A long time ago...
The queen of nothing had long since passed. Not that Regina wasn't desperately sad and isolated in her gilded cage, but she had learned to find power in the vacuum that her husband's indifference and self delusions left. He didn't like to bother with what he called trivialities. His concerns were more important than crop yields and grain prices. He was focused on the happiness of his kingdom, and happy to let his advisers handle the rest. Regina had managed to convince him, in one of his few moments when he cared at all about pleasing her, that she would be interested in helping in some of these minor tasks.
Once within that circle of advisers she'd managed to carve out her own realm of power. Privately she wondered if her mother would be proud. Though mother probably would have called the subtle maneuvering that she did to gain power small and weak. Her mother had all the subtly of an ogre. This was better. For now. Until the right opportunity came along.
She was a patient woman. She could wait. It needed to be something that wouldn't lead back to her. There needed to be an appropriate person t blame. A foreigner that the kingdom could rally against. She privately assessed every one of them that came to court, judging if this or that one could be the one she needed. It was something to do during Leopold's endless balls and banquets.
She and the advisers had at least managed to get the court spending in some kind of order, but too often the king would be upset if not enough was being spent on this or that. Especially if it was for Snow.
Regina saw the signs before anyone else. Mostly because she had once been the object of her husband's undivided attentions. The dresses, the courting, it was like watching a mirror of his clumsy attempts to make her happy after the nights where she closed her eyes and cried the entire time. Part of her thought about leaving Snow to that particular nasty fate. The question was if she had to act or if someone else would.
She was out tending to her apple tree when she heard a quiet voice clear behind her. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Your Majesty."
Regina turned to see old Johanna. A servant well past her prime, but a favorite of the old queen's that she'd never been able to put out to pasture. "Yes, I thought I left word I didn't want to be disturbed out here."
"Yes, my queen." She mumbled and looked down. "I ... needed to speak with you privately and this is the only place I could be sure not to be overheard."
The king's servants were loyal and Regina had long ago learned to play with the fact that he would hear of everything she did or said. That had its advantages. She turned to look at the woman, her hands were shaking and she moved towards her and took them and offered her a smile she hoped seemed gentle.
"You can speak to me about anything."
Said the wolf to the sheep, Regina thought quietly to herself.
"It's the king. He's been walking the halls at night." The servant seemed like she was having trouble even spitting out the words. "He visits Snow... the princess' rooms. I don't think anything has happened ..."
Yet. Regina nodded.
"And what do you expect me to do, my chamber doors are locked at night."
"They say... that you have magic. That you know of potions."
Fire practically lit in Regina's eyes and she growled. "Who says?"
"Very little goes on in a castle that the servants don't know, Your Majesty. They say... that you have magic and I was hoping that you could help. Give me something that could make the king..."
Regina raised an eyebrow, "Are you about to ask me to commit treason against my husband and king?"
Johanna twisted her hands and Regina inwardly smiled at the woman's discomfort. "Something that will make him loose his desires."
It took all of Regina's will not to smile at that.
"I might know of such potions, but I would need ingredients, and the king's food is kept safe from his happy subjects."
She let the last come out with sarcasm that she normally hid.
"I can get the ingredients... and my sister prepares his evening wine. But I can't make the potion."
Regina looked up at the apple tree in thought. She could leave Snow to the fate that she richly deserved, but part of her was disgusted that she'd even think of that. Part of her that didn't look at that spoiled little girl as evil. Part of her that could see herself in the young woman coming of age. "I have one condition," the Queen said finally.
"Yes m'lady?"
"She must never know. Not what her father desires of her, and not that I helped you. You must swear an oath to me."
Johanna looked confused. "Of course... but you are doing a good deed, Your Majesty."
"Never a word as long as you live."
"I swear, my Queen."