Regina's Queen - OUAT Fanfic

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The Red Queen caught up the silver woman in a deferential hug. "Mother! Thank you!"

Regina's jaw dropped at the exchange, and the Red Queen turned back to her with a mischievous smile.

  "Regina," she said cordially, reaching out to her to draw her forward, "may I introduce my mother - the Goddess, Aphrodite."

  "Yes, we've met," Regina unthinkingly snapped back to cover her shock. Abashed, she quickly averted her gaze.

The Red Queen laughed and twined her fingers through Regina's, causing her to look up and smile despite her blush.

  "Then, may I properly introduce myself," the Red Queen said. She turned to face her, taking her other hand as well so that she held both. "I am Caerys Halloran, the Red Queen, child of the moon, daughter of Aphrodite."

Regina couldn't seem to voice the appropriate response, so, instead, she let her glowing heart be her guide. Shyly, she leaned forward, and Caerys met her lips, smiling through the kiss. They drew apart and turned together to face the Goddess.

  "I am forever in your debt," Caerys softly addressed her mother. "I thought I had failed, but you've brought me into this world a second time, for a second chance."

  "Indeed," Aphrodite agreed, then fixed her luminous gaze upon Regina's face. "For her. To bring the Evil Queen her Happy Ending."

Uncharacteristically, Regina's gaze dropped right to the floor. She might be a Queen, but she was feeling ill-equipped to bear the scrutiny of a Goddess who had just offered her the single thing she most desired...

Happiness.

  "Villains don't get Happy Endings," she murmured softly, unable to bring herself to believe it.

  "You are not a Villain," Aphrodite said calmly, and Regina managed to lift her eyes to the Goddess' silver gaze.

  "Well, I'm not a Hero, either," Regina countered, only just managing to keep an edge of politeness in her voice.

  "Exactly," Aphrodite said. She folded her graceful arms, waiting patiently for her statement to sink in.

Regina's thoughts whirled, wondering what on earth the Goddess meant by it all. All her life she had been the Evil Queen, a Villain on the side of darkness, and it was a long-stated fact that Good won, not Evil. 

It didn't seem reasonable that a Happy Ending should suddenly just be delivered up to her on a silver platter by the Goddess of Love.

  "Regina, you do not have your Happy Ending yet - your road is just beginning," Aphrodite chided softly, seeing into her thoughts. "It is still a long way to the end, but now you have a second chance to make the right decisions. The path is simple. All that is required is for you to be true to yourself."

The Evil Queen suddenly had the distinct impression that the Goddess was judging her worth, as though she were still deciding if Regina truly was deserving of her Happy Ending.

  "I'm trying!" Regina entreated, wanting to explain herself. Desperation crept in along with the feeling that she was about to lose it all before she'd even tasted it. "I'm trying to make the right decisions, to step away from the darkness. I'm trying so hard to be Good, to be a Hero!"

Aphrodite sighed sadly, turning away. "You've entirely misunderstood my meaning."

Before Regina could say another word, the silver light surrounding the Goddess gathered with rapid intensity, enveloping her and melting her from their sight. When the blinding glow dissipated, the silver woman was gone. The correct hour of the day returned, and a watery sun peeked out from behind great tufts of white cloud.