Hello and welcome to my story! Geez, I haven't written anything in a long time, so please do bear with me. This is my first Once Upon A Time fanfic, so please be gentle with your flames.

Disclaimer: I wish I owned OUAT, but sadly I don't. If I did, I would not have had a 3 month hiatus!

Enjoy!

Prologue

Once upon a time, amongst the canopies of proudly-standing trees and lucid waters of the Enchanted Forest, stood a majestic and powerful kingdom.

Copious cottages and stores lined the cobblestone streets. The people residing in the modest cottages were relatively caring towards one another. Being in a large, but tightly knit area, the people have befriended each other, providing a helping hand whenever it was needed. Such kindness was quite scarce in surrounding lands considered the areas of the Dark One's kingdom.

It is said that this castle was the center of the entire Earth; a beacon of hope for the mistreated and neglected. The king and queen ruled with a just hand, and the people rejoiced at such fortunate turn of events. The rulers prior had been corrupt; caring about nothing more than parties and ordering people around— other than the queen's late parents. The kingdom underwent a grand golden age, where everyone like the baker, the fishermen, and the shoemaker prospered.

However, the king and queen were still missing an heir to continue on their legacy. They tried countless amounts of times, but to no avail. Disheartened by their vain actions, the king and queen turned to their last source of hope; the Dark One.

He was notorious for creating unfair and dangerous deals, but the couple felt they had no other choice.

They met with the Dark One soon after and discussed a sort of deal; a deal that the King and Queen immediately refused for it would only result in the loss of their own child. The Dark One merely let out an amused chuckle as a response and bowed mockingly. Prior to leaving, he left a note for them;

'You'll need me soon dearies'

The king and queen tried to brush off their feeling of uneasiness and prayed constantly; some prayers surprisingly lasting several hours. Just when their actions seemed purposeless, their prayers were finally answered. The queen had been confirmed that she was with child and joy and celebration spread to every corner of the kingdom. The people happily wished their rulers good luck and good fortune in the upcoming months. The king and queen couldn't be any happier at that moment.

The following nine months were the kingdom's greatest. With every passing day, the queen seemed to glow brighter and the king smile wider. They had altered their lives to ensure the safety and welfare of their child.

A nursery was designed and constructed immediately after the queen was believed to be pregnant with a girl, thanks to an trick that some of her servants knew and a little magic. [1] Elaborate furniture was created to fit the baby's needs, along with a beautifully ornate crib in the center of the room created by Geppetto and his son Pinocchio. A crystal mobile was hung above the lovely crib and gave off an array of colors whenever the light hit the little dancing jewels shaped as unicorns. Hues of purple, pink and blue were pained onto the walls and accented with tiny gold leaves and stars.

Everything was ready; their bedroom was prepared for the queen who was ready to go into labor at any day by that point. Anxious midwives would follow the queen about the castle as she attended some, if not most of her royal duties, much to the king's displeasure. From the moment he had discovered that she was carrying his child, he instantaneously became overprotective and would often be seen holding her hand and helping her walk up and down their absurdly large staircases.

The people adored the queen very much; she would never complain about such trivial things such as the degree of pain she had been experiencing in her feet and back. She would also never allow her mood swings to get the best of her.

She had been seated by the window one afternoon—flipping through her family's album and smiling at the blank pages waiting to be filled with shared memories—when she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen and a wetness between her legs. Within moments, the midwives had moved her onto the bed and tried to make her as comfortable as possible. Word was sent to the king and the rest of the kingdom. Several hours in however, there were complications. The queen had sobbed quietly and grasped her husband's hand tightly when they received the news of their daughter; she was born very ill and had little chances of survival.

The king, sadly watching his wife holding their sickly child with tears in her eyes, sought for a way to save their daughter. He spoke with the doctor once everyone left the room to give the queen space to spend the limited time she had with her daughter in peace. Unfortunately, the sickness that was about to take their daughter's life was unlike any he had ever seen and expressed his condolences prior to departing.

The king returned to his room to inform his wife of the unfortunate news but arrived just in time to see the remains of an ominous, violet haze disappear and reveal a man clad in black. The queen let out a strangled gasped just as the king pulled a sword out of its scabbard. The man in black let out a sinister chuckle, turned around, and bowed deeply at the royal family. At that moment the king and queen were well aware of who that man was, but they refused to let their guard down. Any indication of their faltering could be used against them.

A tense conversation ensued, it's details lost in time, however it is well know throughout the kingdom that a strange and peculiar deal was created; one that neither the king or the queen could deny for they were running out of time. One of the conditions of the deal was that the parents had to tell the Dark One their daughter's name. What occurred afterwards was a blur of confusion for both the king and queen.

Four people were in that room that fateful night.
Three adults agreed upon the princess' fate.
Two of the three desperately watched their daughter stir awake.
One sound filled the room; the wail of a newborn baby.

The Dark One watched the family intently. He had expected them to agree to his terms. Just as a familiar, violet haze circled around his body once more, he looked out towards the moon already taking its place in the dark curtain of the sky. A dark, mischievous smirk graced his lips as he began to disappear, uttering one final statement to himself.

"Emma Swan... She will have the beauty of a swan indeed..."

That's all for the prologue folks! Don't worry, the rest of the story will far longer chapters. I am in the middle of writing the next chapter and it has surpassed seven pages. The prologue is just to set the stage for what is to come.

If you have figured out the deal that Charming and Snow made with Rumple, keep it a secret! Let others find out themselves, it'll make the story much more enjoyable. But kudos if you already know what's going to happen.

If I see that many people like the concept of this story, I will do my best to publish the first chapter within the week.

Thank you so much for reading!