The Evil Queen's daughter.

Chapter 3

(Note - set in missing year in the Enchanted forest)

It had been 3 long months since Regina had seen her son. She missed him a lot. He had been the only person to ever truly believe in her, and she needed that right now. Snow had just confirmed the rumours of her pregnancy and the happy couple seemed overwhelmed with joy. As much as she tried to hide it with eye-rolls and a few sneers, Regina couldn't help but feel that emptiness return. The emptiness that Rumplestiltskin had foreseen to be the price of the curse. Way back then, the queen had thought that her revenge would be enough, something that was proven wrong 17 years later...

Yes - she missed her father, missed his comfort, missed his presence but by no means regretted killing him. Because it got her Henry, her beloved son. Everything had been fine until she'd told him he was adopted. It wasn't as if Henry didn't expect that though, it was clear he was in no way related to Regina. Although he too had brown eyes, they were different to the queen's piercing orbs. While hers could see right through you, her beauty piercing through your soul, Henry's were optimistic and full of hope.

Regina remembered his eyes, his smile and the way he looked at her. Not as if she was the evil queen, but as if she was his mother.

She mainly blamed Mary-Margaret for this, as she was the one who gave him that book. That wretched book. The one that retold her past, present and future all at once - and in one simple sentence. 'She was a villain, and villains don't get happy endings.' She'd tried the hero thing, but it hadn't worked out for her in the way that she had wanted it to. She'd saved Emma and Mary-Margaret four times in the last year now. And what of it? Nothing. Well, not nothing. What she'd got out of it was despair. Henry had always told her happiness was possible, but if not with him then with who? It was then that she felt someone else's presence. Who was there? She created a fireball in her hand before standing and turning around. "Show yourself and I might save your life." She snarled.

A man appeared from behind the bushes with his arms above his head. He was kind of cute. He had brown, sandy hair and gorgeous blue eyes. Wait - she didn't actually think that, did she? She didn't, couldn't think he was gorgeous? The queen let herself gaze into them for just half a second before composing herself and closing her hand, extinguishing the fire as she did so. "Terribly sorry, milady." He said to her as he walked towards her. "I was looking for something, is all." She scoffed.

"And what is it you were hoping to find inside that bush?" Her eyebrows raised, signalling towards the bush he had popped out from.

He stopped as he neared her and sat down on the stone bench, sighing.

"I was looking for my son's ball. He was playing outside yesterday, and I'm afraid it got kicked out of the grounds."

Regina's heart stopped. He was a good father too! But her amazement turned slowly into sadness as she realised she would never be able to look for her son's homework ten minutes before they had to leave the house. Never be able to nag at him to hang up his coat on the rack, or to tuck him into bed and read him a story. Unfortunately for her, the man seemed to read these reminiscent thoughts in her mind.

"Are you okay?" He asked, placing his hand on her shoulder. Regina shuddered, and brushed off higher contact. Secretly, she missed the feeling of his hand on her skin, the eye contact he had given her. But she pushed it to the back of her mind and concentrated on his question.

She cleared her throat and her face became expressionless. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you."

He nodded for a few seconds before replying, taking in what she said with those gorgeous eyes of his. "There's someone else, isn't there? Your son? The one you told me about the day we came to the castle?"

He noticed how the queen became a little unsettled by what he said, and he noticed the tears forming in her eyes. Looking at her now, he realised just how perfect she was.

Her hair was long and wavy, and reached as far as her hip. He fought the urge to run his fingers through it, and instead stared at her face. She had the most beautiful brown eyes, and not to mention the scar on her lip. Something that showed him that maybe the queen was more fragile than she seemed.

Regina noticed his eyes flicker, staring at her with a strong focus. She gazed back at him. Wondering if he felt the same way. Wondering if he longed to know the taste of her lips in the same way she did his. She put her hand on his, and opened up. She told him about Henry. About the price of her curse, and about how she had to leave him behind to save everyone. 'A good listener too.' She thought after she'd finished. Regina watched as he processed everything she'd said.

He turned to her. "Your son sounds like a very wise boy." She raised her eyebrows in question but he continued before she could comment. "You will find happiness. You're not a villain anymore. A villain wouldn't do what you did - a villain wouldn't save everyone."

She was touched. She'd known this man for all of five minutes and he already knew her better than most. "You really think so? That I can be happy without my son?"

He brushed his hands against her jawline and nodded. "I do."

Regina had never felt this way before. Well - not since Daniel. As much as she wished she could deny her child-like crush on this forest-smelling thief, she knew she could not. Not with what she felt pulling them closer together. Regina melted into his touch as he caught her falling tears with his thumb. When he moved his hands away, she took the chance to lean in closer, until their lips were moments apart.

The man stared into her piercing eyes, and she stared back. It didn't take them long to realise what they wanted. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Regina let his lips touch hers. It was a sweet, yet passionate kiss. And as he moved his hands to her hair, running his fingers through the raven locks, the queen smiled. She dreaded the moment when he'd pull away from her, needing air. She knew she could go on forever, not needing to take a breath.

But alas, the moment came. The man pulled away, breathing heavily against her as he cupped her face in his hands.

"I-" she said, still shocked about what had happened.

"I know." His strange accent never failed to make her heart beat faster in her chest.

The queen turned around, composing herself. She didn't like feeling vulnerable around people. Especially this man. This man that made her feel things, awaken emotions that she hadn't felt since her childhood.

"Regina?" She heard his voice say. God, how she wanted to kiss him again. But she couldn't; it was a mistake. And it wasn't going to happen again. She felt his hand reach out to her cheek. "Maybe you'd give me the honour of taking you out sometime? Maybe you'd give me a tour of these gardens?" He asked, admiring her apple trees.

But Regina knew she couldn't. She didn't have room in her heart for anyone other than Henry, and she also knew that he was wrong. She wasn't a hero, and she wasn't going to get her happy ending. She couldn't bear the thought of losing anything else. So she chose to do the hard thing, as she always did.

She turned to have one last gaze into his eyes. "I'm sorry." The queen said, looking down to avoid his gaze. "But you've misread the signs. That kiss was a mistake and it won't happen again."

Regina didn't ever look up, but she could sense the despair on his face. It was only as she stood up to walk away that she saw it: The lion tattoo

* Author's note - told you this one was longer! And I'm very sorry for all the angst. 😭 But I promise Regina will get her happy ending - just you wait and see! ❤️ thanks for reading!