Far Longer Than Forever

16

FAIRY TALE LAND - PAST

A young Cora arrived home to find her father passed out drunk on a wheelbarrow of sacks of grain. Next to him was another wheelbarrow full of sacks of prepared flour.

"Father," Cora called. "Father!"

"What?" the miller asked. "I'm resting."

She grabbed the bottle from his hand and smashed it against the ground. "You're always resting. The flour was due to be delivered this morning. I, for one, would like to be able to eat this week." She took the wheelbarrow of flour and headed towards the castle.

---

Cora arrived at the castle and began unloading the flour. A young Eva was there, along with King Xavier, Henry I, and the rest of their escorts. As the royal party walked past, Queen Eva tripped Cora, causing her to fall on her face and drop her bags of flour.

"You stupid, foolish girl!" Cora cried.

"What happened here?" King Xavier asked.

"Oh, the peasant fell," Queen Eva replied. "As they do."

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Cora answered.

"Not you. Eva. Are you all right, Eva?"

"Well, she ruined my slippers," Queen Eva stated.

"I don't think the girl meant any harm," Henry I noted.

"You shall receive no money for the flour, and you will apologize to Eva," King Xavier told Cora.

"Apologize?" Cora repeated. "The wench tripped me."

"Curb your tongue. This is Princess Eva from the Northern Kingdom, our honored guest. She's a very important woman."

"She's a girl."

"And who are you, miller's daughter? What's your name?"

"Cora."

"Then kneel, Cora." Cora reluctantly knelt. "Now apologize. Apologize, or this will be the last bit of flour we'll take from you. There are other millers out there."

"I beg your pardon, Princess Eva."

"Stay down until we have passed. You are where you belong."

JOLLY ROGER - PRESENT

The New York group was sailing on Hook's ship towards Storybrooke. Henry and Neal were steering the ship, while Emma and Odette tended to Mr. Gold below deck.

"You don't look comfortable," Emma said.

"The poison racing towards my heart will have that effect," Mr. Gold answered.

"Tell me about this, uh, knife of yours. Cora and Regina... If they do have it, they can make you do anything?"

"Indeed."

"Like... Kill us all?" Odette asked worriedly.

"Yeah. You're hoping I bleed to death now, aren't you?"

"You're Henry's grandfather," Emma said. "We're family now. I'm going to save you."

"Oh, I feel so reassured."

STORYBROOKE

David was talking to Mary Margaret on his cell phone. "Hey. I just talked to Emma. It's a bad wound. She says it's poison. They can only cure it back here in Storybrooke. They're taking a ship home."