I don't own OUAT

Cora sat at her table, a new one that replaced the plain rickety one she had been given at her arrival. It was long and grand, made of pure mahogany. What a woman such as herself deserved. She had a plain piece of parchment in front of her and a piece of charcoal in hand. She was sketching a picture of her lover. His hair was the most difficult part to capture. Though getting the details of his face and skin were difficult, they were manageable. She had always had trouble with hair. As she was getting it just right, a huge echoing noise bounced around her room, making her jump. As she jumped, the picture was ruined as her charcoal swiped across the face of the man in her picture. Her head shot up, glaring at the cause of the disturbance.

"Sorry, Ma'am. I didn't know you were in here." Kryssi moved inside the room, arms full of laundry. Cora shook her head, a grim look on her face as she dropped her drawing into the fire.

"And where else would I be? My rooms are as good as a prison cell in this hell hole." Kryssi cringed, moving past her to her bedroom. Cora stalked after her, not ready to finish the conversation. "Speak when you are spoken to! I asked you a question!" Kryssi turned around, her head looking at the floor.

"I thought you might be with the Prince." Kryssi's cheeks were flushed as she said this. Cora chuckled.

"That incompetent man? Oh, darling. He is just my way out." Cora stepped up to the girl who was now trembling. She took the girl's cheeks in her hands gently, stroking the girl's left cheek. Kryssi's eyes followed her movements as she leaned over and brushed her lips against the other girl's. Kryssi stared at her, dumbstruck, before falling to her knees from the blow she had been dealt, a red handprint vivid on her face. "And you will tell no one that I said that. Will you... dearie?" She tested the word. It felt bizarre, foreign in her mouth. She would not use it again.

"N-n-no, Ma'am." Kryssi stood, the laundry long since forgotten on the floor. Cora grinned, turning her back on the terrified girl.

"Do fetch me something to eat. And clean your hands. You'll be feeding a future member of the royal family. Do not do it with dirty palms." Her voice had a satisfied lilt in it, a tone that was indistinguishable to Kryssi. Kryssi picked up the laundry, quickly storing it, before rushing out of Cora's chambers to get her food. She hoped that no one would question the mark on her cheek.

Cora sat herself down at her spinning wheel, beginning to work on the newest stack of straw she had been given. It seemed like such an ordinary task to her, the spinning. But it was a part of her life she shouldn't have had to return to in this new life of luxury. Nonetheless, it was a task her master would do of his own volition, so it must be worth doing. He had no need to do it, yet he continued with it regardless. She had just begun to spin a thin strand of gold when she felt hands on her shoulders. Noting the absence of others in the room, she knew it must be Rumplestiltskin.

"Good morning, my dear." She turned, a grin on her face, and spotted her fiancé. She fought to keep the grin from souring at his appearance. It would not due to look unpleased to see the man. He was her way to the top, but to do that, he must remain in love with her. He must believe that she loved him, foolish an idea as it was. She wanted his power: no more, no less. He dropped a kiss onto her cheek.

"Good morning, my love. Hard at work already, I see?" Cora nodded, turning back to her wheel. She concentrated on the spinning over Henry's voice. "I was hoping you could come with me for breakfast." She glared at the golden thread, clenching her teeth.

"Kryssi is already fetching me food." Henry nodded.

"Then I'll eat with you." Cora sped up the wheel, moving it faster. She did not want to eat with him. She did not want anything to do with him. Stepping stones were meant to be used and thrown away, not kept as pets! Her anger came out as she spun, the magic flowing out with it. "Cora?"

"What is it, Henry?" Her voice had a thick layer of ice in it, but she covered it with an overly cheery tone. He took her hand, the one she had been using to spin the wheel. She tried to pull away from him, but he rested her hand on the spool of thread she had collected. She jumped up as pain shot through her veins from her fingertips where she had touched the thread. "What did you do?" She stood abruptly, tearing her dress and falling off balance. Henry caught her in his arms.

"You spun straw… into fire." Sure enough, when she looked at the thread, it had gone from pure gold to a thread of flames, resting on the spool just as surely as any other thread. She looked at her blackened fingertips, small blisters boiling up across the burn. She growled, running her healthy hand over the other, the blisters fading away, but the burnt skin remaining.

"You distracted me." Her voice was flat, no anger slipping into it. That was the most worrying part- her complete lack of emotion in her voice. It meant that her anger had surpassed agitation, had surpassed anger, and had surpassed fury. It meant that her anger had reached rage, where it boiled up on cold flames inside of her, wishing to be let out. She flung her hand out at the wheel, tearing it to pieces, splinters flying through the air. There was a small field around the pair that protected them from the blow.

"How did you…" Henry trailed off, bewildered by the damage that had been caused by the gentle woman in front of him.

"What? Don't tell me you thought spinning was my only magic?" She grinned, a terrifyingly upbeat tone to her voice. She looked him in the eyes, a maniacal look on her face. "I showed you a little magic trick a night ago. Or did you forget? I can't imagine how you could." She crooned "Did your father ever ask why you refused to ride your horse?"

"No. He didn't, thank the gods." He looked at her, slightly frightened by her, but mostly concerned. "Are you alright, sweetheart?" She nodded.

"Getting better every minute." It was that instant that the door swung open again. Kryssi stood in the doorway, five platters of food piled high in each arm. Henry pulled away from Cora, taking a few of the trays from the servant's arms and resting them on the table.

"I… I didn't know what you wanted, Ma'am. I got you some of everything." She set the remaining platters of food on the table, brushing a stray piece of hair from her face.

"Well, then, my dear, it is a very good thing that my dear fiancé decided to stop by, is it not?" Kryssi nodded.

"May I go now, Ma'am?" Cora nodded, but Henry caught her arm.

"No. You cannot." He touched her still-red cheek lightly. "What happened?" She flushed, the handprint disappearing.

"One of the chefs hit me. It doesn't matter; I must go. Lady Cora's laundry must be done again. I… I dropped it earlier." With that, she hurried out of the room. Cora sat down at the table, picking up an apple.

"What was that about?" Henry glanced at her. She shrugged.

"Don't ask me." She bit into the apple, hiding a smirk that was begging to come out. The little girl learned fast.