I don't own Once Upon a Time
Prologue
Once upon a time, there lived a king and a queen that ruled their kingdom of Longtrellis. They ruled with an iron fist and upheld their laws of the kingdom.
King Peter the Great and Queen Esther the Huntress.
They held alliances with King Xavier and their kingdom. Whom their beloved Queen Esther is the daughter of King Xavier.
Yes, they ruled their glorious years, but they lack one thing they desire the most.
They have no children of their own.
"Sniff. Sniff. No child of my own." Queen Esther mourned and cries as she felt it is her fault for not conceiving.
King Peter comforts his beloved queen. "There, there Esther. Surely there must be something we could do."
"Your majesties," A timid maid came forward.
"Yes, what is it?"
"There is someone, but…" The maid looked scared.
Queen Esther orders the maid to speak.
"The Dark One, Rumpelstiltskin."
The chill in the air affected them.
"Are you mad?!" The King was furious. They all heard of this infamous Dark One and many feared what his dealings are.
However, Queen Esther stopped the King's words. "Wait, my king. Tell me how he could offer us?"
So, by the pleading of Queen Esther. The King allowed it.
Out came in the dead of night.
He appeared before them.
"Well, well!" Rumpelstiltskin giggles as he stood before the King and Queen. "I hear that you wished to make some sort of deal. No, a wish that you desire."
"Who are you?" Queen Esther questioned him.
"I would not bother you if I were not certain that Your Majesties will attach great importance to what I'm about to say."
King Peter tensed and recognized the imp. "You… Rumpelstiltskin!"
"At your services." Rumpelstiltskin's mockingly bowed before them. "I also, know a way for you to have a child."
"What will it cost?" King Peter questioned him.
"An act of courage and sacrifice."
"What d'you mean by that?" Queen Esther asked him.
"Birth is always stained by death. And death, in turn, is simply one element of birth and not even the most dramatic one." Rumpelstiltskin answered as he lightly taps his fingers together.
Queen Esther has enough of his riddles. "Be less mysterious. Come to the point."
"You want a child?" Rumpelstiltskin looked at the King and Queen dead of the eye.
"Every new life calls for a life to be lost. The equilibrium of the world must be maintained. Do you understand?"
Queen Esther is determined to have a child that belongs to something to raise and loved.
"I am prepared to die in order to feel life grow inside me." The Dark One leaned forward towards the Queen and said,
"We are speaking of possibility, not certainty. Are you willing to accept the risk?"
"What must we do?" Queen Esther said.
"Hunt down a sea monster. Cut out its heart and have it cooked by a virgin. But she must be alone. When Your Majesty eats the heart, you will become pregnant instantly."
As entrusted by this odd request.
The King and Queen bid as they were told.
Yet the knowledge that if they do this. Rumpelstiltskin will demand payment soon.
King Peter ordered his army and himself dressed in armor to fight the sea monster. Queen Esther prayed for both her husband and child to come home soon.
The news came but at the price.
King Peter died slaying the sea monster as promised. Queen Esther looked at the body of the king but saw the sea monster's heart.
Overjoyed that she can have the child. Many saw the queen's odd behavior that she desires the child that is so great. She ignores the fact that her husband the King dies and she a widow now.
The servant girl who is a virgin had been ordered to cook.
"This is crazy. There is no way that we should believe what the Dark One said." She servant said to herself.
She grabs the heart and drops it into the pot.
SPLASH!
The servant girl started to stir the pot. It amazes the girl that this heart is a size of a turkey or watermelon.
SIZZLE!
The steams risen. As she adds the spices and vegetables like she was cooking a feast. Before she added more salt and peppers.
'COUGH, COUGH!' The servant girl coughs more vigorously as the amazing thing happened.
She felt hot. Like really hot. She loosens her strings and leans against the table. The scariest thing that happened.
Her stomach started to begin slowly swollen then faster pace.
"No! No, no, no, no! That is not possible!" The servant screams as she saw what had happened. She is pregnant, but she is a virgin.
The queen eagerly eating the heart. Queen Esther is focused on eating that she never noticed how choices had consequences.
The very next day. The queen is vastly pregnant and is now delivering her baby into the world.
"It's a girl."
Queen Esther is pleased and happy that she has a daughter to raise and care for.
She named her golden-haired daughter Albertina princess of Longtrellis.
She gave a King's funeral where she invited everyone including relatives and other courtiers even commoners to attend the King's funeral.
She was not the only one that gave birth miracle child.
The servant girl has also given birth to a dark-haired daughter whom she named Alberta. The Queen who loved her child so dearly, yet the servant girl hated hers.
Years went and went as the two girls were as different as the sun and the moon.
Albertina is quite a princess that is beautiful, smart, and very well kind heart, but firm in the makings of Queen someday. She is beloved by all and the Queen loved her and gave in whatever desire.
On Princess Albertina's birthday, she wished for one gift that is so special that no one had.
"Mother, what I desire that more than anything is for a friend of my own whom I can trust and loyal to me alone."
Queen Esther sends a letter to the Blue Fairy to make such a gift for her daughter's birthday.
"Queen Esther I will create a friend whom your daughter desire is not of human, but an animal."
The Blue Fairy instructed the Queen to allow her to wait at the stables once the sun rises on the seventh day.
Princess Albertina is excited to have a gift for herself.
The Blue Fairy presents the most beautiful animal that she had ever seen.
An Andalusian horse whose coat is pure as white snow.
Queen Esther demanded the Blue Fairy, "What is the meaning of this?! I gave my daughter the best horses in all the lands. What makes this horse anything special!?"
"My queen, I am not any horse that your daughter had."
Both the Queen and princess were shocked and surprised by this new voice. "Did that horse talk?"
"Indeed, I did, my princess" The magical talking horse spoke.
"This will be your daughter's protector and friend for this horse will be her friend loyal to her."
Albertina squealed in happiness, "Thank you, mother! Thank you, Mrs. Fairy this is the best birthday gift ever!"
"I declare your name. Falada!" Albertina loved Falada with all her heart. Albertina is happily taken Falada to ride everywhere she goes with her knights by her side.
Queen Esther is pleased that Albertina is happy with her gift.
The news came for the fifteenth-year old princess.
"My dear, precious child whom I loved more than all the treasure in the world. It is high time that you are to meet your betrothed. I invited all available bachelors to seek your hand in marriage." Queen announced to her daughter and mutter to herself, "Though I prefer not to marry you off at all."
Princess Albertina bowed her head and said, "If that is your wish." Like every dutiful princess must obey her sire.
Inside her mind and heart, she is full of tears and sorrows.
She stays with her beloved friend in the stables Falada.
"Oh, I hate that my hand is offered by others, yet I fear that I am a pawn for everyone's game." Falada bopped her head to comfort her princess.
"If your mother this, her heart would break in two."
"Yes, you're right. I must uphold my duty."
That night in the ball, many rich noblemen and princes from other kingdoms came to seek her hand in marriage.
Princess Albertina is bored out of her mind. None of these bachelors are good enough for her.
Many of them bragged that they are brave knights, good powerful lords, or very rich.
Yet one stood out.
A prince from a further away kingdom.
His name is George from Highhills kingdom. Albertina fell for him when she saw him.
"You should not be besotted by that prince." A voice came from the garden that night when Albertina wished to visit Falada.
"Gasp! Who are you?" She tries to uphold her voice.
A man came forward adult human being, his skin takes on a golden reflection that according to the brightness may appear as green or gray, his eyes dilate and become amber, his teeth rotten appearing yellow, his hair takes on a reddish tinge and is disheveled and finally his nails become black.
"Who am I, Dearie?" He bowed and took her hand. "I am Rumpelstiltskin, the Dark One." He kisses her hand.
The Princess stood still as if she fears that he would be most displeased that snatching away her hand would mean death.
Rumpelstiltskin giggles in amusement. He is secretly pleased that she is turning out beautiful, but it is her hair that shines like gold. Something like that intrigued him.
"What you mean I must be careful with the prince I am besotted with?"
"That is because your prince does not love. Your prince is a buffoon that is easily manipulated into his false ideas of good deeds and not good political deals. I came to warn you that he is easily misleading you into false happiness. Look." He pointed to the other side where she saw her prince and the servant girl, Alberta.
They looked at each like lover and kiss one another.
"You just have to do as I said, and I will be able to be a real princess," Alberta suggested to the prince.
It was all Alberta's idea. She blames the queen and princess for everything. Like mother never loves her or cares about her. Albertina get's everything and she has nothing. She saw this as a chance to get revenge and destroy the kingdom.
Albertina looked and shook her head. She quickly left and didn't know that the Dark One followed her.
"I refuse to believe that. You are the Dark One. You do nothing but make lies and demands of deals."
Then he appeared in front of her.
"Then I propose a deal. If he is your true love then I will do nothing. However, if I am right then I shall take you away and be my caretaker plus bring your Falada with you. Deal?"
Princess Albertina looked hesitant, but she firmly believes he is wrong. She took his hand and said "Deal."
Instead of shaking it, he kisses her hand again.
So, then after spending every awaken moment with her prince that resulted from the downfall of Longtrellis kingdom.
Invaders from the prince's side attack their beloved Kingdom.
Queen Esther and princess Albertina were tied and kneel before the Prince and Alberta.
"You Bastard! You dare usurped your queen!" Queen Esther snarled in fury. Princess Albertina looked defeated as she couldn't believe that she fall for such foolishness.
Alberta mocked the queen by wearing her crown.
The false bride said, "She deserves no better fate than to be stripped stark naked and put in a barrel that is studded inside with sharp nails. Two white horses should be hitched to it, and they should drag her along through one street after another until she is dead."
Queen Esther died most horribly.
"MOTHER!" Princess Albertina cried in sorrow that many of their people look on. She felt hatred and anger that no one is coming to her rescue.
Alberta did on the final nail to the coffin.
Soon afterward the false bride said to the young king, "Dearest husband, I beg you to do me a favor."
He answered, "I will do so gladly."
"Then send for the knacker, and have the head of the horse which I rode here cut off, for it angered me on the way." Thus it happened that faithful Falada had to die.
That was the final straw.
She called upon the Dark One.
"Rumpelstiltskin!" She cried out his name. The storm swirls around them and came upon them.
"Well, dearie?"
Princess Albertina tearfully glared and said, "If you destroy my enemies, then I am your willing slave for life."
Yes, that glee on his face that he allowed everyone to suffer from a great fire. Screams and agony of everyone's pain please her. When Rumpelstiltskin untie her, she took a knife and stab Alberta's womb.
"I will send you to hell instead!" Those were her last words she gave to Alberta as she gasped and lay on the ground.
"Please take Falada with us!" She begs the Dark One. He nodded since she secretly has plans for her horse anyway.
He took the head of Falada and spirited them away from the burning kingdom of Longtrellis.
Princess Albertina is pronounced dead and all of the Kingdom of Longtrellis is a blackened wasteland.
Princess Albertina kneels at his castle as she eagerly waited for him to have Falada cut off her head and nailed it securely beneath the dark gateway.
Her new life changes as his caretaker, but Rumpelstiltskin gave her special care.
"My dear, would you like to learn magic?"
Albertina as a girl's name is related to the Old German name Alberta. The meaning of Albertina is "noble".
Alberta Meaning. Noble and Bright. Alberta is a feminine given name. It is derived from the Germanic words adal "noble" and beraht "right".
Few events came from the movie, Tale of Tales(2015 film) about a queen who is consumed by her wish for a child.