"But our first child wasn't a prince."

At these words Mr. Gold's face twisted into a snarl. "That wasn't apart of the plan."

"Well I'm sorry if that's inconvenient for you." Aurelia snapped. "You are not getting my daughter or my son."

"Oh?" Mr. Gold's lips curled into a smirk, only comparable to mangled trees at the witching hour in ominousness. "Do you want to bet on that?"

Aurelia and Lucas said nothing, unable to find a reply. They had made the deal. They had no safety net. They had to obey...

"What are you suggesting, Gold?" Aurelia wondered, wearily.

"Relia..." Lucas warned. Out of the two them she had had always been the more adventurous of the two, which could easily get her into trouble. She could usually get herself out of it, but when their children were on the line... He was less prone to her taking it.

"Double or nothing." Mr. Gold's face twisted into a smirk.

Aurelia's emerald eyes grew wide. "You don't mean..."

"Oh I do. You have three extra days to play my game. If you fail then I will have to take both your children."

"There's no way we would agree to this!" Lucas exclaimed.

"What's the game?" Aurelia wondered. Her husband stared at her. She couldn't actually be considering it, could she?

"Ah you never agreed-"

"I'm not playing your dang game until I know the rules! My children's lives are on the line." Aurelia hissed, full of poison, worse than the one that had knocked her out a year prior.

Gold held his hands up in defense. "I'll relent in this aspect. You make a fair point. Should have tried harder a year ago."

"I was naive." Aurelia huffed. "What are the rules."

"Payback. I'll give you three nights to fill a cupboard sized room of straw into gold. I saved you all those months ago. Repay me of your own means and I shall never bother you or your family again."

"At the expense of the gamble of losing my children." Aurelia gasped. "You are a cruel man."

"Well there's nothing stopping me from taking the girl now..."

"No!" Aurelia hugged Lacey even tighter to her chest. The baby went on sleeping, a rare moment of calm.

"Tick tock. You have two options. I gave you plenty of time you know." Mr. Gold.

"I created these two out of my own flesh and blood. They grew inside me. They've been fully breathing and alive human beings for only a month and you think that's plenty of time?" Aurelia hissed. Her eyes were still dark with poison.

Mr. Gold almost looked scared at the look Aurelia gave him, any sane man would be, but he straightened up and pressed on.

"Your majesty, I need a decision."

"There is no way I'm handing over either of my children to you." Aurelia snarled.

The room grew quiet. Lucas couldn't find the words to say. He honestly just wanted to arrest Mr. Gold on the spot, but who knew what legal matters involving elf magic was like? He waited for his wife to say something more, as he knew she would. It was so quiet you could hear a feather drop.

"We'll do it."