A/N: I'm a bit of a nut for Once Upon a Time. Unfortunately, I don't own any of it. But if I did, there'd be some serious Swan Queen action.

Chapter 1

She sat on her throne, looking down at the sniveling, stinking peasant before her. He was shaking from fear. She knew it was his first time here, and she understood his nervousness, but she did not have time for him to compose himself.

"Speak," she said as she rolled her eyes.

The man straightened his back and refused to meet her dark stare. As he began to twist his cloth cap in his hand, she had to hold back a slight smile. Loosing the mask she put on for her court could show a sign of weakness and, at the moment, she could not afford such a thing.

"Your Majesty," he began while still looking at the floor. "You know how this summer has been very dry. Our crops cannot grow and our livestock is dying. We, the farmers," he continued, gesturing around to about a dozen men behind him, "need some sort of relief."

The Queen studied him and the ones behind him. Not one would hold her gaze.

They most likely believe that men who meet my gaze turn to fire, she thought with a smirk.

"And what, pray tell, would you have me do?" she asked with a straight face. "I cannot and will not cause it to rain."

"Perhaps you could make a little water?" said a small, high-pitched voice from the back of the group. Regina's eyes darted up to see a young girl, surely no older than 8 pushing to the front of the group. The man standing before her quickly grabbed at her arm, attempting to hold her back.

"No," said the Queen. "Let her continue."

The father of the child hesitantly released her grip on his daughter and lost all color in his face. The young girl with light brown hair continued to approach her until she was nearly standing on the step leading up to Regina's throne. Her light blue eyes seemed to twinkle with an innocence Regina had long since lost and she could not suppress the curving of the corners of her mouth.

"What is your name, dear?" she asked as she leaned forward. Her voice had turned from commanding to nearly friendly in a matter of seconds.

"Alexandra," said the girl, not backing down in the slightest.

"What is your idea, Alexandra?"

"Well," she began in the way children do. " I know you can't make it rain, but could you maybe make a little water at a time? Just to water daddy's crops," she stopped to look at the Queen who was still smiling at her.

"You know it will take some time for the crops to recover if I do this. What do you think I should do during that time?" The girl was amusing her. To see such intellect in someone so young gave her hope for her kingdom.

"I suppose you could sell some of your own food. From what I have heard, you have enough apples to feed my entire family for a year," she said very seriously.

"I'm afraid that's not entirely true. I only have one apple tree," the queen said with a chuckle.

"Then people should stop spreading rumors," the girl said just as seriously as before.

The Queen let out a melodious laugh that shocked nearly everyone in the room.
"That they should. But, as that will never happen, we must simply learn to ignore such things."

"Now," continued the Queen. "Did you come up with this all by yourself?" The girl nodded her head. "Then you are quite intuitive for someone your age. I will help the farmers get on track by helping them water their crops once a week. Until the growing picks up, my own food supply will be available for a price."

Those in the court muttered with approval. The group of farmers muttered their thanks and bowed clumsily while Alexandra merely turned and walked back to her father. The Queen smiled at the girl's boldness and sat back in her chair. Having a real conversation made Regina feel like a person again. Ever since her father had...passed, she had been lonely and this warmed her heart.

Her moment of quiet thinking was cut short as a young courier baring her black and white insignia burst into the court. Her mask was quickly put back in place as he knelt to one knee and attempted to catch his breath.

"Speak."

"News from the Silver Castle in the Kingdom of Falasia, Your Highness."

The Queen's jaw clenched at the thought of Snow White and her Prince Charming sitting perfectly in their thrones. They didn't deserve such a happy ending, especially not when Snow had taken away-

"Their daughter is being born as we speak."

Regina's eyes flashed dangerously and an evil smile played upon her lips. By now, most of the court had the sense to leave, but the few who had remained quickly left as she sent around a withering look.

"As we speak?" she asked in a low voice.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Very good. Clean yourself up. You are dismissed," she said to the boy.

When she was the only one left in the room, she stood and walked to the middle of the room. Black mist enveloped her body and, when it had disappeared, she was in a form-fitting black dress with silver in the collar. Her cleavage was shown nicely, almost on the verge of indecent, and her hair was piled on top of her head.

One look in the large mirror told her she was the exact image of an Evil Queen and she smiled. Her smoky eyes paired with her blood-red lips made her look powerful and she knew that her powers far exceeded that which people believed she had.

After a few more moments, she turned back to her throne and allowed the black mist to envelope her body. Snow White and Prince Charming's curse was about to begin.

A/N: I know I should be working on my other fic, but I just couldn't get this out of my head. So bear with me! Please review!