A Kingdom Divided

Chapter 1

10-year-old Regina ran around the rose garden, her fingers and face sticky from picking and eating berries all day. She knew her mother would be furious once she saw the condition her new dress was in. Regina had begged her to wear it this morning, despite her mother wanting to save it for the ball later that night. It didn't take much to persuade her, and soon the girl was running outside to the courtyard with a promise she would keep her dress in pristine condition like a good princess does.

"Regina!" The girl froze as she heard her name being called. She darted around the corner only to run into Zelena. Her 12-year-old sister gasped as she saw the blue and magenta stains on her sparkling pink gown. "Mother is going to be upset! You know better than running around the courtyard in your new dress, Regina." She scolded her.

"Zelena!" Regina fought against her as the older girl started dragging her back to the castle. Her sister was significantly stronger than her being two years older, and she succeeded in getting her inside. "Mother!" The red-head called out, going to the throne room where she knew their mother would be.

Cora stood up from her throne, dismissing the staff. "Girls, can't you see that I'm busy? I am planning the ball for tonight and- Regina, what happened to your dress?"

Zelena pushed her forward, a smirk on her face. Her sister always enjoyed getting her into trouble, knowing that she was Cora's favorite. She always rubbed that fact in her face whenever she could. "I caught her running around the garden, Mother." Zelena answered. "What did I say about keeping your dress clean? The servants won't be able to get those stains out of your dress by the time the ball starts." Cora said.

"I'm sorry, Mother." Regina mumbled. "If your father were here I would make him deal with you. But it seems I'm going to have to punish you myself." Cora said, taking her arm and leading her upstairs. Regina bit her lip to try and hold back tears. Her father loved her dearly and had never laid a hand on her or Zelena their entire lives.

They would get a stern talking to and a time-out before the kind-hearted man would make them hot cocoa or tea to cheer them up. Cora on the other hand... she was not a gentle soul. At least not to Regina anyway. Her punishments included a hard hand or a whip. Zelena was the perfect daughter, the perfect princess. She was next in line to inherit the throne so Regina was often left on the sidelines.

It didn't help that Regina was curious and adventurous, she often explored in the forest or was found burying her nose in a fairytale book rather than refining her dancing skills or doing other things a princess does. To be honest, Regina didn't enjoy being a princess. She would be perfectly happy being a common villager; peasants, as her mother called them. "Filthy, disgusting brutes." She would say.

Cora entered her room and went to her closet, grabbing the leather whip that she used on the horses at the stables. Regina got into position at the end of the bed, laying herself over the cedar chest at the end and gripping the bed skirt tightly in her clenched hands. She had been under Cora's cruel hand more times than she had actually bonded with her.

"I'd say 50 strokes is fair, wouldn't you agree, Regina?" Her mother asked. "Yes, ma'am." Regina answered quietly. Too quietly, as she felt the familiar sting of the whip on her backside. "A princess speaks up so she is heard, dear." Cora reminded her. Tears stung the little girl's eyes as her mother mercilessly hit her over and over. She closed her eyes and imagined herself in another life, a place where she had a loving family that didn't worry about wealth or appearances. The only person that cared for her now was her father. But being the kind and fair king he was, he was always off in another land making alliances or trying to help out the needy.

There was only one kingdom in which King Henry would never try to ally with. That was the land in which Prince James and Snow White ruled, which wasn't too far from their kingdom. The young prince had taken over his father's throne when King George had passed quite some time ago. King George and King Henry's kingdoms had fought for generations, so when Henry had inherited the crown he acknowledged the fact that the two families were enemies and always would be.