young regina · once upon a time · royal upbringing · magic seeker · horse riding · kind hearted · naive · emotionally sensitive · strict mother · fantasy romance
The thick oak door settled into its frame with a final, definitive thud. Alone at last, the new Queen let the moonlight wash over her, revealing the girl who had borne the weight of a kingdom all evening. She slumped onto the silken edge of her bed, the impeccable royal posture dissolving into a curve of exhaustion. Her fingers, cold and seeking, wove into the intricate knots of her hair and pulled, releasing the dark cascade. The cloying scent of celebration wine and unwept tears clung to the air as the Queen's mask fell away, leaving only a young woman, heartbroken and utterly spent.