Worlds Colliding (Once Upon A Time) Book One (Dedicated to @MakiSakura)

chapter 18 - The Stable Boy

Regina scoffed, turning around. "You need a favor from me?"

"Well, as you know, there are battery charges against me, pending," Gold told her. "I really don't relish the thought of spending any more time locked up in a cage. Now, someone with your influence could make the DA suddenly realize what a flimsy case they have." He walked over to a table. "Isn't that right, your majesty?"

Gold picked up an apple.

"What do I get out of it?" Regina asked.

Gold smirked. "Help with your Mary Margaret problem. You see, I've noticed that no matter how hard you seem to try to stop them, she and her charming friend just keep finding ways to be together."

Regina sat down. "What are you suggesting?"

Gold pointedly set the apple down, sitting. "If you want to inflict pain, then you must inflict pain. If something tragic were to happen to David's wife, and if Mary Margaret should take the blame..."

"She'd be ruined," Regina finished.

Gold smirked. "And you'd have your victory, at last."

"A trial could be very messy," Regina pointed out.

Gold chuckled. "A trial? Now who said anything about a trial? No, once Miss Blanchard has been incarcerated, you can plant one of your lovely skeleton keys in her cell, and once she tries to leave Storybrooke, well... we all know what happens to people who attempt to leave town."

Regina leaned forward. "Why would you do this to your daughter? Freya, or Priscilla's best friend is Snow/Mary Margaret."

"I need Cilla's help, so it seems, so I need to be Mary Margaret's legal counsel to make a deal with my own daughter, appearing to help Priscilla's best friend," Gold answered. "I will figure it out from there."

"Give me one good reason why I should trust you, since you're going behind your own daughter's back again to manipulate Freya into joining you for whatever you need her for," Regina told him.

Gold stood, taking the apple. "Because I always honor my agreements. Do we have a deal?"

Gold tossed Regina the apple, which she caught with a smirk.

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Flashback 1

Enchanted Forest

Day - Mills Home - Outside

Regina and Alcina, young adults at the time, free and good and pure, were riding horses on a training field by their home, racing each other good-naturedly, both smiling and laughing.

Their father Henry was watching proudly. "Yes!" He chuckled. Regina and Alcina finished, dismounting. "Ah, that's beautiful, sweethearts."

Henry embraced both of his daughters.

"Oh, thank you, Daddy," Alcina told him.

Cora approached with their servant, a male named Rave, and the stable boy, Daniel. "Beautiful?" She scoffed. "I'd hardly call that beautiful."

"You didn't like it, Mother?" Alcina asked.

"You ride like men," Cora criticized. "Ladies should be graceful. You should use saddles."

Alcina chuckled. "We were just having fun."

"You're getting a little old for fun," Cora told them. "Who's going to want to marry you when you behave like commoners?"