Once Upon A Time

by hara-leah

Once Upon a Time, they were beautiful and strong. Once Upon a Time, they were the evil-doers, the malicious ones. Once upon a time, they were magnificent. Once Upon a Time, they didn't need their children to be beautiful and cunning and powerful for them. Once Upon a Time, they didn't need to send their kids to rule the world for them, because they were already doing it themselves.

11. They Were Pretty And Rich

Once Upon a Time (They Were Pretty and Rich)

Drizella Tremaine was a drunkard and a whore. And her son was retarded and her husband was a no show. She had no money and no future and no prince to marry.

Dimitri Tremaine was handsome and cocky and a thief, but he was also born in wedlock and made sure his mother had food and was in love.

One look, dark room
Meant just for you
Time moved too fast
You played it back

Anastasia Tremaine was a businesswoman, like her mummy, and she was good at dancing, so she taught it, just like she taught her daughter to dodge blows and use her manners.

Astoria Tremaine was prettier than her mother, and she could dance and sing better than her, and she was in love, but she was also a bastard and good at coercion.

Buttons on a coat
Light-hearted joke
No proof, not much
But you saw enough

Dimitri and Astoria would often sneak out as children, and sneak out even more when they were teenagers. They were good at stealing and better at coercion, a handsome couple like them. And Astoria idolised the femme fatale, and Dimitri was simply charming, a classic sociopath.

Small talk, he drives
Coffee at midnight,
The light reflects
The chain on your neck
He says, "look up"
And your shoulders brush
No proof, one touch
You felt enough

She's been told time and time and time over time that it's wrong. She doesn't know anything for a fact, but she feels it. Astoria, well, she knows what faking looks like, and his light touches, his never-ending smiles when he looks at her, they're not it.

You can hear it in the silence, silence
You can feel it on the way home, way home
You can see it with the lights out, lights out
You're in love, true love
You are in love

She can't say anything. That would be suicide, and she isn't dumb. She knows what they feel is wrong, but God, this is the Isle, and what's wrong is right and what's right is wrong (but shouldn't that mean that what's right is also right?).

Morning, his place
Burnt toast, Sunday
You keep his shirt
He keeps his word
And for once you let go
Of your fears and your ghosts
One step, not much, but it said enough

She isn't willing to make a move, but Dimitri sure as Hell is. His mother is out and so Astoria sleeps over, and they lie shoulder to shoulder in the bed and it's like when they were kids and everything was just simple. That morning he tries to make her breakfast and fails abysmally, but he kisses her anyway. She leaves in the wrong shirt, but it's worth it.

You kissed on sidewalks
You fight and you talk
One night he wakes, a strange look on his face
Pauses, then says, "you're my best friend"
And you knew what it was, he is in love

There will never be professions of love between the two of them, because where they live, love is wrong, and even if love was right, their love wouldn't be. They flaunt it, though, because they belong to each other, and they will show that, regardless of whether Drizella calls her niece a filthy whore or Anastasia has a 'falling out' with her nephew.

You can hear it in the silence, silence
You can feel it on the way home, way home
You can see it with the lights out, lights out
You're in love, true love

When Mal becomes the reigning queen, hell hath no fury. While the other Descendants are killing and maiming and punishing their parents, Astoria and Dimitri decided to keep theirs. They sober up Drizella and give their mothers aprons and ashes to sleep in. They will work to earn the keep.

So it goes
You two are dancing in a snow globe, round and round
And he keeps the picture of you in his office downtown
You understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars
And why I've spent my whole life trying to put it into words

They live a simple life, leaving others in their places on the throne, and make the decisions behind the scenes, because no matter where they are, they aren't accepted. They never will be, even among their own, they know, but they just need themselves and the pain they inflict on others.

Cause you can hear in the silence
You can feel it on the way home
You can see it with the lights out
You're in love, true love
You're in love