A/N: Here we are at the final chapter and I have left the story pretty open to the possibility of continuation. We shall see what the future holds. And by the way, just ignore that little blurb at the end of the story. It's a quirk of mine and I sometimes end stories that way simply to amuse myself...nothing more. It certainly isn't arrogance or something ghastly like that...Just fun...Anyway enjoy the ending!

8

They both knew that they didn't have long there on the balcony. So they stayed in each other's arms and agreed to meet in the library after the castle was asleep. Regina felt her heart pounding in her chest as she walked the short distance to the library. No one would be suspicious of the queen doing a little late reading in the library as she had always taken pleasure on reading. It was not fear of capture that made her heart jump in her chest. It was the thought of being with her true love.

As soon as she opened the door and stepped into the library, she found herself being wrapped in strong arms and pulled into a passionate kiss. In that kiss she felt more than words would ever be able to express and joy at being reunited with her love swelled in her heart. Suddenly Daniel broke this kiss, turned and walked toward the fireplace. Regina could only stand there in confusion as she watched Daniel's new confidence carry him. They stood in silence for a time until Daniel spoke.

"I saw everything he did to you. I was captured and rendered unconscious shortly after I left you and I awoke to find myself in a room furnished solely with a magic mirror. It was there that I witnessed every unspeakable act he committed and everything he took from you…I was alone in that room and hardly aware of anything, save for that mirror and…my own anger."

As Daniel finally turned to meet Regina's gaze, she saw the rage in his eyes and the barely contained violence in the way he clenched his fists. While listening to Daniel's tale, she felt her own anger build inside of her and she realized yet another thing she had in common with the man she loved, the darkness in their hearts. She walked toward Daniel with the same intensity reflected in her eyes. She stopped in front of him and reached for his hands which unclenched at her touch. They looked at each other in understanding and knew that they would have their revenge.

King Leopold was content with his life. He was a wealthy king with a loving daughter and the most beautiful wife in the entire realm. He had even found this Lord Daniel to his liking and had begun to consider offering him the hand of his daughter. He was a formidable man who would be a suitable match for his precious heir.

The day had not been out of the ordinary. He had found himself in a lazy mood after the excitement of the festivities of the day before. He hadn't even noticed the way his wife's eyes met Daniel's across the large table. These thoughts were clouding his mind as he heard a knock on his parlor door.

"Enter" he called and the guards outside opened the door. He was greeted by Lord Daniel and he began to pour two goblets of wine. "Lord Daniel what brings you here?" the king asked as he settled into a seat by the fireplace and indicated that Daniel should do the same.

Daniel sat and replied, "I merely wanted to extend my gratitude to you for being such a gracious host."

The king smiled, "Well of course. What kind of king would I be, if I turned away a visiting royal with no other place to call upon?"

Daniel replied, "You would be the king that I expected you to be."

The king's shock was displayed boldly on his face as he managed to utter, "I beg your pardon?"

Daniel rose from his chair and glared challengingly at the king. "A king such as you deserves no crown. A king who would take pleasure in degrading a woman as beautiful as your lady wife, is not worthy of the power he possesses."

The king continued to stare on confusedly as Daniel took a menacing step forward. "Yes, I know all of the terrible acts you have committed since the death of Lady Cora. I watched as you abused your wife and I saw you have her father falsely executed for murder. I know the murder was false because I was the one who killed Lady Cora."

Daniel smirked as realization washed over the king's face.

Having remembered someone briefly mention the absence of one of the stable workers, the king gasped and said, "The missing stable boy."

Daniel drew his sword and held it under Leopold's chin and said with as much venom as he could muster, "Yes, my king."

Suddenly Leopold was angered by the audacity of this foolish servant yelled for his guards as his face purpled with rage. Suddenly the door burst open, but instead of guards, the king was met with the face of his wife. She stood in the door with a purple glow fading from her outstretched hand and the two guards slumped behind her.

He was shocked by her bold demeanor and even more so by the dark and revealing gown that she wore. Why had she never worn something like this before? As his eyes finally reached hers he found that he was unprepared for the cold look of vengeance that rested there.

Regina stepped into the room and said maliciously, "Hello…dear husband."

The king found his courage and stood with Daniel's sword still pressing firmly into his chin. He leered and Regina and said, "I knew you were false. I knew you had been committing treason but I suspected that it was with a noble. I never expected anything as low as…a stable boy. You deserved everything that I saw fit to grant such a lecherous whore."

At these words Regina stretched forth her hand and the king went flying to the far wall where he remained pinned as Daniel pushed the end of his sword into the king's stomach. The king choked as blood began to pour from his mouth and his body slumped to the floor. Regina and Daniel stood there in silence as they let the cold vengeance wash over their hearts.

It wasn't until several moments later, that their silence was broken by the sound of Snow rushing into the chamber. She had received a summons, secretly sent by Regina, to appear in her father's chambers at this hour. A sob shook Snow's shoulders as she fell to her knees at the sight of her father dead on the floor. Snow clutched at Regina's skirts as she stepped forward.

Regina looked down at Snow and said, "You alerted the king to my father's late nights at the tavern. As a result the king killed the only family that I had left. And now your father is dead. Perhaps you would benefit from the lessons that fate has saw fit to teach you." Regina let Snow collapse on the floor as she and Daniel left the room hand in hand, their revenge complete.

Regina and Daniel were hailed as heroes throughout the land. It became known that they had saved Snow from the cruelties of her father's madness and protected the kingdom from being controlled by such an unfit ruler. This was the story that spread throughout the land and was only given further credence by Snow's silence.

Since the death of her father she had refused to utter a word and there was no evidence to convince anyone that the queen was not telling the truth. Regina sat proudly on the throne as Daniel stood by her side protectively and watched the small council begin to make preparations for the royal wedding. It was decided that the queen should wed this brave lord who saved the princess and the entire kingdom from certain destruction. Regina let a smile grace her face as she met Daniel's eyes and she knew that nothing would ever be able to tear their love apart.

The Hand of Fate stood in the room cloaked in the hood that Daniel had seen all those weeks before. The Hand looked at the magic mirror and watched the two lovers gaze into each other's eyes. The Hand had kept Daniel in the room as had been commanded and was watching the result of that action. When the Hand's curiosity had been satisfied, a gloved hand was waved into the air and the Hand and the room disappeared from sight.

The End, Damn It