A/N: Hi guys, hope you're all well! Please enjoy another chapter, I found this one a little hard to write, hence the longer wait. Please let me know what you think. Thanks to all those who followed/favourited :)

A year passed. Talulla spent most of her time reading in her newfound library, completely undisturbed as she read her way through an entire bookcase. Of course, that still meant she had the rest of the library to explore, and plenty of time to do so.

She didn't mind being alone. There were no young girls in the castle anymore, and her mother didn't approve of the Talulla talking to the servants. Then there was her mother herself, who was constantly busy and spent most of her time in the area of the castle that was still forbidden to Talulla. The girl was somewhat glad she didn't have to interact with her, but part of her felt guilty for thinking so.

The only time she really saw her mother was when the Queen took her out on trips. Even then, it was only because the Queen believed she should be seen in the kingdom so as to increase her marriage prospects. She'd even gone so far as to start to dress the girl in mature colours, such as grey, deep red and silver. No sunshine yellows, pretty pinks or sky blues could be found in her wardrobe, and the ribbons and bows that had usually adorned her hair could no longer be seen on her dresser.

Talulla stared at herself in the mirror, grimacing at the silver corset that dug harshly into her waist. Her mother had insisted on the young girl coming on her latest journey. Talulla had no idea what was planned, she just hoped it wasn't one of their usual trips to the outlying villages. She normally stayed in the carriage so as not to see what her mother's magic was capable of when the villagers refused to tell her where Snow White was. Which was often. She shivered at the thought.

"Talulla, come on," Abigail's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Your mother is waiting."

She turned and smiled sadly at her maid and companion. One of the two people she could rely on to be there for her. However, even Abigail's bubbly nature and kindness had diminished somewhat in the past year, along with the rest of the castle, which was quickly becoming darker and more sparse day by day.

"I'm coming." She turned away from the mirror. "Do you know why she wants me to go out this evening?"

"I'm afraid I don't, Tallie," the maid said. "Just try to behave, you know how angry your mother can be if you deliberately disobey her."

Talulla sighed. "I'll try, Abigail, but she's changed so much. All I want is for her to be the woman who raised me. I mean I know I was probably not the most well-behaved child, but – "

"Tallie," Abigail interrupted gently. "You still are a child."

"Yes, okay, but that doesn't alter the fact that she's changed, and I can't stand by and let it happen." The young girl could feel tears forming in her eyes and tried to force them away.

"Oh Tallie." The maid stepped forward to place a hand on the girl's shoulder, but Talulla shrugged it off. "Come now, I know it's hard at the moment, but things may change again." She lowered her voice. "Your mother may find something to shake her out of her ways and remind her of who she was."

Talulla looked up at Abigail. "Do you really think she is capable of change? Of good?"

"I think your mother is fully capable of anything. You mustn't forget the person that she was. She loves you, I know it, and somewhere deep down, she knows that this path she's forged for herself is wrong."

"Thank you," the young girl whispered, leaning forward to hug her maid.

Abigail squeezed her back. "I'm always here for you, Tallie. Now come on, you mustn't be late." She hastened the girl out of the door, giving the girl only moments to grab her cloak.

As Abigail had warned, the Queen was already waiting for the girl when she reached the steps of the castle. Darkness was falling rapidly, but even Talulla could see that there was no carriage. Instead, a rally of guards on midnight black horses stood in its place, the horses snorting impatiently and tossing their manes. Talulla gulped nervously. She hadn't ridden in a long time.

"Come, Talulla," her mother called.

The girl gave Abigail one more rueful gaze, earning her a supportive smile of encouragement, before turning and walking over to the spare horse, a handsome chestnut stead with a white star on his forehead.

As a guard helped her in the side saddle, she wrinkled her nose at the heavy perfume lingering in the air. A recent addition to her mother's collection of scents she assumed. Gone were the days of dainty floral perfumes she usually associated with the woman who raised her.

"Hello, Mother," she greeted stiffly, shifting uncomfortably as her corset dug into her waist.

"You're late."

"I'm sorry, I lost track of time. I'll be more careful in future."

The Queen narrowed her eyes, but said no more and Talulla turned away as the party began to move forward, encouraging the chestnut to follow suit with a nervous tug on the reins.

"Abigail reports that your studies are going well," the Queen stated, as the grounds quickly turned into woodland.

"Yes." Talulla turned to her mother, acting civilly as per Abigail's request. "I particularly enjoy my history classes."

"She said the tutor told her that you need to concentrate more in etiquette classes. You started them late, so you have a lot of catching up to do."

Talulla grimaced. She hated those lessons. Who needed to learn to walk with books on their head?

"Mother, I really don't see why – " she started, but was swiftly cut off.

"No, I will not hear this. You must learn etiquette, it is important for when you become Queen yourself. You must apply yourself to this class, do you understand?"

Talulla bit her tongue and turned away. "Yes, Mother."

Silence fell between them, the only sounds coming from the horses hooves and the sound of wheels grinding against the uneven path.

Wheels?

Talulla's head whipped round. Behind them and through the midst of guards and their steeds, Talulla could vaguely make out a solitary group of horses which seemed to be pulling some sort of… she squinted, trying to make it out… Was it some sort of cage? An uneasy fell over the girl. Where were they going? They were definitely going a different route to normal, and they had not gone through a single one of the outlying villages. She didn't like this. She didn't like this at all.

The feeling stayed with her until, after what felt like an eternity, the guard at the front called for them to stop. Talulla's brow creased, and her uneasiness grew. They were in the middle of nowhere. Uncomfortable, the girl shifted in the saddle. Her backside was going numb, and there was a steady ache in her core from the awkward angle the side saddle forced her into.

"Mother, what - ?"

But the young girl was cut off as several guards snapped at her to be quiet.

"Claude, is this the place?" the Queen asked.

The guard looked smug and gestured down the hill. Talulla followed his arm. A few metres from where they had stopped, there was a gap between the trees, showing a view of the nearby land. And there, right in the middle, was a town, lit by smouldering orange light.

She frowned, confused, and the gnawing feeling that something wasn't right intensified.

A rustling in the nearby trees made the girl's head snap up. A figure was stood in the clearing, clearly oblivious to the cavalry behind them. It was then, with a horrible jolt, that Talulla realised who it was. The curling brown hair tied into a low ponytail was unmistakeable.

"No, no!" Talulla cried quietly. She should warn her, do something… but at that moment, her courage failed her, and she just stared, horrified.

"I'm coming back, Rumple," the figure announced, and turned towards them.

Talulla's heart leapt to her throat, but still her body did not move to warn her friend.

"Isn't that sweet?" her mother mocked. "Still fighting for true love, even to the bitter end."

Belle visibly jumped at the sound of the intruders, and tears filled Talulla's eyes. She was too late. Why hadn't she done something, said something?

"How did you find me?" Belle demanded.

The Queen smirked. "You should really be nicer to your travelling companions, right Claude?" The smirk turned sour. "Take her to the tower."

"No!" Talulla cried, finally managing to get her voice to work. Belle and the guard paused, turning to look at her.

Her mother turned also, eyes like ice. "Do not interfere."

"Mother, you can't, please!"

The Queen ignored her. "Lock her away," she said to the guard, who immediately obeyed, dragging the struggling woman away.

"What… what are you doing?" Belle cried, fighting desperately against the guard. "I… I can save you! Just let me go to him, I… I can break his curse!"

Dread filled Talulla. She knew that desperation, perhaps not of her own experience, but she had read about it many a time in the past year. Belle was in love.

"Mother, you can't do this!" The girl protested frantically.

However, the Queen didn't even glance her way.

"You already tried to break his curse and failed," she leered at Belle. "That monster's beyond saving. I'm sparing you a lifetime of pain and misery."

Frustration and anger grew inside of Talulla until the girl couldn't stand it any longer. She didn't care about Abigail' warning. She forced her aching body to jump down from her horse and ran after Belle and the guard.

"Stop!" she shouted. "I demand you let her go!"

The guard paused momentarily to look at the Queen, then proceeded to ignore her, dragging Belle away.

Clenching her fists and squaring her jaw, the girl realised she'd have to take matters into her own hands. She leapt after the guard, determined to give Belle a chance to escape. However, before she could even make contact, she felt herself being yanked in the air. She immediately knew what had happened. Her mother's magic. She struggled against it, even though she knew it was futile.

"Talulla!" Belle cried.

"I'm fine," she told her friend, then looked at her mother. "Put me down."

Her mother's eyes flashed dangerously and Talulla instantly regretted her tone.

"How dare you defy me," the Queen said with such quietness, such coldness, that Talulla felt a cold shiver of fear run through her.

Then, without another word, her mother let her drop.

The girl fell the ground with a sickening thud, her ankle twisting awkwardly with a burst of pain.

"Lock them both up." The Queen demanded, then turned and urged her horse away without so much as a backward glance.

Talulla was left staring after her, tears welling in her eyes, not just at the throbbing pain in her ankle, but once more due to her breaking heart. Only one thought was filling her head. Abigail had been wrong. Her mother didn't love her any longer, she was too far gone.