_{❝Do you really think I care about what the others think of me?❞}

    _{[ she didn’t give a damn for what her companions thought of her. hell, she knew what they thought. they really only saw her as nothing more than a villain…. except for roland. he had no idea what she has done. he didn’t know that she was the one to curse the entire kingdom. he didn’t know that she was murderer. he only saw her as regina — a protector. a queen. there was no evil in her to him.}

    _{it was in this moment that she realized that she did care about what roland thought of her. hurting this grey being would only taint what he thought of her. and she couldn’t have that, now could she? she needed someone to believe in her, as henry once did. she wanted to keep him sheltered from the darkness that lingered inside of her and she could only do that by restraining herself, trying to ignore the burning sensation of restless magic as it raced through her veins.}

     _{oh how she would love to just reach forward and snag the heart right out of her taunter’s chest. she would take so much pleasure in watching it become dust between her fingers. regina would also love to watch them burn, becoming nothing but ash upon the ground. but she just curled her hands into fists, biting her tongue. she wouldn’t. she couldn’t. roland would find out. he would. ]}

       _{❝I don’t.❞}