Red put her hand against Snow's forward to make sure again for the tenth time that she didn't have a fever. She'd checked where the arrow had pierced her skin at least as many times, not trusting the Evil Queen's benevolence in healing the wound. But she had no fever and the wound was healed. The Peace would end at dawn tomorrow and even Snow knew that they couldn't risk Regina keeping her word. They had to leave tonight. Gone were the fine dresses she'd worn, and the mantle of the prodigal princess, and she'd put back on her bandit clothes and tattered cloak.
Whatever Regina was planning meant that there was a lot of activity in and out of the palace and they could slip out unnoticed if they planned right. A completely mad and irrational part of her wanted to say goodbye to Regina. Wanted to talk to her. To have the talk she had wanted to have the entire time they were here. But she didn't need Red to tell her that was foolishness.
They snuck onto a cart carrying lumber out of the court yard. Snow didn't want to know what for. Nothing good. Once they were at the edge of the dense woods around the Winter Castle they jumped from the cart and darted off the road. Dusting themselves off finally Snow turned back to look at her childhood home once more, swallowing, and turning to walk away.
"You make a very poor guest Snow White, to sneak out in the middle of the night without leave."
Regina stood incongruously in one of her gaudy yet stunning dresses that made her seem about ten feet tall and full of power. Though the truth was she was full of power without the trappings of the mad queen.
"Regina... you gave your word."
"And so did you Snow, which you broke when you left the castle before the end of the peace, but I always knew you would." Regina approached her and Red looked ready to attack her to defend her friend.
Snow tilted her head, "This isn't you. I know you Regina. I know that you are inside there."
Regina laughed bitterly, "The young woman you treated like a play thing? Oh she died a long time ago Snow. This is who I am. And you... will always be a little girl who can't keep her word." Regina moved in close, just inches from her face. "Just remember dear, the death that you see is on your hands. They did that for you. You had a choice to tell them to leave their swords in their sheaths... and tomorrow's harvest is on your head."
Regina's hand flew up and purple smoke enveloped her. When it cleared she was gone.
"She's letting us go?" Red asked quietly.
"She wants me to see what she's going to do," Snow said quietly, "Come on, we have to put some distance between us and the castle."
They saw their first body hanging from a tree along the roadside two days later. An old soldier Snow recognized from her father's guard. To his chest was pinned a notice. "Executed for supporting the traitor Snow White." Her own eyes in the form of a sketch of her in a princess dress looked down at them.
By the week later it was hard to find a cross roads that didn't have a body swinging.
"The fruit of my harvest..." Snow said when they found the young footman who had first told them about the plot. She buried her head in Red's chest and sobbed for what seemed like days.
There would never be another Queen's Peace.