Regina notices her mother forgot to remove the key from the drawer, and she curiously opens it to see an intricate box.
After locking a box away in a drawer, Cora leaves the room, promising to see her daughter at dinner later. When the girl points out that her mother never has time to play, Cora reminds Regina of the story she once told her about her own childhood, in which she worked in the mill all day and learned to depend on only herself. Regina invites her to play, but Cora declines, saying she is too busy. In her mother's study, she is playing with her doll Isabella, when Cora walks in. Some years after this, Regina is now a young child. It is not known if Cora knows of this event. One day, when Regina is still a baby, Rumplestiltskin holds her in his arms. When her daughter is born, Cora names her Regina, who she proclaims will become queen one day. Cora comes into power by learning to spin straw into gold under Rumplestiltskin's instruction, which makes the kingdom rich and garners a marriage proposal from Prince Henry. Regina is born to Prince Henry, the son of a wealthy king named Xavier, and Cora, the daughter of a poor miller.