2x19 ; It's always darkest before the dawn
Becca and Snow were eating lunch, talking, when suddenly Daniel walked in and sat down.
“Snow”, he said.
Snow looked up in surprise.
“Charming kind of made me promise not to tell you, but I need to tell you.”
“Tell what?” Becca asked.
“Why he left.”
Snow stared at him. “He told me he left because he didn’t love me anymore.”
“That’s not true”, Daniel said eagerly, as he put food on his plate at the same time.
“Spill it!” Becca snapped.
“Do you know his uncle?” Daniel asked. “Uncle George?”
“Charming doesn’t talk about his family”, Snow said.
“Okay, well, he’s really bossy, and scary, and violent, from what Charming’s told me. And he came here.”
“Charming’s uncle was here?” Becca asked in disbelief.
“Yes, and he told Charming to go home”, Daniel said.
“Charming can make his own decisions, Daniel”, Snow said quietly.
“Not when his uncle is threatening to kill you”, Daniel said.
Both Snow and Becca went quiet.
Daniel started to eat, letting the dust fall.
“He left me because he wanted to protect me?” Snow asked after a small moment.
“Yes”, Daniel said. “I just thought you should know.”
“Thank you”, Snow smiled. “Thank you”, and with that she got up and ran out of the room.
“Now she’s going to try to get him back”, Becca said.
“Seems like it.”
Snow ran right into Red on her way to her room, and they both fell.
“Ow”, Red muttered as she got up. “Hey!” she gasped as she noticed it was Snow.
“Hi! I’m sorry. I’m in a hurry”, Snow got up.
“We need to talk”, Red said, and ran after Snow as she kept running.
“Sorry”, Snow said. “I have to go out, and I need to get dressed in something warm, because it’s snowing-“
“Why didn’t you tell me about Charming?” Red asked.
Snow paused while going through her huge closet-room.
“I didn’t want to bother you”, she said.
“But you told Becca.”
“She’s my sister”, Snow said. “And she figured it out on her own.”
“Are you mad at me?” Red asked.
“Of course not. I just knew you and Daniel had been through a lot already, so..”
“But I still would have liked to know what’s going on with you”, Red said.
“It’s not like I asked you, either”, Snow said. “Listen, I really can’t chat now. I’m sorry, but it just is what it is right now.”
Red sighed, and nodded. “So, where are you going?”
“To get Charming back”, Snow said.
“Did he go back to his Kingdom?”
“Yes, and I can’t lose him again. I thought he left because he didn’t love me anymore, but he didn’t”, Snow smiled. “He left because he thought I was in danger.”
“So what are you going to do?” Red asked.
“I’m going to tell him that he doesn’t need to worry about me, and that I want him to come back”, Snow said as she put on her coat.
“Do you want some company?”
“No, I think I have to do this alone”, Snow said. “But thank you”, she pulled Red in for a hug before running out of the room.
Eric was standing in a huge hall. He was observing as almost all of the citizens of the Kingdom were in little booths voting. Voting for the next Queen. He wasn’t the only one supervising. About fifty of the soldiers were around the room, and at the entrance, making sure nothing would go wrong. Suddenly someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned around to see Becca standing in front of him.
“Oh, hi. When did you get here?”
“Just now”, she said, and stood next to him. “They’re all voting for Snow.”
“You don’t know that”, Eric said.
“But I do know that. And I’ve made peace with that. She’ll be a great Queen”, Becca said.
“So could you. We don’t know who’ll win”, Eric said.
Becca smiled. “We’re not together. There’s no need to be nice to me anymore.”
“You forget that we were friends before. I have every reason to be nice to you”, Eric smiled back.
Becca smirked. “Thank you.”
Snow was just on her way out the door when Jefferson suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“To see Charming”, Snow smiled eagerly. “He didn’t leave me because he wanted to-“
“I know, Daniel told me. But you’re not seriously going to ride by horseback all the way there”, Jefferson said. “You barely even know the way.”
“And you do?”
“Of course I do. I’m a magician, I do shows in every Kingdom”, Jefferson said. “Let me go.”
Snow noticed that he was wearing a coat as well. “I couldn’t ask you to go for me.”
“I will bring Charming back for you. Because he makes you happy”, Jefferson said. “Just let me go.”
Snow smiled and hugged him. “Bring him back to me.”
“I will”, Jefferson said, pulled away and opened the door. “We’ll be back before you know it”, and then he was gone.
The voting was over, and the soldiers came to collect the notes from the little boxes, and Becca bit her lip.
“They’re not going to count the score until tomorrow”, Eric said.
“I know”, Becca sighed. “I know, I know. I’m just… I don’t want to lose it.”
Eric smiled sadly. “I’m sure things won’t be different.”
“They should be. I was an awful Queen”, Becca said. “But I think I deserve a second chance. And even if I don’t, shouldn’t I get one? Besides, Snow is younger than me, and she’s not married, there’s no real reason for her to become Queen instead of me.”
“You said you were fine with it”, Eric chuckled.
“Well, I might have kind of.. lied. But I’m a good sister now. I’m going to be a great sister, and a great sister won’t be jealous when her great sister becomes Queen instead of her.”
“It’s okay to be jealous”, Eric said. “As long as you don’t act upon it.”
Becca nodded.
“Has she forgiven you for Jefferson yet?” Eric said.
“I think so. Besides, I was wrong. She doesn’t love him anymore. It’s all about Charming”, Becca said.
“Who is gone.”
“She’s going to get him back. And then they’ll get married and live happily ever after”, Becca muttered.
“Do I hear bitterness in your voice?”
“Just a small amount”, Becca smiled, and Eric laughed.
Red was watching as Grace and Peter took a walk in the snowy garden. It was beautiful. And they seemed so happy.
“I guess no more apples, right?” Snow smiled as she stood next to her by the window.
“They still seem okay”, Red said.
“That’s because Becca told Eric to enchant the tree a long time ago. It never stops blooming”, Snow said.
“You didn’t go after all?”
“Jefferson offered to leave in my place”, Snow said.
Red raised her eyebrows, but nodded.
“I kissed him”, Snow said.
“Who?”
“Jefferson.”
“Oh”, Red’s eyes widened. “Why?”
“Because I thought I still loved him like I used to. But turns out I didn’t. And turns out he agrees”, Snow said.
“He doesn’t love you anymore, then?” Red chuckled. “Then why did he go and get Charming back for you?”
“Because he’s my best friend”, Snow snapped.
Red sighed. “Best friend?”
“Well”, Snow smiled a little. “Second best friend.”
Red chuckled. “So I’m still first?”
“You know you are”, Snow smiled and hugged her.
After a long, long time travelling, Jefferson reached Charming’s castle. He tied his horse to a tree and walked through the village, quite like the one in Snow’s Kingdom, and walked to the gates of the castle. No guards anywhere. That seemed strange to him.
And as he reached the doors, they opened. Of course it was a trap, but he had no choice. He had to find Charming and bring him back to Snow.
Becca and Snow were eating lunch, talking, when suddenly Daniel walked in and sat down.
“Snow”, he said.
Snow looked up in surprise.
“Charming kind of made me promise not to tell you, but I need to tell you.”
“Tell what?” Becca asked.
“Why he left.”
Snow stared at him. “He told me he left because he didn’t love me anymore.”
“That’s not true”, Daniel said eagerly, as he put food on his plate at the same time.
“Spill it!” Becca snapped.
“Do you know his uncle?” Daniel asked. “Uncle George?”
“Charming doesn’t talk about his family”, Snow said.
“Okay, well, he’s really bossy, and scary, and violent, from what Charming’s told me. And he came here.”
“Charming’s uncle was here?” Becca asked in disbelief.
“Yes, and he told Charming to go home”, Daniel said.
“Charming can make his own decisions, Daniel”, Snow said quietly.
“Not when his uncle is threatening to kill you”, Daniel said.
Both Snow and Becca went quiet.
Daniel started to eat, letting the dust fall.
“He left me because he wanted to protect me?” Snow asked after a small moment.
“Yes”, Daniel said. “I just thought you should know.”
“Thank you”, Snow smiled. “Thank you”, and with that she got up and ran out of the room.
“Now she’s going to try to get him back”, Becca said.
“Seems like it.”
Snow ran right into Red on her way to her room, and they both fell.
“Ow”, Red muttered as she got up. “Hey!” she gasped as she noticed it was Snow.
“Hi! I’m sorry. I’m in a hurry”, Snow got up.
“We need to talk”, Red said, and ran after Snow as she kept running.
“Sorry”, Snow said. “I have to go out, and I need to get dressed in something warm, because it’s snowing-“
“Why didn’t you tell me about Charming?” Red asked.
Snow paused while going through her huge closet-room.
“I didn’t want to bother you”, she said.
“But you told Becca.”
“She’s my sister”, Snow said. “And she figured it out on her own.”
“Are you mad at me?” Red asked.
“Of course not. I just knew you and Daniel had been through a lot already, so..”
“But I still would have liked to know what’s going on with you”, Red said.
“It’s not like I asked you, either”, Snow said. “Listen, I really can’t chat now. I’m sorry, but it just is what it is right now.”
Red sighed, and nodded. “So, where are you going?”
“To get Charming back”, Snow said.
“Did he go back to his Kingdom?”
“Yes, and I can’t lose him again. I thought he left because he didn’t love me anymore, but he didn’t”, Snow smiled. “He left because he thought I was in danger.”
“So what are you going to do?” Red asked.
“I’m going to tell him that he doesn’t need to worry about me, and that I want him to come back”, Snow said as she put on her coat.
“Do you want some company?”
“No, I think I have to do this alone”, Snow said. “But thank you”, she pulled Red in for a hug before running out of the room.
Eric was standing in a huge hall. He was observing as almost all of the citizens of the Kingdom were in little booths voting. Voting for the next Queen. He wasn’t the only one supervising. About fifty of the soldiers were around the room, and at the entrance, making sure nothing would go wrong. Suddenly someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned around to see Becca standing in front of him.
“Oh, hi. When did you get here?”
“Just now”, she said, and stood next to him. “They’re all voting for Snow.”
“You don’t know that”, Eric said.
“But I do know that. And I’ve made peace with that. She’ll be a great Queen”, Becca said.
“So could you. We don’t know who’ll win”, Eric said.
Becca smiled. “We’re not together. There’s no need to be nice to me anymore.”
“You forget that we were friends before. I have every reason to be nice to you”, Eric smiled back.
Becca smirked. “Thank you.”
Snow was just on her way out the door when Jefferson suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“To see Charming”, Snow smiled eagerly. “He didn’t leave me because he wanted to-“
“I know, Daniel told me. But you’re not seriously going to ride by horseback all the way there”, Jefferson said. “You barely even know the way.”
“And you do?”
“Of course I do. I’m a magician, I do shows in every Kingdom”, Jefferson said. “Let me go.”
Snow noticed that he was wearing a coat as well. “I couldn’t ask you to go for me.”
“I will bring Charming back for you. Because he makes you happy”, Jefferson said. “Just let me go.”
Snow smiled and hugged him. “Bring him back to me.”
“I will”, Jefferson said, pulled away and opened the door. “We’ll be back before you know it”, and then he was gone.
The voting was over, and the soldiers came to collect the notes from the little boxes, and Becca bit her lip.
“They’re not going to count the score until tomorrow”, Eric said.
“I know”, Becca sighed. “I know, I know. I’m just… I don’t want to lose it.”
Eric smiled sadly. “I’m sure things won’t be different.”
“They should be. I was an awful Queen”, Becca said. “But I think I deserve a second chance. And even if I don’t, shouldn’t I get one? Besides, Snow is younger than me, and she’s not married, there’s no real reason for her to become Queen instead of me.”
“You said you were fine with it”, Eric chuckled.
“Well, I might have kind of.. lied. But I’m a good sister now. I’m going to be a great sister, and a great sister won’t be jealous when her great sister becomes Queen instead of her.”
“It’s okay to be jealous”, Eric said. “As long as you don’t act upon it.”
Becca nodded.
“Has she forgiven you for Jefferson yet?” Eric said.
“I think so. Besides, I was wrong. She doesn’t love him anymore. It’s all about Charming”, Becca said.
“Who is gone.”
“She’s going to get him back. And then they’ll get married and live happily ever after”, Becca muttered.
“Do I hear bitterness in your voice?”
“Just a small amount”, Becca smiled, and Eric laughed.
Red was watching as Grace and Peter took a walk in the snowy garden. It was beautiful. And they seemed so happy.
“I guess no more apples, right?” Snow smiled as she stood next to her by the window.
“They still seem okay”, Red said.
“That’s because Becca told Eric to enchant the tree a long time ago. It never stops blooming”, Snow said.
“You didn’t go after all?”
“Jefferson offered to leave in my place”, Snow said.
Red raised her eyebrows, but nodded.
“I kissed him”, Snow said.
“Who?”
“Jefferson.”
“Oh”, Red’s eyes widened. “Why?”
“Because I thought I still loved him like I used to. But turns out I didn’t. And turns out he agrees”, Snow said.
“He doesn’t love you anymore, then?” Red chuckled. “Then why did he go and get Charming back for you?”
“Because he’s my best friend”, Snow snapped.
Red sighed. “Best friend?”
“Well”, Snow smiled a little. “Second best friend.”
Red chuckled. “So I’m still first?”
“You know you are”, Snow smiled and hugged her.
After a long, long time travelling, Jefferson reached Charming’s castle. He tied his horse to a tree and walked through the village, quite like the one in Snow’s Kingdom, and walked to the gates of the castle. No guards anywhere. That seemed strange to him.
And as he reached the doors, they opened. Of course it was a trap, but he had no choice. He had to find Charming and bring him back to Snow.