every step she climbed, her legs seemed to turn more and more to lead, and she had to force her mouth shut to stop her teeth from chattering. By the time the guard finally came into view, she was so on edge that she very nearly turned around.

She stopped, giving herself a moment to steel her nerves, taking a deep breath to quell the rising panic. There was no chance she was getting passed that guard without him noticing, but she had to at least try. For Belle's sake.

She crept closer, almost walking on her tiptoes so that her slippers wouldn't make a sound on stone steps. She glanced at the guard, but he didn't so much as move his head to look at her.

Talulla's heart lifted. Maybe she could do it, maybe he wouldn't stop her. Just a few more steps and…

"Halt!"