"Get out.." was all a shellshocked Esme couldn't muster. She had so many thoughts and so many questions racing through her mind that she couldn't find any words to say amongst them.

"Please-" Levi rambled as he tried desperately to explain. Esme got up, wincing in the process, and made her way towards the bar; with an eery calmness that terrified Levi. She moved slowly, but purposefully. Her face was cold, but oozed anger. Her hands were shaking, but her clenched fists remained firmly by her side. As she neared the bars at the front of her cell, she pressed her head through the gap as far as it would go.

"I said, Get. Out" Esme spat. Levi was pleased she didn't scream, as he had no authorisation to be in the tower from either Cyrus or Evan, but the way in which the words hissed out of her mouth chilled him to his core.

"I can't!" Levi said in a particularly loud whisper as he fumbled to remove the black leather glove that was covering his right hand. He raised it to Esme and within seconds, Esme knew exactly what he was trying to do.

"I'm sorry," he whispered mere moments before Esme felt a horrific pain in her chest. It was horrendous; like every single fibre in her heart was being pulled and torn and ripped apart. Esme fell to the floor in seconds, desperately grabbing her chest and pleaded with him to stop as she struggled to breath; the pain was so unbelievably excruciating she wasn't sure she would even survive if he continued whatever he was doing. He couldn't kill her, so what exactly was he doing? It felt like he was killing her; like he was squeezing her heart of every ounce of oxygen it possessed. She couldn't take much more of it. She wasn't sure how, as she made no real conscious decision to do so, but the second she caught Levi's eye, she compelled him.

"Stop!" Esme ordered, as she began to see little black spots that obscured her vision. Within seconds, Levi lowered his hand and the pain gradually began to subside. Esme gasped for air, desperately trying to get some oxygen as a very confused Levi stared at her in silence. Esme was happy to stay that was for as long as Levi remained in her presence, however they were shocked back to the reality when they heard the familiar clanging of armoured legs as they climbed the spiral staircase. When the door was forcefully shoved open, Evan walked in and Esme's heart stopped.

"Levi? What are you doing here boy? You should be resting; conserving your energy!" Evan said so forcefully that even his concern was masked by his rash, deep voice.

"I… I uh.. I heard a noise and thought I should check on the prisoner, Uncle," Levi explained as he stood up straight and remind that way while Evan was present.

"Why aren't you ever happy? Hmmm?" Evan asked Esme; it wasn't as much a question as a statement. He looks at her laying on the floor and was momentarily confused, but he didn't care enough to ask why; so long as she was living she was capable of doing her job.

"Woman's prerogative," Esme hissed, to which Evan eyed her before returning his focus to Levi, who was nervously looking at Esme.

"Go on boy, get some rest," he said as he patted Levi's shoulder while encouraging him out the door.

"I'll keep this one in line don't you worry," Evan continued, with a wink towards Levi and a firm grasp of his sword handle.

"No, uncle. Cyrus will wonder where you are. She's fine now, aren't you?!" Levi said.

"Me?" Esme said in a mock surprised tone. "Oh, i'm just fine," she explained as she looked Evan directly in the eye. His overconfidence sickened her; she wouldn't let him think she was anything other than strong. Evan eyed Levi somewhat suspiciously, but he was much more concerned with Esme.

"You'd do well to remember where you are, little girl," Evan whispered to Esme as she stood defiantly at her cells entrance. The cream dress they had given her a week after her parents departure was far too big for her slender frame, and was filthy with the dust from the cell floor, and her body was covered in bruises and cuts; yet she still stood at the the cell door like a queen, exuding a strength Evan wanted desperately to break.

"Oh, I know exactly where I am old man. Don't you worry," Esme whispered back, and a smile spread across her face when she saw Evans cheeks grow ruby red with anger.

"Why you little-" Evan said as he raised his fist in the air. Esme stepped back from the cell doors and watched as Levi grabbed his Evan's arm.

"Uncle!" he shouted, surprised at his uncles reaction.

"She had it coming!" Evan shouted at Levi as he ripped his arm from Levi's grip.

"You're lucky we need you for this rebellion!" Evan continued as he yelled at Esme. He stared at her for a moment, panting with anger before he decided to leave - slamming the door in the process.

"How did you do that?" Levi asked as Esme returned to her corner. She was too exhausted too angry and even try and have a conversation with him.

"Why did you do that?" Esme retaliated.

"I asked you first."

"And I don't care." Esme said as she stared at the notches she made. She slowly made another one.

"What is that?" Levi asked.

"Leave me alone."

"I was trying to stop you…. trying to stop you feeling. Just for a while." Levi asked.

"You what?!" Esme asked, utterly exasperated at how the young man staring at her looked just like her, but acted like a robot.

"You were hurting. You're no good to us in pain-"

"I'm no good to you in pain? Are you kidding? I've been good enough for 31 days and i have been in pain every moment of it."

"I was worried you would tell my uncle what i told you to get your parents back-"

"You seriously have no clue do you?"

"About what?"

"Family."

"No. But neither do you. Look, did our part and protected your family. I even let you see them-"

"Oh yeah! You let me see that my parents being dragged way. You let me see that my mother thinks I sent her away because I didn't love her. That was wonderful." Esme said as she returned to engraving another line in the stone wall.

"We kept them safe!"

"They were only in danger because of you people," Esme explained with a cool and calm tone. She knew that she was fighting a loosing battle; these people didn't care what she thought or how she felt so there was no point in wasting energy trying to convince them.

"No they were in danger because of Cyrus!"

"I see no difference," Esme said as she look Levi straight in the eye.

"How can you say that?"

"Want me to think otherwise? Tell me more about what you know of Cyrus."

"I can't!"

"No, you won't." Esme continued to stare at him and watched as he frantically pondered what to say. Her heart fluttered as she saw him crouch down and wave his hand to gesture for her to come closer to him; which she immediately did.

"Years ago, when the island was one and Cyrus and Zoe's parents ruled, magic was used freely throughout the kingdom. The Emperor didn't possess any magic, but the Empress was a gifted witch; a gift she then passed on to her son."

"Cyrus."

"Yes. When the twins were grown, the seer came to the palace; he said that magic would destroy their kingdom. Naturally, the emperor banned all magic, even that of his wife and son, but it didn't work. Magic was still used but was done in the shadows. He imprisoned the seer and checked daily upon the future of his kingdom but the future never changed. For years the seer continued to say that 'magic will destroy your kingdom"; she said it for so long the Emperor and Empress died without ever knowing what the seer mean. Finally, when Cyrus and Zoe ascended to the throne, a baby was found in the palace court. The day that baby appeared was the day the future changed." Levi said.

"To what?"

"'The saviour has landed; the women who sees will save this land.' Cyrus and Zoe thought that the women this referred to was the imprisoned seer and had her killed along with any other threat to their power."

"There is only ever one isn't there?" Esme asked as she began to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

"One what?" Levi asked.

"Seer. There's only ever one seer per generation," Esme said. She remembered reading it in one of the books Regina had her read during her training.

"Yes…"

"So when Cyrus and Zoe had the seer killed, her magic… it would have to go to someone else?"

"Umm…Correct." Levi explained, astounded that the women knew so much about her abilities; he had been told she was raised knowing nothing.

"It was me. I was the baby they found?"

"Yes. So you see, you are destined to save Messene. That's why you are here." Levi explained as a terrified Esme sat in a trance. For moments, all Esme could do was sit and think about how utterly anti-climatic it was. For years, she wondered what had happened to her, she spent hours every single day wondering why she was here; and not she knew.

"Esmerelda?"

"Just… just give me a second okay?" Esme stated, to which Levi simply nodded and sat back down on the bench.

"That's why Zoe locked me up when my powers came through? She thought I was going to… what? Take the throne?" Esme asked.

"Exactly."

"So why did they chase me down? They could have just killed me, the way the killed the seer."

"Your power would just transfer to another. They thought it easier to control you." Levi explained in cold way that chilled Esme. He was talking about her life, her horror, as if it was just a part of some plan; not something that happened to a human.

"They?" Esme asked

"Cyrus and Zoe."

"And Evan." Esme added.

"Enough Esmerelda! You should be grateful. You are the one destined to bring peace to our land! My uncle has brought you back so that you can fulfil your destiny-"

"Your uncle took my family!"

"A family you don't even know!"

"And who's fault is th-" Esme began but her argument was interrupted by a horrifyingly loud crash. The noise vibrated Esme's very bones but all she could do was wait in anticipation as Levi looked out the single window in the tower. As he turned, his face was drained of colour. It was then something happened that bemused Esme; Levi waved his hand across the lock that imprisoned her. Seconds after doing so, Esme heard a chorus of men's screams and she felt sickened. She wasn't sure why, but she did. The Levi repeated the hand movement and the lock burst open, Levi's magic hand unlocked her shackles and ripped the magic band off her wrist.

"What? What's happening?" Esme asked bemused.

"You ready?" Levi asked as he grabbed her rest and dragged her out of the cell before she fully understand what was happening.

"For what?" Esme asked as he pulled her down the spiral staircase much faster than her sore, tired legs could carry her.

"Zoe." Esme couldn't understand why but Levi smiled when he said this; like he was excited.

"Zoe?! Now?" Esme wheezed.

"Yup!"

They had descended the stairs in record time, and were racing through the halls towards the courtyard that had become Esme's stage. As they ran, they heard countless booms and crashes with choirs of men bellowing to run or stop. The two of them met Cyrus, who was closely tailed by Evan and the other members of his posy and immediately joined them. They then power-walked as a group, with Esme shoved into the middle, and walked with purpose and intent until they arrived at the town square. It was then that they stopped.

"My, my little sister. You always did like drama!" Cyrus said in the same sickeningly smooth voice that he had first used with Esme. Esme knew that he must have been talking to Zoe, but because she was dwarfed by the men that surrounded her she couldn't see where she was.

"Now, now Cyrus, there's no need to be mean. You know why i'm here. I just wanted to give you the opportunity to bow out with some dignity."

"Ha! I'm afraid not little sister!" Cyrus cooed as Esme began to grew ever more frustrated that she couldn't see what was going on. Although she tried to shuffle through the manmade barracked, she was promptly shoved back after each and every attempt.

"I will win, Cyrus."

"You and what army?" Cyrus seethed.

"I don't need one. Just like you, I have my very own little surprise." Zoe was eerily happy i this situation; it made Esme more uncomfortable than she already was.

"Ha! And who would that be?"

"Me." It took that word, one word, to make Esme's world shatter. She shoved each and every man out of her way and when she finally got to the front of the scrum, her heart broke. Walking towards them all from the safety of the shadows was the one person Esme prayed would never have to return. Regina.