Author's Notes: I do not own Once Upon A Time. Thank you again for the reads and reviews. I think I've gotten back to most of you on PM, but if I haven't please excuse me as it was Christmas... Anyway, hope your Boxing Day is going great. Please let me know what you think and happy reading!
It was a fine day on the estate of the young Duke of Padua.
A fine day for lovers.
That was what had Lady Amelia worried.
"Lady Amelia."
She smiled and looked up to see Merlin standing in her sitting room.
"You've not aged a day," said Amelia.
"Trying to keep up with you, milady." Merlin noted her mourning dress which the Dowager Duchess somehow made lovely. "I was sorry to hear about Bernard."
"His time had come," she said with a rueful smile. "Then again, you knew that."
"What is the reason for your summoning, milady?"
"My son. I must say he's borne his responsibilities well for one so young. He's fought well, he's seen to it that our people are prosperous. I have no complaints on that score."
"And on other scores?"
"You said to contact you if I felt Alec was not going down the path of True Love."
"And you fear that is the case?"
"Come have a look."
Merlin joined Amelia at the window. He saw the young Duke walking the garden with a petite young blonde, almost comically small next to his tall, lanky frame. She wore a busy patterned dress and feathers in her hair.
"Who is that?," Merlin asked in a dark voice.
"So she is not who you envisaged?"
"No. How did they meet?"
"She claims her Fairy Godmother helped her to come to the ceremony for my son's ascendance."
"Which fairy?"
Amelia shrugged. "The Blue Fairy, I believe."
"Oh, that winged trollop."
"I'm sorry?"
Merlin smiled and turned back to Amelia. "What is she called?"
"Lady Marion. Her family's title is newly minted, somehow her father came into a large fortune and bought it."
"You sound like a bit of a snob."
"I sound like someone who is trying to protect her son from a social climber."
"Oh, if only she was a social climber."
"Do you think there's something more sinister at work?," asked Amelia. "Is Alec in danger?"
"Only a meddling fairy who thinks she can halt the path of True Love. True Love will get back on track, if I have to drag them together..."
Amelia's face dropped. "What is he doing on bended knee?!"
She turned to Merlin to see the wizard had disappeared. Looking back out onto the garden, she realized Merlin now stood next to Alec.
Alec had just finished tying his boot when Marion shrieked.
"Oh, Your Grace! This is so exciting!"
"What?"
"Of course I will?"
"What?"
"I can't wait!" She was jumping up and down now. "What about June? I've always wanted a summer wedding!"
"What?"
"Okay, on your feet, sunshine."
Alec realized they had been joined by a man. "I'm sorry, who are you?"
"Merlin, now on your feet, sunshine."
Alec stood. He knew his parents' stories and those of his family.
"Well, we are in the middle of something!," Marion snapped. "The Duke was just proposing to me."
"Proposing?!"
"Yes! Because of our undying love!"
Merlin looked at Alec. "Is that true?"
"Well..." he said dragging out the word. He shook his head and turned to the girl. "Lady Marion, you keep speaking to me of this undying love we share and I have not yet noticed it. That is not to say you are unworthy of such a love or that I could not feel such a love, but it does strike me as odd that I am meant to be so in love and yet I have not noticed it."
"But, Your Grace, we do love each other!"
"Well, I do admit, you are nice to look upon and sometimes your voice is not shrill and your conversation is somewhat tolerable..."
Merlin looked at Marion. "Quite a declaration of love here. I'm surprised you can stand for want of weeping tears of joy."
Marion scowled. "I refuse to believe this nonsense!"
"Well, believe it, sweetheart," said Merlin. "At any rate, His Grace is going to come with me. We have business in the Far North."
"The Far North?," asked Alec. "What business?"
"Courting the Ice Princess."
"The Ice Princess?," asked Alec. He leaned in to Merlin. "Not the Summer Princess?"
"Well, you're going to find out soon, aren't you, sunshine?" He took Alec's wrist and looked across to see Lady Amelia walking down the garden path. "Fret not, Lady Amelia. I shall return your son."
"Mama, what is happening?!," Alec demanded.
"What is happening?," asked Amelia.
"I'm saving him from her," said Merlin.
Amelia looked Marion back to the wizard, then to her boy. "Have a good journey, darling."
"What?!," Alec shouted just as he and Merlin disappeared.
Marion looked at Lady Amelia in dismay.
"I shall call your carriage," said Lady Amelia. She snapped her fingers and the carriage appeared with two befuddled footmen. "Oh, look how quickly it came. Have a lovely journey home."
"You have magic!," Marion said in disbelief.
"Whatever made you think that, my dear?"
Beatrice awoke on the ground. Gold was hovering over her.
"Gently now," said Gold, helping her sit up. "This sort of transportation always takes a minute to catch your breath."
"What?" Beatrice looked around. She was in a field. Emma and Mary Margaret were passed out nearby. She heard Emma groan.
"Just sit for a moment," said Gold.
"What happened?," asked Beatrice.
"You're fine."
"I was kidnapped, then they made me spin the hat to the time vortex or something..."
"It was a portal."
"A portal?" Beatrice looked around. It was nothing she recognized. "Where are we?"
"I want you to take a deep breath."
That was not helping. "Dad, where are we?"
"The Enchanted Forest."
"We are where?!"
"Don't worry."
"Don't worry?!"
Emma and Mary Margaret stirred.
"See, that was why I wanted you to take a deep breath, sweetheart."
Mary Margaret walked over in dismay. "It was a set up. Moe did it to distract Belle."
"Yes," Gold grimaced. "Perhaps next time I say not to trust someone, you'll take this into account."
"I don't get it," said Emma. "Why throw Beatrice through a portal back here?"
"Never mind that," said Mary Margaret. "We need a plan."
Gold looked up. "Are you asking me or commanding me, Your Highness?"
"Do you have a plan?," asked Beatrice.
"I'm working on it," said Gold. He helped Beatrice up.
"I thought this land was gone," said Mary Margaret.
"Well, that would just be another of Regina's oversights," said Gold.
"You never said-"
"Well, you never asked me, did you, dearie?" He looked around. "Fate seems to have smiled upon us."
"It did?," Emma asked skeptically.
"We're not far from the palace where we might find a portal..."
"The wardrobe..." Mary Margaret gasped.
"The wardrobe?," asked Emma. "The wardrobe? The one that baby me went into?"
"I don't know how you were confused," said Gold.
"Could it have survived the Curse?," asked Mary Margaret.
"It's a place to start," said Gold.
"But there was only enough power to transport one and Emma went through..."
"That reminds me, there was actually enough power to transport two," said Gold.
"What?," asked Mary Margaret. "The Blue Fairy..."
"And again, maybe you'll want to take that into account the next time. Shall we begin?"
Mary Margaret looked out at the horizon. "We'll need to find camp by nightfall."
"Camp?," asked Beatrice. She looked at Gold. "Camp?"
"We'll be fine," said Mary Margaret. "I know this forest."
"And you have me," said Gold.
"Can't you just blink and get us where we need to go or something?"
"All magic comes with a price and we don't know how much magic there may be left in this land," said Gold. "I don't want to use it, only to find out the price when we truly need it."
"It's not far," Mary Margaret promised.
Mary Margaret started walking. Emma followed.
"So, this is like Lord of the Rings," mused Beatrice. "I hate Lord of the Rings. Do you know why?"
Gold stopped and turned to her. "Beatrice, everything is going to be fine. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
She shook her head. "It's my fault. I spun the hat. They said Mom was going to-"
"It's not your fault, sweetheart. It's theirs and I promise you, they will be made to pay." He took her hand. "Just stay by my side and we'll be fine."
Regina looked with disdain at the charred remains of the hat.
"Thank you for returning my hat," said Regina, casting a glare at Belle and David. She picked up a piece of it. "What's left of it."
"You mean Jefferson's hat," said Belle.
Regina sighed. "He told you."
"Where is Jefferson?," Belle pressed.
Regina shook her head. "Are you hoping for a retrieval? With this?"
"Well, I'm sure you can think of something to repair this," said Belle.
"I've made a promise to Henry," said Regina. "Even if I hadn't, you have all the answers, why don't you fix it? Oh, right, you're just the imp's mistress."
"That's enough," said David. "Fighting won't get them back. Who's Jefferson?"
"The Mad Hatter," said Belle. "He's a realm jumper. Rumple used to hire him for odd jobs."
"And you think he knows how to get to the Enchanted Forest?"
Regina motioned at the hat. "Well, you're not doing it with this thing. Face it. They're on their own."
"And you would like that, wouldn't you?," asked Belle. "Being the only mother in your son's life?"
"I am his mother," said Regina. "And let's face it, I'm not that sorry to see Gold gone, but I've really got nothing against Beatrice. I sort of wish I'd taken the girl in and trained her. I'm sure we could have accomplished a lot."
"That would have never happened," said Belle. "If it had, you would be dead."
"We'll never know, will we?"
"Where's Jefferson?," asked Belle.
"I don't know."
"Then where did you get the apple you poisoned your son with?"
Regina was quiet. "Well, doesn't your imp know everything?"
"Regina..." David pressed.
"I have his address," said Regina. "That's it. I haven't seen him since the Curse broke."
Alec suddenly found it was cold.
Very cold.
Far North cold.
He looked to Merlin.
"The Ice Princess?!," he demanded, teeth chattering.
"Catherine, yes," said Merlin.
"Everyone knows who she is, what her tale is, she has cast an eternal winter to keep her sister the Summer Princess from ruling."
"Yes, but do you know why?"
"Perhaps she's mad?"
A telescope materialized in Merlin's hand. He passed it to Alec. "Look beyond those glaciers," he instructed.
Alec took it and did as he was told.
"Ogres," he said.
"The Ogres of the Far North are some of the most vicious in all the realm," said Merlin. "They do not attack in winter. Every summer the people of this kingdom must go to war with the ogres as they come over the melted ice pass. They do not bathe in the sunshine, they bathe in blood."
"Surely the Summer Princess and her generals-"
"The Summer Princess and her generals do not give a damn about the people they send to fight and die. They're not the first nobles to do so, you might recall the Duke of the Frontlands."
"Oh, I know the story of the Duke of the Frontlands," said Alec. "My father made certain I heard it as a warning against such against such neglect of feudal responsibility."
"So, if you knew that every summer when you gave up your rule your people would die..."
"I would make sure winter never ended," said Alec, suddenly appreciating the Ice Princess.
They heard a rabble and turned to see a group of knights bearing the Seal of the Summer Princess as they ran.
That's when Alec first laid eyes upon Catherine the Ice Princess. She was shorter than him, but not comically mismatched. He found she had the most pleasing curves and endless blue eyes and he suddenly found the color red to be the most pleasing one he had ever seen for hair.
She stalked towards the knights, her white dress and cloak grazing the snow-covered ground.
"Are you all idiots?!," she shouted. "You tried to burn down my ice palace! I'm the Ice Princess! I will just make more ice!"
To demonstrate this point, she conjured an ice ball and tossed it at them as they ran.
"Do you get it now?!," she shouted. She did it again. "How about now?!"
"This is not over!," one of the knights shouted.
She moved her hand again and the knight was suddenly encased in a tube of ice.
"You may return that swine to my sister," said Catherine. "And let him tell her how close I am to surrender."
The knights hastened their retreat, grabbing their friend.
"Right..." said Alec. "Just a thought, but I am not certain courting her is going to be easy."
"Yes, I've thought of that," said Merlin.
"Oh, any ideas?"
That's when Alec found himself on the ground.
He also found he was a frog.
"Merlin?," he asked.
"I know, you're cold, that's to be expected." Merlin draw a fur lined blanket from nowhere and placed the now frog Alec inside. He walked towards the Ice Princess.
"Merlin," said Catherine. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted you to meet someone."
"Oh?"
He passed her the blanket.
"Uh, hello," said Alec.
"You might properly introduce yourself," said Merlin.
"Right. Forgive me, Your Highness. I am Alec, Duke of Padua."
"You're a frog."
"In all fairness, I wasn't a minute ago," said Alec.
Catherine looked at Merlin. "He's a frog."
"Catherine, don't be so narrow-minded. He's not just a frog."
"He's not?"
"I'm not?," Alec parroted.
"No, he's your True Love," said Merlin. "Oh, and this frog curse I just did, only True Love's kiss will break it."
"You can't be serious," said Catherine.
"Indeed I am," said Merlin. "You know how to conjure flies, do you not, Your Highness?"
Merlin disappeared.
The enchanted sun lowered in the enchanted horizon and Beatrice wondered what the hell actually made this place enchanted.
Maybe it was her shoes. She had to remember to be more functional the next time she got kidnapped.
"You see, I hate Lord of the Rings because they just wander around. If the whole point is to get the ring to Mordor, why do they keep doing all that other crap? I mean, could they use the magic of the ring for like five seconds to get to Mordor and just keep an eye on Frodo so he didn't go mad with power?"
"Have you seen every nerdy thing ever?," asked Emma.
"Yes," said Beatrice.
"Maybe you could just enjoy the story?," Emma asked.
"Yeah, this is how I started the argument where I lost my last friend," said Beatrice.
"Your last friend?," asked Mary Margaret.
"Mellie. She liked nerdy things, but I dared to question the plot of Lord of the Rings and we had to end a sleepover at two in the morning. Also, she never spoke to me again. Like I'd give the ring a try before I walked through New Zealand for three movies."
"That's not how magic works," said Gold.
"Yeah, but the guy who wrote the book didn't know that," said Beatrice. She paused. "Middle Earth's not real, right?"
"What?," asked Gold.
"Stuff just keeps turning out to be real. Middle Earth isn't real, right? Dad?"
"I don't think so."
Mary Margaret stopped. "This is good. We can camp here. Emma, come on. We need firewood."
The women went off. Beatrice turned to Gold.
"Are we sure a hotel didn't survive the Curse?," asked Beatrice.
"You'll be fine," said Gold. "Come on. Lie down."
Beatrice sat down. She looked around. "I can't lie on the ground."
Gold took his suit jacket off and folded it up. He sat down on the ground and placed the folded jacket next to him. "Put your head down and take your glasses off."
Beatrice took them off and laid on her side facing Gold, the glasses clutched in her hand.
"Do I sound like a brat?," asked Beatrice.
"You sound like someone who doesn't want to be here and I can't say I blame you for that."
"You don't like it here?"
"I have many unpleasant memories of this realm, your mother excepted. It can be a very harsh place."
"Yeah, but you're the... you know."
Gold smiled. "I wasn't always."
"Then what were you?"
"Very long ago, I was a poor spinner. I got sent off to the Ogre Wars."
"Oh, right, ogres. Almost forgot about them."
"Close your eyes, nothing's going to hurt you."
Beatrice did as she was told. "Is that how you hurt your leg? In the war?"
"More or less."
"Is that how you became the..."
"The you know? Not exactly."
"Then what happened?"
He hadn't told her. He had practically begged Belle to hold off a while longer about Bae. He had been trying to win her trust and prove his love to her, he hadn't wanted the first thing she found out to be that he had abandoned her brother. Beatrice was a cautious creature, she needed evidence before she bestowed affection. He could tell her when they got home, when he was closer to finding a way to cross the town line.
"It's a long story," said Gold, running his fingers through her hair. "You need sleep."
"I can't sleep in the dark..." she said, dozing off.
"Is that so?," Gold asked, smiling at her as she fell asleep.
He caught sight of Mary Margaret staring at them.
"Yes, Your Highness?," he asked.
"I didn't say anything," Mary Margaret said with a slight smile.
Catherine lived alone.
She quite liked living alone. She could do what she wanted, eat what she wanted without anyone looking and could pass the whole evening reading if the mood struck her.
And now she had a roommate.
Who was a frog.
A chatty frog.
"And that was how I won the games," said Alec. He looked to her with his amphibious eyes. "Were you not listening, Your Highness?"
"Should I listen if you're going to tell me the same story again and again?"
"My mother says I have never been able to cope with a moment's silence," said Alec.
"Wise woman," said Catherine, looking at her book.
"She has magic as well," Alec commented.
Catherine eyed him, finally looking away from her book. "Does she? Perhaps if you've inherited some of it, we can find some way for you to transform yourself back."
"I'm sorry, Your Highness. My mother's magic is passed among the women of her line."
Catherine sighed. "Great."
"Merlin did say True Love's Kiss would break the curse."
"I have no True Love," said Catherine.
"He seemed to think you did."
"Well, he's wrong," said Catherine.
"You must have a True Love and Merlin has never been wrong in my family about these matters."
"Merlin knows your family?," asked Catherine.
"Yes, for generations."
"Mine as well," mused Catherine.
"Do you mean he's planning something?"
"Do you think he's not? Why else bother? Whatever he's after must be very special to have gone on such a long while." She paused. "Was your line all True Love?"
"Yes, in fact. Why?"
"Because children born of True Love always have some magic."
"Well, I do not."
"Oh, I bet you have a few tricks you don't even realize," said Catherine.
"Why do you think you don't have True Love?," asked Alec.
"Because I can't," said Catherine.
"Well," said Jefferson with a deadpan expression, "thanks for bringing my hat back."
He looked at the charred remains as Belle and David sat across from him in the living room of the great hollow house.
"Is there any way we can put it back together?," asked Belle. "Some sort of magic?"
"It's done for," said Jefferson.
"Rumplestiltskin has books, maybe there's a restoration spell," said Belle.
"Books of dark magic?," asked David.
"Do you have another option?," Belle retorted.
"Fairy dust."
"Oh, right, fairy dust," said Belle. "From the woman who's responsible for this in the first place."
"You don't know that," said David.
"She has been trying to get rid of my daughter since she knew Beatrice existed," said Belle. "Do you really think she had nothing to do with this?"
Jefferson cleared his throat. "Even if I could get it to work, Belle, you know the rules."
"What rules?," asked David.
"The same number that go in have to come back," said Belle. "I can think of a few candidates."
"You can't just pick people to send back. That's not how we do things," said David.
Belle fumed. She looked at Jefferson. "Have you seen your daughter? Rumple said the Curse separated her from you."
"No," said Jefferson.
Belle nodded. "Well, you should and tell her you love her and never let go."
It had been weeks.
Weeks of that frog roommate who chatted and chatted and tried to get her to kiss him.
He was on one such tear today.
And she had enough.
Catherine groaned, stopped and turned to see the frog. "Alright, if I kiss you, will you leave me alone?"
"If you're my True Love-"
"I very much doubt that I am your True Love, but I fear I will never be rid of you if I don't kiss you."
"Then kiss me, Your Highness."
Catherine took a deep breath. She was kissing a frog after all. Oh, wouldn't her sister love this? She closed her eyes, leaned forward and kissed...
The frog.
Which wasn't so bad.
The next thing she was vaguely aware of was being pushed on her back.
The frog was a man.
A very foxy man.
A man who could certainly wear a pair of leather trousers.
"Oh, no," said Catherine.
"What? Sorry, I just, I've been a frog for a couple of weeks and though I did look upon you with some favor, I had no idea how much favor until just now," he said not looking up from a swath of creamy cleavage.
"Eyes," she said harshly.
"Yeah, just one second..."
She slapped him across the cheek and he brought his hand against it.
"What was that? True Love's Slap?!," he squeaked.
"I'm not your True Love," she said.
"Well, I think the fact that I was a frog just a moment ago would beg to differ."
"I can't be!"
"I believe you are and I am so glad of it," said Alec. He knelt down. "Your Highness-"
She shook her head. "Please, don't."
"No, I must."
"No, you mustn't."
"I am but a humble Duke- wait, no, that's not right, I mean I am a Duke, but I'm certainly not humble-"
"No kidding?," Catherine asked.
"I meant humble in the way that one might be a humble shepherd, which wasn't right, I have land and treasure enough to last generations. My land is near as lovely as you are and-"
"Alec, stop."
"I mean, it's pretty nice, but what I think we're running into two different standards for beauty-"
"Do you ever shut up?!," she screamed.
"Your Highness?"
"I cannot marry you, Your Grace. I cannot even be..."
"You cannot be what?"
"Your lover," Catherine said, looking down.
"Why not?"
"There's been a 'blessing' cast on me," she said with distaste. "Though I don't see how it can be but a curse. If I share... that with my True Love, I'll lose my power and you've seen my kingdom and my sister. I need my power to serve my people.
"Catherine, there must be another way."
"You don't think I've looked?"
"We'll look together."
"Alec, there's nowhere else to look."
"Then simply be with me. Let us live as friends-"
Catherine shook her head. "I couldn't do that to you. Deny you your... needs. Deny you children. This is my burden to bear, I won't make it yours."
Alec shook his head. "Any burden you bear is mine."
"No, see, you can still have a good life, Alec. You can still be happy-"
"If it's not with you, I don't want it."
Her eyes watered now. "I'm sorry."
With a wave of her hand, Alec found himself back in his front hall.
"Alec?," asked Lady Amelia. "Alec, what's happened? Where were you?"
He tried to collect himself. "Merlin! Merlin, where are you? I demand an audience!"
The wizard appeared.
"Why? Why has that been done to her? Did you know?"
He nodded. "I had hoped you could change her mind."
"How could I hope to change her mind? She cares for the welfare of her people! True Love's Kiss can't break her curse?"
"A very devious mind has rewritten her fate. Catherine's powers have been cast as her curse."
"Then what am I to do?"
"How should I know? You're her True Love, aren't you?"
Alec stood and steamed. "Prepare my bags and my horse!"
"Alec, where are you going?"
"To slay the Summer Princess."
"Alec!," Amelia gasped.
Alec grabbed his sword from its place in the hallway and looked at his mother.
"If the only way she can be free of her powers is to protect her people, then I shall protect her people. I will never stop fighting for her."
He marched out.
Lady Amelia looked at Merlin.
"'I will never stop fighting.' That's a good line."
Alec marched back in. "There isn't by any chance, any bread and meat ready to go? I'm a bit peckish."
Merlin sighed. "Then he ruined it."
Belle went to the pawn shop. She almost had enough with David for the day. Rumple kept most of his books on magic at the shop and if any of them had something about repairing a portal, she would find it, dark magic or not. She went to get her key to the shop and found it wasn't necessary as the door was open.
The cabinets were open. Contents were overturned.
And one very dazed wandless fairy laid on the floor next to the cupboard Rumple had cast a special protection spell on.
Belle resisted the urge to kick Mother Superior to death. She settled for walking over and stepping on her hand with the heel of her stiletto.
Mother Superior stirred and looked at Belle in a mix of shock and fear.
"I know what you're looking for," said Belle. "And it's not here."
"He told you where he keeps it," said Mother Superior.
"You're not going to get it," said Belle. "If you try to come after it, that is going to end very badly for you."
"He's finally turned you, hasn't he?"
"You need to understand something," said Belle as Mother Superior got up. "The only reason you and my father and the others are still alive is because I asked Rumple not to kill you and that's not because I care about you all that much. I care about him. I want him to be better."
"Are you threatening me, Belle?"
"I wouldn't call it a threat."
Beatrice awoke, feeling a sharpness at her chin. She opened her eyes, finding the usual blur, but definitely no Gold by her.
"Dad!," called Beatrice.
"What are you doing?," the woman attached to the end of the pointy thing asked. "The ogres will hear you."
That wasn't inspiring.
"What are these?," asked a man.
Beatrice groped beside her. "Do you have my glasses?"
"Strange things."
"Could I have them back?"
"Whatever for?"
"So I can see. Dad!"
The man's footsteps approached and he knelt down beside her. "There's something familiar about you, isn't there?"
He put his hands on either side of Beatrice's face.
"Lancelot, what are you doing?," asked the woman.
"So powerful..."
"This is kind of creepy, dude..." said Beatrice.
Suddenly, a rush came from the woods.
"Lancelot!," exclaimed Mary Margaret.
"Your Highness," said Lancelot as he stood. "We thought the Dark Curse had taken you away."
"Step away from her," Gold growled. "You too, dearie."
"This is Lancelot. He's my friend-" said Mary Margaret, trying to intercede.
"Beatrice, come here," said Gold, yanking her up off the ground as he shoved her behind him. She was terrified, she felt about five, grabbing the back of Gold's vest.
"We can trust him."
"No, you can't," said Gold.
"What are you talking about?"
"Yeah, I wish I knew what we were talking about," said Beatrice.
"Hello, Cora," said Gold.
Lancelot put up his arms. "I'm afraid not."
"You're not fooling me, dearie."
"No..." Mary Margaret gasped, stepping in front of Emma.
"Who's Cora?," Emma hissed.
"You think I know?!," Beatrice hissed back at her.
"You don't really think I can be tricked by a shape shifting spell that I taught you, do you, dearie?"
"Well, from the look of you, I don't think there's that much of the Dark One left."
"Looks can be deceiving," said Gold as he held out his hand to form a fireball.
"Oh, they can," said Lancelot.
Who suddenly became a woman.
"What?," Emma hissed.
"What am I missing?," hissed Beatrice.
"Uh, he's a she, I guess..." said Emma.
Cora spoke. "Strange, Rumple, to have a girl so powerful with such a big weakness."
The other woman held her sword at Cora's throat. "What have you done with Lancelot?"
"Oh, Mulan, you tiresome girl..." Cora raised her hand and the woman flew backwards into a tree.
"What do you want, Cora?," asked Gold.
"To be reunited with my daughter, of course."
Gold chuckled. "Well, I don't think she wants to see you. She told me you were dead. Yet another oversight."
"You should have trained her better."
"Well, it was difficult to get any instruction through after the damage you did."
Cora looked at Beatrice. "Where's her mother?"
"Sweetheart, don't say anything," said Gold.
Cora vanished. Mary Margaret and Emma rushed to the woman coming to at the bottom of the tree. Gold turned to Beatrice.
"Are you alright?"
"Where were you?!," Beatrice shouted.
"Sweetheart, quiet. The ogres."
"Where did you go?!"
"Mary Margaret heard something. We had to check. I'm sorry. Don't cry." He hugged her and kissed the top of her head. "I won't do it again. I'm sorry."
Mary Margaret walked back. "What do we do now?"
"Well, now, we have a bit of a problem," said Gold.
"Who was that?," asked Emma.
"Cora."
"And who is Cora?," asked Emma.
"Regina's mother," said Mary Margaret.
"The miller's daughter?," asked Beatrice. "The crazy one?"
"Crazier than Regina?," Emma asked in disbelief.
"As bad as you think Regina is, this woman is worse," said Mary Margaret.
"Great," said Emma. She looked at Gold. "And if you taught her, what does that make you?"
"Your best chance, dearie," said Gold.
"Does anyone see my glasses?," asked Beatrice.
"No..." said Emma.
"That is not good," said Gold.
Mulan roused and stood. "Where's Lancelot?"
"You know I don't really have time for this, dearie," said Gold.
"Dad, what's not good?"
"She has one of your possessions and she'll want to use it," said Gold.
"What does that mean?," asked Emma.
"It means we're going on a bit of a detour."
Gold waved his hand and they were suddenly standing inside somewhere. He walked over to a torch and blew on it, lighting up the room.
"What is this place?," asked Emma.
"The Dark Castle," said Mary Margaret. "His place."
"You said we couldn't use magic to transport us," said Emma.
"It had a price. The stakes just escalated. I have magic here that can protect Beatrice." Gold walked over to Beatrice and put his hands on either side of her face. "You trust me, don't you?"
"Yeah, except people usually say that before they're about to do something to make you not trust them..."
"It's just you didn't trust me to do this when we were first introduced," said Gold.
Something tingled and suddenly Beatrice could see the whole torch lit hall clearly.
"Oh, my God," said Beatrice. "I can see."
"Well, sunshine," a man's voice boomed, "what sort of time do you call this?"
Gold spun around to look at the grand staircase as the man came out of the shadows.
"Merlin," said Gold.
"Hope you don't mind. I let myself in."
"I've been looking for you."
Merlin smiled. "I thought you might be."
