• Author POV •

It was a cold winter night, there was still not enough snow to cover the entire forest floor. There was just her and Rocinante there, the horse lowered its ears, its hooves echoing through the dense woods. Regina turned away from some bushes and trees, squinted, the pain had become more frequent.

"Calm down baby..." She whispered squinting her eyes. He said he would come back, he had promised to come back, but she feared that the worst had happened. What if her mother had found out about them and had taken a drastic step, what if she'd known about the pregnancy... She shivered as the cold draft hit her back. Cora would never let that happen. She needed to go as far as possible, the idea of being without the baby and her lover made her breathless.

Her eyes watered. She forced herself to continue, gripping the reins tightly, trying to ignore the pain. A grunt escaped as the contraction returned. It wasn't time yet, was it? It shouldn't be now. She needed to get the hell away from there. She needed to find a place her mother couldn't find her.

The girl pursed her lips. There was no sign of Jasper anywhere. And apparently everyone in the village was unaware of his existence, which was strange since, even though he was young, he painted so well. Jasper was so good that he had impressed her mother to the point that she allowed him to teach Regina.

The brunette hadn't failed to notice his eyes, those eyes that seemed to see her soul.

He promised not to leave her, he promised they would run away and have this baby far from everyone, far from Cora. 'But after we're married she won't be able to do anything else' She had told him and believed, even for a moment, that her life would change. She would be free, with her love and her baby in a home filled with joy and hope.

But all her plans were dissolving like the remnants of paint in running water. The brunette sobbed low, she didn't know how far she could go anymore, she didn't even know if she could ask for help. The dense forest was empty. 'Bad plan Regina' she thought.

The pain came stronger this time causing her to pull the reins hard, startling the horse that supported itself on its hind legs. She squeezed her eyes in the milliseconds that followed before her back hit the ground. She gasped watching her horse disappear into the trees.

"Come back...here!" She yelled, but nothing happened. Regina sniffed softly. There was no more strength to get up, her whole body ached. She crawled to the root of one of the big trees.

"Damn dress!" She was sure if she had her riding clothes on this wouldn't be happening. She touched her stomach and closed her eyes, she was scared and alone. Little snowflakes fell to the ground and the girl started talking with the only soul who could listen to her "I'm sure your hair... will be like... mine... And your eyes will be like your father's ...green and bright" One more twitch, this time she screamed, interrupting all her thoughts.

It was time. It was time and she had no idea what to do!

"Okay Regina, breathe" She told herself and obeyed.

When things seemed to become more bearable she was able to put her thoughts in order. Jasper wasn't here. She refused to think he had abandoned her, but if Cora knew about everything Regina would surely be locked in her room and not in a forest in the middle of nowhere and about to have a baby. She squeezed her eyes one more time, tears running down her face. Her lips trembled.

Nothing in life had prepared her for this, the pain in her belly and spread throughout her body, every muscle ached and she knew that even if she wanted to, she could never stand up.

Tears flowed freely down her flushed, sweaty face as her chest heaved in a quick, shaky breath, her breasts once small and pure, were full and aching from the milk the corset insisted on holding.

Regina held her swollen belly with both hands, as if she wanted to keep it inside, because deep down she knew that as soon as the child that inhabited her came out, there was a big chance that it wouldn't be hers anymore.

Her body convulsed for the baby to come out and she found herself involuntarily pushing as hard as her 16 year old body could.

Regina gripped the cold snow on the ground and took a deep breath until the next contraction hit her like a sword.

The girl, who had tried to be as silent as possible, was now screaming at the top of her lungs through the forest, knowing her mother's irrational fear of hearing her lingered in the back of her tired mind.

Regina had never felt pain like that and yet, unconsciously, she smiled when she could feel the pressure in her vagina.

The teenager knew that soon she would meet her baby's face, the face of the one who would be the love of her life forever, the only person in the world who would be worth any sacrifice she made, soon she would see the face of the person who would change her life forever, the one who would never hurt her.

Gaining a new surge of courage, she stopped struggling against her body and started pushing, determined to look into that precious face that was always in her most beautiful dreams.

Regina felt the cold snow burn her palms, but that didn't matter to her, so she gave three more pushes in a row, her screams could clearly be heard from miles away.

She felt her birth canal widening for what seemed to be one of the first signs of her child in the world.

The girl took two big breaths and then sat up straighter, which cost her two sharp twinges in the side of her pelvis and in her back, then lifted the dress that covered her legs a little, putting it above her waist.

Fighting the pain of a thousand needles that spread through her body, Regina stretched her arms to position them in front of her vagina.

A tear escaped when she could feel the top of the child's head in her hands, only halfway out.

The young mother, in a new surge of courage, gathered her last strength and pushed with everything she had.

With a grunt Regina felt the baby's head drop into her hands and then was the rest of its body.

The cry that escaped from the baby's throat was mixed with the cry of the newborn that had been pulled by the mother out of the womb, showing that had the lungs of the girl who was in labor.

Regina's eyes widened as she pulled the tiny body between her legs and lifted it in front of her eyes, the perfect human being that was all hers.

The brunette was quick to pull her child to her chest, still in shock from what she had just done.

She did it! She gave birth! She was a mother!

The baby writhed in her arms and Regina clung to it with everything she had, afraid her own mother would appear and take the newborn away.

The baby's cry subsided as the girl's chest rose and fell, her breathing slowly stabilized.

With teary eyes and aching muscles, a smile, perhaps the biggest that had ever filled the young woman's lips, crept across her mouth and finally she lowered her eyes to face the baby's head full of dark hair.

The anxious girl has arranged the baby in her arms so that she can now see the baby's face and look at it fully.

In her short 16 years of life, Regina had never seen anything more precious and perfect than the little baby lying in her arms. She counted 10 fingers and toes, chubby cheeks, small pink lips, a button nose, and the silkiest white skin Regina had ever touched.

The young woman sobbed with joy when she realized the gender of the child facing her, almost as if she knew what fate had in store for her and this woman.

Mother and daughter.

Crying woman and child.

Two halves of a whole that could never be divided and was bound to be together forever because if one doesn't exist, the other doesn't either.

"My Baby girl..." Regina smiled as she gently ran her fingers over the child's features.

She relaxed her body when she heard the crying, low and lazy. A smile formed on her lips, it was okay. She was fine. And the baby too. The teenager reached out, taking off the small knife of riding boot, picked up the baby and cut the cord, as she had seen Nasse doing with Rocinante when he was born. She straightened up wrapping the baby in her cloak.

The child moved her eyes across the cold environment, then landed on her young mother. Regina somehow knew the baby was looking at her. The child yawned and then pressed her lips together, her plump cheeks growing redder as the cold seeped into her skin. The baby stuck her tongue out at the defendant, as if looking for something. It took a moment for Regina to realize what the child needed.

She brought the child closer to her chest and with trembling hands, not only from the cold but also from insecurity, lowered the strap of her dress and held out her pink nipple to the child.

Regina gasped at the sharp pain that hit her breast when the child, without hesitating, grabbed her nipple between her lips and began to suckle.

The girl's brows furrowed as the baby sucked hard on her nipple.

"Calm down, sweetheart..." Regina whispered, patting the girl's backside lightly. "There's more for you! Slowly, my love..."

The little girl seemed to understand what her mother said as she started to loosen her mouth and suck gently, then slipped her other little white hand into the crack that gave access to her mother's other breast under her shirt, so she held it as if wanted to make sure her mother told the truth.

The pain gradually disappeared and Regina began to enjoy the moment more, drinking every detail of her daughter's body and telling all the features they had in common... hair, nose, cheekbones, ears, eyebrows... but the eyes... what would the eyes of the person she loves most in the world look like? Would they be the same as hers or the same as Jasper's?!

Oh, Jasper…how she wished he were here…they had arranged everything! They would run away, get married and then raise a big family together! But then she got pregnant and things had to move faster.

She would never forget that night, the night she became a woman in the arms of the man she loved, when those hands, which created such beautiful works, touched her body as if it were one of his paintings... gently and subtly, firmly and with love.

She was 15 years old when this happened, they decided to meet in the tree in front of their favorite lake. Regina remembers how Jasper's green eyes sparkled at her like she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, she remembers how the moonlight illuminated the boy's naked body, and Gods... she remembered how well they fit together.

A single night of love.

A single night of love took her to the moment she is now. Holding their living proof of affection in her arms.

The little girl raised her gray eyes to her mother, it was too early to tell what color they were but she hoped with all her being that they would be equal, if not deeper, than Jasper's green eyes.

The same eyes that watched her for hours on end as he painted Regina's face with light brush strokes on a blank board.

Why isn't he here?! Where the hell has he gotten himself?!

Regina looked around the woods, the sky was getting darker and she was beginning to fear the wolves in the woods.

She felt the girl unlock her mouth from the teenage's breast and look at her mother expectantly.

"I know what you want, don't worry, I said I had more! Now be kind to me" Regina lowered the strap of the other breast and the baby, understanding the message, sucked the other breast gently "Yes, my love ... good job! Mama is so proud of you!" She smiles and runs a finger down her daughter's face

MAMA. She is a mother! She is 16 years old and a mother.

Regina's sadness frowns as reality begins to sink in and despair fills her heart.

She couldn't go home! Her mother would never let her keep the baby! And she couldn't count on her father either, he was never strong enough to face Cora! But where would she go? She doesn't have a job or any money, or at least a roof other than the prison she lives in.

The baby presses her little hand on her mother's breast causing Regina to lower her head, her worries suddenly disappeared and she knew, on this shelf, that she would do anything for the girl in her arms, she would destroy kingdoms for her.

They will be fine. Everything will be fine. She might not have Jasper with her right now but she had this girl who looked at her with more love than anyone else ever gave her in her life. For the first time she felt loved, needed, wanted… she had someone to live for, someone who would never purposely hurt her, someone she would die for.

She doesn't need Jasper or her dad…not when the only thing she really needs is looking at her right now.

Regina relaxed a little more and leaned back against the tree, enjoying the feeling of having her daughter in her arms, sleep slowly beginning to fill her mind.

"Well, well... Did you think I wouldn't find you?" The voice made her shiver, she looked up only to meet Cora's contemptuous expression.

Regina wanted to face her, if she had done something to Jasper, if she had hurt or killed him, he would have wanted her to defend herself. But now she can barely stay awake "Come on Regina, make it easy for both of us. Give me that little freak."

She held the child against her.

"Please, don't…" The plea was silent, even knowing it would be useless.

That was a losing battle.