The sunrise was beautiful that morning. It was late summer, days were hot and nights were freezing. Regina had found that on the mornings that were especially cool, like this one, sunrises were clearer and brighter.

She stood on her balcony watching the sun crack the horizon and prayed that today would be easier or at least different from all the other ones. It had become something of a habit of hers, praying to the sunrise. there was a childish hope in her that she couldn't quell that told her maybe if she woke up early enough and hoped hard enough she could change the fate of the day.

Despite the beauty of this sunrise she doubted that anything would change today. In fact, if the churning of her stomach and the aching in her head were anything to go by, today would be challenging at best. She would have to sit there with a gentle serene smile on her face as her hand maids tugged and poked and prodded her until she was all dresses up to the King's liking. Then she would need to be cheery and friendly for her play time with Snow. And worst of all she would have to look seductively at the King through dinner and spend half of the night seeing to his needs. She would have to do all this without ever once voicing any of her discomforts.

A knock at the door queued the end of her peaceful solitude.

"Come in Tina." The door opened, only it wasn't Tina, the kitchen maid who usually brought her breakfast, who peeked around the door. It was Ruth her own personal maid. When Regina had first arrived at the castle Ruth had been fiercely loyal to the King. She had been cold and stern and always made sure that Regina followed through with the King's requests. Be it what Regina should wear, what Regina should eat or how Regina should act Ruth was the enforcer. However, the last year had changed Ruth from an enforcer to a mother. Covering Regina's bruises and holding her together as she cried had resurrected a maternal instinct in Ruth she had been sure died with her son. Regina could now always find reassurance in Ruth. At the moment though Regina found no comfort in her presence. The only reason Ruth ever came so early was to relay a demand of either Snow or the King.

Ruth quickly placated Regina's fears "I've only come to inform you that the King has gone on a trip to a neighboring kingdom and taken the Princess with him. He won't be back for a few weeks."

Regina sagged into the chair at her vanity, almost dizzy with relief. From her mirror she could see Ruth approaching her and place a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright milady? You look a bit peaky."

"I'm fine"

Ruth made eye contact with Regina through the mirror. "Are you sure? I could bring you some breakfast. It wouldn't be a problem." At the mention of food Regina's stomach lurched uncomfortably. And Ruth with her hawk-like attention quickly noticed the Queen's green pallor. "Perhaps a doctor?"

Regina hated the palace doctors and dismissed Ruth's offer immediately, "I'm really fine Ruth."

"Oh yes, and I suppose the poor devils in the dungeons are 'really fine' too." Regina could only chuckle at the way Ruth's accent, which was much like Rumpelstiltskin's when he dropped all the theatrics, got thicker with frustration. Ruth was now fiddling with Regina's long locks a nervous habit of hers that brought comfort to them both. Ruth hated feeling useless, this gave her something to do, made her feel like she was doing her job. And Regina well, after a long year of almost total isolation even the simplest of human contact soothed her "It's my job to take care of you, and even besides that I care about what happens to you. Why can't you just let me help you?"

Ruth's questions were getting far too close to the aching fear that had settled in Regina's gut weeks ago. The one she was scared of disrupting and had yet to fully acknowledge. Fortunately, her year with the king had turned her into quite the little actress and she pulled off her placating smile with ease "Ruth, it's nothing just a bug. If you'd really like to help you could go get my father. Tell him the King has left and I'd like to see him."

"I don't remember your father getting a medical license." Ruth grumbled as she finished off Regina's braid.

"Thank you." Regina called sweetly to Ruth's retreating figure. The only acknowledgement she got in return was a begrudged huff.

As the door shut after Ruth Regina turned back to the mirror. She looked awful. Her skin had a green-grey twinge to it and the circles under her eyes were dark and prominent due to lack of sleep. Her whirling mind had kept her up late and sickness had woken her early. No wonder Ruth had been concerned-her father would worry even more so if she let him see her like this.

There was only one solution she would have enough time for. She closed her eyes, focused, snapped her fingers. Click. She found her reflection, though she felt more exhausted, to appear rejuvenated with a healthy glow.

"You're getting better dearie." Regina looked up with a start to find Rumpelstiltskin admiring her reflection right along with her.

"What are you doing here?"

The Dark One giggled maliciously "Me? Why I came to see my two favorite people."

Regina's breath caught. He knew. But no he couldn't. Could he? She managed to feign ignorance and ask, "Me and….?"

"Me!" He replied gesturing at the mirror and cackling once again. Regina visibly slouched into her chair. "Ooo," he winced in mock sympathy as his boney hands dug into her knotted shoulders "You seem tense dearie. Something bothering you?"

"Yes." She glared at him pulling away from his none too relaxing massage "You."

Rumple put a hand over his heart "I'm hurt." The way he began prowling around Regina's bedroom suggested otherwise.

"What do you want?" She asked, this time forcefully through gritted teeth.

"Well, well. Somebody's a bit hormonal today." He was toying with her, she knew it. "If you must know I came to tell you that…" He paused for dramatic effect and Regina braced herself. Just as she was about to snap at him for taking so long there was a knock at her door. She heard her father call for her. Rumple didn't seem put out at all on the contrary, he seemed pleased. "Henry really does have quite the timing doesn't he?"

Regina looked back at him annoyed and confused "Since when did you start calling my father Henry?"

The dark one's grin became more smug than usual, "That's for me to know, and you to get later" He winked at her and then he was gone.

Anger flared. Frustration burned. Dread pooled. And gods her father's knocking wasn't helping.

She looked at the door and regretted telling Ruth to get her father. She needed to be alone. And she couldn't get up but knew that she had to. Her father was hard of hearing and no matter how loud she called he would never be able to hear her through the thick door.

She swayed as she stood.

The magic just took a lot out of me. She assured herself

A wave of nausea hit her as she caught a whiff of her own perfume.

Just a bug.

Her head was pounding.

The light was too bright.

Her back ached.

She slept on it wrong.

Rumpelstiltskin knew.

…

He knew what she had been denying for weeks. She was about to give the King what he had wanted from her since the moment she had saved Snow. An heir. A spare. And that was all it would ever be, her poor baby, a spare to Snow.

One of her hands reached the door knob just as the other covered her stomach. It was all too much.

Her father was standing worriedly on the other side of the door and a reverent "Daddy" spilled from her lips just as she spilled into his arms and everything went black.