*Many years ago.
The Enchanted Forest.
Regina was riding in her carriage with her father, Henry before she ordered them to stop the carriage when she saw people gathered in a field. She exited the carriage while the small crowd looked nervous and confused.
Did any of them invite the Queen?
"Good day, citizens." Regina smiled when she approached them, her father following behind her. "Enjoying the meadow?" she asked as they bowed their heads to her.
"Indeed. It seemed perfect for our wedding ceremony." The priest said as the man and woman, Regina assumed to be the bride and groom, smiled her way.
"It is lovely. But see, the thing is, these are part of the royal lands. And I don't recall giving you permission to marry here." Regina said as the small crowd looked nervous.
"We didn't know. We had just--" The groom went to say, but Regina cut him off by reaching into his chest with no emotion on her face. She pulled out his glowing heart as the others gasped.
"Your Majesty," Henry said, rushing to Regina's side to talk her out of killing the poor man. "...could you be overreacting because of what day it is?" He continued to ask her.
"Don't talk to me about this day, Daddy." Regina scoffed at him.
"But you need the support of your citizens, Your Majesty. To alienate them would be shortsighted and weak..."
"I'm not weak!" Regina yelled in her father's face, making him back up a bit. Regina calmly turned to the groom while the bride started to tear up. "I was going to spare you, but someone just made me angry," Regina said calmly before crushing the groom's heart, making the group gasp, while the bride screamed out as the groom's lifeless body hit the ground.
The others rushed over to the body while Regina let the dust from the heart fall onto the ground.
"Next time there's a wedding, book the church," Regina said to the priest before turning to go back to her carriage.
Henry sighed to himself before following his daughter.
"Make your way home. I have someplace to go." Regina said to her father before shutting the carriage door in his face.
Regina headed out to where a gravestone was. She walked up closer, seeing a red heart on the grave with the name "Daniel." She stopped when she saw a single yellow rose lying on top of the grave. She looked up when her breathing staggered before her face turned cold. "Mother..." She spat, turning to the side to see Cora smirking to herself.
"It's been too long." Cora smiled at her.
"You show up on the anniversary of killing the man that I loved? To what? Rub salt in the wound?" Regina asked her mother, who was a woman that she hated almost as much as she hated Snow White.
"To apologize," Cora said, still smiling at Regina.
"I see. How did you get out of the Looking Glass?" Regina asked her, spite still in her tone.
"I borrowed a rabbit. Wonderland's an amazing place, and I've learned a lot..." Cora said, walking closer to her daughter. "I understand now why you had to send me away. Without me, you've become your own person, and I'm very proud of you." She continued to tell her daughter.
"What do you want, Mother?" Regina asked her, still sounding upset and angry.
"To help you. You've got beauty and strength, power. I just want to help you get that final piece. Love."
"I had that piece. You took it and tore its heart out." Regina spat.
"The stable boy..." Cora sighed, looking down at the gravestone.
"Daniel!" Regina yelled at her. "His name was Daniel." She continued to tell her mother, furious at this time.
"Yes. I made a terrible mistake. You see, I was fine with a loveless marriage. I thought you'd be the same. And now, I realize that you feel things more deeply than I do... No, you really do. You deserve more than I had." Cora said while Regina scoffed at her mother's attempt to apologize.
"Little late, isn't it?" Regina asked, sounding hurt.
"Oh, we both know that's not true. I had an encounter with a certain wingless fairy who told me of a failed attempt to connect you with your soulmate." Cora continued to explain.
"You met Tinker Bell."
"Indeed. She told me, Regina. There is someone out there for you. Someone you're fated to be with. And I'm here to find him." Cora continued to explain when Regina scoffed again. "I'll believe it when I see it," Cora said to her mother.
~season 4, episode 21: "Mother"~
~762 words~
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Once Upon a Dream:
Fanfiction***The sequel to Dreams Comes True*** This book occurs after Regina confesses to Gold that she will get revenge for Cora's death. While trying to stop the path of vengeance, another threat comes to Storybrooke in the form of another vengeance plan...
