Board Thread:Character Discussion/@comment-7526254-20160510162817/@comment-24674051-20160613025009

I will agree that using a "renaissance" era culture in FTL is rather arbitrary. But that's my head canon, and I'm sticking to it. :-p

Making the timeline easier by putting the casting of the DC as year 0 does not really solve anything, in my opinion. We don't know how old many of the people actually are at the time of the first DC casting. Emma was a newborn, and Ella is 19. Beyond that, we have nothing conclusive.

And my argument on Snow's age is actually not based on the EF/Renaissance setting (though it is consistent with it). Snow was most likely around 14-15 in Labor of Love (Maybe as young as 13, but not much younger). And while there is nothing clear and exact from a show canon perspectrive regarding the timeline, I still think that LoL was probably 2, maybe 3 years prior to the events of "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree" and "the Heart is a Lonely Hunter", making Snow at most 18 when she fled the Huntsman. and (according to my head canon) Snow was banditing at most 2 years before she met David, putting her at 20 when they met. Give them about 1-2 years of courting, and also defeating the EQ and King George, that puts Snow at 22 when we arrive at the wedding in the Pilot. and it was approximately 1 year from then to the dark curse.

Also, Snow being 18 (or close to it) when she flees the Huntsman makes sense for another reason. Snow was due to assume the throne when she reached the appropriate age (or so I assume). Regina, as Snow's Stepmother and Leopold's widow, was simply filling the role of Queen Regent until Snow was of ruling age. Now, there is nothing stating when "Of Age" actually is, but 18 seems to be a reasonable conjecture. So, for Regina to retain the throne and have any pretense of making it look 'legitimate', she would need to have Snow removed prior to her turning 18. And with no other (known) heir to the throne, Regina, as Leopold's widow and lawful wife, would have a legimate claim of rulership.

Of course, the murder attempt failed, but the damage was done, in that Regina successfully usurped the throne. But her rule had no legitimacy. But that is another story for another thread. The point, though, is that, assuming 18 as a reasonable age where Snow could ascend to the throne, Regina would have to have Snow removed from the ruling equation before she could ascend.