Ace of Hearts

Prologue: Nothing Goes as it Should

Once upon a time, there was a princess who was betrothed to be wed to a king and become stepmother to his daughter. The princess, Regina, did not want to marry the king, for she had a little family of her own. The love of her life, Daniel, and the hidden development of their child. Only Regina and Daniel knew of her pregnancy and they intended it to remain that way for as long as possible until they were free of Cora. Regina was able to hide this pregnancy by concealing it with the magical help she sought out from a witch in the woods. Her middle remained flat to the eyes of everyone, but her and Daniel.

One night, in an attempt to run away from it all, Regina met with Daniel in the stables where they were to disappear from the kingdom and live their lives with one another, but sadly, it was not meant to be. Regina's mother, the heartless witch, Cora, did not want any of this nonsense.

In an example of showing Regina her planned future, Cora ripped Daniel's heart from his chest and crushed it to ash. Regina was mortified, heartbroken, and practically shattered. She witnessed the death of her best friend, her fiancé, the father of her child, her true love. That night Cora taught Regina that 'love is weakness.'

A pain ripped through Regina as she clutched her middle. Her once flat abdomen became swollen in seconds as the glamor spell was broken. Cora was appalled at this discovery of Regina's transgression.

"You stupid girl! How could you do this to me?! How could you do this to your future? The future I have worked so hard for you to get and now you've thrown it all away!" Cora reprimanded.

Through her cries of pain, the soon-to-be mother pleaded, "Mother, please help me! Please, Mama, it hurts! I'm sorry! Mother, I'm so sorry! This wasn't supposed to happen. Please, help me!"

The anger towards her daughter subsided when she saw that her child was in this much tremendous pain. Showing a shred of compassion, she helps Regina to her feet and leads her to the house.

Lying in her bed, she screams in horror and pain and fear. Questions running through her head. 'I'm not going to lose my child too am I? I'm not going to lose the last piece of my and Daniel's love am I?' The king wasn't aware of Regina's pregnancy making Regina fearful of what is to be the fate of her child. She was silently praying that her mother would show mercy on the both of them.

Regina screamed and cried as she gripped her father's hand. She was in the most emotional and physical pain in her life. One minute she was happy with the love of her life, the next he's dead and she's gone into labor delivering their child. "Push, Regina!" her mother coached. Regina felt weak, but made sure that she wouldn't lose her child too. She pushed and pushed as hard as she could to bring her child into the world.

Her cries were hushed when she heard the cries of her very own baby. The babe came out squirming and wailing in Cora's arms. "It's a girl, Regina. You have a daughter," Cora informed, which relaxed Regina a bit. "Is she okay?" the new mother asked.

"She's perfectly healthy," Cora said with no emotion.

"Mother, please don't take away my child!" Regina pleads, over her daughter's cries.

"Well, what do you suppose I do with her? What will the king say when he finds out about her? How could you possibly raise a child?" Cora asked.

"We could tell him that she's my goddaughter and that her parents died, so she becomes mine," Regina decides.

"And you really think that the king will fall for that?" Cora asked.

"The moment Snow White looks at her, she will not let her father have a say," Regina explained with a grin of satisfaction because she knew she had Cora beat.