Hey, so this is my new story. I've read so many of this in the last few months that I was inspired. This will feature mainly Captain Swan and Snowing, but also Outlaw Queen, Frozen Jewel and a bit Franken Wolf.

If you have any sugesstions, I'm always open for it.

This first chapter focusses many on Snow and Regina.

Enjoy!

What I've been looking for

Chapter 1: Change

"Thank you, Captain. That would be all.", Snow said with a fake smile, dismissing the sailor. He had brought her bad news.

As soon as the door closed behind the man, Snow let out a deep sigh. She sank back into her chair at the head of the table and rubbed her temples. Why did the bad news pile up these days? She was so tired. All she wanted was peace. For herself and the people. But it seemed this was not in the cards.

"So King Stephan is being stupid and intents to invade our land. I didn't even know his poor little excuse for a kingdom had a harbor.", an annoyed voice next to her got her out of her thoughts.

Regina ran her hands down her figure hugging ruby red dress, flipped her high bound black haired pony tail over her shoulder and sat down next to her.

"Don't worry, dear. We will crush him. Just like we crushed everyone who tried it before him.", Regina said in a gentle voice and ran her hand up and down on Snow's arm to comfort her.

Snow looked at her and wished, not for the first time, she had Regina's unshakable confidence and faith in her own abilities.

Regina was Snow's most trusted adviser and, except for her handmaiden Belle, her only friend in this castle. Also she was Snow's stepmother. Her late father had married Regina when Snow was twelve. As Regina was only six years older than her, she had always been more of a friend than a stepmother. When her father had passed away three years ago and Snow was crowned Queen, Regina was the first one to become a member of her counsel.

They both had faced so many bad things together. Aside from her father's passing, Snow had helped Regina come over the death of her childhood love Daniel, who had been murdered by Regina's mother shortly before Regina's wedding with King Leopold, and the death of her beloved father two years after she had left home to become queen.

And Regina had helped Snow with the grief for her mother and another huge hole in her heart. A hole that could never be filled.

*flashback*

"Snow, dear, where have you been? We've been worried sick. We feared something had happened to you!", Regina exclaimed as she threw her arms around Snow. Tears filled Regina's eyes. Except for her sister Zelena, Snow was the only family she had. She had never really grown to love her husband Leopold, though she deeply respected him. But Snow had found a place in her heart right from the beginning. The thought of losing her unbearable.

Snow escaped the embrace. "Whatever you say, I'm not coming back!" She nervously looked back to the little cottage in the wood, where she had been hiding the last two months.

"Dear, what are you talking about? Of course you are coming back home. Your father is furious. He thought someone kidnapped you." Regina looked at her in confusion and stepped forward to Snow. But she just stepped back and gave the cottage another look.

"I'm staying here. Now please go." She tried to make her way back to the cottage, but was held back by an elderly woman.

"You shouldn't do this, girl. You are the only heiress to the kingdom. It is your destiny to rule this land. It will never make you happy to stay here. You will just ruin your life. And his. He can have a good, decent life, marry a good woman and run my farm. But he will never be happy walking three steps behind you for the rest of his life. The people will never accept this union. And your enemies will see marrying a commoner as weakness and never leave you in peace. You will do both of you a favor if you just leave now. Forget about him and never come back.", the woman explained with a worried face.

She must be his mother. His mother he had always hoped would love her. Obviously, she didn't.

Tears streamed down Snow's face. She was right, it could never work out.

She was just a eighteen year old girl living a stupid little dream for the last two months. But what a beautiful dream it was. A dream, she had hoped she would never wake up from.

From the beginning, she knew it had to end. But her heart was breaking apart by the thought of never seeing him again.

Her whole life, she had been trained to become queen. And she always loved her duties as princess. She believe she would be a good queen one day. It was all she ever dreamed of.

Until she met him.

She pinched her eyes together, trying to chase away the tears. With a deep breath, she put on a brave face and faced Regina.

"Then let us leave. Now." Her voice trembled at the words. She had to get away from here. She would never leave if she saw his face.

Regina tucked her into the carriage. As they drove away, she saw him stepping out of the cottage through the blue front door. In the distance, she saw his confused looking around for her and heard his desperate voice: "Mary?"

This broke her entirely and her body shock with cries.

Soon Regina wrapped her arms around her and comforted her.

"Don't worry darling, everything will be alright again.", her friend tried to comfort her. "You can go back to your life now and forget he ever existed."

"No, I can't!", she brought out between sobs.

"Dear, you'll get over…"

"No, we will always be entwined." Before Regina could say anything more, Snow added: "I'm pregnant! I was just going to tell him this."

*Flashback end*

"We can't do this alone. We have to make alliances to ensure the kingdom's safety. Or we'll never have peace.", Snow growled in frustration.

Regina raised her perfectly shaped eyebrow in suspicion. "We have alliances. They don't help that much. We just got a new offer earlier this day."

"No, I mean binding alliances. Strong ones."

Realization hit Regina and her face showed pure shock. "You don't mean…Snow, you can't be serious!"

But the determination was too clear in Snow's face. She was sick of this games and it was her duty to end this. Even if it meant she would never be happy again.

"I am. We will hold a ball. For every eligible prince or nobleman from all the kingdoms. And there, I will choose the best one for our kingdom and offer him my hand in marriage."

"Snow, please don't. You fought so hard for all the nobleman in this land to accept you as their queen and rightful ruler. If you marry someone, they will see your husband as the true ruler and you as just some obedient wife and royal baby maker."

"Then, we will have to choose the right man, who will not overthrow ma and question my ability to rule. By the way, I have to marry eventually. This kingdom does need an heir."

Regina cupped Snow's cheek so she would face her. "When I married your father and I told you about Daniel, you always told me you would marry only for love. Don't you want love anymore, Snow?", Regina asked with a gentle look in her eyes.

Snow looks at her as if Regina had slapped her.

"I was just a naïve, foolish girl, who didn't know much about life. And I had love in my life. But I made the right choice and gave it away. Twice. There is no more of it for me in this life. I chose duty. And now I have to follow through with it."

With that, the Queen left the room, calling for a servant to write invitations for a ball. In the room, Regina was left with a horrible feeling that it was her mistake Snow just had chosen a loveless marriage like she herself had experienced it. Snow was right, the kingdom needed someone to inherit the throne. But maybe she could find another way for it. And make up the mistake she had made eighteen years ago.

************Snowing**********************************************************************************************

Somewhere, deep inside some woods, a eighteen year old woman step outside her cottage. She close the blue door, draped the hood of her cape over her shining blond hair and walked down the path to the nearby village. Wondering what life would bring her today. Maybe today was the day her life would finally change.