Notes: So this is one of my first works. I absolutely love horses. I love writing and Once Upon A Time so I decided to put the two together. I'm open to critique and suggestions... again this is my first one. Please let me know if you like it and want another chapter. Thank you so much. :) I'm thinking of make Swan Queen end game for this story but I'm not entirely sure yet.
Regina walked to her stables where her beloved equines were. Through all of her pain, vengeance, and wickedness the one thing that always remained with her was her passion for these brilliant animals. Ever since she was a small child she had loved these marvelous creatures. In fact she envied their strength, loyalty, and beauty. They often offered and escape from her abusive Mother. She loved feeling the wind in her hair as she galloped through endless meadows and soared over any obsticle in her path. She truly had a gift with these spectacular creatures.
She loved all of her horses but there was one horse that she had a special bond with and that was Ebony. His name truly suited him. He was a beautiful, glossy jet black that enunciated his muscles. There was not even one white hair on his body. He was large and powerful, he stood at 17 hands. His curly mane was wild and unruly which hung on both sides of his neck. Long ago she had went to the market with the stable boy Daniel. She was married to the King so she wore a long hooded cloak as to not be recognized. Ebony was for sale at the market. She saw Ebony and immidiatly knew he was special. She walked up to him and pet his soft muzzle. She looked into his deep brown eyes that matched her own so well. She saw the horrible abuse he had faced. He had been whipped, beaten, and broken. His spirit had once been wild and free but no longer, all of his spirit was gone. His eyes looked so empty and she felt that this horse had a similar past to her own. The owner was the horseman who trained all of the kingdoms war horses. He was a tall and handsome man who was obviously arrogant. She could imagine this man beating this poor horse senseless and it infuriated her inside but she kept her composure. When she told the owner she would buy him he said "you don't want this horse mam, he can not be ridden and is not a suitable steed for a lady." She quickly said "yes I do want this horse and pulled out a large sack of gold coins. Will this be enough?" He looked shocked but said "sure mam, good luck. You're going to need it with this foolish animal." Daniel quickly took the horse by its lead rope and they brought it home to the castle. She wanted him to have the biggest and most comfortable stall in the stable. It didn't take Regina long to gain Ebony's trust. She fed him the finest oats and grain in the kingdom. Daniel had helped Regina with the training of Ebony. Together with Daniel training and Regina riding they turned this horse into a fine and noble steed fit for a Queen. Ebony was what brought Daniel and Regina closer. The shared in all the ups and downs that came with training Ebony. They fell in love.
Even thinking of this memory made her heart shatter into a million tiny pieces. Daniel was secretly her lover but because of her Mother she was in an arranged marriage with Snow White's father. She had planned to run away with him before that wretched Snow had spilled her secret and then her Mother Cora had ripped his heart out. She had never been the same. She would never be the same. The only thing she had left at the time was Ebony and he helped her bear through the pain of heartbreak. The day her Mother killed Daniel was the day Regina vowed she would ruin Snow White's happiness.
As she stood there brushing Ebony and getting him ready for her ride she thought of her son Henry. Ebony and Henry were the only two things since Daniel died that she truly loved and returned that love. After Emma and Snow White broke the curse they all returned to the Enchanted Forest. Everyone lost their memories from Storybrooke except Regina. It was her cruel punishment for the curse. She often thought of going to the White Kingdom and demanding they give Henry back but she knew that Henry would not go with her... to him she would be a stranger. She didn't want to hurt him so she stayed at her castle thinking and searching for ways to reverse what had been done. To pass the time when pain became unbearable she would ride atop Ebony and it would greatly help to ease her suffering.
