Charming is resting in the royal garden. The sun has just peaked and is slowly rising into the sky. Birds and butterflies flutter about. He sighs in contentment. Everything is perfect.
Then a royal messenger from the castle rushes into the garden.
"Your Highness, please forgive the intrusion, I have an urgent message from King Daynes of Eleabeth."
The messenger hands Charming the small scroll that arrived by Pigeon moments before.
As Charming reads, his blood grows cold. His heart feels like it has stopped beating, he drops the scroll and runs from the garden, leaving the messenger there alone. He rushes into the palace main hall.
"Father! Mother!" He shouts from the center of the entrance.
King and Lady White are enjoying a quiet breakfast in the nook tower, when they hear Charming's calls. Quickly, they rush from the tower, to the main hall.
"Son? What is the matter? Are you alright?" Lady White asks frantically.
"We've received a message from Eleabeth. I must leave at once for King Daynes castle, Sno is in great danger!"
Lady White gasps. King White frowns.
“What kind of danger? It must have something to do with Lady Daynes. Do not worry, my son, she will not get away with it.” he assures Charming.
Charming nods in agreement, and then runs to the stables.
"Bernard!" he calls loudly. But the stable hand is no where to be found.
Charming decides that he doesn't have time to wait. He grabs the saddle himself and saddles his Horse. Once the saddle has been securely fastened, he leaps on. Impatiently he waits for the castle knights to raise the strong metal gate before galloping swiftly toward Eleabeth.
Back in Eleabeth, King Daynes and his Queen find Sno lying on the floor in the master hallway near her room. The King feels haunted by what Esther told him earlier. Was Sno’s condition his fault? Perhaps he had not acted quickly enough. The Queen denies any involvement, but the King can’t resist blaming her in his heart.
Though Sno appears dead, they notice that she is still breathing. All efforts to raise her produce no results. Try as they might, Sno does not awaken.
The King continuously pressures Regina to reveal her part in this travesty. She remains steadfast in her denial of any involvement. Because the King believes what Esther has told him, he knows that Sno is unlikely to wake.
That same morning, The King calls upon his most loyal blacksmith. Although he is more known for making his swords and armory, he tasks him with the mission of creating a casket for Sno. He wants the casket to be made of glass and gold.
The Queen voices her concerns against a casket that makes Sno visible, but the King is unyielding, and so the casket is made.
The blacksmith fashions a beautiful golden frame and employs the glassmaker to create flawless glass to the exact dimensions. Both craftsmen work diligently and the casket is finished by that evening.
The next morning, the King has her body placed into the casket. He orders his most trusted Knights to keep watch night and day. He finds himself at her side frequently, crying and begging Sno to wakeup, but it is no use.
After two days with no response from Sno, the king resigns himself to the fact that she may never awaken. He is desperate for answers. He feels angry and grieved.
The Queen watches from a distance, counting down the days. She knows that if the spell is not broken within 7 days, her breath will cease and she will die.
Esther also watches from a distance. She is fearful that the Queen will kill her next. Because of the King’s incessant questioning of the Queen, Esther fears that Regina may know that she has told. She is too scared to even come to Sno’s side. She doesn't know that Sno still breathes. She thinks that Sno is dead.
As the sun sets over the hilltop at the end of the second day, Charming finds himself exhausted. His horse is also completely worn out. Charming knows they should stop and rest, or they might never make it.
Charming resigns himself to stop and unsaddles his horse. The only food he can find are some apples from a nearby tree. His horse eagerly devours them from his hand. Charming pulls the horse to his chest.
"I'm sorry girl." he says quietly. "I know I'm pushing you. I know you're tired. I am too, but Sno's life is on the line. I'll never forgive myself if something happens to her before I can get there... ' he trails off.
He stands motionless for a moment, before slumping to the ground, his Horse nuzzles him softly. Charming feels defeated. As he sits, he thinks back to the happy memories he has shared with Sno. He thinks about their dance, their first kiss. He thinks about her smile and her laugh. A lone tear drips down from his eye, down his cheek and lands onto his cloak.
and in that moment, Charming realizes that he loves Sno, and he resolves that when he arrives in Eleabeth, he is going to ask her to marry him.