The Other Side of the Mirror

Preface: The Enchanted Forest a long time ago....

Regina laid in her bed holding her newborn daughter in her arms. "She's beautiful." One of the lady's maids said. Before Regina could answer, the bed chamber door swung open.

"That. She. Is." Cora mocked as she strode into the room. "Mother, how did you know I was even here?" Cora raised an eyebrow. "After all this time, you still don't get it. I control everything."

"Mother, please." Regina begged from the bed. "You cannot take her."

Cora sighed. "Do you really think I did all this work for you to be Queen, only to have you run off and raise a bastard child?"

Regina sobbed. "I married the King like you wanted. I was able to keep her a secret, please just let me say I found her somewhere. The King doesn't have to know she's mine. I won't give her up. She's Daniel's child. Please, mother. She's all I have left of him."

Cora looked sympathetic. As if she was considering it. "Alright, let me see her then." Regina reluctantly let Cora hold the baby. The baby cooed and yawned. Her eyes were still closed as if she was tired from her 4 hour delivery.

"She looks like you did." Cora commented. Regina smiled. This was happening. She was going to have her happiness.

For those few moments it didn't matter that Regina had a loveless marriage, a tattle-telling step-daughter or a cruel childhood. She was going to have her baby.

Cora nodded, suddenly broken from a trance. "I'll make sure she goes to a rich family and not some poor beggars who can't feed her."

"NO! You can't. You just can't do this." Regina sobbed. But Cora didn't care. Regina would just have to understand someday.

Cora exited the room with swift steps, taking the baby with her. She left a sobbing Regina in the bed, still unable to move or go after her.

Cora brought the baby girl to the only man she trusted to find her a good home.

"What is the little one's name?" Rumplestiltskin of course asked.

Cora hesitated. If she named her something sentimental like 'Danielle' Regina would inevitably find her.

"Juliet." Cora decided.

Rumple always followed through on his deals. But he was still dealing with the loss of his son, Bae and decided to keep this baby to himself for once. He sensed she would hold great magical properties. She was a product of true love after all. Juliet remained with Rumple for many years until she too, saw the error of his ways and ran away.

Regina swore she would never forgive her mother after that. It wasn't too long after the removal of her daughter that Regina swore never to have children again and pushed Cora through the looking glass in the hopes of having her revenge.

But a small part of her always wondered what happened to her baby. If only she knew that her greatest teacher of magic had kept them separated by choice.