The Evil Princess

Introduction

"Mother!" I screamed. My voice and footsteps echoed loudly through the grand hallway of the palace as I stormed towards the queen's bedroom. Rage burned inside me like fire, my nails dug into the skin of my clenched fists. I shoved the large, ostentatious doors open to find the queen admiring herself in her mirror. Or rather, I thought she was. As I got closer, I realized she was talking with the genie she had trapped behind it's glass. She turned around quickly with surprise at the sudden opening of her doors, but smiled softly when she realized it was me.

"Ah, Victoria, just who I wanted to see," she said. With a gentle flick of her wrist, the man in the mirror disappeared with a small puff of smoke.

"How could you?" I asked in an astonished whisper. My mother's smile fell into a frown.

"He was going to hurt you. I could see it coming."

"You didn't need to rip his heart out," I cried. She fell silent. I could hear the sound of her elegant black and red gown swishing on the cold floor as she approached me. She gently lifted my chin to look at her. I studied her beautiful face: the perfect curves of her ruby lips, which had spoken many curses over innocent people; her large brown eyes, which had glared over her victims with no mercy. The hand that sweetly cupped my chin had crushed many a heart in the Enchanted Forest. Tears trickled down my cheeks, her diamond crown reflecting in each droplet.

"I was trying to protect you, Victoria," she said softly, a look of innocent confusion on her face.

"He was a good man," I whispered. Suddenly, one of the guards frantically ran into the room.

"My queen," he panted heavily. "Snow White, she's been spotted near the edge of the forest." My mother's eyes narrowed with fury. I could feel the heat growing in the palm of her hand. My grandfather, Henry, appeared behind the guard, his usual forlorn expression written on his face.

"Regina, we must hurry," he murmured. My mother looked back at me with apologetic eyes. She cupped my cheek in her hand, placing a gentle kiss on the other.

"I'm sorry darling," she whispered. With a wave of her hand, she vanished in a dramatic flume of smoke, off to enact her revenge. I slowly wiped my tears with my gloved hand. My mother wasn't sorry. But what else could she do? After all, she was the Evil Queen.