Regina pressed the jeweled box into her chest in goodbye to that she loved most. The only thing that was left for her to love. Tears threaten to break free from her eyes but it was to late to go back now. Regina shut her eyes in attempt to imprison the tears and when they opened again it was the Evil Queen who surfaced. Snow White needed to pay for was she had done. Snow was going to pay and if the price to accomplish her revenge upon the stupid girl was to loose a little more than what she had already lost, so be it. The Evil Queen only knew revenge. She was going to get her happy ending and that was Snow White's suffering.
With a flick of her hand the fire pit in the stoned shrine roared alive illuminating the lifeless forest. There was only one ingredient missing from her curse and it was beating inside the box in her hands.
The Evil Queen strode the remaining distance towards the fire and with a satisfied smirk opened the box. Thank you, Daddy. As she reached for her father's heart the air around the Queen shifted but she was already rejoicing in her imminent victory to notice. Before her fingers could grasp the heart a shout echoed in the night, "Stop."
Startled by the interruption and more than a little puzzled as to how the mere boy standing in front of her had managed to break through her magic barriers, Regina dropped the hand that was aiming for the heart.
"You cannot cast the curse," spoke the boy again. He could not be older than sixteen. His messy brown hair reached his eyebrows and it was the only thing astray from his attire that had obviously been tailored for a noble. His posture equaled that of a prince but it was his emerald green eyes that unsettled Regina. Something was missing from them. Fear.
The Evil Queen raised her free hand in a swift movement and an invisible hand strangled the boy, "And who may you be?" inquired the Queen in that calm tone that made the skin of her enemies crawl.
"You cannot cast the curse," repeated the boy and Regina showed her displeasure with his answer by tightening the grip around his neck.
"Now dear, allow me to ask you again," mocked Regina as she approached the boy. "Who are you?" she asked again, her eyes speared into those of the unwelcomed boy.
To Regina's irritation, this time the boy didn't answer, "Silence is not bravery, boy," he didn't even flinch, "it is stupidity," she spat. Regina was done with whatever game he was playing. "But," the Queen's cynical tone returned, "today I happen to be in a good mood," Regina turned around leaving the boy suspended in the air and with barely enough space in his throat to allow breathing. "Who you are matters little. Soon you wouldn't even remember," Regina opened the box once again with the intent to resume her task but the next words to leave the boy's mouth halted her from turning towards the fire.
"Please, mother, don't do this," he managed despite the pressure around his neck.
Mother?
Regina stalked towards the boy and the magic chocking him was replaced by her hand. "Who are you?" demanded the Evil Queen through barely contained anger. "Who sent you?"
"You did," finally answered the boy defiantly. "My name is Henry and I am your son."
With the revelation, light began emanating from Henry's body and Regina flinched taking back her hand as the white magic had burned her skin. "Who are you?" screamed the Evil Queen but when she made for Henry again she found herself magically petrified. She couldn't move.
This was impossible. Who was this boy with white magic strong enough to dominate Rumpelstiltskin best pupil.
Henry clutched an hourglass necklace that was hanging from his neck and sighted. "I don't have much time left," he declared as he dropped the necklace. Henry directed his fearless eyes towards Regina's "I know you Evil Queen," he said the title with despise and for the first time in a long time Regina felt ashamed of the addition to her title that given to her by Snow White, "and I know all you seek is to be loved." Henry leaned closer to her and Regina held her breath. "You have fooled yourself into thinking your happiness depends on the success of your revenge towards Snow White, but you are wrong," he declared with the certainty of a clairvoyant. Henry's eyes softened and a hand went to cup Regina's cheek with tenderness, "you will love again. You will forgive. You will forget. You will be loved. But this will only be possible if you don't cast the Dark Curse." Henry leaned even closer and that was when Regina noticed it for the first time. The gray brooch holding his cloak had embroiled Henry's family crest. The shield was crowned by red flames, inside it was divided in two by the red chevron of protection. The top was decorated by a mixture of three white roses of faith and three black mills squares of strategy while the bottom instead of the heraldic lion of bravery, had the white swan of love.
Henry's crest was the perfection combination of two family's crest she knew well.
The Charmings' and her own.
This could not be. Henry was the heir of the White and the Dark kingdom? But how? Snow White was Prince Charming's true love. How could their kingdoms become one if the Royals had already found true love. This had to be a trick elaborated by one of her many enemies. Maybe Maleficent or even Rumpelstiltskin.
Henry must have recognized the disbelieve in her eyes because the hand in Regina's cheek stilled as a white light made his palm glow and Regina felt in her heart that Henry's next words were nothing but the true as his magic circled inside of her, "I am your blood, I am your heir, born out of the magic of True Love," the magic disappeared from Henry's hand. "But if your cast this curse, you will doom your True Love to a land with no magic where she will only feel hate for the Evil Queen and will never love Regina. Your son will never be born only so Rumpelstiltskin can seek his."
Henry's face was lightened with a blue yet loving smile before he disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke she recognized as her own. Regina was left with her mobility and a hole in her heart as soon as he was gone.
A land with no magic?
She?
The words spoken by her future son echoed in her mind.
The child.
She had to stop the Charmings before it was too late.
Regina teleported the box containing her biggest mistake to her bedchambers in the Dark Palace before disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke of her own.