Royal Blood

Chapter Thirty-Four: Evil Queen

Hey guys there is really important information after this chapter so please be sure to read everything in bold/italics! Thanks and enjoy!!

Regina stood at the entrance to the apple orchard, her chin high and her lower lip barely wobbling. Other nobility and associates had made their way through for the past hour, sharing their condolences and making light discussions. Leopold stood silently at her side, not offering but the slightest comfort. Cora was nowhere to be found and Regina had figured by this point that Zelena was locked away like Robin and the Merry Men.

Out of the corner of her eye, Regina saw Graham in his black uniform, watching her from a distance. She murmured her thanks to a woman in an over the top black gown before looking to Leopold. "I need a break." She whispered, slipping from his side to stand by the man who had held her almost five days ago.  "Please just... Just act like its a normal day."

"But it's not." Graham murmured, not taking his eyes off of his post.

"But it should be." Regina retorted, crossing her arms. Tears threatened to spill for the thousandth time as Regina looked up at the bright sun. "It was too early, Graham." She whimpered, turning from the crowd. Graham's eyes flicked to her for an instant before he sighed.

"I know your majesty." He mumbled, trying hard to obey the rules that had been set for public meetings.

No personal relationships with those higher up.

Regina sniffled and wiped her hands on her beaded, slim fit black dress, her headpiece slightly slipping from its place. "I wish all these people would leave. They didn't even know him. Not the real him."

"But he was a great ruler. The whole kingdom has been in mourning." Graham pointed out, knowing it wouldn't help her state.

Before Regina could respond, Leopold appeared at her side, squeezing her waist. "Regina?" He asked.

"I... I was just making sure security was on schedule." Regina murmured, keeping her eyes glued to her shoes.

"Good." His grip tightened as he began to walk away. "The service is about to begin."

***

The sun warmed the tops of her cheeks as she slowly climbed the hill, passing by the apple trees that were strategically placed for  optimum harvest. She could almost hear her father's chuckle from behind a tree as he waited for his youngest daughter to find him.

Regina finally stood in front of his tombstone, swallowing hard as she looked out past the gray slab and out to the view. It was his favorite spot in the entire world and she had insisted they burry him here so Henry could be at rest. Below her, green hills rolled before meeting a large lake that separated the gardens and fields from the actual forest. Blue skies dotted with the whitest of clouds that surrounded Regina as she blinked back tears.

In her trembling hands was a single red rose along with four apple blossoms. She stepped forwards, laying the flowers on top of the stone carved with her father's ranking and his name. Regina's fingers slowly traced over the carvings before a sob left her mouth, her knees sinking into the damp grass. The tears she was trying so hard to hold back came flowing down her cheeks now, her body shaking with every cry.

Her father, the only person in the terrible mess Regina called a life who genuinely cared for her, was gone. Taken away forever. All the things she'd wanted to say and do were now a figment of Regina's imagination, something that could never be completed. The man who had raised the young princess was now gone with a flick of her mother's wrist. With that thought in mind, Regina's mourning turned to pure anger as early memories of Henry flickered behind her eyes.

Cora.

Her selfish mother had done this to punish Regina further for her 'actions'. She had killed the only man that had stood in her way of complete dominance. The only man who had encouraged Regina to fight for what she had found out in the villages of her own kingdom; love.

Well, her father wouldn't die in vain, his lessons wouldn't be forgotten. The last thing Henry had wanted was for his daughters to be free. To be happy. He knew everything. He knew about Robin and wanted Regina to be happy with him. He wanted her to fight for her own life. And Regina was willing to do anything in her powers to see that his wish came true.

With a grunt, Regina pushed herself to stand before her father's grave, the salt from her earlier tears dried on her pale cheeks. Regina had blamed herself for the battles she had endured in this palace. But the war that was about to be waged, that was fully her mother's fault.

"I'm sorry." Regina whispered, stroking the cold slab of stone once more. "But it's the only way."

Turning her back on her father's grave, Regina took a deep breath as the amplifying anger she had used to fuel her magic arose. But this time, instead of surging and subsiding after its use, the feeling of empowerment and strength stayed. Regina took a deep breath, opening her eyes as a new confidence laced it's way through her veins. Her pupils dilated as her body quivered with power.

The little girl that had once kneeled at her father's grave was easily pushed aside to reveal a new character trait; one more sinister with her ways.

Regina's lips quirked upwards with the realization that, on this day, the Evil Queen was born.

A/n: hey guys! So there are a couple things I wanted to talk about regarding my next fanfic. No worries, Royal Blood won't be finished any time soon! But I wanted to get a head start on my fanfic and I wanted your opinions. So here's what I'd like you to do...
1.) if you want my next fanfic to be OQ (Regina and Robin) please comment OQ on this chapter. If you want CS (Emma and Killy) please comment CS. And if you're interested in Snowing (Mary Margaret and David) please comment snowing!!
2.) after commenting which ship you'd like, please indicate if you would like an AU (alternate universe// doesn't have to follow the ABC plot of Once Upon a Time) or something that follows close to the plot line of OUAT and whether you'd prefer an EF or a real world plot
3.) I'd absolutely LOVE to hear your suggestions if you have a story outline/suggestion you'd like me to use! I'm thinking of starting one shots so even if I don't use yours for my next full fledged book, I might use it for a shorter story
4.) if you want an original story (something not OUAT related) let me know!!!
5.) please submit all of your suggestions in one comment on THIS CHAPTER
Thank you all so much! I just love hearing your ideas and wanna see if hopefully one of them sparks an idea!