Emma squeezed in between her parents inside the pristine White carriage, so happy to finally be returning home after this strange ordeal. She nestled her head into the crook of Snow's neck as they rode. "I missed you so much, Mommy."

Snow wrapped an arm around her daughter to pull her closer, knowing that Mommy was a special name reserved for when Emma was especially upset. All other times, she was Mama, except in formal settings, in which Emma referred to her as Mother, though neither of them particularly cared for that moniker.

"I missed you, too, baby. I was so worried," Snow admitted, squeezing Emma tighter.

"You don't need to be worried," Emma assured her. "The Queen is kind to me."

Snow surveyed her daughter, trying to determine if Emma was telling the truth, or lying for her benefit. Emma's face was serene, and Snow couldn't read the emotion there. It was odd, she thought, since she could normally read her little girl like a book. Or so she had once thought.

Granted, she hadn't picked up on exactly how opposed Emma had been to being betrothed to Prince Michael, but Snow was also well aware that she had her blinders on in that situation. Her only goal had been to ensure her daughter's long term safety, even if it meant a loveless marriage.

But she could have grown to love the prince, couldn't she?

Snow was reminded of the last person she knew who had been forced into marriage against her will, and that had been Regina. But Regina was an anomaly, Snow was sure of that. Normal, well adjusted people do not grow up to be Evil Queens. Regina had to have had the darkness already.

Didn't she?

She guessed it didn't matter now. The engagement had been called off, and Emma would not be forced to marry the prince. Snow did have to wonder, however, how Emma would ever be married now. With the deal she had made with Regina, Snow knew it was the first time it would actually be safe to take Emma outside of the palace walls, but what prince would be interested now? What prince wanted a wife who was all but owned by the Evil Queen? No one would trust Emma or her motives, knowing her affiliation with Regina, but perhaps that was part of Regina's plan all along.

In any event, Emma was fifteen and there was still a bit of time to worry about such things in the future, though Snow knew that time was very, very limited.

"What did you do with Regina?" Snow asked, trying her best to sound only interested and not anxious.

"Oh, we… I… I'd rather not talk about that right now, if that's alright?" Emma stammered out. "I just want to enjoy being here with you and Daddy."

"Alright, baby," Snow agreed. She didn't want to push Emma, but she knew she needed to make her daughter talk to her. She knew how Regina could get inside a person's head, and she needed to make sure Emma wasn't lost to her.

"Mama?" Emma called, as she tapped on the door to Snow's bedchambers. The door was open, but Emma always announced her arrival anyway, after one too many times catching her parents in compromising situations.

But Snow was alone, and beckoned for Emma to come in and join her. Emma hurried over into her mother's arms, and even though it was still only mid-afternoon, they curled up on Snow's feather bed together.

"Mama, what was Regina like when you first knew her?" Emma asked, as she played absently with the sleeve of Snow's ivory coloured dress.

"I've told you about her before, my love," Snow reminded her.

"Yes, but not much. You've only warned me that she was evil. But she wasn't always, was she? She once saved you," Emma reminded her.

"Yes, she did. She was a different woman then, though, baby. And she worked very hard to snuff out all of the good that was ever in her."

"Do you think that's possible? To snuff out all the good in a person?"

"There was a time I didn't, but now… Emma, I don't want to scare you, but please, I know you said she was kind to you, but don't let your guard down. She's very good at putting on an act, and you need to be mindful of that. Don't take anything she says at face value."

Emma nodded slowly, trying to let that sink in. She was having a hard time reconciling the woman who had rode with her and dined with her and held her until she fell asleep, with the woman who had punished her later that same evening. She was sure there was a lot going on beneath the surface, and if she was to be forced to spend time at the dark palace, she was determined that she would figure out the puzzle that was the Evil Queen.

"Why do you think she changed?"

Snow breathed a heavy sigh. "She lost her true love. That kind of loss, it can wound a person, very deeply. She blames me for it, and there's no room in her heart for forgiveness, sadly, only revenge."

"Did you know her mother?" Emma asked, moving to the point that intrigued her the most about Regina.

"Cora? Oh yes, I knew her for a very short time," Snow nodded.

"What was she like?"

"Pure evil."

"Worse than Regina?"

"In some ways. In many ways, I think Cora is to blame for how Regina turned out. She focused most of her cruelty on Regina, though Regina's crimes far surpass anything her mother has done."

"But you only knew her for a short time?"

Snow nodded. "She just… disappeared… right after Regina married my father. No one knows what happened to her. Well, I believe Regina knows, and I wouldn't doubt that she had something to do with it."

Emma sighed. She wondered if she would get the opportunity to speak with Regina about her mother again, as she was suddenly fascinated with the woman who turned a girl into a monster.

"Mama?" Emma asked again, after a long silence.

"Yes, baby?"

"Where did we get Seth?"

Snow chuckled. "You know where we got him. He came to the palace seeking refuge. You know that."

"But where did he come from?"

"One of the villages. He was young, remember? And he had been on his own for some time, as an orphan. He doesn't remember much of his own history. Why are you asking about Seth?"

"Do you think he's a good boy?" Emma asked, earnestly.

"Yes, darling. You know I love him as if he were my own. He's been like a sibling to you. I thought you two were good friends?"

"We are," Emma agreed. "Well, I think we are. Mama, he told me something. He told me that the Evil Queen was dead. He told me it would be safe to run away."

Snow stiffened at the revelation. "I don't know where he would have gotten such an idea. Perhaps he overheard staff talking, and misunderstood. Emma, you know you should have come to me with your concerns about marrying the prince," Snow said, firmly.

"I know, Mama, and I'm sorry. I was stupid, and now I have to pay the price."

"You're not stupid. And you won't pay a price. I will find a way out of this deal, I promise you that."

Regina sat on her chaise, watching mother and daughter cuddling through the mirror, with a sneer on her lips.

I will find a way out of this deal. I promise you that.

"Well, good luck with that, dear," Regina said aloud, to no one in particular. "But I'm afraid you've already lost this battle."

Regina fiddled idly with the engagement ring in her hand, as she often did when she was thinking.

"Snow is right about one thing," she mused to herself, "there is no room in my heart for forgiveness, not for the insipid little brat who destroyed everything. But Emma won't pay the price Snow, you will."

"Your Majesty?"

Regina jumped at the sound of the genie's voice coming from the mirror behind her. She spun around to look at his blue disembodied head, his face as stoic and emotionless as ever.

"What!" she snapped.

"I thought you'd like to see this," the genie said, letting his visage fade away into an image of a round table meeting, at the Silver Palace. Regina furrowed her brow, and stood up to step closer to this other mirror, and get a better look at what was going on.

"The Queen, Snow White, only called off the engagement to protect the princess from the evil sorceress Regina," one of the King's advisors was saying. Regina sneered again at the mention of Snow White's Queen status, a painful reminder of how the little wench and her idiot prince had managed to take the Kingdom back from her, all those years ago.

"She is one person, and a woman," the King scoffed. "Are you telling me this Kingdom is no match for a woman?"

"Sire, she has unbridled power through her magic, and an entire army at her beck and call," the advisor pointed out.

"Yes, and I have a favour to cash in with Rumplestiltskin," the King stated, "and I have no qualms against using it to wage war on the Dark Palace if it will ensure that my son will marry the princess, and our Kingdom will be merged with the White Kingdom."

Regina raised an eyebrow in surprise. She hadn't expected any retaliation from the Silver Kingdom, least of all a war. She smirked at the King's pompous attitude, thinking that the imp could help him with anything. She debated poofing herself right into his meeting room and roasting him on the spot, just to make a point, but decided it wasn't worth the energy.

Let them start a war. She was infinitely more powerful now than she had been when Snow had waged war against her all those years ago. And smarter, too. She wasn't about to be taken down by fairy dust again.

She waved the image away, before returning to her bedchambers to sleep.

Regina stood in the wake in the middle of a battlefield. She didn't remember the battle, but there were knights down everywhere, and several of them were hers. But she wasn't concerned with the knights. Her focus was on a figure in the distance, all blonde hair and pretty lavender dress, laying on the ground.

Emma!

The front of her dress was quickly turning crimson red and Regina realized she was hurt. She wanted to run to her but she couldn't. Her legs weren't moving; it's like she was glued in place.

Emma!

She tried to scream to her, but her mouth wouldn't form the words. Snow White was running, from the other direction, towards the girl on the ground, and for once, Regina was happy to see her. She'd save her daughter. She had to.

"Emma!" Snow cried, cradling her daughter close to her. "No! Emma!"

And Regina realized it's too late. It was all over.

Regina shot up in bed, her heart pounding. Tears were streaming from her eyes unchecked, and it took her several minutes to calm herself down and realize that it was just a nightmare.

She wiped the sweat from her brow, missing the years off dreamless sleep she had come to embrace and even enjoy. She hugged herself tightly and flicked on wrist to bring Emma's bedroom into view on the mirror across from her bed.

The princess was sleeping soundly, and Regina breathed a long sigh of relief.

It was just a dream.

The next two weeks passed excruciatingly slow for Regina. She divided her time between watching the Silver King - who had yet to make any attempt to actually call in his deal with Rumple, and thus was no closer to this war he planned on waging - and watching Emma. To Regina's surprise, Emma kept her promise and told her parents nothing of what had occurred on their first night together.

To her dismay, she didn't talk to Seth about it either. Regina wondered how long it would take the girl to trust him again, or if she ever would at all. She had been hoping on learning what Emma thought about it and about her through Seth, but the revelation never came.

And she had the same nightmare again, three more times. It was always exactly the same: Emma died, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Once two weeks had passed, Regina stood in wait, just inside her magical barrier, as the White carriage pulled up, right on schedule. Regina smiled thinly as Emma emerged from the carriage, accompanied by both of her parents.

As they approached the barrier, Charming stopped Emma just before she got within arms reach of Regina.

"How long do you plan on keeping her?" Charming asked, eyeing Regina distrustfully.

"A week," Regina said, nonchalantly.

Emma's mouth dropped open in shock. "A week?" she repeated. She hadn't expected that. She'd thought two, maybe three days, at the most.

"Yes, darling, I have so much planned for us. Now, come here and stop wasting time," Regina said, holding her hand out, motioning for Emma to step closer so she could pull her through the barrier.

Emma looked at her father, unsure of what she should do, but Charming just sighed, knowing that they had no choice but to concede to Regina's request. It would only take a moment for Regina to drop her magical shield and roast Emma on the spot, if they refused to comply.

"Go ahead, sweetheart," Charming said. "We will be back here in one week, at this exact time." The second part was directed at Regina, who just continued to smile as she pulled Emma through the barrier.

"Lovely to see you again, dear," Regina said, looking pointedly at Snow. "Have a good week."

For her part, Snow said nothing to Regina, just said her goodbyes to Emma, before turning back to her carriage, knowing that if she stayed a moment longer, she wouldn't be able to force herself to leave.

"Come, darling," Regina said, putting her arm around Emma and leading her toward the palace, "I have so much planned for us."