The Swan Princess

Chapter 1

Birth

The Light Kingdom was considered the richest, truest kingdom in the all the realms. They were finally in prosperity, yet they lived in constant fear.

They feared an attack from the Dark Kingdom, from the Evil Queen.

The kingdom found itself full of joy for the Queen was to give birth soon. King James and Queen Snow White couldn't wait to welcome their prince or princess into their world.

A child, the child product of their true love.

Snow was on her eighth month and she was glowing. She always wondered what her stepmother would think? The Evil Queen, the woman everyone feared but Snow White had grown to love. It did not matter, what she had tried to do to Snow White, she loved her as if she were her mother. Regina had raised her and nobody could change that. No even Regina herself.

Regina had been quiet through her entire pregnancy. Not a single threat had come to the Light Kingdom while the King and Queen expected their child.

King James was very hard on their guards after the Queen's announcement at their wedding. She vowed to destroy their happiness and he vowed she would not have the pleasure.

And yet Queen Snow wasn't worried about the child's safety for she knew her child would be special. A savior, she thought. A hero just like her parents.

The night of the child's birth came rapidly. King James paced the hall of the room he shared with his wife, waiting to hear the baby's cries, but all he heard were his wife's cries of pain. He wished he could be with her, but he had to keep watch. They were both in danger and he would defend them.

Snow White's cries were so powerful, the entire kingdom heard them. The townspeople celebrated the birth of the child, but not a soul was as rejoiced as the Evil Queen's. Regina could hear her stepdaughter, too. She was watching everything from her mirror. Every push, every scream, every tear Snow shed.

"That baby will bring you nothing but problems, Your Majesty." Her mirror said. Regina has heard it say the same phrase over and over for all of eight months.

"Did I ask for your opinion in this matter, mirror? Or should I just make you stop talking once and for all? Mirrors are easily cracked, no?" Regina asked looking at the man she had trapped inside the mirror with her sarcastic, trademark smile.

"No, Your Majesty." He said, bowing his head as much as his space would allow. Rolling her eyes at his pathetic self, she walked to her bedchambers, for there was a royal being born and the mother could not stop her whining. She looked at herself in one of her mirrors and was pleased.

As regal as always.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall...show me the woman I want to kill most of all." The Evil Queen drawled and the first thing she heard was a child's cry. And then she saw the midwife, wrapping the shrieking thing in blankets.

Regina's full, red lips curved into a smile as the image before her disappeared.

"It's time," The Queen said before she disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

King James heard the baby's cries and ran into the room. He was finally a father.

His eyes took in the image of his wife holding their child, an image he would never forget.

"Hey there," He whispered, approaching them.

"It's a girl." Snow White whispered, looking at him with tears in her eyes. "We have our Emma." She continued. He took her lips in a kiss before looking down at the perfect baby.His wife passed the child onto her father. He couldn't believe it; hewas holding Emma for the very first time.

The Kings eyes stung with tears of joy as the little one opened her eyes. He looked at his wife and then back at the child.

"She is beautiful, Snow. She is just like you." He couldn't look away he was hypnotized by the beauty of his baby, his Emma. They both sat there, staring at their child so much so they barely heard the Queen's cruel laugh.

It was the woman neither of them wanted to see. The Queen was as glorious as a fallen angel with those cruel eyes and her dark cloaking.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my lucky day. The child has finally been born." With a flick of her wrist The Queen made the child disappear from her father's arms and on her own. Snow gasped and tried to stand, but it was useless. She was still delicate and had not yet been treated.

"Please, Regina. I am begging you," Queen Snow said breathless with fear. "Do not harm Emma." The King stood and took out his sword, aiming it at the Evil Queen.

"Oh no, dear. I mean no harm to this beautiful princess of yours." The Evil Queen said, looking at the baby in her arms. She was stunned by the connection she felt run through her, but she kept her expression as cold as it normally was. The child's eyes were like emeralds, green and bright.

The Evil Queen kissed the princess' forehead sweetly, before making her vanish again, leaving only a purple mist behind.

"What did you do?" Yelled the King at the same time that the bedridden Queen screamed "No!"

The Evil Queen grinned as she watched Snow White burst into tears and James get close enough to her that his blade was to her neck.

"Where have you sent our daughter, evil witch! What have you done?" James screamed, the blade shaking with his fury. Regina lifted her chin and looked down at him, not at all fazed by the sword threatening to break her skin.

If she died, they would never get the princess back.

"Somewhere horrible, a place where there are no happy endings." The sorceress said. The her eyes shifted to Snow White. "Oh, poor Snow." She whispered as the other woman sobbed uncontrollably.

The Evil Queen laughed and pushing away the sword, got closer to the sobbing Queen.

"You shall never set eyes upon your princess again. You shall always feel this pain, the pain of losing your precious little daughter." With those words and a rough, cruel laugh, the Evil Queen disappeared leaving nothing but her cloud of smoke and two broken hearts.