City of Starlight

Chapter 19 - Sisterly Promises

(3rd POV) *Flashback, seven years ago, the morning after the Evil Queen's birthday celebrations (Optional: see Chapters 12-13 of Forest of Fireflies for the corresponding event) 

The Evil Queen believed she had a high pain tolerance; both in the mental and physical sense. Afterall, both were needed to endure almost ten long years of being married to that pathetic brute of a husband. Yet, whatever pain Regina had endured when the King thrust himself into her or gripped her so hard that bruises endured for weeks was nothing compared to the cavernous slow burning sensation that was now numbing the walls of her womb.

Regina cursed herself for drinking the infertility potion just to spite her mother. With every hour that passed since she pressed the goblet onto her lips, her reasoning was surpassed with a greater ratio of regret. The Queen winced when she tried to sit up in her bed and retrieve the tea from the bedside table but when a sudden pain hit her stomach, she jerked, knocking over the teacup, thereby sending it over the edge. She grimaced when it crashed onto the marble flooring but with a sigh, she fell back onto her pillows, unbothered to clean it up with her magic.

Whoever invented this infertility potion in particular had a lot to answer for. After all, how could they possible expect women to be confined to their beds the whole day for simply wishing to rid themselves of this common burden?

Regina's thoughts were interrupted when there was a soft and slightly hesitant knock on the door. She smiled when she realised who it was. "You can come in, Firefly."

The Princess slipped into the Queen's bedchamber with her top lip upon the bottom and her chin hidden by a bouquet of daisies. Although the Queen would have normally frowned at the sight of such cheery flowers that were better suited to damsels in distress, she softened her brows when Daniella explained, "Yvette told me that you're supposed to give daisies to someone who is sick." 

Regina quickly warned Daniella not to step on the broken shards of ceramic on the floor next to the bed before murmuring, "I'm not sick, but thank you for the flowers."

She took it from her daughter's hands and fingered the petals gently before setting it down on the edge of the bed. "Did you pick them yourself?"

"Yes, mama," Daniella replied with a proud smile as she hopped up onto the bed and arranged her skirts. However, the girl's brows frowned a little as seconds of silence ticked by. "How are you feeling?"

Regina nodded but her expression as she attempted to sit a little straighter only betrayed her intention to pretend that all was fine. Upon catching Daniella's inquiring gaze, she explained, "Last night I drank a potion with strong side effects that don't seem to plan on leaving anytime soon."

"What potion?"

Regina contemplated a suitable answer for a moment as she wasn't exactly sure how much Daniella knew about babies and conception so she replied carefully, "It's a potion that prevents me from having another child."

Daniella's face fell in a way that worried Regina. "Firefly, what's the matter?"

Sheepishly, Daniella looked down and twiddled her fingers as she breathed in a melancholic whisper, "So I won't ever get a brother or a sister?"

Regina was caught off guard by the response but after a moment of thinking, it occurred to her that Daniella's reaction wasn't entirely unreasonable. After all, she herself had once begged Cora for a sibling when she was younger, but gave up on the notion altogether after her mother told her that she was enough trouble as she was. Regina swallowed as a result of both the memory of her mother's insult and at the realisation that she would now have to deal with Daniella's disappointment.