Her Father's Daughter

Rose Red kept her head held high, kept her jaw clenched, more so to keep her lips from trembling than to make herself appear even more haughty than the people already saw her to be. She kept her chin up, so that she wouldn't have to look into the eyes of any of her people standing there in the center of the village that surrounded her castle, listening to her father as he stood before her on a small platform, giving an announcement about a cut in the taxes they were paying. It had been all her mother's idea, a way to help refine the treasury and expenses of the kingdom to allow for the people to be taxed a lesser amount than they were. The taxes in their kingdom weren't extreme, not at all, not like they were in other areas of other kingdoms, but the people were always happy to be told they didn't have to pay as much as they had been.

Her mother was wise like that. Having lived in the sea for so long, she was well aware of using what resources you had around you and to try and be more self-sustaining. Sirens weren't very widely accepted underwater as they were above either. Mermaids were the beloved of the sea, Sirens were seen as more their dark cousins or some such thing. So her mother's clan had had to learn to make do with what they had, using seaweed for clothing and netting for coverings, and more. It had taught her to be frugal but not overly so. She had come up with a way to create their own salting and preservation of meats, a way to create the salt they needed instead of paying the hefty sums to have it imported. It was simple really, use the sea. Take the salt water, leave bowls of it in the sun, and salt would be left behind. And it was good salt, it did the job effectively, and it was largely free.

Through just implementing that change it had saved the kingdom quite a bit, enough to give the people some relief in their taxes.

Her mother, however, had requested her father not mention it was her idea to do so. She had gone to the kitchens before she suggested they use the sea's salt, to see if it would still work, if it would be better or worse. The kitchen staff had been hesitant, in what was not quite an offensive way, to give her the meat even after she explained her purpose for wanting one sample. She had heard one of the younger kitchen helpers murmuring to the elder chefs their fears that the sea salt would be bespelled, or that it would be enchanted, or that it carried something of sirens in it…and that if they ate it they would all turn into sirens.

It was ridiculous to think, it was just salt. But it had been enough to remind her mother that the people, by large, would be hesitant or even outright suspicious to use the sea salt if they found out that the idea came from her instead of her husband or the kitchen staff. She had been gracious, far more gracious than Rose thought she should be, in that she had given credit to the kitchen staff instead. She had told her husband that it had been their murmurings that had sparked an idea in her mind to try the salt first. To his credit her father hadn't seemed to believe it at all, but he had gone along with it, not asking her mother why she was hiding that truth from him. He trusted his wife, and if she kept something small like that to herself, he was going to trust it was for a reason.

And now there they were, her father making his proclamation of how the kingdom would be starting to utilize the free salt of the sea for their meats and other preservations. It wouldn't just help with the meat, with preparing for the winter months and others to come, but it would also create more jobs around the village. They would need people to go out and collect the water, places to evaporate it, others to distribute it, filter it, ensure it was uncontaminated…so many other jobs and training that could be brought up to also benefit the community. And, if all went well, if they managed to procure enough of the salt, perhaps they could trade with other kingdoms that were more landlocked! Just this one simple change could benefit the kingdom, exceedingly so.

The people seemed thrilled about it, at the prospect of more money entering the kingdom and about the cut to their taxes.

Rose wanted to smile, she truly did, she wanted to be happy, to be joyous for her father and the reception to his news. She wanted to praise her mother for her idea and how it was going to help so many…

But she could hear the whispers.

There was a group of children, mixed of younger and those that were quite a bit older, nearing her age, to her side. The adults were more in the front of the crowd, directly in front of her father, but the children were nearer to her and she was not so close to her father that he deafened her to their whispering and remarks. She heard every word they uttered, every single word. They were looking at her, paying more attention to the reclusive princess, the one they hardly saw around, the one that barely spoke with anyone…the one that was so cold and hard that they feared for the future of the kingdom.

They actually feared what she would do to their precious village when she became Queen. It wasn't anything she hadn't heard before, but it was bothering her now. She'd heard it so many times, for so long, she was just…she was getting sick of it. She wanted it to stop affecting her, she wanted to not care what they said or thought, but she did. She heard the same whispers every time she was about, and all they served to do was make her want to go back to the castle and damn the villagers…but she couldn't, because she was their princess.

But then…what sort of Queen WOULD she make?

It was a question that was rising to her mind more and more as the whispers went on. Truly what sort of queen would she be? She was a firm negotiator, that was true, she held her ground but…perhaps too firmly. She would be more inclined to use her music to sway those trying to debate with her than bend to their will. It could cause problems. And the people? She could feel it creeping up on her the older she grew, a…lack of care for them. They clearly did not like her, they did not appreciate or respect her the way they would a beloved princess, like Snow, they…tolerated her.

And she returned the sentiment. She tolerated them solely because they were her father's people. She didn't even consider them HER people yet. How could she rule and rule well if she looked at the people as more an annoyance she had to put up with and keep happy instead of those she should wish and desire to protect and see flourish? They didn't trust her, they wouldn't trust her rulings, they would question her every single step of the way, far more than they did her father.

What of a king?

THAT was what they were whispering now. What of a prince or a lord or a noble out there that would be her husband one day. What sort of man would take HER to be his wife? What sort of man would do that? Would do it willingly? Would do it happily? That was the question that plagued her. To be a ruler meant to produce an heir to continue the legacy, to keep the bloodline going, to keep the kingdom safe for the next generation. The people already looked at her with a queer look in their eyes because she was only half-human. Her children, if her husband was human as well, would be more human than her, that would placate the people enough, the thought that their future rulers would grow more and more human with each generation.

But it still left the question of a king.

A KING.

Her people, whenever she heard them speak of it, always referred to her future potential husband as their future king. Not prince consort.

That wasn't how it worked!

She knew that, it was not how it worked. If a king and queen had only one child, a male heir to the throne would grow up to be king, yes. A female heir to the throne would grow up to be queen. But their spouses? The King, should he take a wife, his wife would become the Queen, there was no question. However the Queen, should she take a husband, he would ONLY be Prince Consort. He would never be king, he should never be king. It was the sole protection a woman of her status had that her position as the rightful monarch would not be usurped or stolen from her.

And her people seemed to wish it to happen, they would rather a king take over from a foreign land than see HER on the throne with power over them exclusively.

For that to even happen, there had to BE a man first. There had to be one that would be willing to marry her…and there were not many lining up to do so. She had received a proposal or two as she grew older, but none of them were for love, all were for politics. She didn't want that, she didn't want to be a pawn in someone else's rise to power, she didn't want to be a tool for an alliance, she wanted to have a love like her parents did, a genuine and trusting relationship, where she could trust her spouse with everything. Her father wanted that for her as well, he wanted her happy, and that meant he would never ever allow her to be forced into a marriage she didn't want.

Which meant there was little chance of a marriage ever happening. There was no man on earth, she was sure, that would wish to wed someone that was not even fully human. The men of the village certainly didn't seem to think it. She was cold, distant, harsh, a statue…as the people whispered about her. She was too…different, too cold for anyone to wish to be close to her if not for them seeking her crown. If that proved true then she would never marry, she would never have children…

What sort of life was there for her as Queen? To be constantly suspected by her people, constantly challenged, constantly fearing that there was some ulterior motive to the people around her that wanted to be closer to her. What life was there for her when there was such little chance of love? What queen would she be if her people treated her thus and she responded in kind?

She blinked as she looked over, feeling a touch on her arm to see her father had turned to step off the platform, the villagers applauding him and shouting 'Long live the king!' as he departed. He had stopped, seeing her expression, recognizing it from not his wife, but himself, as he'd gone to leave. And known something was wrong.

"Rose?"

She blinked again, "Father?"

She inwardly cursed herself for how her voice cracked.

Her father just smiled understandingly. He glanced over at her mother, giving her a small nod to go ahead, and turned back to her, "Walk with me in the gardens?"

She gave him a nod, taking the arm he offered as they turned to depart together.

~8~

The gardens were thankfully empty though Rose could have sworn she'd seen the gardeners scurrying away as her father appeared to wave at a fly, or so he claimed. Liar. She smiled a bit at that though, her father knew her well, he knew she wouldn't speak things that troubled her if there were people around that could hear her. It was an unfortunate affect of living in the castle, of living with what she was, she and her mother had both trained themselves to keep themselves quiet until they were sure no one was there that could overhear and use what they said against them.

Her father didn't speak a word as they walked on and she knew that he was waiting till she'd calmed down, relaxed a bit more, her arm through his, her being beside him, he could likely feel how tense she was. Her father hated to push her, to pry, he had always wanted her to know she could come to him with anything, but that he would not try to goad her into speaking to him if she didn't want to. She often came to him herself, she valued his opinion and thoughts on many things and she appreciated that he gave her time to come to her own terms with speaking of thoughts that plagued her.

He led her over to a small apple tree that was growing off to the side of the garden. It had been planted there about 5 years ago in honor of her uncle's new wife, Regina, who was fond of apples, it was growing quiet well and was providing quite delicious apples and ample shade. So they sat beneath it, just taking in the quiet and the sunlight, her father reaching out to take her hand, holding it in both of his before he looked away, waiting.

She was quite sure that an hour had to have passed before she actually spoke a word of what was bothering her, but her father said nothing against it, just turned his head to her to give her his attention, "Will I make a good Queen?"

Her father blinked at that, "No one can know if they will be good or bad at ruling a kingdom till they are in a position to do so," he remarked sagely, sounding almost as if he were reciting something spoken to him years ago.

Rose took a deep breath and looked at him, "Do YOU think I will be a good Queen?"

He looked at her a long while, knowing that she would want him to genuinely consider the question and not just spout a 'yes of course!' to placate her, but to truly answer with his whole heart what he thought, "I believe you will be a fine queen," he told her, his voice quiet, thoughtful, "I believe you have the potential to be one of the most just, considering, and wise queens the kingdom has seen in many ages."

"Why?" Rose breathed, her voice breaking as tears began to fill her eyes though she refused to let them fall.

"You are just," he began, squeezing her hand, shifting so he could face her more, "You are unbiased, you look at the letter of the law instead of those that are breaking or upholding it, you don't let yourself become swayed by pretty words and you have rather a keen ear for liars," he chuckled at that, but sobered quickly when she just looked at him, "You are considering, you think long and hard before you make a decision, your decisions are never made rashly nor from emotions when you can help them. You take time to consider the benefits, the consequences, you try to look at what would be best in a whole sense instead of just to benefit one. And you are wise," he reached out to brush a blond lock behind her ear, "You are wiser than I could ever hope to be, you see things for what they are, you see what others lack and you point them out, you see the weaknesses and strengths of those around you, and you use what you know, in a way most people who are tutored merely use what they've learned from books, you think outside of them. You use what you know as a basis, but use your experiences and those of others to help you decide on what to do. Rose," he squeezed her hands, "I truly believe you will be a better ruler than I could ever hope to be."

"I do not feel that way," Rose admitted, looking away, but not pulling her hand from her father's hold, "I feel…" she shook her head, lifting her hand to wipe at her cheek, not wanting another tear to spill after that first one, "I feel as though I shall fail, and in failing…fail you, fail your belief in me, fail everything you and mother have built," she looked back at him, "I sometimes…" she cut herself off, looking down, closing her eyes, knowing she would never be able to admit the darkest thoughts she'd had while looking into her father's concerned eyes, "I sometimes wonder if…if it would be better for the kingdom if I…" she swallowed hard, "If I were no longer…if the kingdom would, by default, be turned to Snow instead of myself…if I were no longer here to claim it."

"Rose…" her father shook his head.

"I am sorry," she flinched at the depth of the concern and empathy in his voice, the dam breaking within her to finally confess something that had been bubbling under the surface for the better part of a year, the tears starting to fall freely.

Her father shuffled closer, pulling her into his arms as he held her, gently rocking her back and forth as he hummed a soft lullaby in her ears, the same one that he and her mother used to sing to her to help lull her to sleep at night as a child, that she still sometimes heard them humming to help calm her.

"Rose…" he murmured against her ear, "The world would be a darker place without you living in it."

Rose tensed at that, at his words, at how he had mentioned the word 'living.' She hadn't said she was thinking about death. She hadn't used that word, hadn't implied she was considering that end. She had only said that if she hadn't been there to claim the throne, it could have meant she would run away, it could have meant she abdicated, it could have meant so many other things than death…

But her father had known that was EXACTLY what it meant.

"I'm sorry papa," she mumbled against him, her voice so small that it nearly broke his heart to hear.

"Oh my sweet girl," he kissed the side of her head, feeling tears in his eyes that his daughter felt that way. And he knew she truly had, he knew his daughter. She would not say such a thing for dramatics or attention, she would never say it unless she had truly and genuinely been thinking it for some time, if she had truly been contemplating a certain event...as he had so long ago, "You have nothing to apologize for."

"I…how can I be a good Queen if I feel that the kingdom would be better without me?" Rose asked him, so quietly that he almost missed it, "How can I be as strong a queen as the people need if I feel so weak?"

Her father was quiet for a minute or two before he sighed, readying himself to tell her something he had hoped never to share with anyone besides his brother and wife, "The same way I hope I am a good king, a strong king, when I felt the same way."

Rose blinked at that, pulling away from her father slightly to look at him, her face scrunched ever so slightly in confusion, "I do not understand…"

He gave her the same empathetic smile as before…and it was then she realized, empathy.

His smile was empathetic, not sympathetic.

Sympathy was when you felt sorrow for someone else, because they were hurting. Empathy was when you could understand their feelings for you had felt the exact same way.

"Father?"

His smile turned sad, "Rose…it is not about weakness or strength," he told her, reaching up to touch her cheek, wiping her lingering tears away with the pad of his thumb, "It is not about what the kingdom thinks of you, not even what you can or cannot do for it. It is about your heart, it is about what keeps it beating," he sighed, "I was once, long ago, feeling as you are now. I felt…burdened, put upon, with the responsibilities that came with ruling a kingdom I had never thought I would be meant to rule. It was always Leopold that was to inherit mother and father's kingdoms, not I. I did not expect it, I did not desire it, I did not think it would ever fall to me. But it did," he shrugged, "It did and I was not ready. Within what felt like moments I had gone from a spare heir to king-to-be. I had no time to prepare, and…suddenly I was overwhelmed with new responsibilities. I now had a castle to keep, people that would be looking to me to guide them and protect them, care for them and supply them. I had expectations of finding a wife," his smile returned when he heard the small inhale from his daughter, understanding that all that he'd just said, all the things he had been left with were the exact same things she was now fearing for herself, "I wasn't ready. I wasn't…I didn't think I was strong enough. I didn't want the kingdom, I didn't think I would be a good king. I thought…I thought I would drive the kingdom to disaster if I was left command of it," he stroked her cheek, seeing the tears had ceased at his tale, "I, unlike you, did not have a cousin I trusted with ruling it."

Rose frowned, "But Uncle Leopold…"

"Was the exact reason my parents thought this kingdom," he removed his hand from her cheek to gesture around, "Should fall to me. Leopold is…"

"Soft?" she supplied.

"Yes," he chuckled, accepting that description of his brother as it meant his daughter was becoming more engaged, was listening and taking it all in, "Leopold was soft. My parents feared he would not be able to do what a ruler had to for his people and their safety. He was so concerned, and still is, for his people's happiness and not much else. It was yet another expectation on me, that I would not be like him in that regard. That I would take better care," he let out a breath, "I was…trapped. I could not refuse, it would be an insult to my parents and their trust in me, an insult to the people, abdicate and it was relinquishing the kingdom to a different relative, but I couldn't flee either. I would have undoubtedly been found. That left only one option."

Rose's eyes widened, "You…"

He nodded, "I thought that my kingdom would be better with Leopold, in the end, that it would be better with him than a random relative if I…if I took my own life. I had gone to the Sirens, plotting an 'accidental' death by drowning, no one would suspect it was planned, not many can resist Sirens, and if it was an accident, Leopold would inherit," he looked at Rose a moment, seeming to be studying her, "Did I ever tell you how I met your mother?"

Rose let out a breath at that, "Mother was the siren you went to?" she guessed and he nodded, "Mother tried to kill you?!"

He laughed at that, "No, no," he brought his hand back to the one he still clasped, "She refused to kill me. Said I wasn't enough of a challenge if I didn't value my life, if it was worth so little to me that I would throw it away, then it was worth even less to her," he fell silent, thinking back on that moment with a soft smile on his face, "She saved my life that night. I was so stubborn," he shook his head, "After she refused, I refused to go to another Siren. I was determined, positively determined, that SHE be the one to do it. I came back as many nights as I could, and she was always the Siren to rise for me, and we…talked, many times, for many hours, and slowly we learned about each other, we grew to respect each other, care for one another…"

"Love each other?" Rose gave a small smile at that.

"Yes," he nodded, "The one meant to kill me, became the one that saved me, became the one that made me want to live, made me want to rule…with her by my side."

"I do not think that is possible for me, father," Rose looked down, "I am not completely human."

He reached out, lifting her chin, "I loved a woman that was not human at all," he reminded her, "If I could, I have no doubt there is a man out there that will love you for all that you are."

She looked at her father for that, feeling the tears gathering again but refused, simply refused to let them fall this time, "You do?"

He nodded, smiling at her, "You are stronger than you know, Rose. You are much stronger than me. I am not deaf to the discontent of my people, in regards to you, to your mother," he admitted, "I would make them stop if I could, create an edict to make the whispers punishable by death…"

This time it was Rose that squeezed his hand, "But to do so would create unrest, would create rebellion, to silence the people is to have them plot in silence. Expression is the means of releasing frustrations."

"Your mother taught you that," he mused, hearing his wife's words in his daughter's recitation, "I would do anything to make you feel accepted, Rose…"

"YOU accept me," Rose murmured, "That means more than the acceptance of a kingdom."

"I will always accept you and love you," he promised her, "You are my daughter, you are the proof of my love for your mother, of our love for each other. And I love you with my whole heart."

Rose smiled a bit at that.

"I bore the responsibilities and expectations of a kingdom for mere months," he continued, "Before it became too much for me and I sought out your mother. You have born it…since you came into this world," he let out a deep breath at that, regret tinging his words, the empathy still there, "You have been raised knowing what would be expected of you, all your life, as such a young girl you always knew," he seemed regretful that she had been so burdened so young, "Worse still you have done all of that without the full support or acceptance of the people you will one day rule. You have faced more adversity in these early years of your life than many rulers will ever face in the entirety of their reign, and you have held yourself with dignity and grace far beyond what any other princess would be able to manage. You are so much stronger than me, Rose, to bear all that, and not give up. To only be affected by it now, after so many years of it. It would be a lie to say that things will ease, that the whispers will stop, and I think you know this too," she nodded, "All I can say to you Rose, is that you are too strong to let that stop you. You are stronger in being half-non human, than any full human could ever be. It is a strength I envy, one I wish I had had, and one that I pray shall never fail you, one I hope shall carry on, well into your own reign, into your legacy. Roses are…the most beautiful flower," he reached up to stroke her cheek a moment, "They appear so fragile, so soft, so delicate…but they are protected in their thorns, strong and resolute, enduring. They are not as fragile as they appear."

Rose nodded softly at that, considering her father's words.

They did make sense. And, in a way, hearing about her father's past, how he had met her mother had…helped, it truly had.

Her father was one of the strongest, most resolute men she had ever known. He was a fair ruler, just, cautious and kind, wise beyond his years and open to new thoughts. He ruled well, he ruled with balance of care and distance. He was truly a great and magnificent king, the strongest of men, both in will and mind and heart…

And yet he had felt just as she had. He had felt so low, so put upon, so pressed with responsibility and expectations that he had truly considered ending his life, had reached a point of going through with it. He had reached that point in his life and fought his way out of it, had her mother to support him, to help him rise, to be there with him and push him onwards, to make him want to fight…and now look at where he was now.

If he could do it, if her father could have reached lower than she felt…for she had deeply considered if the kingdom would fare better without her there, had truly contemplated removing herself from the world but had yet to find a way to do so…if he could reach that point and rise so high as to be where he was now, to fight those fears of not being good enough or being right for the people…why couldn't she?

She was half siren, yes, half human as well, she had all the possibility her father had, all the strength of her mother, they had both tried their best to be a guiding hand for her, a role model, to prepare her so she was never overwhelmed, and they believed in her.

The most important, they believed in her, they trusted her, they supported her, they accepted her, and they loved her.

And why should it matter if the people didn't? They would not be the ones ruling the kingdom. They would not be the Queen. They would not be the ones living with the burdens and responsibilities for every life in the realm. The people would NEVER understand what it was like to be her, both in being a princess and in being half-siren, they could never understand. So what did it matter what they thought of her if they couldn't even comprehend her.

What did it matter if she didn't find a husband, if she never had children? Snow would, she knew her cousin had a larger shot at true love than she did. Let Snow's child be her heir.

What did it matter if the people didn't support her? Snow would, her uncle would, her parents would, and they were the ones that understood her most, they were the ones whose opinion mattered most.

And what did it matter if she was cool or distant? She would have a broader perspective of the kingdom and the problems, she wouldn't be as soft as her uncle, she would do what needed to be done to protect and prosper her kingdom.

She nodded to herself, looking at her father who was watching her, "Thank you papa," she murmured, leaning in to hug him this time.

It didn't matter what the people thought, they didn't know her, they expected her to fail?

She wouldn't.

She would fight, she would push, and she would prove herself not just to them…

But to herself as well.

A/N: I wanted to sort of show a transition period, a moment between Rose Red the girl and Rose Red the near-adult, to show that while her siren side makes her feel stronger later in her life, that she did experience human weaknesses, I also wanted this to be something very deep and meaningful for Piper and her father. With all the remarks and stares Piper got, all the whispers and mistrust through her entire life, all the claims that she would become a monster or would be a fearsome ruler, it HAD to have an impact on her, especially with how isolated she is without Snow there :( I felt like this would be a very real consideration for her and something only her father would be able to talk to her about :(

And now a sort of good news/bad news/good news thing to follow:

Good news...I got a call yesterday afternoon and...I got a job I'd been interviewing for! Woo! Finally!

Bad news...I start this Wednesday for an unofficial introduction to the company and then begin training next Monday in an official 'I have a job' capacity.

Which means I'm going to have to rework my posting schedule again :'( I'm determined not to push anything to next year again, I am determined NOT to let that happen. I am, however, going to have to push around some things for the rest of 2015 to make sure I can get all the stories posted while not letting my work suffer at my job :(

I am going to be posting on my tumblr, tonight, the updated order of stories to come. For the most part I think it will mean only posting one series of a story at a time, not trying to do two series at once (like I had been doing OUAT and Doctor Who). BUT! There will be times that I'd post perhaps a movie-story series along with another TV-story series. I still have to work it out, but some of the posting dates will likely be changed. I need to see if I can manage to fit everything into the coming months without going too overboard. I'd managed to do 2 story-series at the same time (OUAT and DW) but I had no job and had more time to work on them. Now that I've got a job coming up and will likely be losing about...10ish hours a day, I'm going to have to cut it down to just 1 series at a time for the most part I think.

Good news...the stories will STILL continue, I'm just going to need to work out a better/less stressful system at the moment ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Mary might appear in Storybrooke in the future, but not with a very major part ;)

Lol, I'm on the fence about Snow, like I loved her in Season 1-2 but she just sort of started to get bland to me as the show went on, like she lost all her edge or something :/ And then with how she seemed to treat Regina like a tool to an end and lied to Emma, it was weird :/ I can say though I have big plans for August, especially with Piper around ;) I'm very excited about how Piper will fit into the finale, I can say a point may be proven to someone in that chapter :)

Ooh when/if Henry finds out Piper and Gold are back, he would have a very happy reaction to it ;)

OMG! Thank you! I loved it! :) I'm going to add a link to the story on my tumblr for Piper, that's just wonderful :) I laughed reading Hook there, I could definitely have seen that happening with the Dark Rose date if they'd had more time before the Shattered Sight, it was awesome! ^-^

The plotholes annoyed me SO much, I really wanted to try and find some way to have them make sense otherwise my own story would drive me insane lol :) Oh Emma's anger is only just beginning }:) It's not technically a spelling error, it's meant to be 'and magic could be like that' I think it's the 'she supposed' in the middle that throws it off just a bit, so it's not really 'drugs and magic' it's more 'drugs...and magic can be like drugs' ;) For the most part Henry and Emma will be on Piper and Gold's side, Piper will not be making the same mistake her cousin is in keeping things from Henry and Emma, which we'll see very soon ;) That bothered me too, how Snow just demanded Regina do all this :( And then in the next episode, it's been like barely a handful of hours and the next morning Snow's like 'so you didn't get anything done?' like she was supposed to magically get information after being seen on the hero's side by the Queens? Snow was really very selfish to me in the last half of this season, something she'll be called out for in time }:) I agree, I liked her purple outfit from Season 1 more than making her look like the movie version of her :( Emma will be very shocked and very angry when she finds out her mother's reasons, I can say Emma might even say something to her mother that breaks her heart even more and really puts things into perspective for Snow about how she's gone about things and her need to think things through more before she acts or reacts }:) I hope Gold still has magic, it would be interesting to see what he does with it in the show. I sort of feel like everyone will expect 'oh, the darkness is gone, he's good now' but he's been the Dark One for centuries, I doubt it was ALL the darkness in him but more a combination of his own true self and the power of the Dark One. I sort of want to see him choose to be dark because that would be really interesting to see him start off light but really just truly have an orientation for dark magic that he returns to. I feel like it would be how Belle keeps trying to change him in the show, if they make him this new light-only person, then that's what they've done, changed him just because everyone else wants him to not be 'evil' or a 'villain' :/