Regina thought she was over this. She thought she was past waking up in cold sweats as the memories lingered in her mind. They were so clear, so vivid, and it just made the nightmares worse. They were so realistic.

Regina was no stranger to having nightmares concerning past experiences, but there was one period of her life that reoccured the most in her hellish trips down memory lane: her marriage with Leopold. And the staple event that haunted her was the proposal itself.

With each nightmare she revisited it, again and again and again. There she was, 18 again, in her radiant, white gown. And in front of her, down on one knee, a ring outstretched to her, there was Leopold. The small metal binding that bound her to her path to darkness, to misery and vengeance. The things she'd been forced to do in that marriage left scars on Regina's mind that wouldn't ever heal, not truly. They would always burn just the same.

You awoke beside her late that night to see her tossing and turning, her distress evident on her face. Scrunched up in panic and upset, and she murmured under her breath, things like 'No..' and 'I don't want to..'. Your heart ached for your partner. This happened more often than it should've. You hated how much Regina had been put through.

"Regina?.."

You gently rested your hand on Regina's shoulder, cupping it in your palm. Regina jolted awake at the touch, letting out a panicked yell and grabbing your wrist out of instinct. Her panicked and tear-filled eyes searched you frantically, eventually softening with recognition.

"I'm sorry..."

Regina whispered, taking deep breaths. Her cheeks were tear-streaked, and her body was layered with a sheet of sweat as she trembled softly. Clearly, this nightmare had shaken her pretty badly.