The royal chambers of the Dark Castle were colder than they had ever felt before. Once, they had been filled with laughter, warmth, and the occasional sharp remark from Regina as she kept her court in check. But lately, all of that had been replaced with silence. Snow White was in hiding again, and Regina’s obsession with finding her consumed every waking moment.

That left her daughter alone.

The little princess sat curled up on the edge of her bed, knees drawn to her chest, the sound of muffled sobs echoing faintly through the corridors. She had grown used to Regina’s absence—days upon days of unanswered questions, of nurses and guards trying to fill the void her mother left behind. But tonight it felt heavier, lonelier. The shadows stretched long against the stone walls, and the girl’s tears spilled faster.

Unbeknownst to the child, another pair of eyes had found their way into the castle. Zelena, cloaked in emerald, had not come here for kindness. She had come to watch her sister, to measure her strength, to decide the best way to strike. Envy had always been her compass, and spying on Regina was meant to satisfy that bitter hunger. But what she stumbled upon instead was not her proud, haughty sister—it was the soft sound of a girl’s heartbreak.

Pausing at the doorway, Zelena’s sharp green eyes narrowed, not with cruelty but something else… something she hadn’t expected. Sympathy.

“Well, well,” she murmured under her breath, her voice carrying the lilting edge of curiosity. “What’s this? The great Queen’s little bird left to cry alone in her cage?”

Her tone was teasing at first, but the moment her niece lifted her tear-stained face, something inside Zelena shifted. This wasn’t a pawn or a weapon. This was a child.

She stepped inside, letting the soft click of her boots announce her presence. “Now, now, darling,” Zelena said, lowering her voice to something far gentler. “There’s no need for tears. Not when your auntie is here.”

The little girl sniffled, blinking up at the stranger cloaked in green. “Who… who are you?” she asked timidly, her voice catching between hiccups.

Zelena tilted her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips. She could have lied, but she didn’t. “I’m family,” she admitted softly. “Your mother’s sister. I’ve only just come to see her… though it seems she’s too busy chasing after that insufferable Snow White to notice the treasure she already has.”

The words were sharper than intended, but Zelena caught herself, crouching down to the girl’s level. Her gloved hand reached out, brushing a tear from her niece’s cheek with surprising tenderness. “She leaves you all alone, doesn’t she? How dreadful.”

The little one hesitated, torn between fear of the unknown woman and the yearning for comfort. Her lips trembled. “She… she doesn’t have time for me anymore.”

Zelena felt something ache in her chest at the admission. Her envy toward Regina was always burning, but now… now it had found a new shape. She envied the love this child longed for and wasn’t receiving. And yet, rather than turn it into venom, she felt compelled to offer what her sister would not.

“Then perhaps,” Zelena whispered, her smile softening into something maternal, “you ought to let me keep you company. A girl shouldn’t cry herself to sleep. Not when she has an aunt who would happily dry her tears.”

She shifted to sit on the bed, her emerald skirts pooling across the sheets as she held out her arms. “Come here, little one. Let’s not waste such beautiful eyes on sorrow.”