I don't own OUAT

Kryssi always managed to find her when she did not wish to be found. She had been searching the castle for the King for a mere five minutes before her clumsy maid ran into her with a terrified yelp. As the tray of food that had been in her hands began to fall to the ground, Cora flicked her wrist to freeze the objects in midair. Kryssi merely stared at her.

"Well? Are you going to collect your blunder or must I keep them hanging all day? I have important things to attend to." With a flustered sloppiness, Kryssi collected all of the food and returned it to its place on the silver platter. Collecting the platter herself, she took a deep breath as the objects returned from their previous weightless state.

"I was bringing you your lunch, ma'am. Shall I leave it in your rooms?" Cora shook her head, trying to maintain an indifferent demeanor even as her heart thundered in her chest. The beating was irregular, speeding up and growing so strong and so loud she had no doubt Kryssi could hear it. Even so, she cultured her face into a casual smirk.

"I won't be needing it. In fact, I won't be needing you either." Curling her fingers around the young serving girl's neck, they reappeared in Cora's room. "You are a liability to me, child. I cannot afford to have liabilities."

Cora thought over all of the things that Kryssi had walked in on, all of the things that she had ruined. She had been sufficiently warned, but some girls are not bright. Some girls are not worthy of knowing the secrets of those who were better than them. Cora's secret life was known by only two outsiders. Sophia and this girl. Sophia would not harm her. She intended on bringing Sophia with her when she left with Rumplestiltskin. The girl had become her family, and Cora treated her better than any other member of her family. Her father was a cruel man and her half-siblings treated her as poorly as they treated Cora. Henry was an unfortunate loss, but neither girl would miss him too much.

But this servant, this child! She would not be missed by anyone, but she could harm Cora's shining future. A future in a castle with a man who loved her and clothing made of the finest spun gold. How could she allow such a danger to her happiness stay around? Her hand grew slightly warm as her mind turned to all of the enjoyable thoughts of how to harm this girl who could take away her life. She would be dead if she stayed with Henry, and that was no doubt what would happen if this little wench was allowed to live. She could not allow that to happen. Whispering two small words, "For practice", she shoved her hand into the terrified maid's chest. A quickly-beating heart came out in Cora's hand, and the girl sunk to her knees with tears in her eyes.

"Please..." The light in those terrified eyes went out as they turned blank and the girl's body fell to the ground with a dull thunk. Cora wiped the dust that had once been the girl's heart off of her hands.

"Hm. So that's what happens to it." A satisfied smile made its way across her face at her success. It would not be hard to do the same to the King. She strolled down the corridors, stopping to ask a maid where Xavier was most likely to be. At their directions, she found herself at the top of the castle in the King's private treasury. "They told me I'd find you counting your treasure." Xavier did not look up, continuing to look over the masses of gold on his desk and the numbers of it he had written down. The bounties may have been because of her, but that did not mean he had to show her any more respect. She was still a miller's daughter.

"Well, you've made us a rich kingdom again. How may I help you?" She took a moment to decide how to properly word herself before deciding to state the problem simply.

"I don't love your son." Her heart was racing even faster than before, a slightly manic look in her eyes from her first kill. It felt so wrong, but at the same time... it felt so right. She was worthy of her lover now. And now that she knew she could kill, killing this pest of a king would not only be simple, but it would be a joy. After all of the torture he had put her through, all of the embarrassment and disrespect he had bestowed on her, now was her time for revenge. Even so, she could not afford to be reckless. Xavier had caught something in her tone that caused him to look up from his bookkeeping.

"I didn't expect you to. Not much there to love, frankly." The anticipation, the longing, the terror, and the nerves. They all joined together so strongly that she couldn't stay still. She drifted towards the window, pretending to gaze out of it as she looked around at the spools of thread surrounding it, the spoils of her trials. She may not love Henry, but she added him as another source of hate for his father. Were a few spools of golden thread really all that his son was worth? Or perhaps it was not the gold itself but the golden goose that Xavier sought. He had Cora caught in a trap, or so he thought. But she would get away from him and live her own life in bliss. Xavier had come over to join her by the window. "It is not about love. It is about alliances." Taking her hands in his, a phrase fell from his lips that tore everything apart. "Love is weakness."

The thrill had her heart beating so quickly that she could hear the rush of blood in her ears, drowning Xavier's next words out as the words repeated in her head. Love is weakness. She had seen it time and time again, yet she had fallen to love's wiles. She was a fool, letting herself love. Letting herself think she could be happy. Her father had loved her mother, and the loss of her had nearly killed him. She had vowed not to love, and yet still she did. She couldn't help it. But even now, this very day, she had seen examples of love's evils. Rumple was losing his powers because of love. She refused to cause that kind of damage to him. "That should make your choice easier"

"What choice?" He surely did not know of her thoughts, so what did he think she wanted? Did he think she wished to return to her old life? That was certainly not an option. But what other options would someone such as her have if not for Rumplestiltskin?

"Run off with the evil imp you don't think anyone knows about in the name of love, or stand next to my son with a crown on your head and citizens at your feet." There was no choice in her mind anymore. She would have her power, and he would have his. Her love for him was stronger than his love of her, and it was the strength of that love that granted her the strength to say her next few words.

"If the choice is love or power, then even having a heart is a liability." Placing her palm on his chest, she smiled at the feeling of it speeding up in fear of her touch. Surely everyone in the castle knew of her power, but none truly seemed frightened of her before. And yet, with the psychotic look in her eyes and the coolness of her tone, she was absolutely terrifying to be near. "Don't you think?" He managed a shaky nod, and she released him, turning her back on him as she descended the stairs she had just climbed.

"Will I have to call off your wedding?" His voice was filled with a forced calmness that brought a wide smile across her face. She could almost hear his swift heartbeat even from so far away. She placed her hand over her own heart, willing it to slow itself before it gave out.

"No, Xavier. The wedding shall continue. And I expect my coronation tomorrow as well. Do be sure that it is done." With the thoughts of what awaited her when she emerged that night in mind, Cora pushed through her chest with her hand, the now-familiar form of her own heart in her grasp. She placed it in an elegant box that only she could keep. It would not due for Rumplestiltskin to get his hands on it and ruining her plans.

As she reentered her room, her stomach let out a low groan. Perhaps she shouldn't have killed Kryssi after all...