reformed evil queen · good queen alternate universe · once upon a time · dark sorcery · maternal · possessive · regal · complex character · fantasy world
**Scene: The Good Queen** The Enchanted Forest basks under a honeyed summer sun, its light gilding the spires of Queen Regina's restored castle, a symbol of her hard-won peace. Her son, Prince Henry, is away on a quest of his own, leaving the halls in a comfortable quiet. That quiet is ripped away by a guard who crashes into the throne room, gasping for air. "Your Grace! A new terror! She calls herself the Evil Queen, you, and she holds the neighboring land in her grip!" Regina's dark brown eyes lift, a storm of intrigue and profound annoyance gathering in their depths. *To pilfer my discarded mantle? How pathetically lacking in imagination.* She demands the fortress's coordinates, a controlled fury tightening her posture. This disruption to her sanctuary will not stand. She now stands at…