Eva

"As long as you hold the spirit of goodness in your heart, I shall never leave you."

- Eva to Snow White Queen Eva, formerly known as Princess Eva, is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. She débuts in the fifteenth episode of the second season. She is portrayed by guest stars Rena Sofer and Eva Bourne, and does not have a Storybrooke counterpart.

Eva is based on the Queen from the fairytale, "Snow White".

History
Eva, a princess of a northern kingdom, meets Prince Leopold, whom she has been engaged since birth, for the first time. However, soon after her arrival, he becomes engaged to Cora. Determined to disrupt the union, she spies on Cora and eventually overhears her talking to the gardener, Jonathan. From eavesdropping, she learns Cora gave birth to their child, and gains insight on how the two met when Jonathan pretended to be a prince to attract her. Using this to her advantage, Eva tells Leopold what she has heard, and he breaks off his engagement with Cora.
 * -|Before the Curse=

Some time following this, she visits the kingdom of King Xavier, and notices Cora, who nearly married her husband, in peasant garb delivering flour. In an attempt to humiliate her nemesis, Eva sticks out her foot and trips Cora, causing her to spill the flour. Cora insults the princess, who is asked by King Xavier if she is alright. Eva states she is fine aside from the fact Cora has ruined her slippers. Cora is made to kneel and apologize, although the accident was not her fault. Later, at a royal ball in which the king's son, Prince Henry, is looking for a bride, Eva and the other ball attendants watch as Cora spins straw into gold in front of the king's court. Immediately after, Henry proposes to Cora, who accepts.

Many years later, Eva marries Leopold and gives birth to a daughter, Snow White, and is hailed as a good and kind queen. When Snow White's birthday celebration comes to pass, Eva is proud and excited to give her an heirloom tiara. The two encounter their servant Johanna trying on Snow White's tiara in the mirror. Snow White moves to berate her; stating that servants should not wear crowns, but Eva informs her daughter that it does not matter if someone is a royal or a servant as each person deserves love and respect. She inquiries for Snow White's knowledge on what the birthday celebration is for. the princess selfishly believes it's to honor herself, though Eva emphasizes it's for her to honor the people and show them the kind of virtuous Queen she will be in the future. Then, Eva places the tiara on her daughter, beaming with pride, before she collapses from a mysterious illness. After a doctor check-up, Snow White wishes to cancel her birthday celebration until Eva gets better. Eva insists that the gala must go on without her, and then lapses into a coughing fit. Her condition is quickly worsening as she begins coughing up blood. Later in the evening, a despondent Snow White rushes to Eva's side to admit she went to the Blue Fairy for help. Alas, the price of saving her mother's life was to take away someone else's, and Snow White feels weak for not being able to do it. Instead, Eva praises her for showing strength and sticking to the side of good. Shortly after, she passes away. The next day, Eva's body is assembled for the public mourning ceremony. During the service, Snow White lays a single snow drop on Eva's chest. After the rites are done and everyone has cleared out, the Blue Fairy enters and transforms back into Cora, who then begins talking to Eva's corpse. She admits to killing Eva with poison in order for her own daughter, Regina, to take the seat of the Queen. Cora is also looking forward to blackening Snow White's heart and destroying the legacy Eva hoped to leave behind. She takes the snow drop, inhales the fragrance of the flower, and tosses it aside before kissing her own fingers and placing them on Eva's lips.

Trivia

 * The casting call name for her was "Katerina".
 * The casting call describes her as, "Katerina captures the affection of all those that meet her, thanks to her pure spirit and kind heart. As if she doesn't already sound perfect enough, it's worth noting that she treats everyone with dignity and respect, no matter their place in society and she's super close with her adoring fam."
 * The name "Eva" is of Biblical Hebrew origin derived from the word "hayya" that means "alive, animal".
 * Eva's bedchamber in the palace appears to be the same one Regina would later use during her reign.

Appearances
Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.