Once Upon a Time (2011–2018): Season 2, Episode 16 - The Miller's Daughter - full transcript

In the fairy tale world, Cora, the miller's daughter, seeks revenge against the royal family after they degrade her in public. Back in Storybrooke, as Cora and Regina continue their quest to find Rumpel's dagger, Emma, Neal, David, and Mary Margaret protect Gold and prepare for battle.

Previously on
Once Upon A Time...

- Aah!
- Uhh!

- What the hell is that?
- It's poison.

- We need to get him back.
- The captain's ship.

The "Jolly Roger" instead of a car?

Mary Margaret: It's Regina.

She's working with Cora
to find Gold's dagger.

The dagger controls him.
If Cora gets it,

she can force Gold and all
his power to do her bidding.

This candle is infused with magic

that can save your mother's life.



So if you are to save a life,

then you must lose one in return.

Poison looks good on you.

(Voice breaks) You killed my mother!

Why did you take her from me?

To make my daughter The Queen.

Father.

Father!

What? I'm resting.

You're always resting.

(Bottle shatters)

The flour was due
to be delivered this morning.

I, for one, would like
to be able to eat this week.

(Sighs deeply)



(Indistinct conversations)

(Indistinct conversations continue)

(Grunts)

Aah!

You stupid, foolish girl!

What happened here?

Oh, the peasant fell...

(scoffs) as they do.

- Are you all right?
- I'm fine.

Not you.

Eva. Are you all right, Eva?

Well, she ruined my slippers.

I don't think the girl meant any harm.

You shall receive no money
for the flour,

and you will apologize to Eva.

Apologize?
The wench tripped me.

Curb your tongue.

This is Princess Eva
from the Northern Kingdom,

our honored guest.

- She's a very important woman.
- She's a girl.

And who are you, miller's daughter?

What's your name?

Cora.

Then kneel, Cora.

Now apologize.

Apologize or this will be

the last bit of flour
we'll take from you.

There are other millers out there.

(Gritted teeth) I beg your pardon,

Princess Eva.

Stay down until we have passed.

You are where you belong.

(Indistinct conversations resume)



2x16
The Miller's Daughter

(Groaning)

(Sighs)

Mm.
(Exhales)

You don't look comfortable.

The poison racing towards
my heart will have that effect.

Tell me about this, uh, knife of yours.

Cora and Regina...
if they do have it,

they can make you do anything?

Indeed.

Like...

kill us all?

(Breathing heavily)

Yeah.

You're hoping I bleed to death
now, aren't you?

You're Henry's grandfather.

We're family now.

I'm gonna save you.

Oh, I feel so reassured.

Hey.
I just talked to Emma.

It's a bad wound.
She says it's poison.

They can only cure it
back here in Storybrooke.

They're taking the ship home.

Mary Margaret: Well, let them know

that they have the knife, okay?

Who knows what
that wicked woman would do?

(Clatters) Mother.

I don't like what that
enchanted box was saying.

I'm not... I'm not wicked.

It's not an enchanted box.
It's a phone tap.

I don't care. What matters is
they've been warned.

Rumplestiltskin's smart,

and now he has time to think.

But he's injured.

More than injured, I'd say.

He's dying.

And when his name disappears,

all of that power of his will just...

boil off into the air and...

then there will be no new Dark One.

Okay.

So we have to use him to get
Henry back before he dies.

Not in his condition.

I don't want to kill him faster.

No, there are no other options.

I have to stab him with this knife

and take his power as my own.

I have to become The Dark One.

And with his power,

there's nothing I won't be able to do.

But Henry's never going to forgive that.

And the whole point of this is...

Wait. What is the point
of all this?

To protect our family.

Or you gaining your power.

Whatever power I gain is for us...

to protect you, to protect Henry.

If we lose this battle,

we'll spend the rest of our short lives

on our knees in front of them.

And that, my love,

is something I'll never do.



(Laughter)

Has the king really brought
all these wealthy women here

to vie to purchase his son?

Hmm. Poor Prince Henry.

You're very Frank.

Well, I...

Oh, my.

You're him.

You're the Prince.

I am very, very... I... I'm a goose,
aren't I? (Chuckles)

I don't know.
Let's find out.

Can a goose waltz?

But I wouldn't want to stand in the way

of someone purchasing you.

Then what are you doing here?

I just came for the free food.

(Chuckles)

(Chuckles)

Exquisite mutton, by the way.

Thank you.

Excuse me, my boy.
May I cut in?

Of course, father.

Your Majesty.

I didn't expect this honor.

'Tis no honor.

Did you think a stolen gown
and pilfered mask

would keep me from recognizing you?

There's straw on your dress.

You carry the mill with you,
miller's daughter.

You've got some nerve, disparaging me.

You're selling off
your own flesh and blood.

You're an insolent girl.

The kingdom has been strained
by righteous wars,

and we need our gold, yes.

We are still miles above your kind.

So now go.

There's nothing you can offer us

other than errant strands of straw.

That is nothing but delusion.

What could you possibly have
to offer us?

I can turn...

straw into gold

and solve all your woes.

(Laughs) Really?

But as you've insulted me,

you shall not reap the benefits.

Good luck whoring your son.

(Indistinct conversations)

My loyal subjects!

We have a very special personage
with us.

(Guests murmur)

This woman tells me that
she can spin straw into gold...

(Laughter)

and she is going to
demonstrate it for us.

Fetch a spinning wheel!

It takes... time

to gather my thoughts.

Oh. I tell you what,
my dear.

Spend the night here,
locked in a tower full of straw.

Spin it into gold tomorrow,

and you can marry the Prince.

(Murmuring)

Fail, and you die.

Are you okay?

Emma: Yeah.
(Sighs)

Yep. We're all right.

Uh, I drove a ship.

Did you now?

Yeah, my dad showed me how.

That's me.

(Strained voice)
Thank you. Thank you.

Is Cora trying to control you
with the dagger?

Oh, you'd know if she was,

and most of you would be dead by now.

Well, then we'll just have to
take the fight to her

before that can happen.

We will.
(Sighs)

And this time, we finish it.

- Mary Margaret...
- David.

She needs to be stopped.
She needs to be killed.

This is our family.
We are going to protect it.

Of course we will,

but what you're talking about
goes beyond that.

Does it?

- Because she is the reason you've never
met my mother. - I know.

I know what happened to Queen Eva,

and I have zero problem
with Cora dying for it,

but not by your hand
and not out of vengeance.

- Why? - Because you wouldn't be able
to live with yourself.

You have the purest heart
of anyone I have ever known.

It's who you are,

and that's who you're gonna stay.

You okay?

Ah, I'm beginning to feel
a bit stronger.

Take me back to my shop.

The magic there can protect us.

Let me guess.
I get to go with Ruby.

You got it, kid.

I'll keep him out of the crossfire.

Thank you.
Don't look so worried.

You'll stop Cora.
You won't let her get away.

(Water lapping)

(Giggles)

That's never gonna work.

I mean, you'll escape
but you'll be dead.

Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

Who are you?

Who are you?

Cora.

Not a very pretty name, is it?

Sounds like something breaking.

How did you get in here?
If you got in, I can get out.

If I understand your situation,

this is your way out.

And what a marvelous coincidence

that spinning straw into gold

just so happens to be something
that I like to do.

Yeah, it's almost like... like...
like... like fate.

(Wheel clicking) No one can spin straw
into anything,

and no one can make...

Oh, well! Well,
would you look at that?

(Wheel stops)

You want to help me?

(Giggles) No, I want you to help me.

And you will,

because the future is my gift.

Well, in a manner of speaking.

What could you possibly get from me?

Funny you should ask.

(Whoosh) Can ya read?

My firstborn child?

(Laughs)

She is quite important.

"She"?

Yes, I see the future.
Weren't you listening?

You can turn all this straw
into gold by morning?

And you can parade
in front of the royals

and demand the hand
of the dimly lit Prince

and have them kneel before you.

That's what you want, eh?

- You want them to kneel...
- No.

- I...
- No? What?

Teach me.

Don't just do it.

Teach me.

Make it part of our deal.

(Giggles)

You are a spicy one, aren't ya?

Oh, well.

Rumplestiltskin.

What?

My name.

I do believe you just earned it.

(Whoosh)

Now...

let's begin.

(Gold groaning)

Emma, did you find it?

Yeah. There's nothing in it.

(Clatters) What the hell?

Invisible chalk.

Use it in the front doorway.

(Grunts)
Draw a line.

The rest of you,

you might wanna prepare for battle.

Oh! Oh, wait. Wait, please.
Can you...

get me a warmer blanket?

In the cabinet.

Why do you have this?

For a rainy day.

(Chalk scratching)

Missed a spot.

You're hilarious.

I didn't know you were magical.

Oh, my.

Are you getting judgey about this?

'Cause you're not allowed to
have opinions about surprises,

Mr. Son Of Rumplestiltskin.

(Resumes scratching)
Oh.

What "oh"?

I didn't mean for Tamara
to be a surprise.

You think I care that
a guy I dated a decade ago

is engaged?

(Footsteps approach)

We're all clear outside.

Everything okay?

You're not getting any better, are you?

The candle can save me.

There's nothing else.

I wouldn't use this
to save my own mother.

What makes you think
I would use it for you?

Because you're all grown up now.

And for once, our interests are aligned.

(Sighs)

She dies instead of you.

I know you can do this.

I know you wanna do this.

There's no coming back from murder.

And there's no coming back
from death either,

and that's what will happen
to your loved ones.

Even if I were to do this...

(Grunts)

The candle only works

if you whisper the victim's name
over them.

The heart will do.

Cora's heart...

It's not in her body.

Use the candle, curse the heart,

and then...

here comes the tricky part.

That's not the tricky part?

You have to put the heart
back inside Cora's body.

(Whispers) She will die,

and I will live.

There's another way.

I get Cora's heart,

I control her and make her do
the right thing,

and I let you die.

Takes care of two evils at once.

(Laughs) I'm just imagining
poor Henry's face

when he finds out
that you killed his grandpa.

Emma: I drew the invisible line...

I think.

What now?
You cast a protection spell?

No, no.

You're gonna do that for me.

I'm relying on you.

I can't cast a spell.
I can spell "spell."

You can. It's in you.

How? Here?
Like, from my brain?

Just try.

(Sighs deeply)

Stop thinking!

Conjuring magic is not
an intellectual endeavor.

It's emotion.

You must ask yourself,
"why am I doing this?"

"Who am I protecting?"

Feel it.

(Breathes deeply)

(Low rumbling)

(Whoosh)

(Low humming)
(Whispers) Oh, yeah.

(Whoosh)

Oh, yeah. You feel it?

Yeah.

I think I did.

Good girl.

Very good girl.

(Wheel clicking)

Ugh! It's not happening.

You just need to stop thinking about it.

Magic is about emotion.

Summon up that moment

that made you so angry

you would've killed if you could.

You do that?

I do.

What's your moment?

(Exhales)

Once...

a man made me kiss his boots
in front of my son.

Now in my mind,

I go back

and I rip out his throat

and I crunch his veins with my teeth.

And that, dearie,

is how magic is made.

Bloodlust.

(Whispers) I like the phrase.

Let me help you.

(Clicking resumes)

They made me kneel.

I didn't do anything wrong,

but they made me apologize...

to a child.

I realized no matter how good
I was or how hard I worked...

I was never going to be
more than I am now.

What do you want to do to them?

I want to make them bow.

I want their kneecaps...

to crack

and freeze on the stones.

I want their necks to break
from bending.

(Sighs deeply) Look.

(Clicking stops)

I did it.

I'm going to live.

You're gonna do much more
than that, dearie.

Don't stop...

until they are on their knees.

(Whispers) Let's keep going.

(Clicking resumes)

Here. Here's your gold.

This...

Did you really do it?

You saw it with your own eyes.

You're just a miller's daughter.

I am so much more.

You've earned him.

Cora...

if you will do me the honor

of accepting my hand in marriage...

Yes.

What's wrong?

Did Gold tell you something?

No.

I mean, he just said that
Cora's determined to hurt us.

I won't let that happen.

We'll do whatever needs to be done.

You're right.

You're absolutely right.

(Ground rumbling, objects rattling)

It's them.

Regina and Cora.

They're here.

(Whoosh)

(Blades zing)

Regina, think about what you're doing.

Don't talk to me.

(Whoosh)

(Flames crackling)

(Whoosh)

(Grunts) David!

(Whoosh)
Uhh!

(Loud clatter)

(Low humming)
(Gasps)

(Whoosh)

(Grunts)

What's it gonna be?

Mother!

Choose wisely.

(Whoosh)

- Aah!
- Uhh!

Fall back to Gold.
I have the chalk.

(Chalk scratching)

(Whoosh, zing)

Help me take out Rumplestiltskin,

and then we'll go back...

(Voice breaks) Mother, what is it?

(Breathing heavily)
My... my heart.

It's with my things in your vault.

Someone's there.

(Gasps)

- Mother?
- Go.

Go!

(Door bells jingle)

(Door closes)

Really, Rumple.

Hiding's beneath you.

(Electric humming)

Enjoying the view as much as I am?

(Giggles)

How dare you.

I'm a married woman.

Not yet.
Wedding's tomorrow.

Hmm.

Well, then it's all right.

Mm.

Love the dress.

Royal brides have to be snow white.

(Giggles) Ahh.

When you see the future,
there is irony everywhere.

You know, I thought I wanted this.

White and bright...

all the admiration.

But then I look at it.

Fifth in line to be Queen.

That won't happen without
an awful lot of bloodshed.

And what you give me...

I can give you nothing

but darkness and isolation.

And love.

Yeah

and love.

I want that.

What if I, um...

What if I, uh...

amended our contract?

Instead of you owing me
some random firstborn child,

you owe me...

my child.

I can make that deal.

As can I.

Rumple,

can we really do this?

Can we really have this?

If you truly wish it.

- There is one...
- W... what?

It's the King.

He humiliated me.

He made me feel the way you've
shown me I never have to feel.

I want to kill him.

I want to show him his heart
before I do it,

so he can see it

and know what I'm doing

as I crush it.

And that is why

I love you.

Show me.

(Heartbeat thumping)
I will show you everything.

Then I'll do it tonight.

Let's seal that promise.

(Sighs)

(Groans)

(Gasps and groans)

(Cell phone rings)

(Rings, beep) David?

Are you safe?

For now. I got the spell
from the back room.

(Strained voice) Is Mary Margaret okay?

She's not with you?

No.

Where the hell is she?

(Heartbeat thumping)

(Latches click)

(Breathing heavily)

(Lighter flicks, flame whooshes)

(Whispers) Cora.

(Voice echoes) Cora.

Cora.

(Blows air)

They told me I'd find you
counting your treasure.

Well...
(sighs)

you've made us a rich kingdom again.

How can I help you?

I don't love your son.

I didn't expect you to.

(Object thuds)

Not much there to love, frankly.

But this is not about love.

It's about alliances.

Love is weakness.

It isn't for hard women like you.

That should make your choice easier.

My choice?

Run off with the evil imp

you don't think anyone knows about,

in the name of love,

or stand next to my son
with a crown on your head

and citizens at your feet.

If the choice is love or power,

then even having a heart is a liability.

(Heartbeat thumping)

Don't you think?

(Heartbeat thumping)

(Electrical crackling)

It's getting weaker.

She's gonna get through.

Maybe it's for the best.
(Inhales deeply)

At least this cursed power
will pass from this world.

No.
(Sword clanks)

No, you're not dying.

I am dying.

That much is certain.

I need to talk to Belle.
(Breathing heavily)

Emma, please.

Who's Belle?

Your dad's girlfriend.

Mr. Gold, I...

I... I told you before,
I... I... I don't remember you.

I... I... I know. I know.

It's just, uh...
(Exhales)

Sweetheart, I... I'm dying.

Oh. I'm, uh...

I'm... I'm so sorry.

I know that you're...

you're confused about who you are.

So I'm gonna tell ya.

You are a hero

who helped your people.

You're a beautiful woman

who loved an ugly man.

Really, really loved me.

You find goodness in others.

And when it's not there,

you create it.

You make me wanna go back,

back... to the best version
of me.

And that never happened before.

So when you look in the mirror

and you don't know who you are,

that's who you are.

(Crying)

(Whispers)
Thank you... Belle.

(Beep)

(Exhales deeply)

(Clears throat)

Didn't know you had that in you.

Oh, I'm full of love.

I've spent a lifetime looking for you...

for a chance to say
"I love you."

And I'm sorry.

(Sniffles)

I didn't think
you would go back on our deal.

I just made the wrong choice.

May I?

(Voice breaks) I'm still angry.

I know.

(Inhales deeply)

(Gasps)

You have no right to be here.

And you have no right to that.

I was going to give it to you.

What?

She can't love you, you know.
She doesn't have her heart.

With it, maybe she can.

That's why you've never felt
she loved you.

She doesn't have her heart.

But I do.

You're doing this for me?

Think about it.

What would happen
if Cora had her heart back?

Back inside her?

She told me she took it out
to protect herself.

And did it work?

The person she was before...

do you think that person survived?

She can't love,

so she can't love you.

She always wanted the best for me.

(Voice breaks) That's love.

(Whispers) Imagine real love.

You'd have a mother

and a start on making a family
Henry could be a part of.

Or you could have her be The Dark One.

The choice is yours.

(Birds hooting, crickets chirping)

I was starting to grow concerned.

Well, here I am.

Something's not right.

Yes. You're correct.

What happened?

Couldn't you take the King's heart?

No, I was able to do it.

I chose not to.

Ah.

I'm sorry, my dear Rumple.

I'm not going with you.

You see, I have a wedding to go to.

My own.

Whose heart is in the box?

(Lowered voice) Don't make this harder.

You lied to me.

Whose heart?

Mine.

I had to.

You told me not to let anything stop me

until they're on their knees.

My heart was stopping me.

You never loved me.

Never.

You're not getting away with this.

We had a contract.
I'll take your baby.

We changed the contract, Rumple.

You only get your own child.

And any baby I have...

it won't be yours.

(Electrical crackling)

Mary Margaret!

(Panting) Are you okay?!

Are you...

What did you do?

(Breathing heavily) You were right.

This isn't me.

(Electrical crackling, whooshing)

(Zaps)

(Exhales)

You two, out of the way.

(Whoosh)

(Weakly) A vision told me about you.

Told me this day would come.

But it didn't tell me everything.

(Whispers) Didn't tell me what
I really wanted to know.

And what's that?

Did you ever love me?

Why do you think
I had to rip my own heart out?

(Labored breathing)

You were my weakness.

You are the only man I ever truly loved.

(Exhales)

(Blade zings)

(Squish)
(Gasps)

(Clank)

(Gasping)

(Exhales)

(Laughs)

Mother.

King: Princess Cora, please.

Tell me, daughter,

what's her name?

Her name is Regina,

for one day, she will be Queen.

(Laughing)

(Gasps)

(Gasps)

- Mother?
- Oh!

Mother?

(Grunts) What's wrong?

(Labored breathing)

(Weakly) This...

would've been enough.

You...

you would've been enough.

Mother?

(Voice breaking) What's going on?

(Sobs)

Mother?

Don't leave me, please.

(Sobbing)

(Whispers) What am I gonna do?

- Your mother did you no favors.
- Shut up!

You stole her life!

You cast some spell.
(Sobs)

I did nothing.

Regina! Stop!

You did this.