A/N Hello, readers. I am so sorry it's taken me so long to update. I've been battling life. Currently, possibly minor depression? I dunno...Life is stressful. Writing helps at least. I wanted to write this chapter for a while but when I had ideas, the will wasn't there or when I had energy to write, my muse was missing. Anywho, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It's not super long. Tell me what you think. If you have any critiques or ideas feel free to throw them my way. I do have a general direction for this story, but I'm willing to adapt if the idea spurs some imaginative events.

Please remember to review! I really appreciate your support and your time.

"If you want the very truth
I'll lay it down before you;
Everybody's got a story.
If you want the very truth
It's here before your eyes:
Every witch was someone's princess
In some other once upon a time."

- S.J. Tucker

The brunette's face twisted in agony of flooding emotions before it focused in on one. Her eyes narrowed vehemently and Emma bit down on her lip, clenching her teeth, and waited for the death blow.

"I knew your mother as a child," Regina admitted with a weak voice, throwing Emma off guard. That had not been what the princess was expecting.

"Wait? Really?" Emma's eyebrows creased, "no one has ever mentioned that little detail." The blonde's jaw closed when the older woman gave her a look.

"Are you going to let me tell the story, princess?"

Brown eyes narrowed in on the blonde, as she tried to bask in her anger rather than be swept away by past memories. If she latched onto her decades old rage she could hide behind that mask of the Evil Queen as she had done for so long.

Emma's dropped her eyes to her hands in her lap and nodded, mumbling an apology. When she looked back up she could tell that Regina was conflicted.

Regina was searching the depths of her mind for a way to word a story she hadn't spoken aloud in years. She hadn't wanted to ever voice it again, but within the walls of her vault with only Emma, she felt safe. The anger within her simmered slower.

"When I was a teenager I was…," Regina took a breath, "madly in love with our stable boy, Daniel. He was the sweetest, kindest boy but I did everything in my power to keep it from my mother. She didn't believe in love. 'Love is weakness' she would always say. We had this special spot that we would meet at, far from anyone's gaze. One day there was a little girl who had gotten stuck on a runaway horse and she was screaming for her life. So, what did I do? I jumped on my own horse and chased her down, saving her life."

Her dark eyes refused to meet Emma's as they trained themselves on the stoned wall behind the blonde. The blonde continued in her silence as her mind produced images of the brunette as an innocent, kind hearted teenager. What kind of smile did she wear? Because surely it hadn't been veiled over with the mask of an evil queen. Not yet at least. Worry struck Emma deep in the heart. What could have possibly gone so wrong with this story? What kind of event could spur such a lifelong, vengeful hatred?

"Come to find out," Regina scoffed, "It was the King's daughter, Snow White that I had saved."

"The King as in King Leopold, my grandfather?" Emma said.

"Yes, dear. It so happened that your grandfather was looking for a replacement wife. Snow was so fond of me that he asked for my hand in marriage. I didn't want to accept. He was old enough to be my father! However, my oh so spiteful mother accepted on my behalf."

Emma's mouth hung open. Her parents would have never done something like that even when if were trying to fling every prince in the land at her.

"I ran to find Daniel as soon as I could," Regina continued, "to tell him what had happened. I asked him to marry me right on the spot. We could run away together. I wanted nothing more than Daniel. He was the light in my darkness that my mother trapped me in. I didn't want power. I didn't want to be queen…"

She trailed off and held a hand to her mouth. She turned her head before the younger woman could spot the glistening beads building up in her eyes.

"…What happened to him?" Emma asked cautiously. When the brunette was reluctant to continue, pale fingers lightly touched the older woman's hand that was resting on the table. She wasn't sure if this was too invasive, but it felt like the right thing to do. A small touch could do wonders. Regina's own fingers fidgeted under the touch as amber eyes flickered over to meet emerald.

Emma inwardly gasped at how bright the brunette's glossy eyes were. How could someone look so beautiful in pain? They were full of so much agony that all Emma wanted to do was reach out and cup the woman's cheeks in her hands and kiss the pain away.

"Your mother," Regina replied flatly, "She found me and Daniel together in the stables and freaked out. She couldn't possibly understand how I didn't love her father. I chased after her out of fear she would tell the King and my mother and made her promise not to tell anyone. I confided in Snow. I put my faith in her. I made her promise to keep this from my mother because she would never understand."

The hand under the blonde's balled up into a tight fist.

"She broke her promise, didn't she?"

"The words spilled out of that brat like a waterfall," Regina sneered, "She told Mother everything. Needless to say, my mother caught me and Daniel just as we were about to leave the stables. We were going to start our life together, someplace far away. But there she was. My heart panicked when she met us at the door. She twisted everything; she made me believe that she was going to let me be happy and have a life with Daniel. She tricked me…For a moment I truly thought she accepted my love for Daniel. I truly thought she cared about my happiness. I remember her opening her arms to embrace him, and suddenly my mother was holding his heart in her hand. I remember…everything…I remember like it was yesterday…watching…watching his life disappear right before my eyes as she crushed his heart to dust. She only ever cared for me when I did what she deemed was acceptable. She only cared about power."

This was the breaking point. A pathetic sob escaped red lips. Her hands went to her face as she tried to hide the salty beads trickling down her cheeks.

"and love…" Regina choked out, "love was always weakness."

The dots connected in Emma's mind. It was all finally making sense to her. How could someone not become cold and dark after something like that? She wanted to pull Regina against her, but she was terrified of the crumbled walls magically rebuilding themselves. When their eyes met again, Emma instantly became aware of the swirling shades of purple in what should have been brown eyes.

"I don't know who I hate more," Regina said numbly, "Your mother or my mother. Look at me. Look at what I've become. I wasn't born this way. Evil is never born; it's always created and I am proof of that. But you want to know the truth, Emma? I'm tired. I am truly tired. This soulless demeanor has drained me of hope. Of faith. If you could see the real me without magic you'd realize how old and withered I actually am."

"I would still love you either way." The words slipped out faster than Emma could catch them and her eyes went just as wide as the brunette's. They had voiced their care for one another, but that particular word had never been uttered between them even though it had been dangling over them for months. "I…I mean I'd still want to be here with you. Your magic doesn't define you."

"Doesn't it?" Regina's words faltered as if she was still wrapping her mind around Emma's slipup, "It made me the Evil Queen. I was weak and gave into the darkness. There is a reason I've tried so hard to keep you from the Dark Arts. I don't want you turning into me. I don't want you to lose the love for life."

"It's not too late, you know, Your Majesty."

"What do you mean?"

"Evil is only a label. You are so much more than that, my Queen," stepping into her courage, Emma took Regina's hand in her own, "You can't keep hiding behind that façade anymore; at least not from me because I see you, Regina. I see you for who you really are. I see a human who has been battered and bruised by the world. I see a beautiful soul trapped in her past."

"…Emma."

"I mean it, Regina." Emma stood from her seat and moved so that she was towering over the brunette, the height granting her dominance for the moment. "You can still enjoy life. You don't have to carry on alone."

"I'm better off alone," Regina feigned like a stubborn child unwilling to accept help.

"You're going to war over me."

"You wanted your freedom."

"You wanted me."

The brunette visible gulped. Feeling unnerved by the exquisite young woman towering over her, she swiftly rose to her feet and extinguished the space between them.

"You're right," Regina admitted with a whisper and pressed her lips against the blonde's.

A/N Don't forget to leave a review! They let me know you're still interested. Also, if you haven't already feel free to add me on Tumblr under Femphoenix. I post random things of interest but a lot of Swan Queen.