It's a dark and rainy night.

Regina, Queen of the Enchanted Forest, muffles another scream into a tightly clenched fist, fear of being discovered forcing her remain as silent as possible so as to not alert anyone else in the castle to her current state.

She's been in labour for hours. Her father, Prince Henry, grips tightly onto her hand as her trusted maid Louise assists with the birth. The contractions are so close together she can barely tell where one ends and the next begins. Only a couple of minutes pass before Louise finally instructs her that she should begin to push.

...

She has managed to hide all nine months of her pregnancy with her child cradled protectively underneath voluminous skirts as he or she tumbled and developed. She has gratefully used the particularly frigid winter as an excuse to drape herself in heavy cloaks and blankets around the castle, and no-one has suspected a thing.

Beneath her layers she is still slight - months of morning sickness, followed by months of worry, not giving her much of an appetite (though she had forced herself to eat as much as she could stomach for the baby's sake), but she is all neat rounded bump at the front.

If her husband and his daughter had not been so caught up in their own frivolities, they may have noticed the first few months of sickly pallor and change to her figure. But for the first time, Regina is thankful for her neglect.

Louise had guessed. Her dressing maid had witnessed her first bouts of morning sickness and had even flatly informed Regina that she was pregnant before she herself had known. In an odd display of comfort, she'd taken the younger woman in her arms as she wept on the cold floor of her room and assisted in devising a plan.

Seemingly cold and unfriendly at first, Regina had gained Louise's trust when she unintentionally discovered that she was having an affair with one of Leopold's soldiers, Kenneth. She'd seen him leaving her maid's adjoining quarters in the early hours of one morning, and then again several other times. She'd never confronted either of them or let on that she was aware of the dalliance, but had managed to use the information to gain Louise's allegiance. Regina had found out that Kenneth was to be sent to the front-lines of battle and nonchalantly suggested to her husband that she would feel safer with a guard posted near to her quarters. Recommending Kenneth for the job and enabling them to continue their relationship has earned her maid's gratitude. Ever since, Louise hasn't eased in her stoic demeanour, but she has shown her thanks in small but numerous ways and proved that her loyalty is to the young Queen.

Although she'd had her maid with her, Regina had still felt desperately alone. Beyond keeping her secret safe Louise really wasn't much of a companion and seemed to have no interest in being a friend to her. Regina had been terrified about what was going to happen; there was no way her indiscretion could go unnoticed. She'd spent many a night sleeping fretfully, tossing and turning and fearing for her future and that of her baby.

Getting rid of her child hadn't been an option. Abortion was heavily outlawed in the Enchanted Forest and all wise-women and midwives had been frightened into silence, courtesy of a campaign by Leopold to dig out any practitioners and burn them at the stake as an example. So they'd devised a plan: Regina would give birth, then smuggle the babe out of the castle and find a new home for the infant. There were a lot of childless couples in nearby villages, Louise had told her. Finding a good home for the babe shouldn't be a problem.

For this plan to work however, one more person had been needed.

Henry had been shocked into silence when she tearfully confessed to him that she was with child and that it wasn't Leopold's. But as usual, he was eventually kind and supportive of his only daughter.

"But Regina dear, how will he know the child is not his?" he'd inquired gently.

"My husband doesn't regularly require me in his bed," she'd snuffed into his shoulder. "Many months have gone by since we were was last intimate, and now it's too late! He could work it out, and I just can't risk it Daddy!"

"What about the father?"

"He was a mistake, " she'd stated firmly, trying to avoid her father's gaze. "He can't be involved in this."

She had told herself she would pretend the encounter hadn't happened. She'd closed herself off, convinced herself to not think about her night of misjudgment. Unfortunately, there is no escaping this rather permanent reminder. Still, she'd promised herself she'd focus on the child and what she was to do and not dwell in the past. She intends to do just that.

Although reluctant at first (Henry had felt like her plan was incredibly risky), her father had agreed to her course of action and began to make discreet inquiries as to a suitable home for the child.

...

She'd tried to avoid being bedded by the King, terrified that he would noticed the changes in her body, but somewhere at the beginning of her second trimester she had run out of excuses and been forced to lay with her husband.

To her completely disbelief and relief, Leopold hadn't even noticed. On very rare occasions does he desire her completely naked. More often than not, he opts for quick and easy. Thankfully, that time had been one of the latter; he'd just bunch her nightdress at her hips and had his way with her. The only indication he'd given of noticing something amiss were his mutters about her watching her weight as he didn't find a plump wife desirable before he'd slunk back to his own quarters. Regina had almost collapsed in relief and as she lay in bed later that night, stroking her stomach and vowing to the life growing inside that she would never allow anything harm them.

Having Leopold's hands on her while she was pregnant had her feel even more sick than she usually did. She supposes it's because the child was so completely innocent and she didn't want him or her anywhere near her slimy husband.

Thankfully, his distaste about her weight kept him away from her for the remainder of her pregnancy and she managed to keep her secret until she was full term. Had luck been on her side, she would have been overdue by a couple weeks, therefore having the baby while Leopold was away for his long winter progress. Sadly, her child had manifested its presence a little earlier.

...

She'd had a dull throb in her lower back for most of the day. Everything ached, her ankles were swollen, but she was used to a lot of discomfort due to her heavy dresses, restricting jewels and burgeoning pregnancy, so she originally didn't think much of it.

They'd been halfway through dinner when cramps took her by surprise, her fork clattering to her plate as she sucked in a breath. Leopold's "Are you alright my dear?" is gritted through his teeth, jaw clenched in irritation because she'd managed to interrupt his conversation with an important delegate from another kingdom.

She'd flashed him an apologetic smile and lowered her eyelashes, the picture of modesty, "Oh I'm fine my King, merely clumsy," and had spent the rest of the meal clutching white-knuckled onto her cutlery, eating small bites and pushing her food around her plate as she sucked in deep breaths through her nose with every contraction.

What couldn't have been more than an hour-long meal had seemed to last an eternity as she fought to keep her composure, terrified that her water would break and give her away, or that she wouldn't be able to tamper down the louder moans each spasm of pain risked to draw out of her.

After dinner, she'd announced as soon as she was able that she was feeling tired, a bit under the weather, and bid everyone goodnight. Another flash of irritation had crossed Leopold's face because she was abandoning their guests ahead of time, but he'd been quickly caught up in another discussion, allowing her to escape.

She'd made it back to her quarters just in time, had pressed her back to her closed door with a relieved exhalation when warm fluid gushed down her thighs.

The last thing she distinctly remembers before the blur of the past few hours is yelling, "Louise! It's time!"

...

Luckily, Leopold seldom ventures to her wing of the palace. His visits are few and far between, and the staff steers clear of her whenever they are able to make sure she knows how distasteful of a replacement Queen they find her. Despite these circumstances working in her favour, she is still determined to not give herself away and tampers down the near impossible urge to moan and groan her way through her labor.

It's long, arduous and emotional, but Henry and Louise do their best to support her. After several long hours – it seems she's been pushing for what seems like even longer than that – Louise cuts the cord connecting Mother and child and places the wriggling, squalling infant on her chest. "Say hello to your son, Regina," she says, and Regina might be delirious from exhaustion, but she thinks she might actually see tears in the other woman's eyes.

"A boy! Regina, it's a boy!" Henry cries out joyfully.

Regina snuggles the babe close and breaths him in while he begins immediately rooting around against her breast, instinctively searching for food with little grunts and snuffles.

Henry clears his throat and announces that he would sneak down to the kitchen and get her some tea with honey and perhaps something to eat to get her strength up as Louise helps unbutton her the top of her nightgown. The baby immediately latches onto a nipple. It's an unusual sensation, not entirely comfortable, but she relishes in it, aware that she's not going to be able to spend time bonding with him in the future. She feeds him until he at last falls asleep with a tiny contented sigh.

She adjusts him into the crook of her arm as Louise assists in getting rid of the afterbirth and changes the sheets around her. Looking down at the tiny life in her arms, Regina can't help but feel a rush of warmth and love towards him. He's hers, dependent on her doing what's best for him and she suddenly doesn't know if she can send him off without ever knowing what happens to him. He's so beautiful, her son; soft dark hair, tiny button nose, little pouty lips. Completely perfect.

Her father insists that she eats, so she nibbles on a couple of crackers he's brought back from the kitchen with shaking hands, her mind in overdrive as she watches her child sleep soundly, safely in her arms. "I just don't think I can let him go," she whispers brokenly to her father as she runs a gentle finger over the baby's head. "Now that I've seen him, held him, fed him. I don't want to leave him."

...

"I don't want to just leave him."

Henry watches his daughter, already completely besotted with his Grandson, and finds he can't swallow the lump in his throat.

Regina's life hadn't been easy, with a wicked mother and a miserable marriage, and he doesn't want her to go through any more pain. As long as there is anything he can do to help her, he will do it. He recalls her own birth, thinks back to the way her mother had passed Regina off to him and turned her back on them both to go to sleep. He had taken the precious bundle and laid her on his chest over his heart and watched her sleep.

He thinks back to how he'd immediately loved her and vowed to protect her, always.

He'd failed her before, broken his promise to her and to himself, but in this moment he vows to never do so again. "Oh, my love. He's so perfect and he looks just as you did when you were a babe." He places a gentle hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"He does?" she sniffles, still unable to tear her eyes away from the bundle of joy in her arms.

"What if I take him to my quarters for a few days..." he offers, a desperately half-formed plan flitting through his brain as he moves to sit on the edge of the bed and wraps his arm around her.

Regina blinks up at him in confusion.

"Hear me out," he soothes. "I could take him and hide him away... People are used to me secluding myself with books and papers for days on end. You could sneak away and feed him when you are able, perhaps Louise can help me..."

"But what about…" she begins, sitting upwards and frowning, trying to wrap her mind around what he's saying.

Henry already feels lighter, finds it easier to breathe than it has been ever since Regina had confessed her pregnancy. It would be a dangerous, but he thinks they will be able to pull off his plan. His daughter won't have to give up her son, and maybe she can find happiness in a life with him. He continues, "Then, when he's a few days older, I can pretend I found him abandoned by the road-side." As he speaks, bits and pieces fit together in his head. "You can announce you intention to have him as your ward. Noble women do it all the time, it is quite the fashion, and no-one would be surprised that you're indulging in a whim to avoid such tedium during the frequent times your husband is away." This could work, it really could. "Leopold would probably show off about it upon his return. About how his new wife is so charitable to the peasants."

"You really think we could pull this off?" Her brow furrows as she contemplates the plausibility of his suggestions.

"If you're sure it's what you want. I think we can try." It's not going to be easy for any of them, but he can feel in his heart that this is for the best. For her. For all of them.

"I want him more than anything!" her tears begin to flow and she swipes at them to prevent them from spilling onto her son. Her son. He can't believe his own baby girl has a baby of her own.

Henry pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes her eyes and nose. They sit together, both watching over the little boy as he sleeps soundly.

After a while he hears Regina struggle to contain a yawn herself. She must be emotionally, and physically exhausted, but he can understand her reluctance to allow herself rest, in case her son needs her.

"You sleep for a while dearest," he tells her. "You must be exhausted. I'll watch over you both and wake you if he awakens."

...

"Regina?" Consciousness comes flooding back as her father softly wakes her with a hushed call of her name. "He's just waking up, I suspect it won't be too long before he needs nursing again."

Momentarily disorientated, she looks down as she recollects the events of the last few hours and smiles. Her son looks even more adorable than before. True to her Father's words, the little boy's eyelids are fluttering and his lips smack together as he fights against the pull of sleep. Hunger is definitely going to win out any second.

"He's truly beautiful my darling," Henry whispers reverently as he peers down at the squirming bundle in her arms, looking just as entranced as she feels herself. "What are you going to call him?"

She has spent many hours in the library flipping through books and carefully considering names. Even when she thought she would have to give him up, she had wanted to name her child. Something that she would be able to think of in quiet moments.

She'd had a few options in mind, but now, looking down at him, his chocolate brown eyes, gazing up at her unfocused, she knows exactly the perfect name for him. "I think... I think I want to name him after Great Grandfather. You always told me what a kind and just King he was and I would love to do something to honor him, and you, in that way." She tears her eyes away from her perfect child for a few moments, and gives her father an exhausted but happy smile. Fear and uncertainty would undoubtedly catch up with her later, but for now, she'll allow herself this precious moment of joy.

Her father wraps the baby's tiny fist around his finger and gasps a little in awe as it is instinctively grasped onto. He chuckles along with her as the boy scrunches up his face in protest as she presses a loving, gentle kiss to the side of his face, nuzzling her nose into his baby soft skin.

He doesn't look an inch like his father, Regina thinks to herself. He already has quite the head of wispy dark hair and beautiful brown eyes that she wanted to stare into forever. She cuddles him closer, breathes him in and relaxes further back onto her pillows as she strokes a finger across his forehead and little cheeks, already showing traces of dimples. "I love you baby boy," she breathes.

"Happy birthday Roland."

AN: This is the first multi-chapter story I've attempted. Let me know your thoughts and if you think I should continue it.