Written for Spooky OQ Day 5: Curse
Inspired by the movie "Penelope" starring Christina Ricci and James McAvoy
Regina Mills looked at herself in the mirror, sighing. She wore a white strapless ballgown with flower appliques at the waist. The dress was cinched tight to "accentuate" her "assets," per mother, and made it difficult to breathe or move. Her dark hair had been straightened and twisted to be pinned against her head. The veil was then pinned inside the twist, allowing the lace to flow over her hair and down her back. With light makeup, Regina was every inch the spring socialite bride.
Well, except for the pig's nose she had possessed since birth thanks to a curse laid on her family centuries earlier. The only way to break it was for one of her own kind—a blue blood of noble descent, the elite of society—to marry her. So she was about to walk down the aisle to James Spencer, whose family had blue blood about as old as Regina's. It was to be a grand union of two established houses and everyone was excited for the wedding.
They didn't care that her groom couldn't bear the sight of her. Or that he had vilified her in the press, calling her a monster and suggesting that scientists experiment on her. James had campaigned against her since he first laid eyes on her, running from the house in disgust. The only reason he was marrying her now was because his campaign had backfired. Regina had been embraced by the people, becoming a beloved celebrity. The Spencers face a hostile public and so George had ordered his son to fix. James proposed and Regina accepted after her parents convinced her he was her only chance to break the curse.
Yet she couldn't help but think of another blood blue, one with kind blue eyes and thick dark blond hair. Unlike other men of their station who remained clean-shaven, his chin and cheeks were covered with scruff he liked to rub as he joked about wanting to look dangerous. Regina thought he looked sexy but she never told him in the hours they spent talking, where they discussed everything under the sun. She felt she could tell him anything as he never made her feel like her opinion wasn't valid or that she was stupid for her beliefs. He did challenge her, made her see things in different ways and she did the same for him. They matched each other in intelligence, creativity and sass and made her feel alive in ways she hadn't before.
When he spoke of the world she hadn't seen because her parents kept her hidden due to her nose, she could almost picture it. He had promised to show it to her and she had believed him, falling hard for him. She had worked up the courage to show herself to him and unlike other suitors, Richard Lyons didn't recoil from her. He had stared at her with awe and for the first time in her life, Regina had felt beautiful.
But then he had turned around, leaving her with only a weak "I can't give you what you want" explanation and broken heart. Her last memory of him was watching as he paused at the door, looking at her with pain and regret. "Don't let them keep you imprisoned here, Regine. There's a wide world out there and you deserve to see it."
Then he was gone.
Regina took his advice though. She realized that if Richard Lyons couldn't free her of the curse, no one would and so it was time to start living. After her parents had gone to bed, she packed a suitcase, grabbed her father's credit card and left to experience the world. It had been a crazy ride that involved her revealing her full face but it had been worth it. She had gotten a job she loved in a bakery—baking had been one of the few pleasures she had in her house—and found good friends in bails bond person Emma Swan and pub owner Killian Jones. Regina went to street festivals, got drunk, sang karaoke, went to the movies and even to a burlesque show. She felt as alive as she had when she was with Richard.
Could she now give it up for married life with James? Would everything get better once the curse was broken? She doubted they would learn to love each other and she feared she would be stuck in an unhappy marriage, trapped by how scandalous divorce still was amongst their kind.
"Regina? Sweetheart, are you ready?" her father's soft voice interrupted her doubts. She turned around to find him standing in the doorway in his tux, looking concerned.
For a moment, she wanted to tell him that she had changed her mind and didn't want to marry James. That she was fine living the rest of her life with her pig's nose if it meant she didn't have to wake up beside a man who thought she should be killed. Yet she knew that it wasn't just her life affected by her nose—her parents had retreated from society after her birth to avoid any uncomfortable questions. This was a chance at a normal life for all of them and she couldn't let it pass by.
Regina took her father's arm. "Yes, I am."
They stepped out of the house and walked down the marble stairs that led to her family's prized gardens. Several rows of white chairs were set up and each one occupied by members of society's upper crust. Regina had fought hard to get Emma and Killian invited and she couldn't even spot them in this crowd.
A white runner lay between the two groups of chairs and led to the dais set up in front of the grand fountain in the center of the gardens. James waited there with the justice of the peace, looking like he was waiting for a root canal rather than marriage. He scowled as everyone rose, watching her come down the aisle on her father's arm.
She squeezed Daddy's arm and he slowed down, looking at her. "Is everything alright?"
"My groom hates me," she said. "Look at him."
He glanced up, grimacing slightly. "He doesn't hate you, sweetheart. He hates your nose."
Regina sighed. She had always heard that growing up—"You're beautiful, it's your nose that's not," "You can't go outside with your nose," "Once your nose goes away, everything will be better." It was always her nose that kept her from perfection and happiness.
"I promise you," Daddy continued, "everything will get better once you're married."
'No, it won't." Regina gasped when she heard the familiar hoarse, accented voice. She slowly turned around, finding Richard standing right behind her. He frowned as he said: "James Spencer is a monster who doesn't deserve her."
Mother came storming up the aisle, her purple skirts swishing with every determined step. "You have no right to be here," she told him.
"I couldn't let you marry Regina off to that bastard," he said, glaring at James. "She deserves so much better."
"Like who? You?" Regina asked, the pain of his rejection filling her chest yet mingling with the hope that he had come back for her.
Mother shook her head, grabbing Regina's hands to force her to look at him. "You can't trust him. He's done nothing but lie to you since day one. His name is not Richard Lyons."
"She's right. It's not," he said, stepping forward and drawing Regina's attention back to him. "My name is Robin Locksley and I'm not some lord. I'm just a washed-up musician with a gambling problem who accepted money to get a picture of some socialite. But I never lied to you about anything else."
She felt like her world was shattering as she took in Rich…Robin's contrite expression and appearance. He had always worn the same suit when he met her—blue jacket, blue pants, white shirt and a black tie. And it always seemed ill-fitting, which should've struck her as odd for someone in their station. A lord, or a future lord, would've made sure his suit was tailored to fit just right. Now, though, Robin wore a button-down shirt paired with jeans and a navy sports jacket. It all fit him perfectly and matched his personality better.
Regina shook her head. "I don't understand. Who paid you to take a picture of me?"
"Take a wild guess," he said, tone flat as his eyes once again focused on the man waiting behind her.
Anger filled Regina and she clutched her bouquet of white roses tighter as Robin nodded. "He wanted proof that you were a monster. But after our first meeting, I knew you were no such monster. I wanted to back out but the money would've paid off almost all my debts and I wanted an excuse to keep talking with you. I knew I would've been thrown out on my ass if you knew who I really was."
"With good reason," Mother confirmed, sniffing.
Robin reached for her free hand, taking it in his own. "I'm sorry I lied to you. And I'm sorry I hurt you. I gave you hope I shouldn't have. When I finally saw you, I realized what was really at stake—your heart and your life—and I knew I had to walk away."
She replayed that moment in her mind yet again—I can't give you what you want—and the truth finally sunk in. "You couldn't break the curse."
"Right," he said. "I left, threw the camera in a nearby pond and told James I was done. I then went and got a couple proper jobs, including giving some music lessons, and am slowly paying back my debts. You inspired me to be a better person, Regina Mills, and you deserve the whole world."
"You gave that to me," she said. "Your words and rejection finally gave me the push I needed to get out there. And I've had quite the adventure."
He grinned, revealing the dimples she had fallen for so many months ago. "I know. I've been following along, proud of your every move. I almost went into the bakery where you work but I figured you didn't want to see me."
She would've loved to have seen him—either as Richard Lyons or Robin Locksley.
"Regina," Mother hissed. "Everyone is waiting. Stop giving this liar anymore of your time."
"He's not a liar," Regina replied, smiling at Robin. "Yes, he made a bad decision but I know in my heart he's always been truthful to me about what really matters."
He squeezed her hand. "You deserve to be happy, Regina, and you deserve to be loved. James won't do that for you."
"It doesn't matter! She'll at least be normal!" Mother shrieked. "Don't you want to that, Regina?"
Regina let go of Robin's hand, turning to face her mother. "I want to live my life, Mother. I want to work at the bakery, hang out at the bar with Emma and Killian, go where I want and do what I want."
"But your nose!" Mother exclaimed.
"There is nothing wrong with my nose!" Regina yelled back. The truth had been slowly creeping up on her but realization had still hit her like a truck. When she had been away from her mother, she hadn't noticed her nose at all. She looked at the mirror and saw herself. And herself looked perfectly fine.
Holding her head high, Regina stated: "I like myself the way I am."
Thunder rattled the manor despite not a single cloud being in the sky. Guests cried out as a powerful gust of wind tore through the wedding, twirling Regina's dress and veil around her. She struggled against it, feeling herself fall backwards as if falling down a whole. Regina let out a cry as the blankness surrounded her.
When she landed, she was kneeling on a black surface. It was black all around her, no matter which way she turned her body. She stopped, noticing a young girl now standing in front of her. The girl had long black hair in plaits and wore a bright pink party dress with white Mary Jane shoes. Big brown eyes stared at Regina, looking down past her pig nose. It was Regina when she was about five years old, when she wanted to know why she couldn't go to the birthday party for Kathryn Midas like all the other children and was told it was because her nose made her too different.
Regina rose into a kneeling position, looking her younger self in the eyes. She then wrapped her arms around the girl, holding her close. "You're beautiful," she whispered.
She felt the girl disappear inside her as a bright light engulfed her. Her face felt warm, like the sun was beaming down on it. Regina closed her eyes, relishing the feeling.
"Regina?" Robin asked. She felt him shake her arm. "Regina, are you alright?"
Opening her eyes, all Regina could see was the white lace that made up her veil. She struggled to push it from her face, finally able to see Robin and the sun again when she did. His mouth fell open and surprise filled his eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned by his reaction.
Emma had joined the group and she held out her compact. "See for yourself."
Regina took it, opening it up so she could look at herself in the mirror. At first, she didn't recognize the woman she saw. Her pig nose was gone, replaced by a normal looking one that resembled her mother's and high cheek bones like the ones she saw on models in magazines. She touched her hand to her nose, feeling the rounded shape rather than the flatness of her snout before brushing her fingers along her cheeks.
She had broken the curse.
"I don't get it," she said. "I thought I had to marry a blue blood to break the curse."
"The curse said you had to be accepted by one of your own," Daddy said.
It all made sense to Regina then. For people of their station, marriage was everything. They married to secure bloodlines, business, land, money, power…everything but love. Getting one of their own to marry her despite her nose would've appeared to have been the best way for her to be accepted but it never would've broken the curse. Whoever married her would've just done so for her fortune and lineage, not because he truly accepted her.
Anger then flared up as another truth revealed itself to her. She didn't have to have the childhood she had. Her parents didn't have to hide her away, keep her from all the other children and prevent anyone from seeing her. All they had to do was love her for who she was—pig's nose and all. The curse could've been broken when she was barely an hour old but no, she hadn't even been accepted by her own parents.
Mother still appeared to be struggling with what had happened but Regina could see guilt creeping into her father's eyes, meaning he was realizing the same thing she had. That all he had to do was look past her nose rather than fixate, rather than always add the "except your nose" caveat to everything, and she would've been freed.
"Do you need a hand?" Robin asked softly, holding his out to her. She took it, letting him pull her to her feet.
She smiled at him. "What do you think?"
"You've always been beautiful to me," he said. "Nothing's changed."
Regina wrapped her arms around him, kissing him. His hands were a warm weight on her waist, holding her close as he deepened the kiss. She had always wondered what it would be like to do this with him and she was pleased to know she had guessed right—he was an excellent kisser.
"Excuse me, you're supposed to be marrying my son," George Spencer said, breaking their kiss. Regina glanced over to see him standing there, red-faced.
She glanced up at Robin, who raised his eyebrow in response. With a big smile, Regina shook her head. "There will be no wedding today."
"Regina, think of what you're giving up," Mother said, sounding absurd to her.
"I'm not giving up anything," she replied, confused. "The only reason I was marrying James was to break the curse but I did that on my own. What else do I have to gain by going through with this?"
Her mother sputtered something about money and land and how this was the way things were always done. Regina shook her head. "Then maybe it's time for a change. Maybe that's why the witch really cursed us—to show us what acceptance and love really is. Even though my nose is gone, I still don't belong here. These aren't my kind. My kind are people like Emma and Killian and Granny and Robin. People who pursue their dreams and live."
Mother started to reach out for her but Daddy stopped her. "Let her go, Cora. We've kept her from living her life long enough. It's time for her to be free and to find her own happiness."
"Thank you, Daddy," Regina said, stepping away to hug him.
He held her tight. "I'm sorry I didn't just accept you for who you were, my darling daughter. I just hope you don't cut us completely out of your life…"
She shook her head as she pulled away. "Don't worry. I'll be sure to call regularly and stop by for dinner. How does that sound?"
"It sounds perfect," he replied. "And bring Robin…you know, if this works out. Which I have a feeling it will."
Regina glanced over her shoulder, taking in the smiling man watching her. Love always seemed out of her reach and she had often sat in the park, watching older couples as they strolled happily down the paths and wishing she could have what they had. She wasn't sure what the path before her would bring but she knew she was going to walk it with Robin by her side.
She stepped toward him, taking his hand. "I think I owe you a drink."
"Yes, you do," he said, lacing their fingers together. "Yes, you do."