Child of Destiny

Chapter 1

Regina settled at the piano watching her father spinning. He always took comfort in spinning. She settled her long fingers on the piano keys. It wasn't something she took great joy in like riding but her father insisted she'd learned when she was younger and she knew he enjoyed her playing. She was a perfectionist and though she didn't relish the piano she did know how to play very well. She took a few moments to settle herself and then began to slowly play, a mournful tune that soon turned happy and then went back to sounding sad. Her father liked those best.

The room they were in was a comfortable one, pretty high windows covered with thick curtains that she'd pulled back even though her father preferred not to let the sunlight in. She knew it made him uncomfortable but for her he'd allow her to pull the thick burgundy and gold curtains back to allow her the light. He knew she liked it better than seeing by torches. As she pumped the gold pedals of the piano to hold out a note here and there, her feet brushed against the thick rugs that kept the marble floor from being so freezing in the winter. Her father's straw pile was set up in the corner, near his familiar spinning wheel. She could vaguely remember as a child crawling towards and almost pricking herself on the spindle. Her father had been so angry with her for almost hurting herself like that. He never lifted a hand to her but he did gently reprimand her by popping her on the hand and then taking her onto his lap and speaking to her softly about her mistake. She of course came near the spindle again but she was much more careful and she didn't ever try to touch the sharp point again.

She glanced over seeing the wheel spinning and her father's far off look. She knew the wheel often helped his visions and she wondered what he was seeing that he seemed so intent on. A devilish smile spread across his lips as he stopped the wheel and blinked. Looking at her, "Why did you stop playing Gina?"

"I'm sorry, I got distracted." Regina looked down at the keys. "What was your vision about this time Daddy?"

"Something very interesting," He was always vague with his visions he didn't want his daughter to worry about him. He giggled a bit, a high pitched sound that most people shivered when they heard it but not his beautiful Regina.

Regina merely smiled and gave a small bow of her head, "I hope everything works out in your favor Daddy."

"It will daughter." He promised picking up more straw and beginning to spin again.

Regina watched him for a few moments before he began to spin again and she laid her fingers back on the keys and continued to play. These quiet nights were much better when he was here to enjoy them with her. She hated to be alone but she often was. Her father didn't trust people around her. She had only met two people outside of him in her lifetime. Her nursemaid/governess and the cook her father employed. He kept everyone else away from her telling her she was too beautiful and innocent. People would try to take advantage of her. She didn't understand why he hated the thought of her around other people but because she owed him so much and she adored him for everything he'd ever done for her she never questioned his words and did as he asked staying within the palace walls or on the grounds.

Nights were the hardest though, especially when her father was gone. During the day she could go riding or find some way to entertain herself so her loneliness wasn't so prominent but at night when she was alone in her rooms it was almost all consuming. Her rooms were very different from the rest of the palace, high windows with gauzy turquoise curtains that didn't hide the light unlike the thickness of the curtains in every room her father liked to be in. Her rooms were light and airy with a few mirrors scattered around. Her father hated mirrors, she didn't understand why since she didn't think he was hideous but he always seemed to avoid them when he was forced to enter her rooms. She never minded even offering to cover them a few times but he'd always smiled at her thoughtfulness and told her not to worry about it. It was only temporary that he was there and these were her rooms she should do as she pleased. Everything about her rooms was more for her comfort then the richness of it. Her wrought iron bed had a beautiful apple tree design with thick apples hanging from its branches on it. Her father knew how much she'd relished the sweet apples he would bring her and so when she'd began to sleep in a bed instead of a crib he'd brought her the bed. She would often lay in bed looking out the windows at the stars and wondering when her father would be back or when she'd be allowed to go with him on his frequent trips. It wasn't that she was anxious to leave her home, far from it but she missed her father desperately and she wouldn't mind meeting someone her own age.

She rose to her feet once the last notes of the piano died off and she smiled at her father, "I'm going to go to bed Daddy. Do you need anything from me?" She always asked if there was anything she could do for him before she left for bed. It was like a ritual for them.

Rumplestilskin shook his head, his lank hair flying around his face, "No my Gina. I'm fine. Sleep well, have pleasant dreams."

"I will Daddy. Good night." She didn't know if her father ever slept. She'd never seen him in a bed before and if he did he was always up before her and slept long after she went to bed.


Dreams were strange things especially for a beautiful girl kept innocent from the world. When she was young the strange dreams came. Some were different from others especially when she began to get older. In them she was lying in bed and there was a strange person she couldn't tell if they were male or female but they were touching her and she was responding to it in strange ways that made her blush brightly in the light of day. Tonight's dream was no different starting out that same way as always, tender lips and hands sliding over her body in ways she was completely unfamiliar with.

She had no idea why the person on top of her was touching her in such a fashion but she didn't mind it. Actually it was quite nice. She would lay there allowing the person to touch her body in ways no one ever had. She never understood just where this was coming from.

She was nervous and awkward feeling about it come morning, flushed and panting for no apparent reason. She never understood what they meant but tonight was different. Tonight the figure on top of her had a shape which was decidedly female. When she opened her eyes the next morning though the only thing she could remember about her dream lover was it was a woman and she had the greenest eyes out of anyone she'd ever seen. Admittedly that was only three people but still the sentiment stuck. She wondered if the person touching her in her dreams was some sort of demon sent to torment her. She'd never told anyone about her dreams finding them too embarrassing to share. She had considered asking her father when they started but in the end decided it wasn't worth the embarrassment and she didn't want to feel awkward with him.

So she kept it to herself and dealt with them in the only way she knew how, ignoring them. She watched the sun cresting the horizon over the mountains her bedroom overlooked. She smiled and slid to her feet brushing her palms over her nightgown to make sure it was covering her decently before she pressed her hand to the cold glass watching the sun hit the dew gathered on the grass. It was going to be another lovely day. She wondered if she could convince her father to go riding with her. It was rare that he ever used a horse being magical and not having to use regular means of transportation but he was still willing to indulge her since he knew she liked to ride so much. She picked up her brush from her vanity as she brushed by before pushing open the glass doors to the terrace and enjoying some sunlight. It was too pretty a day to be sitting inside even at this hour. No one was around so she didn't need to worry about covering up her night dress which wasn't very scandalous in the first place. She ran the brush through her long hair contemplating whether to leave it long or put it up today. Her father liked it when she braided it down her back and she often wore that hairstyle when he was around because he always complimented her on it. Maybe she would do that today? She sighed as the brush snagged and she carefully worked the knot out with nimble fingers. She had the hands to spin, her father said so, but he never taught her how and she had never really ever asked to learn. She wasn't one to sit at the spindle all day. She liked to be doing something rather hands on. That's why he'd been teaching her how to do big things with magic. He'd taught her various potions and salves, he'd shown her how to call forth great beasts to defend herself, and he had even shown her how to make plants grow so that she was never without food. He was always making sure she was taken care of even if he was certain the events that would require her to take care of herself never came to pass.

So it was with this in mind that Regina walked through the hallways and down the main staircase to have breakfast with her father as she did every morning when he was here. She wasn't shocked however to see him moving towards the large wooden front doors. He'd left her a note near the large vase of flowers on the small table in the middle of the hall she was sure telling her he'd been called away on business yet again and would be back soon just as he'd promised.

"Daddy," She called causing him to turn towards her with a sad smile. "Must you leave right now? Can you stay for breakfast at least?"

"No Gina. I'm afraid I can't. I have…business to conduct that will take me away for a bit but I promised you I'd be back as soon as I could."

"I know. You always keep your promises." Regina forced a small sad smile. "I don't want you to go but I understand. Please be careful and come home safely?"

Rumplestilskin merely smiled and bowed lowly to his daughter getting a small giggle from her, "of course my dear lady."

Regina watched sadly as her father walked out the door and disappeared in a puff of smoke. She frowned and sighed not really hungry anymore. She wasn't ready to see him go again so soon but she knew her father's dealings were important. She never knew what he did while he was away but she knew whatever they were they provided her with the life she'd been given and she wouldn't take that lightly. She climbed back upstairs intending to change into her riding habit so she could go riding. Her father would be angry at her for not eating but she really couldn't help it. The loneliness suppressed her appetite. She shook her head, her long black braid flying and hitting both her shoulders before settling once again down her back. No use thinking about it, it wouldn't bring him back it was best to just try and find ways to entertain herself so that she wouldn't be unhappy until her father came home. That was the best thing she could do.


Author's Ending Notes: So sorry this didn't get posted up sooner. My wife's family had us over for dinner and I couldn't pass up the chance to see my niece and newborn nephew. I was trying to get this thing edited but I'm sure there are a few mistakes. I'm pleased to see it's going over so well. Thanks for the reviews guys! Keep them coming! And I'll work on this in between Held in Stasis which once it wraps I intend to go back to Bindings and work on it along with this one. Hopefully things will get done sooner rather than later. Okay enough rambling...let me know what you think yeah? ~ Bella