Chapter 1 – A New Beginning
It was the night, the night that everything would change. Tonight Regina was set to enact the dark curse and take everyone to a new realm, one without magic. Everything was in place and ready, she just needs one more thing. She had just seen Rumpelstiltskin, he told her what was needed. Regina wasn't sure she was ready to pay this price. Would it be worth it, could she be happier without the thing she loves the most? She wasn't sure. She was tired. Tired of running, tired of fighting, tired of this life. She seeks adventure and wants to pursue her long-lost dreams. None of this would be possible though, not while Snow White still existed. That woman wouldn't leave her be. At least in this new realm, Snow wouldn't be a problem there, she wouldn't remember who herself was let alone Regina.
Regina laughed evilly while overlooking the kingdoms from the watchtower window. Bringing down Snow White once and for all would undeniably make her life better. She could regain back the love of her people and rule her kingdom without fear of constant attack from the White Knights. She was a great ruler, despite what Snow had poisonly told everyone. Yes she had done some 'Evil' things but it was all in the great of the kingdom. The king was a terrible man and deserved the death he got. He was all for himself and treated the people unkindly. At least after his death, Regina was able to restore the crops and bring business back to the kingdom. Of course though, the darling Snow White took credit for that. Leopold never acknowledge the people but yet somehow, Snow placed that all on Regina.
Regina rolls her eyes at that thought. "Oh well" she thinks, "not going to be an issue after tonight".
With tears streaming down her face, Regina looks into her father's eyes "I just want to be happy Daddy", she whispers as she pulls out his red beating heart with her hand.
Henry looks up at his daughter with worried eyes, he offers her a small smile. He reaches his hand up to her face "Stop worrying about Snow White and just start over" he said as he wiped away the tears with his thumb "we can still have a new life here".
"What kind of life?" she laughs, her black cape whipping around her body as she turns away from him and starts to pace up and down the room. Her eyes stay transfixed on her father's beating heart in her hand, "All I've worked for, all I've built will be gone." She spoke with so much venom in her words "My power will disappear, they already think I'm nothing".
"Power is seductive" says Henry as he looks up at Regina. She stops pacing right in front of him and they look each other in the eyes. He cups her face again and smiles, "and so is love." Regina smiles, its small but it is still there, fresh tears start rolling down her face again. Henry pulls his daughter into a hug "you can have that again my sweet child". He kisses her wet cheek and looks back into her chocolate eyes. "I believe, given the chance, that we can find happiness again. Together."
"I love you so much Daddy". Regina holds his heart up to his chest and pushes it back into its cavity. They both smile and share a little tear-filled laugh together as they embraced into another hug.
They both walk over to the watch tower window. Regina kicks off her shoes to the side so she can rest on her father's shoulder. "they're too tall to do this" she shyly says.
"and to think you're the big scary Evil Queen", he chuckles as he pulls his daughter under his strong arms.
"I always will be," she sighs "Well as long as I'm here"
"then lets go." Herny smiles at his daughter. "nothing is keeping us here, we should just leave."
"and go where, daddy?" Regina asks confused.
"anywhere we like, there is an entire realm out there waiting for us to explore".
"you know what?" she smiles, "lets do it! Lets leave and never return".
"then it is settled, we will leave tomorrow".
They both smile and hug each other tighter while staring out the window.
They stand like this for a while.
Looking out towards the White Kingdom, Regina furrows her eyebrows and tilts her head to the side. "well that's news." She says as she points out that the beacon had been lit.
"yes, it is" Henry says with concern. "that means Snow has had her child". He looks down to his daughter, all concern left as he saw that Regina had a peaceful smile etched to her face.
"maybe this means that she'll finally leave me alone".
At that moment, the door to the watch tower slammed open. Giving them both a fright, Regina and Henry spun around to see who the intruder was.
Prince Charming and Snow White charging in, their sword and bow & arrows raised.
"Of course," Regina says as she rolled her eyes. "it is rude to slam open other people's doors without knocking". She raises her eyebrows and looks at Snow White "I know you were taught that," then tilting her head towards the prince, "but clearly Prince Farming here didn't have those lessons at barn school".
"That's enough Regina!" spat Snow White. Raising her arrow stronger.
"Really dear," Regina laughs. "I can magic away that arrow before you even let it fly."
Snow narrows her eyes, a smirk starting to appear on her face. "are you sure about that?".
Regina not in the mood to be challenged, raised her right hand and flicked her wrist… nothing happened. She looks puzzlingly at her hand and tries again… nothing. Panic started to fill her, her sword was too far away to be of any use to her. She has no way to defend her and her father. She stills herself, fixes her posture and regains her regalness. "What do you want, Snow?".
Lowering her bow and arrow, Snow looks at Charming, they both share a devilish smile with each other. He sheaths his sword and leans against the wall, clearly just here to watch what's about to unfold.
"isn't that obvious Regina", snow laughs. "I want my happy ending, which means... you don't get yours". Snow Smiles, all her big pearly white teeth on display.
"so, you're here to kill me then" Regina says as if she's not interested.
"oh…" Snow says wickedly. "No", she says whiles shaking her head. Snow lifts her bow again and aims it at Henry. "I'm taking away your happy ending". She shoots the arrow straight into Henry's heart.
Regina watches as the arrow pierces into his chest. Her eyes locked onto her father's eyes as he starts to fall backwards to the ground. She falls to her knees and pulls her father's head into her lap. "Daddy?" she cries looking over the man. His eyes close as he takes one last gasp of air. Regina falls into his lifeless body. She sobs uncontrollably as she tries to magic away the arrow. "It's not working, why isn't it working!" she says in frustration. Snow must have done something so her magic doesn't work. Regina can feel Snow watching her but she doesn't care.
The Prince pushes himself off the wall and walks towards Regina. "We will give you 3 days to set your affairs in order" said the Prince. "After that, we will take your kingdom as our own, anyone who stands in the way will perish".
"WE WERE ABOUT TO LEAVE" Regina screams with tears staining her face. "we were just about to leave this all behind! The curse is destroyed!", she wipes her face. Looking down at her father "you had won" she whispers, "we were about to leave."
"Damb right I won!" spat Snow White. "you saw Rumpelstiltskin to find what was missing, you needed your fathers heart as the final ingredient. I just stopped you. You can't destroy anyone's happy endings now".
Regina pointed to the dehydrated cauldron in the right corner of the room "its empty, I threw the curse in instead of father's heart and it all disappeared", she sobbed. "You killed my father for no reason."
Charming looks at Snow suspiciously, watching how much enjoyment she was getting by watching Regina this upset. "We should be heading back to Emma my love", he says as he reaches for his wife's hand.
Snow hesitates, wanting to watch Regina break down more. She takes a deep breath "You are right," she smiles up at her husband and then back down at Regina "we have our happy beginning to start". She smiles a big shit eating grin at Regina and turns to walk away.
Charming looks at Snow with concern as he watches his pure wife enjoy antagonising Regina as she is defeated. Snow smiles at him sweetly and those thoughts are pushed away.
As they go to walk out the door, Snow turns back "give me a moment Charming." He nods and continues down the stairs. "Regina", she says softly capturing her attention. Their eyes meet and Snow smirks and raises a challenging eyebrow as she lifts her chin high "I'll see you in 3 days".
Regina's face darkens as she stares at Snow, her eyes dilate to pure blackness. She raises her right hand and flicks her wrist at the door and it slams right in Snow Whites face. Regina stares at her hand like it's a cancer. Why is her magic back now, and not 5 minutes ago? Doesn't matter now... everything is gone. She has lost everything! And she's too broken to care. Looking down at her father, she begins to cry again. The last moments replaying in her head.
Snow wants her not to have a happy ending, she wants to take over her kingdom and kill the people that help defend her ruling, well guess what! She's not getting it!
Regina looks at her left hand and cuts her palms open using her right index fingernail, she does the same for the other side. Magic starts pushing out and around her. Spreading open her arms, the magic becomes a purple cloud that projects out to covers her castle with a protection spell. Blood magic protections are impossible to penetrate. only known to be broken by blood relatives, which she no longer has, and on one other occurrence, truelove.
Pfft, truelove! Like I ever have to worry about that, No one will love me. I can never be happy.
As long as Snow White lives, I can never be happy. She has taken everything away from me.
Regina caresses her father's hair and down to his cheek. She sobs one last time as she waves a hand over her father's body. He evaporates into dust, floating out the window freely into the breeze.
She raises herself up and stamps her way down the stairs to her bedroom. Feeling the cold tiles on her bare feet gave her more determination. The coldness carrying her drive as she marches straight to her desk. She reaches for her quill while grabbing a piece of parchment from the drawer. She sits down and starts to write a letter addressed to no one. She feels defeated, not wanting to do this but knowing it's the only way. Once she has completed her letter, Regina makes her way towards the dutchess. She leans down placing her hands on the desk and looks at herself in the mirror. She sees her make-up that has ran down her face and scowls herself for showing such weakness. Raising her right hand to her face, she magically wipes away all traces of the evidence that she had been defeated moments ago. In front of her is a box of potions. She runs her hand over the bottles until she finds the one she is looking for. As Regina picks it up, a tear falls down her face again. She stands and makes her way over to her bed to sits on the edge and re-reads the letter.
"I can't believe it's come to this" she says to herself. Staring off into nothing, vile in one hand and the unaddressed letter in the other, she takes a deep breath as she stands up and flicks the paper onto the mattress as she walks around to the other side of the bed. She slowly lays herself down on her back, embracing the comfort she feels from her bed as she crosses her ankles. Taking a deep breath, she pops the cork from the vile and stares at the bottle. "to new beginnings" she toasts to herself. Regina throws the potion back like it was a shot of whiskey.
She feels instantly woozy. Losing all control over her body, she closes to eyes and falls into a very long and deep sleep.