Maybe it's All About Timing

Danielle Ch5-Part 1

"Heal her?" Daniel asked, his voice tinged with worry. "Is... Is she ill?"

Blue gave her most disingenuous painted smile and said in a sugary voice, "No, Daniel, she is not ill, and it won't harm her in the slightest, but she must consume every single drop... We have brought your spirit back for a limited time, only for this momentous experience. As Hades has already noted, this is a privilege. Go on, you must feed her now."

The former stableboy held his daughter tightly in his arms, feeling a deep sense of unease. He had been powerless to save her mother from Cora's sorcery, and he could not bear the thought of failing his daughter this very moment.

Drawing upon his paternal instinct, Daniel stood his ground, his voice firm and resolute. "I'm not feeding her something that is unknown to me," he stated. "What is the purpose of this?" His daughter shifted in his arms, her little head turning from side to side as she snuggled closer to his chest, whimpering softly. Her tiny lips formed an 'o' shape as she sought nourishment from him... a reminder of her mother's absence... 'Wait.' Daniel's voice rose in alarm as the realization dawned on him, "Where is Regina? W-what have you done with her?!"

Blue and Hades were growing increasingly irritated with the ex-stable boy's ceaseless inquiries. Hades' flaming head was a telling sign of the displeasure he was feeling.

The God of the underworld replied sternly, "She didn't want the little critter; she gave it up to the fairies, and Blue here is her Fairy Godmother. It is-

Daniel abruptly interjected his supposed uncle and retorted in a hostile manner, exclaiming, "Regina would never! I refuse to believe you!" He knew Regina better than she knew herself. She had a big heart and loved fiercely. She would never abandon their child - it was an absurd accusation. The vivid visions of Regina and their daughter in his mind were a testament to his insight of the kind of woman and mother she is.

His uncle is an awful liar.

"You sure about that... stableboy," Hades said with a sly smirk as he waved his hand and conjured a shimmering crystal ball in his palm, revealing an image of Regina, the roundness of her belly unmistakable, her voice clear as she said the words that made Daniel's throat tighten, "I'm not sure I even want this baby anymore."

Blue sighed in frustration, as she had come to the realization that Hades was an imbecile, dangerously close to destroying their entire plan. She knew she had to take matters into her own hands. Putting on a serious yet compassionate expression, she fabricated a partly believable lie for the ex-stableboy.

"Daniel, after Cora killed you, Regina was forced to marry King Leopold. As you know, the baby is not biologically Leo's. This put Regina in a difficult situation with her unborn child." Blue swallowed and continued, "She trusted me to take care of the little one, knowing that the knowledge of the baby's paternity could lead to treason if the King ever found out it is indeed a bastard."

She paused for emphasis, ensuring that Daniel was listening. "You see, Daniel, there is a prophecy. It speaks of your daughter. She will soon possess powerful magic, and one day it might become too much for her to control, to the point where she could possibly harm innocent people. You witnessed firsthand what powerful dark magic can do from Regina's mother. Do you really want that same fate for... Danielle?"

Daniel felt a deep sense of conflict battling in his mind upon learning of his daughter's prophecy. He could only imagine the difficulty and pain Regina had gone through in making the decision to give away their daughter. He had failed her. He wished he could erase her pain, the blame she must be feeling for having to make such a heartbreaking choice. Daniel wished he had been there to shield them both, to be the protector that he should have been. He had failed Regina, his love, his fiancée, the mother of his child. She did not deserve this fate.