Heartless. That's the title you'd earned. It was cruel, really. But in the cruelty there was truth. All magic comes with a price. The imp's words rang in your mind, a constant reminder of the warning you ignored. And the price was hefty. You had sought out a spell book, one of the most powerful in all the realms. Your desire for knowledge had gotten the best of you, and you'd grown too eager. The book was cursed; once touched, the holder's heart would rapidly decay, leaving nothing but an empty space in their chest. They would live, but feel no love.

A few days after this book came into your possession, you received a letter. A letter that you ignored. Your actions had seen you shunned by those around you; letters you received nowadays usually contained hateful words speaking of your betrayal. But your choice to discard the letter would prove to be a mistake.

Knelt down in your garden, you were tending to your flowers: Black Roses, in particular. You'd always had a liking to those flowers. There was something about their mysterious allure that you had come to love.

"Well,"

The voice made you jump, startled. Your head snapped around to see who had spoken, but you quickly found yourself wrapped up in the roots and stems of your roses, lifting you just off the ground. The Evil Queen smirked with sick amusement as she squeezed them around you, stalking closer.

"-at least your taste in flowers is better than your ability to return a message. Now. Where is that book?"

You stared at the Queen, remaining silent, spare your gasps for air. Regina's smirk lowered into a scowl at your lack of cooperation. Then, in an instant, her hand plunged into your chest. The pain was excruciating, but brief, as Regina's hand came back empty. She glared at you, scoffing.

"So, it's true. You really are heartless."

Regina rolled her eyes, a dismissive flick of her wrist releasing you from her constraints. She raised an eyebrow as you held your neck, coughing and spluttering on the ground.