Lake Nostos

Lake Nostos  is a location featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It first appears in the thirteenth episode of the first season.

It is a magical lake. The waters of Lake Nostos are rumored to restore anything that was once lost to you; however, it was guarded by a vicious Siren.

Before the Curse
Prince Charming travels to this lake to retrieve some of its water for Princess Abigail. Princess Abigail uses the waters that he retrieves to revive her cursed love, Frederick. ("What Happened to Frederick")

Prince Charming, Snow White, and Sir Lancelot went to the lake seeking out its waters to get some for Prince Charming's dying mother, Ruth, after she was struck by a poisoned arrow. Unfortunately, the lake had all but dried up since the Siren had been killed. Lancelot finds a few drops of the lake's water left, but Ruth is reluctant to drink it after learning the king cursed Snow White to become barren. She suggests Snow White drink the water, so the curse might be undone. Snow White refuses. After Ruth takes the water, her wounds still do not heal. She is saddened at the prospect of not being able to watch her son get married, but Snow White asks Lancelot to help perform a quick marriage ceremony so Ruth's last wish can be granted.

During the ceremony, Lancelot pours water into a cup that has thought to have mystical properties to grant eternal life. Snow White drinks from the cup. Later on, after Ruth has passed away, Snow White apologizes to Prince Charming about having lost the last of his family. But, Prince Charming is glad because he still has Snow White, and that one day they will have children of their own. Snow White is visibly distraught, especially when Prince Charming pulls out the necklace Ruth had previously shown her.

The necklace has power in swinging in a certain direction when determining the gender of a woman's first born child, and earlier Ruth tried to demonstrate it on Snow White, it did not move at all. Prince Charming is telling Snow White about the necklace's predicting ability just as she is about to tell him about her inability to have children. Miraculously, the necklace begins to swing. Snow White is astonished at how the curse was broken. After piecing things together, she realizes Ruth only pretended to drink the lake water; sacrificing herself for Snow White; and that Lancelot must have switched the water into the cup during the marriage ceremony, although he denied ever having done it. ("Lady of the Lake")

Appearances
Nostos-See