Chapter 1: An Unlikely Princess
Once upon a time, there was a very unlikely princess. Her mother dreamed that someday she would be queen, and everything the little girl wanted was happiness.
This girl's name was Princess Regina of Argyl.
She was 50th in line for the throne.
Not a very likely queen.
She was a four-year-old who was not important to the existence of the monarchy. As the 50th in line, her grandfather cared very little for the girl. Her mother only wanted her to be queen. She would never be queen Regent.
The girl was nice to everyone in the castle. The family lived in an old, damp castle that had fallen into disrepair. The father hardly spoke. After all, he was 16th of 20 children. The castle had limited personnel and a small stable, where Regina would stare at the horses in awe of their beauty and the freedom they possesed she would never have.
Regina had long brown hair and the same tanned skin as her father. She also had the same hair as her mother. She sometimes wished that her mother was more like her, that her mother would show her emotions like her father did.
One night, when she was four, she asked her mother: "Mommy, what will I be when I grow up?"
The answer was simple: 'Queen'.
"But a lot of people have to die so I could…"
No answer followed, Regina knew her mother wanted to tell her she would be queen. She needed to act like one already, but Regina never wanted to be queen. If she would be a queen, her father had to die—her uncles and aunts. The line of secession was a line of death. You wouldn't have become queen if the ones before were still alive. And she didn't wish dead on any of them.
All Regina wanted was love and happiness for those she loved.
After her mother, her father came to tuck her in. Regina smiled at her father. Her big brown eyes looked in his; they were warmer than the brown eyes her mother had. He sat down next to her. As he tucked in her, a smile appeared on Regina's face as she touched his cheek.
"Daddy. What do I need to do when I grow up?"
A smile appeared on his face as he took her doll from the bedside table and put it in bed with her. He smiled kindly at her as he thought deeply.
"Happy, " he said. "You will be happy. You will find someone you love and who loves you. And you will be happy."
"For the rest, who knows? " he said as she pointed to the window. "The future is a mystery. You can do anything you want to, pop-tart. Ride a horse, fight a dragon, or travel the country."
"I'd rather fly a dragon." Regina smiled. "Don't you think it's unfortunate to kill such a beautiful animal? I'm sure we misunderstand the creatures. Can I have a dragon?"
"I'm fairly sure there're not many dragons available." He smiled. "But what I can promise you is a horse. And I will get a tutor, so you learn how to ride it."
