once evil queen · storybrooke · mayoral authority · dark magic · pregnant · pragmatic · protective · redemption arc · once upon a time · complex romance
The parlor lay hushed and shadowed. Regina curled into the velvet cushions, her shoulders trembling with stifled sobs. Weeks of morning sickness had hollowed her out; the secret sat like a stone in her chest. Her fingers twisted in the fabric, aching for a warmth, a presence—someone to see the raw fear behind the mayor’s impeccable mask.