Evil Queen's Palace

The Dark Palace is an Enchanted Forest location on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It first appears in the second episode of the first season.

The castle is the home of the Evil Queen, her father, the Magic Mirror and the Huntsman. In the past, it was the Summer Palace that King Leopold sent to build in honor of Snow White's mother.

Before the Curse
Regina sits with a young Snow White, braiding and adorning her hair with flowers. Snow White admires her new look, then notices a necklace in Regina's jewelry box which she puts on. Snow White asks Regina where she got the necklace, and Regina tells her it was a gift from Daniel. Snow White's face becomes concerned, and she says it is the same Daniel who loved Regina but left her. Regina corrects her, stating he did not leave but was killed. She says he was killed because Snow White could not keep her secret. As a horrified Snow White takes this in, the necklace begins creeping up her neck until it goes taut. Regina begins choking her to death with the bewitched necklace. She tells the dying Snow White that her mother corrupts young souls. Just as it seems the life is going out of her face, the scene changes to show her happily wearing the harmless necklace. It was all in Regina's imagination.

In the castle courtyard, Regina walks with her father Henry. She is desperate because she knows Cora is turning Regina into herself, and she wants her father to help her find a way out. She does not want to marry the King and feels like a prisoner. Henry asks if it is possible she is having cold feet, which Regina rejects. She admits feeling angry all the time now and fears Cora is making her crazy. Henry tells her Cora loves her and wants to give her everything she never had herself. Regina expresses that she wants her own life, not her mother's. Regina asks Henry how Cora got like this, and Henry, looking around to make sure no one hears, tells Regina that there was a man – well, like a man, whom Cora knew before she even met Henry. He brought magic to her and gave her the book of spells. Regina wants this person's name, but Henry doesn't know it. It dawns on Regina that the book of spells that Cora uses must actually belong to that man.

Cora is in bed, sleeping peacefully. Regina stands over her and reaches under Cora's pillow to pull out the spell book. She sneaks off back to her room where she tries to decipher the tome. Discovering a name on one of the pages, she makes an attempt, “Rumple… Rumple-Shtiltskin? I summon thee Rumplestiltskin.” Immediately appearing, he says, “That's not how you say it, dearie.” A shocked Regina turns to see Rumplestiltskin, reclining leisurely on her couch nearby. He tells her she did not say his name correctly, but in truth, she did not have to say anything at all. Regina approaches, asking him, “What are you?” He takes small umbrage at the “what.” Regina apologizes, admitting she does not really know what she is doing. With a flourish and a bow, he introduces himself to her. She begins to respond in kind by introducing herself, but Rumplestiltskin interrupts, informing her he already knows who she is. Regina quickly realizes he knows who she is because of her mother, adding that people have told her that she looked like Cora when she was younger. Rumplestiltskin, studying her, tells her that he does not see it and that it is not how he knows her anyway. Regina asks, “Then how?” He tells her he knew her long ago when she was just a baby he held in his arms, and he knew this day would come. He tells her, “And I'm so happy we are back where we belong.” “Where's that?” Regina asks. “Together,” he replies.

He tells her that he has known her since she was a child. He and her family have quite a bit of history, both in the past and in the future. Regina asks him if he can help her. He tells her possibly and then guesses she seeks the death of an enemy or a friend. She tells she does not want to hurt anyone. He is taken aback, telling her it is hard to believe she is from the same family as Cora. Caressing her face, he acknowledges her gentleness but also her innate power. “You can do so much, if you just let yourself." She turns away, admitting she does not know how. He implores her to let him show her then points her toward a tall, shrouded object that has magically appeared behind her. Rumplestiltskin tells her it is magic, and that magic will set her free. Regina still rejects it. It is what her mother did, and she does not want to end up like her. Rumplestiltskin assures her she does not have to. He tells her the object is a portal between worlds, in this case, a specific and annoying little world. Rumplestiltskin tells her she probably will never see her mother again, and all she needs is a little push. The question is, can she do it?

Regina is dressed in a beautiful, shimmering wedding gown. It is almost time for the wedding. Staring off at the balcony, Regina is pulled back into reality by her mother, who asks, “What's this?” Regina turns to face her mother as well as a large, covered object in the room. She tells Cora she is not sure; it is a gift. With a sweep of her hand, Cora removes the covering and is disappointed for her daughter that it is not a portrait but rather an impersonal mirror. Cora cruelly wonders aloud if the people really love Regina. Hurt, Regina says she is doing her best. Cora apologizes and leads her to the glass to admire her beauty and reminds her of the life she has ahead of her. “It's going to be better than you can imagine.” Then, in a hushed tone, Cora tells her daughter that Leopold is not a strong man, and the kingdom will be hers. Cora encourages her to start planning for her future rule now, by signaling to those around her where the real power will soon lie. Regina, turning away, asks if that is what Cora would do, and her mother confirms this. Regina tells Cora she has just one qualm—she does not want to be her. As Regina lunges at her mother, Cora, scoffing, freezes her in a magic spell. Cora tells her it will not be that easy to get rid of her. She is her mother, and she knows best. Just then, Regina sees Rumplestiltskin appear in the mirror behind Cora, motioning gleefully for Regina to push her mother into the Looking Glass. Regina, uncertain, but then with growing rage, lunges forward and pushes Cora into the mirror, which has now become a liquid portal. A stunned Cora flies into its maw, catching herself on the frame for just a moment before she is sucked through, disappearing before the mirror shatters. Regina looks on in shock at what she has done. ("We Are Both")

The Doctor, as he likes to be called, examines Daniel and states that his “condition is ideal” and that the chances for resurrecting her true love are fairly good. The Doctor insists he needs a strong enough heart to survive the procedure and believes that the Enchanted Forest has magic hearts that are strong enough for just this sort of operation. Regina, Dr. Frankenstein, and Jefferson make their way to Cora's secret vault for a beating heart which will assist in the attempted resurrection of Daniel. Unfortunately for Regina the whole thing is a setup; meant to crush her love and bring out the evil Queen that Rumplestiltskin knows resides within her. The Doctor informs her that the operation was a failure and, as expected, Regina turns her anger inward and goes back to Rumplestiltskin, ready now to become his full-fledged apprentice. ("The Doctor")

King Leopold meets the Genie of Agrabah and takes him to his Summer Palace, where the Queen and Snow White are.

Back at the palace it is the King's birthday. He tells Snow White that she truly is the fairest of them all. This upsets the Queen who leaves. The Genie follows her out and he gives her a mirror and tells her she is the "Fairest in all the land".

The Genie is summoned is to see the king where he tells him that he thinks the queen is in love with someone else. King Leopold has read her diary reveling that she is trapped. The king knows she is unhappy from this. He asks the Genie to find the man who gave her the mirror, which he accepts to do.

Regina's father shows up and give the Genie a box to take up to her. She opens the box to reveal a snake. The snake can kill anything with a single bite. The Genie stops her from using the snake on herself and gives her the idea of using the snake on the king. He offers to be the one to use the snake.

The Genie sneaks into King Leopold's room where he releases the snakes into the bed. The king is bitten, and the Genie reveals that he is in love with Regina. Before dying, the king declares his regret for freeing the Genie, acknowledging the previous warning that every wish has a price.

The Genie goes to tell Regina that they can be together. Regina tells him that the guards know that he killed the king and she tells him they can never be together. The Genie realizes that Regina set him up and that the murder would be traced back to him. He tells her that he can't live without her. Regina says that she will never love him and be with her ever. The Genie then wishes to be with her forever and never leave her side which turns him into the mirror. She tells him that he will be with her forever. ("Fruit of the Poisonous Tree")

The Evil Queen is at her palace and goes to the mausoleum where Snow White is saying goodbye to her father. She offers her condolences and says that she also loved her husband, Snow White's father. The Evil Queen promises to be there for Snow White forever and hugs her. Later, the Magic Mirror contacts the Evil Queen and congratulates her on the success of her revenge.

The Evil Queen is happy that she has fooled Snow White, but warns that the kingdom would turn on her if she took a more blatant revenge against Snow White. She tells the Mirror that they must be delicate and carefully conceal any involvement in her murder. The Evil Queen wants someone with no heart to handle the killing, and the Mirror suggests that she use a Huntsman.

They gossip that the Huntsman is an animal who was raised by animals and cries over his kills. One man comes over and asks him why he cries, and the Huntsman says that an honorable man cries, and that animals are pure of heart, not selfish and self-serving. The wolf growls at the man, who prepares to attack it. The Huntsman kills him and takes on the others, who withdraw after a few seconds. Meanwhile, the Evil Queen watches him through a shard of glass, decides that he's perfect, and tells her men to bring the Huntsman to her.

The Huntsman enters the palace and refuses to give his real name to the Evil Queen. He explains that the wolves raised him and that his parents only gave birth to him, and she believes that he is a wolf rather than a sheep. She asks him to kill someone and the Huntsman wonders why he should.

The Evil Queen offers him a place at her court as her Royal Huntsman, awash in luxury, and explains that she needs someone without compassion, someone who can carve a heart out and bringing it back to her. The Huntsman says that he can do that and tells the Evil Queen to outlaw the hunting of wolves in return. She promptly agrees and the Huntsman asks her who he is to kill.

A knight brings the Huntsman to the Evil Queen. She asks if Snow White is dead and the Huntsman says that he has her heart. However, first he shows her Snow White's letter. The Evil Queen tells him to read it, and the Huntsman recites how Snow White said that she knew her stepmother would never have love because of her. She hopes that with her death, the Evil Queen will rule her subjects well and that her need for revenge will be satisfied.

Angry, the Evil Queen throws the letter in the fire and asks if the Huntsman is becoming a sheep rather than a wolf. When he asks what Snow White did, the Evil Queen says that she shared a secret with Snow White but she didn't keep it, and the betrayal cost her dearly. The Huntsman then gives her the pouch with the heart. The Evil Queen places it into a box and closes it, and then prepares to put it in a rack with other boxes. When the rack doesn't open, the Evil Queen realizes that it isn't Snow White's heart.

The Evil Queen seals the door and tells the Huntsman that he isn't going anywhere. She then takes his heart in punishment, pulling it out of his chest. The Evil Queen then kisses him and says that he's now hers, and puts his heart into the rack. She warns the Huntsman that if he ever disobeys her, she'll squeeze. Demonstrating, the Evil Queen causes the Huntsman to collapse to the ground in agony. As her guards take him away to her bed chamber, the Evil Queen says that he is now hers forever. ("The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter")

At her castle, the Queen watches and casts a spell, starting the oven. She then has the children brought to her and demands the satchel. Gretel hands over the satchel and removes a shining red apple. The Queen congratulates Gretel, saying that she reminds her of herself at her age, and tells them the apple is a weapon for a particular and devious enemy who believes that she is safe. Gretel asks her to keep her promise and the Queen tells them they deserve better than a father who abandoned them. When Gretel says the Woodcutter is all they have, the Queen says that they have impressed her and she wants them to live with her. If they live with her they can live with royalty, but Gretel refuses and asks for their father, insisting that he would never abandon them. She tells the Queen she would never live with someone as terrible her, and that they will prove her wrong. The Queen casts a spell, surrounding them in a vortex of smoke.

The Queen watches her magic mirror as Snow White meets with the dwarves. She then has the Woodcutter brought in from her dungeons. The Queen tells him that his children are gone and that they believe he has abandoned her. She then asks the Woodcutter why the children were so loyal to him, and he tells her that they are a family, and family always finds one another. She then releases him and tells him he can be with his children once they find each other. ("True North")

Jefferson goes to visit the Queen, pulls a hat out of the box, and spins it on the ground. Inside the hat, they are able to see another land that they enter together. ("Hat Trick")

Prince Charming is trying to break out of his cell in the dungeon of the Dark Palace. A pair of guards arrive to escort him to his execution; however, he manages to escape while he is being moved, with help from another guard. This guard is revealed to be the Huntsman, who guides Prince Charming out of the castle and gives him his sword and some supplies.

The Evil Queen paces back and forth as the Huntsman enters. She questions why the Huntsman let Prince Charming escape and the Huntsman says that he will find him. At the Queen's request, the Magic Mirror shows Prince Charming running through the forest and the Queen magically transports him to the Infinite Forest. ("A Land Without Magic")

A hooded man walks up the steps of the Dark Palace's cell block. When he is stopped by a guard, a fight ensues. The man prevails against two guards, and is revealed to be Hook. He takes keys from one of the guards and opens the door to the nearby cell.

Inside the cell, Belle asks Hook if the Evil Queen sent him to kill her. When Hook replies that he is there to rescue her, Belle asks who he is. Hook simply replies, "a friend". Hook further explains that her father is being attacked by Rumplestiltskin, and must be stopped. He asks Belle about a magical weapon that can stop him. When it becomes apparent that Belle has no knowledge useful to him, Hook knocks her out. He raises his hook in preparation to strike the unconscious Belle, and as he swings downward, it disappears. The Evil Queen stands in the doorway of the cell with his hook in her hand.

Captain Hook asks for his hook back, but the Queen refuses. The Queen knows of Hook and she knows all about the crocodile he wants to skin. Then she states that she can help him, if he helps her first. She invites Hook to tea where she tells him about her plan to unleash the Dark Curse, and how it will take them to a new land, a land without magic. There Hook will be able to kill Rumplestiltskin with ease, but first he must kill the one person who may stand in her way, her mother.

The Evil Queen has just enchanted Captain Hook's hook so that it will be able to take one heart. She then shows him the body of the man he killed, and tells him he will be traveling with him. Hook is confused as to this, but Regina explains that if two travel, two must return. He will travel to Wonderland with Claude's corpse and return with the corpse of Cora. She takes the hat out and lays it down, but Hook asks how he will find her but Regina assures him he will have no trouble. She then spins the hat, opening a portal to Wonderland.

Hook brings Cora's body to Regina, who is convinced that she is dead as her body lay in an uncovered tomb. Hook leaves the room so Regina can say goodbye to her mother. She then apologizes to Cora, thanking her for making the person she has become. Regina recalls, when her mother killed Daniel and told her that "love is weakness". She then confesses that the reason she wanted her mother dead was because Cora was her weakness. She then places a red rose on Cora, and then leaves the room to enact the Dark Curse. ("Queen of Hearts

The Evil Queen sits in her Dark Palace. Her father come's in and tells her of a visitor. From behind her Rumplestiltskin appears. He tells her that it is Snow White and Prince Charming's wedding today. The Queen tells him that this is useless information to her. He then tells her that if she wishes to harm them she could always bring them to another land. She smiles at this and he tells her that he is on her side, before dissappearing into smoke. The Queen then calls her father to summon the carriage because "she has a wedding to get to". ("The Cricket Game")

The Evil Queen teleports back to her castle as Prince Charming tries to kill her by throwing his sword. The Magic Mirror asks what she has done and the Evil Queen explains that she casts the Dark Curse, much to the surprise of her servant and the Magic Mirror.

The Valet tells the Evil Queen that perhaps it is for the best that she failed, since the dark forces are more powerful than she can conceive. He assures her that helping her is his life, and she asks for his help to find out why the Dark Curse did not work. The Valet suggest that she talk to Maleficent and warns that after going for revenge, there is no going back. The Evil Queen wonders what she has to go back to.

The Evil Queen returns to her castle and the Magic Mirror asks what happened. She ignores him and the Valet asks if she learned what she needed to know. The Evil Queen admits that she is conflicted and explains what she has to do, and the Valet realizes that he is the one that she loves most. She calls him "Daddy" and admits that she doesn't know what to do. He tells her to move past it, but the Evil Queen says that she cannot live with what Snow White took from her.

The Valet suggests that she start over so they can have a new life, but the Evil Queen says that her power will disappear and the others will think she is nothing. He tells her that she can have love again and hugs her, saying they can find happiness together. However, the choice is hers. The Evil Queen cries and then says that he can be right, and stabs him in the heart as he stares at her in shock. As he collapses to the ground, the Evil Queen apologizes. ("The Thing You Love Most")