A/N: So this story pretty much just developed a life of its own. I had no idea how it would turn out and it's interesting to see how it has developed. This thing is pretty much gonna be wrapped up in the next chapter but I'm thinking that there could be more to explore. Thanks for staying with the story and stick around for the final chapter!

7

Daniel rode for the palace with plans to strike violently at anyone who got into his way. Day was breaking as he reached the palace gates and he was met with no resistance. The guards on duty merely thought he was a visiting royal due to his appearance. Daniel no longer looked like a stable boy. He had the confident air of a nobleman and his clothes were expertly tailored. The guards asked for his name and he gave it willingly. They nodded in approval and opened the gates to wave him through.

As he rode into the courtyard, servants came to take his horse to the stables and he realized that no one recognized him. He could surely use this to his advantage. One of the servants escorted him to the throne room, where court was being held. As he stepped to the doors he had the crier announce him as Daniel, Lord of the Hidden Mountain.

The doors swung open and he boldly stepped into the hall. He faltered for a time as he looked toward the dais and saw Regina staring blankly ahead. He could see how much she had changed and he felt his heart break at the sight. As he walked up to the dais, he saw the nobles staring at him. The women seemed to be enraptured by his dark features while the men were impressed his confidence. The king watched the man approach and saw the coldness of his eyes. He decided that he would like to speak with this Daniel and see if they had any common interests. When Daniel reached the dais, he bowed before the royals seated there.

King Leopold said, "Rise. I am Leopold, King of the Enchanted Forest and this is my wife, Queen Regina."

On instinct, Regina leaned forward and offered her hand to the man without really seeing him. It wasn't until Daniel took her hand and kissed it that she felt something stir in her heart. She looked down at the man and she recognized what no one else in the kingdom had been able to. She looked into his eyes and knew that he was her true love and that he had returned to her. They briefly let looks of love and recognition flash between them before Daniel stepped away to address the king.

They both knew that if the king discovered who Daniel truly was, that they would lose the upper hand. So as the king led Daniel away to see some hunting bow that the king had acquired, Regina sank back down to her throne and let the first true happiness she had felt in weeks wash over her face.

Regardless of how much rage Daniel felt stirring violently inside his chest, he knew he couldn't just kill the king. He would have to wait until the opportune moment. And he couldn't afford to be careless and endanger Regina. There would be many who would be quick to blame the king's murder on the queen. It was with this in mind that he entertained the king and listened to his stories of hunting and his conquests. It was rather boring actually, until the king decided to brag about his wife.

"She is an enchanting creature. The most beautiful woman in the entire kingdom…and she is all mine. It is a pity really, that such a beautiful woman would have no other attributes save for her beauty. She has no particular skills or talents…no, that's not true. She does have one particular talent. She has a very skilled mouth."

Daniel felt his rage bubble to the surface as he wrapped the sword on his hip in a white-knuckled grip. The king did not seem to notice, as a small council member entered to call for the king's presence. The king exited the room and left Daniel in silence with his almost uncontrollable rage.

A feast was held that evening simply because the king wanted one. All of the nobles were invited to share in the king's wealth and happiness. Regina sat at the head table while the king was making some grand speech about his daughter's beauty. The queen had been ignored for the majority of the evening and she was quite content to be far away from the center of attention. She would not be able to resist some sort of retaliation should the king feel the need to cause her further pain.

She had not seen Daniel since the beginning of the feast and she wondered briefly about his whereabouts. She rose from her place at the table and headed toward the balcony hidden by two large doors to her right. She let out a sigh of relief as she stepped out on the balcony and let the doors shut behind her. She was able to relax as she was certain that her presence would not be missed. She looked out over the land below and allowed her mind to drift.

The queen thought's turned toward Daniel and how much he seemed to have changed. He seemed to have a new darkness about him that she found called to a certain coldness in her own heart. She was so enveloped in her thoughts that she almost missed the footsteps echoing behind her.

"Regina."

Her breath caught at the sound of the voice she knew so well. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't bring herself to turn around. She had thought that she would never see her beloved again. It wasn't until she felt a strong hand touch her shoulder that she managed to turn around and look into the same tender blue eyes that she fell in love with. Tears fell from her eyes as he pulled her into an embrace where they finally felt the first tingling of peace stirring in their hearts.