1 1

Prologue:

Deals cannot be broken. That was something Cora learned the hard way.

Something that could utterly ruin everything she had worked for if Henry ever found out about it. She suspected his father thought as much. He had sent them to this forsaken palace after all, that was in the middle of freaking nowhere.

It was apparently a honeymoon present.

Sure it was.

Cora knew that when she announced her pregnancy only weeks after the wedding the king had been counting to discover the date of conception, and she couldn't exactly blame him. God knows, she would suspect with how showy she and Rumple had been.

But still, he should've had the guts to outright say it rather than to send her and her new husband to paradise.

Well, paradise if you liked being in the freaking middle of nowhere which Cora didn't.

It was just unnerving.

The only thing she was glad of was that the imp hadn't heard of her condition. She was sure that, if he had, he'd already be here to collect.

It was nice to know that her father-in-law wanted everything to be hush-hush when the inevitable came out.

She was sure he expected the babe she was carrying to be have the same scaly skin of its father, or something else that would obvious declare it the Dark One's heir. Perhaps his eerie gold eyes? Personally Cora thought it was ridiculous, but she still had thoughts of the what if's.

However, as much as she had these worries, Cora tried to reassure herself that all would be well with this child. She did not want to what happen to her eldest to happen to this babe. She could not bear it.

Cora still wondered what had become of her little girl. Was she happy? She didn't want to think about the fate of another child, even if it was his. Although, she had to admit that Rumple was probably a better father than the Gardener. At least he had wanted to be with her and had wanted a baby. However, he was not what Cora wanted. And as far as she was concerned he would not raise this baby.

It would be Henry's. An heir to the crown. Fifth in line, admittedly, but Cora could work on that, and no one could stop her, not even Rumple. If he confronted her about it she could lie. Of course, she knew Rumple. He wouldn't stop pushing, especially when he felt like she owed him something.

His child.

The child she was carrying in her womb. Cora did not know how she was going to just get around that.

"You could give the child to me."

She turned around to see what appeared to be a wizard of some sorts. His flashy gold-colored robes made her wrinkle her nose in dismay.

The wizard laughed at her expression. "He wears leather pants."

"They're at least tasteful." Cora countered before she added. "Who the hell are you?"

"Names aren't important." The flamboyant wizard responded enigmatically.

"They are important." Cora snapped. "You should know that he taught me that."

"Yes, he has taught you a lot. And then some." He said, his eyes staring at the obvious bulge of Cora's belly.

"What is it to you?" She asked. "Why do you want my child?"

"The Greater Good." The wizard stated. "That, and to give you a happily ever after, princess."

Cora had to control herself from rolling her eyes. She would never have a happily ever after. She was very well aware of that from the time she pulled her heart out. However, she wasn't going to tell the old codger that. She'd just see what he'd have to offer. That was another thing Rumple taught her; always listen to the offer, and then twist it into something you could make worth your while. She had a feeling that while the wizard was no Dark One, he would be powerful enough for something.

"You're thinking about my offer, aren't you?" The man asked, an off-putting twinkle in his bright blue eyes.

"I need to work on my poker face." Cora responded. "But yes, I'm willing to listen to what you have to say. Or I'm at amused with you and your silly robes."

"I need a savior." The man replied.

"I'm not the selfless type."

"But your child could be."

Cora laughed. It was ridiculous; the mere thought that any spawn of hers and Rumple could be remotely selfless.

"I'm not kidding," said the man. "I sense great power from your womb."

Cora once again had to refrain herself from rolling her eyes. "If that's the case, why do you think I'd give you the child?"

He laughed. "Because he ruins your plan here. Oh Cora, I know your ambitions to be queen. And believe me; the Dark One's child is not going to get you there."

"Yes, the Dark One," Cora muttered. "Who says that he'll let you take the child?"

"Because he doesn't know." The wizard replied. "And he won't as long as that spell I put around you and the child lasts. That's why he hasn't found you, child. Not because some king banished you to some honeymoon palace. However, if you don't want to make a deal—"

Cora scowled and narrowed her eyes. "Blackmail, how perfect. But if I comply for you I'll get my… what did you call it? Happily ever after?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. No one will remember this child that knows of it. They'll merely think that you and Henry decided to take an extended vacation."

"And the Dark One?"

"As I said before, he'll never know." The old man smiled. "Now what do you say?"

"Do you really think I'm that heartless?" Cora asked, a little appalled at how easy the man thought she could be manipulated. Though she had to admit his offer was very, very tempting. But she wouldn't. She couldn't.

Not after her daughter.

The wizard looked at her. "I know you are, my dear. I saw what you did to your last child."

"Get out," Cora hissed, not wanting anything to do with the man. She could care less if he could make her problems disappear, if he was the reason that Rumple hadn't been sniffing his nose around her pregnancy. He had to bring up the baby; the daughter she couldn't keep even though she had desperately wanted to.

"Oh, I'm not leaving, Cora," he said with a smile. "Not until we have a deal."

"If you think you're getting my child," She hissed as she felt a sudden pain in her abdomen. "You're….you're…"

"Crazy," The wizard said with a smile as he looked at the now incapacitated Cora. "I hardly doubt that, my dear. Why, you're in no condition to be talking. Now let's have that baby. I need my savior."

"You won't take it," Cora whispered before blacking out from the pain.

"But I've already had." The wizard answered, smiling, before Cora passed out.

When she up, she didn't remember anything. Not about the baby. It was just as the wizard said; she had her happy ending. Well, as happy an ending as a heartless queen could have. And the wizard, well, he had his savior.Prologue:

Deals cannot be broken. That was something Cora learned the hard way.

Something that could utterly ruin everything she had worked for if Henry ever found out about it. She suspected his father thought as much. He had sent them to this forsaken palace after all, that was in the middle of freaking nowhere.

It was apparently a honeymoon present.

Sure it was.

Cora knew that when she announced her pregnancy only weeks after the wedding the king had been counting to discover the date of conception, and she couldn't exactly blame him. God knows, she would suspect with how showy she and Rumple had been.

But still, he should've had the guts to outright say it rather than to send her and her new husband to paradise.

Well, paradise if you liked being in the freaking middle of nowhere which Cora didn't.

It was just unnerving.

The only thing she was glad of was that the imp hadn't heard of her condition. She was sure that, if he had, he'd already be here to collect.

It was nice to know that her father-in-law wanted everything to be hush-hush when the inevitable came out.

She was sure he expected the babe she was carrying to be have the same scaly skin of its father, or something else that would obvious declare it the Dark One's heir. Perhaps his eerie gold eyes? Personally Cora thought it was ridiculous, but she still had thoughts of the what if's.

However, as much as she had these worries, Cora tried to reassure herself that all would be well with this child. She did not want to what happen to her eldest to happen to this babe. She could not bear it.

Cora still wondered what had become of her little girl. Was she happy? She didn't want to think about the fate of another child, even if it was his. Although, she had to admit that Rumple was probably a better father than the Gardener. At least he had wanted to be with her and had wanted a baby. However, he was not what Cora wanted. And as far as she was concerned he would not raise this baby.

It would be Henry's. An heir to the crown. Fifth in line, admittedly, but Cora could work on that, and no one could stop her, not even Rumple. If he confronted her about it she could lie. Of course, she knew Rumple. He wouldn't stop pushing, especially when he felt like she owed him something.

His child.

The child she was carrying in her womb. Cora did not know how she was going to just get around that.

"You could give the child to me."

She turned around to see what appeared to be a wizard of some sorts. His flashy gold-colored robes made her wrinkle her nose in dismay.

The wizard laughed at her expression. "He wears leather pants."

"They're at least tasteful." Cora countered before she added. "Who the hell are you?"

"Names aren't important." The flamboyant wizard responded enigmatically.

"They are important." Cora snapped. "You should know that he taught me that."

"Yes, he has taught you a lot. And then some." He said, his eyes staring at the obvious bulge of Cora's belly.

"What is it to you?" She asked. "Why do you want my child?"

"The Greater Good." The wizard stated. "That, and to give you a happily ever after, princess."

Cora had to control herself from rolling her eyes. She would never have a happily ever after. She was very well aware of that from the time she pulled her heart out. However, she wasn't going to tell the old codger that. She'd just see what he'd have to offer. That was another thing Rumple taught her; always listen to the offer, and then twist it into something you could make worth your while. She had a feeling that while the wizard was no Dark One, he would be powerful enough for something.

"You're thinking about my offer, aren't you?" The man asked, an off-putting twinkle in his bright blue eyes.

"I need to work on my poker face." Cora responded. "But yes, I'm willing to listen to what you have to say. Or I'm at amused with you and your silly robes."

"I need a savior." The man replied.

"I'm not the selfless type."

"But your child could be."

Cora laughed. It was ridiculous; the mere thought that any spawn of hers and Rumple could be remotely selfless.

"I'm not kidding," said the man. "I sense great power from your womb."

Cora once again had to refrain herself from rolling her eyes. "If that's the case, why do you think I'd give you the child?"

He laughed. "Because he ruins your plan here. Oh Cora, I know your ambitions to be queen. And believe me; the Dark One's child is not going to get you there."

"Yes, the Dark One," Cora muttered. "Who says that he'll let you take the child?"

"Because he doesn't know." The wizard replied. "And he won't as long as that spell I put around you and the child lasts. That's why he hasn't found you, child. Not because some king banished you to some honeymoon palace. However, if you don't want to make a deal—"

Cora scowled and narrowed her eyes. "Blackmail, how perfect. But if I comply for you I'll get my… what did you call it? Happily ever after?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. No one will remember this child that knows of it. They'll merely think that you and Henry decided to take an extended vacation."

"And the Dark One?"

"As I said before, he'll never know." The old man smiled. "Now what do you say?"

"Do you really think I'm that heartless?" Cora asked, a little appalled at how easy the man thought she could be manipulated. Though she had to admit his offer was very, very tempting. But she wouldn't. She couldn't.

Not after her daughter.

The wizard looked at her. "I know you are, my dear. I saw what you did to your last child."

"Get out," Cora hissed, not wanting anything to do with the man. She could care less if he could make her problems disappear, if he was the reason that Rumple hadn't been sniffing his nose around her pregnancy. He had to bring up the baby; the daughter she couldn't keep even though she had desperately wanted to.

"Oh, I'm not leaving, Cora," he said with a smile. "Not until we have a deal."

"If you think you're getting my child," She hissed as she felt a sudden pain in her abdomen. "You're….you're…"

"Crazy," The wizard said with a smile as he looked at the now incapacitated Cora. "I hardly doubt that, my dear. Why, you're in no condition to be talking. Now let's have that baby. I need my savior."

"You won't take it," Cora whispered before blacking out from the pain.

"But I've already had." The wizard answered, smiling, before Cora passed out.

When she up, she didn't remember anything. Not about the baby. It was just as the wizard said; she had her happy ending. Well, as happy an ending as a heartless queen could have. And the wizard, well, he had his savior.