Prompt from a friend: Daniel dies at the hands of Cora, Regina pushes Cora through the mirror and she still marries the King. Regina never casts the dark curse, instead she kills Leopald and becomes Queen of the Dark Kingdom while Snow and Charming live in the White Kingdom. Snow still views Regina as her stepmother, so when Regina puts herself in a sleeping curse to stop the pain of losing Daniel, Snow sets out to find someone to kiss her awake. 18 years later, that happens but not from who Snow expects..

Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time, I just like using the characters

Chapter 7

"Hey," Emma reached for Regina, "please don't cry."

Regina sniffled and swiped her middle finger underneath her eye, careful of her makeup. "I'm sorry Emma, it's just.. a lot to take it."

"That we're true love's?" Emma asked and Regina nodded. "Why is it so hard to take in?"

When Regina didn't reply Emma took the Queen's slender fingers and pressed them against her lips, kissing them one by one. "You don't have to tell me if you're not ready, I just wanted to help."

Regina sighed. She knew eventually she'd need to have this talk with Emma, she just didn't want to. "Come sit with me and I'll tell you the story of how I ended up in that bed in this castle."

Emma led Regina to the couch and waited patiently, knowing this would be hard, whatever it was the Queen was about to tell her. "My mother was not a kind woman. She had no heart, literally. She raised me to be a Queen. From the moment I was born she schooled me on proper etiquette and social class. I was to never associate with anyone below my station. For the most part I listened. That is, until I met Daniel.

"He was our stable boy. My father hired him. Insisting I needed someone to teach me to ride, which I did need to learn to do and he wasn't as young as he used to be. Daniel started teaching me for an hour a day. Mother made sure all my studies and etiquette classes were completed before I could ride. Well Daniel and I, we grew close. Closer than I ever would have anticipated. I fell in love with him, he was my first love, my only love. He and I hatched a plan, I knew Mother would never allow me to leave on my own. We devised to sneak away in the dead of night, just us. But your mother ruined all that."

Emma's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "My mother?"

Regina nodded and pressed on. "Daniel and I were out riding one afternoon, your mother's horse galloped passed us and on instinct I went charging after the pair. I saved your mother's life, and she was so thankful she told her father, King Leopald, of my good deed. He was so overcome with gratitude he p proposed." Regina paused, gathering her thoughts. "I didn't want to accept." she whispered. "My mother said yes for me. I ran to Daniel after she did so, telling him what happened. He promised we could run away that night together. Unfortunately that never happened.

"When he kissed me, a young Snow saw and ran to tell her father. I managed to explain to her that Daniel loved me and I him, and that though I also loved her that I simply couldn't marry her father. That Daniel as my true love. Snow White seemed to understand, she promised she would keep my secret from her father. I also made her promise she'd not tell my mother. You couldn't imagine what would happen.. the potent rage she'd have felt. Sadly, that's precisely what Snow did. She accidentally told my mother and all hell broke loose that night.

"When it was just before midnight I had met Daniel in the stables, we would take two horses with us and what we could carry on our backs. That was it. Cora was never supposed to know. My mother had walked into the barn just before we were set to mount our horses. I begged her, I pleaded with her to let me go and to accept things. That I wouldn't marry the King. She acted like it was alright, like things would be fine. She embraced Daniel. I was too far away to do anything. I should have known." Regina's voice broke. "I should have known she wouldn't let me leave. She plunged her hand into his chest and took out his heart. She looked me right in the eye as she told me, 'It's for your own good. When you're a parent you'll understand.' But I never will. I'll never understand how she could murder someone in cold blood like that.

"For years I played my part well. Dutiful Queen, mother to Snow. No one knew what I was planning." the Queen chuckled darkly. "I sent a viper in to kill the King. It was a fast acting poison, by the time help arrived the King was dead. I.. I was as evil as they come. Maybe not to my mother's degree, but enough. Enough that I deserved to be alone. But I couldn't take my punishment. I put myself in a sleeping curse, made sure the only way to wake was True Love's Kiss. I truly believed I'd never wake."

"Until I came along." Emma said in wonder and Regina nodded smiling.

"Precisely. Until you kissed me awake, I never thought I'd see my father again or my horse. I also thought I wouldn't have to relive the pain I had previously felt from Daniel's death."

"Are you sorry I woke you up?"

Regina paused, wondering how she should phrase her answer. "I will admit I was confused and angry at first, but after coming around to the idea well. I am most certainly not sorry. You're not all bad Swan." Regina blushed as Emma beamed at her.

"I'm glad you're not sorry. But Regina, what did you mean when you called yourself evil as they come? You haven't done an evil thing since I've known you."

Regina chuckled humorously. "Thank you Princess, that sentiment means a lot. The truth in the matter is I am all evil. Nothing I do will make my heart pure again."

"You are not all evil Regina," Snow interrupted as she walked into her daughter's room holding two crowns. "and I am not all good. I think you of all people should know that. Emma," Snow narrowed her eyes at her daughter disapprovingly, "you need to dress. It's time for the ball. Oh, and Regina?"

Regina recovered from her shock just enough to answer Snow White. "Yes?"

"You won't be walking with your father. You'll be escorting Emma tonight."