This is a story about Regina and her many adventures. The title may change but I plan on progressing with this story for quite a while. I know it is only a small chapter (to give you a taste of the story) but please do review if you are able! :)

Once upon a time, there was a little girl with raven hair and olive skin, who dreamed of a life full of wonder and adventure. She was a lucky girl in some respects: she had royal blood, wanted for nothing and had a father who adored her. Yet, she had felt a deep sadness every day of her short life; her mother, Cora, was a cruel woman who manipulated, berated and tortured her young daughter with her magical abilities, simply because she had not yet met her unattainable expectations. Her daughter grew fearful and resentful, yet she was not easily weakened and fought for her happiness as best as she was able, something that always lead to further punishment. On the occasions where she angered her mother so greatly that she shook visibly with anger, the little girl was thrown into the dungeons and locked in there for a whole night. It was ferociously cold, unbearably dark and smelled of dead rodents: a terrifying place for a child to be. This was not a common occurrence but was used periodically to remind the child of her place in life: she was nothing, not yet, not ever. She was a problem that could be easily disposed of.

One afternoon in the castle gardens, the child was playfully performing for her doting father; cartwheeling and skipping about the grass. Of course, her mother appeared in a haze of purple smoke, furious to having bore witness to such an unladylike display. Had she not taught the girl better that? What of her elegance and poise? Had all the sacrifices she had made been for nothing? She would never impress a Prince with such disgusting manners. Would she really dare to disrespect her mother in such a way? It had been such a trivial matter but Cora was a woman who lived by the notions of her volatile moods and so, once again, she had thrown her daughter to the dark depths of the dungeons, albeit after torturing her with a little magic. The girl's father was frozen by cowardice and did nothing to save his daughter from her mother's wrath. Unbeknownst to all involved, a young stable-boy new to the castle had watched the event unfold, horrified by what he had seen. Determined to aid the girl in some way, he resolved to sneak into the dungeons at nightfall: he had no plan, he only wished to provide comfort to such a poor soul.

Much to his surprise, the stable-boy had managed to break into the castle dungeons with incredible ease. There were no guards, no locked doors, no traps of any kind. Cora was an arrogant woman who assumed that her reputation preceded her, which it did, and as such no soul would ever dare to risk breaking into her home. The stable-boy, however, had the blind courage that comes only with youth and vowed to keep the promise he had made to the little girl; despite this being a promise that he had not yet shared with the girl in question, the stable-boy possessed a strong sense of honour that did not yet know any bounds. The door creaked behind him as he made his way down into the dungeons, gingerly descending the winding stone staircase; slowly, slowly. Shrouded in darkness, he desperately attempted to adjust to the shadows of the dungeons. Eventually, he was able to focus on the small, whimpering figure huddled in the back corner of the farthest cell: hunched over, shivering violently and weeping into her kneecaps, she stole the stable-boy's conscience as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Hello?" The stable-boy whispered, gradually walking over to the iron bars that held the girl captive. The girl jerked her head with such severity, he was worried that his good intentions had only caused her further harm.

"Who's there?" She stuttered, "Nobody is meant to be in here."

"You're here."

"Yes but, well... I... I... who ARE you?"

"My name is Daniel. My family work in your stables, well at least my father and I do... my mother is too ill to work. She can knit though, real good. We only just moved here a few days past, your family needed someone in such a hurry..." He was rambling, he thought, but what did one say in this type of situation?

"What are you doing here, Daniel?" Her response was biting.

"I saw what happened in the gardens and it was... well, I came to keep you company. To talk, I suppose. To keep you from feeling lonely."

Daniel saw a hint of a smile creep across the girl's lips. He was getting somewhere, he thought.

"That is very kind, Daniel, but also exceedingly stupid."

"Yes, perhaps it is." He agreed. "Still, I'm here now."

"Indeed you are."

"So, eh...now you know my name, would you care to tell me yours?"

"One would assume you already know that information, considering you work for my family."

"Like I said, it all happened so quickly..."

"Regina," she laughed. "My name is Regina."

"Regina," he repeated softly. Her whole face lit up when she laughed, he noticed, her eyes glittering in defiance of her dark surroundings. "What is your age, Regina?"

"Nine," she revealed.

"Nine, how wonderful," Daniel enthused unnecessarily, his adrenaline beginning to waver. "Me too, although I'll be ten in a few days. My mother always bakes apple pie on my birthday, I'll need to save you a slice."

"I would like that," she smiled.

A beautiful friendship soon blossomed between the pair, one of mutual admiration and respect. Daniel would risk everything to comfort Regina in her times of need and as such, Regina spent every waking moment at the stables. Her parents were bemused by her sudden and overwhelming love for horses but saw no fault in it. Cora was secretly thrilled that her daughter was taking an interest in such a suitable activity, for the royals always have loved their horses, and assumed that her daughter was finally paying heed to her advice. Daniel vowed to always keep his unspoken promise to Regina, and their friendship soon became the primary source of happiness in the young girl's life.