All That Was Me (OUAT Fanfiction)

Preparations

Tomorrow we’ll be far away

Tomorrow is the judgment day

Tomorrow we’ll discover  

What our God in Heaven has in store  

(“One Day More,” Les Miserables)

Chapter 6: Preparations

             Over time, I was able to piece together what was going on in the Enchanted Forest. Most of the information came from Granny, Red and Robin. It had been decided that it was best no one outside the council knew I was from another world. Everyone just thought Boston was another land neighboring the Enchanted Forest. 

            “The Queen came from another world,” Robin explained after the decision. “People are wary of others who can travel between the worlds now.” 

            “I can imagine.” Especially if I was right about where the Queen came from. 

            Red told me that the Queen (always “the Queen” as if saying her name would summon her) was born here in the Enchanted Forest. She was somehow transported to the other world while still a baby. She returned as a teenager and reuniting with her mother, now the widow of a baron with a modest fortune. After the Queen rescued a young Snow White, the widowed king proposed to the young woman. 

            Jealous of the attention her new husband paid to his daughter, the Queen convinced him to send Snow away to live in another palace with her faithful nurse, Johanna. Red told me about this as we cleaned the cottage one day. “She used her magic. She’s a witch, you know.” 

            “I figured,” I said, pushing the mop across the floor. “So what happened next?” 

            Red frowned as she cleaned the dishes. “Snow doesn’t talk about it much. But when she was sixteen, she was summoned for a ball and the next morning, King Leopold was dead. The Queen blamed Snow, forcing her to flee for her life. The Queen then used that to declare herself the ruler. She’s been terrorizing us ever since.” 

            “Snow is the rightful queen, which is why my men and I helped their cause anyway we could. We recognized that fact before well…you know.” Pain flashed in Robin’s eyes and I knew he was thinking of Marian. He turned from me, pretending to focus on Roland as he played in the courtyard. I changed the subject. 

            Granny had more to say on the subject as she helped me dress one morning. “Snow is the rightful queen and we all want her on the throne. She’ll be fair, just and kind. Unlike that wicked stepmother of hers. Sic’ing those winged creatures on poor townspeople, taxing us into poverty, and arresting people who look at her funny—these are dark times indeed.” 

            I nodded. “Sound like it. I had an encounter with the flying monkeys. Horrifying.” 

            “Monkeys? Are those what those beasts are? You have them in your world?” 

            “Monkeys, yes. They don’t have wings though,” I said. “They’re adorable since they aren’t attacking us.” 

            “I’ll take your word on that.” Granny handed me a plate filled with food. “Can you bring that to Robin? He tends to forget to eat when he’s preparing for a mission.” 

            “Mission? What mission?” 

            Granny paused before shaking her head. “I’m sorry, Regina. I can’t tell you.”