[Just a moment later]
"So, who is this man?" asked the Evil Queen.
"Well, he doesn't have a name!" replied Dr Facilier.
"Then how will you get him for me?"
"Leave that to me."
"No! I want him now, Facilier! If this was a scam..."
"I know, I know! Don't mess with the Evil Queen. He is right now in a pub south of the kingdom in the village."
"Which village? There are hundreds spread out throughout the kingdom."
"I mean south, very south, if you get what I mean."
"No... not there."
"Well that is where you will find him, Your Majesty. In the village known as-"
"I know what it's called! I did live there after all."
"Then you must also know where the pub is, it is the only one in the village but I must warn you, Your Majesty, he is tough to win over."
"Oh I will win for sure, he will do whatever I ask of him; after all, I am the queen."
"Ha!" laughed Dr Facilier. "It seems you have never known anyone on the... wild side."
"Whatever do you mean?"
"You'll find out."
[At the village]
The Evil Queen didn't take any guards or fancy carriages with her to her home village, she wanted to see casual and not to intimidating as a first appearance, this man could be the only one to capture Snow White for her and she needed to make a good first impression. As she walked around the village, she stared as everyone ran into their houses as soon as they saw her face; fearing that she would kill them.
"The village looks exactly the same as all of those years ago." she said. "Nothing... changed apart from me."
It felt weird being this person again, she had been queen for a while now and had all of the luxuries in her palace and suddenly, be just a normal citizen again apart from the fact that she wore a crown, a dress and lots of jewelry. She decided to take the long route to the pub so that she couldn't make any contact with her old home and when she eventually made it to the pub, she went inside. As she opened the doors, there was no respect for her. Whenever the Evil Queen enters a room, everyone stops talking and faces her direction but here, no one even bothered to glance at her. The Evil Queen wasn't sure how to react. Kill them all? Lock them all in a dungeon? Demand attention? She couldn't figure out what to do so she just took a seat.
"One wine please." said the Evil Queen.
"Yup." said the wine woman and gave her a drink.
"Gothel?" she asked.
The Evil Queen felt enraged, she was no longer 'Gothel' but the Evil Queen but she kept her cool.
"Do I know you?" asked the Evil Queen.
"Yes! It's me Ilaria. I was one of Eva's friends."
"Yes... I remember. You were the one with the idea of pouring a bucket full of mud over my head while sleeping."
"Oh, Gothel! I really am sorry about the past, but I've changed since then. I want to to be your friend."
"I see... so what has happened over the past few years."
"Oh, well, Eva was my only friend so when she became queen after the ball, I decided I had to change. I was still a bully even after Eva became good and I hated that part of myself so for years, my parents helped me become a new person and now look at where I am!"
"In a bar...?"
"No, not that! I have a wonderful family, my three children and my husband are as happy as can be."
"So you work in the bar now?"
"Yes, full time."
"So your husband must have a good job then."
"No, he works as a teacher in the local school. He teaches History."
"But how are you happy then? You don't seem that rich nor have a high status."
"Gothel, money is a thing in the past for me now. It's not about your wealth or status that matters; it's all about happiness. I don't mind barely affording to live in a home as long as I am with the people I love."
"But what about if you don't have enough money to live?"
"I can figure something out. Terrible things happen all the time, when my father died, I was lost but my family helped me keep it together."
"Oh, I'm so sorry. How did he die?"
"Old age."
"What?"
"Yeah, seventy is a great age!"
"Wow he lived long... and what about your mother."
"Sixty-seven."
"Wow, they had a child young."
"No, that's a normal age."
"Sorry?"
"Gothel, we're thirty-eight. We have the same birthday, remember?"
"Oh, yeah... woah, time flies by..."
"So what have you been doing?"
"Well when I became queen-"
"Cool! You're queen?! Which kingdom?"
"This kingdom..."
"I thought Eva was queen."
"She's been dead for about five years now."
"What?!"
"You really didn't know?"
"N-No, I had no idea... Eva's dead... how did she die?"
"I killed- uhh, she was murdered."
"Oh, no. Did you find them yet?"
"No, it's just a terrible case."
"I'm sure King Jared must be devastated, but he made a good choice marrying you."
"He's also dead."
"What?! The surprises just keep on building up... oh, and you! Oh, everyone you love is dying, I am so sorry!"
"I-It's okay. I think I'll leave you to it."
"What about your drink?"
"Oh, you can have it. You deserve it."
"Oh... okay."
"Ahh, wait!"
"Yes?"
"Do you know anyone by chance know someone in the pub who is great at hunting, knows the forest really well and has a... wild side?"
"Oh, Graham. He's a regular customer but he sure is wild and strange. He has wolves as pets, never misses a target, even if it is moving and he has major reflexes and packed with muscles."
"Yup, that's definately who I'm looking for. Where is he?"
"Table 4." pointed Ilaria.
"Thank you."
The Evil Queen went to table 4 to see so many people crowded around the table but it didn't take long to see Graham. Most of the people there were just drunks yet he was built with great amounts of muscles and wolves sat by his feet as if they were dogs.
"Hey, Graham." flirted the Evil Queen.
"Well, well, well look who's joined us boys! The queen!" laughed Graham and everyone on table 4 laughed as well.
The Evil Queen tried to keep cool and said, "I have a task for you."
"I don't really tend to do things for other people but since you're the queen... still no!"
Graham continued to laugh and the others did as well.
At this point, the Evil Queen was fed up and whispered into Graham's ear, "Dr Facilier."
Suddenly Graham stopped laughing and so did everyone else.
"Leave us!" demanded Graham and everyone left. "Have a seat."
The Evil Queen sat down, smiling, "Why thank you."
"Why do you dare to utter that name?"
"Me and him made a deal-"
"Bad idea, you can't trust him-"
"Let me speak! I have had enough with your attitude!" snapped the Evil Queen, slamming the table. "I've tried to ask nicely but it seems you don't wish to do as I say. Facilier and I made a deal and I want you to get me what I want!"
Graham laughed, "Who would have guessed the 'Evil Queen' had a dark side?"
"You won't be laughing when I lock you in my dungeons." said the Evil Queen, standing up and glaring at Graham to make him fear her.
"You don't scare me, wolves!"
The pack of wolves started growling at her.
"You really think that a pack of stray dogs can hurt me!"
The Evil Queen got a fire ball lit onto her hand and everyone in the pub started screaming and ran outside of the pub, except Graham.
"You can hurt me if you wish." said Graham.
"What?" asked the Evil Queen.
"I said you can kill me."
"But why?"
"I said you 'can' but it doesn't seem that you will. You need me, why else would you have made a deal with Facilier?"
The Evil Queen put the fire ball out.
Graham smirked, "Come with me outside and we can have a choice."
Graham left the pub and the Evil Queen knew she didn't have a choice and followed him. They walked to the edge of the Dark Forest.
"Why should I help you?" asked Graham.
"I have come to make a deal with you, do a task for me and all the gold-"
"Money has no value to me."
"Then what do you seek?"
"Let me tell you a story, Your Majesty. A long time ago, thirty-eight years ago to be precise, it was me (I was seven-years-old), my parents and my new-born baby sister. We had a happy life together yet we had no money. We slept on the streets and my parents couldn't get any jobs so we just sat there and begged. One day, a strange man came to us and offered us a deal, I don't remember what it was but he and my father shook hands. We moved into a large house and we had a great few months but one day, the man came back and demanded something from us and when we failed to deliver, he sent a bunch of... creatures after us. They murdered my father and I can remember seeing his soul leave his body, my mother grabbed my sister and ran outside and I tried to follow her but she was no where in sight, I saw those creatures were coming for me next so I ran in the opposite direction my mother went in and I ran into this forest - the Dark Forest. I ran for my life and when I saw the creatures gaining up on me, I knew I will die but then, wolves came and protected me. From that day, the wolves were my knew family and they taught me their ways of survival. I survived in that forest with the right help and it wasn't from the people of Versailles, but wolves. Why should I help the queen of the very kingdom that took me away from my real family?"
"Because I can offer you something."
"And what is that?"
"It is clear that wolves are your family and as the queen, I know their skin is wanted for rugs, money and many other things. I am feared across the kingdom and I have the power to stop wolf-hunting throughout the whole kingdom."
Graham was silent for a bit and then said, "What is your task?"
"For you to do what you do best... hunt."