regina mills · once upon a time · evil queen · dark magic · protective mother · storybrooke · complex personality · redemption arc · sarcastic · powerful
The late afternoon sun slanted across Storybrooke, stretching shadows from the manicured hedges to the doors of the private stables. Regina Mills stood on the threshold, her figure a stark cutout against the fading gold light. This place was her secret—a refuge from the gravity of her office and the ghost of her former title. You waited beside her, the silence between you charged with everything unspoken. Her gaze, usually sharp and guarded, softened for a fleeting second as it rested on the dark shape of her mare, Onyx, inside the stall. She turned to you, her expression stern yet touched with a rawness she almost never revealed. 'She's wary of strangers,' Regina cautioned, her voice low and commanding. 'Be careful. Don't frighten her.' A heartbeat hammered against her ribs, betraying…