Authors Note:

So this is a prompt from EvilQueensDaughterRapunzel. The story won't be overly long, a few chapters but will probably move on quite quickly but I will let you know when things are moving on and changing quickly.

Summary

Regina is locked away in a tower by her mother since she is a little girl, her only visitors ever being her mother and two sisters. What will happen when a young thief comes along and discovers the beautiful princess and love ensues?

Chapter 1

Ever since she was a little girl Regina had been stuck in this tower. She could not remember a time when she was not stuck in the tower. For years she had longed to go out into the world, feel the grass on her feet and the wind in her floor length brown hair. However, any time she asked her mother her mother always said the same things to her: 'It's too dangerous out there for you Regina.', 'You could hurt yourself Regina.', 'You wouldn't be able to handle it out there Regina.'

So Regina stayed inside just like her mother wanted. She tried to keep herself busy. She read books and she painted, she loved art and had practically painted all the walls of the room in her tower. Yet it still was not enough for her. She sometimes would sit and stare out of the tower window for hours dreaming of what it would be like to be outside, to be with other people. Although she had no idea really how to be around other people. The only people she had had around her all her life were her mother, her older sister Zelena, her older step sister Snow White and occasionally her step father Leopold (but that was an unusual occurrence.)

Today was just like any other day. Regina had read a book, from start to finish and had also done some painting. She had cleaned up a little although there was not much mess in the first place, she hated the place being untidy and now she was sat at the window staring out into the beautiful day. The sun was shining and the birds were singing and Regna wished she could be out there to enjoy it. It always felt too stuffy in this room. She sighed and leaned against the window. She was so lost in her thoughts outside that she didn't realise that her mother had come into the tower and was stood right behind her.

"Penny for your thoughts dear." Cora said startling Regina and making her jump, swishing round and tangling herself up in her hair a little. She pressed a hand to her chest and tried to steady herself. "I am sorry dear I did not mean to startle you." Cora said walking towards Regina, trying her best to give a comforting smile but being comforting was not Cora's strongest suit.

"That's quite alright mother. I was lost in my thoughts, I did not hear you come in." Regina replied.

Cora merely nodded her head and she walked over to a chair that was in the room. She sat down and then motioned for Regina to come over to her. Regina did as she was asked and stood in front of her mother. "Sit." Cora ordered and Regina knelt down at Cora's feet. She rested back on her heels and folded her hands in her lap. Looking up at her mother she waited for her to say something. "How are you dear?" Cora asked.

"I'm fine mother." Regina replied with a slight sigh. Apart from being extremely bored and wanting to escape this prison.

"Good." Cora answered. "I have brought you some fresh food. I gathered what I had brought you last time probably would be gone or not fresh enough to eat."

"Thank you mother." Regina replied dutifully. She looked up at her mother and studied her for a moment. Maybe she could ask her mother again if she could leave the tower, even if it was only for an hour or so. She seemed in a better mood than the last time she had come to visit her. Maybe today would be her lucky day. "Mother may I ask you a question?" Regina asked nervously, fiddling with her fingers a little.

"I suppose." Cora replied in an uninterested tone.

Regina sat up a little on her knees and cleared her throat. If she was going to do this she needed to at least try to come across as confident. "I was just wondering…if perhaps…if you didn't mind…" Regina stuttered.

"Oh spit it out girl!" Cora shouted a little making Regina jump.

Doing a great job of acting confident Regina, stuttering and jumping at your mother's voice. Well done Regina. "I was just wondering mother if perhaps I could go outside the tower today? Even if it was just for an hour. It's just such a lovely day and I thought…"

"You thought what?" Cora asked in a low voice and Regina bit her lip a little. Perhaps this hadn't been such a good idea. Perhaps Cora hadn't been in the best mood for her to ask this question. A question she had asked her mother so many times and received the same answers every time.

"It would be nice to go out and have some fresh air…" Regina said in a quieter voice, any confidence she had now gone. She looked up at her mother and could tell by her mother's face that she was not pleased that once again she had dared to ask the question.

"OH for heaven's sake Regina!" Cora shouted and she stood up from the chair, barging past Regina and knocking her from her knees and onto the floor a little more.

Regina lifted herself up and she stood so that she could face her mother. "I just thought…"

"I don't want to hear it!" Cora said angrily and put her hand up to stop Regina from speaking. "I am sick of you asking that damn question Regina. How many times do I have to tell you? It is far too dangerous for you to be out there. You wouldn't be able to handle yourself."

"But Zelena and Snow are free to go wherever they wish. You feel they can handle the outside world. Why can't I mother? I don't understand!"

"You Regina are different from Zelena and Snow. They are nothing like you. You can't go out because I said so. Do you understand now?"

Regina could feel the tears in her eyes. She didn't understand why her sisters could live freely and she couldn't. How different was she to her sisters? What made her so different that she couldn't go outside? What made her so different that she could not handle the outside world. No she didn't understand it. She probably would never understand it. But she knew she would be fighting a losing battle with her mother right now. She was not going to win this argument. So she nodded her head and said quietly, "I understand mother." She looked down at the floor, a sad look on her face.

Cora sighed and she walked over to Regina. placing a finger under her chin and lifting her head up so that Regina was now looking at her. "I only do this because I care about you Regina. You know that. Mother knows…"

"Best." Regina said finishing Cora's sentence and feeling a little deflated.

"Exactly Regina." Cora said stroking her fingers through her daughters long brunette hair.

Fourteen years earlier...

Cora watched as her youngest daughter played with her two older sisters. At four years old Regina was a very beautiful young girl and many complimented Cora on her beautiful young daughter. Always Regina was mentioned and never herself. Cora didn't like this. Of course she was happy that everyone thought of her daughter as beautiful, of course she was but for her daughter to upstage her at four years old seemed ridiculous so Cora had an idea.

She didn't want Regina to be around all these people. Not until she were older and were to be matched to a man to become his future wife. No, she had a plan to take her young daughter from the castle and place her in the tower. Keep her out of site and mind of any of the people around them so that she could be the fairest one of all. She smiled to herself as she watched the young girl. Yes, this plan would work. She was sure of it. She would hire a nanny of some sort. Someone to look after the young girl when she could not be around. She would visit her of course. But no one would know of her, no one would know of her beauty. No one would know of the girl who in many people's eyes would be the fairest one of all because it was Cora who should be that.

Authors Note:

So what do we think? Feel free to let me know what you think of this first chapter. More to come soon.