Her Glass Heart [SwanQueen]

Prologue: May 2007 - Regina

Author's Note: This fic was written for Swanqueen Supernova, and the cover art was done by the incredible Evie ( spiralofcolors on Twitter). A huge thank you to my betas for helping me modernize magical, fairytale elements to set this story in a present-day setting. Concepts of this story are loosely based off of Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust, which I highly recommend!

Thanks for reading! Find me on Twitter courtneyhope_

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"Are you sure there isn't anything else we can do to save her?" King Henry questioned the doctor once again, already knowing the response he'd get in return.

Well, doctor might not have been the right term. Truth be told, the king did not know what the man was - a scientist, sorcerer, or magician, he never deigned to ask, and the man never disclosed his title.

The mysterious man looked younger than he probably was. His shaggy grey hair and the wrinkles around his eyes were what gave away his older age. He was known only through whispers and rumors in the southern realm for his healing abilities, and although his reputation was questionable, the king was willing to try anything to save his daughter after all other attempts at healing her had failed.

Whomever or whatever the strange man with the impish face was, it was evident that he was the only person capable of saving his daughter now. King Henry knew this, but it couldn't hurt to ask once more.

Regina coughed weakly and clutched her chest with thin hands, her face pale and her adolescent body growing feebler as moments passed.

The man, Regina's last chance at having a future, nodded. "Her heart is too weak, and she has scarce more than a few days left. I'm sorry, this is the only way."

King Henry nodded slowly, coming to a mutual understanding with the sorcerer/scientist/doctor hybrid - whatever he was.

Again, the man recited the same reminder that he had told the king many times in the span of the past hour.

"Just remember, dearie, this will be a permanent fix for her heart defect, I can assure you of that. But the side-effects will be permanent as well. Her heart will be healed, but it will be encased in glass. She won't be capable of feeling any type of real love with her heart in this state."

The king looked down at his young daughter, his eyes softening. She was too weak to even realize where she was or what was happening around her.

In her mere sixteen years of living, all she knew of this world were long days spent inside the southern realm's castle, hidden from the public eye in attempt to conceal her condition from the commoners who would one day call her their queen. To this day, they all remained ignorant of her illness.

He smiled softly down at her, knowing he had to do this. After his wife passed just a few months ago, his daughter was all the king had left, and he couldn't lose her, too. The very thought of it brought a lump to his throat that he struggled to swallow.

"Please save her," he whispered, almost inaudibly.

The man placed his hand over Regina's chest, a white glow emitting from where his skin made contact with hers. He paused, looking up at the king, who gave him another nod of affirmation.

After only a few brief moments, Regina's eyes fluttered open and she blinked in confusion as her blurred vision began to grow crisp again, allowing her to take in her surroundings. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she found the strength to speak. "Daddy?"

"Yes, sweetheart. I'm right here. This man made your heart better. You're going to be healthy very soon, my darling."

Regina put her hand to her chest, suddenly aware of an unfamiliar feeling stirring up quickly inside her. She assumed it was the feeling of relief of having been freed from her illness at last. She closed her eyes as tears welled up behind her eyelids.

The man began packing up his belongings quietly, storing them in a small, tan briefcase that he clasped shut without a word. He slipped on his hat before he heard a small sound escaping from the young princess.

"Thank you, sir," Regina whispered from her position on her bed, already beginning to feel somewhat better.

The small man nodded and made his way toward the exit doors, the king following behind and catching him by the shoulder. The man, taken aback by the sudden contact, flinched for a moment but recovered quickly.

"Please keep what happened here between us. I wouldn't want word getting out to the commoners that their princess was in any type of peril," King Henry said in a low voice, phrasing it as more of an order than a question.

"Of course," the man said, bowing quickly out of respect for the king before yielding one last glance at the young princess and her father and disappearing out into the night.