The Evil Queen glided out of a patch of forest into a clearing where a castle loomed over her, its commanding presence nearly as unnerving as its resident. Above her, thousands of bright lights flickered and floated through the sky, casting dancing shadows on the castle walls from some distance away, but she paid no attention to them as a wave of her hand opened the door without need for any pause in her stride.

"What a pleasant surprise, Your Majesty. You really ought to try knocking, though," Rumplestiltskin's voice greeted her from around a corner before the door had sealed shut behind her.

"You knew I was coming, Rumple. You couldn't possibly expect me to have knocked," she replied without hesitation as she turned the corner to see him sitting at his wheel, as always.

"But of course!" he exclaimed with a raise of one claw-like finger. "Manners are a thing of the past when dark curses are the topic of discussion." He turned around to face her, those dark eyes boring into hers. That familiar sneer when he knew he'd caught someone in a moment of weakness written on his face. She stepped closer to him, her eyes suddenly bright with the desire that she couldn't seem to hide.

"I've played your game long enough. What is it that you want?" she asked as Rumplestiltskin glanced back at his wheel for a long moment before his eyes locked back on hers.

"I have a…treasure. And I'd like to ensure that said treasure remain in my possession, no matter what…surprises…may befall us," he said carefully, cautiously.

"What sort of treasure would be worth this curse when you can spin straw into gold?" she asked, casting a glance at the overflowing basket of gold thread sitting by his wheel.

He stood, crossed the room to the nearest window, and looked up to the top of his tallest tower. Shuddering to think about what might await her should she look, Regina followed his gaze anyway and noticed what appeared to be hair…a string of long, blonde hair…hanging out of the window and blowing in the wind.

"Her name is Rapunzel," Rumplestiltskin said softly. His change of voice…change of character…was so sudden that Regina whipped her head around to look at him as he lowered his eyes, his entire being overcome with appeared to be…sadness?

"You care for her," Regina said in a moment of realization. But as quickly as his moment of weakness had come, it was gone again, his expression as tough and firm as the skin he was cursed with.

"My motives hold a purpose, an explanation for which I owe no one," he said.

"So then what is it that you want from me in exchange for the curse?" she asked.

"All magic comes with a price, Dearie." He turned to look at her and for one rare moment, she saw him as just a man, and she knew exactly what he desired.

"A price that you aren't willing to pay to enact the curse yourself," she said, but he didn't answer. "Who is she, Rumple? What does she mean to you?"

"It's not her importance to me that matters," he said, a low growl in his voice. He turned his eyes to the lights still floating up in the sky as Regina stepped back in shock, her realization overpowering her.

"It can't be. You mean to tell me that is the lost princess of Corona? The one whose birth and loss is celebrated every year with those lanterns? The heir to a throne that's been empty since her parents—" She stopped, considering her words for a moment. "How old is she?"

Rumplestiltskin looked at a sun dial sitting in the corner of the room and sighed, the weary sound of someone who knew more about time then he cared to say.

"Young enough to need someone."

Regina looked out the window again. The long string of hair still billowed in the wind outside the tower, but this time she could make out a small silhouette standing there as well.

"So it is that you love her," she said, trying not to let this new realization cloud her judgment or ruin her chance at achieving what she had been working towards for so long. "Well at the very least, you got a new girl. After the tragedy with the last one, I thought you'd all but given up. All right, Rumple, if you give me the curse, I will ensure that you can keep your daughter…treasure…or whatever it is that you call her."

"It's in the cabinet," he said without looking at her, pointing his finger towards a large cabinet on the far wall. Regina approached it carefully, opened the door, and scanned the vials until she found the one that she had been searching for. Smiling with long-awaited satisfaction, she reached out a trembling hand and took it.

"My ticket to finally getting rid of Snow White," she said aloud, her expression dark.

"Yes, yes, revenge is yours. Now, if you don't mind, I have other business to attend to tonight," Rumplestiltskin said impatiently.

"Yes, the young girl up in that tower alone must be of particular concern to the person who keeps her locked there. If I were to offer you some advice, Rumple…" she said, though a high-pitched, manic giggle interrupted her.

"And what advice could I possibly want from you?"

"…I would tell you to beware your love for her. One day, no matter what you do, she'll learn the truth. And she'll hate you for it," Regina finished, ignoring his interruption. For a split second, she thought she saw his wall crumble again, as if he knew that she was right but would never admit it.

She turned and walked away, leaving Rumplestiltskin standing at the window, his eyes still on the lanterns in the sky.