Once Upon A Time ~ Book 1

Chapter 73 - What Happened To Frederick

The two men, Princess Abigail and Charming rode through the forest on their horses.
"We have reached my father's realm. We should be safe here." said Abigail to Charming as they began to slow down.
Charming jumped from his horse and Abigail did the same.
"I have provisions waiting for you." she took a brown satchel that she had hidden in tree and handed it to him.
He grabbed it from her. "I can't take any if it. Not until you tell me what's really going on." he threw the satchel accross the earthen ground.
"I told you I'm just........" she started.
"Stop playing games!" he grasped her arm and one of the men stepped closer. Abigail lifted her hand to signal him to stop. The man stopped.
"If you have no feelings for me as you've said, why show me any kindness at all? What haven't you told me?"
She shrugged from his grasp. "This isn't about you, James........ It's me......... I dint want to marry you because my heart also belongs to another. A man I once was to wed, a man named Frederick."
"What happened?" he said a little more kindly.
"We all have our own tragedies. Lost love being the worst. I thought reuniting you with yours might grant me some consolation."
"Well, I'm afraid I'm not able to help you, then."
She looked at him, confused.
"My love told me in no uncertain terms that she does not feel for me as I do for her. Can't fight for something that doesn't exist. So, there's my tragedy."
"That's no tragedy........ Come." she held out her hand.
Charming looked down at it, then took it.
"Follow me."
They walked through the forest and then reached a golden statue of a man in armour, brandishing a sword.
"A moment, please." Abigail said to the gaurds by the statue, her voice breaking.
The gaurds walked away and Charming and Abigail stood in front of the statue.
"This is where my beloved Frederick sacrificed his life."
"I'm sorry."
She stepped closer to the statue.
"Did he die in battle?"
"We were travelling with my father, King Midas, when our caravan was ambushed. Frederick bravely defended us. And was cut down saving my father's life."
Charming stood by the statue, listening. "It's a fitting tribute. The craftsmanship is remarkable." he said admiring the detailed statue. "I've never seen anything quite so lifelike."
"That's because the armour you're touching is actually Frederick's."
"Excuse me?"
"It's not a statue........ Frederick saw the attack when no one else did and threw himself in front of my father, knocking him to his safety. Because of my father's curse, he was instantly turned to gold."
"All curses can be broken."
She stepped even closer to the statue.
"Have you tried true loves kiss?"
"Until my lips bled."
"The gold got in the way...... There must be something else to do."
She looked at him. "There is legend of a lake, Lake Nostos. It's water is said to have magical properties that can return to you something that was once lost."
"And yet you haven't tryed it?"
"Of course I have. But the lake is gaurded by a ghastly creature that drowns it's victims. No one who's ever faced it has lived to return."
"Don't give up hope just yet. I will face this guardian and return with the water that will undo this wretched curse."
"None have succeeded."
"None have my fearless bravery."
"Or fearless disregard for their own safety."
"Either way, one of us should have our happiness."
She shook her head. "And if you die, neither of us will."
"No, not true. Don't you understand? If I succeed, you will be reunited with Frederick and your misery ends. If I fail, the misery that ends will be mine."
She stared at him and gazed at the statue of her beloved Frederick.

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August stood in a cellar, dipping some pages from Henry's fairytale book into a liquid and hanging them carefully on a line above him. He then took a page that had dried and added it to a few more pages. He binded the pages, sticking them together gently.

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Henry sat in the Mayor's office, on the couch next to his mother, Regina.
Regina had given him a gift raped in blue and sliver ribbons.
"Go on. Open it." she chuckled.
"What's the occasion?" Henry asked.
"The occasion is I love you....... Go on."
He looked at the box then opened it. Inside there was a game console. He took it out.
"Now, I know you miss your book. But with this, you can do the heroics. You can save the princesses. You can be the hero."
He looked at the game console, with no excitement.
"Henry, you have to believe me, when I tore down the playground, I did it for you're safety. Please don't be upset with me. I really didn't mean to destroy you're book."
He put his gift back in the box and closed it. "It's not just the book."
"Okay, then what is it?"
"It's Emma. I want to see her."
Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Kathryn stepped inside, tear stained and heartbroken.
"Regina, you got a....... I'm sorry." she said when she saw Henry.
"Oh, don't worry about it." said Regina. "Henry, why don't you get home and start your homework. I'll be there in a bit and we can have dinner." she said to Henry.
Henry got up and walked out of the room. Regina looked down at her feet, her face full of disappointment.
Kathryn walked towards her and began to cry.
"Oh, Kathryn, what is it?"
She sighed. "It's David...... He's leaving me."
Regina shook her head. "That little home wrecker."
"Excuse me?"
"She just couldn't stay away, could she?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Why, Mary Margaret, of course."
"What's Mary Margaret got to do with this?"
Regina opened her mouth but didn't say anything.
"What's Mary Margaret got to do with any of this?" she said louder this time. She stepped closer to her. "Regina, do you know something?"
"They've been having an affair."
Kathryn cryed and put her head in her hands. "How do you know this? How? Did you see something?"
"I saw pictures.... Sidney was always looking for scandal. It sells papers. He showed me."
Kathryn walked away her face in her hands again.
"I buried them, of course."
"Show me."
"Kathryn.........." she started. "Show me." she demanded, tears streaming down her face.
Regina walked to her desk and picked up an envelop. She held it out to her.
She took it and pulled out the photos. She cryed as she looked at the pictures of David and Mary Margaret kissing by the side of the street. She shook her head. "Why didn't you tell me?" she cryed.
"Because I thought you two were working it out. I wanted you to work it out. Believe me, I want you two together."
"Why? Why do you care about any of this?"
"Because I'm your friend."
"No, you're not. A friend wouldn't do this. A friend wouldn't lie........ Everyone is lying to me." she cryed and she walked to the door, the pictures in her hands.