- Chapter 3 -

"Killian!" Pearl smiled as she ran into the gardens where he stood smiling at her sadly as she pulled him into a tight hug. He was stiff and it didn't go unnoticed as she glanced up and searched his eyes for some sort of explanation.

"What's wrong?" She asked as he masked his face and smiled and let his thumb brush over her cheek.

"Nothing princess" He whispered kissing her forehead making her frown. He hadn't called her that since he'd met her. He usually called her 'his love', which only made her frown deeper.

"I must go....we set sail in a couple of hours with the stars as our guidance" He whispered his heart broke as he wished to whisk her away with him. She pouted sadly and nodded as her head hung as she knew it would be another two weeks before she would see him again. Sighing deeply he gave in to temptation and let his heart take over. He scooped her towards him and planted a passionate heated kiss on her lips.

Pearl was eager for his touch as he growled when she gently bit his lips before he let himself pull away from her, both panting slightly. Giving her one final peck he left, no goodbye, he just left as Pearl returned to her room. Over the next two weeks she never got a single response to her letters, she actually had them returned to her, making her confused. She waited for a week every night hoping he would show up and felt heart broken when he never did.

She often wondered if he was just late returning back to the Enchanted forest, but she knew she was wrong. A young soldier whom was a good friend of hers often travelled to the ports for news of the Jolly Roger. He had been back when like he had planned, but never returned for her. She waited and he never came back. She had often thought of going to confront him only to have her mother interrupt and show her through the mirror. He was with another woman.

Her sadness of missing Killian was enough to convince everyone that she still grieving over the death of her father as his funeral was today. Pearl placed a white rose on top of his coffin beside Snow as they said their final goodbyes. Snow and Pearl comforted each other even though Regina pushed Pearl to learn more in her magical studies. She had nearly masked all that there was too learn from Rumple, however her own studies on powerful light magic remained a secret.

Now she stood in a large room of the castle with her mother. There was a vanity in the corner and a mirror on the wall. As the guards left the room the reflection in the mirror vanished, as a swirl of purple smoke filled the frame, followed by the face of the Genie.

"Congratulations. Your revenge is almost complete." He smiled as Regina smirked laughing evilly.

"One down, one to go." She smirked as the Evil Queen walks to the vanity and sits down. Pearl gulped and feared for Snow as she slowly drew nearer her mother with her book in her hand.

"She has no idea, does she?" Pearl asked interested for Snow's sake, however from that day onward Regina took Pearl's interest as a thought for dark desires, when she seeked the opposite.

"That I’m responsible for his passing? She sought comfort with me. Sickening. I could’ve ended her miserable existence right there. Believe me – it was tempting." She smirked as she started to rub perfume and essence into her skin.

"It would have sated your soul." The mirror told her.

"The kingdom’s still loyal to her. They would turn on me. They don’t know the wretchedness inside her as I do. They don’t know what she did to me. We must be delicate in this next phase. Her demise must be handled with care." She planned as Pearl watched her as she gets up and walks towards the exit.

"Perhaps, one of your knights, Your Majesty?" The mirror offered as Regina shook her head.

"No. I need someone adept at murder. Bereft of mercy." Regina thought as Pearl straightened her back slightly.

"Someone with no heart." Pearl stated as Regina smirked towards her daughter.

"Now you understand." Her voice was a sickly sweet that always seemed to frighten Pearl slightly as she masked her face and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, in that case, you need a huntsman." The mirror informed as Regina grinned before leaving the room, as the doors magically shut behind her. Pearl spent most of her time trying to inform Snow of Regina's plans as they started to work together on and escape plan before it was able to be put into action Snow was escorted out of the castle by the Huntsman dressed as a black knight making Pearl nervous.

It was dusk when one of the Queen’s guards escorts the Huntsman into a room of the castle. Pearl jumped to her feet when she saw him frightened for Snow, as he saw her panicked face and sent her a small wink, making her heart bubble with hope.

"I see you’re still in mourning." The Huntsman spoke as her mother walked forward elegantly dressed in black.

"The time for mourning is over. I simply found that black suits me. Now, tell me – is Snow dead?" She asked him evilly as he nodded as Pearl whimpered slightly.

"The young girl’s heart as you requested." He spoke emotionlessly as she watched as the Huntsman gestures to the bag at his side. The Evil Queen goes to take it, but he pulls back.

"First there’s something I must do." He informed causing them all to frown as he suddenly takes out Snow White’s letter.

"What’s this?" The Evil Queen snapped as he gave her a 'duh' look.

"The girl wanted you to have it." He informed holding out the letter for her to take as she snatched it from grasp and handed it towards Pearl who stepped forward to take the smoothness of the letter in her hand.

"Read it to me." Her mother snapped as Pearl gulped, before clearing her throat and started to recite the letter.

"Dearest Stepmother – by the time you read this, I will be dead. I understand that you will never have love in your life because of me, so it’s only fitting that I’ll be denied that same joy as well. For the sake of the kingdom, I hope my death satisfies your need for revenge – allowing you to rule my father’s subjects as they deserve. With compassion and a gentle hand. I know what you think you’re doing is vengeance – I prefer to think of it as sacrifice, for the good of all. With that in mind, I welcome the end. I want you to take my last message to heart. I’m sorry and I forgive you." She spoke as suddenly the Evil Queen rips the letter out of her hands and throws it into the fireplace. It was suddenly quiet before she turned towards the Huntsman who looked guilty.

"Don’t tell me you’re becoming a sheep!" She growled as he glared back at the queen. Pearl knew he had spirit and was rather daring with the fact that he gave such a threatening look towards the queen.

"She put others before herself, and yet, you hate her. What did she do to you?" He shouted as Pearl awkwardly stood in the room unsure whether to leave or not.

"I shared a secret with her and she couldn’t keep it. And that betrayal cost me dearly. Now, show me her heart!" She snapped angrily as he gives her the bag containing the heart. She walks off though a pair of doors leading into a smaller room. She takes the heart out of the bag and places it into a box on a pedestal; slowly she closes the box and walks over to a wall made up of multiple drawers. She holds the box up to the wall, but nothing happens.

"It should open." Regina muttered confused as Pearl smirked but wiped it from her face as she shared a nervous look with the Huntsman before they turned back to see the Evil Queen take the heart out of the box and stalks towards the Huntsman.

"This isn’t her heart! This isn’t a human heart! What did you do?" She shouted causing them both to flinch and take a step backwards.

"Did you think you can fool me with the heart of a stag?" She snapped as he gulped before turning to escape in a run as she waves her hand and the doors to the room shut.

"You’re not going anywhere."

"She doesn’t deserve to die." The Huntsman bravely stood up, as Pearl wondered if he was being brave or a fool.

"That’s not up to you. I wanted a heart, and a heart I shall have." Regina cursed as she magically sticks her hand through the Huntsman’s chest. Pearl gasped loudly covering her mouth with her hands at the sight and shuddered when she saw her mother drawback, his heart glowing in her hand.

"What… What are you going to do to me?" The Huntsman asked frightened as Regina smirked before taking them all by surprise and kissing him.

"You’re now mine, my pet." She whispered seductively as she walked back over towards the wall drawers and holds up the heart. A drawer pops out containing a box.

"Guards!" She shouted out as two guards enter the room and grab the Huntsman by the arms.

"Your life is now in my hands – forever. Take him to my bedchamber." She laughed darkly as Pearl watched as the guards take the Huntsman with them. The Evil Queen puts his heart in the box and closes the drawer. It was quiet before Regina sighed, straightening her back and turning towards her daughter looking slightly furious as Pearl gulped slightly to watch as her mother stalked over in her direction.

"You! You will be spending the next months, years if you have to, learning further from Rumpelstiltskin until you grow a backbone!" She snapped as before Pearl could even protest she waved her hand and she disappeared in purple smoke.