Work Text:
The large oak doors to the Queens chamber flew open as Cora swept in.
“What on earth are you doing in bed at this hour Regina? You must get up at once!” Cora exclaimed seeing her daughter still nestled comfortably under the blankets of her four-poster. The eighteen-year-old brunette stirred and groaned she was sick to her stomach, exhausted, and her mother was the last person she wanted hovering around her chambers. She felt that at any moment she would throw up and wanted nothing more than to rest until the nausea passed.
“Mother please… you should’ve knocked!” She exasperatedly pleaded, slowly rising to a seated position suppressing the urge to puke.
“Nonsense darling, I thought you would be almost ready to leave by now.” She said striding over to Regina’s four-poster. Her elegant heels noisily clattering on the stone floor.
"Mother please just leave me, I’m tired." Regina begged, leaning against the headboard and adjusting her lavish covers.
"Regina I will not let you continue to lay about moping over that boy Daniel anymore, you're Queen now and you have responsibilities"
“I’m not moping about Daniel. I just need some rest.” The brunette replied her irritation showing.
It had been several weeks since that devastating night in the stables when Regina’s young lover had his heart ripped out and crushed by Cora. The two had previously spent many cozy nights together passionately rolling in the hay completely and utterly in love. In the weeks after that tragic night Regina had been entirely consumed by grief and barely kept up with her duties. There were countless celebratory balls, the royal wedding, and her coronation. Scours of royals, diplomats, and people who wanted to meet and congratulate the King and his new wife for their nuptials. Praising the prefect family in his prosperous kingdom after the tragic death of his first wife. It was exhausting keeping up with all the new prominent faces she had to learn and people she had to meet with, drink with, or dance with. She felt like a marionette. Too distracted balancing the pressures of her new role as Queen and putting up a front to hide her loss she barely noticed a month or so go by among it. That was until she began feeling off, more off than usual, and then morning sickness set in. After a while she came to the realization that she had fallen pregnant, and in all likelihood, it was Daniel’s baby. The thought of her mother finding out absolutely terrified her. So far, she had managed to explain away her tiredness, upset stomach and frequent trips to the bathroom with the stresses of a new environment and the political expectations put on her. However, the longer it persisted the more difficult it would become to hide and the more people would become suspicious.
Cora moved over to Regina and cupped her daughters chin in her hand affectionately.
“Oh, my dear.” she sighed scrutinizing her. “You look pale, has the excitement of the past few weeks been too much for you?” Cora asked still examining her daughter.
The young queen shook her off and fidgeted in bed.
“Mother please just leave me be.” Regina said purposefully neglecting to answer the question.
“You better not be coming down with something. I had hoped you were stronger than this dear, but it seems I’m going to be sorely disappointed by you.” Cora said deflated dropping her hand and turning away.
Regina was fuming, she was hormonal, sick, tired, and now beyond all levels of angry at her mother frustratingly ignoring her requests for rest.
“I’m not weak!” She shrieked. Mustering together what little energy she had she threw a stream of purple light towards her mother hoping to push her away.
Surprisingly, Cora was thrown back against the opposite wall by the sheer force of Regina’s magic. A look of utter shock spread across her features as she collapsed haphazardly to the floor slightly stunned. A heartbeat later the young Queen lost control of her churning stomach. She just had time to climb out of bed before she vomited into the large stone wash basin on her dresser.
"You foolish girl!!" Cora shrieked from her crumpled position on the other side of the room. "I told you, you're not strong enough for magic. Look what it has done to you!" she continued reprimanding as she gathered herself together, readjusted her dress and made to cross the room back towards her daughter.
Regina puked again unable to acknowledge her mother’s harsh words as she stalked purposefully towards her.
“Mother!” She choked irritated when she was able to compose herself enough to wipe her mouth and turn to face her. “I told you to leave me alone!” Angrily she shot another stream of light from her hands, but this time Cora deflected it with a lazy flick of the wrist.
“Regina darling you will never be a match for my power. Now get back into bed at once before you pass out.” She said dismissively.
Regina obliged immediately, not only had the act of emptying her stomach caused her to feel shaky and weak, but the force of producing the spells made her dizzy. It was also exactly where she wanted to be while she felt so lousy.
“I will leave you, if only to prevent you from causing further harm to yourself by using more magic. I shall send someone in to clean up the mess you have created and leave you to explain your absence to the king at your own discretion.”
Regina stared daggers at her mother’s back as she strode from the room. She saw right through her critical manipulative words and knew perfectly well that her magic was not going to cause her any harm. She had much more experience than her mother knew about and liked to keep it that way. As for her husband, she would deal with him if he were interested enough to inquire about her. His focus was usually doting on his precious daughter Snow.
A few minutes later the servants came in to remove the soiled stone wash basin and tidy the things which had been knocked awry by the spell.
“Are you ill your majesty?” Should we send for the palace doctor?” One of them asked softly.
“No thank you.” Regina said quietly from her bed. She had settled herself back comfortably under the covers and was not too far from sleep.
“But if you see my father, tell him I wish to speak to him later this afternoon.” She followed with quietly.
“Would you like some lunch brought to you?” the other maid asked removing the barely touched breakfast tray which had been sitting there for hours.
“Yes please.” She finished eagerly.
Even though she still felt queasy she knew it would eventually pass and by that time she will be ravenously hungry. She did after all need the nutrition.
She didn’t know how much longer she could keep this hidden and knew her actions today were going to present with repercussions later either from her mother or her husband. God forbid if either of them discovered the true reason for why she wasn’t feeling well. For now though, she sank into the soft furnishings of her four poster and welcomed rest.