This is my second story. While i was writing The Magic Within this kept bouncing around my head. Its going to be mainly SwanQueen but threre will be a few other pairings as well as the story develops. Enjoy and Review.

CHAPTER 1

Regina never enacted the Dark Curse. Instead she had left the kingdom and fled to a different realm. Before she left she freed the heart of the Huntsman the all others like him that she had captured. Except for a few hearts that held a terrible darkness. Around theses she placed enchantments to keep them hidden. She then freed Belle, whom she had been holding prisoner; causing her to appear outside Rumplestiltskin's mansion and hoped he would be distracted by the sudden appearance of the woman he love; the same woman Regina had led him to believe was dead.

The Genie of Agrabah had caused his own curse. Though she tried Regina could not free him. But he could see the change that was slowly taking place within Regina and offered to remain as guard to the Dark Hearts. In The vault she placed a few choice items and taking care to cast every possible enchantment she could think of she buried it deep below the castle.

The Dark Curse she took with her. Rumplestiltskin had made sure that the scroll could not be destroyed so Regina kept it hidden in a small pendant around her neck .

Finally she snuck into the castle of Snow White and her Prince Charming. Casting a spell so that they couldn't see her she crept into the room where they slept and place a sealed scroll on the table beside their bed.

Regina looked into the bassinet beside them. A baby with a halo of golden curls stared up at her with emerald green eyes. From her pocket Regina took a golden chain with a swan pendant and placed it around the child's neck. There were dark forces at work the enchantments on the necklace would protect her. "Emma." She said quietly before disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke.

Regina's letter to Snow White.

Dear Snow White,

I return to you the kingdom that is rightfully yours. I will not enact the Dark Curse; the price to pay is too high, even for me. I am truly sorry for my actions and the pain I have caused you. I no longer blame you for the loss of my true love. I wish you happy life.

Finally I have left your daughter a gift. The Swan pendant around her neck is my peace offering. It holds the strongest protective enchantments I can offer. It will always protect her as long as she is wearing it. You must make sure that Emma never removes the Golden Swan.

Regina

That same night Regina left with her father. She could not get rid of her magic but she could tame it. For twenty-eight years Regina kept her promise. Until late one night the genie appeared in her mirror.

"Regina." The voice called out in the middle of the night. The genie's appearance actually hadn't been much of a surprise. In fact Regina had been expecting something to happen for the last few days. She had hoped that the Twenty Eight Year would pass without incident. This was the time when the Dark Curse would have been broken; the curse she had failed to carry out..

"Sydney." She answered; her voice did not reveal her panic or fear. "Has the vault been breached?"

"No. But I have sensed a disturbance; not quite as if someone was trying to break in" the man in the mirror replied gravely. "But Rather' I fear someone is searching for the vault."

She had sent the genie back, instructing him to come to her should he sense anymore disturbances. That very night she began to make preparations for her return.

Regina had created a comfortable life for herself. Here at the edge of a distant kingdom, no one knew of her past she had created a new life; now she had to leave it all behind.

Regina looked around her room. It was so different from the quarters she had as the Queen. Yet the Room held a simple quiet elegance. She looked at herself in the mirror. Physically she looked pretty much the same. "One of the perks of being a magic holder." She thought. But she was quite different from the woman who had become the Evil Queen. She had spent the first few years of her self imposed exile quieting her magic. She had learned to cannel it from another place; rather than by her anger.

Besides having a vast knowledge of the Dark Arts, Regina was highly skilled at healing. Not just spells, but she had great knowledge of the healing properties of plants and could not only diagnose but concoct any potion or poultice remedy. This was how she had first earned a living. So great washer skill that she had soon earned enough to build her own stables.

She had been happy to be able to ride again and soon she was teaching others to ride as well. Her son Henry had been her first student; she had named him after her father who had died ten years after their arrival; from old age, rather than by her hands.

It took nearly a week for Regina to finish all her preparations. She would need somewhere to stay; it was too dangerous to risk anyone finding out that she had returned. Regina knew the perfect place. There was a small cabin that she had created in a secluded part of the woods a long time ago. Only she knew where to find it. The area around the cabin was lush and they would be able to live off the land. There was also a small lake nearby that would provide fresh water. She visited the cabin in the dead of night. The magic that protected the cabin still held strong, all Regina needed to do was add a small stable for her and Henry's horses. Finally she summed her apple tree behind the cabin. It was one of the few things she had taken with her.

Regina had explained carefully to her son that they needed to leave. "We have to go away," she had told Henry. "No one can know where we came from or who we are. You may be lonely because the place we are going is far away from everyone but you must keep away from any stranger you see." Regina knew that at the age of ten Henry was much more perceptive tan most children. He knew nothing of her past and she hated taking him away from the life they had.

It had been nearly a month. There had been no more disturbances at the vault but it was too dangerous to risk going to the castle to check further.

Henry had settled into life at the cabin. He played in the woods and by the lake and Regina had even begun to teach him to capture small animals.

"Mom can I go out and play?" Henry asked.

"Fine. But don't stray too far and you must be back by lunch." She warned. Regina knew that as long as Henry stayed within

The protective enchantments he would be safe and she would know if he left the boundaries of the enchantment or if anyone entered, or there was any danger.

"Be careful." She called as Henry ran out the door.

As Always please review.