Prompt 257 (first curse AU) and prompt 1 ("A place where the only happy ending will be mine." Regina wakes up in Storybrooke already "married" to Robin) from OQ Prompt Party 2020. Therefore, I own nothing but the idea for this fic. I'm debating whether I should make it a multichapter fic or leave it as a oneshot, so definitely let me know what you think! Finally, I didn't have anyone beta this, so all mistakes are mine.
The woman who had come to be known as the Evil Queen stood over her worst enemy, eyes blazing with the satisfaction of her victory, a triumphant smile on her face. Snow knelt before her, sobbing freely from the pain of heartache as she leaned toward the face of her fallen prince. This only made the queen's revenge more complete. Not only would the spoiled brat not remember her husband, but she would never even remember that she had ever had love, a fact that Regina felt compelled to relay to her. "Don't worry, dear," she assured the woman who had once been her stepdaughter as she stepped closer. "In a few moments, you won't remember you knew him, let alone loved him."
Glancing up from her husband's motionless body, her eyes red, face contorted with anguish, Snow asked, "Why did you do this?"
Incredulous, Regina simply stared at the princess, her grin widening as she bent closer to her stepdaughter and whispered, "Because this is my happy ending."
Snow's mouth had fallen open, her eyes closed in despair. You'd think she would have seen this coming, Regina thought. She had warned them long ago, and the imp was currently locked away in this very castle. He of all people knew what her plan was- after all, it was his Dark Curse that she had cast, at great cost to herself.
Don't think about that now, she chastised herself as tears gathered, but didn't fall. Focus on Snow's misery. She's finally losing the man she loved most just like you did, and soon, she'll face something even worse: not even having memories of him to ease the pain of his passing. At last, she'll be all alone, with no one to fuel that ridiculous hope of hers.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of two of her Black Knights in the doorway. "The child?" she asked as she stood and faced them. Hopefully the next generation of heroes, the product of true love, would be somewhere where she could be under Regina's watchful eye for as long as the curse lasted.
"Gone. She was in the wardrobe, and then it was gone," one of her men updated her. "It's nowhere to be found."
Regina turned to Snow, lips pressed into a thin line, the black gown and cloak she was wearing fitting for her current mood. "Where is she?!" she demanded of the princes. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was the thought that one of the unCharmings had escaped the curse that was meant to tear their family apart, stripping away every chance they had of happiness.
Though her eyes were still red, evidence of the pain she had suffered that day, it was her enemy's turn to be joyful. "She got away," she revealed, sounding both elated and amazed. From her tone, Regina knew that Snow had used some form of magic to send her infant daughter somewhere else. But why she was amazed, Regina had no idea. When done correctly, all magic did what it was supposed to do. Although as she knew better than anyone, it always came with a price, and sometimes that price was one that could be too steep for those such as Snow, whose hearts had never been darkened by loss or the alluring force of Dark Magic.
"You're going to lose," the doe-eyed princess declared confidently as she looked up at Regina, who looked away, unwilling to see her useless hope. "I know that now." Looking down at her husband, Snow lovingly caressed his cheek as she continued, "Good will always win."
"We'll see about that," Regina said, knowing well what was coming. After all, Rumple had told her that this curse was the worst of all curses, so she couldn't imagine any trace of Snow's hope would remain once her greatest weapon had done its work.
Just as she started laughing, crumbling was heard from above, signalling the arrival of her glorious curse. The ceiling above them fractured, and Regina took a moment to revel in the fact that Snow's happiness would be ripped away from her in this room. It was clearly the room meant to be the new royal infant's nursery, the stars on the ceiling and mobile depicting magical creatures from their land symbols of the peaceful life they could have had here. They would have had it, too, Regina was sure, if it wasn't for the doom she had in store for them. Snow had always found a way to make the most of what life threw at her, a fact that Regina was all too aware of, as it infuriated her on a daily basis. She was eager to see whether any of that hope would remain once Regina destroyed every last aspect of her happy ending.
Wind and the purple smoke that was her magic swirled around them, its speed fitting for the destruction and desolation it was about to cause. The room around them darkened and Regina couldn't help grinning. Finally, something was going right.
She snickered darkly as Snow asked, her voice tentative with fear, "Where are we going?"
"Somewhere horrible," Regina informed her gleefully as the gusts of air continued to destroy the last remnants of the princess's hopes and dreams, shattering the glass of a nearby window and throwing objects around the room. "Absolutely horrible." She was telling the truth- though it wouldn't be like that for her, it would be that way for Snow. Her nemesis's horrified eyes stared into Regina's as she notified her that where they would be going was, "A place where the only happy ending will be mine."
Shards of her worst enemy's previously charmed life swarmed around them as the curse engulfed the room and Regina couldn't help smiling the whole time. She didn't know exactly where they were going, but she knew that for her, it had to be better than the realm they were leaving behind.
Regina woke to the sound of pesky songbirds outside her window. For some strange reason, she could also hear steady breathing behind her. It was only then that she was alarmed by the discovery of an arm wrapped around her.
She shot up and spun around. There, lying beside her, was a man with dark blonde hair and dimples whose blue eyes contained an odd mixture of mirth and concern. Who he was Regina didn't know, but she was going to find out- and in the meantime, she wanted him out of her bed now. She had experienced more than her fair share of unwanted companionship in her bed over the years, and had no desire to experience anything like that again. This was supposed to be her happy ending. If this was Rumple's idea of a joke, she would find him and give him a piece of her mind. In the meantime, she had to find out who exactly had the audacity to sleep next to the Evil Queen. To that end, she demanded, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
He reached out to her, but she glared at him, her eyes conveying a clear message: Back. Off. "I'm just telling my wife good morning," he responded, frowning. "Are you all right, milady?"
Did he just say "wife?" Regina thought incredulously. This must be Rumple's idea of a sick joke. I'm no longer married and don't want to be tied down like that ever again. Once was more than enough for a lifetime. Being forced to marry Leopold and the years that followed were nothing but torture for her. Why the curse thought giving her a husband was a good idea, she had no clue. The first chance she got, she would find Rumple and give him a piece of her mind. And in the meantime, she wouldn't let this man treat her like some defenseless princess. She needed no one but herself. To that end, she commanded him to, "Get out. I don't want to see you in here."
He frowned, but started to back out of the room. "As you wish. I'll just go make breakfast, shall I?"
All she could do was nod. Breakfast. That sounded like a suitable distraction for him while she figured out what was going on.
He left the room and she seized the opportunity to take stock of her surroundings. The bed she was sitting in, while less ornate than the one she had grown used to in the Enchanted Forest, was far more comfortable. It was topped by a thick but light black blanket, and she smiled. Clearly, her preference for the color had manifested itself in the curse, and she couldn't help but be pleased by that turn of events.
Standing and walking to what appeared to be a small room that served as a closet, she found dresses of the same color inside. There were, however, clothes much like the ones she had gone riding in as a girl but in a finer material, with shirts of a similarly thin material that was cool to the touch to match. Shoes of every shape were lined up in rows in the far corner of the closet. Used to the gowns she had worn in the forest as the Queen, she selected a midnight blue dress that she knew would fall to her knees when she put it on. The style looked to be even more form-fitting than the dresses of the Enchanted Forest, and she couldn't help grinning, imagining what she could accomplish if she used that to her advantage. Shoes that matched the color of her dress completed the look.
Her thoughts about where to change into her selected outfit were interrupted by a high-pitched voice crying excitedly, "Mama!"
Before she had time to figure out what was happening, something short but strong barreled into her and nearly knocked her to the floor. She looked down and found the most adorable boy she had ever seen had his arms wrapped around her legs. His hair was as dark as hers with curls much like the ones her mother had so often wanted her to tame as a child. It had led to more fights than she could recall between her father and mother- she had always known that Henry had a fondness for the curls that she and her mother shared, and he had done what he could to mitigate the effects her mother's tyranny had on her, even when those efforts were never enough. The child's eyes were dark like hers as well. For a moment she wondered if the boy was even the son of the man she had woken up with, but then he smiled, and even though she had spent time with these strangers for only a few moments, she recognized that they shared the same dimples.
Despite her better judgement, she knew that the adorable child before her would be impossible to resist. She would do anything to ensure his happiness. She knelt to look him in the eye. When she did, he threw his arms around her neck and she laughed. Unwilling to reveal that he was unfamiliar to her, she teased, "Someone's happy to see me this morning."
"Of course I am, Mama!" he exclaimed, and it was only then that she realized what he had called her. Mama? Why had this curse given her a son? She had certainly never asked for one. After all, having children during the curse would be a reminder of her mother that was far too painful. Ever since she had drank that potion years ago to prevent herself from having children that her mother could manipulate, she had tried not to think of them. However, the boy in front of her was too adorable to ignore, and her mother was still far away in the land she had sent her to in Romple's mirror, so she decided to embrace this chance at motherhood while she had it.
"I'm happy to see you too," she told him, kneeling and tentatively wrapping her arms around the child.
A sudden gurgling in his stomach made them both laugh as her fingers tentatively tickled him, which made him giggle. "I need to change, but after that, why don't we go find something to feed the monster in your belly?"
"Okay!" he easily agreed.
Standing, Regina realized that she had no idea how to find food in this strange new realm. Though she enjoyed the clothes it had given her, she still had no idea how anything was done. Hopefully the boy and man she had found in this new life would help her, but she knew she had to be cautious. Despite the fact that they believed themselves to be her family, she knew that what they saw as their love for her was actually an illusion created by the curse, and therefore, likely wouldn't last, knowing the way life often turned out for her. Life had given her nothing but misery ever since her mother had crushed Daniel's heart right in front of her, and she couldn't afford to let her guard down. Rumple had never said just how long this curse would last, and considering the price she had paid (a price she refused to think about with the adorable child still looking at her with those wide brown eyes), if it ever ended, her world would come crashing down around her just as Snow's castle had when the curse hit.
Going into the room adjacent to her own, she found not just one but two objects that emitted running water. Knowing she didn't have time to investigate them now, she used linens on a shelf and the water to quickly wash herself and put on the dress she had chosen. Emerging from the water closet, she found the little boy still waiting for her. "You look pretty, Mama," he told her.
She couldn't resist smiling softly at his praise. It was so innocent and sweet, so unlike the lascivious gazes of her former husband. "Thank you, sweetheart."
"You're welcome, Mama!" he chirped, and she wondered who had taught him to be so polite. "Can we have breakfast now?"
"Of course," she responded. "Lead the way, my little knight."
He perked up at that. "Sir Roland to the rescue!" he proclaimed before turning and running through the door the man (his father in the Enchanted Forest, perhaps, if her guess was correct) had exited earlier. She emerged to find a hallway that led to a spiraling staircase. She followed the delightful little boy down the staircase and they found the insufferable man who had been in her bed that morning in a room that had a large number of cabinets and what appeared to be another one of those strange objects that let out water when she pulled a lever, as well as several other strange devices, the purpose of which she didn't know.
While she had been observing the strange things the Land Without Magic had to offer, the little boy had run over to the stranger who has been in her bed and yelled, "Papa!" as he leapt into his waiting arms. So my assumption was correct, then, she mused as she watched them.
"Good morning, Roland!" the man exclaimed, holding his son close. The resemblance between them was obvious now as she spotted matching sets of dimples on both faces. "How are you this morning?"
"Good!" the little boy replied eagerly. "Papa, what are we having for breakfast?"
"We, my boy, are having cereal. Would you like to go choose which cereal you would like today?"
"Yeah!" the little boy agreed before scurrying over to the doors that seemed to lead to a closet that Regina had noticed earlier. As he was happily choosing his first meal of the day, the man turned to Regina. "I thought I could drop him off at preschool before heading to the recreation center, if that sounds good to you."
Preschool? Recreation center? The unfamiliar phrases swam around in Regina's head, making no more sense to her than they had when she first heard them seconds ago. She knew that in order to avoid suspicion, she would have to pretend that she knew what was happening around her, but she had a feeling that she was not fooling the man before her at all.
Her hypothesis was confirmed when the mysterious man this curse had saddled her with poured cereal (a strange substance that seemed to consist of little grains of hard wheat) into a bowl for his son, poured milk on top of it, then asked the boy, "Can you eat your cereal while Papa talks to Mama for a minute?"
Roland nodded, his dark little curls bouncing as he picked up a spoon and began eating the meal his father had fixed him. The man tried to grab Regina's hand, but she yanked it away. He frowned, making her worry- had she caused him to guess that something was amiss even more than she already had? In lieu of taking her hand, he told her, "Follow me."
They went to an adjacent hallway before he turned to face her and asked quietly, likely so he wouldn't worry the little boy happily eating cereal in the next room, "What's wrong, milady? Don't tell me nothing, I know you far better than that. You woke up not knowing who I was, you didn't immediately make your usual cup of coffee this morning, and you won't let me touch you. You seem to be fooling Roland, but if I know you as well as I think I do, that may be so you don't hurt his feelings. It's almost like you've forgotten everything, even your own family. Am I right?"
She crossed her arms, holding them close to her chest defensively (as if that would work- she couldn't physically shield herself from the onslaught she was facing, after all). How was it that this man knew her so well? "What if you are? How exactly do you think you can help?"
He shrugged and admitted, "I don't know, but I won't give up until I try everything I can think of to help you. I don't think it's best for you to go to work today. Call Dr. Whale to make an appointment, and maybe Dr. Hopper too. We'll figure out what happened and you'll be good as new in no time."
She held back her laughter, using her experience as her mother's daughter and then the Evil Queen to keep her face straight. He wanted her to go see a doctor? Little did he know that she was the only one in this town who hadn't been affected by the curse- and that was something she couldn't let this intuitive man who could read her like a book figure out, so she knew she had to play the part. "All right, I will, if you think it's a good idea."
He nodded in affirmation. "I do. I'm concerned about you. I love you, and I know Roland does too- and right now, it doesn't seem like you remember either of us. Am I right?"
At the sound of words that hadn't been spoken to her by anyone other than her father since Daniel's death, her breath caught in her throat, so all she could do was nod.
At the sight of her acquiescence, he said, "Then we'll figure out how to make you well together. All right? Let me know when your appointment is and I'll use it as my lunch break."
Alarmed, she shook her head. This situation was delicate enough. She had no intention of making an appointment that would do nothing but raise suspicion far too soon for her liking and didn't want him to find out. "That won't be necessary. I'm sure I'll be just fine on my own."
He raised an eyebrow. "Really? Do you remember how to drive?"
Haughtily, she stood a little straighter and said, "It doesn't matter. I'll walk." She had no idea what driving was, but she was the Evil Queen for crying out loud. While she still didn't understand why the people had started calling her that, she had used the moniker to her advantage in the Enchanted Forest, and would in this realm as well. She didn't need anyone to coddle her, least of all this strange man who thought he knew everything about her and had an uncanny knack of knowing exactly what she was thinking.
"No, you won't. I don't want you to get lost."
Suppressing her revulsion at what she was about to do, Regina put a hand on his, which rested on a dark wooden table in the hall. His skin was calloused beneath her fingers, a sign of hard work and skill, which was a clue she needed to figure out who exactly this man was in the land they had left. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."
He chuckled. "I know you like to be independent, but I'm your husband, milady, and right now it seems you need a shoulder to lean on, so lean on mine."
There was that strange endearment again. She loathed it with the fire of a thousand suns, and she meant to tell him as much, but couldn't get a word in before he continued, "I know, you don't want to have to rely on anyone, but Regina, that's what families do for each other, so let me be there for you in whatever way you'll let me. Please?"
She sighed. This man was relentless. "Fine," she relented curtly. Finding answers that would satisfy everyone under the curse would come to be annoying, but she would have to do it. This man's persistence left her with no choice.
A smug smirk appeared on his face, one she wanted to slap off. "Very well, then just call the activities center and let me know when your appointment is and we'll go together."
With that settled at last, it wasn't long before both the strange, infuriating man who occupied her new home and his son left her alone. She sighed and wondered aloud, "Rumple, what exactly did you do?" She didn't know where that imp was, but as she walked out, slamming the door behind her in her frustration, she knew she was determined to find out so she could figure out how this man and his son had ended up in her new life- and more importantly, how they would leave it again. She couldn't, and wouldn't, risk the destruction their presence in her life would cause- she knew she wouldn't survive it.
Hope you enjoyed this, please let me know what you think!
