In the enchanted forest, Charming was in his and Snow's castle in the basement where he set up his vault. He very rarely went in there but every now and again he would have to. This was definitely a time he had to. He was trying to create a protection spell against the curse James and Regina were going to cast. He looked in the spell book he had open and poured the potion into the pot. It started to bubble. "Come on, come on" Charming said. It started glowing red. After about a minute it exploded. Charming slammed the book closed frustrated. "DAMN IT" he yelled throwing a veil against the wall in anger. "David" he heard someone call. He turned around and saw Maleficent standing in the doorway. "Mom, what are you doing here" he asked. She walked over to her frustrated son. "I came to visit you and Snow. Where is she" Maleficent asked. Charming took a deep breath calming himself down. "She's visiting her father's grave. It's the five year anniversary of his death" Charming explained.
"Oh poor dear. Is there anything we can do for her" Maleficent asked. Charming shook his head. "I offered to go with her but she said it was something she had to do herself" he said. Maleficent nodded and looked around. "What are you doing down here" she asked. Charming sighed and sat down. "Proving that dad was right about me being a failure all along" he said. Maleficent shook her head and sat down next to Charming. "You're not a failure honey" she said. Charming rolled his eyes. "You have to say that. You're my mother" he said. Maleficent looked at her son worried. "David what's going on" she asked. "I was trying to create some kind of protection spell for the kingdom against the dark curse but it blew up in my face" Charming explained. "I already told you no one can stop that curse" she said. "Dad could. You would probably be able to figure out a way to stop it also. So would James but not me. I'm the joke of this family. I'll probably wind up screwing up my kid to in nine months" he said.
"What do you mean in nine months" Maleficent asked. Charming looked at his mother and sighed. "Snow's pregnant" he said. Maleficent smiled and hugged him. "Congratulations honey. I'm so excited for you and Snow" she said pulling back. She saw Charming didn't look happy. "David this is a good thing. Why aren't you happy" she asked. Charming looked away from his mother ashamed. "I just keep thinking about James and Regina" he said. Maleficent shook her head and took Charming's hand. "Honey that wasn't your fault" she said. Charming looked up at his mother and nodded his head. "Yes it is. It's mine and Snow's fault that James and Regina lost their baby. To make things worse Regina can't get pregnant ever again. Dad made sure of that" he said. Maleficent hugged her son again. "What happened that night to James and Regina wasn't yours or Snow's fault. It was your father and Cora's fault. You guys were just trying to help James and Regina" Maleficent said.
"If I would have just listened to James and not screwed everything up and then opened my mouth James and Regina would have their child right now and James wouldn't hate me. How am I supposed to be excited about being a father after I took that opportunity away from my twin brother" Charming asked. Maleficent shook her head and looked at her son sadly. "You can't keep beating yourself up about this" she said. Her heart broke seeing her son looking so broken. "I miss him mom. I miss James" Charming said lowly. Maleficent nodded. "I know" was all she could say. She missed her sons being close. "I wish more than anything that I could take back that night. They didn't deserve that. What good is being magical if I can't use my powers to help the people I love? My child would probably be better off without me" Charming said. "That is not true David. You're going to be a great father" Maleficent said. Charming got up from his seat. "I need some air" he said leaving the room.
Charming was flying high in the sky in his dragon form. He just needed to clear his head. He liked to fly around the kingdom sometimes and make sure the kingdom was safe. He didn't know what he was going to do about this stupid curse James and Regina were going to cast. It was going to separate families and there was nothing he could do about it. Charming flew back to the castle and landed in the courtyard. He morphed back to his human form. He walked through the hallways of the castle. One of the guards walked up to him and bowed. "Your highness" the guard said. "Hello how are you today" Charming asked the guard. "Not good. I was attacked by your brother" the guard said. Charming looked at him shocked. "What? Are you OK" Charming asked. The guard nodded. "I think so. I just barely got away. He said he was going to come back for me and my family unless you meet with him" the guard said. "Where does he want to meet" Charming asked. "He said by the edge of the forest" the guard said.
Charming was waiting for James to arrive on the edge of the forest to meet with him. Now James was going after his guards. Enough was enough. He had to end this feud with James once and for all. Charming had been standing there for what felt like eternity. Why hadn't James shown yet? He wanted to meet with him right. Just then Charming heard footsteps behind him. He turned around and unsheathed his sword. "James come out. Show yourself" Charming called out. James didn't come out. Charming slowly walked over to where he had heard the noise. "James stop being a coward and face me like a man" Charming said. James didn't answer. Charming heard a noise behind him and turned around. Just then someone blew some sort of powder into Charming's face. Charming yelled out in pain. The stranger hit him across the face with a rock and Charming fell to the floor barely conscious. Charming was having a hard time seeing. Whatever that powder was it had to be poisonous to dragons.
"Who are you" Charming asked. The stranger didn't answer him. His vision was blurry and he could just see shadows. He blinked rapidly trying to get his vision back. He felt his cloak being cut off him. Then his scabbard was unbuckled. "Did my brother send you after me" Charming asked. Again the stranger didn't answer. Charming felt himself being pulled into a sitting position. Then a rope was being tied around his torso. The rope was burning Charming. He struggled against his binds. "What the hell do you want" he asked. He was still struggling to see. Whatever that powder was it was strong and whatever those ropes were they were painful. Graham stood over Charming holding a knife. He walked over to Charming slowly. He leaned down next to Charming. "Apologizes your highness but I have a job to do" Graham said to the captured prince. Charming recognized that voice. "You. You're the guard who sent me out here" Charming said still struggling against the ropes.
"I had to get you out here somehow" Graham said. "Why" Charming asked. "The king and the queen hired me to capture you" Graham said. "For what? What do they want with me" Charming asked. "Don't know. What they want with you is not my concern. I was hired to bring you to them" Graham explained. Charming's vision was starting to come back. "Who are you" Charming asked again. "The name's Graham. I'm a dragon hunter" Graham said. Charming started struggling harder hearing that. "Don't worry I'm not going to kill you. My job was just to capture you. Your vision should be coming back by now" Graham said standing up. His vision was still a little blurry but at least Charming could see more than just shadows now. He saw that Graham opening a veil of some sort. "What did you hit me with" Charming asked. "The powder was made from those jewels that torture your kind. It's not as strong as having the jewel itself but it does the trick" Graham said walking back over to Charming.
"These ropes were made from the same material as this" Graham said pulling out a dragon blade. Charming looked at the blade in realization. That's why the ropes were burning him. Charming tried to back away but Graham grabbed the ropes tied around him. "I wish I could eliminate all of your kind but that's not what I'm here for" Graham said pulling Charming up to a standing position. "Whatever my brother wants you don't have to give it to him" Charming said. "The king and queen made a tempting offer" Graham said grabbing the ropes around Charming and pulling him along. "Whatever they promised you they won't give you. They're just using you" Charming said. Graham stopped walking and turned to Charming. "I know that. I'm the best dragon hunter in the land and they used me to hunt a dragon. Now open up" Graham said opening Charming's mouth and pouring the contents of the veil James gave him into Charming's mouth. Within seconds Charming was unconscious.
Graham lifted Charming over his shoulder and carried him over to where James was waiting for him. "Good job. Now bring me Snow White" James said. Graham got on a horse and rode back to the castle and waited for her to arrive. About an hour later Snow arrived back at the castle. Graham walked up to her and bowed. "Your highness the prince asked me to come get you" Graham said. Snow looked at him strangely. Why wouldn't he just come get her himself? "Where is the prince" Snow asked. "In the forest. He said he has to talk to you about something" Graham said. Snow was really suspicious now. "Is he OK" Snow asked. Graham nodded. "Yes he sad he has a surprise for you" he said. Snow thought for a second. This guy whoever he was obviously wasn't a guard. He could be dangerous to the kingdom. What if he did something to Charming? Snow thought it would be a good idea to follow this man. She would just have to keep her guard up. "After you" she said.
Graham and Snow walked deep into the forest. "Where are we going? The summer palace" Snow asked. Graham thought about it for a moment and decided the best thing to do would be to lie. "Yes" he lied. "You know when I was a little girl the summer palace was my favorite place. The mountains surrounding it felt like a cradle. They always made me feels safe" Snow said. Graham just looked at her but didn't say anything. "I look forward to returning to it now" Snow said while Graham played with his armor. It was really uncomfortable. How did the guards wear this all day? Snow noticed him playing with the armor. "Stuffy in there" she asked him. They stopped walking and Graham removed the helmet. "I'm fine" he said. Graham pulled out an apple and held it out to Snow White. "No thank you. I have a thing about apples" Snow said studying the man. He pulled back his hand. "You're not a knight are you" Snow asked.
"What makes you say that" Graham asked. "Without fail every single one of my father's men have offered me condolences except you" Snow explained. Oh crap. Of course it was the five year anniversary of her father's death. "Please accept my condolences" Graham said. "They also all know how to wear armor. They picked you take me" Snow said looking around. "Where is my husband" she asked. "Just come with me. You know why they want the two of you" Graham said. "You're going to kill me. Have you killed my husband" she asked. Graham shook his head. "My orders were to bring you two to them. What they do with you guys is their business. You have good instincts though" Graham said. "You have too much armor" Snow said. Graham looked at her then down at the armor he was wearing. Snow picked up a stick and hit Graham with it and he fell to the ground she ran away. Graham got up and chased after her.
Snow was running until someone grabbed her. "Where do you think you're going princess" James asked. Snow looked at him shocked. "James" she said. He smiled at her. "Hello Snow White. How have you been? You and my brother kill any babies lately" he asked. "James let go of her" Charming yelled running up to them still tied up. Graham also reached them. James held a knife to Snow's throat. "Take another step closer and I'll kill her" James said. Charming stopped running and stood there. "James please don't. I'm begging you please" he said. James laughed. "Look at you David. Tied up and begging me not to kill the woman you love" James said. He pushed Snow over toward David. "What me and Regina have planned for you two is far worse then death" James said. Just then a dragon flew in front of James. It morphed into Maleficent. "James leave your brother and Snow White alone" she said. Snow stood up and started untying the ropes around Charming.
"Mom don't get involved. This has nothing to do with you" James said. Maleficent nodded her head. "Yes it does because you are my sons and I'm not going to let you hurt your brother" she said. Snow finished untying the ropes around Charming and they fell to the floor. Charming still looked really weak. James shook his head. "David and Snow have everything mom. Me and Regina have nothing because they took it all away from us" James said glaring at the couple in front of him. Maleficent slowly walked up to her son. "You have each other and you still have me. You guys can be happy if you just let go of all this anger you're holding on to. Please James" Maleficent pleaded with her son. James looked at his mother and smiled at her. He nodded. "You're right mom. I still have you and Regina" he said. Maleficent smiled at her son. He turned to Charming. "What I don't have anymore is a brother" James said. "James please I'm sor…" Charming started to say but James magically choked him.
"James let you're brother go right now" Maleficent demanded. James just stood there continuing to choke Charming. He was so focused on choking his brother he didn't notice the rock Snow threw at him. It hit him and he lost his concentration realizing Charming. Charming fell to the floor coughing. "Charming" Snow said checking on him. James looked at Snow. "Screw it. Now David is going to know what it feels like to lose someone he loves" James said holding out his hand and forming a fireball. He threw it toward Snow. Before it could hit her Maleficent waved her hand and her Charming and Snow all disappeared. "DAMN IT" James yelled. He turned to Graham. "Find them. I don't care if you have to go through my mother you bring them to me" James said. Graham nodded and ran off. James watched him go. He was going to have his revenge on David and Snow for that night. He didn't care what it took. They would feel the hurt they caused him and Regina.