Ref: QoH is Cora’s first born. I wonder when the deal was done– as an infant or maybe it was an arranged marriage, like Regina’s? And where is father Henry in all this ‘wheeling and dealing’ of his children?
Maybe the QoH is Cora’s daughter but not Henry’s. A step daughter would have enough disdain for a step father to want to capture him and besides it is an easier sell. Cora does treat Henry the same way she treats Regina so it does fit. That could explain why Regina can’t ever live up to Cora’s expectations and why Henry’s whipped.