Chapter One

A New Horizon

Henry desperately attempted to cling onto something that would keep him from plummeting into the swirling vortex below him. He dug his fingers into the crumbling soil that encircled the portal, however the dirt around him loosened, and Henry fell backwards into the ominous abyss.

Sharp pain was the first thing Henry registered. He'd fallen onto something solid, and could feel loose, granulated earth between his fingertips. His head twitched, as the sound of heavy footsteps approached him.

"Get up, boy," said a gruff voice.

Henry's eyes snapped open, and were immediately blinded. Bright rays of sunlight blurred out the man standing before him. "Get up boy," the man repeated.

Placing both of his hands firmly on the ground, Henry pushed himself from the ground. He wobbled, unbalanced from his strenuous journey, but stumbled into place once he realised that it was a black knight that stood in front of him. His eyes darted to his surroundings, surveying the vast forest he had fallen into. "The Enchanted Forest?" Henry said, more as a statement than it was a question.

He looked to the carriage that stood in front of him, and instantly recognized the aristocratic crest it was decorated with. "Mom," he whispered, as he ran towards the carriage door, without a moment of forethought.

Before he had time to realise what he had done, two robust guards pushed him back into the dirt road. Henry was about to stand once more, but the carriage door had opened, and Henry had froze.

She wore impossibly tall heels. They were the color of blood, and looked as though they had been sharpened - perhaps for a reason other than to impress those invested in the fashion world. His eyes trailed upwards to the extravagant gown she wore that flared out around her waist, and then to the cold expression she wore so well.

"What is taking so long?"

The two knights released their grip on Henry, and bowed. Henry smiled, noting the fear that his mother instilled in these men with a single sentence. "Your majesty," said one of the men. "This boy tried to enter your carriage. He-"

The man was silenced by the wave of a hand. The Queen - could he still call her his mother? - looked towards Henry, as he felt his heartbeat increase. "And why is it that you are getting in my way?"

"Mom," Henry said, almost in a whisper. he brushed off the dirt from his shirt, as though to make himself presentable.

"You've fallen on your head, child," the woman sneered, bending down to his height. "I am no one's mother."

Henry took a step towards her, but felt the restriction of the guards behind him. "You are!" He paused, wondering how he could explain anything to her. "I think I'm from the future," he said carefully, whispering the last part. He had been unsure whether or not he was even in the same universe he thought he was in, but then, upon glancing up at his mother, he was sure. "You're my mom, in the future."

An expression of annoyed disbelief sat on the woman's face, and Henry was crestfallen. "I'm your Little Prince."

One of the guards dug his hand into Henry's shoulder, punishing him for speaking out of turn. "He is lying, Your Majesty. Have him tried for perjury."

Henry's eyes widened, as he turned to the Queen. "I'm not lying!" He said, fruitlessly. "I'm your son!"

The Queen merely rolled her eyes. "Well, dear, you're also wasting my time." She glanced towards the guard. "Take him to the dungeon."

Henry gripped the bars of his cell, and shouted at the guards who stood only a few steps away. Mostly, his cries remained unaddressed, but other times he was rudely told to shut it.

Some time later, he was unsure how long exactly, Henry heard steady footsteps echo throughout the dank halls, as one of the guards approached his cell, and slipped a tray beneath the door. On it was a plate, and on that plate was the slime that they called lunch.

When the guard noticed Henry's disappointed expression, he sighed, and said "If I may inquire, why would you want to bother the Queen with such nonsense?"

Henry glanced at the tray, and then to the guard. "She's not evil," he said, which caused the guard to chuckle. "She's just misunderstood, and if I could talk to her, maybe she could change."

The guard raised a brow, noticing how serious the boy was. "You really think you could change her ways?"

"Just let me talk to her. I can convince her."

The guard nodded. "I'll put a good word in for you," he said. "And if Her Majesty is in a pleasant mood, there may be an opportunity for you to speak with her."

The man began to leave, but was interrupted by the boy behind the cell. "Tell her I know about Daniel."

The room seemed to reach impossible heights. Bookshelves towered over those who browsed their contents, stretching up towards the glass that covered the heads below from the inclement weather beyond.

Metal clacked against the wooden floors of the library, as a soldier entered the room with his head held high. "Your Majesty," he said, as he neared the lavish loveseat the Queen sat upon. There was a book laid open across her lap, and as her eyes skittered across the page she turned the page.

Regina glanced up, and eyed the soldier expectantly. "Continue," she said, returning her gaze to the book open on her lap.

"That boy, the one we retrieved today, is being exceedingly persistent in seeing you," said the man, staring intently at the ground beneath her feet.

"And why," Her majesty said, graciously leaning over to take a sip of the wine that sat on the table beside her, "Would you think that this was of interest to me?"

Nervously, the guard glanced up to meet the Queen's cold stare. "He said that he has knowledge of someone named Daniel."

His name caused for a silence to engulf the room. However, if it pertained any importance to the Queen, she did not show it. "What?" She asked, now looking directly at the guard.

"He knew of a man named Daniel."

Regina Mills sauntered down the stairs that would lead her to the dungeons. Her heels clicked against the stone, causing for a menacing entrance. "How do you know about Daniel?" She asked, stepping out of the shadows and into the light from the torch that illuminated the cell.

Henry neared the bars of the cell, eagerly approaching his mother. "I told you, I'm your son." He paused when he saw the unconvinced mask that she wore.

"Henry Daniel Mills."

She furrowed her brows in confusion, an emotion the Queen did not often allow herself to feel. Confusion was weakness. To be unstoppable, as the Queen intended for herself, one must always know what to expect.

This boy was not something she had been expecting.

"What?" Regina questioned, demanding the boy to explain himself.

Henry exhaled in what seemed to be relief. "That's my name. Henry Daniel Mills." He paused for a moment. "I was named after the two most important people in your life."

Regina clenched her jaw, "And what else do you know about Daniel?"

"Not much," Henry answered, nervously biting his lip. "You never told me much about him. You did tell me this story when I was little, though. I guess it was about you two."

When the woman remained silent, Henry continued, and recalled his favourite bedtime story his mother had told him. "Once upon a time," he started, "There was a princess."

"She hated dresses and fancy parties, and hated anything to do with royalty. Her mother, though, was strict, and brought in suitors so that she could marry her daughter off to a noble. The princess didn't want that, because she already knew who she was going to marry.

"Her heart belonged to the stable boy. They were in love, but because of her mother, they were forced to hide it. One day, while the princess was returning from her visit to the stables, she spotted a child who'd lost control of her steed. The princess saved her, and her father, the King, was so grateful that he proposed to her. So, on that same night, the princess ran to her true love so that she could marry him instead. At midnight, the lovers ran away and lived..."

Henry paused, and looked at the Queen, unsure. "Happily ever after," he concluded. He hesitated, looking at his mother, "but that didn't happen."

Regina had her eyes locked at her feet. "No," she said, with a tone that indicated the conversation's end. "It did not." She then looked upwards and faced the boy. "Time cannot be warped. So, how did you get here?"

Henry shook his head fervently. "It's possible. I was-" Henry paused, cheeks reddened. "I was stupid. I went into the farmhouse and all of a sudden I fell into the portal."

The Queen chuckled. "You fell into a time portal?"

Henry nodded.

"If I were to believe this atrocious claim," Regina started, "What is it that you want?"

Smiling, Henry gripped the bars separating him from his mother. "I just want to find a way back home. Nothing more."

A/N: Hey guys! Happy New Year! Happy 2015! It's been a while. I had this idea a while back and found some time to write it. I know there are already variations of this story, and this is mine.

I'd love to get to know all of you. My pm is open and my tumblr user is .com so send me an ask or something.

I need to give credit to my friend, astoriia for helping me edit, and you can also find her at .com

I hope you enjoyed the introduction of this story. I know it's short but the following chapters will be longer. Please comment and tell me what you liked about this story, it will mean a great deal to me. Follow, favourite, and review and all those lovely things :D

-Cafe