One last beat

She walked down the hall with her head held high and a sneer plastered on her face. Her black hair was piled on top of her head in an elegant bun decorated with a priceless crown. She wore an embroided dress that was ivory and burgundy. The train of the gown was layered and was completed with falred sleeves. As she walked down the hall way you heard her high heels slap the marble floor. walking down what seemed to be an endless hallway she finally came to a stop in front of huge double doors that were made of the finest oak wood with a polished finish. The door men that stood on either side of the door bowed before the queen and with haste opened the doors. Waiting until they were fully opened she entered the room with deliberate slowness. The nurse in the room stopped what she was doing and bowed to the queen, she was meant with a with nod.

" Trudy if you would please leave us, i would like to spend some time with her."

"Of course your majesty but I must warn you that she doesn't seem to have much time left she is very weak and i fear that she might not make it to sun down."

"Very well then please do leave so i can spend a few more minutes with my mother."

regina waited to hear the click of the door until she walked towards the king sized bed and sat on the edge of the bed. Looking down she could hardly recognize the woman laying in the bed. Her hair had grey streaks and had lost its light. Her once radiant face was pale and colorless. She said nothing she just sat there and waited for her mother's eyes to open. When the eyes finally opened Regina smiled and placed her hand upon her mother's forehead.

"Regina, my sweet sweet daughter what did you do with Trudy?" Her mother tried desperatly to look around the room but when she tried to rise Regina forced her back in bed.

" I wanted to spend a few minutes alone with you so I sent her on a break. Mother Trudy and the doctor don't think you have long and I wanted to talk to you before..."

"Before I died" her mother finished, Regina could tell that it took alot for her to speak. Regina leaned forward and clutched her mothers hands in hers.

"Mother do you remember when i was a little girl and we weren't rich and just lived in that little shack?You didn't have magic and daddy went to work everyday, and whenever he came homehe would run up to you and smiled. Then you would smile and tell him about the fun we had. For hours we would spend our time at the meadow near our house as a family and everynight you would brush my hair and tell me how I would find true love one day. Eventually I would fall asleep in your arms and would stay until you were sure I was asleep."

"Oh my darling how could I not remember those gloomy days when we suffered, that small shack we barley fit in it and your poor father worked so hard for so little. "

"Mother we were happy, I was happy."

"Were you, were you happy Regina happy when you couldn't have nice things? Are you so unhappy as a queen have i brought so little happiness to your life that on my death bed you tell me so?"

"Magic changed you mother, you weren't happy anymore you were wicked. You bossed daddy and me around and scared us. Your magic destroyed all of the happiness we had ever had as a family. Your magic took away all of my happiness."

" And how did I destroy all of your happiness?"

"I wouldn't of cared if you were wicked and mean when you found magic all I wanted was to be happy. All I wanted since I was a little girl from you was for the stories of true love you told me to come true. All I wanted was to be happy and that happiness was with Daniel and you ripped his life away from me literally."

"Is that what this is about, that stableboy. Oh Regina sweetie that was four years ago don't you think it is time for you to move on. You have power and a family. A husband and daughter that love you."

"King Leopold will never been my husband truly and Snow White will NEVER be my daughter. The second Daniel died they were dead to me, everything was dead to me."

"Regina..." though her mother was unable to continue as she was thrown into a fit of coughing. Regina raced to the other side of the bed and recieved the tea that Trudy was going to give her. Pouring some in a cup she briskly walked back to her mother's side.

"Here mother drink this it will make you feel better. " Helping her mother sit up she held the cup to her lips. When the tea was almost finished Regina set the cup down and stood.

" Your not leaving your dieing mother without saying goodbye are you my dear?" Turning around Regina suddenly had a wide smile upon her face. When she spoke it was very sickly sweet.

"Of course not mother i am going to be with you until the very end I just wanted to show you something."

"And what could you show a dieing woman that is so important?" Without word Regina reached into the band of her dress and tucked inside was a small transparent vile that was empty.

" You wanted to show me an empty vile?"

"Not just any vile it was a vile that held a very rare and very powerful herb that i just so happened to come across one day in the fields. Now I know what you are wondering, what makes this herb so rare and powerful?"

Cora looked at her daughter and with the strength that she could muster she looked at her like she had more than one head.

"Where in the world are you going with this girl?"

With a wide smile still on Regina's face she looked at the vile in her hand as if it was her life source.

"Patience is a virtue mother, you taught me that. Now as I was saying this herb is so strong that when crush and given to any living creature in high quatities and slowly begins to shut the body down. Slowly the herb rots the host from the inside out making that person weak. What makes it so powerful is the fact that no magic or natural remedies could stop and reverse the rotting. What puts the cherry on top is that it has no taste so when consumming it you have no idea."

"i still don't understand where you are going with this Regina so whatever you are trying to get at please tell me."

Regina walked to her mother's side and said in a deep threatening voice.

"It is always a lady's job to know how to prepare tea and care for the sick now isn't it mother? That is what you always said to me. Also did you know that with this herb you can drag out someone's sickness as much as ten days?

As realization hit Cora her eyes grew larger and shock was evident on her face.

"Regina why did you do this."

"Because mother like you said this is my happy ending."With that Regina stood and watched as her mother took one last breath and suddenly went still. Slowly Regina reached out and ripped the heart out of her mother. The heart was blacked and rotted from the herb, reaching over Regina put it in the first box she could find, her mother's jewlery box. Going back to her mother's side she bent down and whispered in her mother's ear.

" I am so sorry mother but you see now I have your magic, and I will make sure that I never dissappoint anyone with it as you did to your family." With tears in her eyes she took the box and exited the room telling the guards to call the buryer. She walked down the hallway with a smile spreading on her face. Now it was her turn.

I hope you like this because soon there are going to be one shots to go with this one, like Regina's childhood she spoke of and her realtionship with her husband and daughter. For the record I do not own Once Upon a Time though i wish i did i do not nor will i ever. Enjoy:)