Hey guys!
This one is going to be an entire flashback chapter and I kind of made King Leopold a psychopath…Oops :P
Your thoughts are always appreciated!
Mwah!
Trigger warning for this chapter specifically:
Graphic depiction of violence, Abuse, attempted rape, mention of marital rape.
… A while earlier…
There was a knock on the door.
Regina stood up from her desk and went to the foyer.
No one visited her anymore.
Well, Henry did, but he had a key and Emma - Miss Swan didn't come here anymore after…
Maybe it was the Un-Charmings, trying to make amends on behalf of their daughter, which was unlikely.
Or worse, Robin Hood. How could she have ever been o dumb and let herself get talked into a relationship based on gem dust? She had liked the idea Hood represented more than the man himself. Maybe she didn't deserve a happy ending after all, maybe she would always stay the villain in everybody's minds.
She shook her head.
Maybe it was time she forgave Miss Swan. She really hadn't known, the rational part of Regina knew. But it had hurt nonetheless. Of all the people she thought would cause her pain, Emma hadn't been one of them. She was the one (apart from Henry) to always be at her side.
'That's why betrayal hurts so much, it never comes from our enemies.' A voice in her head supplied unhelpfully.
Upon reaching the door, Regina had made a decision. She would pick Henry up today from the blonde's apartment and talk to Emma.
Still half in thought she opened the door and froze.
Leopold stood outside.
King Leopold, father of Snow White and her (supposedly) late husband.
The only other time she had seen him was on the day Emma had brought him back and into Granny's diner…
"Daddy?" Snow gasped as she saw who had entered the diner behind her daughter.
The man laughed, "Snow!"
And he opened his arms wide as Snow leaped into them, tears of joy streaming down her face.
Regina on the other hand couldn't move, couldn't even speak. She stood completely frozen on the spot, her eyes trained on the laughing man less than twenty feet away from her.
She watched as Snow held out her hand for David who joined the pair and the king patted him on the shoulder after shaking his hand.
Then it happened.
The king saw her.
She shivered as his now cold gaze set on her before he plastered on a giant smile and to Regina's horror moved towards her.
"My Queen." He said, his hands squeezing her upper arms so hard she knew it'd leave marks. He bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. His smell invaded her every pore and it was all too much. She was sure she'd break apart every second now, but then Snow of all people unknowingly rescued her.
"Daddy, I want you to formally meet someone: This is Emma, my daughter."
When she could finally will her feet to move again she slipped out the back door a minute later.
After that she had almost never left the house apart from work, which she magically transported herself to, to avoid running into him.
Everyone in town was worried she'd go all Evil Queen on his ass and kill him (again).
She couldn't though. She was trying to be a hero and heroes didn't kill. Plus she wasn't about to let him ruin her life (again).
She had made it clear however that she didn't wantHenry to live under the same roof as him. So Emma took the much-needed opportunity and Snow's good mood to finally move out and get her own little apartment, halfway between her parents' and Regina's.
Despite her magic Regina felt little in his presence. No, not little - vulnerable.
Her right hand gripped the doorknob harder.
"What do you want?" she finally pressed out between clenched teeth.
"Is that any way to address your husband, the king, Regina?" he asked, his sultry, syrupy sweet grin making her want to hurl.
She didn't answer, just stared at him, not sure if she wanted to run or kill him.
"You see," he started, his hands still in his jacket pockets,
"My darling daughter told me about her life. Her life ruined by the Evil Queen, her own step mother."
Regina seethed. How dare he! She made a step towards him, her demeanor screaming murder.
"I was never her mother by choice!" she spat.
"Oh yes you were. It just wasn't your choice to make"
He hissed back at her and faster than lighting pulled something out of his pockets, slapping it on Regina's left wrist. She knew instantly what it was.
This time she could actually feel the magic leaving her body, leaving her drained.
She stumbled backwards, trying to close the door but he was faster.
Leopold pushed her inside the house with such force she fell to the floor before he closed the door behind him and locked it.
Click.
The sound that still haunted Regina in her dreams.
Click.
And for a moment Regina was 18 again and alone and scared and locked in large chambers in a large castle with a man twice her age and size with no escape.
He kicks her with his heavy boots hard in the stomach and she is back in the presence.
"Snow also told me you that had magic all along. And how you killed me."
He spat as he bent over her.
"Sorry not sorry" She breathed, grinning up at him coldly.
Some habits did die hard.
He yanked her up by her hair then, making her yelp and threw her on the few stairs between the entrance and the foyer.
It hurt and she had to bite her lip to stifle a cry. She vaguely registered that she lost her shoes and is now barefoot.
'Come on, think' she pressed herself.
Cellphone.
Her cellphone was lying on her desk in the study. She had to get it somehow and call Emma. Emma would come for her. She knew that like she knew that water was wet.
"What happened, bitch? Cat got your tongue?"
Leopold mocked, pulling her up by the arm only to slap her in the face. Regina felt her lip split and could taste blood. He still held her in a vice grip.
"I was always nothing but kind to you and this is how you repay me?!"
He screamed at her.
"Answer to your king!"
Leopold slapped her again so hard her head snapped to the side.
"You are a pathetic old man, you have not one kingly bone in your body." Regina snarled and this time she was prepared when he threw her against the near wall.
After a second of disorientation she began running towards her study, not looking back once.
She could feel him chasing her anyways.
She was almost at her desk when she felt him behind her.
Regina grabbed her cellphone and then he was there, his fist connecting hard with her cheekbone. The phone flew out of her hand, skidded over the floor and stopped just under one of her bookcases.
Her only chance. Gone.
"You filthy whore, you think you can escape? You will pay for what you did! And I will greatly enjoy hearing you scream."
"Please, please, don't." she cried out, tears streaming down her face. But just like before he didn't listen now.
He yanked her up by the collar of her shirt and with one quick move ripped it open. She heard the buttons pattering to the ground. His hands roughly grabbed her breasts before fumbling with the clasp of her bra as Regina tried to break free from his grasp. She heard fabric tearing and felt herself slip through his grip.
She stumbled and the king wasted no time and shoved her towards her couch, making her yelp and hit the sofa so hard it toppled over and she fell to the ground again on her stomach.
"I thought I taught you not to defy your king!"
And he kicked her again, this time between her legs and she screamed out in pain.
"Didn't I? Huh, didn't I teach you!?"
Every word was followed with a kick between her legs. She tried to scramble away, but he placed his foot on her lower back, with almost all of his weight behind it.
She cried out again but he just laughed.
"See now that's the proper place for you. Beneath me."
Leopold bent down and removed his foot only to turn her around so she was lying on her back.
His hand moved to her pants and half unbuttoned half ripped them off of her, ignoring her whimpers. He leant over her, his weight almost crushing her ribs. She couldn't breathe.
"That brings back fond memories now doesn't it, wife?" He grabbed her already bruised sex roughly.
"No, please, please don't. Please."
She heard herself whimper and hated herself for it.
His hand now closed around her throat, shaking her while cutting off her air supply.
"Did I give you permission to speak, bitch?" he asked in her ear while his other hand tried to rip her panties off.
It's then that Regina gathered all her strength she had left, lifted her head and bit him in the ear. He howled and tried to get away from her, but she didn't let go. She could taste blood in her mouth, felt it trickling down her chin and she felt victorious for a single moment.
But then his left swung at her, hitting her directly in her right eye and she let go. He scrambled away, a hand on his ear.
She thought that this is it, now he'd kill her. She loathed going out that way, as his victim, not as hero or villain. No dramatic finale while saving the day. Instead she would be here, in her destroyed study, trampled like a cockroach. Then she thought of Henry and prayed that he wouldn't be the one to find her body.
Her sweet, sweet boy. The only solace she could find was that she knew Emma would take good care of him. He would be loved, would be safe and sound. After that she thought of regret.
Did she have any?
Yes, she did.
She regretted that she didn't give up her revenge sooner and started making amends with Snow.
She regretted that she saw Emma as an intruder, as a rival, as an enemy for so long when she could've thought of her as a friend, as someone who'd have her back. As someone who-
Leopold's voice brought her back and she wished that the last thing she saw wouldn't be him.
"I'd end your miserable life now, but you're not even worth that." He snarled before he spit on her.
Regina turned her head but her right eye had swollen so much that she couldn't see him but she heard his heavy footsteps retreating.
Heard how the glass crunched beneath his weight and thought that she, too, felt like that.
She lay like that for what felt like an eternity before she was sure he was gone and wouldn't come back.
With great effort she lifted her head, eyeing her phone that still lay under the bookcase. It was less than ten feet away but it could've very well been a thousand.
She couldn't walk, let alone stand up so she tried crawling. But her right arm couldn't support her weight and buckled away while a sharp pain shot up from her wrist and spreading her legs even a little caused pain so fierce that tears shot in her eyes again.
So she dragged herself over the ground on one arm over the shards of her broken coffee table, wincing as they cut into the flesh of her stomach and thighs, again. When she was almost through she was able to reach the phone. With shaking fingers she dialed Emma.
The blonde answered after the third ring.
"R'gina? You know I had the nightshift and would be sleeping-"
"Em-ma." She managed weakly, her voice sounding like sandpaper.
"Regina?! What happened? Where are you? Are you okay?"
"No. I...I'm ho-home. I-Need you..."
She felt her vision get darker and Emma's concerned voice faded. The last thing she heard before she slipped into unconsciousness were "Hold on, I'm coming"
