Regina worked from the study that her father's old chancellor had used. It surprised her a little and one evening in the early hours before the sun was fully down she stood in the doorway nervously watching Regina work. There were red boxes to the side, with dispatches and notes about the business of the kingdom, and black trays to the other side once she'd finished with the papers and the Queen's orders needed to go out.

"My father always trusted Benjamin to read through all of that and tell him what he needed to know."

"Benjamin was robbing the kingdom blind and lived in a home with golden chamber pots," Regina said without looking up. "And unless you want me to break the Peace I would find a safer subject than your father to talk about."

It wasn't a demand that she go away, so Snow entered more into the room. This time tomorrow Regina would be dead if the assassin's plan went through, and privately she thought it was a good one. At least from the point of view of someone who had never planned a murder before.

"I thought perhaps we could talk," she said nervously.

"Stop twisting your hands Snow." Regina said reflexively. She was always telling her not to fidget and Snow stopped instinctively. "What makes you think I actually want to talk to you."

"You made an elaborate plan to capture my friend so I'd be forced to spend time with you when you couldn't kill me... that seems to suggest you want to talk."

"Or I'm using it as an elaborate exercise in self control," Regina finally looked up from her big ornate desk.

"You aren't nearly the raging lunatic they say. I know you Regina."

"Do you?" The Evil Queen tilted her head and Snow realized she was on dangerous ground. Quiet Regina was the danger, not the raging one. Though the raging one was bad.

"I... wanted to talk to you about the people. I know you aren't like this inside. That ... you don't want to hurt people."

"What if that's exactly what I want to do, Snow?" She raised an eyebrow, her voice cold. "After all, I'm the queen, it's my right."

Snow White shivered and it wasn't even the chill that went through her that bothered her, but the smile that spread across Regina's face when she did.

"They'll never love you, not like this."

"They don't have to love me if they're dead Snow." She got up from her chair and walked around the desk, looking every bit as regal as Snow never felt even when she tried.

"It's the magic talking, Regina. It's ... clouding you."

She smiled again, and ran the back of a finger along her cheek. "Ah, but dear... magic is nothing but emotion, and the people have earned my rage."

Snow shook her head, "No Regina... I did. It's my fault."

There was an uncomfortable and bitter laugh, "Finally you learn. Much too late. But you are unwilling to face the consequences of your actions."

"I've paid a heavy price Regina."

Regina grabbed her face "No. You've run from the butchers bill. And it will continue to pile up as long as you run from me, Snow White."

Snow didn't flinch from her touch but looked her right in the eyes, "No matter how hard you try Regina, you can't scrub the blood off your hands and lay it all on mine."

Regina let go of her face and paced like a wounded lioness.

Snow didn't expect her to speak and so turned away cursing herself for thinking she could get through to her stepmother, "Sometimes..." Regina's voice made Snow stop but she didn't turn around. "Sometimes I fantasize about waking up one day and everything not hurting."

"So do I," Snow answered before she thought about it.

She left the Queen's study without another word, knowing that she would let the fates decide if Regina lived or died the next day.

The next morning no one ate. The feast was to be after the ceremony at the Cathedral of Shelter Rock. It was a grand old church built in to the side of a mountain with giant carved statues on either side. When she was little her mother ... her actual mother... told her that legend had it that when the kingdom was in trouble the giant stone warriors would rise from the mountainside and crush the invaders.

Except the threat to the kingdom wasn't from without. It was the Queen.

She and red were not riding under the cloak of anonymity today, but with their heads bared, dressed well enough to be ladies, below Snow's station and well above Red's who shifted nervously on her equally nervous horse as they road behind the Evil Queen. Snow privately thought it was an act of defiance. Her rod straight back and head an inviting target should Snow choose to attack her.

She didn't of course. The royal party had what seemed like fifty black knights in it as well as half the nobility of the kingdom. "There aren't enough children..." Snow whispered softly to Red.

"What?"

"There should be more children in this group. It's the blessing for the coming year. Only half these men brought their wives and children."

Red shrugged and nodded towards Regina, "I can't imagine that bringing your loved ones to an audience with the murderous monarch is high on anyone's agenda."

Or they knew what was going to happen in that church.

Regina kept Snow close to her as they entered the cavernous church. Up in the carved wooden beams of the ceiling Snow knew there was a hidden archer. Gavin, the head of the conspiracy took up a place by the door and once everyone was inside shut the door.

Regina moved to the front of the church with the Bishop. The man Snow knew would crown her queen with Regina's blood at their feet. He was an old affable man she remembered from her father's court. She wondered if he'd crowned her father as well.

Regina began to give the speech to proclaim the festival and Snow saw the glint of the archer's arrow tip and she watched him as he took up his position. She kept looking up at him and back at Regina. He was positioned behind her and she'd never see his arrow coming.

He took aim, and as he fired Snow lunched herself towards the Queen knocking her from the way and not hearing any of her raging curses because of the blinding pain as the arrow entered her own flesh. She heard Red's scream and the sound of dozens of swords being drawn. She saw Regina catch a second arrow. And then a third. And she heard her laugh as the fire appeared in her hand. Red managed to get to Snow and covered her with her body while the fighting raged around them and all Snow could make out was Red's whispered, "Don't look Snow... Please don't look..."

She passed out feeling the flames and smelling the flesh of the men the Evil Queen had roasted alive in the Cathedral of the Peace.