Authors Note: This chapter will be all about Cora Mills, and will not be told from Regina's perspective, but rather from a third person view of the elder Mills woman. Things will go back to Regina's perspective after this chapter, and will continue that way until the story's end.

Cora Mills had planned out her daughter's life since birth. Every year, every day, down to the hours. Cora had control over everything Regina did. She even had Regina's future preplanned.

Cora was raised as a miller's daughter. Constant hard labor for very little money, was the life she had suffered through as a young girl. But as she got older, she refused to live like that forever. She refused to let her child live such a life. So Cora climbed as high up the royal latter as possible. Her relationship with Leopold ended because of a foolish mistake of her own, something she still cursed her younger self for every day. She was childish to believe the gardener loved her, or that no one would discover her secret pregnancy. It ruined her chances at becoming the Queen, the 'sweet' princess Eva had ruined her chances.

Instead, she moved on quickly. The next best. Prince Henry. Cora couldn't stand the man, though he was easy on the eyes. This didn't last long though. He aged quickly, grey hair, a disgusting beard. He was so far down the line for the thrown that Cora knew she would never be able to reclaim spot as Queen.

Cora Mills refused to let her daughter settle for a life as anything less than Queen. Nothing less than perfection. No matter what the cost of gaining that position required of Regina or herself.

The first step in the plan Cora Mills had laid out, killing Queen Eva.

Simple magic. Cora had watched the entire event unfold from the comfort of her private sanction in the castle, a room she'd locked Henry out of many years before. The Queen's pathetic coughing fits, the way her pale hands reached for the retched child she'd conceived almost eight years before. The entire thing sickened the elder Mills.

With Eva out of the way Cora imagined everything could fall into place for Regina. It brought her such pleasure, the fact that her daughter would live out her life with the status Cora always dreamed of. Not to mention that Cora was able to kill the girl who'd ruined her own life in the process.

So she spent years, so much time primping Regina to be a perfectly proper lady. Of course Regina was beautiful, she looked so much like her Mother. She just needed the proper motherly teachings. Cora Mills expected her daughter to be ready to marry into the highest royal family line.

Cora had allowed the daughter of Queen Eva and King Leopold to live. Snow White. How could such a young girl get in the way? It could never happen, Cora thought. Regina was so young. She would outlive Leopold by years. Then Regina would be powerful enough to run the kingdom single handedly. Snow would also need a mother figure, now that Eva was out of the picture. Regina, still, the perfect fit.

This continued to be the better choice in Cora's mind, letting the girl live, until she learned of Johanna. The maid turned full time nanny to the prissy princess. The mother figure Leopold believed Snow needed in the wake of his consistent absences.

This Johanna was in the way of Cora's plan.

She spent some time exploring other options for Regina. Other kingdoms. Exposing her to other Kings, other lands. But Cora's mind was still set. Waiting seemed to be her best option, so she let another year pass. An opportunity could present itself at any time.

Cora continued her work with Regina. She never let up with her strict rules and demands to the girl's life.

She never imagined Henry would be idiotic enough to bring on a distraction. The stableboy.

Cora Mills couldn't stand it. Her daughter, her perfectly proper little girl, falling for that boy. Such a useless, horrendous boy. She couldn't believe her eyes, although she'd witnessed it personally. The boy sneaking his way out of Regina's room, out of the castle.

Who did he think he was? He was the stableboy. The help. A useless commoner. He was not good enough for her daughter.

Her daughter... What had happened to her once angelic little Regina? Cora had been forced to use her magic on Regina a few times when she was little, yes. But every time was for little, childish things. Whining, crying, pouting. Regina had once truly loved her, once really looked up to her with the sparkle that every woman longed to see in her child's eyes. Now using magic on her daughter had become such a regular thing, trying to retain control over the developing young lady. The unending respect Regina had once held for Cora was now gone. Now she was falling for the stableboy? Trash...

She would not have this. Not at all. Something had to be done.

Cora's outings weeks before were not without reason. Even before she had witnessed that Regina's mind was astray, she had realized her plan couldn't wait any longer. Two days, away from the house, dangerously leaving Regina behind with Henry. Her husband never failed to give into their daughter's every wish.

It was a risk Cora had been willing to take at the time. A friendly visit to King Leopold's castle. That's what she had played it off to be. Just a little suggestion of a new marriage, a new wife.

"Why are you leaving so...suddenly...on such a strange occasion?"

Henry had asked so many questions, pushing his wife to her breaking point. Screaming, yelling. Magic. That's how their conversations almost always went. But Cora knew that this trip was necessary, for reasons only she would ever know.

The trip, Cora thought, had been successful. She treaded carefully around the subject of the King's marriage, even tying it back to a possible economic advantage for the kingdom. Something men in positions like his were always eager to listen to. Gifts, treasures, a wedding with hundreds of diplomats visiting.

Leopold seemed to buy it.

It would only be a matter of weeks, Cora tried to remind herself as she watched the stableboy tip toe out of the castle. Leopold would be out soon, traveling the lands in search of his new wife. And Cora Mills knew precisely what she planned to do when his travels began.