It had been several years since regina had married the king. Things had slowly but progressively gotten worse. He seemed so kind and caring at the start of their marriage but things all changed so quickly she couldn't even remember what had happened! All she knew was that the king had changed and he blamed her. The reason he had married her was because he needed a wife and his precious snow needed a mother. Regina was no more that 18 when she married him and wasn't really ready to be a mother she was scarcely older that snow. But nonetheless they were married and she was miserable.

...

It was late and regina was in her bed chamber preparing for bed when she heard those footsteps she dreaded to hear approaching the room. The heaving thuds were bouncing of the wall which made the young queen even more terrified. She knew he had been drinking and feared what he might do. The door opened slowly and the drunken king practically fell into the room. She had jumped up at the sound of the door being flung open knowing he was in a particularly bad mood.

"Your majesty? Are you alright?" Regina asked so quietly she didn't know if he had heard he but he had.

"Yes my dear queen why wouldn't I be? Is there a reason I wouldn't be?" He was angry now and she knew she had made his mood worse.

"No no there's isn't! I simply meant how are you?" Regina was growing every more nervous now. What would he do to her tonight? Would he strike her? Or worse? This is what she feared each night when he arrived in their bed chamber. She had no idea what kind of mood her husband would be in.

"I am fine! Now would you stop questioning me! God regina you can be so annoying!" He said it with so much venom in his voice it stung her she didn't know why but it did. "Eva wouldn't have been like you! She always knew what to say and what to do! But you! You don't know anything! They only thing you have ever done right was to look after snow and even that is debatable!"

She hated when he did this! He compared her to his late wife, snows mother. She didn't love the king and he clearly didn't love her but it still hurt he when he told her, which was everyday, that Eva would have done it better or he wished he hadn't married her!

"I'm sorry." That's all she could manage.

He progressed towards her in anger. And push her against the wall. "Regina! I'm tired of you apologising for everything I know it's your fault and you don't need to apologise for it, you'll get what you deserve for your faults!" Regina knew what was coming! She had said the wrong thing yet again in his eyes. Nothing she could say was right and nothing could change his mind now! He'd already decided her was going to hurt her!

"Please your majesty! Please!" He could hear the desperation in her voice, see the fear in her eyes and feel the fear in her body as she shook with fear. He slapped her hard across the face. Hard enough to leave a red hand print on her left cheek that would surely leave a bruise but he wasn't finished yet he was merely getting started! "Now my dear! You're going to get exactly what you deserve and in the process your going to make your king happy! Do you think you could manage to do that right?" He was so angry and determined to hurt her in every way possible and really she couldn't blame him if she consented to it.

Regina was full of anger and pain. He cheek stung so much where he had struck her. She didn't want him to hurt her so she nodded her head knowing it wouldn't hurt as much if he knew she wanted to make her king happy. So he slowly walked her over to the bed and lay down. He was too drunk to care not that he would have changed his mind even if her had been sober. He spoke to her every second while he abused her. He told her how Eva had always loved him. How he wished she was here. How he wish regina would listen to him, behave the way he wanted her to!

...

It was quite early in the morning possibly 5am when there was a knock on the door and a maid entered. She took in the state of the room and the bed and knew that the king had once again hurt the queen. But she was there for a reason.

"Your majesty? Are you awake? There are members of the court in your study to see you!" She was soo nervous as to what he would say that was if her was awake.

"What time is it? What do they want?" He had said it a little harsher than her had intended but he blamed regina for that. She had put him in a terrible mood last night.

The maid was quite taken aback the king was normally so gentle spoken towards everyone even his wife when they were in public. "It is just after 5am you majesty. I'm afraid they didn't say what it was only that it was important and that it concerned the kingdom."

He was worried now and apologetic. "I am sorry for the way I have just spoken to you it wasn't my intention to be so harsh in my tone. Well if they have come at this hour it must be something important. Would you send my valet up to help me dress. And if require would you send up the queens maid at my orders. Thank-you"

She curtsied before she left the room "of course your majesty." She slowly backed out of the room and hurried down the stairs to the servants quarters.

Leopold looked over towards his wife. She looked so peaceful, so perfect when she slept. But there was something that wasn't so perfect in her completion this morning. It was a fresh bruise on her cheek. He hadn't realised just how hard he had hit her last night. He always felt regret when he say what he'd done to her but he told himself she had deserved it so that he wouldn't go insane with guilt. The he looked at her wrists. He saw more bruised when he had restrained her so that she couldn't lash out against him. Yet another reason to hate himself. Really it wasn't her fault. Was it? He missed his Eva. How he had loved her. A dhow she always knew how to make him happy! Was it Regina's fault that she couldn't make him happy or was it him? He had asked himself this question for years but had always put it to the back of his mind because he knew that it couldn't be him. Everything regina got she deserved! That meant yes it was her fault but he still couldn't help wonder it that's what he truly believed!

There was a knock on the door and his valet entered. Leopold slowly got out of the bed not wanting to wake his wife and progressed to the dressing room. He had hurried to get dressed not wanting to keep the gentlemen downstairs waiting. Before heading for the stairs he returned to the bed chamber and progresses towards the bed. He placed a soft kiss on Regina's forehead and then left the room heading for his study.