Keeping A Secret (COMPLETE)

One

Regina lay on her bed, dreaming of a life without her mother. It was a peaceful life, and it was one she wished was real. She had dreamed that she didn’t marry a man for wealth, or to join kingdoms, or marry without love. She wasn’t a princess, waiting for reign to be queen, she was a normal girl living in the Enchanted Forest.
    Regina was awoken when her mother knocked on her door, “Regina, dear, it’s time for you to come down.” She barely opened her eyes. “We have another suitor here to meet you, I need you to be down in fifteen minutes, and don’t doddle.” When she didn’t respond her mother added, “That’s an order, Regina.”
    She listened to the pitter pattering sound of her mother’s heels against the chestnut oak wood floors. “Damn,” she whispered to herself. Rubbing at her eyes and sitting up, she realized that the sun had already risen and it was well passed her riding time. Why had her mother let her sleep in so late? Surely it was inelegant and unqueenly to sleep in later than expected. She would’ve expected Josie, her faithful servant, to awake her if she had done such ungraceful things.
    She sat up straight and uncovered herself. She was in a ballerina pink sleeping dress, which had reached to her ankles. She quickly went to her wardrobe stand and sat in the freshly polished, wooden chair. Reaching for her brush, she noticed there was a note beside it marked: Regina . She knitted her eyebrows together and carefully opened it. Ripping the paper envelope open and grabbing the small paper inside it she began to carefully read it. The message said:

Regina ,
    Since you had missed your early riding lesson, I would like to offer coming back tomorrow morning, since your lessons are only scheduled for Thursdays. I would be able to come tomorrow if you would like to reschedule and actually make it this time.
                Thank you,
                    R.H.
She knew that the initials stood for Robin Hood. She sighed and tossed the paper to the side of her stand. She grabbed the brush and began stroking through the soft, smooth, chestnut brown hair. It was so dark that people had considered it to be black most of her life. After she was done brushing her hair, she sauntered to the closet which contained all of her dresses, and more elegant clothes, for when suitors came. Regina grabbed an elegant baby blue dress, with the light, see through straps falling to her shoulders. The front torso was bejeweled ever so lightly and the skirt poofed out just enough to where it made her look as elegant as ever. Her mother would definitely approve. To top it off, she slipped on her nice white heels which weren’t too noticeable.
Walking back to her stand, she pinned a piece of her hair on each side, making it look half decent. She knew how these things went. Her mother would call a dozen suitors within a month, and each of them would show up whenever they pleased. She would dress nicely and sit with the man, and maybe, if her mother trusted them together enough, they would walk in the orchard. But he would have to make it to her mother’s standards, otherwise, there was no point to respond to their next meeting proposition other than replying with a sorry letter. But Regina didn’t care for any of these men. Not even the ones that met her mother’s standards. She was suppressing her feelings and didn’t know how to explain them to anyone except her steed of course. 
She had began to get these feelings when she was around twelve. Now that she was seventeen she knew exactly what her feelings were. It was when she was thirteen and made a new friend, Kathryn. Kathryn wasn’t just a friend. She was everything Regina knew she shouldn’t want. Kathryn, who was also interested in girls, helped Regina realize that she preferred them over boys. Kathryn and Regina grew closer and closer until one day, Kathryn had to move away and live with her mother. Regina never saw her again, but she had sent her letters, thanking her for everything.
Regina shook the memories from her head and turned to walk out to the man her mother found quite pleasing. She heard laughter coming from the wooden doors which lead to the drawing room. She sucked in a deep breath and opened the doors. “Regina! Finally, I felt like we were waiting for ages!” Her mother had exclaimed.